The Hoptastic Voyage

In the final episode of this season, Shane explores other food industries being impacted by the trend towards small batch artisan production. He interviews Tim Richards from The Philosopher's Stone Ground Nut Butters, and learns about how he and other small companies are trying to disrupt their industries, then apply sustainable practices to disrupt the food system as whole.

Ben explores the effects of craft brewery acquisitions on consumers preferences with UC Davis graduate student Jarrett Hart. Listen in as they dive deeper into the makings of beer, Jarrett Hart's dissertation on the beer market, and his interpretation on the recent data he gathered. Jarrett plans to graduate Spring 2019 and his research will likely be published soon after.

Byron guides us through the supply chain of a typical craft brewery, examining the sourcing, production, packaging, and distribution of a typical beer. He sits down with Lester Koga, one of the cofounders of Bare Bottle Brewing Company in San Francisco, CA, to hear about the brewery's story and some of the challenges and benefits they face having a smaller production.

Jordan steps through the development of the American Beer market, from the end of prohibition to the present day, with the help of special guest Professor Michael McCullough of Cal-Poly, SLO. They discuss factors that led to the emergence of the craft beer movement, and whether a similar movement could be created in other food products. Statistics for this episode are from the US Bureau of Labor Statistics' Industry on Tap: Breweries by Erin Delaney and Matt Haines. Historical facts are from Economic Perspectives on Craft Beer, Chapter 2 by C. Garavaglia and J. Swinnen (eds.).

Just a couple of students curious about what's inside the bottle. Join Jordan, Byron, Shane, and Ben on a journey through the craft beer industry, hoping to find out whether the craft beer business model is replicable across other industries. Conversations cover topics about the beverage's history and consumer preferences, supply chain, and acquisition trends, as well as a look into other craft industries.