Beer Me!

To kick off the new season of Beer Me! we spoke with someone who was kicking off their career in beer. Amanda Burke, Assistant Brewer for Ladybird Brewing in Winfield, Kansas joined the show to share how she got her start in the beer world through the Brewers Association Mentorship Program. She shares what it's been like to be guided into brewing by some excellent mentors, how the culture built by Ladybird Brewing has impacted her journey, and some goals she hopes to achieve. We've had the privilege of sitting down with some impressive industry veterans, but it is refreshing to hear from someone just starting out. Shoutouts: Brewers Association Mentorship Program, Master Brewers Academy, Ladybird Brewing, White Stouts, Beer Travel MUSIC CREDIT: The following music was used for this media project:Music: Funky Intro 31 by TaigaSoundProdFree download: https://filmmusic.io/song/9552-funky-intro-31License (CC BY 4.0): https://filmmusic.io/standard-license

Welcome to a new season of Beer Me! Radio. Host Sarah Jane Curran shares what is in store for upcoming episodes. MUSIC CREDIT: The following music was used for this media project:Music: Funky Intro 31 by TaigaSoundProdFree download: https://filmmusic.io/song/9552-funky-intro-31License (CC BY 4.0): https://filmmusic.io/standard-license

As the days get cooler in the DC area, we thought it would be fun to highlight the coolest beer  (literally) style, Eisbock. While it isn’t trending, it is a style begging for a deep dive. Michael Stein, champion of all lagers, joins the show to explain how the style (possibly) came to be, why it’s so cool, and why it’s so challenging to make.

The season of gifting is upon us! Erika Goedrich, owner of the Craft Beer Cellar in DC, joins the show this week. We dive into tips on buying beer in a retail setting, what styles are best for different kinds of beer drinkers, and what are some cool beer releases to look out for on the shelves. Reach out with any beer gifting questions!

It's that time of year again! Beer Me celebrates Thanksgiving by inviting some of our friends to the show. We share what beers we would bring to a Thanksgiving feast, beers that pair well with food, and awkward family questions. We go down a few side streets on hard seltzer and gin but eventually find the road back to beer. Kick back with your favorite fall beer. 

Liz Garibay, a historian that specializes in the history and culture of alcohol, founded the Chicago Brewseum. This is the first museum in the U.S. fully dedicated to beer. Garibay joins the show to talk about her background and how it lead to the opening of the museum, some Chicago beer history, and the upcoming Beer Culture Summit. This summit will be available virtually!  Register for the Beer Culture Summit here. 

What started as an educational brew club for women to get excited about the beer industry led to the start of Mujeres Brew House.  Carmen Favela, Founder, Owner, and CEO of Mujeres Brew House in San Diego, joins the show this week to share the story of Mujeres. It just so happens that Friday, Oct 14th (Next week!), the Smithsonian Food History Weekend will conclude with "Last Call", an annual beer event hosted by the American Brewing History Initiative. Carmen is one of the panelists at this year's event, “¡Salud! to American Latinos in Beer,” which will explore the past, present, and future of American Latinos in the brewing industry. We talk about the upcoming panel, how her innovative team creates beers highlighting traditional Mexican flavors, and how Mujeres Brew House grew to what it is today.

The online presence of any business is the welcome mat, usually the first interaction the guest has with the brand. For all breweries, this is an opportunity to shine. Aadam Soorma, Head of Marketing and Guest Experience for Trace Brewing in Pittsburgh, PA joins the show to talk about how impactful the digital space can be for a brewery. He covers what goes into content production and engagement, how this can impact the local community, and how Trace has been able to highlight the talents of their staff. Big shout-outs to Liquid Death (excellent brand voice); Artist and FOH brewery staff member Atiya Jones, who painted the windows of the coolship; AND Pittsburgh in general. 

pFreim Family Brewers is nestled in Hood River, Oregon, a quintessential town where pFreim made pilsners a local favorite. Now, pFreim is expanding into new chapters. We talk with head brewer Campbell Morrissy to discuss the recent brewery expansion for pFriem, their new canning line, hop selections (tis the season!), and his research work at the Barley World Lab. Campbell Morrissy is the Head Brewer for pFreim Family Brewers and Ph.D. Candidate at Oregon State University under Dr. Pat Hayes in the Barley World Lab.

