Grit & Grain Podcast

We think it’s high time we took this interview gig a little more seriously, so we figured we might as well get some high-quality interview questions locked and loaded for future episodes, but we need to make sure they’re up to snuff first. This week, we are joined by the effortlessly dashing Erik Dahlin of The Odom Corp. to field test some of our new, totally professional interview questions. After years in the beer distribution game, Erik has tasted droves of world-class pints and traveled to many historic breweries, making wonderful memories and collecting excellent stories along the way. Tune in to find out which beers he holds in the highest regard and which ones he might encourage extraterrestrial visitors to consume “bottoms up” style. Tap, tap, tap Alright, Grit & Grainers! Please email us at cheers@gritandgrainpodcast.com with your comments, opinions, and favorite beer questions. You can subscribe to GGP on YouTube, Amazon, Apple Music, Spotify, Google Play, and iHeartRadio, and please leave us a review. Be sure to also follow us on Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube. If this podcast is not what you expected, please alter your expectations. No such thing as a bad time to visit Tacoma. No such thing as too much barleywine. Tune in next Friday for more sweet chatter. Cheers! The post Episode 169: Inside the Brewer’s Studio with Erik Dahlin appeared first on Grit & Grain Podcast.

Less than a week out from everyone's favorite chaotic family holiday—the annual turkey-fueled collision of joy, gravy, and emotional turbulence—we decided it was the perfect time to sit down with our buddy R.J. Adler, from Sierra Nevada Brewing Co., to discuss pairing beer with Thanksgiving dinner. Naturally, we lasted about 253 seconds before veering completely off the rails and dedicating the entire conversation to one of our mutual obsessions: the glorious, tart, ruby-kissed wonder that is a Flanders red ale. Why is it the perfect beer to bring to any family gathering? Why does it soothe generational trauma? Why does it pair so beautifully with turkey, stuffing, awkward political comments, and the profound desire to take a walk around the block for “fresh air”? We go deep. Maybe too deep. Maybe just deep enough. Tune in for laughs, actual usable beer pairing tips, and our unapologetic campaign to make Rodenbach the unofficial beer of Thanksgiving 2025. Thank you for listening, for supporting the podcast, and for bringing good beer to the table—no matter what your family throws at you. Have a beautiful turkey day, friends. See you all in December! Tap, tap, tap Alright, Grit & Grainers! Please email us at cheers@gritandgrainpodcast.com with your comments, opinions, and your best theories on what. You can subscribe to GGP on YouTube, Amazon, Apple Music, Spotify, Google Play, and iHeartRadio, and please leave us a review. Be sure to also follow us on Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube. If this podcast is not what you expected, please alter your expectations. No such thing as a bad time to visit Tacoma. No such thing as too much barleywine. Tune in next Friday for more sweet chatter. Cheers! The post Episode 168: Who Brought the Rodenbach to Thanksgiving Dinner? appeared first on Grit & Grain Podcast.

Time for a good old-fashioned debate. This week, we dive into the now-infamous New York Times opinion piece by famed journalist Mark Robichaux, “Wacky Labels and Silly Names are Killing Craft Beer”. With a few... The post Episode 167: Wacky Podcasts Are Killing the Craft Beer Industry appeared first on Grit & Grain Podcast.

We're back, baby! The Washington Brewers Guild‘s 2025 Washington Craft Beer Summit took place this week in SeaTac, Washington, bringing nearly 100 Washington breweries together under one roof to meet with vendors, attend expert lectures,... The post Episode 166: Live from the 2025 Washington Craft Beer Summit  appeared first on Grit & Grain Podcast.

Happy Halloween, Grit & Grain family! This week, we thought we'd dress up as a super serious political podcast. Just kidding! But we were indeed joined by the 10th District Representative and former Tacoma mayor,... The post Episode 165: Budget Battles and Belgian Beer w/Congresswoman Marilyn Strickland appeared first on Grit & Grain Podcast.

It's beer and cheese week! Beer industry veteran, professional cheesemonger, and German language educator, Ericka Baird, joined us this week to talk about everything beer and cheese. We picked up a variety of cheeses, from... The post Episode 164: Pairing Beer and Cheese with Ericka Baird  appeared first on Grit & Grain Podcast.

