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The Drunk Guys go ask for another beer this week when they read Go Ask Alice by Beatrice Sparks. They run away from home for: Mind Haze Galaxy Bender by Firestone Walker and Deviled Eggs by Other Half Brewing. Join the Drunk Guys next Tuesday when they read Madam Doubtfire by Anne Fine. The Drunk Guys now have a Patreon! The Drunk Guys Book Club Podcast can be found on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, PlayerFM, Overcast, and where ever fine podcasts can be found. We are also part of the Hopped Up Network of independent beer podcasters. If you're drunk enough to enjoy the Podcast, please give us a rating. To save time, just round up to five stars. Also, please follow us on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook. There's no excuse to miss another Drunk Guys episode, announcement, or typo!
Drunker Greg, Sorcerer Chromatic, and The Engineer recap their time at the Firestone Walker Invitational Beer Fest. Their favorite breweries, beers, and food vendors.
Drunk Greg and Sorcerer Chromatic drink and review Firestone Walker XX Anniversary Ale (Paso Robles, CA). They talk about going to two beer spots in Paso Robles, CA called Tin City and California Coast Brewing. They list a few of the brewery tents they would like to stop by at the beer festival. Drunk Greg gives a "quick" summary about listening to Ghostface Killah on the drive from Surprise, AZ to Paso Robles, CA. Sorcerer Chromatic plays This or That with Greg about an article from Complex which left Talib Kwali off the Top 50 New York Rappers of all time.
The 2026 Firestone Invitational Beerfest was amazing. Matt, Ron, and Phaedra had all planned to meet up for the festival, but Ron had to rain check this one as he had a staff emergency and hung back to cover the bar, because he is an absolute saint of a business owner. BUT! with our long-time industry friend Melissa having gone for the first time this year, we wanted to hang out for a beer and recap the shenanigans. Tune in to discover which California beers Matt smuggled back for tastings, why the Yoho Brewing team from Japan loves American, and which Seattle brewery made the most amazing splash for their first invite to the festival. Tap, tap, tap Alright, Grit & Grainers! Please email us at cheers@gritandgrainpodcast.com with your comments, opinions, and favorite Firestone Walker 2026 Invitational moments. 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 and Instagram. 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 192: Firestone Invitational Recap with Melissa Urquhart appeared first on Grit & Grain Podcast.
Firestone Walker debuted a new beer collab with Visit SLO CAL at the Invitational Beer Fest. Molly Cano joins Pepper to talk about it!
Pepper chats with brewer Matt Brynildson and brewer Josh pFriem of pFriem Family Brewers of Hood River, Oregon about their 2026 collaboration beer at Beer Fest!
Natalie Cilurzo joins Herlinda Heras and Daedalus Howell on Brew Ha Ha, to tell us about Russian River Brewing News and upcoming events. Her last time on the show was with Pliny the Younger back on March 18. Natalie has brought three beers to taste, including Vinnie Cilurzo’s first signature beer, Blind Pig. Herlinda and Natalie were at the Craft Beer Convention in Philadelphia a couple of weeks ago. The industry is contracting. Schlitz beer is closing, in Milwaukee. They have been there for 120 years. Somebody might acquire that brand. Unreasonable Hospitality One of the speakers they heard was Will Guidara. He talked about his book called Unreasonable Hospitality. Natalie is a fan and describes his advice for companies and people in any industry related to hospitality. He used to own 11 Madison Park, a Michelin 3-star restaurant. His approach is to do things for guests that are unexpected. For example, he sent his staff outside to get a hot dog from a street vendor, so he could serve it to his guests at his Michelin restaurant. He overheard their wish and did this to surprise them. ••••Visit Russian River Brewing Co. in Santa Rosa on 4th St. and at their big Windsor location. Check out their website and socials for up-to-date hours, menus, beers and more.•••• That made Natalie and Vinnie think a lot about the experience that people get from their annual Pliny the Younger release. Natalie remembers a young family there last year and the mom was pregnant, so Natalie gave her a RRBC onesie. The next year, they were back with the baby, wearing the onesie. The little details and personal touches are what make a customer’s experience special memorable. “It’s not just the beer, it’s the experience,” says Herlinda. The first beer they taste today is called Stivo. It’s a Keller Pils that they have made in collaboration with Firestone Walker for about 20 years, although this is the first year that RRBC is actually producing it. It has a dry hoppy flavor, but not like an IPA, what they call German hoppy, not as strong. A Really Fun Busy Summer at Russian River Brewing Natalie grew up around cars and racing, and when they built the location in Windor with a big parking lot, she thought it would be a great place for a car show. So, they are doing that and there are 4 of them on the calendar this summer. One of the cars on display is an original Volkswagen van, owned by the third generation of the family. There will be lots of cars, a chopper sometimes shows up, a fire engine and an old Highway Patrol car too. The NHRA top fuel drag races are coming to Sonoma Raceway and they will display the cars on Wednesday, July 15, before the race, Anton Brown’s top fuel dragster will be on display.
When you look at the top restaurants around the world, no matter what cuisine they may focus on, there's one commonality they all share, and that's deep relationships with those who grow and raise the very best ingredients. It's the same in beer—you can't be the best at what you do without the meaningful, personal, financial, and long-standing relationships that ensure the brewery has access to the very best quality ingredients. These relationships don't materialize overnight, but for Firestone Walker, they're the product of 30 years of work. In this series, we highlight a number of these crucial growers, brokers, and processors who have played a role in the world-class beer that Firestone Walker makes. Episode 4: The Science & the Art The fourth and final episode of the Source Material series features a panel discussion recorded at the 2025 Craft Beer & Brewing Brewers Retreat, with Firestone Walker Brewmaster Matthew Brynildson, Russian River Cofounder Vinnie Cilurzo, and Mike Roy of hop grower Roy Farms. Through the conversation, the two remarkable brewers and multigenerational hop farmer walk through sensory evaluation of a selection of hops to give listeners a glimpse into the way these hop savants think as they rub and evaluate both classic and contemporary hops. Along the way, these influential brewers address dynamics in the 2025 harvest, mitigating the impact of smoke on hops, new public hop varieties, and much, much more. Intro music: VintageGroove / Pond5
There's a rumble in the Golden State as the second iteration of the California Classic sees rare gems from Lost Abbey, Alesmith Brewing Company, Russian River Brewing Company, and North Park Beer Company get put through the Power Ranking treatment. In the Beer News, it's more California content as Toronado finally finds a new owner, Stone Brewing gets hot potato'ed to Firestone Walker who's owned by Duvel USA, and the residents of Oakland can enjoy $3 beers as long as they're craving a burger to go with it. Thanks to Sante Adairius Rustic Ales for sponsoring this episode. Follow them on IG @RusticAles. Check out their shop for SARA merch including glassware and apparel. If you live in California or Oregon you can have SARA beers shipped right to your doorstep. Visit them in Capitola, Santa Cruz, and Oakland! Membership for SARA's Cellar 2026 is now open! For more info about colon cancer and to help support the fight against it check out the Colon Cancer Foundation. Head to our Patreon for weekly exclusive content. Get the Malt Couture Officially Licensed T-shirt. Follow DontDrinkBeer on Instagram.
