Project BGR

New Jersey's first meadery was founded by a dream of Sergio Moutela...and a Kickstarter campaign.   Now, Melovino Meadery has been served in New York's famous James Beard House, and won multiple awards.   Moutela openly shares his passion and knowledge with others in the pursuit of making better mead. He is the author of Mead Made Right and the TOSNA method of advanced nutrient additions in mead making.   Currently, he serves on the Board of Directors of the American Mead Makers Association, and in 2017, Melovino became the most award winning meadery at the Mazer Cup International, the largest mead competition in the world.   We talk to Moutela about his drive to help change New Jersey law. Plus, we'll talk about making mead, and his new venture, The Mead Bar.

When you think of South Florida, you think of beaches, bikinis, and retirees….although maybe not at the same time. Regardless of your thoughts, Belgian-style ales probably aren’t the first thing to pop into your head. But there’s a brewery in Boca Raton that may make you think twice. First opening its doors in 2015, the brewery sports a pretty impressive array of beers. We talk to Kevin Abbott, the director of operations. 

Allagash is one of the heavy hitters in the craft beer industry.   But back in the mid-90s, they couldn't get anyone to put their Belgian-style beers on tap.   After the success of Allagash White, they expanded into the company they are today.   We talk to brewmaster Jason Perkins about the growth of the iconic Maine brewery. We also get his take on the hazy IPA craze, and green vs. amber glass bottles.   Cheers!

NoDa came to national prominence with their 2014 World Beer Cup gold medal for Hop Drop and Roll.  Today, as the second oldest brewery in Charlotte, NoDa is helping to add to the state's craft beer boom.  We talk to brewmaster Chad Henderson about what's next for NoDa.

They call him the "Mead Magician." And with the awards and accolades coming out of this Arizona meadery, you may understand why.  Carlos Bassetti tinkered in homebrewing before going towards mead. We talk to him about Superstition, using exotic ingredients, partnering with Mikkeler and more! Oh yeah, Berry White day too.  For our Georgia listeners - Modern Hops has started to bring Superstition into the state, so check bottle shops! 

Brad Shell poses with kittens for calendar shoots.  He has brewed a beer using 99 scorpions.  And he's doing his part to make Charlotte a little more weird.  After stints with SweetWater, Terrapin and Rogue, Shell founded Unknown Brewing, one of Charlotte's first craft breweries.  Since then, he's created beer with catnip, has a list of projects called his "crazy queue," and is even getting into distilling.  If you like the show, please don't forget to subscribe via iTunes, Stitcher or wherever you get your podcasts.  Don't forget....DRINK LOCAL!     

Kristian Li and Alex Acker's craft beer story is like many others.  You get an extract brewing kit a gift and catch the homebrewing bug. You progress quickly to doing all-grain batches, and eventually decided to give up your full time gig to open a brewery.  What makes Kristian and Alex different? Their brewery is in Beijing.  The two expats were longtime friends who saw the opportunity to help grow craft beer interest in China. So they started Jing A in 2013, opened up a taproom in 2014, and the rest is history.  Find out how they were able to bring IPAs and kettle sours to a market used to macro lagers.   

This week's Drink This Beer checks in with Chicagoland's Mikerphone Brewing.  Founded by, Mike Pallen, a small town kid with a passion for craft beer and hip hop music, the small brewery is known for cranking out big beers.  The nanobrewery opened its tap room in 2017, and continues to grow. Check out our interview with Pallen now!   

Drivin' n Cryin' has been a fixture on the rock scene for decades.  Probably best known for its 1991 hit, "Fly Me Courageous," DnC is still touring, making albums and generally kicking ass.  But their latest project isn't an album. It's a beer.  Collaborating with Kennesaw's Burnt Hickory Brewery, DnC created "Mystery Road / Straight to Hell IPA," an aromatic and juicy 5.5 beer that's....dare we say...crushable.  We talked to DnC founding member Tim Nielsen and Burnt Hickory owner Scott Hedeen about the collaboration and what' coming up next for the both of them.  *Mystery Road / Straight to Hell IPA is currently available for sale at Burnt Hickory Brewery's taproom.

