Beers with Nigel

In this episode of Beers with Nigel, hosts Nigel Woodberry and Nick Parker clink their glasses to the scene in Platte City and Barley & Vine brewery and wine store. Recording from the Barley and Vine taproom, they dive into the expansion of the Ales West beer festival and have a hoppy chat with local brewer and festival maestro, Billy Campbell, about self-distribution, community collaboration, and the transformation of Platte City's downtown. From sipping on standout brews to sharing yarns of how local businesses are giving the area a fresh brew, this episode is a toast to craft beer lovers and the lively spirit of local brewing.

Pour yourself a cold one and join Nigel Woodberry and Nick Parker for Episode 128 of Beers with Nigel! This time, they're lakeside at Lotawana Brewing, diving headfirst into tales of brewing mishaps, mystery beers, spontaneous bull rides, and the eternal debate: is it burping with flair or just a strong commitment to the craft? Expect laughs, unexpected beer trivia, and maybe — just maybe — a few heartfelt shout-outs to beloved dogs and even seltzers? Cheers to community, creativity, and questionable ABV guesses!

What happens when you combine a couple of foolish beer nerds and a food wizard? Gold, Jerry... wait, that's not our show. What happens is anentertaining conversation with Chef Taylor Jones about his journey from food prepping for his kids to the successful business that is Burn Theory Fire Kitchen. Taylor joins hosts Nigel Woodberry and Nick Parker to spill the beans... errrrr totz, on his approach to food and what drives him to deliver "Instagram-worthy" trays to every customer at any of the three Kansas City area breweries offering up the goods from his kitchen — Diametric, Grains & Taps or Strange Days Brewing. Between sips, bites and off-topic banter, the conversation highlights the role food concepts play in the business of breweries and taprooms and reminds us, Nigel and Nick should've been eating during each of the previous 126 episodes. Prepare your ear holes — and your pie holes — this is a good one!

From slinging VHS tapes to pouring pints, John Couture has been on a wild ride through the world of craft beer! This episode, John — co-founder of the beloved and gone, but not forgotten, Beer Station — joins Nigel and Nick to talk about his latest venture, Local Liquid KC, an online marketplace bringing Kansas City's best local beverages straight to you. John takes us back to his beer-drinking origins (shoutout to Boulevard Wheat in ‘95), spills the secrets of his own “beer karma,” and shares the highs and lows of running a craft beer bar. Plus, we dive into the changing landscape of the beer industry, the rise (and challenges) of craft brewing in KC, and how Local Liquid is shaking things up with curated mix packs, mystery boxes, and workplace beer delivery. And because this is Beers with Nigel, expect plenty of tangents—like grandparent nicknames, why a beer garden shower might be a bad idea, and a strong case for catching a Neil Diamond tribute show. Crack open a cold one and join the fun!

She is, as we say, a force of nature. Celina Tio has long been a presence in Kansas City's restaurant and bar scene as a critically acclaimed and award-winning chef, restaurateur, bar owner and distiller. Act 125 was all over the place as Nigel and Nick had fun trying to keep up with this big personality committed to providing people with the best experiences possible surrounding her food and curated beer and spirits offerings. Viewers beware because when she walks in the room — Boom!

Beer Karma is back! Nigel and Nick are celebrating their fourth annual Beer Karma collab with Transparent Brewing with a live episode inside the taproom on the eve of Thanksgiving. Transparent owner Nolan Brown and his Cellartween Conor Payne join the show to talk about this year's brew and whatever else pops up during the evening — including the question of is Nolan Conor's daddy, or do Nigel and Nick share the duty of raising one half of their podcast offspring. This year's release is a coffee and peanut butter stout and is obviously the best of the releases so far because it was Nick's idea.