When you look at the top restaurants around the world, no matter what cuisine they may focus on, there's one commonality they all share, and that's deep relationships with those who grow and raise the very best ingredients. It's the same in beer—you can't be the best at what you do without the meaningful, personal, financial, and long-standing relationships that ensure the brewery has access to the very best quality ingredients. These relationships don't materialize overnight, but for Firestone Walker, they're the product of 30 years of work. In this series, we highlight a number of these crucial growers, brokers, and processors who have played a role in the world-class beer that Firestone Walker makes. Episode 3: Anywhere & Everywhere In this third episode of the Source Material series, we look at the international reach of hops with which Firestone Walker brews and head to New Zealand for a conversation with Brent McGlashen of Mac Hops, part of the bigger NZ Hops collective. Brent's family has been farming hops down in Motueka for five generations, and their two farms produce quite a bit of the New Zealand hops that make their way into Firestone Walker beer. Joining from Firestone Walker is Tim Miller, raw materials manager and brewer, and it's Tim's job to source the highest quality ingredients, test and analyze them, and make sure that what comes into the brewery is what they expect to come in. Finding great hops wherever they're grown, whether that's Nelson, New Zealand, or Germany's Hallertau, is a big focus for Firestone Walker, and the long-term grower relationships they've built over the past 30 years stretch far beyond North America to anywhere and everywhere that great hops are grown. Intro music: VintageGroove / Pond5
David Walker, co-owner of Firestone Walker joined me to talk about their milestone anniversary of 30 years. Why now was the right time to acquire Stone Brewing and much more. Anniversary Happenings from Flagship, Twin Elephant, Chilton Mill too. Two Ton has been sold. Angry Chair is up for sale and new beer from Lawson's Finest and more. Gary Monterosso weekly segment on the beer business too. @njcraftbeer @hoppedupnetwork #drinklocal #smallbusinessowners #music #podcastsSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
While the Craft Brewers Conference was taking place in Philadelphia word came out of California that Firestone Walker had purchased Stone Brewing from Sapporo. The guys discuss this huge deal and what they think it means for the embattled legacy brand. Cook like a pro with Made In Cookware. Follow United We Drink on their social media channels. BlueSky Instagram Facebook
"We never stopped experimenting. That's in our DNA.”Stone Brewing are one of the biggest names in American craft beer: a bold, brash brand with a fondness for IPA that helped drive the rise of the industry in the US and played a key role in the growth of the San Diego scene.So we jumped at the chance to sit down with Jeremy Moynier when he was in Beechworth recently to deliver the keynote speech at The High Country Hop. He's now more than two decades into his time at Stone, where he's focused on new releases, pilot brews, quality and sensory, among other things.He was in Australia wearing two hats as Jeremy is also currently chair of the Hop Quality Group, whose work – and recent success in bringing new public hop variety Thora to the world – is part of our chat.As well as hearing about his career, from arts degree to wine to beer, and his experiences as both Stone and beer in San Diego were exploding, we explore the brewery's approach to hops and experimentation, navigating the ups and downs of the beer world, reworking the iconic Stone IPA to feature Aussie hops and more.It's worth noting that this was recorded before Stone's recent sale to Firestone Walker and Duvel USA. As such, we've cut the parts of the interview covering the brewery's prior sale to Sapporo without losing any of the insight and considerable charm Jeremy brings to the show.Before we get to Jeremy, Will and James celebrate yet another World Beer Cup medal for TWØBAYS, discuss Spinifex Brewery's innovative new wastewater pilot project, part two of Will's reworked Crafty Crawl along The 86 Tram, and the impending arrival of Pint of Origin 2026.If you enjoy the show, be sure to like, subscribe, rate, review and tell your beer-loving mates so we can reach more people. CheersStart of segments: 0:00 – The Week On Crafty 13:41 – Jeremy Moynier Part 1 32:18 – GoTab on maximising taproom revenue 42:09 – Jeremy Moynier Part 2To find out more about featuring on The Crafty Pint Podcast or otherwise partnering with The Crafty Pint, contact craig@craftypint.com.
Brie Devlin Executive Director of the Brewers Guild of NJ, joined me to talk NJ Pint Day and more. News from Kills Boro as Pizza Party is back! Alesmith, Witchcraft, Hops 4 Hope, Pizza Port. Duvel USA and Firestone Walker acquired Stone Brewing. @garymonterosso weekly segment on beer festivals and more. www.am970theanswer.com to stream the show live anywhere around the world. @njcraftbeer @hoppedupnetwork #drinklocal #smallbusinessowners #music #podcastsSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Hello and welcome once again to our beer and good times show. Here are just some of the things that wait for your listening: Evil Geniuses bought 21st Amendment? WTH? Grapefruit Sculpin was the canary in the coal mine. Stone Brewing was bought by Firestone Walker. Fracking for 805s. Is Russian River leaving Fresno? BevMo parking lot report. Baseball tangent. Scotty B! Lazy Dog, BJ's, or Yardhouse? And more! download Thank you for listening! HOSTED BY: Nick, Rad Stacey, Mikey MUSIC BY: Sunburns and Paul From Fairfax. BEER AND SHOW-RELATED LINKS: SUPPORT THE SHOW AND BECOME A GOLDEN GOD! Subscribe to the show on Apple Podcasts. You can also find us on Spotify and most podcast players. Perfect Pour's YouTube Channel. VOICEMAIL/TEXT LINE: 559-492-0542 Drop Us a Line: perfectpourpodcast@gmail.com. Join our Discord Channel! Send Postcards or Samples to us: The Perfect Pour – co Mike Seay 2037 W. Bullard Ave #153 Fresno, CA 93711
EVERYONE GET IN THE PIT! It's a New England throw down with beers from Treehouse Brewing, Trillium Brewing, Alchemist Brewing, and a homebrew from Massachusetts filled with double barleywines and experimental hops. In the Beer News, Firestone Walker assumes stewardship of Trumer Pils, a new Teku mug enters the arena, and the Costco hot dog aesthetic once again graces the limited drop black market. Thanks to Highland Park Brewery for sponsoring this episode. Follow them on IG @HighlandParkBrewery. Check out their new Fresh Friends club for California residents. Grab some merch in their shop and rep Sad Cat or get ready for baseball season. Mark your calendars for Burger Month during May and Timbo Week starts July 13th. Look for their collab with Monkish at LA Beer Week. For more info about colon cancer and to help support the fight against it check out the Colon Cancer Foundation. Head to our Patreon for weekly exclusive content. Get the Malt Couture Officially Licensed T-shirt. Follow DontDrinkBeer on Instagram.
On Brew Ha Ha today, Herlinda is calling in from Philadelphia to talk to Daedalus Howell about the Craft Brewers Conference there, happening along with the World Beer Cup. Russian River Brewing Co.’s Velvet Glow Helles-style lager just won a Bronze medal at the World Beer Cup. Just as Herlinda was checking in with her media credentials, there was a crush of other media people around her. She saw that Joe Frazier’s daughter was there for the dedication of a statue of Joe Frazier in Philadelphia. Frazier was a heavyweight champion from Philadelphia. Next year the conference will be in San Antonio. The World Beer Cup is a competition among more than 8,144 beers from 1,644 breweries in 50 different countries. There were 255 judges, 128 of them were from outside the US. 113 beer categories and 5 cider categories made for an average of 69 beers in a category in the competition. So there are dozens of winners in all the different categories and styles. The local promoters always showcase the local beers, so Herlinda noticed that there were lots of Pennsylvania beers too, in circulation. Why does Gen Z drink less? The conference has sessions about the state of the business, and equipment, yeast, etc. There was a seminar about why Gen Z people aren’t drinking as much. They collected suggested reasons why, and Herlinda’s Gen Z daughter had some thoughts. She points out that there are so many people on anti-depressants and anti-anxiety medications now and you can’t drink when you’re on those meds. Nobody had brought that up. Another seminar reported evidence showing that people are spending 45% more time alone still, after Covid. Socialization is important to personal well-being as well as to recovery in the industry. Breweries are aware that to keep people together, they have to offer beverages and experiences beyond just the beer. Herlinda’s daughter also points out that that people have limited disposable income and don’t want to lose a day to a hangover. The RRBC site describes Velvet Glow as an homage to an old Grace Brother’s beer. The Grace Brother’s brewery operated in Santa Rosa from 1933 to 1966. They created many iconic beer brands including Velvet Glow and Happy Hops. Velvet Glow is a clean, crisp, and refreshing Helles-style lager. It has a bright straw color and flavors of bread crust and biscuit. There is a very low bitterness with a mild hop aroma. The top five countries for number of entries were the US, Canada, China, Japan and Brazil. Herlinda got some really cute socks too, that she will bring back. In Brews News, Toronado Beer Bar in SF has been acquired by one of its regulars. The owner was ready to retire so it’s a good move. Firestone Walker has also bought Stone Brewing in Southern California. Some locations will close but it will continue. Sapporo had owned Stone and the Firestone people are happy. Nice that it’s a beer company and not a hedge fund. Also, Evil Genius of Philadelphia has bought out 21st Amendment Brewing in SF, a favorite stop of baseball fans in the city.
