Expert interviews, brewing insights, and industry trends.
Oakland, California’s Ghost Town made a splash in 2021 and 2022, winning back-to-back GABF gold medals for their Nose Goblin Imperial IPA, along with notable 2022 medals in the strong pale ale and India pale lager categories. One of their secrets, of course, is hop quality—but the qualities that head brewer Justin Burdt seeks out aren’t exactly the ones you might think.
Recorded at the recent Brewer’s Retreat at Russian River Brewing, this panel discussion with Matt Brynildson of Firestone Walker, Sean Lawson of Lawson’s Finest, and Ben Edmunds of Breakside explores how each are defining and brewing compelling and modern interpretations of West Coast IPA.
Recorded at the recent Brewer’s Retreat at Russian River Brewing, this panel discussion with Vinnie Cilurzo of Russian River, Cory King of Side Project, and Nick Gislason of Hanabi Lager is a deep dive into the most effective ways to blend beer and wine grape fermentations for compelling beers.
Recorded at the recent Brewer’s Retreat at Russian River Brewing, this panel discussion with Henry Nguyen of Monkish, J.C. Tetreault of Trillium, and Neil Fisher of Weldwerks explores their evolving approaches to brewing hazy IPAs.
The scientist behind storied varieties such as Nelson Sauvin and up-and-comers like Nectaron shares insights into the process of developing impactful hops.
Recorded among the wood-paneled walls of the centuries-old Schlenkerla pub in Bamberg, Germany, sixth-generation brewmaster Matthias Trum shares his deep insights into smoke, balance, and history.
From the famously soft water to whole-cone hops and extraordinarily long maturation, the brewmaster at Budvar delights in all the details that shape one of Czechia’s most popular beers.
From high-gravity brewing to pushing new techniques in quick-soured fruit beer, Monday Night brewmaster Peter Kiley isn’t afraid to tackle difficult projects that make life easier on his team of brewers—as long as quality remains the number-one focus.
This Nashville brewery strives for big flavor, but their process of testing assumptions and finding more authentic ways of making popular styles leads to crowd-favorite beers that critics can love.
One of the world’s most cherished hop-growing regions had a rough growing season last year—but there are plenty of reasons to be optimistic, and there is more to Czech hops than Saaz.
In this follow-up to episode 286, the gang—Vinnie Cilurzo, Evan Price, and Kelsey McNair—is back together to answer and discuss your questions spurred by one of the most popular episodes in the history of the Craft Beer & Brewing Podcast.
At Dva Kohouti in Prague, Lukáš Tomsa and his team are raising the importance of proper service while balancing traditional lagers with modern ales.
Drinkability is a religion for Czech brewers, with all methods, ingredients, and service geared toward a beer that always leaves you wanting more. At one of the oldest (revived) breweries in the world, brewmaster Aleš Potěšil is carrying that legacy forward.
In Pilsner Urquell’s experimental brewery, Lenka Straková is coloring outside the lines of modern craft styles and traditional Czech brewing.
In the first of several episodes recorded in Czechia, retired Pilsner Urquell brewmaster Václav Berka relates the history of the brewery—and therefore of pilsner itself—and shares his love of all the details that go into producing a highly drinkable beer.
Welcoming flavor is the name of the game for Barn Town Brewing in West Des Moines, Iowa. Whether it’s their top-scoring hazy IPAs or their non-gluten fruited sour beers, they’re earning a reputation for building savvy balance into bold flavors.
After getting his start as a homebrewer, Kosmicki’s first pro brewing gig was on Founders’ 30-barrel brewhouse. Two decades in, he’s approaching innovation with a cautious eye for sustainability.
Michigan’s Old Nation didn’t set out to brew hazy IPA. Yet when they tackled the project, they did it with the analytical rigor one would expect from disciplined brewers trained to brew lagers.
The founder of Cedar Springs Brewing and president of the Michigan Brewer’s Guild asks a fundamental question: Why doesn’t weissbier get more love?
COVID gave this Grand Rapids brewery a chance to reset and become whatever its community needed it to become—and Collazo and his team are listening while continuing to chart a fresh path.
After chasing larger volumes through distribution for the past 12 years, the pandemic led to reckoning and reconnection for these two breweries in Grand Rapids, Michigan. Now, they’re sizing down to let customers and brewers, rather than distributors, drive the creative narrative.
By adopting a dogmatic and precise approach to quality—from evaluating honey quality through bottling without stabilizers or preservatives—Schramm’s Mead is setting standards and exploring what’s possible at the forefront of honey and fruit fermentations.
Mary and Brian Rooney of Kansas City's BKS Artisan Ales discuss their approach to experimentation and iteration with soft and fluffy (but well-attenuated) hazy IPA.
The former CFO and current CMO of Chicago’s Revolution Brewing offers a glimpse into what’s in store for craft beer in 2023 and beyond.