If we've learned anything in 123 episodes it's that the beer community includes people of all backgrounds and all talents. This week, Daelyn Schellhaas joins the show. How did she get into the beer game? Well, first she was a professional ballerina for 20 years, then she was a chef and mixoloigist. Somewhere in the middle she took up hunting and is now the assistant brewer at Pittsburgh's Altered Genius. Oh, and she's a rabid Buffalo Bills fan recording the episode just hours before her team kicked off against Nick's beloved Kansas City Chiefs. They may have made a bet during the show. Nick may have lost that bet. At least the show was fun!

Welcome to Kansas, where the jokes are as fresh as an Iowegian's corn! Speaking of corn, did you know about "corn sweat"? It's a real thing! When corn opens up at the husk, it creates extra humidity, leading to a unique weather phenomenon. Or, it's just one of those things where you need to check with your partner. This week, we're at Discourse Brewing with owners Matt and Amanda, who in spite of their alma mater and choice in baseball teams, are pretty damn cool. Grab a beer, turn your podcasting app to 11 and join us for some burps and stories. Just remember, Nigel will judge your burps.

In this episode of the Beers with Nigel podcast, hosts Nigel Woodbury and Nick Parker welcome special guest Billy Conway from Squints Apparel. The conversation kicks off with a light-hearted discussion about the show's rules. They reminisce about past collaborations and the impact of COVID on their activities, including a mention of brunch offerings at a local bar. Billy shares his journey from working in sports to launching the Squints Apparel brand, highlighting the mentorship he received from his friends at Stuey McBrew's. The episode features humorous anecdotes, discussions about local beers, and the creative processes behind branding and design in the beverage industry. Overall, it's a fun and engaging episode that blends beer culture with personal stories and insights into entrepreneurship.

If you listen for more than a few minutes, you know the Barrel and Flow Festival is pretty much an annual pilgrimage for hosts Nigel and Nick. But this year, the dynamic duo of drinking wanted to upsize the KC representation at the best damn beer festival in America. Eight friends of the show decided to pile into three cars for an epic road trip and chance to see for themselves what Nigel and Nick were always talking about. In this episode, Zach, Caesar, Phil, Krissie and Matt stop by The Vault to offer their reactions and summary of the trip.

The Beers with Nigel podcast is an official beer collaborator at this year's Barrel & Flow Fest. Of course Nigel & Nick are always extra, so why not go do the collab in person. Once the brew day at Helicon Brewing was done (we brewed a tropical stout) we sat down with head brewer Sean & owner Chris. Helicon is a staple in the town of Oakdale, PA & the story of how a brewery has more than 30 pinball machines & no a/c is an interesting one for sure. You'll hear us taste mango purées headed for the collab beer. Riveting content for sure!  

Nigel & Nick hit the road hard as in all the way to Pittsburgh, PA.  Before the big brew collab day at Helicon Brewing the boys stopped by Trace Brewing.  Aadam & Katie were great hosts as we talked the origins & mission of Trace, the Pittsburgh beer scene & of course Barrel & Flow/

There's a lot of sensory engagement when drinking a beer. It all matters — the look, the aromas, the flavors, the mouth feel — all of it. But every now and then it's also a feeling, a memory and sense of nostalgia to a treasured time and relationship. For Dan Paustian, the memory is equally important to the taste. Dan dropped by The Vault to talk with Nigel and Nick about his quest to recreate his grandfather's beer glass and give beer drinkers, brewers and taprooms the perfect drink every time.

Beer selections, Pride month & shots of Rumple Minze? Aaron Vigliaturo said he was nervous about coming on the show with Nigel and Nick. We have no idea why. And you'd never know it — dude came in hot ready to drink, burp, take another drink and share his stories of opening a bar with his mother in downtown Lee's Summit and growing it into the popular local stalwart it is. Brick's Pub features a large selection of craft beers and prides itself on being a local watering whole for all. The bar also features one of the best drag shows in KC.