When you look at the top restaurants around the world, no matter what cuisine they may focus on, there's one commonality they all share, and that's deep relationships with those who grow and raise the very best ingredients. It's the same in beer—you can't be the best at what you do without the meaningful, personal, financial, and long-standing relationships that ensure the brewery has access to the very best quality ingredients. These relationships don't materialize overnight, but for Firestone Walker, they're the product of 30 years of work. In this series, we highlight a number of these crucial growers, brokers, and processors who have played a role in the world-class beer that Firestone Walker makes. *Episode 2: Deep Roots & Twisting Bines * One of the keys to maintaining a consistent supply of the very best hops is long term relationships and deep commitment paired with the very best analytical science and process improvement, and the purpose of this series is to explore just what that means with some of the key players in this story of ingredient quality. In this episode, Firestone Walker Head Brewer Dustin Kral and Bud Hollingbery of hops broker Hollingbery and Son talk about the way that Hollingbery has worked closely with Firestone Walker for decades now to source and process hops, how current dynamics in the brewing and hops industries are impacting hops growers, and a lot more. Over the years, Bud has seen some remarkable change in the hop industry, and he's not afraid to tell you exactly what he thinks. Intro music: VintageGroove / Pond5
The Brewers Association's Craft Brewers Conference (CBC) rolled into Philadelphia this week – and so did the Brewbound Podcast On Location Studio. In this episode of the Brewbound Podcast, the team shares their early reads on a week in which the vibes seem high compared to previous years. Zoe recaps the opening keynote speech by Unreasonable Hospitality author and former restaurateur Will Guidara, including his hyper-experiential approach to customer service and what a "dream weaver" is and whether you should be concerned that your server is eavesdropping on you. But first, Justin provides details on Firestone Walker and Duvel USA striking an agreement to acquire the Stone Brewing brand and four California taprooms from Sapporo USA – just under four years after the Japanese brewing giant acquired the San Diego craft brewery. Justin, Jess and Zoe dig into what the deal means for craft market share in California, how the combined company plans to approach distribution and which taprooms are on the move, as well as what this means for Sapporo in the U.S. and what happens with the Escondido production brewery. The trio also share takeaways from Brewbound's party at Love City Brewing.
Walk into a taproom today, and you might see “Italian pilsner” listed on the menu. Have you ever wondered where Italian pilsners came from? Surely this isn't a reference to Peroni or Moretti, those old 19th century Italian beers? No. The style is more recent—thirty years old in 2026—and it dates back to the earliest days of Italian craft brewing. In a small village ten miles south of Como, Italy, Agostino Arioli established Birrificio Italiano. It was the first Italian craft brewery, beating Baladin by three months. On today's podcast, we're going to explore the story of Birrificio Italiano's Tipopils. It is largely responsible for creating the template for what we now call “Italian pilsners.” We're going to talk to Augostino Arioli, the founder of Italiano, and how he came to make his influential dry-hopped lager. We'll also hear from Matt Brynildson, Brewmaster at Firestone Walker, and the man who did more than any other brewer to popularize Italian pilsners. In 2013, Firestone released Pivo Pils, one of the key beers that helped create an enduring market for what we sometimes call craft lagers. That beer was heavily influenced by Tipopils, and in turn helped bring it even more popularity.Visit AllAboutBeer.com for more podcasts, to read original articles, and to get info on upcoming events.Click here to support independent journalism covering the beer industry.Host: Jeff AlworthGuests: Augostino Arioli, Matt BrynildsonSponsor: Escarpment Labratories, All About BeerTags: TipopilsLogo Design: Jeff QuinnPhoto: Matt BrynildsonThe following music was used for this media project:Lounge R&B PianoBy Music_for_videoshttps://pixabay.com/music/rnb-lounge-rampb-piano-166431/ ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★
When you look at the top restaurants around the world, no matter what cuisine they may focus on, there's one commonality they all share, and that's deep relationships with those who grow and raise the very best ingredients. It's the same in beer—you can't be the best at what you do without the meaningful, personal, financial, and long-standing relationships that ensure the brewery has access to the very best quality ingredients. These relationships don't materialize overnight, but for Firestone Walker, they're the product of 30 years of work. In this series, we highlight a number of these crucial growers, brokers, and processors who have played a role in the world-class beer that Firestone Walker makes. *Episode 1: Quality is a Verb * You don't get great hops by accident, and the work doesn't start with selecting them from brokers' lots. The work starts with breeding the right hop varieties with the perfect mix of aroma and flavor compounds as well as the functional things that make them viable to grow as a commercial crop—disease resistance, robust hop-cone production, lower water and fertilizer needs, and more. Since its inception, Firestone Walker has been involved with the Hop Quality Group—an industry group of craft brewers who work cooperatively to help guide how the growers grow and process hops. In this episode, Firestone Walker Propagator brewer Sam Tierney and friend Patrick Chavanelle, head of R&D for Allagash Brewing, outline the work of this important group in developing new, modern hops that any grower can grow. Intro music: VintageGroove / Pond5
Send us Fan MailYou see that? Episode 500. Crazy.We've been running our mouths about beer for over a decade now. What a time it has been. Thanks for sharing it with us!Big news for the beer world this week as it was announced that Mitch Steele would be joining Abita Brewing. Mitch is best known for his time at Stone Brewing and also co-founded New Realm Brewing here in Atlanta. He's been a very active member of our craft beer community and we'll miss having him around, but he seems like a great match for Abita and we're curious to see what they'll do together.Copacking seems to be a hot item now. Many breweries are leaning on it pretty heavily for growth. It's part of Abita's growth strategy, Tilray has worked it into their model, and Firestone Walker is partnering with Trumer Pils for their US production. Is this a good way to stay afloat in the modern beverage climate? I guess we'll see.In "tech" news this week Heineken has created a device they're calling The Clinker. You put it on your beer glass and when you clink with another user it can share your social media profiles and music playlists. I hate this idea, what do you think?Thanks for listening to Beer Guys Radio! Your hosts are Tim Dennis and Brian Hewitt with producer Nate "Mo' Mic Nate" Ellingson and occasional appearances from Becky Smalls.Subscribe to Beer Guys Radio on your favorite app: Apple Podcasts | Google Podcasts | Spotify | Stitcher | RSSFollow Beer Guys Radio: Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | YouTube If you enjoy the show we'd appreciate your support on Patreon. Patrons get cool perks like early, commercial-free episodes, swag, access to our exclusive Discord server, and more!