The Great American Beer Festival wrapped up last weekend, and Ron attended for the second time with Peaks & Pints regular, Grit & Grain listener, and travel buddy, Bryan Johnson. Their four-day epic adventure had... The post Episode 163: GABF Adventures with Bryan and Ron appeared first on Grit & Grain Podcast.

Our best buddies at Vice Beer just celebrated their 3-year anniversary, so we figured it would be the perfect time to get owner, operator, and North Bank beer ambassador Michael Perozzo back on the mic... The post Episode 162: Michael Perozzo, Part 3 appeared first on Grit & Grain Podcast.

Back again with another hoppy episode this week! This time, we wanted to change it up and give you all a peek behind the curtain at a yearly industry tradition. During hop harvest season, brewers... The post Episode 161: Hop Selection Connection appeared first on Grit & Grain Podcast.

Nestled quietly in the margins of Oktoberfest and fresh hop season, pumpkin beers lay waiting to provide a reprieve from the punchy wet hopped IPAs and robust Marzen lagers. This week, we quickly sample 15... The post Episode 160: Pumpkin Spice and Everything Nice appeared first on Grit & Grain Podcast.

This is super special! We all know Yakima is known for its incredible hop agriculture, but what many folks may not know is that the modern hop industry has its roots a little closer to... The post Episode 159: Mansions and Museums in the Mecca of Hops appeared first on Grit & Grain Podcast.

That's right! Besides being fresh hop season, pumpkin season, and festbier season, it's also homebrew competition season. We're lucky to be joined this week by Dustin Striplin from the Browns Point Homebrew Club to talk... The post Episode 158: Homebrew Competition Season! appeared first on Grit & Grain Podcast.

We are just about a week away from the most wonderful time of the year for Pacific Northwest beer nerds — fresh hop season!  The chaotic, beautiful, and fleeting annual period where hops are plucked... The post Episode 157: Fresh Hop Season Preview appeared first on Grit & Grain Podcast.

It's that time of year again! Brew Five Three Beer & Music Festival, Tacoma's biggest beer taster-glass gathering, kicked off in a new location this year, the historic Armory building, and we were lucky enough... The post Episode 156: Live from Brew Five Three Beer and Music Festival! appeared first on Grit & Grain Podcast.

Nestled in the small downtown area of Renton, Wash., a sleeping giant of a brewery is starting to make giant waves. We are joined by the family-owned and operated Four Generals Brewing. Brewer Ross, parents... The post Episode 155: German Purity Law (wink wink) with Four Generals Brewing appeared first on Grit & Grain Podcast.

We're back with part 2 of our raw ingredients special, featuring Rikki Welz from Haas Farms and Brian Estes from LINC Malt. With Grainmaker only one week away, we figured it would be a great... The post Episode 154: Hop Growers and Grain Makers with Haas Farm and LINC Malt, Part 2 appeared first on Grit & Grain Podcast.

It's an extra special double header! We are joined this week by our best buddy and legendary hop sniffer, Rikki Welz from the world-renowned Haas Farms, and we are so happy to welcome Brian Estes,... The post Episode 153: Hop Growers and Grain Makers with Haas Farm and LINC Malt appeared first on Grit & Grain Podcast.

We're back! Thanks for sticking around during our holiday hiatus week.  We're back and have a bunch of catching up to do. Matt climbed a whole mountain, Bethany went camping with her little kiddos (arguably... The post Episode 152: Catching Up After a Week Off appeared first on Grit & Grain Podcast.

This week, we were super lucky to be joined by another local beer podcast crew. Austin and Julie uploaded the first episode of Thru The Sightglass back in March 2024 (with our good friend Rachyl... The post Episode 151: Looking Thru The Sightglass with Austin and Julie appeared first on Grit & Grain Podcast.

The Washington Brewers Festival and Firestone Walker Invitational have come and gone, and the Grit & Grain crew was lucky enough to be on the ground for both. This week, we're recapping the magic—our favorite... The post Episode 150: Beer Fest Fever appeared first on Grit & Grain Podcast.

Kendall Jones is back! For Part 2, we dive right into the article posted to his longstanding Washington Beer Blog the morning of our recording, wherein Jones breaks down the Brewers Association‘s announcement of Mexican... The post Episode 149: Washington Beer Blog with Kendall Jones, Part 2 appeared first on Grit & Grain Podcast.