Summer is here, folks. Do you have your vacation tuxedo purchased yet? If not, our guest has you covered. Meet, Lyndsey Fliehs, Nigel's new neighbor and all-around purveyor of party attire and general awesomeness. Lyndsey is the owner of Team Cocktail, a drinking company with a clothing problem. Nick rolled the recording gear down to "Nigel's Alley" for some outdoor patio time to hear the story of how a simple cruise changed their lives forever and sparked her journey into the world of party gear. Also, pickles continue to be evil.

Listen, don't sit there act like you're above taking a selfie with your friend or SO while grabbing some tasty craft beers. There's no selfie-shame in this game. Keith Adams, from @beerselfie on Instagram and beerselfie.com, joins Nigel and Nick from Chico, California to tell his brilliant idea to build community by collecting and posting selfies with beer. It's brilliant, we say! Two things you really need to take from this conversation: 1, if anyone met their SO through Beer Selfie and are getting hitched, Nick and Nigel are here to officiate your dream beer wedding; and 2, if you ain't submitting your beer selfies, you just ain't doing it right!

Holy beer and barbecue, Batman! Nigel and Nick are still a little shook up from the amazing week of beer, barbecue and beer family in Kansas City. Partnering with Annie and the gang at Vine Street Brewing, the show brought in the filmmakers and much of the cast from the One Pint at a Time documentary for a Kansas City screening and craft beer party like our midwest metro hasn't seen in a while. Act 113 is from the live show on the Vine Street patio. Big thank you to all our KC friends for helping show off this incredible city. And we can't thank our friends One Pint and Barrel & Flow friends for taking the time to visit KC and help us party.

Act 112 and Nigel and Nick are back on the road. This week the dynamic duo of beer head to North Kansas City and the spacious home of Callsign Brewing. Air Force veteran Steve Sirois shares the touching origin story of his brewery and how each beer honors service members who made the ultimate sacrifice. The brewery and a soon-to-be launched podcast also focus on raising funds to support efforts to help service-members returning home and suffering from PTSD. Vine Street Brewing co-owner and general badass Annie McGinnis joins the show to promote this weekend's One Pint at Time event collab with Beers with Nigel. Get your tickets at bit.ly/OnePint.

Kemet Coleman's passion is music. First, and always, he says he's a rapper and a musician. But on this episode of the podcast we learn the long-time Kansas City entertainer is so much more than that. Kemet joins Nigel and Nick (and Katie, too!) in The Vault for a conversation about his role as co-owner of Vine Street Brewing and how everything always comes back to music. Oh, and he also plays Prague Rock?

Barley and Vine isn't really right there by that Platte City water tower. But the self-proclaimed bougie brewery and wine store is nestled in the heart of historic downtown Platte City and neither beers nor the conversation disappointed in this early-March road trip. Head brewer Billy Campbell joined an elite group of guests providing his own Mystery Beers while sharing his story of going from home brewer to pro and helping to open this new space on the north end of the Kansas City metro area. What did we get out of this episode? The start of a new competition between Barley and Vine and Nigel's brewery/taproom, Transparent Brewing over who makes the best beermosas. Stay tuned for what we're sure will be a Thunderdome-worthy battle of the bougie beer beverages.

Typically, Nigel shows up to the show prepared with a nice drinker and the all-important bag of Mystery Beers. This night, was not your typical night. Since Nigel forgot the drinker, Nick stepped with a can of good old fashioned Beer Karma — in the form of Pirate Water (thanks, Forest!). This oddly decent-tasting red beverage packed a punch, coming in at 10% ABV. Givon Blakney, better known as @sentricstyles on the socials entered The Vault for this episode to talk his love affair with craft beer and the evolution of his video beer reviews. Oh, and there was much burping.

Look away kids. When two Nigels get together, it get's a little bit awkward. Really, we're not sure why co-host Nigel Woodberry got so excited when he told Nick Parker they were interviewing Canadian River Brewing's Nigel Dunham — we've had multiple episodes with two Nicks! OK, maybe it is kinda cool. Our Nigel grew up in Oklahoma and this Nigel still lives there and is busy bringing good beer to his home town. Dunham shares his beer story and how he continues to grow his beer business.