Sam Calagione owner/Brewer at Dogfish Head joins me to talk Record Store Day, Grateful Dead lager collaboration and more. Also Jon Henderson from the AC Beer and Music Fest recaps 20 years of this awesome festival that is ending next weekend. News from Firestone Walker, Tilray and more. Plus, a tribute to Scott Wells who is leaving Bolero Snort for a new venture. Gary Monterosso weekly segment too. #drinklocal #smallbusinessowners #music #podcastsSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Greg and Sorcerer Chromatic drink and review beers from PHX Beer Co. (Phoenix, AZ) and Firestone Walker Brewing (Paso Roles, CA). In The Beer News, they discuss Firestone Walker buying Trumer Pils. They also talk about the otter beer collab between Alvarado St. Brewery and Monterey Bay Aquarium. For the Cöld Brüe List, Sorcerer Chromatic pays homage to the late James Tolkan by referencing the top ten call signs from Top Gun. The guys rate their beers on Untappd. During the Drunken Shenanigans, they talk about the Afroman trial, MLB on Netflix, give themselves call signs via the Top Gun Call Sign Generator, and touch on the Wu-Tang Clan Name Generator.
ICYMI! Suzanne recently caught up with David Walker, co-founder at Firestone Walker Brewing Company in Paso Robles. Since 1996, the FW team has worked from the ground up to create amazing beers and have built a brand that helped bring craft beer to the mainstream. This 30th year is full of celebrations including special packaging and beer releases and, of course, the hottest ticket in town, the Firestone Walker Invitational Beer Fest and other community events. Cheers to 30 years! Check out firestonewalker.com for more info. The Cork Dorks: A Weekly Update from United Staffing Associates.
In the wake of major shakeups in the middle-tier that will see the largest distributors getting even bigger and major manufacturers adding brands to their portfolios, Fingers newsletter author Dave Infante joins the Brewbound Podcast to recap a wild couple of weeks in the bev-alc industry. The Brewbound team and Infante cover recent distributor consolidations by the Reyes Beverage Group and Southern Glazer's Wine & Spirits and whether this signals a new era of mega distributors. They also discuss the effect these deals could have on small producers, especially brewers who are now competing with a variety of products outside of traditional beer in their wholesalers' books. The crew also dissect recent brand acquisitions among suppliers, including Firestone Walker's Trumer Pils pick up in the U.S. from Gambrinus and the potential fallout; Constellation Brands' deal for HOPWTR; Molson Coors' addition of Monaco; Pernod Ricard and Brown Forman's flirtation; and Phusion Project's purported interest in selling Four Loko. The show wraps with a discussion of the upcoming Craft Brewers Conference and why everyone will be vibe-checking attendees later this month.
Episode 159 of the Taproom Podcast with host Mike and guest Mike Belowski of Homeland Brew Co. (Anthem, AZ). Conversations cover Mike's brewing journey from homebrew to opening a hybrid taproom, the Homeland West Coast IPA, brewing influences (Firestone Walker, Bottle Logic), and the taproom's community-focused approach—supporting veterans, first responders, local collabs, food trucks, mug club perks, and events like Copperstate and Strong Beer Fest. Listen for practical brewery and taproom insights—menu curation, beer education, contract brewing, hop preferences, pairing ideas, memorable brew-day stories, and the importance of building experiences that keep locals coming back. Expect a mix of personal stories, business lessons, and beer talk in a relaxed, conversational hour-plus.
Episode 157 of the Taproom Podcast: host Mike sits down with Jasper Gallardo of Bottle Logic Brewing for an inside look at his journey from canning-line work to head brewer. Jasper shares how mentorship, self-study and hands-on learning during COVID led him into brewing, his time at Harlan Brewing, and his return to Bottle Logic to lead R&D and production growth. Topics include recipe development (from Italian pilsners to double-mashed outs), balancing core beers with experimental and barrel-aged releases, running a pilot system, beer naming and label art, and the brewery's national expansion and recent collabs (including visits to Firestone Walker, Vector, Windmill, Celestial and False Idol). Jasper also discusses his love of coffee, favorite beers to keep stocked, brewing playlists, hangover cures, and the team-focused leadership approach that guides his work. Listeners can expect behind-the-scenes brewing stories, practical notes on consistency and QA/QC, insights into market strategy for different regions, and a candid conversation about passion, creativity and the craft beer community.
Maddie Bowen the new owner of Lions Roar Brewing in Westfield, NJ Joins me for 2 segments. News from Wynkoop, Firestone Walker, Big Brew, NYC Brewed, Funky Buddha. A recap of Dogfish Head's 30 min pop up in NYC. My review of Emberside Brewing tap takeover. NJ ABC actually listened to brewers, legislators and the general public and more. @njcraftbeer @hoppedupnetwork #drinklocal #smallbusinessowners #music #podcastsSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Send us a textWe got new drinking rules, Y'all!New federal dietary guidelines came out in the US recently and there are some changes to the recommendation on alcohol consumption. Rather than the old 1 drink for women, 2 drink for men it's been changed to "Drink Less." That's it, just an ambiguous suggestion to drink less. Do with that what you will.And we've found a loophole to comply, along with another Guinness trend - The "60/40." Apparently some pubs are mixing 60% regular Guinness with 40% of the NA variety. Technically this would meet the new guidelines and also provide some justification to say you're doing Dry January. I mean, you are drinking NA beer, right?Firestone Walker is celebrating a big birthday as they turn 30. They do good work and it's one of the few breweries not in Georgia that I'd love to see here. Maybe one day.In other news we've got another Sycamore update (which I promise will be the last one unless something notable happens), crazy laws don't allow vintage dates on cider and mead, and Bapple is coming back, Baby!Thanks for listening to Beer Guys Radio! Your hosts are Tim Dennis and Brian Hewitt with producer Nate "Mo' Mic Nate" Ellingson and occasional appearances from Becky Smalls.Subscribe to Beer Guys Radio on your favorite app: Apple Podcasts | Google Podcasts | Spotify | Stitcher | RSSFollow Beer Guys Radio: Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | YouTube If you enjoy the show we'd appreciate your support on Patreon. Patrons get cool perks like early, commercial-free episodes, swag, access to our exclusive Discord server, and more!
Ron Cassel and Ronnie Scouten from Autodidact join me for two segments from the brewery. Talking about expansion of the existing brewery, why the Egger hop is so popular and more. News of course with stuff from Firestone Walker, Great Lakes, Torch and Crown, Samuel Adams, Troegs and more. Suds and Duds too. #metalforever #drinklocal #drinkcraftnotcrap #stouts #ipas #lagers #ales #sours #hops #pilsners #porters #beer #fcancer #smallbusinessowners #beerfestivals #beertours #music #podcastsSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Another All News Edition with stuff from Firestone Walker, Double Tap Brewing, Athletic Brewing and Troegs. Bolero Snort with a food and supplies fundraiser. An awesome event by the cool dudes from the AC Beer and Music Fest. Another NJ brewery is up for sale. Suds and Duds too. @njcraftbeer @hoppedupnetwork #metalforever #drinklocal #drinkcraftnotcrap #stouts #ipas #lagers #ales #sours #hops #pilsners #porters #beer #fcancer #smallbusinessowners #beerfestivals #beertours #music #podcastsSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Welcome Back! We're back on TV Streaming recommendations and so we are talking about two show that ended their Series last month! We get on our thoughts about the last season on Andor (Disney +) as well as the comedy hit The Righteous Gemstones (HBO Max). This week we got Firestone Walker's Mind Haze Lemonade Rage, Long Beach Beer Lab's LB Blonde, Elysian Brewing's Full Contact Imperial Hazy IPA, and Tarantula Hill Brewing IPA.Be sure to follow us on YouTube and On Instagram : @goldencraftcast
Greg (going solo) drinks and reviews the most popular beer from Evil Twin (New York, NY). He then finishes the list Sorcerer Chromatic started from the last episode of the beer vendors who will be at this year's Firestone Walker Invitational Beer Fest on May 31, 2025 in Paso Robles, CA.
