United We Drink

Hiring for brewery positions is typically a very different process than other industries. Tie and jackets are typically traded out for t-shirts and trucker hats. Some places won't even get qualified candidates even if that's what they are looking for. The guys talk about what goes into hiring people in a niche industry. Cook like a pro with Made In Cookware. Follow United We Drink on their social media channels. BlueSky Instagram Facebook

While the Craft Brewers Conference was taking place in Philadelphia word came out of California that Firestone Walker had purchased Stone Brewing from Sapporo. The guys discuss this huge deal and what they think it means for the embattled legacy brand. Cook like a pro with Made In Cookware. Follow United We Drink on their social media channels. BlueSky Instagram Facebook

With news of a major Bud distributor closing shop in Colorado, the guys talk about the delicate dance of putting a ton of trust into distributors, who may be hurting just as much as breweries. Cook like a pro with Made In Cookware. Follow United We Drink on their social media channels. BlueSky Instagram Facebook

In the beer world people can often have unrealistic expectations of how things work. Consumers may think that a certain beer should be available everywhere and year round. Retailers may think they can sell more beer than they actually can. Even breweries may think there is more demand for their products than there actually is. The guys talk about the unrealistic expectations of the beer industry. Cook like a pro with Made In Cookware. Follow United We Drink on their social media channels. BlueSky Instagram Facebook

Getting your beer into grocery stores and chains isn't an easy task. Even when you accomplish that your work isn't done. You have to keep it. Mike, Kevin and Tim discuss what it takes to get into these larger volume retail stores. Cook like a pro with Made In Cookware. Follow United We Drink on their social media channels. BlueSky Instagram Facebook

Heineken recently dropped a little line in their end of 2025 report about sales being down in the US among Hispanic drinkers without any follow up. The guys take the opportunity to discuss this and why that might be. cough ICE cough  Get coffee delivered to your door with Trade. Follow United We Drink on their social media channels. BlueSky Instagram Facebook

It's beer fest season in Florida and with the recent announcement of a major overhaul to the Great American Beer Fest the guys decide to talk about the changing landscape of beer fests. Support People in Minnesota by donating to the following: Stand With Minnesota Neighborhood House Sanctuary Supply Depot Get coffee delivered to your door with Trade. Follow United We Drink on their social media channels. BlueSky Instagram Facebook

Back with the first episode of the new year, the guys offer up their predictions for the general beer industry in 2026. Take a break from alcohol with Athletic Brewing. Follow United We Drink on their social media channels. BlueSky Instagram Facebook

For the final episode of 2025 the guys decide to hand out some very not physical awards in some very real and serious categories. Take this all seriously. At all times. Get coffee delivered to your door with Trade. Follow United We Drink on their social media channels. BlueSky Instagram Facebook

A lot has been going on in the adult beverage world over the last couple weeks and the guys discuss some of the bigger ones including Siebel moving their school to Canada, Rogue abruptly closing shop and the feds put the ban hammer down on THC drinks. Get coffee delivered to your door with Trade. Follow United We Drink on their social media channels. BlueSky Instagram Facebook

Tom Barris has been selling and marketing beer in Florida for over a decade. From working for local Florida breweries to selling beer for a Spanish, family owned brewery to now being at the helm of an importer that brings in some of Europe's premier beer brands. He's done a lot. Tom talks candidly with the guys about his career and the fun challenge of selling import beer in the American market. UPDATE: Mike mentions in the intro the Global Beer carries Weihenstephaner. This is not correct and meant to be Schneider. Get coffee delivered to your door with Trade. Follow United We Drink on their social media channels. BlueSky Instagram Facebook

Small breweries usually don't have the budget for a marketing person, let alone a team. What's it like to try to get word out about your brewery when your skillset doesn't include marketing and neither does your budget. The guys discuss marketing your brewery at a small scale. Cook like a pro with Made In Cookware. Follow United We Drink on their social media channels. BlueSky Instagram Facebook

