Beer Guys Radio | Craft Beer Podcast

What do you think of GMO yeast in your beer?They're definitely controversial, but there are some interesting things being done with GMO yeasts like "diacetyl-free" yeast, or yeasts like Sourivisae that produce lactic acid.  Recently, thiolized yeasts have received a lot of press.  American brewers are using these yeasts in beer every day, but due to stringent GMO guidelines they aren't available outside of the US yet.And we've got some interesting hop talk this week, too.  A farmer in Bavaria us growing hops under solar panels.  This setup provides enough electricity for 250 households and the hops benefit from a bit of shade from rising temps, requiring less water.  Reports are the hops are doing well, and may even increase yield.  A scientific analysis of the project will be concluded in October.More brewery drama this week as Leinenkugel's Wisconsin brewers have gone on strike for higher wages, which they say are lagging behind similar businesses.  In one case, a brewer is onl

It's tough to find positive news when looking at beer and brewery stats right now.  New permit applications are down, beer festivals are on the decline, and we've all seen the closures of some of our favorite breweries this year.However, there's a small ray of hope for Anchor Brewing after announcing their closure last week.  A few investors have stepped forward to express their interest in buying the brewery.  Two have said they'll keep things small and focused to start, and one wants to make the relaunch a reality TV show.  Oof.Beer Festival BustSpeaking of beer fests... Some of the biggest festivals in the country are on hiatus, or cancelled.  Folks just don't seem to be as in to them as they used to be.  With that country's largest festival, Great American Beer Fest, coming up soon all eyes are on the turnout there.  We think it may not be beer fests as much of the type of fests, with a preference for smaller, specialized events.  What do you think?On the science front, Omega

It's been a sad week for craft beer lovers.  A story we couldn't skip, Anchor Brewing is closing after 127 years in business.This one hits you right in the nostalgia as a craft beer drinker, but I'll be the first to admit I was part of the problem here.  The last few years I think Christmas Ale is the only Anchor beer I've purchased.  There are just so many great choices today.  Whether I'm at my local brewery or bottle shop, there are tons of amazing beers to be had and some of the old faithfuls don't get the love they once did.Close to home Atlanta Brewing Co. reported their lease was cancelled at Underground Atlanta, where they planned to re-open after closing  last Summer.  Although we thought this was the end of them news came out after the show that they aren't giving up yet.We start off the show with tomato talk.  Right, tomatoes.  In beers, not in beers, and in the glorious BLT.  Tis the season.There's also some fun news with a new champ for the Beer Mile.  Chug

With rising costs for everything would you rather your favorite beer lose a bit of ABV or see the price go up a bit?  According to our Twitter poll, about 75% of you would rather pay a bit more for your pint.  "Drinkflation" is a hot topic in the UK as some brewers are choosing to drop the alcohol content of popular by 0.2% or so, and Brits are not happy about it.If you want to see some hardcore Drinkflation, head out to your nearest cocktail bar.  We enjoyed several Tiki cocktails this weekend and have the receipts to prove it.  Drinking great is not cheap, for sure.Back to beer we look at current trends, and I may have to eat my words for not believe that Bomb Pop beers were having a moment.  I must have seen 4-5 release notices just this week.  Never would have guessed, but I'm not scared to admit when I'm wrong.  Red and Amber Ales are on the uptick as well, they're coming from all angles.What's not on the rise is Sorachi Ace beers.  This hop popped into our heads this week a

It's hot, Y'all.  So hot.  Summer beers are here to save the day.Now you know we're not scared to go dark in the Summer, but we do enjoy the lighter, crispy, refreshing beers that Summer brings.  Kolsch, Pilsner, Pale Ale, and a lot more.  We share some of the most popular styles for the season and an unexpected trend this year with... Rocket Pop beers?Another hot item for Summer - the backyard barbecue.  Maybe you call it a cookout, or just grilling.  Call it what you like as long as the end result is delicious grilled meats.  We've got pairings for some of the most popular grilled/smoked meats - ribs, pulled pork, brisket, and good ol' burgers and dogs.  We also talk about some of the regional barbecue styles across the country and the city that's the most BBQ obsessed, which may be a surprise to many.What's your favorite Summer beer?  What's your favorite kind of barbecue?  We've got ours, but we'll be doing research this year to verify.Summer Beers of the