Get ready for a super special double-header! This week, we are honored to invite local legend and Tacoma native Kendall Jones to Tacoma for a few beers and a few episodes dedicated to his decades-long... The post Grit & Grain Episode 148: Keeping up with Joneses with Kendall Jones from Washington Beer Blog appeared first on Grit & Grain Podcast.

Our best buddies at Seattle's Lucky Envelope Brewing are celebrating their 10th year in the beer business with a bang — A year-long series of collaboration beers with former brewers who have left Barry's tutelage... The post Episode 147: 10 Years of Beers! with Barry Chan of Lucky Envelope  appeared first on Grit & Grain Podcast.

It's almost time for the annual Washington Brewers Festival. The annual gathering of over 70 local breweries is just a few weeks away, so we figured this was the perfect time to get our best... The post Episode 146: New 501(c)(3), who dis? with Shawna Cormier appeared first on Grit & Grain Podcast.

The annual Craft Brewers Conference wrapped up a few weeks ago. While the Grit & Grain team was busy holding the fort in Tacoma, our best buddy and favorite beer educator, Lyra Penoyer, was on... The post Episode 145: Lyra Teaches Beer at the Craft Brewers Conference appeared first on Grit & Grain Podcast.

We're back with our best buddy Tristan this week. The famed Northeast Tacoma-based Browns Point Homebrew Club has been extra busy, so we wanted to catch up with the former president. The homebrew club ventures... The post Episode 144: Field Trips, Lights Out, and Title Belts with Tristan McCoy appeared first on Grit & Grain Podcast.

Just last week, the news dropped that Tacoma's Narrows Brewing is opening a second taproom location next to our home base, Peaks & Pints! This was the perfect time to get owner and brewer, Parker... The post Episode 143: Won't You Be My Neighbor? with Parker Rush from Narrows Brewing  appeared first on Grit & Grain Podcast.

It's almost Cinco de Mayo! And we thought it might be a perfect time to talk about everybody's favorite hard-to-define beer style: Mexican lagers. Mexican Lagers have a complicated past and present, from a misunderstood... The post Episode 142: What Is a Mexican Lager?! appeared first on Grit & Grain Podcast.

Oh man, it's a doozie of an episode! The absolute legend herself, Leslie Shore, joins us this week! Leslie has spent the last decade cementing herself as one of the most talented and creative brewers... The post Episode 141: Florida Woman Changes Everything About the Seattle Beer Scene with Leslie Shore appeared first on Grit & Grain Podcast.

Few people in the beer industry share the type of vision Charlie Devereux is known for in our circles. Knowing beer is one thing, understanding people is what sets him apart. From cutting his teeth... The post Episode 140: Full Circle from Full Sail with Charlie Devereux appeared first on Grit & Grain Podcast.

Tucked away in the small town of Gorst, Wash., lies a brewery that represents just about everything there is to love about the beer community: a true community space with outstanding food, world-class beer, and... The post Episode 139: Incredible Story of Deep Draft Brewing appeared first on Grit & Grain Podcast.

Ron is back! And we figured it was a good time to let everyone know where he disappears to this time each year. The Tournament of Beers is Peaks & Pints' version of a March... The post Episode 138: Tournament of Beers! appeared first on Grit & Grain Podcast.

We're so excited about this one! Ali Himmel-Smith and Jen Nicosia, the respective chair and co-chair for the Seattle chapter of the Pink Boots Society, join us this week. Pink Boots is a pillar institution... The post Episode 137: Pink Boots are Made for Walkin' appeared first on Grit & Grain Podcast.

Tacoma Beer Week is in the rearview mirror for now, so it's a great time to recap some outstanding TBW events around the South Sound. Phaedra and Matt Week catch up on some events, beer... The post Episode 136: Tacoma Beer Week Wrap Up appeared first on Grit & Grain Podcast.

The Grit & Grain ramped up Tacoma Beer Week 2025 over several episodes leading to its March 1 launch, including back-to-back episodes discussing our collaboration with Logan Brewing, No Bad Time Black IPA. For Part 2,... The post Episode 135: Tacoma Beer Week Part 2 with Logan Brewing appeared first on Grit & Grain Podcast.

The Grit & Grain ramped up Tacoma Beer Week 2025 over several episodes leading up to its March 1 launch. Now, knee deep in glorious TBW festivities, we're thrilled to offer back-to-back episodes discussing our... The post Episode 134: Tacoma Beer Week with Lander Coffee appeared first on Grit & Grain Podcast.

