I Like Beer The Podcast

 It's time for the State of Beer Mid-Year Report with San Diego Beer News founder, Brandon Hernandez. The Jeffs meet Brandon for a pint in Rancho Bernardo at Abnormal Beer Company. Nobody knows more about San Diego beer than Brandon Hernandez! Lots of changes and surprises in San Diego Beer, but the state of beer is "better than you might think". What does that mean? Pull up a barstool and take a listen to find out. 

The ILB Team returns to Oceanside and visits The Mill Room to talk about South O beer, cocktails and food with Jack Everett. The space, food and drink experience is impressive, and so is the vision Jack and partner Trevor Whitehead have brought to this new venture. As always, they've done it all with a commitment to their community and true to the Oceanside vibe. With a little prodding, Jack shares a "Moment in Beer" that rivals Trevor's great stories. Take a listen to hear more about new beers, upcoming events, The Mill Room, and zip ties. 

Full house this week in the studio! Tom shares some beers and stories from recent travels. The Jeffs bring the laughs with classic toast, roast and pour and an installment of WTF. Listen to the end to hear an entirely new segment called What's in a Name!

Celebrating Joe's trip to Rome, Influencer shares a bit about the history of Popes and beer, Joe shares about moped antics in Rome and the whole team honors Norm (George Went) from Cheers. Definitely an enlightening episode:)

The ILB Team finally makes it to Booze Bros. First they hear the origin story from the Minister of Fun, Josh Thompson who has been with Booze Bros since the beginning. Then they sit down with head brewer, Garrett Perkins, to find out about what's brewing and upcoming releases. Booze Bros Gonzo-style has ensured they infuse fun and creativity into everything they are doing. Food, fun, friends and great beer are the constants in a brewery not afraid to make changes! 

The Doctor is back, and that means so is Wild Thing! The team enjoys an XPA from the newest Mira Costa Brew Tech cohort, a collaboration beer from Artifex and Mother Earth, and Harland's CroneZone. Talent has Toast, Roast and Pour updates and Doc takes them on a wild ride including Beer or Not a Beer and a peek at his craic. Beer may or not have been shot out of noses by the end. Cheers!

Join the boys for another "guerrilla" field trip, this time to BattleMage Brewing. Listen to one of our better Toast, Roast Pours, followed by a great interview with Julia, a beertender and former student of Influencer. This is a fun episode worth listening to the end. Enjoy!

Happy Cinco De Mayo! The Jeffs are back in the Studio with Mateo and they bring the laughs. The Toast-Roast-Pour has a premature Toast, while they all share beers from Influencer's trip. Listen to the end to learn all the team's summer plans.

The Jeffs drop by Blue Fire Brewing to catch up with Tommy Gordon. Talent calls this a "gorilla" style podcast because we just showed up. Tommy was happy to see them, though, because he had some great new things to share about his fine establishment. Listen to the end to find out about the dreams coming true for the Jeffs!

The ILB Team visits the CSUSM Brewchive. Judith Guest, curator of all things San Diego beer, takes the boys on a trip through beer history and shares rare and fun artifacts she's collected over the years. With plans to open up a public display in the future, the Brewchive is an impressive holding of the many stories contained in the San Diego beer world from the very first breweries to the newest additions.

A rare tandem of one Jeff and one Joe find themselves at Copper Kings Burgers. Dermot Owens and Alfredo Vega shared the origin story and the unique experiences available at Copper Kings. They also shared their unique tap list, a great show and a great place!

Join the ILB team as they hit one of their favorite streets in North County San Diego: Keystone Way! With several amazing breweries all on one street you can never go wrong heading to Keystone Way. On this trip, we visit Dog Leg, Eppig and Weir. Join Tom, Jeff and Jeff for Toast Roast and Pour as well. 

The Jeffs execute an Anchorman-style takeover of San Diego Beer News Awards followed by a flashback to last year's Sips, Spits and Let it Breath.

Jeff and Jeff are in search of Pliny the Younger. They found it at PCH Sports Bar in Oceanside. Owner Amy O'Donnell has a great lineup of Russian River beers as well as other locals. With a dedicated focus to supporting independent, craft beer, Amy has turned PCH Sports Bar into a fantastic venue. She takes the Jeffs into "The Ship" where they find a spectacular pirate hideaway. Longtime listener and patron of PCH Sports Pub, Phil Martinez, stops by to share his thoughts on this year's Pliny the Younger. 