With the possible exception of Lazy Magnolia, most craft beer fans would be hard pressed to name a brewery in Mississippi.  But thanks to relaxed laws and better education, the industry is growing.  We talked to Lucas Simmons, owner and brewmaster of Jackson, Mississippi's Lucky Town Brewery. The second-oldest brewery in the state, he's seen a slow growth and is looking forward to the future. Oh yeah, we talk about beers too!  Like what you hear?  Subscribe to the podcast via iTunes or wherever you get your podcasts. More information: www.beerguysradio.com Support: www.patreon.com/beerguys

At Moody Tongue's Chicago taproom, you have two food choices:  Oysters, or German Chocolate Cake.  As strange as that may sound, brewmaster and owner Jared Rouben says those are the perfect pairings of his company's beers.  After starting his career in fine dining, Rouben joined Goose Island where he was able to fine tune his craft beers. Now, he works with fine ingredients (truffle beer, anyone?) to create his drinkable, flavorful beers that are designed to pair specifically with food.  Like what you hear?  Subscribe to the podcast More information: www.beerguysradio.com Support: www.patreon.com/beerguys

What exactly is "local"?  Is it in your home town? Your home state? Your home region?  Perhaps it's in the eye of the beholder. Regardless, we talked to Eric Kugler, rep for Bluffton (SC)'s Southern Barrel about their beers, what constitutes local beer...and how a rep stays sober after a long day making calls!   

Shelton Fest.    A bucket list event for any craft beer fan. We were fortunate enough to have this year's Shelton Fest (2017) in our home city, Atlanta.    We were able to talk to numerous great brewers from around the country...and around the world!    In part 3, we talk to two southeastern breweries - 7venth Sun Brewing (Florida) and Bearded Iris (Tennessee)   Be sure to check out parts 1 and 2 for more coverage.

Shelton Fest.  A bucket list event for any craft beer fan. We were fortunate enough to have this year's Shelton Fest (2017) in our home city, Atlanta.  We were able to talk to numerous great brewers from around the country...and around the world!  In part 2, we talk to Jackie O's, an Ohio brewery that's well known to beer nerds....and an Estonian (yes, Estonian) brewery that caused a huge buzz at Shelton Fest - Pohjala. Be sure to check out parts 1 and 3 for more coverage.

Shelton Fest.  A bucket list event for any craft beer fan. We were fortunate enough to have this year's Shelton Fest (2017) in our home city, Atlanta.  We were able to talk to numerous great brewers from around the country...and around the world!  In part 1, we talk to two newer breweries known for their sour programs. Carolina Bauernhaus (South Carolina) and Hourglass Brewery (Florida).  Be sure to check out parts 2 and 3 for more coverage - coming soon!   

It's Shelton Fest week, and in advance of this great beer fest debut in Atlanta, we talked to one of the Shelton Brothers - Dan.  In this wide-ranging interview, we talked about how the Shelton Brothers got their start, the reason behind their initial departure from Georgia, and a recent article about them in Beer Advocate.  Get tickets, details and more for Shelton Fest 2017 here.  Don't forget to listen to Part 1!

It's Shelton Fest week, and in advance of this great beer fest debut in Atlanta, we talked to one of the Shelton Brothers - Dan.  In this wide-ranging interview, we talked about how the Shelton Brothers got their start, the reason behind their initial departure from Georgia, and a recent article about them in Beer Advocate.  Get tickets, details and more for Shelton Fest 2017 here.  Don't forget to listen to Part 2!

Jacksonville probably isn't the top of your list when it comes to craft beer cities. However, the northeast Florida city has a small, but growing list of breweries. Bold City Brewing Company was the first.  We talk to CEO Susan Miller and Brewmaster Jeremy ("Big Jerm") Baker about their start and their styles.

Just ahead of their Atlanta stop on their 40th Anniversary Tour, Foreigner guitarist, craft beer enthusiast, and Cicerone Certified Beer Server Bruce Watson chats with the Beer Guys about craft beer and their "VIB" meet and greet craft beer tastings he hosts along with bandmate Michael Bluestein.

Southern Prohibition (or SoPro if you're a cool kid) is one of the hottest breweries in the south. (Photos courtesy Southern Prohibition) When you think of craft beer, Mississippi may not be the first state that comes to mind. However, with new laws that went into effect on July 1, breweries now have the amazing opportunity to actually sell their product directly to consumers. Experts are predicting the Magnolia state's craft brewery footprint will only get bigger. But any brewery that opens up will have a hard time competing with the quality of Hattiesburg's Southern Prohibition. A revamp of a few of their recipes paid off, and they are becoming one of the hottest breweries in the south. In fact, they recently won Paste Magazine's best Session IPA for Devil's Harvest. A big honor, especially considering they beat out some huge breweries. We talked to head brewer Ben Green about brewing in Mississippi, their recipes, and what's coming up next for them.  