There's a lot to love about Belgian beers.Once upon a time, many craft drinkers in America turned to Belgian beers for their quality and complexity.  Either for a break from the limited American beers or due to lack of availability in their area.  Golden ales, dubbels and tripels and quads, lambic and geuze, there was a bounty of flavor coming from Belgian breweries.On the heels of his Belgians in the Garden beer festival John Roberts of Bold Monk joins us this week along with fellow brewer Brian Purcell of Three Taverns.  We five into the styles, traditions, trends, terroir, glassware, and ingredients of Belgian beer.A few of the topics covered:Belgians in the Beer Garden RecapBelgians vs. Belgian-styleSt. Bernardus 12 vs. Westy 12Singels, Dubbels, Tripels, & QuadsThe Short History of the QuadrupelLong Lost Belgian Styles Still LostWhat Makes a Pilsner Belgian?Three Taverns Steps Out - A Night On PonceSaisons: The Beer of the People All Beers Were Once RauchbiersGrowing Interest in Tripels & Qua

Huge thanks to our Patreon supporter Coach Rogers for the suggestion for this show.  We appreciate it!Father's Day is a little over a week away.  Are you ready for it?Dads.  We all have them.  Questionable fashion, cheesy jokes, mad love for our idiotic selves.  Dads don't get the credit they deserve, which is probably why they need a beer.We delve into all things dad in this episode.  Discussing what a dad beer is, or maybe what it was and what it is today.  We share stories of beers we had with our dads, our dads' favorite beers, offer some gift ideas for dad, and share a slew of really awful dad jokes.Don't forget Dad next Sunday.  Get him his favorite beer, take him out to his favorite dinner, and make sure to laugh at his jokes.Beers of the WeekHeileman’s Old Style | LagerMickey’s Big Mouth | Malt LiquorMiller High Life | Champagne of BeersAtlanta Brewing  Kentucky Beer Dad | English BarleywineSouthern Pines Malty By Nature | Scottish ExportRJ Rockers Brown Eye Squirrel | Brown AleRiv

We made it through the holiday weekend unscathed and are almost done with this short work week.  Nice.On this week's show we recap Brian and Nate's trips to Florida and the beer they got into on their travels.  Smalls and I stayed here but Smalls threw a party so we had some grilled meats and beers with friends and then I binged the rest of Ted Lasso.I sip on a new Scofflaw brew called Hop Shatter.  Here's what the brewery has to say about the beer.Originally brewed for the 2023 Craft Brewers Conference, this potent IPA showcase CGX Cryogenic Lupulin Pellets, jam-packed with resins and oils for Flavor and Aroma and less environmental impact and production waste. Featuring Motueka CGX, Amarillo CGX, and Cashmere T-90 for notes of zesty citrus, with a touch of floral, white grape, and fresh berries.Interesting. Very tasty beer, too.We discuss Sima, also known as Finnish Spring Mead.  It's a very low alcohol beverage brewed for May Day festival, known as Vappu in Finland.  Brian tried a comme

Ever struggled to adapt in a constantly changing landscape?We discuss the challenges that breweries face and how they must evolve to stay afloat. We delved into the latest updates on the New Jersey Brewery Law while also sharing our recent visit to Six Bridges Brewery in Milton, Georgia. We even touched on the stigma that comes with a struggling brewery..As we sipped on various craft beers, we explored unusual concepts like carbonated pork rinds (a guy can dream) and the ABV limit on beer. We also emphasized the importance of supporting local craft breweries and their ongoing battle to stay alive in a competitive market.But wait, there's more! We ventured into the realm of craft beer cameos and collaborations with movies and TV series, such as the partnership between Athletic Brewing and Netflix for the Witcher series. Plus, we talked about the emerging trend of 19.2-ounce stovepipes in craft beer and why convenience stores are the perfect place to find them.Beers of the WeekBrought you you by The Nest K

Beer cocktails, Cheerwine Ale, World Beer Cup stats, and the magic of mushrooms are all on deck for this week's show.Shout out to friend of the show Billy for hanging with us on a recent trip to Atlanta.  We had a chance to hit some our favorites spots like Brick Store Pub and Three Taverns Brewery and swap some beers.  He hooked us up with NoDa's Cheerwine Ale that we'll dive into.  It's pure madness and we gotta try it.  We also taste some delightful brews from Eighth State Brewing, Three Taverns, and Wild Heaven.Delving into the 2023 World Beer Cup, we analyze beer style trends and the evolving palates of beer drinkers across the country. Georgia beers make their mark with some medal wins, and we highlight a thrilling collaboration between Three Taverns and Pilsner Urquell's experimental brewery Pivovar Proud. Plus, a fascinating study reveals the power of free drink samples for boosting sales and brand awareness – a strategy we can certainly get behind!With grilling season upon us