Happy St. Patrick's Day! The ILB studio is rockin' with The LeperKhanz, funky rockers with Irish music roots. With twenty-plus years of playing and touring, The Leperkhanz have plenty of stories to share. Of course, the Jeffs ask them about both their musical and beer influences. It is no holds barred with this group! 

It's always a good day when the ILB Team finds itself at Burgeon Beer Company. This week, they land at The Grove in Vista to do an on location episode. Tori Bleher, marketing coordinator for Burgeon, sits down to share Burgeon new release beers, chat about the rise of the XPS, and her journey in beer. A few surprise guests pop-in for "off the record" stories that somehow ended up "on the record". Oops. 

The Jeffs have two guests this week to kick off March. Fraiser co-owner of the Boozy Scoot Scoot shares about his journey and his innovative business: the artisan mobile bar. Following Fraiser, Laurel McFarlane joined us to share the details about ShamROCK the best St. Paddy's Day Festival in the county. Listen to the end to find out what the team thinks about Alesmith's Nut Brown Ale.

ILB visits one of the founders of the Central Coast beer scene, George Peterson of Central Coast Brewing. George is a risk taker who clearly thrives when there's a little controversy happening. As a result, he knows how to push buttons! He's also a great storyteller makes fantastic beer. Take a listen as the team climbs up on to the Brew deck to hear the Central Coast Brewing story. 

Join Doc on his birthday along with the Jeffs as they visit Figueroa Brewing, Central California's most award-winning craft brewery! Brewer Chris Gonzalez joins them to share his journey to get to Figueroa and other great stories. Listen to the end to hear how the guys rate the beers they have in this great establishment.

Stood up by their in-studio guest, the ILB Team was left alone to cry in their beers. But, since they didn't actually have any beer, they put on happy faces and walked over to Main Street in downtown Vista. They popped in to meet Natasha Thompson at the Main Street Pourhouse and sample some local brews from Harland, Karl Strauss, and South O as well as some uniques from far away. Then, they headed a few doors down to see the Zanes at Inzane Brewery. As always, there's lots going on at Inzane including new beers on tap. Talent had news to share and Doc brought the Craic! Join the team as they enjoy the beer mecca of downtown Vista. 

A full house in the studio this week, which means Doc's back with Craic! Talent "sticks" to the news for Toast, Roast and Pour One Out, and Jeff reports on the 10 strangest beer names on record. To top it off, it's a birthday edition celebrating Producer Joe! Beers from Burgeon, Living Haus and Sierra Nevada make the party complete. Excellent beers picked up at The Brewers Taphouse (Encinitas) and Beer Town (Oceanside). 

ILB returns to its roots when the team visits The Camp Store in Carlsbad. Located in the State Beach campground, The Camp Store not only offers an excellent lineup of local beers, but live music, fun events and the best brew with a view in San Diego. Bree Madden shares The Camp Store story and its evolution as well as pints from Pure Project and Burgeon. ILB's own origin story begins right here and they take a trip down memory lane to recount the magic moment. 

ILB is back in the studio with new beers and stories to tell. Friends of the show, The Rotorheads, share their new release: The Beer Prayer. The Jeffs give the Beer in Review, discuss the upcoming San Diego Beer News Awards, and look into 2025 beer trends. They also prepare for their roles as celebrity chili cook-off judges at the end of the month. The work never ends, but as long as it involves great beer--no complaints! 

The Jeffs start the year off at Beer Town! Enjoy:)

The D&D adventure for the Golden Hop continues! White Claw Walkers and winos in skinny jeans threaten the quest, but Sir Bob and his dire wolf HoseHead forge ahead with the help of SourCross, Bhric Longhammer and the rest of the intrepid crew. Find out how this epic tale of good (beer) versus evil ends up. 