It's Tacoma Beet Week, and we're discussing another considerable collaboration. This week, Silver City Brewery Sales Executive Scott Davis and Head Brewer Ian Campbell, Communities for a Healthy Bay Executive Director Melissa Malott, and Communications... The post Episode 133: Beer That “Gose with the Flow” with Silver City and Communities for a Healthy Bay appeared first on Grit & Grain Podcast.

We are only a few weeks away from Tacoma Beer Week and figured it was the perfect time to highlight a significant collaboration beer being released during the week.  Local pop-punk powerhouse band Amber Pacific... The post Episode 132: All In Amber with Amber Pacific and Georgetown Brewing appeared first on Grit & Grain Podcast.

Larrabee Lager Company is one of the newest and fastest-rising stars in the Washington beer world. Fresh off of multiple medal wins and being declared Small Brewery of the Year in 2024, co-owner and marketing... The post Episode 131: Kate Milne from Larrabee Lager Co. appeared first on Grit & Grain Podcast.

It's already that time of year again. … Mostly because Tacoma Beer Week has moved to March! This week, we welcome back Kyleigh Palmer and Gini Sommer, two long-time organizers of Tacoma Beer Week. They... The post Episode 130: Tacoma Beer Week 2025 appeared first on Grit & Grain Podcast.

If you caught our last episode, we did our best to cover all the craziness surrounding the beer industry right now — but we barely scratched the surface.  This week, we dive back into the... The post Episode 129: More Beer News!  appeared first on Grit & Grain Podcast.

The media has been busy with doom and gloom stories about the craft beer industry lately — but how bad can it be? This week, with the help of our best buddy R.J. Adler, we... The post Episode 128: Is Craft Beer Dying? appeared first on Grit & Grain Podcast.

We all love pilsners, but there are so many versions of pilsner to choose from: West Coast pils, Italian pils, French pils, Czech pils.  How can you tell them apart?  What makes them different?  Who... The post Episode 127: Pilsner Party! appeared first on Grit & Grain Podcast.

Happy New Year you beautiful nerds! If you're partaking in Dry January or just need a reason to try out some non-alcoholic options, the Grit & Grain has you covered this week. We are joined... The post Episode 126: Dry January Special with Aaron Blonden from Self Care/3 Magnets appeared first on Grit & Grain Podcast.

It's pre-Christmas week and we have a doozy!  The famous Texas Dave and insanely skilled Ted O'Hanlan hung out this week to give us the scoop on their work at Seattle's new sweetheart brewery, Here... The post Episode 125: French Horns and Best Bitters with Texas Dave and Ted O'Hanlan from Here Today appeared first on Grit & Grain Podcast.

It's that time of year! This week, The Grit & Grain Podcast pulled a few of our favorite winter beers from this season so far and a few iconic examples from the past that you... The post Episode 124: Getting Toasty with Winter Warmers appeared first on Grit & Grain Podcast.

Whether you're in the beginning stages of starting up a brewery, ready to expand your beer business with a new taproom location, or just a humble home brewer with a dream, we're here to help... The post Episode 123: Bottles and Cans, Dollars and Sense appeared first on Grit & Grain Podcast.

It's been a wild few weeks in the beer world around the Pacific Northwest:  Breweries closing, local beer brands changing hands, and a new family-owned distributor enters the chat with the purchase of a beloved... The post Episode 122: Union busting and weird hotel vibes appeared first on Grit & Grain Podcast.

Stop #2 of the Grit & Grain roadshow is in the books!  Our best buddy and director of events for the Washington Brewers Guild, Shawna Cormier, invited us to record live from the showroom floor... The post Episode 121: Live at Washington Craft Beer Summit appeared first on Grit & Grain Podcast.

We're on location for Episode 120 — hanging out at Brewallup Craft Beer Festival in Puyallup! The crew trekked over to the birthplace of the Pacific Northwest hop industry to sit down with a few... The post Episode 120: Do the Brewallup! appeared first on Grit & Grain Podcast.

That's right!  One hundred forty!  But it wasn't us; it was the two most diligent fresh hop hounds in Tacoma: Michael McCourt and Austin Patjens.  Our good buddies hung out with us on Episode 119... The post Episode 119: We Tried 140 Fresh Hop Beers! appeared first on Grit & Grain Podcast.