Greg and Sorcerer Chromatic drink and review beers from Greenwood Brewing (Phoenix, AZ) and Firestone Walker (Paso Robles, CA). After a couple of quick Beer News story, Sorcerer Chromatic rundown the first half of the list on Beer Vendors at this year's Firestone Walker Invitational Beer Fest on May 31st, 2025 in Paso Robles, CA. Recorded May 19, 2025
Firestone Walker Brewing Company's CMO says connected TV has made it easier to reach its sports-loving customers. Episode TranscriptPlease note, this transcript may contain minor inconsistencies compared to the episode audio.Damian (00:01):I'm Damian Fowler.Ilyse (00:02):And I'm Ilyse Liffreing.Damian (00:03):This week we're really excited to talk with Dustin Hinz, the Chief marketing officer of Firestone Walker Brewing the craft brewery based in California.Ilyse (00:12):Dustin has been the chief marketer at Firestone for almost six years. He's an award-winning marketer who knows how to build a culturally relevant brand.Damian (00:21):Also, he's a musician and he helped build Guitar Center into that powerhouse brand It is today. He worked there for 17 years and you can ask any guitarist about Guitar Center and its Importance. And then he was an Ernie Ball music man, which is famous for its guitar strings, which I love. I'm curious though, Ilyse, do you play the guitar?Ilyse (00:40):I wish, but Okay. Damian, we're here to talk beer and how to market it in a crowded marketplace. So let's begin. So Dustin, can you tell us a little bit about Firestone and the brand 805? It seems it really has a West Coast vibe just like me. I'm from the West coast so I can see that. I feel it.Dustin (01:04):Firestone Walker is the culmination of David Walker and Adam Firestone's love for beer. And they met back in the nineties when David fell in love with Adam's sister and there's great stories about that. And then they found they had this mutual love for beer and the central coast of California. David being an expat in British and Adam being a Californian, they founded this amazing brewery on the central coast and really focused on just a few craft beers. DBA was their first beer and then Union Jack and there was a lot of craft was sort of an early movement. And then back in 2012 they stumbled upon this idea of 8 0 5 and 8 0 5 is the area code for the big swath of the Central coast, a big piece of California all the way down to Ventura County where actually I grew up. We like to say that the goal of 8 0 5 is to be the most globally recognized, regionally available beer in the world.Ilyse (02:03):Very cool. But there are a lot of beers out there, even craft beers. What would you say is the point of differentiation? Is it the taste? Is it the West coast vibes? What would you say?Dustin (02:15):I think the biggest point of differentiation in beer is the brand position. Obviously great brand position and great marketing is not going to solve a lousy product, so you got to have amazing product and we're trying to focus on being odds of the evens and really investing in our own legend and trying to stand for something and be the alternative choice. And thankfully beer is so big and there's so much opportunity that you can carve out a pretty nice size of the pie for yourself if you want to focus on being the alternative premium choice.Damian (02:43):One of things that you just said about the importance of marketing and how marketing can drive the business seems key to this. Is there anything that you could point us to that you'd say, this was the moment where I created brand awareness above and beyond or something like that?Dustin (03:05):The first one with the traditional 8 0 5, the black can I was very lucky to inherit five and a half years ago a slogan called Properly Chill and Properly Chill sort of was the slogan for this idea that life on the central coast was a little different, right? And what we did last year and then going into this year, and I believe that this is going to come out right around this new campaign is going to drop, is this idea telling the story of our brand through the lens of our customer. We have this amazing roster of ambassadors, we call them Authentico and eight oh five Authentico and Professional surfers, motocross Riders, boxers, MMA, fighters, artists, tattoo artists, you name it, it spans the spectrum. There's over 50 of them and they kind of cover every single different customer group that we believe the brand represents and we tell the story of that brand through those consumers or through those athletes.(04:06):And then a couple other examples were what we did was Summer of Cervesa when we launched the extension of 8 0 5, the first extension after 10 years, which was a Mexican lagger themed version of 8 0 5 with a little bit of lime in it. And the idea at the time was when you were looking at the marketplace, Mexican laggers were really on the rise. Corona obviously as an incredible background. Modelo has now at this point become the number one brand in the US surpassing Bud Light and Consumers were definitely reaching for this idea of sort of an escapism beer. So when we launched the campaign with summer survey, so we realized that we had to do something to stand out and create some differentiation between 8 0 5 blonde and 8 0 5. And so the 8 0 5 cervesa campaign was the first time we ever showed the product in color. 8 0 5 has been black and white since its inception in 2012. And with 8 0 5 Cervesa was the first time we ever put the product in color in the advertising. And it was a game changer. I mean, we sales went from moderately successful to up 20% pretty consistently because we were able to create that differentiation in the idea that Cervesa was a light and refreshing product.Damian (05:24):Wow, I love that just by adding color. But it is interesting that you started out in black and white as a kind of campaign. Why black and white?Dustin (05:32):I think they realized they needed to do something different to stand out back then. And trust me, it is a conversation pretty regularly when we're working on new ideas of, there is a lot of consternation around the idea of how do we maintain the brand identity and not stray from it because we want to be timeless, not timely. So we're very, very focused on, hey, every decision we make is going to have an impact a decade from now, two decades from now. Because the greatest brands in beer are multi-generational.Ilyse (06:02):Totally. And I know we talked about this earlier because it can be really difficult to market alcohol products, especially on platforms like social media where there are age roadblocks. What are the channels that you decided to lean into for these campaigns and are there any that you're experimenting with now?Dustin (06:24):I'd say at-home is a good third of our total media investment and then a big shift to TV about two years ago. And with connected TV platforms continuing to become more robust, it's made it a hell of a lot easier for us to get more geo-targeted because I think that spray and prey doesn't work when you're a regional brand and you want to get really focused on zip codes and you want to try to drive measurement. And so connected TV has been huge for us and whether that's through our partnerships with the World Surf League or we're just doing a sports our brand, what we know though is that from all of our consumer data is that a huge percentage of our customers are sports fans. They watch a lot of football, they watch a lot of baseball. So what we do is we take our brand to those channels and through partnerships like ESPN, we've been able to really connect with consumers and drive some really nice measurable lift for the brand. You're watching a sports game and you're going to see beer brand X or insurance brand X with an athlete for that sport. And then you see our spot, which might have a bull rider in it or a surfer or a motocross rider, and it just stands outIlyse (07:33):With your brands embrace of sports and kind of that measurement piece of CTV, you must love that more live sports are coming into the connected TV space.Dustin (07:47):I think the beneficiaries of this sort of democratization of content and it's making things more competitive. So as you see the Disney Network, Hulu, ESPN, or you go to YouTube TV and some of the other platforms that are continuing to open up, it makes it really easy to be competitive in the space or to at least have a voice. I think our team's been really good at identifying those opportunities, proving the efficacy of those investments so that we can continue to do them.Damian (08:15):You hinted at something about the seasonality of marketing and I'm kind of interested in that as a marketer of beer and I guess in lots of ways, as you said, you're kind of marketing lifestyle, you have associations with surfers and athletes and the summer. I'm curious how often you think about the need to refresh campaigns and how do you keep them relevant to the culture cultural moment?Dustin (08:42):Yeah, great question. You definitely have to, in beer, especially with the retail partners, you need to be seasonal. I spent the first 20 years of my career on the music side as a retailer, so I know what retailers want. They're going to want, Hey, it's Memorial Day, I'm going to have a display in my store for a week and a half, two weeks. It better fit the theme of Memorial Day. Now how you do that, you can do that without just stars and stripes. There's other ways to do that, but the I idea of escapism and patriotism to a degree, but when you look at the retail calendar, there are a myriad, there's like 16 major temples that you have to win. So our team is definitely working to make sure that we're taking the overall thematic of our brand and pulling that down into those temples.