To close the year and to celebrate the 50th anniversary of Dungeons and Dragons, we are dropping a double episode of Beer D&D. Join the Jeffs, Doc, Producer Joe and a few special guests as we navigate a fantastic beer-themed campaign. Unlike any other episode, this is an opportunity to enjoy both the world of Dungeons and Dragons and the world of beer. Listen through to the end to find out how the party fares in the seven beerdoms.

We have a new passion: on-location recording! We recorded this week's episode at the Tower 39 Rooftop Bar and invited our listeners to join us. With a sunset that seemed to be choreographed, we enjoyed three amazing local beers and shared laughs and stories with the live audience.  We had a late appearance by Doc who provided a double dose of Beer or Not a Beer then closed the show with a Doc's Crack that will have you laughing long after the episode is over!

The ILB Team is back in studio with the Doctor and the Chico Kid. Which means we are drinking new beers from Sierra Nevada! Everyone brings their A-game to Toast, Roast and Pour. Doc has Beer or Not a Beer? and a brand a new segment. Pour yourself a beer, pull up a barstool and join them.

The ILB Team meets with the man who literally wrote the book on brewery travels. He has visited over 1300 breweries in over 500 US cities in every state! Joel Geier, author of Flights Across America, shares his story and knowledge. Geier has great advice for how to plan and where to go in the quest for amazing beer. 

This week the Jeffs dive into the world of music and how it relates to beer. The Doc joins them providing fantastic color commentary as they review what the local community thinks about what beer pairs best with what music. This is an episode filled with laughs and insights not to be missed!

Join the Jeffs, Joe and the Doctor as they explore beers that taste like pickles and beers that taste like pie. Doctor is in rare form with a Wild Things that will have you rolling and listen to the end to see if you can correctly guess the Beer-or-not-a-Beer!

The Jeffs had a lot more beer to find and friends to make at the Ramona Arts, Wine, Music (and Beer) Festival. In the Ramona Radio portable studio, ILB talk music, beer and community. Smoking Cannon had more beer to share, Nickel Beer brought locally sourced fresh hop ales, and the Jeffs tried Pumpkin Cider from Turquoise Barn Cider. They closed the day chatting with Eric Goforth, Ramona Radio and a discussion about supporting locals. Join us for part two of this great day!

ILB was invited to join the Ramona Arts, Wine and Music Festival. Hosted by Ramona Radio, they found beer, old friends to catch up with and made a few new friends in the beer and music community. Elaine Littleton, Grand Poobah of the festival, shares the history of the event, Smoking Cannon Brewing brought some fantastic brews, and Travis Bobby Ross from the Dirty Confetti Band talks Outlaw Country Music with the Jeffs. Join us for great local beer and some fantastic stories from Ramona.

Happy Halloween! Enjoy the team as we review some great beers a classic Toast, Roast, Pour, and a mashup segment of "Looking for Love" and "Law and Order, ILB". This episode is full of "trick or treat" stories from our modern culture. Definitely worth listening to the end! Due to the election we are all busy voting, but here is a throwback episode to last year during Halloween. Enjoy! 

Hayden and Kyndall Weir are realizing their dream of opening their own place: Weir Beer! The Jeffs get a sneak preview. As expected from Hayden, a North County brewing legend, the beers are fantastic. Even better--the story behind the decision to open their own place and their future plans. Take a listen and then head on over to Weir Beer in Vista. 

The Jeffs mix it up and swing through the doors of Wild West Mead Company in Vista. Co-owner Keith Wiedermann takes them through a Mead 101 course as well as sharing the Wild West Mead story. They were taken by surprise by the Mead offerings. Will the Jeffs be converts? Take a listen to find out! 

This week, Travis Hudson and the Brewers Taproom team in Encinitas have sent a Mystery Bag of beers for the Jeffs to open. Toast, Roast and Pour leads to some questions and answers that just might make the world a better place. Talent brings back Whiskey, Tango, Foxtrot and ponders whether modern science "measures" up.

The San Diego beer community is full of good people doing good things. This week the ILB Team sits down with Laura Mello, founder of the Rancho Beernardo Beer Festival, and Melody Campbell, event manager at Burgeon Beer Company to hear about how they are teaming up to do good. We enjoy yet another excellent Burgeon new release as we gear up for beer festival season.