We're digging deep this episode for the real story behind beer writer and social media influencer, Ale Sharpton. In addition to the story behind his pen name and his passion for the beer industry and promoting black brewers, host Nigel Woodberry and Nick Parker press with some hard-hitting questions — like why he prefers a tulip tasting glass no matter which beer he's sipping at the moment.

Welcome to the show, William Teasley, co-owner of Khonso Brewing. Teasley uses his background in education to champion discussions centered on African and African-American contributions to brewing, aiming to highlight their significant historical impact on the industry. With a comprehensive understanding of beer brewing techniques, recipe development, and quality control, he embodies Khonso Brewing's commitment to excellence. Teasley's engagement in industry events and seminars underscores his dedication to sharing knowledge about the diverse cultural heritage of brewing, enriching the craft beer landscape with valuable insights and historical perspectives.

Mike Sukitch, owner of Pittsburgh's renowned spot, Mike's Beer Bar, join Nigel and Nick on this episode of the Beers With Nigel podcast. They delve into Mike's background, tracing his family's legacy in the beer industry and his transition from globe trotting corporate life to beer bar proprietorship. Explore the challenges faced during his five-year tenure, including weathering the storms that was COVID-19. Discover Mike's unique insights into the craft beer landscape, alongside humorous anecdotes for a compelling glimpse into the world of a successful beer business owner. As always, cheers to the brews and the stories behind them!

Hosts Nigel Woodberry and Nick Parker take you on a whirlwind journey through Tall Trellis Brewing's growth during the latest Beers with Nigel episode. From its origins in hop farming to evolving into a local brewing sensation, this episode uncovers the brewery's evolution. Delving into their initial plan to feature guest taps, the podcast reveals their pivot when demand skyrocketed for their signature brews, propelling them from small-batch to a seven-barrel production in record time. Owner Ryan Triggs and head brewer Nick Feightner spill the secrets behind the brewery's recipe scaling and process adaptation, from humble garage brewing to crafting Tall Trellis' renowned beer lineup. Tune in for Beers with Nigel's thrilling exploration of Tall Trellis Brewing's beer voyage.

For the third consecutive year, Nigel and Nick teamed up with Transparent Brewing's Nolan Brown for their holiday Beer Karma collab brew. Recorded live in the Transparent taproom, this episode served as the official release of the 2023 beer, a chance to wish Nolan a happy birthday and let some of the listeners take part in the Mystery Beer "Guess the ABV" game.

He was an early guest on the show and wanted a chance to return and help the boys celebrate being named Best Local Podcast in Kansas City. John Beaudoin returns to the show, hosting Nigel and Nick around his fire pit with some his favorite beers and conversations none of us saw coming, because that's what happens when you're drinking in the driveway.

We ain't stopping at 100! The Pitch KC just announced their annual Best of KC fan voting awards so we decided to mix a little celebration in with the chance to introduce two of Nigel's co-works McBeth and the Cellartween. Bryan and Conor (yeah, he spells it weird) join the show to tell their beer stories and how they helped Nigel and the crew at Transparent Brewing rack up a slew of fan fan votes in this year's awards season... Also, a big thank you to to our listeners for voting Nigel and Nick as Kansas City's Best Local Podcast! Cheers!

In no way, shape or form did Nigel and Nick think their little show about beer and other stuff would last this long. But here we are. Three years and 100 episodes later, the guys are still going strong spreading the word about Kansas City's beer scene and collecting engaging stories from throughout the US and beyond just because they've found beer to be the best doorway into your lives. The 100th episode was recorded live from Vine Street Brewing in Kansas City and featured several repeat guests, as well as a few new ones. And, Junior, since you didn't bother to come out, we're not telling you what beers we drank! Just kidding, there were too many to list. A big thank you to Annie, Woodie and the Vine Street gang for hosting us, the balloons and cake were a great surprise. And additional thanks to everyone who came out to celebrate us — many of which brought us new beers! Love and cheers to all. Beer is for everyone and Beer Karma is real.