(09:33):And that fits the larger brand story because obviously you don't want to have 16 different TV spots throughout the year. So we'll have several different campaigns throughout the year, but then those drop down into Cinco de Mayo or Day of the Dead or 4th of July. So you have to, depending on the channel that we're in, yeah, some stuff has to be far more granular to make sure that it's serving the need of that retailer or the desire of that retailer, and as well as making sure that we're still maintaining the brand identity that we want to have. While everybody else does Super Bowl and does football, we're doing the World Surf League pipeline, which is the Super Bowl of surf, so is the official beer of the WSL when everyone's doing Super Bowl, we're doing surfing.Damian (10:10):Now, Dustin listeners can't see this, but I know behind you you've got some fantastic vintage guitars there, which I wanted. I know that you are a musician and before you worked at 8 0 5, you worked as a marketer in the music industry, including for Ernie Ball, music Man and Guitar Center. And I'm kind of interested in the kind of synergies that you might have found there between marketing to musicians and the kind of now the position you're in now marketing beer.Dustin (10:42):It's really sort of a story of serendipity. I got my first guitar when I was 14 years old and it sort of changed my life. Music just bordered became this obsession and it's what I wanted to do, started a band and typical story, didn't go to college, was like college, I'm going to be in a band, mom, what are you talking about? So I begged her at the time she was working, she was the executive assistant to the CEO O of Guitar Center back in the nineties when they were still a small company. And I said, Hey, just give me a job in the mail room or something, and so just give me the summer. Let me prove to you that my band can be in great before I have to go to college. And so she got me a job in the mail room and said, three months, that's it. And three months turned into 18 years.(11:35):I worked my way up to vice president and that typical age old story. But what I found really early on when I got there was, and I remember there was a moment, I was there a couple of months working in the mail room, excited in the mail room is right next to the marketing department and there was a great VP of marketing. It was Mike. I still talk to him to this day, 20 something years later. He always says, his joke is, you're the best hire I ever made. But I remember looking at the marketing materials and saying to the guys like, Hey, we're not marketing to, I'm the customer. Why don't you talk to me? We should change the way that we talk to the customers because this doesn't make sense. I'm the customer, I don't want to read this. So I pitched him some ideas and he's like, yeah, that's a great idea. You want a job in marketing?(12:18):And I went from $4 and 50 cents an hour to $9 an hour. I thought it was rich. I'm 18 years old. And I started that journey. And I think what I realized really early on, and what was great about Guitar Center was that our mission was to mint new customers. We realized early on through a great visionary, CEO, we had Marty Albertson was that we had to make sure that we were creating musicians. There wasn't a lot of 'em. When you think about the population of the world, it think it's like 2% our musicians. So if you want to continue to sell guitars and you want to continue to sell instruments, you've got to inspire people to want to play music. So our mission became taking this great feeling and propelling that and perpetuating it to get more people excited about it. And we became a platform for artists and creating, over the course of my 20 years, I got to create TV shows and write documentaries and make slashes documentary.(13:09):I got to things that you would only dream of when you were a kid to make art with other artists that inspired the world. And I think the common thread through all of that was that great marketing, great brands stand for something clear and enduring. I'm very, very lucky that as a songwriter and a musician early on, that I found this extension of that creative process to sort of keep me inspired. I mean marketing in a lot of ways, your writers, your songwriters, your creatives, and you get to do that while also tackling, for me at least the necessary evil of lift analysis, analytics andDamian (13:46):Some of those things that come with the business. Our musicians have to be marketers these days anyway. Right.Ilyse (13:50):That's very true. And that 2%, we at least have two in our miss because Damian's a musician as well. But yeah, it's so interesting that you talk about that area of the population and in some ways it's almost harder to reach those very niche communities.Dustin (14:09):Yeah, there's that great quote. I don't know if it came from Nike, it was probably Nike, but what's that speak to the core loud enough that everyone else can hear? I mean, I think that's been a mission of music. I mean, remember the indie movement or the punk movement, it was like everybody didn't want to be mainstream, and it was just like, do this thing, own your audience. And then what happens is the cool thing, everybody wants to sit at the cool table. Everybody wants to be a part of the movement, but you can't market to the people that want to be in the movement. You have to market to the people who have started the movement, and then what happens is then you can maintain some credibility.Damian (14:40):I'm just curious to get your high level perspective on what do you think needs to change in the ad marketplace today, which as we all know, is very much digital programmatic.Dustin (14:52):I think product placement right now, especially on podcasts, is just incredibly oversaturated. And I understand that when you've got a major budget and you're moving money around and you're trying to do everything you can to drive eyeballs, but I have this conversation all the time with the agency. I'm not interested in the most amount of eyeballs. I want the right ones. And when I look at a podcast and I just see energy drinks on tables and then right behind it, I see a Starbucks cup and the cans aren't open, I just think there's too much of that going on. To me, there's not real connections. So I think one of the things for me that's just unfortunate is because of the amount of money and the amount of ad money that's available and it's all moving from different platforms, is that sort of approach has created, I think a really high level of high bar for entry into some of these categories.(15:40):The expectations of money that are tied to some of these opportunities are so overblown. So I think that to me, that's always been something that I've always struggled with that I always hope is going to work itself out and well. I think that you go through ebbs and flows, especially when times get tough, people will cut back on their marketing, they cut back on sponsorships, and that's when opportunities open up. And if you're smart and you manage your money effectively and you have dollars, when other brands are carving back, that's when you can start to find really interesting opportunities. But for me, yeah, influencer marketing, product seating, I've never been excited about it. One of the things that we say all the time at Firestone Walker is keep the main thing, the main thing. And by doing that, we put on ourselves from chasing too many squirrels in the backyard.Ilyse (16:30):I love that.Dustin (16:31):Yeah.Ilyse (16:32):Is there anything you are obsessed with figuring out right now?Dustin (16:35):I mean, we sell millions of cases of beer and our first party data. We've done an amazing job of our first party data, emails building customer attention, but there is this weird thing with social, and I'm just obsessed with trying to figure out what it is. And our agency's got great relationships with meta and these platforms, and nobody, one can seem to give me the answer of what is happening on the backend within the algorithms that is preventing some of the biggest brands in the world with tens of millions, if not hundreds of millions of consumers. This ability to create real audiences on these platforms, because we live in a world now where all content is consumed through just a few channels. When you think about YouTube, whatever happens with TikTok, Instagram Meta, et cetera, there's a only handful of channels where a majority of all of the content consumption is taking place.(17:31):And if every single one of those has a toll booth between you and your customer, but then there's also a filter that is preventing you from really building your audience. I'm obsessed with trying to figure that out. If we do believe in this idea of the zeitgeist and that culture matters and that brands stand for something clear and enduring, the world is going to continue and down this digital path. And sure, point of sale and billboards and TV advertising are great ways to tell people about your brand, but it is the way to get your arms around them. It's going to be on these platforms and the ones that are coming. And I think that's what the industry as a whole is always the industry as a whole struggles with this. And I think it can be dangerous in the sense that you over obsess it and then you put too much money into like, well, I got to grow followers, or I got to grow my audience. Versus like, well, I just got to drive, drive affinity in purchase intent. And so that's, I think the balance of how do we focus on stuffing the funnel, creating a tremendous amount of energy for our brands. The right partnerships is omnipresent in the right cultural segments that we want to be in, but at the same time try to figure out how we can expand our tent and get more people into it.Damian (18:46):Wow. Ali, I love that conversation with Dustin. I mean, it's not every day you get to talk to somebody who's a musician and a marketer and who's able to tie both of those things together so well as he did. But what was the standout thing to you that he said?Ilyse (19:02):I think what really stuck out was kind of playing how Firestone and Dustin kind of play that fine line of keeping consistent, but also not being too rigid and trying new things with customers. I know with 9,000 plus breweries, it's kind of crazy that there's so much competition to stick out and beer brands have to stick out. But what he said was really interesting about staying consistent with an agency and measurement and really trying to find, making sure that what you're making art essentially actually makes sense.Damian (19:45):Yeah, I agree with you and I feel like one of the most powerful things he said to me was when he was at Guitar Center, when he was there for 17 years, his vision was to mint new musicians and identifying that only 2% of the world population, 2%, I think he said musicians. So you have to inspire more people to want to create music. And taking that sort of core philosophy and applying it to his current role at 8 0 5 seems to be something that's driving him as a mission driven marketer. I think as he said, great brands have to stand for something enduring. So in that regard, I think he's really smart, and to do this at this cultural moment where there's so much fragmentation, that is one way to help him clear through all the clutter and stay focused.Ilyse (20:30):Yeah, I think one of my favorite quotes too was like keep the main thing, the main thing, and that keeps us basically from chasing those squirrels.Damian (20:44):That's it for this edition of The Current Podcast. I'm Ilyse, and I'm Damian, and we'll see you next time.