In the early 2010s it seemed like every aspiring brewery was crowd funding to kick start their businesses. After some businesses on the brink of closing tried to capitalize on crowd funding the method seems to have dried up for businesses. The guys discuss this and what they think happened. Cook like a pro with Made In Cookware. Follow United We Drink on their social media channels. BlueSky Instagram Facebook

In the early days of craft beer the brewpub was a popular spot in many cities. Maybe they were known more as a restaurant that brewed beer than a brewery with food but chains of brewpubs were popping up all over the place. Today the days of the brewpub seem to be in the past despite many taprooms looking to add food. What went wrong and can brewpubs make a come back? Cook like a pro with Made In Cookware. Follow United We Drink on their social media channels. BlueSky Instagram Facebook

A lot has happened with some of the US's larger breweries. The guys tackle some of the big news items such as 21st Amendment's closure, Jim Koch retaking the reigns of CEO at Boston Beer and Sierra Nevada's release of Pils. Cook like a pro with Made In Cookware. Follow United We Drink on their social media channels. BlueSky Instagram Facebook

Sam Harriman of Sisyphus Brewing, in Minneapolis, joins the show to talk about how his brewery's taproom became just as well known as a stand-up comedy venue as it is a brewery. Sisyphus has had albums and specials recorded there, national acts perform and even was visited by Michael Che on a whim. Sam is an open book with nothing to hide about his business in this fun conversation. It's cold brew season and get coffee delivered to your door with Trade. Follow United We Drink on their social media channels. BlueSky Instagram Facebook

The show is joined by a couple former guests. Phil Palmisano is the Director of Innovation for Monster Brewing Company and a former co-host of the podcast. Eric Hild is the Head Brewer for Blackstack Brewing. Two very different jobs at two very different sized companies. The guys ask them where they see the current state of alcoholic beverages and where they see it going. It's cold brew season and get coffee delivered to your door with Trade. Follow United We Drink on their social media channels. BlueSky Instagram Facebook

Total Wine and More appears to be shrinking their beer section and that's not totally unexpected. The guys talk about the contraction of beer sections in the off premise retail segment. Cook like a pro with Made In Cookware. Follow United We Drink on their social media channels. BlueSky Instagram Facebook

Mike and Kevin get hypothetical and talk about how they would open a bar in today's world. Location, theming, food and drinks are all on the table. What would they do to make a great bar? Cook like a pro with Made In Cookware. Follow United We Drink on their social media channels. BlueSky Instagram Facebook

It's become increasingly clear that beer style names don't mean as much as they used to. IPA has become a seeming catch all along with Lager. Do consumers even care about true definition of style or do they just want flavors descriptors? The guys talk about what styles even mean anymore. It's cold brew season and get coffee delivered to your door with Trade. Follow United We Drink on their social media channels. BlueSky Instagram Facebook

For a few years now when the "next big thing" for beer comes up the topic is rarely beer related. THC, coffee, spirits and seltzers are all things that breweries are getting involved in that are, in fact, not beer. The guys discuss these and if there are any things beer related that can shine. It's cold brew season and get coffee delivered to your door with Trade. Follow United We Drink on their social media channels. BlueSky Instagram Facebook

Adam Feingold is the former owner of Bangin Banjo Brewing. He sold the company he started and it still exists today, albeit under a different name. We talk him about how he came to the tough decision and what made him sell instead of closing. It's a perspective rarely seen in the brewery world. It's cold brew season and get coffee delivered to your door with Trade. Follow United We Drink on their social media channels. BlueSky Instagram Facebook Threads

Major venues and companies want sponsors and the big beer companies have long been traditional players in these areas. When craft breweries start to get involved the price tags to play can be mind boggling. What do small breweries do to try to stay relevant while not bursting the bank? Cook like a pro with Made In Cookware. Follow United We Drink on their social media channels. BlueSky Instagram Facebook Threads

The guys decide to break the AI out for one more go. First, they ask it to revitalize an existing brand and what it would to increase sales and visibility. Second, they inquire with it to revive a closed brand. What does it think would work? How hilarious are these options? It's cold brew season and get coffee delivered to your door with Trade. Follow United We Drink on their social media channels. BlueSky Instagram Facebook Threads