Dave McLean is one of the originators of the San Francisco craft beer scene. After following the Grateful Dead from Boston to the Bay Area, Dave started getting more into the craft beer scene. After drinking beers from great breweries like Anchor and Sierra Nevada, Dave got into the game himself.  Inspired by Alice Waters and the farm to table movement, Magnolia Gastropub and Brewery became one of the first brewpubs to really take food seriously.  Most recently, McLean opened Smokestack, a "San Francisco" barbecue brewpub in the Dogpatch district. And they are also just starting to can their beers.  We sampled two of their classics - the Kalifornia Kolsch and Proving Ground IPA.   

D9 makes clean beers, but they are definitely known for their sours. In fact, their gold medal at the 2016 Great American Beer Festival for its Systema Naturae 2nd Edition – Scuppernong & Lily wild sour ale. As Tim and Aaron are both big sour fans (especially Tim), we wanted to get them in studio.  We crossed paths with Modern Hops, and fortunately they made that happen. Andrew Durstewitz and Aaron Burton, two of the co-founders, traveled from North Carolina to be in our studios this week. We talked about the development and blending of their sours, the vagaries of brew styles, and their plans for bringing their beers to the southeast. 

On this episode, we're talking to Ohio's Rivertown Brewing and Barrel House. Founder and owner Jason Roeper joins us as we talk shop, and drink their beers!

The crew from Belgium's Brouwerij t'Verzet were in the United States over the month of May. During their whirlwind East Coast tour, they stopped by Decatur, Georgia's Three Taverns Craft Beer to brew. We grabbed them for a quick chat about the Belgian Beer scene, the meaning behind Verzet (The Resistance), and why they changed the name of one of their IPAs to something we can't repeat on a PG podcast!

For this week's Drink This Beer, we talked to Kevin Martin, head blender at Oregon's Cascade Brewing. Check out some tips on aging your sour beers, as well as the connection wine has to beers, especially sour and barrel aged ones! 

We went across the pond for this one.  Ok, not literally. But sacrifices were made. Tim had to brave traffic and Aaron had to drink a soda rather than a craft beer for this show.  Wil Avery and Tom Delaney joined us on this week's show. Wil's the new head brewer for Galway Bay Brewery, one of the largest craft beer brewers in Ireland.  We talked about Wil's background, the transition from working in the United States as opposed to Ireland, and what styles are popular over there.  New England Style IPAs were also discussed, and some new releases from Galway Bay too!  If you like the show, please subscribe to iTunes and give us a rating - it really helps!  Also, check out our Beer Guys Radio Show (also available on iTunes). Covering craft beer from the southeast every week!   

On this episode of Drink This Beer, we're talking to co-founder of Melvin Brewing, Jeremy Tofte. We talked about how he got started in beer, why they emphasize on IPAs, and what happens when you shoot yogurt cups out of a t-shirt cannon. It's a very entertaining interview....trust us!

For our 20th episode of Drink This Beer, we went on the road, to Atlanta's SweetWater Brewing Company.  Most craft beer fans know SweetWater for its iconic 420 pale ale, its IPA, or one of its many other "clean" beers. But recently, they decided to expand their sour and barrel aging program. Dubbed "The Woodlands Project," the new building is dedicated to those types of beers. Troy Montrone, barrel aging facility manager and brewer Chris Meadows joined us on the show.  We talked all kinds of sour beers, their love of Brettanomyces yeast, and how they got this project up and running. We also tried out their first ever bottled product, Through The Brambles, an American wild ale with raspberries.  Thanks for listening, and we'll talk to you next time. Be sure to check out our older episodes of Drink This Beer, and look for us (Beer Guys Radio) on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.  On Drink This Beer we talk to craft beer creators and innovators across the US and around the world.  Want to hear your favorite brewery on an episode?  Just drop us a line and we'll check them out. Like what you hear? Consider being a Patron. Check out our Patreon page for more details. Cheers!