If there is one thing to take away from this show, it's that sake is NOT a wine. This week, we begin to scratch the surface of this exciting beverage with John Fischer, a professor of wine, beverage, and hospitality management for The Culinary Institute of America, also, a Certified Sake Professional. We talk about how to buy sake, what to look for in sake service, how it's made, and the hopefully soon-to-be open sake brewery in Hyde Park, New York.  Shout out: John Gauntner, Brooklyn Kura, #floweryeast

Before the pandemic, we had the opportunity to visit Maine Beer Co. in Freeport, Maine this time, the conversation was just as rich, but sadly, less beer. Anne Marisc, Maine Beer Co.'s Partnership + Communications Manager joins the show to talk about continued innovations (like the Black Barn Program), Quality Control, and the ever-shifting Maine beer scene. Take a listen and hopefully, you will be inspired to plan a beer trip to Maine! Shoutouts: Blue Ox Malt House, Maine Grain Alliance, #dowhatsright, #drinkitnow, #peeper 

A passion for beer is started and maintained with education for both brewery employees and patrons. This week on the show, Chris Shields, the Director of Education at Rhinegeist Brewery in Cincinnati, Ohio, describes what built his education and training program and how he continues to grow it.  Shout outs: Beer Education, Cicerone, Cider Program

Throughout the world, people are researching every aspect of beer and brewing. This week, we get nerdy, but I assure you, it's fun! Harmonie Bettenhausen, Director of Hartwick College Center for Craft Food & Beverage, is one of those people meticulously researching craft beverages. She takes us through the research she’s worked on for her Ph.D., specifically how barley contributes to flavor.  Shoutouts: Ommegang, Big Alice, Finger Lakes Breweries/Cideries 

Lone Tree Brewing Company in Lone Tree, Colorado celebrated their 10-year anniversary, late in 2021. President and Co-Founder John Winter, our guest this week, shares insights on building brewery longevity, business decisions over the years, and beer trends.

The topic of consistency in brewing has come up multiple times here on Beer Me, and one of the best tools for that is implementing some kind of brewing lab to ensure quality control. Our guest, Merritt Waldron, Quality Director of Baxter Brewing Co. and author of "Quality Labs for Small Brewers: Building a Foundation for Great Beer" takes us through some brewing lab basics. He covers why brewing labs are necessary, how labs differ depending on the kind of brewery, and what a beginner brewing lab should include.

Over the past few weeks, we've had the opportunity to dig into some of the finer points of beer production. We get to continue our journey with Brent Manning, Co-Founder of Riverbend Malt House, which recently celebrated 10 years of operations. We dive into local malt production, sustainable practices, and a little malt production 101. Shoutouts: Fonta Flora, #Riverbend10 film, New Belgium, Sierra Nevada, Craft Maltsters Guild

Breaking into a field and climbing the ladder is a challenge no matter what the endeavor. Brewing is no exception. Megan Seastedt, a brewer, consultant, trainer, and podcaster, joins the show this week. She takes us through her brewing transitions, from homebrewer to production manager and everything in between. We talk about the challenges and what she has learned along the way.  Shoutouts: North Country Brewing, Brewers Guild, Pink Boots, OSU Fermentation program, Southern Tier Brewing, Rock Bottom Brewing, BA Education, White Labs Check out more Beer Me! episodes.

Countless new ready-to-drink beverages, seltzers, and other canned beverages are flooding the market. One of the newest, and currently only available in Western New York, is Norwhey. This is made from fermented yogurt whey, that would otherwise be waste. Co-founder, and Cornell University Professor, Sam Alcaine joins the show to talk about Norwhey and his journey through the world of fermented beverages.  Shoutouts: Miller Coors, NY Dairy Promotional Board, Doc Luces (DENVER), Tepache, Pulque 

Our Instagram feed has been peppered with delightful, educational beer comics, illustrating beer flavors, styles, or pairings. This week, the creator of these happy posts joins us on the show. Award-winning cartoonist, Em Sauter is our guest this week. Em founded Pints and Panels to produce cute and visual beer education. Em tells us about the process of developing educational, fun, and often whimsical, beer illustrations. Check out her newest book, "Hooray for Craft Beer!", on pre-order now. Check out more Beer Me! episodes.

Beer is a product of agriculture. The grains and hops that are used in a beer recipe are very thoughtfully selected to create vastly different styles. Jeff O'Neil, the founder of Industrial Arts Brewing Company in the Hudson Valley, NY, joins the show. We talk through what goes into sourcing local malt and hops, how the local malt industry has improved in New York, and the shifting hop production in the US. We also dip our toes into water conservation during the brewing process (pun intended). Check out more Beer Me! episodes.