It Starts With Beer

Allan Heida of I Know Nothing About Beer Podcast

Ep 34: Allan Heida is a busy guy, what with his I Know Nothing About Beer podcast and Dad Domesticus, a look at the Stay At Home Dad (SAHD) life on YouTube. We talk about beer in the Dallas-Fort Worth area, how best to take a kid to a brewery, and why he’s still hopeful.  You can follow him as @AlTheBrewer on Instagram and Twitter.

This episode is sponsored by Nod Hill Brewery of Ridgefield, Connecticut.

Music in episode: Chill Lo-Fi Hip Hop Mix, “Coast to Coast” by Ducks Deluxe, “I Can Tell” by Dr. Feelgood, “Laid Off” by Cyanide Pills, “One Je Ta” by Optimal Problem, “Mr. Bartender” by Lew Lewis & Reformer, “Get Out of Denver” by Eddie & the Hotrods, “War Zone” by the Vibrators, “No No No” by T.U.S.H., and “Sally’s Dream” from the Lewis Luong Relaxation Cafe. 

Beer Talk Now Podcast's Daryl Neal

Daryl Neal is the insightful host of Beer Talk Now who knows his Bay Area beer. In episode 33, I talk to D. Neal about the beer scene in and around the 'Sco, why pilsners are great, the myth of racial harmony in Northern California and more. Join us in my virtual creation -- The Bay Area Pub -- then stay for the Afterparty.

 

This episode is sponsored by Back East Brewing in Bloomfield, Connecticut.

 

Discussed in the ep: East Brother Beer, Counterweight Brewing Company, Oakland United Beer Works, E-40, and more! 

Package store life with Bottle Stop's Girish and Kevin

In ep 32 we get to hear about life behind the counter at the liquor store, or as we in New England call them, package stores. Girish Patel and Kevin Thomas of Bottle Stop in Torrington, Conn., are our guides. My on-site interview includes a tasting of Alvarium Beer Company and Firefly Hollow Brewing beer. Don’t forget to hang out at the Afterparty following the on-site interview. 

This episode is sponsored by Back East Brewing of Bloomfield, Connecticut.

Intro music: “Heat It Up” by Willy Georgia. Background music: “Good for Nothing”  by Otis McDonald, “Wet Martini”.

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Pilsner with author Tom Acitelli

Ep 31: Tom Acitelli has a lot of experience in writing about alcohol, and when it comes to writing about beer, he’s one of the best. His recent book, “Pilsner,” (Chicago Review Press) is an informative, entertaining look at how this style of beer interacted with history and dominated the world. Enjoy my interview with Tom and then stick around for the Afterparty.

Episode sponsored by Back East Brewing.

Intro music: “Heat It Up” by Will & the George

Background music: “German Music and German Folk Music,”  “Manhattan Sky”

Questions? Comments? Just want to unburden yourself? Email me at beer.snob@yahoo.com.

Farm Brewing with Barry Labendz of Kent Falls

Ep 30! Interested in farm breweries and farmhouse ale? Enjoy my talk with Barry Labendz, co-founder of Kent Falls Brewing in Kent, Connecticut, which in 2015 opened as the first modern farm brewery in the state.

Barry and his team started out with a farmhouse beer focus, and Barry and I talk about just what that means. We talk about his dedication to local ingredients, from the hops that come from their own farm and nearby Smokedown Farm (subject of ISWB Ep 29), to the grain that comes from local maltsters. 

When you’re done listening, get reading some of Barry's recommendations for books that focus on food and the food cycle:

• Third Plate by Dan Barber
• Taste of Place by Amy B. Trubek
• Hungry City by Carolyn Steel

Stay tuned after the interview for The Afterparty.

This episode was sponsored by Back East Brewing in Bloomfield, Conn. 

Intro music: “Heat It Up” by The Will-George Experience

Background music: “Picking Banjo,” “Action People #9,” and “Action People #7”

Hops! With Ally Hughes and James Shepherd of Smokedown Farm

It’s almost hop harvesting time, so in ep 29 learn about hop growing from those who get their hands dirty in this episode, featuring Dr. James Shepherd, owner of Smokedown Farm in Sharon, Connecticut, and farm manager Ally Hughes. Shepherd -- an epidemiologist on the front lines of dealing with COVID-19 --  provides some unexpected insight into the connection between virus control and hops, and Hughes discusses how their hops make local beers extra special.

 

This episode is sponsored by Back East Brewing in Bloomfield, Connecticut.

Opening/closing music: “Heat It Up” by Will and George

Background music: “Eternal Flame” by Lahar

Phantom Brewing's Jon Patrei

Ep 28: Phantom Brewing in Hartford, Connecticut, opened in April of this tumultuous year. My guest Jon Patrei and his business partner Bo Kolcio previously ran Beer & Wine Makers Warehouse, and continue to run a similar enterprise in their brewery. Jon and I talk about his background in beer and how opening during a pandemic works when you are prepared and make wise decisions. 

 

Information on the Phantom Ship in the intro comes from “The Ghost Ship of New Haven Sets Sail Shrouded in Mystery” by Michael Hoberman, from ConnecticutHistory.org. Background music: "Chill Lo-fi Hip-Hop Mix [No Copyright]."

 

This episode was sponsored by Back East Brewing and Witchdoctor Brewing. [Aired 8/4/2020]

Author and historian Gregg Smith

Ep 27: In this special history episode, author/historian Gregg Smith discusses topics including taverns during the colonial era, his favorite early brewery stories, the history of beer advertising, the hard life of a brewer in the early 20th century, historical methods, Prohibition, the role of women in beer history, and more. Warning: You will learn something! His books are available on Amazon and BrewersPublications.com.

 

This episode is sponsored by Back East Brewing, Brewery Legitimus, and Little Red Barn Brewers. For more episodes, go to beersnobwrites.com/podcast. 

 

The hosts of 512 Brewed podcast

Ep 26: In their 512 Brewed podcast, Melanie Demi and Caitlin Johnson entertain and inform. Based in Austin, Texas (with its 512 area code), these media-savvy beer lovers bring a fun, well-researched approach to beer styles, beer tasting, and a bunch of other beer-adjacent topics. In this episode we step into my shoddily created hologram world, the latest virtual pub that I've called "The Great Outdoors." We talk podcasting, Austin beer, and get served by a lion. In other words, we keep it weird.

 

I invite you to listen to 512 Brewed, and check out the hosts' blogs: Melanie's Three Dogs One Bar and Caitlin's Big World, Small Girl. 

 

Thanks for listening to It Starts With Beer. Please follow and subscribe on your favorite podcast platform. You can support this podcast by dropping a Venmo tip for william-siss. My website is beersnobwrites.com. 

Jamal Robinson of New England Brewing

Ep 25: When Jamal Robinson, director of sales at New England Brewing of Woodbridge, Conn., put up some simple videos in his greenhouse in June, he was doing more than letting off some steam about race relations in America. He was setting down some wisdom that I couldn't get out of my head. In this episode, Jamal talks about his career in beer, how he's dealt with racism, and what a brewery can do to affect change.

To watch Jamal's videos, check them out on his YouTube channel linked here. You can follow him on Instagram at @nebcojammy.

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