Talent is in his element at So Cal Brewing Supply Company in Vista. Owner Travis Johnson sits down with the Jeffs to share his store and story. From start up kits to hard to find brewing ingredients, Johnson has created a family business with everything the beer lover might need. And if he doesn't have it, he'll get it!

The Jeffs have special guest Aaron Long from Mission Brewing in studio for this episode. He shares their new beers and the great work they are doing supporting Susan G Komen Foundation. Listen to the end to make sure you don't miss anything!

The Jeffs head out on a virtual field trip to Jackson Hole, Wyoming. Roadhouse Brewing brew master, Max Shafer, shares two new collaboration releases and discusses the importance of collaboration to brewers. Global and community outreach is key to the Roadhouse Brewing mission. Shafer talks about everything from mountain rescue to baked goods in this fantastic interview. The collaboration beers, one with Patagonia Provisions and the other with Mother Earth Brewing, also come with stories--as all great beers do! 

Field trip! Vista continues it's dominance in craft beer. The Jeffs welcome Eppig Brewing back to Vista along with their collaborators Mason and Second Chance. Grant Tondro explains how it's all working and Britten Valdivieso shares what's new at Eppig. One thing that has definitely stayed the same: excellent, quality beer!

The Jeffs hit the road to visit Sean & Diane Hilz in their new brewery Roadies Brewing. Listen to their origin story including the story behind Uncle John's Lager. Listen to the end to find out all the amazing plans Diane and Sean have for the months ahead, including their official opening on September 13th!

The ILB Team enjoys a new beer from Booze Brothers in Vista, Gonzo Mania. Then Influencer digs to the back of his beer fridge to see what's left over from the summer. A hidden treasure emerges! Toast, Roast and Pour, plus Talent's brought a new segment: Real or Fake? Stick around to the end for Beer, or Not a Beer. Pull up a barstool, crack open a beer and play along!

Roast! West Coast host Ryan Woldt rejoins the ILB Team to share beers and stories from his recent travels. Talent's back with Toast, Roast and Pour and Ryan takes another stab at Beer or Not a Beer!? We also enjoy a new release from Carlsbad's Burgeon Beer Company and check in with Matt Lawson to hear about the good deeds the Burgeon team is doing.

The quest for Cask Ales in San Diego has begun. The Jeffs are in the studio with Mateo for Toast, Roast and Pour. Plus some stories to share from The Shakespeare Pub and Barley and Sword Brewing. Both places are serving unique beers in the English pub style. 

Influencer Jeff drops in on Enzo Mistretta, owner of Enzo's BBQ. Mistretta is a beer aficionado and his tap list reflects his love for great beer. With over 30 beers on tap, Enzo's BBQ offers many hard to find beers including Belgians, German lagers and Russian River selections. Take a listen as Enzo tells his journey from Sicily to Oceanside and from wine drinker to beer lover. 

The ILB Team has returned from the UK. Lots to Toast, Roast and Pour from the trip. More importantly, they've returned to San Diego with lots of great beer and stories to share. 

ILB welcomes the South O Brewing team back to their studio. Co-founder Trevor Whitehead and his new partner Jack Everett share new releases. Big changes happening at South O, but the great beer and commitment to the community remain the same. 

In this episode, the Jeffs continue their conversation with Finn MacDonald, owner of Dick Mack's Pub in Dingle, Ireland. They head into the brewhouse to meet Graham Murray, head brewer since day one. The brewhouse, which once was a cow barn among other things, has been renovated into a top-of-the-line brewery where Murray and MacDonald have continued to craft impressive beers found throughout Dingle. The challenges and rewards of independent brewing in the land of Guinness are unique--a story worth hearing. No trip to Ireland is complete without a visit to Dingle. And no trip to Dingle is complete without a night at Dick Mack's!

Where's Dick Mack's? Across from the church. Where's the church, across from Dick Mack's. Actually, it's in Dingle, Ireland.The ILB Team visits the iconic Dick Mack's Pub where both craic and great beer have been served up daily since 1899. An amazing Irish pub where the team enjoyed live music, pleasant company and, of course, a few spectacular pints. 4th generation owner Finn MacDonald shares the pub's story and why in the land of Guinness he decided to brew and serve his own beer.