Don't be fooled by the beers that she got She's still, she's still Jenny from the Grains That's right, folks. Finally. 99 episodes into this crazy podcast life, Nigel and Nick finally got Jenny Painter, aka Jenny from the Grains, to join them in the vault. She's a photographer, and a long-time bartender, but most know her as the badass taproom manager for Grains & Taps - Downtown Lee's Summit. Jenny shares her story of stumbling into the bartending scene and working her way into her current gig and even convincing the guys at G&T to brew up her own recipe once a year.

Nigel and Nick had to dig deep to find these long lost recorded interviews with the voices behind Cajun Fire Brewing, Instagram's Daddy Porter, Mack Brewing Co., Vine Street Brewing, Community Brewing, Crafted Culture Brewing and more. Were they really, lost episodes? No, not at all. The guys are just little bit lazy and it took a few weeks to put this together. If you missed this year's Barrel & Flow Fest (the No. 1 beer festival in America), this is the (second of two) episode for you. You're not gonna want to miss rollin' with the boys in 2024.

The boys look forward to their annual trip to Pittsburgh and the Barrel & Flow Fest every single year. And this year's pilgrimage did not disappoint. In fact, the revelry and merriment hit new heights as Nigel and Nick explora(ed) Dayton's DORA district, set up their own "media row" event at the festival, procured as much beer as possible for the return trip to KC, and generally left their own KC stamp all over Pittsburgh, PA's beer scene. Take a listen as part 1 offers up their own festival post mortem. Part 2, Act 98, includes interviews from Barrel & Flow Media Row.

Two of them met in grade school, the third came on in junior high. Today, they're business partners building up one of the hottest craft beer brands in Chicago — and the country! Hosts Nigel Woodberry and Nick Parker caught up with the gang from Funkytown Brewing just a week before they all converged again at America's best beer festival, aka Barrel & Flow fest. Listen in to hear their story of building this popular brand and business.

It's Barrel & Flow week and you know what that means. That's right, our podcast daddies, Ed Bailey & Day Bracey join the show to catch up this weekend's Barrel & Flow Fest, the Drinking Partners podcast and their recently-completed second season of Ed & Day in the 'Burgh on Very Local Pittsburgh. Oh, if you didn't know this you should — Barrel & Flow Fest was just named the No. 1 beer festival in the United States. See you in a couple of days, daddies.

In a sequel to one of their most favorite episodes, Nigel and Nick headed to KC's Southland for another crossover episode with YouTube sensations, Two Blondes Drink Beer. As always, Cara and Candi are hilarious and shy away from no topics while also tasting and critiquing every beer they can get their hands on. And if this crew likes the beer — then CACAO!

If you're a regular listener of the show, you know of the magical Mystery Beer bag. In this episode, the fine lads at City Barrel Brewing + Kitchen decided to take things up a notch by having a bucket of their own mystery beers iced and ready.  Listen in as two of the owners, Grant Warner and Joe Glammanco, talk about their journey into the beer industry and launching their popular brewery and taproom.

Nigel and Nick are back on the road, finally hitting Stockyards Brewing located in Kansas City's historic West Bottoms. Greg, Micah and Mikey join the show to talk about their entry into the industry, their role in a neighborhood revival and what drives them to find even more success. And for Junior, when he asks what we were drinking — beer. We drank a lot of really, really good beer.

We learn about Morah's beer journey & how she learned that she can chug beer. We also delve into the beginnings of her Drag Queen life, her early bad outfits, the effort just to get ready for a show & how humor has helped in her journey. We also talk about the KC Drag community & how like-minded people's support have helped Morah accept who she is & allowed her to flourish. Definitely one our most poignant episodes. Shout out to our special “intern” Zach, who got to push the “mystery beer” button on the board. No clue what we drank, but we did clean out our 6-beer capacity official Beers with Nigel mini fridge.