AI is making so much stuff and a lot of it is controversial. So the guys decide to try using AI to plan out a brewery. Both Kevin and Tim input the same prompts and get two different brewery concepts. The results include branding, beer names, sales strategy, location and so much more. Some of it is pretty good. Even more is hilarious. What do they think? Cook like a pro with Made In Cookware. Follow United We Drink on their social media channels. BlueSky Instagram Facebook Threads

Joe Ploof runs Hanging Hills Brewing, a company that was a brewery and then became a contract brand. He is about to take another new step and he will get to that but only after he, Mike, Kevin and Tim talk about a lot of other things. Get coffee delivered to your door with Trade. Follow United We Drink on their social media channels. BlueSky Instagram Facebook Threads

Today's episode is interesting, in that it develops as it goes. The original idea heads out the window as Kevin and Mike discuss how they viewed the industry change over the last decade and what their own experiences during that were, both as a drinker and working in it. Cook like a pro with Made In Cookware. Follow United We Drink on their social media channels. BlueSky Instagram Facebook Threads

When a brewery sees growth there is a lot of money that has to go into scaling up operations. New equipment and employees are needed. You need to order more ingredients. The increase in sales can offset those costs eventually. But what happens if a sales channel closes? It can be tough to regain those sales. The guys discuss this delicate situation of growth in today's episode. Get coffee delivered to your door with Trade. Follow United We Drink on their social media channels. Twitter Instagram Facebook

Tariffs are coming and they are going to impact breweries, distilleries, wineries and consumers. Mike, Kevin and Tim discuss the aspects of booze making that consumers might not know about and how the prices at retail are going to be affected. Get coffee delivered to your door with Trade. Follow United We Drink on their social media channels. Twitter Instagram Facebook

Throughout the history of the show every co-host has been a guest on the show at some point, except one. Mike has been on every single episode of the show except for one and has never been interviewed. Tim and Kevin grill Mike about his start and even more. Cook like a pro with Made In Cookware. Follow United We Drink on their social media channels. BlueSky Instagram Facebook Threads

It's not uncommon for breweries to work with local charities to help raise money for certain causes. The guys discuss the pros and cons and things that make you think a bit more when dealing with charitable causes. Cook like a pro with Made In Cookware. Follow United We Drink on their social media channels. BlueSky Instagram Facebook Threads

Back in 2025! The US Surgeon General released an announcement that consumption of alcohol can lead to cancer and recommends a potential warning statement be put on labels. The guys discuss if this is needed and if it would actually hurt sales. Take a break from alcohol with Athletic Brewing. Follow United We Drink on their social media channels. BlueSky Instagram Facebook Threads

It's the final episode of 2024. The guys discuss holidays--including Tim's disertation on Celebration--among many other things. Take a break from alcohol with Athletic Brewing. Follow United We Drink on their social media channels. BlueSky Instagram Facebook Threads

The holiday season is upon us. The guys give thanks to what they are thankful for. Maybe with a backhanded comment or two. Plus they offer up their must haves for their family Thanksgiving. Cook like a pro with Made In Cookware. Follow United We Drink on their social media channels. BlueSky Instagram Facebook Threads

Neil Witte has literally written the book (or manual) on draft beer. Between his years at Boulevard/Duvel to the Cicerone Program and his own company, Craft Quality Solutions he knows how to design and manage proper draft systems. The guys welcome Neil on to talk about beer education, proper draft systems and his appearance on Bar Rescue. Get coffee delivered to your door with Trade. Follow United We Drink on their social media channels. Twitter Instagram Facebook

After missing the last episode, Tim is back to talk about his mistakes in the beer world. Take a break from alcohol with Athletic Brewing. Follow United We Drink on their social media channels. Twitter Instagram Facebook

We can often times sound like we are sitting on a high horse of perfection in the industry but the truth is that everyone makes mistakes. Mike and Kevin dive into some of those they have made over their careers. Take a break from alcohol with Athletic Brewing. Follow United We Drink on their social media channels. Twitter Instagram Facebook