In addition to the classic Chicago Pilsener, Baderbrau now makes several other "crushable" beers. For Chicagoans back in the late 80s/early 90s, Baderbrau Pilsener was the go-to brew. It was the area's original craft beer, but unfortunately, the Pavichevich Brewing Company wasn't able to make it, going under in the '90s. After a brief resurfacing of the brew by Goose Island, the recipe became lost over time. Enter Rob Sama. A homebrewer and a Baderbrau fan from his college days, he wanted to make a fan site about the beer. While doing research, he realized that the trademark and recipe were up for grabs. And a new business was born, called Baderbrau Brewery. Fast forward to today, and Baderbrau is a staple on Chicago's southside. They focus on drinkable ("crushable") beers, and while Baderbrau's Chicago Pilsener is the flagship, they make several other styles. Listen in to this week's Drink This Beer. It's a great story. Don't forget to sign up for our Nuit Belge giveaway! We'll draw the winners on Thursday. If you're not the gambling type, click this link and buy tickets (Promo code BGR10 gets you $10 off!) Are you looking into building your own brewery? CRL Contracting can help! Sign up for THIS WEEK IN GEORGIA BEER (in the right column) and get Tim’s great listing of all events and releases for the week…and be entered to win some awesome swag! This week’s Beer Guys Radio features Ironmonger Brewing from Marietta, Georgia. Get it wherever you get your podcasts! Thanks for listening and supporting the show! If you like what  you’re hearing and seeing, consider becoming a patron! Details here.

Jim Matt is the head brewer for Cincinnati's Rhinegeist Brewery. (Photo courtesy Rhinegeist) We sat down with Rhinegeist Brewery's Jim Matt for this week's Project BGR.  Matt, originally from upstate New York, develops many of the recipes and is in charge of quality control for the award-winning Cincinnati brewery. We talked with him during the Great American Beer fest, and chatted about his background and his brewing philosophy. Looking for more great content? Make sure you subscribe to Project BGR wherever you get your podcasts!     

This week's Project BGR goes west.  We talked to Preston Hartman, founder of Colorado's Good River Beer Company. Tim and Aaron talked to Preston about how he got his start in home brewing. After winning over 100 medals in competition, he decided to "go pro" the environmental reasons behind the founding of Good River, plus his "real" job as an attorney for the state of Colorado. Good River Beer Company is committed to donating at least 2% of its profits to non-profit organizations dedicated to river conservation.   

On this week's Project BGR, perhaps appropriately enough, we're talking to Funky Buddha. Brand Manager John Linn joins us on this show. And since it's winter in the South, we're talking about First Snow, the brewery's popular coconut coffee porter.  We also get talking about beer laws in the South, and how Florida has opened up to craft. Also, how Funky Buddha got its name, and why legendary coach Don Shula is a fan.  If you like Project BGR, please subscribe on Stitcher, iTunes or wherever you get your podcasts. Leave a review, and tell a friend too!  Cheers, and we'll talk to you next time.

Time for another Project BGR.  This time, we're talking to Jason Kidwell, Sales Director, along with Andrew Dixon. We talked all things Troegs.  This interview was recorded at the 2016 Great American Beer Festival in Denver.  Cheers!

On this week's Project BGR, we're talking Houston beer with Eric Warner. He's the brewmaster for Karbach.  The popular Texas brewery/brewpub sits in a 19,000 square foot building with a 30-tap taproom.  We talk to Eric about the craft beer scene in Houston, the relaxing of the beer laws in Texas that's allowing more and more growth. We also talk pumpkin beers, and why they scaled back on their production this year. If you like the show, be sure to check out previous Project BGR episodes - subscribe and leave a review!  Cheers, and we'll talk to you next time. Note: This interview took place at the 2016 Great American Beer Festival in Denver. It happened prior to the announcement in November 2016 that Karbach was acquired by ABInbev. 

On this week's Project BGR, we're talking to legendary brewer Wayne Wambles, from Tampa's Cigar City Brewing. He was brewing up a collaboration with Decatur (Georgia's) Wild Heaven, and took a break to talk to us about his start in craft beer, his thinking behind Cigar City's creations, and a little bit about Hunahpu!     