Greg and Sorcerer Chromatic drink and review beers from Firestone Walker's Vintage series from 2017 & 2022. In our Beer News, we talk bout a brewery for sale in Michigan, and why people don't drink beers in television commercials. For our Cöld Brüe List, Sorcerer Chromatic previews the new coaches who qualify for next season's Coaches Corner. Finally, we end the show with our thoughts on the Super Bowl, and a major beer announcement.
Welcome in to our beer-geeking show. This week some of the things we will cover include: A New Zealand tangent. New Belgium Brewing is gettin' weird. We know frozen glasses are bad for beer, but why? NA Beer tangent. Beer is stealing radness. Some details of Firestone Walker Invitational 2025! Lots of Sierra Nevada to look out for! Glendale Tap GetIt! The Sportsman. Oatmeal Porter OR Regular Porter? This and more! Downloadable: PerfectPour595.mp3 (Cussing and loud yammering involved) HOSTED BY: Nick, Rad Stacey, Mikey MUSIC BY: Sunburns and Paul From Fairfax. BEER AND SHOW RELATED LINKS: SUPPORT THE SHOW AND BECOME A GOLDEN GOD! Subscribe to the show in Apple Podcast. You can also find us on Spotify and most podcast players. Perfect Pour's YouTube Channel. VOICEMAIL/TEXT LINE: 559-492-0542 Drop Us a Line: Email Perfect Pour. Join our free Lager Line Discord channel! Send Postcards or Samples to us: The Perfect Pour – co Mike Seay 2037 W. Bullard Ave #153 Fresno, CA 93711 Mikey's newsletter: Drinking & Thinking. Browse Mikey's Dorky Amazon Storefront.
We are back in the studio with our dear friends from Firestone Walker Brewing, Matt Brynildson and David Walker. We sit down and get the early scoops on the 2025 Firestone Walker Invitational Beer Festival. Items for discussion include: FWIBF's current standing in the beer festival genre. Why? The fine art of tweaking and leaving well enough alone. This years collaboration beer - who is it with and why? Danny playing fantasy draft with this festival yearly. What is the method to who gets an invite? A look at the 16 new breweries invited! Recent trend review. Bold predictions. Throwback talk. And much more! Looking to become the next big sponsor of The Full Pint Podcast? Email us at info@thefullpint.com! Please check out these resources if you are a member of the craft beer industry and need help. National Women's Law Center - https://nwlc.org/ Department of Fair Employment and Housing - https://www.dfeh.ca.gov/ Project When - https://projectwhen.org/resources/how-to-report-workplace-harassment-incidents/
In this episode of Business of Drinks, contributor Caroline Lamb interviews Jess Druey, founder of Whiny Baby, a wine brand that's helping to redefine wine culture for Gen Z and new wine drinkers. In a market often seen as intimidating and exclusive, Whiny Baby brings a fresh, playful, and inclusive perspective. Since launching, Jess has scaled the brand to 6,000 cases in 2024, with plans to double production in 2025. Jess shares the story behind Whiny Baby, her bold approach to branding, and how she's meeting new consumers where they are. In this episode, Jess shares: The inspiration behind Whiny Baby: an awkward date and an overwhelming wine aisle experience led Jess to create a wine brand that's accessible and approachable for beginners. How naiveté can be a strength: Jess credits her lack of experience for allowing her to reimagine how things "should" be done in the wine industry, from branding to distribution. Breaking the wine mold: Whiny Baby features bold, sticker-inspired labels, crown caps, and playful bottle beads that resonate with Gen Z's nostalgic and irreverent aesthetic. How a strategic partnership enabled the brand to scale quickly: Jess's joint venture with the McBride Sisters Wine Company got Whiny Baby onto shelves in 27 states in just a couple of years. Viral growth through TikTok: Whiny Baby's success was boosted by early viral TikToks, helping Jess sell out her first batches of wine and reach a broad audience. Last Call: This week, we discuss brands that are cruising marketing. Join in as Scott, Caroline, and Erica talk about what they're seeing in the marketplace, from La Crema's inclusive activations to Fireball's viral stunt to Firestone Walker's mini-format beers. Stay tuned for our next episode dropping on Jan. 22. For the latest updates, follow us: Business of Drinks: LinkedIn Instagram @bizofdrinks Erica Duecy, co-host:Erica Duecy is founder and co-host of Business of Drinks and one of the drinks industry's most accomplished digital and content strategists. She runs the consultancy and advisory arm of Business of Drinks and has built publishing and marketing programs for Drizly, VinePair, SevenFifty, and other hospitality and drinks tech companies. LinkedIn Instagram @ericaduecy Scott Rosenbaum, co-host:Scott Rosenbaum is co-host of Business of Drinks and a veteran strategist and analyst with deep experience building drinks portfolios. He currently serves as North America Search Manager at Distill Ventures. He was formerly the Vice President of T. Edward Wines & Spirits, a New York-based importer and distributor. LinkedIn Caroline Lamb, contributor:Caroline is a producer and on-air contributor at Business of Drinks and a key account sales and marketing specialist at AHD Vintners. LinkedIn If you enjoyed the conversation, follow Business of Drinks wherever you're listening, and don't forget to rate and review us. Your support helps us reach more listeners passionate about the drinks industry. Thank you!