Luis Brignoni founded one of the original Miami breweries at Wynwood Brewing. Today Luis is the CEO for The Tank Brewing, also in Miami. How did this come to be? Listen to his crazy journey. Get coffee delivered to your door with Trade. Follow United We Drink on their social media channels. Twitter Instagram Facebook

As the Beyond Beer segment of adult beverages continues to climb a surprising entry into the game has been seeing some significant leaps. THC beverages (seltzer, tonics, sodas, etc) have been catching people's interest in states that allow them and they are seeing impressive sales. The guys discuss this segment and how high they see them going. Take a break from alcohol with Athletic Brewing. Follow United We Drink on their social media channels. Twitter Instagram Facebook

New Belgium has found ways to reinvent itself time and time again in an every changing beer market. Kelly McKnight and Matty Gilliland (aka Matty Smooth) have been integral parts to those changes. Kelly and Matty join the show to talk about R&D brewing, stories behind some of the brands that went up to full production and you get the first glimpse at the future (pending) Kelly McKnight Show. Get coffee delivered to your door with Trade. Follow United We Drink on their social media channels. Twitter Instagram Facebook

Spencer Wills, Head Brewer at Sceptre Brewing Arts, joins the show to talk about being a former Florida brewer, his struggles with mental health and bad brewery owners to finding a place in the industry. It's a great conversation filled with fun and a bit of shade. Cook like a pro with Made In Cookware. Follow United We Drink on their social media channels. Twitter Instagram Facebook

Prepare for a wild ride as Mike takes Kevin and Tim to task on their beer knowledge with BREW YOU KNOW! Then after the wheels come off that ride the guys talk about the news. Take a break from alcohol with Athletic Brewing. Follow United We Drink on their social media channels. Twitter Instagram Facebook

Joel Suarez, of Niche Brands NYC, is a kid from the Bronx with a dream. His love for craft beer may only be exceeded by his love of community and the people that make them. We talk with Joel about his rise through the beer world and how it became important to him to work with breweries, bars, restaurants and drinkers that look beyond the standard white dudes with beards image in the industry. Get coffee delivered to your door with Made In Cookware. Follow United We Drink on their social media channels. Twitter Instagram Facebook

The beer industry contributes, both directly and indirectly, to a lot of environmental issues that we often overlook. Some of these things aren't accounted for because of the sheer cost of implementation while others might be pure ignorance. The guys look into some of the things the brewing world isn't doing from a sustainability standpoint and what they can do, even if it's small. Take a break from alcohol with Athletic Brewing. Follow United We Drink on their social media channels. Twitter Instagram Facebook

The Brewers Association provided a state of the industry at the Craft Brewers Conference that included the grim news that 2024 has reported more brewery closures than openings for the first time. The guys digest this news and talk about some other perceptions of the industry almost half way through the year. Get coffee delivered to your door with Made In Cookware. Follow United We Drink on their social media channels. Twitter Instagram Facebook

The show has covered horror stories working in the brewery and dealing with customers but today's episode takes a different direction to frustrating stories. The guys talk about dealing with vendors, solicitors and other folks that think they should be doing business with breweries. Get coffee delivered to your door with Trade. Follow United We Drink on their social media channels. Twitter Instagram Facebook

There was a time when you could find beer related events going on almost every day of the week at local bars and restaurants. A tap takeover here. A pint night there. Today those events seem almost extinct. The guys talk about these events, why they don't seem to happen anymore and if there is room for beer events in the market anymore. Get coffee delivered to your door with Trade. Follow United We Drink on their social media channels. Twitter Instagram Facebook

Pay for brewery employees has been a subject talked about in circles for years. In comparison to similar trade and manual labor jobs many brewery salaries don't match up. High overhead, low margins and poor market portrayal (affordable luxury) have been reasons given for why breweries can't provide higher wages. The guys tackle this subject. Get coffee delivered to your door with Trade. Follow United We Drink on their social media channels. Twitter Instagram Facebook

Grab bag time! The guys talk about a variety of topics including hefeweizens, branding and Cigar City. Get coffee delivered to your door with Trade. Follow United We Drink on their social media channels. Twitter Instagram Facebook