Black Friday is more than just a day for all the insane shoppers to wake up early in the morning to stand in line or fight over the toy-du-jour. For beer nerds, it's become a special day - Bourbon County Brand Stout (BCBS) Release Day!  In honor of that, this week's Project BGR Craft Beer Podcast highlights Goose Island Beer Company. Tim and Aaron sat down with Jesse Valenciana, National Activation Manager and Paul Cade, Brewer during the 2016 Great American Beer Festival.  They talked about BCBS, how they keep up with the popularity and how they solved the strange infection issue. Plus, Goose Island's other brands. Jesse is a grilling expert and cookbook author, so we got into some food talk as well!  Thanks for listening to Project BGR. Stay tuned and subscribe - we've got more great interviews coming soon! Cheers. Note: Jesse's grilling information can be found on his website, ManBQue.com

What happens when your small brewpub wins a major national award? A lot of long days and nights trying to catch up to demand!  Of course, that's a good problem to have, and we caught up with the brewmaster of Prison City Pub and Brewery, Ben Maseo.  They were pouring at the 2016 Great American Beer Festival, weeks after Paste Magazine named their Mass Riot IPA the best American IPA, blind tasted with 246 others. They beat out some of the biggest names in the business to take home that award.  We talked to Ben about his start, the expansion of the brewery, and helping to make Auburn, New York a craft beer destination.

Project BGR gets a hold of Burial Beer Company on the cusp of their Atlanta debut. We talk to one of the owners of this Asheville brewery, Jess Reiser. She talks about the company's founding, their craft, and all about their unique can art.

Continuing our coverage of the 2016 Great American Beer Festival, Project BGR talks tp Alex Wallash, one of the founders of Berkeley, California's all sour beer company, The Rare Barrel.

Fresh off their silver medal win at the 2016 Great American Beer Fest, Project BGR sat down with Almanac Beer Company Founder Jesse Friedman and brewer/blender Phil Emerson.  

We interview Tyler Nelson, the Southeast Sales Manager for California's Green Flash Brewing Company and Alpine Beer Company.  We talk about the craft beer scene in the southeast, along with Green Flash's growth nationally, culminating with their east coast expansion to Virginia Beach.   

On this episode, Tim and Aaron talk to a small Tampa brewery making some big beers. Angry Chair's Ryan Dowdle, Ben Romano and Jordan Cooper join us on Project BGR....and we try their amazing beers, including the German Chocolate Cupcake Stout, which we all need more of in our lives.  Plus, we talk about what exactly is an Angry Chair (note: it's not the Alice in Chains song), and how they escaped it.

We caught up to one of the biggest names in homebrewing at the 2016 Great American Beer Festival in Denver.  Jamil Zainasheff, author of "Brewing Classic Styles" and "Yeast: The Practical Guide to Beer Fermentation," broadcaster and now professional brewer, sat down to talk (mainly to Tim) about all things hombrewing...and making the transition to owning and operating Heretic Brewing Company.

In this episode of Project BGR, we talk to James Murray, Vice President of Brewing and Ryan Glenn, Vice President of Operations from San Diego's Ballast Point Brewing Company.  We talk to them at the 2016 Great American Beer Festival on the heels of their billion-dollar acquisition, and the announcement of their new East coast based brewery expansion in Virginia.   

On this episode of Project BGR, we talk to Jennifer Glanville, Brewery Manager for Boston Beer Company (Samuel Adams).  We talk to her about her start in the craft beer business, working for one of the largest craft breweries in the country, and whether Sam Adams is still "cool."  For more information and content, check out beerguysradio.com!

Jeffrey Stuffings is the Founder/Owner of Jester King Brewery in Austin, Texas. After a brief stint in law, Jeff began working on opening a brewery in 2007. He worked at Austin Homebrew Supply from 2008-09 before opening Jester King in late 2010. Today, Jeff oversees the company and guides its future as an authentic farmhouse brewery. He and his wife Amber have two kids and live in Dripping Springs, Texas nearby Jester King.

Michael Tonsmeire (aka The Mad Fermentationist) is an award-winning homebrewer, certified beer judge, and all-around sour beer nerd.   He blogs as The Mad Fermentationist, writes the Brew Your Own Advanced Brewing column, and authored American Sour Beers (Brewers Publications, 2014). Tonsmeire has consulted and collaborated with a dozen of America’s best craft breweries including Modern Times Beer Co., and Commonwealth Brewing Co. He has presented at the last three American Homebrewers Association National Homebrewers Conferences, as well as homebrewing conferences in Norway and Brazil. Tonsmeire resides in Washington, D.C.