A couple weeks ago we took our fine selves down to Atlantic Station in beautiful Atlanta, GA for the Georgia Craft Brewers Fest.  The event is sponsored by our friends at the Georgia Craft Brewers Guild and showcases over 60 of our state's awesome breweries.One of the highlights of the festival is the collaboration competition.  Brewers team up with each other, or maybe with a local restaurant or charity, and brew a collaboration beer to be served at the event and judged by a panel of esteemed judges.In that spirit we focused on collaboration chat in this episode and, since one of the collabs was a malt liquor, we decided to chat a bit on that as well.  In the first half of the show we sit down with John Doss and Jay Harris from Southern Brewing Co. who partnered up with Akademia Brewing for Eagle Fang malt liquor.  We talk about why you collab, what you get out of it, and veer a bit into lager talk. (Spoiler: We'll be doing a deep dive lager episode in the future.)Next up we talk with Craig Mycoski

This is it, Folks!  BGR 2.0 is live!  We made some changes to our look and to the show and we hope you enjoy it.  Let us know what you think.In this episode we tackle everything from magically un-soured beers to arrests over beer reviews. We'll fill you in on the Zwanze Day celebration and the Georgia Craft Beer Festival, sharing some of the fantastic brews we enjoyed there.   We also dive deep into the serious topic of Founders Brewing's racial discrimination lawsuit and its impact on the beer industry.We Ask a Robot about Saccharomyces Alkalitolerans and  we'll delve into the fascinating world of homebrewing and the impact of beer packaging artwork on our purchasing decisions.Finally, we'll shed some light on the Thai craft beer review controversy and the changes ahead for Zwanze Day and its importance to the beer community, as well as discussing how the brewery scene has changed over the years.So pull up a seat, grab your favorite brew, and join us for this jam-packed episode.  Cheers!T

Celebrating the love of low ABV beersLast year's Little Beer Fest provided unusually cold temps in Duluth, GA with a bit of "wintery mix," aka rain, snow, and sleet.  Fortunately we didn't see a repeat and this year's event provided plenty of sunshine and temps in the 70s.  Perfect weather for enjoying some low ABV beers.  Huge shoutout to Todd DiMatteo and Good Word Brewing for hosting a great festival. Matty Hargrove - Blackberry Farm BreweryAs we sipped our way through the festival we talked with Matty Hargrove from Blackberry Farm Brewery.  He brought us Bloody Marys so w were off to a good start.  Matty talked about the farm and the brewery and doing things (brewing, food, service) with intention.  We reminisce about the Nuit Belge festival and how much we enjoy their Classic Saison.John Holl - All About Beer & Steal This BeerFresh off his Lager Panel at Little Beer Fest beer journalist John Holl joined us to chat.  When asked if we were in a lager moment John pauses to remin

Cheers to 7 years: Turning the page to BGR 2.0This episode is the final episode we will record in the Beer Guys Radio studio and the final radio broadcast of the show.  We're not going away, BGR 2.0 is around the corner, but it is a bittersweet moment as we say goodbye to the old and get excited for what's next.We reminisce about our favorite moments from the past seven years, including meeting Beer Archaeologist Travis Rupp, talking to Dan Carey, and interviewing Alan Sprints of Hair of the Dog.  We also discuss the decline in craft beer sales and ponder the reasons behind this decline. Additionally, we explore the closure of Mikkeller's final US location and Heineken cutting draft sales to five states due to supply chain issues. Join us as we celebrate the end of an era with our last studio session and radio broadcast, featuring a special appearance from our friend Fish Scales of Nappy Roots and Atlantucky Brewing. And remember, we'll be back as a podcast, so be sure to subscribe on your

Craft beer is always on fire for April Fools.  I have to admit, not a fan.  But Brian is, so he made a Twitter thread with as many as he could find.  Ham beer, dried beer, exxxtra long cans.  But then you have the ones that are supposed to be jokes, but actually exist.  Pickle beer and cucumber Kolsch?  Come on, Y'all gotta give it more than that.It was a spicy week for Bud Light after their partnership with a trans rights activist.  Kid Rock broke out the guns and a lot of folks dumped their Bud for Coors Light, which probably didn't work out as well as they thought.We reminisce about last weekend and our first trip to a biergarten Kolsch service at Halfway Crooks.  If you've never been to a good Kolsch service, you should change that.Guinness is making big moves.  Baltimore brewery is closing, and Chicago brewery is coming soon.  Sounds expensive.  But NA is doing OK.  Our friends at Athletic Brewing continue to grow and are on track to be a Top 15 brewery.Is it beer healthy?  That's one