Hey, folks, June is Show-Me Craft Beer Month in the (not-so) dynamic duo's home state, so Nigel and Nick thought it was a good time to catch up with Sherry Wohlgemuth, executive director at the Missouri Craft Brewers Guild. In addition to catching us up on all of the exciting beer happenings throughout Missouri, Sherry shares her early memories of drinking Rhinelander beer while a student at Mizzou and her journey into the world of craft beer. 

Nigel and Nick take a little trip down to Kansas City's Crossroad's District and Brewers Alley to spend some time at Red Sash Brewing (and later cross the alley for a few drinks at Double Shift Brewing) with head brewer Mark and "Kind of a Manager" Rae. Mark and Rae share their journey's into the world of craft beer and all of the things they're looking forward to as the brewery continues to grow and make it's mark in Kansas City's beer scene. And the most important thing we learned on this trip? We don't kink shame here.

It may not have been the smartest idea they've ever had, but Nigel and Nick stepped up to the challenge and recored two episodes during a Sunday Funday run through a few of their favorite local breweries. Starting the day with Kansas City's Strange Days Brewing (Act 87 if you missed it), the day ended back in the vault for a video interview with Kelvin Kolheim and Memphis' first black-owned brewery, Beale Street Brewery.

Just like Ernie Banks, Nigel and Nick decided to play two last weekend. In the first stop for their Sunday Funday tour, the dynamic duo headed to Kansas City's River Market area and Strange Days Brewing for a conversation with Co-owner Chris Beier and head brewer Trevor Schlam. Many beers were consumed during the day and we may or may not tell Junior the names of said beers. But he, and the rest of you, will have to come back next week for the Sunday nightcap interview with Memphis' Beale Street Brewing.

Nigel and Nick are back on the road and enjoying some spring weather on the deck at River Bluff Brewing in St. Joseph, Mo. In between some questionable burp judging, the two get a little history on River Bluff Brewing from guests Vinny Weille and Billy Campbell, as well as the low down on the upcoming Ales West beer festival happening in June... Oh, and Junior, we let you down again. Totally forgot to write down the beer list. You'll just have to listen to the entire show!

Nigel and Nick first met Drew and Jasmine Dill at Barrel & Flow Fest 2021. After experience the festival in 2019, Drew decided he wanted to start brewing his own beer and when the in-person festival resumed in 2021 he was infiltrating the brewers' bottle share to show off his home brew skills and get some feedback from the pros. Not only did he get positive feedback, he received a challenge to hit the professional ranks and return in 2022 as one of the brewers. Mission accomplished. Steve "Big Jax" Jackson also joins the show as Drew and Jasmine tell their story of launching Liquid Intrusion and their plans for the future. What we're drinking: Rainbow Sherbet, Prairie Artisan Ales; African Queen, Liquid Intrusion Brewing Company; Yabba Dabba Brew, Nothing's Left Brewing Co.; Schwarzbier, Pipeworks Brewing Co.; South D.C. Cream Ale, Liquid Intrusion Brewing Company; Hoppy Refresher, Lagunitas Brewing Co.; and Paddy Stash, Main & Mill Brewing Co.

Back on the road, Nigel and Nick stop by Jazzy B's, a great little BBQ joint in Lee's Summit, Mo. Owner Brandon Simpson joins the show to talk about his growing restaurant and his path from football championships, to piano sales to successful restauranteur... And Junior, I don't remember what we drank, but there four wonderful beers provided to us by that Superhero named Brad at Grains & Taps. Oh, and a Tank 7 from Boulevard Brewing, too.    

Monday was Nigel's birthday (we won't tell you which number) and this weekend is the second anniversary for Goat Brewing in Lee's Summit. What better way to celebrate than with beers — and some whiskey because Whiskey Wednesday? Goat Brewing owner Jeremy Kneeland joins the celebration, as does Counter Clockwise KC's Sean Harris joins in for some big news.