Episode 181: Sacramento Beer Week 2024 (w/ Chris Keeton & David Weiss)

Host Ben Rice travels to Sacramento, CA, to sit down with Sacramento Area Brewers Guild president Chris Keeton (head brewer at Alaro) and vice president David Weiss (brewer at Blue Note) to talk about Sacramento Beer Week 2024 (happening April 26-May 5). We discuss this year's iteration of the Rising Together guild collaboration (among other things). In past years, it's been an IPA using certain ingredients, but this year, in honor of the Sacramento Brewers Showcase happening on Saturday May 4 (at Heart Health Park), they're honoring May the 4th Be With You, by letting breweries choose the Light Side or Dark Side, allowing for a wide range of beer styles and flavors, and reminding consumers of the vast array of beers available in the beer scene and what differentiates each brewery. Plus! Taprooms and bars are back in business at Sac Beer Week 2024! Internal strife has diminished that in recent years, but those are the sins of the father, not the current administration, who is working hard to recapture the spirit of Sac Beer Week. This episode is not only a celebration of what Beer Week and the beer scene once was, but an exploration of where it's going and how it will handle a more educated and less alcohol-friendly next generation of consumers. We also shout out some people who keep the scene alive and show that, even when day-to-day excitement may be down, there's still a strong supportive and passionate base of brewers, marketers, and drinkers. David Weiss damn near gets emotional on the episode and Chris shows why he was put in charge in the first place. Sac Beer Week 2024 - it's like Sac Beer Week 2014 all over again!Find out more about Sac Beer Week 2024 at www.sacramentobeerweek.com or on IG @sacramentobeerweek - Events will be added more and more as the date gets closerAnd of course, seek out delicious food and beverages from Alaro Craft Brewery @alarobrewing and from Blue Note Brewing in Woodland @bluenotebrewingBarley & Me can be found across social media @barleyandmepod. Check out past episodes, show dates, and more, at the newly-revamped barleyandmepod.comEmail questions/comments/concerns/guest ideas/brewery ideas to [email protected] or [email protected] is also posting #Chugs4Charity videos semi-regularly on Instagram (@barleyandmepod), to help raise funds for various local and national charities with goals of making our world a better place. You can Venmo Ben ($comedianbenrice) or hit his PayPal (@barleyandmepod) and all money will go to support the NAACP, ACLU, Black Lives Matter, and other civil rights helpers. Charities will change with the times and as emergencies arise. But the point is: all donations will go to help those who need it.Intro Music: “Functional Alcoholism” by Be Brave Bold Robot (@bebraveboldrobot)Interstitial Music: "JamRoc" by Breez (@breeztheartist)Logo by Jessica DiMesio (@alchemistqueen)