The last time I was in Colorado was for the Great American Beer Fest back in 2016.  I know how much Georgia's craft beer scene has changed since then and no doubt it's the same for Colorado.  Outside of the festival we visited awesome spots like Mockery, Trve, Crooked Stave, Great Divide and a few more.  I need to get another visit soon to try some of the stuff I missed last time.Jagged Mountain's Chad Bratt and Executive Director of the Colorado Brewers Guild Shawnee Adelson  join us on the show this week.  We learn about the challenges facing Colorado's brewers and a couple of fun events like the recent Collaboration Fest and upcoming Colorado Pint Day, and protecting good beer laws.The Beer ListOf course we have some Colorado beers on deck with Weldwerks Juicy Bits IPA and Odyssey Beer Works I'm Not Dead Vienna lager. We got some sad news this week that one of our favorite local spots Orpheus Brewing is closing it's taproom.  We opened their The Bridge (Wild Ale with botanical

New Brewmaster brings fresh take to Steady Hand's offeringsSteady Hand Beer Co. just celebrated their 4th anniversary with the first batch of brews from Andrew Wenk.Andrew joined the team in December after 5 years at Three Taverns Brewing.  We've enjoyed many of Andrew's brews during his time at 3T and didn't even know it.  Now, his brewing is in the spotlight at his new home.  He's revamped favorites like Lager, Cloudland Hazy IPA, and Flower Business DIPA as well as offering new beers like Nuts, Nuts, Nuts, and an Oreo Stout.Andrew shares how he got into brewing as a hobby and as a career, we talk about the controversial Tonka bean,  long boil stouts and the counterpoint of no boil beer.Other hot topics on deck include the annual Orval Day and some stats on SWD - Shopping While Drunk.If you haven't been to Steady Hand in a while stop in and try the new brews from Andrew soon.Thanks for listening to Beer Guys Radio! Your hosts are Tim Dennis and Brian Hewitt with producer Nate &

Homebrew competitions are a great place to get judgmentalThe Peach State Brew Off, organized by the Covert Hops Society, is Georgia's oldest and largest homebrew competition.  We've competed in the comp a few times but this is the first time we've taken the show on the road to the event.Georgia's got some weird homebrew laws and the event has struggled to find a home in recent years.  Legislation was passed that was supposed to legitimize running these events, but it added some rules and hoops to jump through that made it more difficult with required permits and forbidden locations.  No matter, the  event has persevered. As the sampling goes on we talk with Scott Lathrop about homebrewing, the event, and the club then we dive in a bit deeper with Covert Hops President Nate Watkins as we sample the Best of Show winners from the meads and ciders categories.Phil Farrell joins us for a bit of a deep dive into judging beers and why a beer may get the score it does, even if the brewer (it's

It's almost time for us all to turn Irish for a day.St. Patrick's Day.  Another great holiday for Americans to kick back some beers.  I'm not arguing, it's a great excuse to grab some nitro stouts and red ales.In keeping with tradition, we share some of the legends and history of St. Patrick and St. Patrick's Day while cracking into a few brews.  There's talk of breakfast beverage booze, and where the hype went for craft beer.In our glass this weekThe classic St. Patrick's Day beer - Guinness, along with...SmithwicksHarpLeft Hand Dry Irish Stout (Nitro)Sullivan’s Irish Ale (Red) and Irish GoldWant more Beer Guys Radio?  Follow on the socials or support the show!Subscribe to Beer Guys Radio: Apple Podcasts | Google Podcasts | Spotify | Stitcher  | RSSVisit our website: https://beerguysradio.comFollow Beer Guys Radio: Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | YouTubeSupport the show: PatreonThanks for listening to Beer Guys Radio! Your hosts are Tim Dennis and Brian Hewitt with produce

What's the best sandwich in the world?Sandwiches.  So hot right now.  A chart circulated around Twitter claiming to list the World's best sandwiches.  We disagree with some of the answers, and so did many others, so we discuss (gripe) about on the show this week.Big news from Heineken this week and their promised exit from the Russian market.  Well, they're not gone yet.  Also big news that Bill Gates just snagged a huge Stake in the company.In our Big Beer Just Can't Catch a Break series we discuss drama from Miller-Coors and some whining from AB-InBev about watery beer.And from the world of NA beers, Athletic is launching a pre-workout brew.  NA for pre-workout and all the ABVs afterward.  On that note, should you drink beer every day?  If so, how much.  We'll tell you what happens to your body if you're a daily drinker.President Carter is in the news as his health is declining and he's entered hospice.  Beer drinkers and non-beer drinkers alike have been talking about him