Barrel-aging is nothing new for Firestone Walker's (https://www.firestonewalker.com) Matt Brynildson. He got his first exposure to the process while working for barrel-aging pioneer Goose Island in Chicago, and for the better part of two decades has been exploring the impact of wood, aging, and blending in the development of beer flavor at Firestone Walker. A post-pandemic initiative at the Paso Robles brewery, the Brewmaster's Collective (https://www.firestonewalker.com/brewmasters-collective/), has created new occasions to explore processes and approaches through collaborations with a range of brewer friends, and in this episode Brynildson is joined by two collaborators—Henok Fentie of Stockholm, Sweden's Omnipollo (https://www.fraugruber-craftbrewing.com), and Enzo Frauenschuh of Gundelfingen, Germany's FrauGruber (https://www.fraugruber-craftbrewing.com). Together, they take a look at the similarities and differences in barrel-aged stout brewing in the United States and Europe. Along the way, they discuss: building recipes that can support strong flavors finding the balance between sweetness and drinkability artful flavor composition maintaining some semblance of house character through collaborations expressing barrel notes cleanly through lean and well-attenuated beers temperature impact on barrel expression varying ingredients based on the continent developing flavorful bases both through English malts and with blends of Pilsner and Munich malts managing barrel-entry gravity for long term success planning for adjuncts in recipe design adjunct addition processes and extraction efficiency And more. Note: Firestone Walker is a media partner of Craft Beer & Brewing This episode is brought to you by: G&D Chillers (https://gdchillers.com): At G&D Chillers they always strive to Build Great Chillers. Partner with them as you Build Great Beer. Choose G&D Chillers on your next Expansion or Brewery start up and receive 1 free year of Remote control and Monitoring of your new G&D Chiller! ProBrew (https://www.probrew.com) “ProBrew is excited to now offer 2-4 week lead times on all in-stock ProFill Rotary Can Filler and Seamers. This special lead time is only while supplies last, so send us an email at contactus@probrew.com or call us at 262-278-4945. ProBrew, Brew YOUR Beer.” Old Orchard (https://www.oldorchard.com/brewer): Berry Blend, Blood Orange, Lemonade, and Tart Cherry are the latest additions to our lineup of flavored craft juice concentrate blends. To learn more and request your free samples, head over to oldorchard.com/brewer (https://www.oldorchard.com/brewer) Omega Yeast (https://omegayeast.com): Experience distinct transparency and juiciness with Omega Yeast's DayBreak-V. We've genetically eliminated haze in the popular British-V strain, allowing you to preserve the fruit-boosting prowess while achieving crystal clarity. Learn more at info@omegayeast.com. Five Star Chemical (https://fivestarchemicals.com) Our cleaning solutions are specifically formulated to meet the unique needs of breweries, ensuring that your equipment stays clean and free of harmful bacteria and contaminants. From cleaning fermenters to kegs, we have a solution for every step of the brewing process. RSS Maclin (https://RSSMACLIN.com) provides the training and resources breweries of all sizes need to ensure the exceptional quality of your product remains the same from beginning to end. For more information, visit RSSMACLIN.com or email Service@rssmaclin.com Indie Hops (https://indiehops.com) breeds new hop varieties to help brewers captivate beer lovers. Brewers worldwide trust Indie's unique varieties — Strata, Lórien, Luminosa, Meridian and Audacia — to modernize, brighten and diversify their beer lineup. Visit indiehops.com/podcast to discover what's new in hop flavors. Berkeley Yeast (https://berkeleyyeast.com). Superbloom strains make classic hops flavor; Fresh strains keep diacetyl low even with large hop additions; Tropics strains make a tropical bouquet reminiscent of the finest southern hemisphere hops. Mention this podcast for 20% off your first order.
Browsing the beer shelves at the grocery store can sometimes yield amazing stuff. On our last trip to the store, we found two beers that seemed equally interesting, for different reasons. The first is a non-alcoholic version of 805 from Firestone-Walker called ... 8Zero5. The other is a holiday beer from Clausthaler. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
In this batch, craft beer titans Firestone Walker, Lagunitas, New Trail Brewing Co., and Lakefront Brewery collide as their NA offerings are put through the Power Ranking treatment! In the Beer News, Tom Holland gets into the NA beer space, McKenzie Brew House closes its doors but not before Stephen gets a special treat, and Coors releases beer washed jeans. Thanks to Goldfinger Brewing for sponsoring this episode! Follow them on IG @GoldfingerBrew. Need some Goldfinger Brewing merch? Head over to ShopGoldfinger.com. If you're headed to FOBAB, pound some crispies as Goldfinger Brewing is the official sponsor of FOBAB's Lager Lounge. To get involved with the "Life" International Barleywine Collab, click the link for info about the recipe, BSG discount, and links to help raise awareness of colon cancer. If you'd like to make a direct donation to help support Alex, head over to his GoFundMe. For more info about colon cancer and to help support the fight against it check out the Colon Cancer Foundation. Head to our Patreon for weekly exclusive content. Get the Malt Couture Officially Licensed T-shirt. Follow DontDrinkBeer on Instagram and Twitter.
The Two Bobs episode 264 for Monday, October 14, 2024: What are The Bobs drinking? Rob enjoyed a Chocolate Mousse Pastry Stout from Untitled Art. https://untp.beer/w35bx Robert made sweet love to a Between Two Grahams from Firestone Walker. https://untp.beer/jgzMM Follow us on Untapped at @RobFromTTB and @lowercaserobert or we'll steal your mayonnaise. This week's CRAZY NEWS would be okay if the rest of the country were more like Detroit. Florida Woman® was served cold Dominos Pizza and wasn't happy about it. She did the only reasonable thing and completely lost her shit. http://www.thesmokinggun.com/buster/dominos/pizza-rage-dominos-269081 If every burglar were as thoughtful as this guy we may start leaving the front door open when we leave the house. https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/czeg6xk6rkko A woman in Oklahoma blew a .34 BAC when she was stopped by police...while driving on an airport taxiway. https://www.kjrh.com/news/local-news/woman-arrested-accused-of-34-bac-while-driving-on-airport-taxiway Florida Man® took police on the slowest high-speed chase ever. https://www.firstcoastnews.com/article/news/crime/video-palm-coast-man-who-threatened-officers-involved-in-possibly-the-slowest-chase-in-fcso-history/77-42a875bf-ec40-4438-90b6-c15e38c55777 A grandma who survived the Great Depression once killed a man for mayonnaise. Desperate times! https://theonion.com/grandma-who-survived-great-depression-casually-drops-that-she-once-killed-man-for-mayonnaise/ Please share the show with your friends, and don't forget to subscribe! Visit www.thetwobobs.com for our contact information. Thanks for listening! Leave us a message or text us at 530-882-BOBS (530-882-2627) Join us on all the social things: Follow us on Twitter Check out our Instagram Follow Rob on Untappd Follow Robert on Untappd The Two Bobs Podcast is © The Two Bobs. For more information, see our Who are The Two Bobs? page, or check our Contact page. Words, views, and opinions are our own and do not represent those of our friends, family, or our employers unless otherwise noted. Music for The Two Bobs was provided by JewelBeat.
Hi. We are all back together and ready to have some fun with you. Talking beer stuff like: It's all about quality beer. Frozen pizza and beer deals. Firestone Walker eventing in Fresno. Beer in Hawaii. An incredible amount of unique checking for one Untapper. Getting ready for GABF. Cutting off drunks in a beer garden. A James Dean car wreck tangent. And more! Thank you for listening!! Downloadable: PerfectPour571.mp3 HOSTED BY: Nick, Rad Stacey, Mikey MUSIC BY: Sunburns and Paul From Fairfax. BEER AND SHOW RELATED LINKS: SUPPORT THE SHOW AND BECOME A GOLDEN GOD! Subscribe to the show in Apple Podcast. You can also find us on Spotify and most podcast players. Perfect Pour's YouTube Channel. VOICEMAIL/TEXT LINE: 559-492-0542 Drop Us a Line: Email Perfect Pour. Join our free Lager Line Discord channel! Mikey's newsletter: Drinking & Thinking. Browse Mikey's Amazon Storefront. Check out Mikey's beer blog Mikey Top Pour. Send Postcards or Samples to us: The Perfect Pour – co Mike Seay 2037 W. Bullard Ave #153 Fresno, CA 93711
We are joined in the studio with Matt Brynildson and Dustin Hinz of Firestone Walker. We wanted to catch up with both to get the latest Firestone Walker news and talk about the architecture behind some of their newer products. Items of discussion include: How the Mind Haze Brand extension is going Any winners out of the Mind Haze bunch. Catching up to Voodoo Ranger High alcohol trends "FoCo IPA" The Brewmasters Collective Hits and Misses Big tidbit on the current state of BarrelWorks Jumping into the NA Craft Space with 8 Zero 5 Danny's distain for NA Craft Beer The architecture of 8 Zero 5 And much more! Looking to become the next big sponsor of The Full Pint Podcast? Email us at info@thefullpint.com! Please check out these resources if you are a member of the craft beer industry and need help. National Women's Law Center - https://nwlc.org/ Department of Fair Employment and Housing - https://www.dfeh.ca.gov/ Project When - https://projectwhen.org/resources/how-to-report-workplace-harassment-incidents/
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Socials: @DaveandMahoney Voice Mail: 833-Yo-Dummy https://www.twitch.tv/daveandmahoney Additional Content: daveandmahoney.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices