Tales From the Cask Craft Beer Podcast (Tales From the Cask)

As the saying goes, all good things must come to an end. And after 344 episodes, it’s time to draw the curtain on our little show. Our parent Mims Distributing is going out of business after 56 years, and so we are winding down Tales too.

We SO appreciate all of the wonderful guests who have shared their time, stories, beers and ciders (and even meads!) with us.

We are most grateful to all y’all who have listened, sent in news items, gave us great feedback, and been our friends since 2013 when we started this, huddled around the mic on a laptop.

We hope you keep finding amazing brews to enjoy and share with others. Beer brings people together!

All the best,

Chip & Jenn

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We are still getting over the massive Holiday Extravaganza party! So to ring out the old and ring in the new, we are just relaxing at the bar sharing yuletide stories! And of course we have some old and new treats: Foothills Craft Happiness Dream IPA, Sierra Nevada 40th Hoppy Anniversary Ale, and the always lovely Rodenbach Caractere Rouge!

Even though it’s the end/beginning of the year, there is still news. We start with Forbes wrapping up 2019 with the top seven shockers from the year’s beer news. Next up Food & Wine finds that mixing beer and wine is about to get easier in California, while The LA Times reports that Insurgente Brewing tried to reopen its brewery in Tijuana, while the city promptly shut it down again! Then Vinepair (thanks Steve!) reveals a Viking tradition and one-time Norwegian law that required brewing beer for Christmas, and we wind up with WPVI (Philly!) on the art of aging aka a beer club for seniors that’s brewing up fun!

Our carryover #caskquiz asked “what beers did you get in your stocking this year?” This week we want to hear “what’s your beer prediction for 2020?”

We so love hearing from you! Please send in feedback and beer suggestions by calling us at (919) 502-0280, Tweeting us, following our Instagram or friending us on Untappd, posting on and liking our Facebook page, or emailing us! And please rate & review us in iTunes or Stitcher if you haven’t done so!

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Time just keeps flying by doesn’t it? It’s our lucky 7th time with the kitties as we have everyone up to the bar to celebrate our Holiday Extravaganza! We have whales galore, and stories to share, and of course a song at the end!

To keep the holiday spirit alive, we have a couple of heartwarming stories to share. First Vice UK visits the insanely competitive world of craft beer resales (just in time for Santa’s stocking stuffers!). Then in a great Grinchy trick, Food & Wine finds that craft beer, wine and spirits producers are facing a major tax hike if Congress doesn't get its act together! At the last minute though, the Grinch found the strength of ten Grinches, plus two as reported by KIII (South Texas) in that the U.S. Congress is extending the tax cut on craft beer brewers!

This week we want to hear “what beers did you get in your stocking this year?”

We so love hearing from you! Please send in feedback and beer suggestions by calling us at (919) 502-0280, Tweeting us, following our Instagram or friending us on Untappd, posting on and liking our Facebook page, or emailing us! And please rate & review us in iTunes or Stitcher if you haven’t done so!

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Cider is the beverage that really makes us feel like fall is here, and our friend Kirby Dean from  Blake’s Hard Cider reminds us why! Kirby shares all the news from the Michigan orchards and the cidery, and then he’s got three delectable treats for us: Classic Apple Lite Cider, Mixed Berry Lite Cider,  and Mojito Lime Lite Cider!

MegaMergerMania news returns via The Charleston Post & Courier (thanks Michael and Steve!) reporting that a new-to-South Carolina craft brewer (among others!) was just bought by the world’s biggest beer company! Next The Motley Fool shows that apart from that big acquisition, AB InBev is now looking to corner the hard seltzer market. Then it’s the Santa Rosa Press Democrat (thanks Mike!) profiling Bear Republic as it looks toward a bullish 2020, and Forbes demonstrates how small, independent distributors are changing the face of craft beer. We close out the week with Paste (thanks Alex!) sharing their ranking of the 50 best American breweries of the 2010s!

We are sad that so few people could answer last week’s #caskquiz which asked “what’s your workout reward brew? And what’s the workout?” This week we are wanting to know “what are your top 5 best breweries of the past decade?”

We so love hearing from you! Please send in feedback and beer suggestions by calling us at (919) 502-0280, Tweeting us, following our Instagram or friending us on Untappd, posting on and liking our Facebook page, or emailing us! And please rate & review us in iTunes or Stitcher if you haven’t done so!

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The better for you category in craft beer is exploding right now, and we are so lucky to be working with Sufferfest Beer Company and our buddy Margaret Link, their Director of Marketing! Margaret relates the story of the brewery’s origin and tells us how she got into the beer biz (yes, it’s related to being an athlete!). And then she drops three taste treats for us: Repeat Kolsch, FKT Pale Ale, and Head Start Stout!

Climate change leads the news this week via Forbes visiting evacuated Sonoma County breweries who are reopening with electricity but without gas. Next up The New York Times reveals that the merchandising of college sports is leading to team-branded ales, and Forbes asks are you ready for craft malt to change craft beer? Then it’s The Associated Press making a last call as Utah is set to tap out on low-alcohol beer sales, and we wind up with People (thanks Frank!) profiling a North Dakota brewing company that has put pictures of adoptable dogs on its beer cans!

Last week’s #caskquiz question was our annual Series pick question: “Astros or Nats? Or I have no dog in this fight and want a great Series! Or I just want football!” This week’s #caskquiz asks “what’s your workout reward brew? And what’s that Sufferfest-worthy workout?

We so love hearing from you! Please send in feedback and beer suggestions by calling us at (919) 502-0280, Tweeting us, following our Instagram or friending us on Untappd, posting on and liking our Facebook page, or emailing us! And please rate & review us in iTunes or Stitcher if you haven’t done so!

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We are really fortunate to have so many great people from NC breweries working with us, and Birdsong Brewing’s Ryan McLoughlin and Casey Browning with are two of the best! The guys bring the latest news from the C-Town brew scene (that’s Charlotte y’all!) and they have super beers to share! They are Friends in Low Places IPA, Movin’ on Up Hazy Pale Ale, Rich Girl Imperial Oatmeal Raisin Porter, and Wake Up Porter!

A couple of terrific interviews lead the news this week, beginning with The Arizona Republic talking with a Phoenix woman who started her own brewery because craft beer bars were a boy's club! Then The Takeout chats with Sierra Nevada founder Ken Grossman about craft beer’s past and its future relevance. Next up CNN visits cannabis firms who are hopping on the non-alcoholic beer wagon, followed by The Wilmington Star-News finding that barley is now only for beer, and that’s about it. We close the news with VinePair asking if we got milk stout and craft beer’s hazy respect for iconic intellectual property!

Last week’s carryover #caskquiz question was “what’s the first brewery you remember visiting?” This week in honor of the World Series, we pose the annual Series pick question: “Astros or Nats? Or I have no dog in this fight and want a great Series! Or I just want football!”

We so love hearing from you! Please send in feedback and beer suggestions by calling us at (919) 502-0280, Tweeting us, following our Instagram or friending us on Untappd, posting on and liking ourFacebook page, or emailing us! And please rate & review us in iTunes or Stitcher if you haven’t done so!

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It’s been a record time the past few years with our buddies Justin Crouch and Zac Smith from Wicked Weed, and now there’s a Guinness World Record to boot! Yes, a 177 tap takeover happened at a huge bar in downtown Raleigh last weekend! The boys helped us get ready with a pretaste of the astounding Crazy? Genius! Barrel-Aged American Sour Ale with Raspberries and Mangoes!

The news begins a bit downbeat this week via The Denver Post which reports that Colorado’s oldest craft brewery is downsizing, ending distribution and laying off 21 employees. Next we head Outsideonline to learn that dirtbags were the original craft beer influencers, and then Forbes reveals that the Craft Beer Marketing Awards has announced their first Award Series. Then we hit the track with Runner’s World as they ask can drinking beer wreck your weight-loss progress from your workouts? We close up with the Iowa City Press-Citizen showing us that Carson King has handed $3 million to the University of Iowa Stead Family Children’s Hospital!

This week we are carrying over last week’s question which is a spinoff of the “3 Questions”, namely “what’s the first brewery you remember visiting?”

We so love hearing from you! Please send in feedback and beer suggestions by calling us at (919) 502-0280, Tweeting us, following our Instagram or friending us on Untappd, posting on and liking ourFacebook page, or emailing us! And please rate & review us in iTunes or Stitcher if you haven’t done so!

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Octoberfest beers have finally returned, and Sam Adams’ Jennifer Glanville joins us from Boston to celebrate!! There is no one better to talk about these beers than Jennifer, the Director of Brewing Operations for Boston Beer Company, the home of Sam Adams! We start off chatting about how she got into the beer business with a certain Mr. Jim Koch, and then we gab about the latest brews from Beantown, including the legendary Utopias! After that it’s time to taste! Jennifer naturally talks about (and tries) the granddaddy of them all, Sam Adams OctoberFest, and we also delight in Sam Adams Boston Lager, Sam Adams Kosmic Sour, and Sam Adams New England IPA!

Good environmental news leads the week via Fortune interviewing beermakers who are experimenting with sustainable six-pack designs! Then Bloomberg profiles some enterprising  Czech craft beer makers who are trying to crack into the UK despite the looming Brexit, followed by CNBC’s story of craft brewers facing rising prices as Trump escalates the China trade war. We wind up the week with The San Antonio Current announcing that Texas craft breweries can now sell beer to go!

Last week’s #caskquiz asked “when was the last time you played a beer game and what was it?” This week in the spirit of Utopias we want to know “what’s the wildest/most extreme beer is that you have tried?”

We so love hearing from you! Please send in feedback and beer suggestions by calling us at (919) 502-0280, Tweeting us, following our Instagram or friending us on Untappd, posting on and liking ourFacebook page, or emailing us! And please rate & review us in iTunes or Stitcher if you haven’t done so!

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To help celebrate Duck Rabbit Brewery’s milestone 15th anniversary, we are delighted to welcome back their sales guru and our good friend Robert Owen! Robert fills us in on all the fun at the recent celebration party at the brewery, plus all the news on the latest releases. Then we are so happy to try the Say What? Wood Aged IPA !

Diversity in the craft beer world remains in the news, beginning with Food & Wine arguing that craft beer has a diversity problem according to a Brewers Association report. Next up Forbes brings us objects of desire or: The Pretentious Beer Glass Company’s high gravity set. Then in companion pieces, Time reports that a beer named after the nuclear testing site Bikini Atoll has been called out for insensitivity, while The Dallas Observer opines that the brewery in question is choosing defensiveness over respect. We wind down the week with The Motley Fool showing how craft beer keeps growing as consumers go local, and Vinepair revealing how Big Beer is eyeing Latinx drinkers with targeted ad campaigns and collabs!

Since we recorded early this week, we are carrying over last week’s #caskquiz asking for your take on the Uproxx/Instagram female craft beer influencer uproar!

We so love hearing from you! Please send in feedback and beer suggestions by calling us at (919) 502-0280, Tweeting us, following our Instagram or friending us on Untappd, posting on and liking ourFacebook page, or emailing us! And please rate & review us in iTunes or Stitcher if you haven’t done so!

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Summertime demands refreshing brews, and our friends Summer Blaylock and Matt Holmes are in town with treats from Radeberger Brewery that fit the bill! They chat with us about the latest from Frankfurt, Germany, and then they share a couple of tasty light brews with us: Clausthaler Dry Hopped and Schofferhofer Pomegranate!

The news begins locally here in Mayberry via WRAL (thanks Scott!) with the announcement that an Orange County woman has been named the first North Carolinian to be certified as an expert in 'all things cider'! Next we have The Boston Globe opining that the craft beer industry has a diversity problem, followed by The USA Today (thanks Michael!) unveiling an Area 51 raid that has caused Bud Light to offer free beer for 'any alien that makes it out'! Then it’s Food & Wine demonstrating that craft beer drinkers are becoming less adventurous than they used to be, and we close with Boston.com’s list of 6 expert tips for reading a beer label!

For last week’s #caskquiz we wanted to know what beer event/festivals have you done this year or are planning to do? For this week, we ask “do you think you are becoming less adventurous in trying new beers? If so, tell us why!”

We so love hearing from you! Please send in feedback and beer suggestions by calling us at (919) 502-0280, Tweeting us, following our Instagram or friending us on Untappd, posting on and liking our Facebook page, or emailing us! And please rate & review us in iTunes or Stitcher if you haven’t done so!

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You guys didn’t realize that Chip took the DeLorean this week to make it back to the future in time to meet Jenn and special guest/Mims on-premise sales rep David Pavlus! David shares his origins in a surprising field, his entry into the beer world, and how exciting his Cicerone journey has been! Then we have super brews including the Alesmith/Beechwood Collaboration Boom Crash Hopera, Idle Hands Six Seam Double NEIPA, and Trillium Blackberry Super Duper Soak!

Newstime begins with a follow up on the financial shenanigans of AB InBev, as they continue to try to shed debt! The New York Times reveals that after an unsuccessful attempt at an IPO, the brewer is selling its Australian unit! Next we have The NY Post (thanks Alex!) heading to the malt shop to find PBR launching a hard coffee made with ‘creamy American milk’, followed by Syracuse.com (thanks Michael!) asking Dilly what? Now CNY’s Bud Light brewery is making a mead! Then as a public service, we have Westword sharing that GABF tickets go on sale next week — and you can probably get one this year! We wind up this week with Vinepair’s (thanks Steve!) nice historic look at American breweries who survived Prohibition by making near-beer, baby formula, and ice cream, and Chip found some San Diego news at SD Comic-Con via KGTV catching a wave with Tony Hawk and Oceanside's Black Plague Brewing teaming up to create 'Tony Hawps' IPA!

For last week’s #caskquiz we carried over the question whom do you follow on social media that everyone else should be? And on which social media platform? This week we want to know what beer event/festivals have you done this year or are planning to do?

We so love hearing from you! Please send in feedback and beer suggestions by calling us at (919) 502-0280, Tweeting us, following our Instagram or friending us on Untappd, posting on and liking our Facebook page, or emailing us! And please rate & review us in iTunes or Stitcher if you haven’t done so!

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We are right in the middle of the hottest days of summer and Chip and Jenn take advantage of the heat to cool down with some of the best new beers for the season!  They enjoy Austin Eastciders Lemon Ginger, Suncrush Grapefruit, and Ballast Point’s Citrus Cove Gose.  Chip is gearing up for his annual visit to Coronado’s brewpub so we also check out their Rise East and Set West IPAs.  

The news doesn’t slow down for the summer, we had quite a few breaking stories this week from around the globe!  We discuss the Asian beer market and its impact on a potential AB IPO for China, then head to Canada to discuss some possible changes to how provinces sell beer.  We make a quick stop in the US to hear about the final beer in Ommegang’s popular Game of Thrones series then jump back overseas to cover the World Cup in Qatar and learn why you shouldn’t try to sell North Korean beer online.  We end with a feel good story about the new 6pk rings now in use that are biodegradable and feed marine life!  

For last week’s #caskquiz we wanted to know whom do you follow on social media that everyone else should be? And on which social media platform?  We are continuing this #caskquiz for another week since we recorded a bit early!

We so love hearing from you! Please send in feedback and beer suggestions by calling us at (919) 502-0280, Tweeting us, following our Instagram or friending us on Untappd, posting on and liking our Facebook page, or emailing us! And please rate & review us in iTunes or Stitcher if you haven’t done so!

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We are always getting to try new brews from our friends at Lagunitas, and this week we get some brewery talking along with the sampling! Our friends Danielle Auslander and Ben Mack join us at the bar to reveal the newest treats from Petaluma and give us the skinny on cans! And the beers are amazing: Phase Change Seasonally Unexpected Wet-Hopped Juicy Ale and Little Sumpin’ Hazy!

An old friend of the show is in the news this week, as Vinepair (thanks Steve!) is chatting with Rodenbach brewing legend (and our guest at the bar back in Eps 101 and 128 from 2015) Rudi Ghequire! Then it’s time for the numbers with The Motley Fool asking can Anheuser-Busch InBev show craft beer the way back to growth? Next The Hawk reports that  craft brewers attempting to win over lager drinkers in South Africa, followed by Food & Wine’s reporter who got a beer spa treatment that was transcendent. We close up this week with Uproxx profiling ‘beer influencers’ who are actually worth following on Instagram!

For last week’s #caskquiz we wanted to know what you think about a German brewer building a massive brewery in the US? Crazy? Or crazy like a fox? This week we want to know whom do you follow on social media that everyone else should be? And on which social media platform?

We so love hearing from you! Please send in feedback and beer suggestions by calling us at (919) 502-0280, Tweeting us, following our Instagram or friending us on Untappd, posting on and liking our Facebook page, or emailing us! And please rate & review us in iTunes or Stitcher if you haven’t done so!

 

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It’s been two years since we started selling the incredible taste treats from Upland Brewing! This week our buddy and Director of Sales Matt Mitchell ventures down from Indiana to share the latest news about the explosive growth Upland is enjoying. And he has some awesomeness for us to try: Campside Pale Ale, Juiced In Time NEIPA, and Found American Wild Ale!

In the news, Eater Austin (thanks Alex!) provides a follow up from a story from last week, in that now Celis Brewery is no longer going up for auction after the owner files for bankruptcy. Next we have Bloomberg sharing the not very surprising news that Trump’s brewery tariff threat has craft beermakers sitting out, followed by The Boston Globe showing that for craft brewers, four-packs of cans have become the norm. Then it’s Patch reporting that drinking a beer is helping support the Detroit Zoo, and VinePair (thanks Steve!) lists the 10 most valuable beer brands in the world. We close the week with The Charlotte Observer revealing that one of the oldest beer-makers in Germany is planning a massive brewery in Charlotte!

It’s quite clear from last week’s #caskquiz that you are NOT drinking any of the spiked seltzers this summer! This week we want to know what you think about a German brewer building a massive brewery in the US? Crazy? Or crazy like a fox?

We so love hearing from you! Please send in feedback and beer suggestions by calling us at (919) 502-0280, Tweeting us, following our Instagram or friending us on Untappd, posting on and liking our Facebook page, or emailing us! And please rate & review us in iTunes or Stitcher if you haven’t done so!

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We can’t believe it’s been three years since we had our good buddy Keith Klemp on the show to talk shop and drink with us! Keith shares what he’s been homebrewing lately and swaps great stories with us. Then we try some Foothills Nautical IPA, AleSmith Muy Sabroso, and the newest iteration of the Sierra Nevada/Dogfish Head collaboration Life and Limb! After all that, he lets us taste his own incredible 2017 quad!

We have yet another robust week’s worth of news for you, beginning with Brewbound (thanks Alex!) revealing the sad news that the Celis Brewery is to be sold at public auction on July 2. We pivot north to Canada’s Global News reporting that one-third of B.C.s’ hop farms have closed, despite the province’s craft beer boom, then we go east to The New York Times showing us malt beverages like LaCroix, but with a buzz, and then Bloomberg maps out where microbrewery jobs are overflowing. Next up The San Diego Reader finds a new generation of local brewers who made noise this craft beer awards season, Vox asks why so many beers have retro-looking cans, and WAMU (thanks Frank!) presents brewmasters who have recreated a DC beer from the 1880s. We wind up the week with The BBC (thanks Michael!) telling us that a beer ban has left German neo-Nazi rock fans thirsty and Forbes showing off a $3.4 million craft brewery estate on tap near Asheville, N.C.

For last week’s #caskquiz week we asked if you have ever taken a beercation? Where did you go and what did you drink? This week we are curious to know if you are drinking any of the spiked seltzers this summer, and if so which ones?

We so love hearing from you! Please send in feedback and beer suggestions by calling us at (919) 502-0280, Tweeting us, following our Instagram or friending us on Untappd, posting on and liking our Facebook page, or emailing us! And please rate & review us in iTunes or Stitcher if you haven’t done so!

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We felt like getting overseas this week, and we knew the perfect person to join us - Niels Lameijer, the Vistage Chair extraordinaire! We brought the Einstök, and he brought the La Trappe! First though, we learn about Niels’ home of The Netherlands and what Holland is, plus he shares his beer adventures across the border to Belgium. Then it’s tasting time with Einstök Arctic Pale Ale, Einstök Wee Heavy, La Trappe Dubbel, and La Trappe Quadrupel!

News is copious and global this week, beginning at home with The Motley Fool asking is 2019 is the year craft beer sales turn negative? Next up in Canada the The CBC (thanks Frank) shares the sad news that Canadian craft brewing innovator John Mitchell has died at 89, while over at The Calgary Herald (thanks Michael!) we learn that after a  $1.7-million loss, Big Rock Brewery is announcing layoffs and blaming Alberta's beer tax increases. VinePair (thanks Steve!) lists 12 breweries who are combating water waste in beer production, and then France 24 (thanks again Michael) reveals Japan’s vow to keep taps flowing at the Rugby World Cup. Over in the UK, The Telegraph reports that a man successfully sued Brewdog for £1,000 after being told beer was only on sale to women, then Geek.com brings the sugar as even more Kellogg’s cereal is reborn as craft beer. We wind up (finally!) with Travel + Leisure enjoying a beer picnic in a bat cave in New Mexico and Reuters visiting overwhelmed Belgian monks who are entering the internet age to sell their prized beer!

You guys had a lot to say about last week’s #caskquiz “what’s your main style going to be this summer? Lambic? Imperial pastry?” This week we want to know if you have ever taken a beercation? Where did you go and what did you drink?

We so love hearing from you! Please send in feedback and beer suggestions by calling us at (919) 502-0280, Tweeting us, following our Instagram or friending us on Untappd, posting on and liking our Facebook page, or emailing us! And please rate & review us in iTunes or Stitcher if you haven’t done so!

 

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Category:Tales From the Cask -- posted at: 6:00am EDT

She’s been gone for a while, and now she is back, and with our beloved co-founder! Who are we talking about? The incomparable Aubrey Herbert and the amazing Tony Walldroff from Sierra Nevada! Yes, Aubrey makes her return in style with new beers that she and Tony share with us! They are Helles in the Tropics, Hop Solo Single Hop IPA, and Estate Farmhouse Ale!

The news begins this week south of the border via Bloomberg presenting Mexican craft beers that ditch lager and lime for world-class flavors! Then we head a bit north to The LA Times asking what goes into an $899 bottle of beer? Next over in Maine, The Bangor Daily News shows us a Belfast bar that only serves ciders, and then down in The New York Times we find craft brewers lightening up and take aim at the ‘sweaty consumer’. We close the week in Thrillist which poses and answers the question why you should drink lambics!

We are back in the #caskquiz groove! Last week we asked what’s the wild beer flavoring you want to try? This week we want to know what’s your main style going to be this summer? Lambic? Imperial pastry?

We so love hearing from you! Please send in feedback and beer suggestions by calling us at (919) 502-0280, Tweeting us, following our Instagram or friending us on Untappd, posting on and liking our Facebook page, or emailing us! And please rate & review us in iTunes or Stitcher if you haven’t done so!

 

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After our vacations, we are both back, tanned, rested and ready for summer beer time! Who better to kick off meteorological summer than our good friend Kris Harper with DuClaw Brewing? Kris shares the latest news from the brewery and Baltimore, and he has a stellar lineup for us to taste! The treats include Haze of Glory NE IPA, Dad Bod DIPA, My My Key Lime Pie Sour, Sour Me Unicorn Farts, and Sour Me Carolina!

Lots of news piled up while we were away! First up is VinePair (thanks Steve!) reporting that  beer provides more jobs, wages, and economic impact than wine or spirits, with a follow up story from OregonLive providing a deeper dive on those numbers about beer’s economic impacts. Next up The Charlotte Observer tells us that N.C. breweries and distributors have reached an historic new accord that will benefit beer drinkers in the state. Then we have Brewbound (thanks Michael!) revealing that the TTB is slapping Constellation Brands with a $420,000 fine, followed by Food & Wine’s list of the cities that have the most breweries per capita. We wind down the week via The Associated Press offering up craft beer with wild flavors of candy, pickles and ... steak, and Fortune showing that to combat food waste, two Brooklyn businesses teamed up to brew bagel beer!

We took off a week for the #caskquiz while we were on vacation! We have a new one this week asking what’s the wild beer flavoring you want to try? Anything goes!

We so love hearing from you! Please send in feedback and beer suggestions by calling us at (919) 502-0280, Tweeting us, following our Instagram or friending us on Untappd, posting on and liking our Facebook page, or emailing us! And please rate & review us in iTunes or Stitcher if you haven’t done so!

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Category:Tales From the Cask -- posted at: 3:44pm EDT

After taking a couple weeks to go through our cellar and try some beers amongst ourselves we are ready to have some visitors back in the bar!  This week we talk with Greg and Kevin from Wicked Weed and get all the latest on their many facilities in Asheville, there is plenty going on for the summer tourist season!  They’ve got new items on the beer side too and we sample AppalachiaPassionfruit Lychee Burst, Serotina and their own Oak Fermented Cider

We had another great round of listener submitted new stories this week- Michael sends us some Mega Merger Mania news from Canada and Steve sends us a great article about two of our favorite things Craft Beer and Cheese!  We also continue our discussion on diversity in the beer world and how the BA is helping with a new grant.  On the educational front we learn how drinking beer can help global biodiversity and review a new exhibit in Denver that covers Colorado’s history of beer.   

Last week’s #caskquiz question was Avengers: Endgame inspired: “what’s the best use of a beer in a movie or TV show? What beer was it?”  This week we are taking a week off from the #caskquiz as both of our hosts are heading out on vacation! 

We so love hearing from you! Please send in feedback and beer suggestions by calling us at (919) 502-0280, Tweeting us, following our Instagram or friending us on Untappd, posting on and liking our Facebook page, or emailing us! And please rate & review us in iTunes or Stitcher if you haven’t done so!

 

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Category:Tales From the Cask -- posted at: 6:00am EDT

We told you last week how many taste treats were piling up in the beer cooler, and we are aiming to increase those depletions this week! So we belly up to the bar for another killer lineup! We start with ciders: Blake’s Traffic Jam Strawberry, Blackberry, and Raspberry Cider,  1911 Established Black Cherry Cider (thanks Dennis!). Then it’s beer time: Bear Republic Thru the Haze IPA, Shubrew No Woman No Rye (thanks Bruce!), and Ballast Point Easy Seas!

We have a colossal MegaMergerMania story leading the news via The Motley Fool, as two craft beer legends, Sam Adams & Dogfish Head, are joining forces! Next up Food & Wine profiles a ‘Beethoven of Brewing’ who makes some of England’s best beers — and she can’t even taste them! Then we move to Westword uncovering the real story behind the Oskar Blues/Guns N' Roses lawsuit, followed by The Charlotte Observer showing that breweries in Charlotte provide a welcome shot to home values. We wind up the week with The Independent reporting that Beavertown Brewery is giving away free beer in exchange for blood donations, and The USA Today spoils (not really) that 'Avengers: Endgame' is giving Creature Comforts its own superhero moments!

Last week’s #caskquiz question asked “how much are YOU spending on craft beer each month?” This week we have a #caskquiz that Avengers: Endgame inspired: “what’s the best use of a beer in a movie or TV show? What beer was it?”

We so love hearing from you! Please send in feedback and beer suggestions by calling us at (919) 502-0280, Tweeting us, following our Instagram or friending us on Untappd, posting on and liking our Facebook page, or emailing us! And please rate & review us in iTunes or Stitcher if you haven’t done so!

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We had a blast during our extended NC Beer month, and now it’s time to see the rest of America! We hop all over the country, and we have beer delights including Metal Monkey

Bikini Bottom, DuClaw No Way Gose, AleSmith Hi Hoaloha Pale Ale, Coronado Tail and Tooth Hazy IPA, and batting cleanup, Hardywood Park Hopkeeper Double IPA with Virginia Honey!

The news begins overseas this week via The Daily Mail exploring the wine-loving French who are creating British-style beers in their own craft breweries! Next we have Market Watch providing more proof that millennials are beer snobs, followed by Hour Detroit going undercover with a craft beer reviewer, and then Food & Wine reports that ’ice’ beers are no longer recognized by the Brewers Association. Then you guys step up for the final two stories! First WRC-TV (thanks Frank!) looks inside the lives of DC's blue collar cats and Forbes (thanks Jasmine!) profiles 'functional beverages' as the next trend that everyone's going to be talking about!

Last week’s #caskquiz question asked if you are digging any spicy beers, and if so what are they? This week is a #caskquiz rewind: “how much are YOU spending on craft beer each month?”

We so love hearing from you! Please send in feedback and beer suggestions by calling us at (919) 502-0280, Tweeting us, following our Instagram or friending us on Untappd, posting on and liking our Facebook page, or emailing us! And please rate & review us in iTunes or Stitcher if you haven’t done so!

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It seems like only yesterday we were all at redacted in Cary for the Sycamore Brewing kickoff party… in reality it’s been a year! So to celebrate, we have our buddies Archie Gleason and Josh Jolly in the house! The boys share the news about the explosive growth the brewery is enjoying, and they have a cooler filled with taste treats: Mountain Candy IPA, Juiciness IPA, Citropica IPA, and a surprise gift from Archie’s travels up north, 3 Floyds Gumballhead Wheat!

Now that the heat has returned (finally!) to Mayberry, we begin the news with Bloomberg asking what’s craft brewing’s hot new style? Beer made with spicy chili peppers! Next up is another MegaMergerMania event, this time in Canada via the CBC, as Sleeman is making a bid for Calgary's Wild Rose Brewery. Then Fox News is reporting that an Army vet lost 44 pounds only drinking beer for Lent! We wind down the week with VinePair (thanks Steve!) revealing a craft beer pioneer who blames its bankruptcy on pumpkin beer and Ars Technica demonstrating how to brew ancient Wari beer!

Last week’s question was for all the beer-loving “Game of Thrones”-watching/reading folks: which GoT character would you most like to have a pint with? This week we want to know if you are digging any spicy beers and what are they?

We so love hearing from you! Please send in feedback and beer suggestions by calling us at (919) 502-0280, Tweeting us, following our Instagram or friending us on Untappd, posting on and liking our Facebook page, or emailing us! And please rate & review us in iTunes or Stitcher if you haven’t done so!

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We are continuing our celebration of NC Beers this week with our friend Ryan McLoughlin from Charlotte’s Birdsong Brewing! Ryan tells us how he moved from the education field into the world of beers, plus he relates the story of Birdsong! And since it’s his first time on the show, he’s got a powerhouse lineup of awesome brews for us: Rewind Lager, Paradise City Session IPA, Sunshine Gose, Lazy Bird Brown, Pink Robots Kettle Sour, Jalapeno Pale, and Higher Ground IPA! That’s a lot of happy tasting!

It comes in handy with some sad news to start the week from Brewbound (thanks Steve!) reporting that Constellation Brands is closing two Ballast Point locations and abandoning plans for a San Francisco brewpub. Then we learn from Yahoo Finance that brewery openings have plummeted in the UK as that country is nearing peak craft beer. For better news we head out west with The San Francisco Chronicle to find the newest trend in athletic recovery is drinking beer, and via Fortune we hear that low ABV, fruit-flavored beers are having a moment. We wind down the with Fortune asking if it is last call for Ommegang’s 'Game of Thrones' brews while The USA Today 10Best crowns Raleigh beer festival Brewgaoo the best in the U.S.!

Last week we had our first ever double #caskquiz: do you like Jenn’s new voice/should she keep it? And is there a MegaMergerMania deal that would crush you? This week’s question is for all the beer-loving Game of Thrones-watching/reading folks: which GoT character would you most like to have a pint with?

We so love hearing from you! Please send in feedback and beer suggestions by calling us at (919) 502-0280, Tweeting us, following our Instagram or friending us on Untappd, posting on and liking our Facebook page, or emailing us! And please rate & review us in iTunes or Stitcher if you haven’t done so!

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It’s incredible to believe that it took us 6 years to get our good friend Janet Cooper from Foothills Brewing onto the show! We rectify that oversight this week! Janet shares her beer world origins, including her stint at Mims Distributing, plus all the latest from Winston-Salem! Then she unveils treats from Foothills: Malt Shaker Amber Ale and Cabernet Cafe People’s Porter! Then she has two bonus treats from Georgetown Brewing: Bodhizafa IPA and Lucille IPA!

Craft beer MegaMergerMania returns this week via The Oregonian reporting that Oregon’s Ninkasi Brewing has sold a majority stake to a new craft-beer venture. Next up The Motley Fool thinks that craft beer is not dead...yet, and Forbes has a piece on beer brewing bias in a Stanford study that reveals preference for beer from male brewers. Then we wind down with Men’s Journal (thanks Steve!) telling us that Patagonia is suing Anheuser-Busch for selling a beer that suspiciously shares its name and logo and VinePair (Steve again!) surprising us with beer-flavored jelly beans as the Easter gift for the beer lover in your life!

For last week’s #caskquiz we learned in no uncertain terms that you aren’t interested at all in all the NAs coming! This week we are offering up our first ever double #caskquiz: do you like Jenn’s new voice/should she keep it? And is there a MegaMergerMania deal that would crush you?

We so love hearing from you! Please send in feedback and beer suggestions by calling us at (919) 502-0280, Tweeting us, following our Instagram or friending us on Untappd, posting on and liking our Facebook page, or emailing us! And please rate & review us in iTunes or Stitcher if you haven’t done so!

 

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You know we love our road trips, and with this nice weather we drop the top on Chip’s T-Bird and head over to Durham to visit with our good friends Tim Harper and Nikko Carlson at Starpoint Brewing! The guys share what’s been happening since our last visit, and then we taste their latest brewing magic: Into the Mystic, Tilt, the legendary Tekkno Boy, and Black Pearl Oyster Stout!

In the news, we return this week to the lastest MegaMergerMania courtesy of FoodBev Media announcing that Mahou San Miguel has acquired a majority stake in Avery Brewing. Next is Forbes showcasing Blake's Hard Cider’s 'kinder' side with the release of Rainbow Seeker Craft Hard Cider, followed by Bon Appétit reporting that Big Alcohol is bracing for a more sober future. We wind up the news with The Chicago Tribune reminding us that although craft beer growth is slowing despite a record number of breweries, it is staying ahead of the broader beer market.

For last week’s #caskquiz we asked what you think about the RateBeer acquisition - do you believe the ratings now? Do you think they will be suspect? What about one brewery controlling all that data? This week we want to know “are you interested at all in all the NAs coming? If so, what are you trying/going to try?”

We so love hearing from you! Please send in feedback and beer suggestions by calling us at (919) 502-0280, Tweeting us, following our Instagram or friending us on Untappd, posting on and liking our Facebook page, or emailing us! And please rate & review us in iTunes or Stitcher if you haven’t done so!

 

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Craft beer has exploded in North Carolina, and it’s time to celebrate NC Beer Month with our friend Rich Greene from the NC Craft Brewers Guild! Rich fills us in on the dozens of beer month events happening all across the state, and he shares the latest news from the Guild. Then we start our month-long exploration of NC craft beers with Sycamore Citrus Gose, Southern Pines Grapefruit Hefeweizen, New Anthem Songs Unsung, and Trophy Slim with the Tilted Brim!

The news field is crowded this week, starting with a long and thoughtful piece in Medium (thanks David!) on how the world’s biggest brewer killed the craft beer buzz. Then we have a Tales news first - 3 stories from one source (hey, you guys found them for us! Cheers!) They are all in VinePair, with the first two thanks to Steve: in one we learn about big beer, big data, and the big implications of AB InBev’s RateBeer acquisition, and in the other we get a short hop take on the beer industry being hit (hard) by aluminum tariffs. Then thanks to Alex we wind up soaring high when we see why the new Avengers movie features Creature Comforts!

For this week’s #caskquiz we want to know what you think about the RateBeer acquisition - do you believe the ratings now? Do you think they will be suspect? What about one brewery controlling all that data?

Don’t miss our new logo! The artwork was done by our friend Mark Des Cotes from Podcast Branding - click on the link to find out more!

We so love hearing from you! Please send in feedback and beer suggestions by calling us at (919) 502-0280, Tweeting us, following our Instagram or friending us on Untappd, posting on and liking our Facebook page, or emailing us! And please rate & review us in iTunes or Stitcher if you haven’t done so!

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Spring is in the air, basketball is on TV and our good friend Wil Cooper from Coronado joins us to talk about the latest releases and news from San Diego.  Tony steps in as co-host while Chip is on assignment in Florida and helps out with some sampling as we try Leisure Lagoon, Berried at Sea and limited offering Tecolote Kriek.  

We are all about wellness in the news this week and discuss the current trend of low alcohol beers as well as the best beers to drink for St. Patrick’s day if you are watching your weight.  We also have a follow up report on the Brewdog Air inaugural flight and learn about Metallica’s new beer!

Our #caskquiz this week is “what questions do you have for Sheryl Yuengling?”  She is the 6th generation of America’s oldest brewery and will be joining us on the show very soon!

We so love hearing from you! Please send in feedback and beer suggestions by calling us at (919) 502-0280, Tweeting us, following our Instagram or friending us on Untappd, posting on and liking our Facebook page, or emailing us! And please rate & review us in iTunes or Stitcher if you haven’t done so!

 

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You guys all know what tech nerds we are, and you know we use Untappd all the time! So we were able to get Brandon Walker, the VP of Sales from Untappd, to join us at the bar! Brandon talks about the app’s origins, and he relates the exciting new projects they have coming soon! And since Untappd’s headquarters are in Wilmington, NC, Brandon brings us two locals to try: New Anthem Spin It Cream Ale and the Wilmington Brewing/New Anthem Collaboration Secret Lovers Triple IPA!

The Bud Light #corntroversy rolls on and on, beginning in The Chicago Tribune’s humorous timeline of the Big Beer festering corn-fueled controversy! In a follow up to a story from last week, WTKR reports that the Lucky Charms flavored beer has sold out and is now listed for up to $450 on eBay! Next is The USA Today introducing some Mexican craft beers that are coming from south of the border, and then VinePair (thanks Steve!) uncovers scientists who have hacked beer yeast to produce CBD and THC! We close the newsweek with Forbes heading north where an Ontario retailer is introducing a beer with no name!

Last week we asked “what cereal of your youth do you want to have made into beer? Bonus points: what style?” This week we want to know “what is your take on imported craft? Lots of potential? Not local enough? Are you drinking any yet?”

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It took us a while but we just recently realized that we haven’t had our good friend Mackenzie Lawton from Austin Eastciders on the show! So Mackenzie joins us at the bar and tells us about the cidery’s explosive growth, and she also shares two amazing ciders with us: Austin East Rosé and Austin East Maker’s Stash Pear Rosemary!

The Bud Light #corntroversy will not let up! The Chicago Tribune has the latest news that MillerCoors is exiting an uneasy beer alliance amid the Corn Syrup War with Bud Light! Next up there’s more from Chi-town via The Chicago Tribune where we can relax during an afternoon of brew-filled relaxation at Chicago beer spa, followed by The USA Today asking for you to vote now for American craft beer's best! We wind up the week with Food & Wine teaching us about a college that has courses on how to can craft beer and Market Watch spooning up a beer that tastes just like Lucky Charms!

Last week we asked “what are some of your fave artistic beer labels?” This week we want to know “what cereal of your youth do you want to have made into beer? Bonus points: what style?”

We so love hearing from you! Please send in feedback and beer suggestions by calling us at (919) 502-0280, Tweeting us, following our Instagram or friending us on Untappd, posting on and liking our Facebook page, or emailing us! And please rate & review us in iTunes or Stitcher if you haven’t done so!

 

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Who’d a thunk it all those years ago? We are 300 this week!  To celebrate, Tony returns to guest host with us, so the original three are on the mic! We have the revels at our good friend Bruce McKim’s place, and so many friends drop in to cheers with us! You know there will be whales of course, and Jenn brings the goods for sure: Kuhnhenn Blueberry Eisbock, Fremont Coffee Cinnamon B-Bomb, and Wicked Weed Fraise Morte!

The beer world must have known about our special show, so there’s extra news in store, beginning in Forbes’ report that Brewing News co-owner Bill Metzger will resign after last week’s publishing fiasco! Next up The Conversation tells us that drinkers prefer Big Beer keeps its hands off their local craft brews, while The Chicago Tribune paints a picture of the art of beer with Chicago artists bringing flair to local breweries' designs, and BoingBoing sweetens the news pot revealing that Carvel's Cookie Puss is now beer! We wind up the week via The BBC (thanks Frank!) discovering Danes who have found a secret beer trove and Lancaster Online presenting a Lancaster County couple who just visited craft brewery #1,000!

Last week we asked you to share a favorite moment/guest/episode/beer from our show! This week we want to know “what are some of your fave artistic beer labels?”

We so love hearing from you! Please send in feedback and beer suggestions by calling us at (919) 502-0280, Tweeting us, following our Instagram or friending us on Untappd, posting on and liking our Facebook page, or emailing us! And please rate & review us in iTunes or Stitcher if you haven’t done so!

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They say he’s a man with a thousand voices - can we convince him to do some of them? Yes it’s our old buddy Scott Apicella with Hardywood Park Craft Brewery! Scott’s at the bar to tell us all the latest from Richmond, and he makes us very happy with some super treats: the all-new Suncrush line, including Tangerine, Grapefruit, and Ginger Lime; Richmond Lager; and a true fave, the Baltic Sunrise Baltic Porter!

The fallout continues from the Superb Owl ads for Bud Light by A-B InBev, in our new #corngate segment! This week we are featuring none other than Jim Koch, the legendary founder of Sam Adams writing a blog post: Corntroversy - Deja Vu? Next up is another sad brewery closure, this time via OPB reporting that BridgePort Brewing Company in Portland OR is closing. We then head south to San Francisco where Eater reveals that workers at Anchor Brewing are moving to unionize. The Thirsty Wench (thanks Michael!) shares what she calls the sexist & asinine ramblings in Great Lakes Brewing News with a follow up story from WKBW on WNY breweries cutting ties with the magazine after the aforementioned article. We wind up show this week with Thrillist’s 9 craft beer trends you'll be tired of in 2019!

Last week we asked you “what do you think about A-B’s latest ad Bud Light ad - brilliant marketing? Meh? Does corn even bother anyone?” In honor of us hitting our milestone 300th episode next week, we want to ask if you have a favorite moment/guest/episode/beer from our show? Please share it with us!

We so love hearing from you! Please send in feedback and beer suggestions by calling us at (919) 502-0280, Tweeting us, following our Instagram or friending us on Untappd, posting on and liking our Facebook page, or emailing us! And please rate & review us in iTunes or Stitcher if you haven’t done so!

 

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We got a brief glimpse of our buddy Ryan Trask from Olde Hickory at the Holiday Spectacular… and now we have him for a whole show! Ryan shares the latest from western NC, plus the all-new canned offerings from the brewery, and a couple of thirst-quenchers: Death By Hops IPA (in cans!) and Small Batch IPA!

The news exploded over the week! The biggest bomb dropped during the BIG GAME, summarized in The New York Times’ story on Bud Light picking a fight with corn syrup, Miller Lite & Coors Light in a Super Bowl ad! Next we have a craft beer version of MegaMergerMania from SFGate with the news that Sierra Nevada has acquired Sufferfest, the San Francisco brewer of gluten-removed beers, followed by The Daily Telegraph’s sky-is-falling piece claiming that the UK craft beer bubble is bursting. We wind down the week with SF Weekly profiling a prominent San Francisco craft beer bar with two women at the helm and Food & Wine revealing that historic Belgian brewer Rodenbach will make its first-ever collaboration beer with Dogfish Head!

Last week we asked you “what brews did you serve this year for the BIG GAME?” and now we are dying to hear “what do you think about A-B’s latest ad capers - brilliant marketing? Loserville? Meh? Does corn even bother anyone?”

We so love hearing from you! Please send in feedback and beer suggestions by calling us at (919) 502-0280, Tweeting us, following our Instagram or friending us on Untappd, posting on and liking our Facebook page, or emailing us! And please rate & review us in iTunes or Stitcher if you haven’t done so!

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He escaped from the frozen wastes of the north just in time! With the polar vortex nipping at his heels, our good friend Andrew Blake arrives to share the winter goodness from Blake’s Hard Cider! We hear about the terrific year they had at the cidery in 2018, and we are able to sample two super ciders: Great Blake’s Coffee Infused and the astonishing Homage 5th Year Anniversary!

We split the good and the bad in the beer world this week beginning with another installment of our MegaMergerMania series, this time from This Is Money (thanks Thomas!) reporting that Fuller's has struck a deal to sell off its beer business to Japan's Asahi for £250m. Next up Food & Wine shows us that beer shipments are down again while the number of breweries is booming, and then Craft Brewing Business profiles California’s Admiral Maltings. We turn then to VinePair asking how you say “hoppy” in Arabic, followed by Oregon Public Broadcasting stopping by for a last call at Widmer Brothers. We wind up the week listening to Kentucky Sports Radio’s  fascinating investigative piece into Kentucky’s craft beer con man and watching CNN’s frosty look at how it's so cold in parts of the Midwest, they can't deliver beer!

Last week we asked you “what’s your take on nutrition labeling on beer? Do you think it will have any impact? And will it change what you drink?” This week we want to know “what brews are you serving this year for the BIG GAME?”

We so love hearing from you! Please send in feedback and beer suggestions by calling us at (919) 502-0280, Tweeting us, following our Instagram or friending us on Untappd, posting on and liking our Facebook page, or emailing us! And please rate & review us in iTunes or Stitcher if you haven’t done so!

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Our brewing buddy Thomas Vincent is back this week, and he is talking about his new venture, Nazz’d Brew Works! Thomas relates the progress on the new space in Graham, NC and fills us in on other things he is working on, including a podcast! Then he helps us taste some fine beers: Jenn’s own special Sierra Nevada Beer Camp 224, Adroit Theory I ADAM, and Sycamore Pakalolo!

The US government dysfunction leads the news via WTVR reporting that a DC craft brewery is suing the government, saying the shutdown is hurting its new beer sales. Next we have The USA Today revealing that Bud Light is adding nutrition facts to label, and that could shake up craft beer, while VinePair believes that wheat wine is the most extreme craft beer style you haven’t been drinking. We follow with Techworld introducing the craft beer-obsessed techies disrupting the brewing industry, then Travel + Leisure visits  Disneyland’s very first craft brewery, and we wind up the week with Brew Your Own (thanks @evanrnhall!) showing you how to brew Raw Ale!

Last week we asked “what do you think of #FlagshipFebruary? Will you join in? What brewery/flagships will you be supporting?” This week we want to know “what’s your take on nutrition labeling on beer? Do you think it will have any impact? And will it change what you drink?”

We so love hearing from you! Please send in feedback and beer suggestions by calling us at (919) 502-0280, Tweeting us, following our Instagram or friending us on Untappd, posting on and liking our Facebook page, or emailing us! And please rate & review us in iTunes or Stitcher if you haven’t done so!

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It only took us 5+ years, but we finally got Mr. Draft himself, Jess Petrosky, back in the bar! Jess joined us way back in Episode 22 (!), and he is now working with the venerable NC brewing pioneer Highland Brewing! He shares all the latest from Asheville and brings terrific taste treats to try with us: AVL IPA, Cold Mountain Spiced Ale, and Barrel-Aged Black Watch Stout!

There is already so much craftbeer news we had to cull a lot for this week! We begin with The New York Times reporting that craft beer is looking beyond ‘Young White Dudes With Beards’, followed by The Wall Street Journal’s scary piece revealing that Walgreens is testing digital cooler doors with cameras to target you with ads! Next up The Daily Mail reiterates that beer should be chilled and consumed as soon as possible because it loses its unique aroma when stored for too long, and then The Motley Fool ventures their opinion on whether or not craft beer is still worth investing in. We wind down the week with KNSD 7 (San Diego) showing us pot-infused craft beer hitting San Diego shelves and Forbes (thanks @skeeordie11!) with the cool new hashtag #FlagshipFebruary, which aims to save core craft beer brands before they disappear!

Last week we wondered  “what are your big beer predictions for 2019?” This week we are asking “what do you think of #FlagshipFebruary? Will you join in? What brewery/flagships will you be supporting?”

We so love hearing from you! Please send in feedback and beer suggestions by calling us at (919) 502-0280, Tweeting us, following our Instagram or friending us on Untappd, posting on and liking our Facebook page, or emailing us! And please rate & review us in iTunes or Stitcher if you haven’t done so!

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Craft beer is still growing gangbusters in our neck of the woods, and we this week we have our friend Rich Greene, Executive Director/Beer Czar from the NC Craft Brewers Guild to talk all about NC beer! Rich tells us about his early days at the Guild, the joys of working the NC State Fair, and tries a couple of NC beers with us! Those taste treats are Sierra Nevada Sierraveza and Foothills Spirit IPA!

There’s exciting news to begin the week (thanks Steve!) as our very own hometown of Raleigh makes Number 6 on VinePair’s list of the world’s top 10 beer destinations for 2019! Next we have The Week’s recap of Stephen Colbert’s revelation that the government shutdown is coming for your beer, followed by The Mirror reporting that Icelandair is launching a new craft beer for passengers, and then Boston.com reveals that a New England state was just named the craft beer capital of the U.S. We close up the bar with The Las Vegas Review-Journal’s profile of guitarist and craft beer entrepreneur Keri Kelli talking rock ’n’ roll and beer and Westword’s ten bold predictions for craft beer in 2019!

Last week we wondered “what are your New Year’s (Beers) resolutions?” Dovetailing with the news this week, we want to know “what are your big beer predictions for 2019?”

We so love hearing from you! Please send in feedback and beer suggestions by calling us at (919) 502-0280, Tweeting us, following our Instagram or friending us on Untappd, posting on and liking our Facebook page, or emailing us! And please rate & review us in iTunes or Stitcher if you haven’t done so!

 

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What a party we had with our 2018 Holiday Extravaganza! It was so much fun and work that we took off the last week of the year before opening up the bar, cleaning the mess, and kicking back just the two of us! To celebrate the new year, we have light and refreshing cider and beer: Austin Eastciders Texas Brut Cider,  Lagunitas Daytime IPA, and Sierra Nevada Brut IPA!

The news is on the light side like our beverages this week, starting with The Motley Fool revealing that the BA’s craft beer definition is changing (again!). Next Paste (thanks Michael!) examines an endangered beer style: American Stout. Then The Guardian (thanks Frank!) has a terrific profile of two Native American women who are upending craft beer, and we close with The New York Times’ pricewatch showing where to get a 6-pack of beer for $26!

Last week we wondered “what frosty malt goodies did you imbibe for the holidays? What did Santa bring you? (Hopefully some beer too!)” To start the new year right, this week’s #caskquiz asks you to reveal “what are your New Year’s (Beers) resolutions?”

We so love hearing from you! Please send in feedback and beer suggestions by calling us at (919) 502-0280, Tweeting us, following our Instagram or friending us on Untappd, posting on and liking our Facebook page, or emailing us! And please rate & review us in iTunes or Stitcher if you haven’t done so!

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Ho ho ho! We are celebrating the season with so many of our friends from the year in our 6th annual Holiday Extravaganza! The little bar is filled with wonderful folks and terrific special beers from everyone’s secret stashes, and it’s a scene not to be missed! Plus it’s our last show for 2018, so as we sing (and you can sing along too!) “we wish you a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!”

We wind up 2018’s news in fun fashion, beginning with Punch (thanks Rob!) sharing the Proustian allure of the Miller High Life! Next we have The Sacramento Bee reminding us don’t listen to the naysayers, craft is here to stay! We close out the year with The Denver Post making a final toast to 3.2 beer, a relic but also a way to help kids learn about booze!

Last week we wondered “are you a lager or ale person and what characteristics does that entail for you?” For our last #caskquiz of the year we want to know “what frosty malt goodies did you imbibe for the holidays? What did Santa bring you? (Hopefully some beer too!)”

We so love hearing from you! Please send in feedback and beer suggestions by calling us at (919) 502-0280, Tweeting us, following our Instagram or friending us on Untappd, posting on and liking our Facebook page, or emailing us! And please rate & review us in iTunes or Stitcher if you haven’t done so!

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Category:Tales From the Cask -- posted at: 6:00am EDT

It seems like forever since we had our friends from DuClaw Brewing on, and we have a plethora or beers to prove it! Our buddy Kris Harper stops by and shares the latest news from Balmer, plus he has a six-pack of deliciousness to share! We get to try Purple Passion, Sour Me Peach Sherbet, Strawberry Letter 23, Retribution 2018, Caramel Cookie Retribution and Devil’s Due!

In the world of beer news, we start with Ad Age sharing the amazing feat wherein an imported beer brand tricks Facebook’s Search, followed by Digital Trends revealing that LG is rolling out the barrels at CES 2019 with a craft beer machine. We then have The St. Louis Post-Dispatch reporting that Schlafly Beer has apologized to 4 Hands Brewing Co. for 'derogatory' claims in anonymous newsletter, and then The New York Post says that your favorite beer says a lot more about you than you think. We wind up the week with Boston.com asking would you like free tunes with your beer? and Grapevine visiting geothermal beer in Hveragerði’s Ölverk Brew Pub!

Last week we wondered “if you could pair your dream band/brewer combination, what would it be? What would the beer style be?” This week we follow up on the ale/lager survey from the news and ask “are you a lager or ale person and what characteristics does that entail for you?”

We so love hearing from you! Please send in feedback and beer suggestions by calling us at (919) 502-0280, Tweeting us, following our Instagram or friending us on Untappd, posting on and liking our Facebook page, or emailing us! And please rate & review us in iTunes or Stitcher if you haven’t done so!

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Category:Tales From the Cask -- posted at: 6:00am EDT

He’s back America! Yes, our co-founder Tony Walldroff is in the house this week and has some scintillating Sierra Nevada to taste! Tony starts out by filling us in on his new adventures with Sierra, and then he relates the really amazing story of Butte County IPA and the 1000+ brewers helping victims of the Camp Fire. And we get to try wonderful beers for the holidays: Tequila Barrel-Aged Otra Vez, Holiday Haze IPA, Winter Warmer Lager, and Coffee Stout!

The news begins with our old standby MegaMergerManiaTM courtesy of VinePair sharing that with unregulated draft lines and AB InBev investments, Chinese craft beer is at a crossroads! Next we have The Richmond Times-Dispatch reporting that Deschutes won't break ground on a Roanoke brewery in 2019, followed by The BBC revealing that Yellow Belly beer could be discontinued over a trademark dispute. We head over to Forbes visiting a California bakery making bread out of beer, then The Voice of America says new tariffs are tapping into the US craft beer industry. We wind up the week with Food & Wine (thanks sfringer!) stating that Dogfish Head is naming a new brew ‘Possibly the Next Top Rated Beer on BeerAdvocate’ and The USA Today grooving us with a new Grateful Dead beer brewed with granola!

Last week’s we were curious “are you going to try to find some of the Sierra Nevada 1000+ brewery collaboration brew Resilience Butte County Proud IPA? How about brewing some?” This week we invade your record collection and want to know “if you could pair your dream band/brewer combination, what would it be? What would the beer style be?”

We so love hearing from you! Please send in feedback and beer suggestions by calling us at (919) 502-0280, Tweeting us, following our Instagram or friending us on Untappd, posting on and liking our Facebook page, or emailing us! And please rate & review us in iTunes or Stitcher if you haven’t done so!

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Category:Tales From the Cask -- posted at: 6:00am EDT

As we unwind after our Thanksgiving feasts, we kick back and relax in the bar with some wonderful seasonal cheer courtesy of our friends from Anchor, Foothills, and Lagunitas! We sample three taste treats: Anchor Christmas 2018, Foothills BA Sexual Chocolate with Coffee, and Lagunitas Willetized Coffee Stout!

The news begins this week with a cool piece from Business Insider featuring our friends (and previous guests) Jen and Wendy Yuengling, who share an inside joke that completely explains their business philosophy! Next up is CNBC sharing an invention that keeps bottled beer cold, did $1M in sales in 10 days, and scored a million-dollar deal on 'Shark Tank', followed by The St. Louis Business Journal reporting that Phyllis Schlafly's heirs have lost their trademark appeal over a St. Louis craft brewery's name. We wind down with artsy showing craft breweries who are tapping artists to turn labels into works of art and The USA Today revealing that more than 1,000 breweries have answered Sierra Nevada's call for Camp Fire relief beer! Wow!

Last week’s news about cannabis drove the #caskquiz asking “does seeing a politician drinking a beer make you like them more? Or do you think he or she is just trying to get drinkers’ votes?” This week we want to know “are you going to try to find some of the Sierra Nevada 1000+ brewery collaboration brew Resilience Butte County Proud IPA? How about brewing some?”

We so love hearing from you! Please send in feedback and beer suggestions by calling us at (919) 502-0280, Tweeting us, following our Instagram or friending us on Untappd, posting on and liking our Facebook page, or emailing us! And please rate & review us in iTunes or Stitcher if you haven’t done so!

Direct download: talesfromthecask289.mp3
Category:Tales From the Cask -- posted at: 6:00am EDT

We can’t believe it’s been so long since our buddy Wil Cooper from Coronado Brewing joined us in the bar! Wil tells us what he has been up to, and lets us know about the latest and greatest from southern California! And as always he brings along terrific brews: Weekend Vibes IPA, Never Better DIPA, Early Bird Cold Brew Milk Stout, and Coronado’s classic first collaboration (with Libertine Brewing) Shared Waters Sour Blonde Ale!

It’s a financial set of news sources, but don’t worry - there isn’t much finance to worry with! We begin with a couple of stories from Forbes - first up we learn that American craft beer is being inspired by Japanese sake, and then we pivot to find that a new Denver brewery is the world's first devoted to grapes and oenobeers! Next The Chicago Tribune reveals that as craft beer sales slow, Two Brothers and other brewers are launching into spirits, while Fortune reports that the BA’s definition of craft brewing may change. Again! We close up the newstime via the dictionary and Merriam-Webster’s list from 'ale' to 'zymurgy' or 8 words about beer!

For last week’s #caskquiz we wanted to know your preference for bottle tops: screw-cap or pop-top? This week we are curious if you were celebrating the election results or drowning your sorrows, and what were you drinking?

We so love hearing from you! Please send in feedback and beer suggestions by calling us at (919) 502-0280, Tweeting us, following our Instagram or friending us on Untappd, posting on and liking our Facebook page, or emailing us! And please rate & review us in iTunes or Stitcher if you haven’t done so!

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Category:Tales From the Cask -- posted at: 6:00am EDT

It’s Halloween and we are on the road to celebrate Samhain with our friends Patrick Woodson and Roxanne Bellamy at a wonderful place to trick or treat: Brewery Bhavana! Patrick tells us all about the awesome brews he is concocting, and Roxanne lets us in on all the latest buzz-worthy news and events at the brewery! Then we share some astonishingly great treats including Pulp IPA, Cart IPA, Bounty 2018, Patina Dark, and Cellar Door No. 3!

Repudiating the thread from last week’s news, we begin this week with a wonderful profile via VinePair on Carol Stoudt from Stoudt’s Brewing, aka ‘The Mother Of Craft Beer’, showing that women in beer are a powerful force. Next we have The Takeout asking Kate “why don’t all beer bottles have screw caps?” We follow that with Food & WIne (thanks @foolintherain!) with what seems like a weekly appearance by BrewDog, and their announcement of the ‘World’s First Craft Beer Airline’. We close the week out with The Growler detailing the evolution of brewing tech and innovations that have redefined beer in the modern age, and local news about Red Hat, IBM and craft beer from ZDNet, who talks software and beer and what open source and craft brewing have in common.

For last week’s #caskquiz we wanted to hear your take on the lead news story regarding the shutdown of the women-only beer forum: was it justified and should they have had to pay? This week we want to know your preference for bottle tops: screw-cap or pop-top?

We so love hearing from you! Please send in feedback and beer suggestions by calling us at (919) 502-0280, Tweeting us, following our Instagram or friending us on Untappd, posting on and liking our Facebook page, or emailing us! And please rate & review us in iTunes or Stitcher if you haven’t done so!

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Category:Tales From the Cask -- posted at: 6:00am EDT

It’s almost Halloween so of course we decide to charge ahead to trying some whales from the holidays of yore with our friend and co-worker Daniel Menestres! Daniel shares his Belgian background, relates how he got in the beer business, and then opens his vault to us with three terrific aged brews: 2013 Tröeg’s Mad Elf, 2014 Anchor Christmas, and 2015 Prairie Christmas Bomb!

The news begins with another sign of the times courtesy of Vice reporting that a women-only craft beer forum has been shut down by a “men’s rights activist”. Next up Market Exclusive has a story on how BrewDog has launched the first cryptocurrency bar that accepts Bitcoin for drinks! Then we head to Chi-town via The Chicago Tribune (thanks Scott!) revealing that a Planters peanut IPA collaboration with Chicago brewer Noon Whistle tastes better than a gimmick! Then we close the week with The Miami Herald going over to OKC to find that not all Oklahoma brewpubs are offering higher ABV beers!

You have great responses to last week’s #caskquiz “have you been influenced to purchase beer or cider to support a cause? Which products and causes?” This week we are curious about your take on the lead story regarding the shut down of the women-only beer forum. Was this justified?

We so love hearing from you! Please send in feedback and beer suggestions by calling us at (919) 502-0280, Tweeting us, following our Instagram or friending us on Untappd, posting on and liking our Facebook page, or emailing us! And please rate & review us in iTunes or Stitcher if you haven’t done so!

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Category:Tales From the Cask -- posted at: 6:00am EDT

The boys from Michigan are back in town! Yes it’s Aaron Lanctot and Kirby Dean from Blake’s Hard Cider Company! They share the latest from the world of cider, and they debut the amazing FIDO (Latin for faithfulness)! It’s the second release in the #KinderCider series, made in support of non-profits that pair veterans and shelter animals.

We start with some downer news, then we build back to the fun we love. The downer comes via Indy Week reporting that after four decades, All About Beer Magazine Is shutting down. Next, scary potential news arrives from The New York Times (thanks mhjell!) with the potential that heat and drought could threaten the world beer supply. We then go to a happier place, your local brewpub, with The Washington Post (thanks Frank!) sharing tips on what parents should do, and not do, when taking kids to a brewery. We wind down the week with Motley Fool recommending beer stocks that can defend your portfolio, NPR’s good news that consumers say they'll pay more for sustainable beer, and lastly The Hollywood Reporter’s  profile of a Disney child star-turned-brewer who is trying to make mead cool!

You have some tons of terrific responses to last week’s #caskquiz “what’s your fave IPA style?” This week we are asking “have you been influenced to purchase beer or cider to support a cause? Which products and causes?”

We so love hearing from you! Please send in feedback and beer suggestions by calling us at (919) 502-0280, Tweeting us, following our Instagram or friending us on Untappd, posting on and liking our Facebook page, or emailing us! And please rate & review us in iTunes or Stitcher if you haven’t done so!

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Category:Tales From the Cask -- posted at: 6:00am EDT

Jenn revs up the DeLorean this week and travels back to Warren, MI to visit with our friends from Kuhnhenn Brewing! Eric Senior, Eric Junior, and Bret all sit down and discuss what’s been brewing and open a rare 2013 4th Dementia to taste! Then Jenn zips back and brings out a Barrel-Aged Cherry Oud Bruin that she shares with Chip, generating much rejoicing in the bar!

The news begins with more MegaMergerMania via The Watauga Democrat revealing that Appalachian Mountain Brewing and two other breweries have sold to Craft Brew Alliance. Next up is a follow up to last week’s Lagunitas layoff news from Munchies asking do the layoffs signal trouble for big craft beer? Then we go overseas with Food & Wine reporting that Europe’s craft beer associations have formed their own union, and The Japan Times profiling Japan’s craft beer scene, 25 years in the making. We close the week with Fortune forecasting that if you like IPAs, you'll love craft beer's upcoming trends!

You have some terrific responses to last week’s #caskquiz “what’s your fall/Oktoberfest beer for 2018?” This week we want to know “what’s your fave IPA style?”

We so love hearing from you! Please send in feedback and beer suggestions by calling us at (919) 502-0280, Tweeting us, following our Instagram or friending us on Untappd, posting on and liking our Facebook page, or emailing us! And please rate & review us in iTunes or Stitcher if you haven’t done so!

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Category:Tales From the Cask -- posted at: 6:00am EDT

It’s Ballast Point time in the bar this week courtesy of our friend Spencer Kilgore! Spencer reveals his beer origins, talks about the latest offerings from the brewery, and shares a couple of treats: White Wine Barrel-Aged Sour Wench and High West Barrel-Aged Victory at Sea!

Newstime begins with some sadness from the Petaluma Argus Courier in that Lagunitas Brewing is planning to cut 12 percent of its workforce. Next up Bloomberg is reporting that with the rise of Helles lagers, craft brewers are embracing subtlety. Then we have The Chicago Tribune demonstrating why the intersection of coffee and beer has become a dominant force in craft brewing, followed by The LA Times’ piece revealing that France has (finally) discovered craft beer. We close with the news that we won an honorable mention from the North American Guild of Beer Writers in their podcast award category at the GABF!

We love your answers to last week’s #caskquiz “what’s your take on the Gaffigan story? Humorous or no?” Given the time of year, this week we want to know “what’s your fall/Oktoberfest beer for 2018?”

We so love hearing from you! Please send in feedback and beer suggestions by calling us at (919) 502-0280, Tweeting us, following our Instagram or friending us on Untappd, posting on and liking our Facebook page, or emailing us! And please rate & review us in iTunes or Stitcher if you haven’t done so!

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Category:Tales From the Cask -- posted at: 6:00am EDT

We love making new friends in the beer world and it’s so easy when you share wonderful frosty malt beverages! This week we do it again with Andrew Goliwas from Lagunitas! Andrew talks about his journey into the beer business and his time with Lagunitas, and then he has some super beers for us to try: Passion Grass, Mozango, and SuperCluster!

In the news, we go financial via Alphaville (from The Financial Times) exploring the UK’s craft beer euphoria. Next up VinePair schools us with The Definitive Craft Beer Urban Dictionary. Then we examine the all in fun “controversy” that starts with CBS when Jim Gaffigan makes the case for beer that tastes like beer, and the reaction is wild! We have two examples of the buzz, starting with Paste saying Jim Gaffigan's anti-craft beer op-ed is equal parts pointless and short-sighted, and then Food & Wine asks why does Jim Gaffigan hate craft beer so much?

We love your answers to last week’s #caskquiz “what’s your optimal can (or bottle) size for craft beer?” This week we want to know “what’s your take on the Gaffigan story? Humorous or no?”

We so love hearing from you! Please send in feedback and beer suggestions by calling us at (919) 502-0280, Tweeting us, following our Instagram or friending us on Untappd, posting on and liking our Facebook page, or emailing us! And please rate & review us in iTunes or Stitcher if you haven’t done so!

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Category:Tales From the Cask -- posted at: 6:00am EDT

We are so excited about the success we have had with our friends from Hardywood Park Craft Brewery! And we celebrate this week with our Hardywood friend (and Mims alum) Scott Apicella! Scott reveals all the latest from Virginia and opens a cooler filled with treats: Cuvee Gold, Farmhouse Pumpkin, Crasseux Grisette, and Prim Looking Stargazer!

There is much fun news for us in the beer world this week beginning in The Houston Chronicle’s profile of a a San Antonio company that is taking its bakery-to-brewery model nationwide! We follow that with VinePair showing us that ‘stovepipe’ cans are here because craft beer wants to party, and then The Advocate (Baton Rouge) praises thirty-three breweries that are releasing one collaborative brew for Louisiana Craft Beer Week! Next up is The Marin Independent Journal on craft beer culture lagging in Europe, followed by Eureka Alert having a prehistoric thirst for craft beer. We wind down the week with The Dayton Daily News demonstrating why Warped Wing's beers went globe-trotting on vacation and People Magazine (!) and the news that the famous NY bar Black Tap is serving an over-the-top “Mean Girls” milkshake and it's so fetch!

We love your answers to last week’s #caskquiz “what’s your coolest beer gadget? High tech or low!” This week we want to know “what’s your optimal can (or bottle) size for craft beer?”

We so love hearing from you! Please send in feedback and beer suggestions by calling us at (919) 502-0280, Tweeting us, following our Instagram or friending us on Untappd, posting on and liking our Facebook page, or emailing us! And please rate & review us in iTunes or Stitcher if you haven’t done so!

Direct download: talesfromthecask279.mp3
Category:Tales From the Cask -- posted at: 6:00am EDT

Are we gadget people? You know we are! And we get to scratch our gear itch with cool tech from our friend Chris Lorkowski, who is CEO of BruVue! He tells us about the company’s origins, and then he shows us how the BruVue system tracks draft beer sales and inventory. Then we kick back and sample delicious treats including Blake’s Rosé Cider, Bear Republic Brut Squad IPA, and Roak French Toast Devil Dog Oatmeal Stout!

We begin the news with a reply to last week’s story about low craft beer pricing from Vinepair,  with their belief that craft beer is getting cheaper, and that’s a good thing. Next is Eater Chicago’s historical review of how the Cicerone Certification Program has changed craft beer service across America, followed by The LA Times’ (and our friend John Holl!) opinion that when it comes to beer, 'craft' isn't always synonym for 'good'. Then (appropriate to this week’s guest) we move to Digital Trends asking can a tabletop Krups keg really deliver a perfect pour? We wind up the week with The Daily Telegraph on a pint of beer for £22 that is worth every penny and The Motley Fool on why big beer stocks are struggling.

We have your answers to last week’s #caskquiz “do you think craft brewers should be competing on price against each other? Against the megabrewers? Does that lower perceived value of craft?” And for this week we want to know “what’s your coolest beer gadget? High tech or low!”

 

We so love hearing from you! Please send in feedback and beer suggestions by calling us at (919) 502-0280, Tweeting us, following our Instagram or friending us on Untappd, posting on and liking our Facebook page, or emailing us! And please rate & review us in iTunes or Stitcher if you haven’t done so!

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Category:Tales From the Cask -- posted at: 6:00am EDT

Four years has been the blink of an eye to us since we talked with Ted Dwyer and Bill Gerds from Lynnwood Brewing Concern! Amazing! So this week we fire up the T-Bird and head over to their production brewery near downtown Raleigh to find out all the latest, plus we hear about all the awards they have won! And we get to sample both the Holus Bolus Sour and Australian Pale Ale!

What a challenge culling the news - seems like everyone is back to work! We start with two from Forbes: in the first we learn that some craft breweries are defying convention by beginning to drop prices, and in the second we take a trip in the Delorean to try a beer from the Middle Ages! Next we go sporty via ESPN’s score that the Atlanta Falcons are going to sell $5 craft pale ale at home games this season! Then it’s Fortune’s visit to the last Blockbuster Video in America, which is getting its own craft beer, followed by The ABA Journal (thanks sfringer!) affirming that In-N-Out Burger has sent a pun-filled letter to a beer maker to address a 'brewing' trademark issue. We wind down the week on CNBC reporting that BrewDog is launching a video-on-demand network with original content!

We have your answers to last week’s #caskquiz “what’s your take on ownership with all the different structures? Do these definitions matter in the craft world?” This week we want to know “do you think craft brewers should be competing on price against each other? Against the megabrewers? Does that lower perceived value of craft?”

We so love hearing from you! Please send in feedback and beer suggestions by calling us at (919) 502-0280, Tweeting us, following our Instagram or friending us on Untappd, posting on and liking our Facebook page, or emailing us! And please rate & review us in iTunes or Stitcher if you haven’t done so!

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Category:Tales From the Cask -- posted at: 6:00am EDT

We are delighted to welcome back our old friend and colleague Ryan Trask from one of our favorite NC brewers, Olde Hickory! Ryan reveals all the news from western NC and has a cooler full of terrific beers for us: Summer Sonker, Oktoberfest, Auxo, and Imperial Stout!

The news begins with a pair of stories from who else, VinePair! First up is a terrific thought piece that proposes craft beer was built on an us-versus-them ethos and now it’s tearing us apart. The second reveals five things no one wants to say about Italian craft beer. Then we pivot to Science Daily (thanks Bill D!) reporting on scientists who have debuted a super-insulating gel made from beer waste! Next Food & Wine shows us the most popular category at this year’s GABF, and we close with The Cincinnati Enquirer’s visit to an Ohio craft beer hotel!

We have your answers to last week’s #caskquiz “does it matter if A-B InBev is the biggest craft beer producer?” This week we ask “what’s your take on ownership with all the different structures? Are you an us or them partisan?”

We so love hearing from you! Please send in feedback and beer suggestions by calling us at (919) 502-0280, Tweeting us, following our Instagram or friending us on Untappd, posting on and liking our Facebook page, or emailing us! And please rate & review us in iTunes or Stitcher if you haven’t done so!

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Category:Tales From the Cask -- posted at: 6:00am EDT

It’s Texas time again in Mayberry and our friend Ryan Mcaulay has ridden up from Austin EastCiders to share some delicious cider with us! We learn all about the explosive growth of the cidery and we taste the amazing Spiced Cider!

MegaMergerMania™
The Chicago Tribune: Anheuser-Busch on its way to becoming king of craft beer too
St. Louis Post-Dispatch: Want to open a craft brewery? Having great beer isn't enough to get a loan
NBC 7 San Diego: 9 Beers Inspired By San Diego's Music Scene
Travel + Leisure: This Icelandic Craft Beer Is Made From a Giant Whale Testicle
The News & Observer: This app will pay you to go out for a beer

We have your answers to last week’s #caskquiz “what’s the lowest price you have paid for a craft beer?” This week we want you to tell us “what’s the lowest price you have paid for a craft beer?”

We so love hearing from you! Please send in feedback and beer suggestions by calling us at (919) 502-0280, Tweeting us, following our Instagram or friending us on Untappd, posting on and liking our Facebook page, or emailing us! And please rate & review us in iTunes or Stitcher if you haven’t done so!

Direct download: talesfromthecask275.mp3
Category:Tales From the Cask -- posted at: 6:00am EDT

We can’t believe we are saying goodbye this week to one of the triumvirate of our show, and yet here we are waving sayonara to Tony! He is moving over to the dark side (aka brewery side) with our friends from Sierra Nevada, and so of course we decided to have a party with friends who have been with us from the start!  We welcome old-timers Aubrey Herbert & Joe Zonin - plus newcomer Connor Desmonds! To help make it extra special, Jenn and Aubrey raided their secret stashes for some epic whales: Rodenbach Vintage 2012, Sierra Nevada Barrel-Aged Narwhal 2015, Beer Geek Speedway Stout Mikkeller/Alesmith Collab 2014, and a Sierra Nevada Bigfoot 2008!

The news was easy with the help from our intrepid staff (that would be you guys!) culling the beer world for stories! We start with one from Chip via The Washington Post asking that if craft beer is booming, is that bad news for the U.S. economy? Next Bill D finds from Gallup that Americans still favor beer over other alcoholic beverages! Then we get a companion set from Frank C and the Toronto Star with the news that Ontario Premier Doug Ford says there will be buck-a-beer by Labour Day weekend, although he should have asked first because craft brewers have turned him down! Finally Michael R has Food & Wine’s list of the 25 most important American craft beers ever brewed, and Scott F sends us VinePair’s question for 10 brewers: what’s the best stadium beer?

We have your answers to last week’s #caskquiz “what beer have you found this summer that has dazzled you?” This week we want you to tell us “what’s the lowest price you have paid for a craft beer?”

We so love hearing from you! Please send in feedback and beer suggestions by calling us at (919) 502-0280, Tweeting us, following our Instagram or friending us on Untappd, posting on and liking our Facebook page, or emailing us! And please rate & review us in iTunes or Stitcher if you haven’t done so!

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Category:Tales From the Cask -- posted at: 6:00am EDT

We are all about local when it comes to beers we love, and this week we are celebrating NC brews with our friend Jasmine Bamlet with the NC Brewers Guild! Jasmine talks about all the incredible growth in NC brewing, and she has some NC goodness to try with us: New Sarum Lemon Shandy; Resident Culture  Kids on Holiday, Whatever You Feel Just Dance It, & Secret Feelings; plus Sierra Nevada Alpha Hop Barrel-Aged Brett Saison!

Opening the news this week is VinePair (thanks Michael R!) revealing 10 telltale signs you’re in a legit brewery. Next we have Food & Wine reporting that Stone Brewing has opened another taproom, and it’s in China! Then we go to Westword’s list of seven trendy beer styles that are catching on and one that isn’t, and we wind up with The Takeout on Anheuser-Busch's new initiative: improving diversity in beer stock photos!

We have your first answers to last week’s #caskquiz which we are carrying over this week: “what beer have you found this summer that has dazzled you?”

We so love hearing from you! Please send in feedback and beer suggestions by calling us at (919) 502-0280, Tweeting us, following our Instagram or friending us on Untappd, posting on and liking our Facebook page, or emailing us! And please rate & review us in iTunes or Stitcher if you haven’t done so!

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Category:Tales From the Cask -- posted at: 6:00am EDT

Now that Chip has made another triumphant return from San Diego Comic-Con, it’s time to kick back and relax with great brews from Roak, Fatheads, and Raleigh’s Brewery Bhavana! The treats are Roak Ice Cream Man,  Fatheads Headhunter IPA, and Brewery Bhavana Burrow!

We start the news on the lighter side, of beer that is! The Chicago Tribune asks can craft brewers make good light beer? Next up we learn that Forbes believes that the craft beer marketing is maturing, while Foodbev Media is reporting that soft drinks and craft beer are fueling canned drinks growth in the UK. We close up in the Great White North with Food in Canada showing that barley research could benefit craft brewers, while Now Toronto reveals how Canadian indie bands are cashing in on craft beer fests!

We have your answers to last week’s #caskquiz which we carried over from the previous week: “have you ever traded beer with a stranger? What was swapped?” This week we want to know “what beer have you found this summer that has dazzled you?”

We so love hearing from you! Please send in feedback and beer suggestions by calling us at (919) 502-0280, Tweeting us, following our Instagram or friending us on Untappd, posting on and liking our Facebook page, or emailing us! And please rate & review us in iTunes or Stitcher if you haven’t done so!

Direct download: talesfromthecask272.mp3
Category:Tales From the Cask -- posted at: 6:00am EDT

There’s a pleasant cool breeze coming in from the Finger Lakes as Dan and Chad from Ithaca Beer Company join us at the bar.  We learn how Dan Mitchell started the brewery in Ithaca, NY in 1998 and grew it to cover 14 states.  They also fill us in on the latest happenings and releases and we sample Happy Pils and Cranbretty! 

We travel up north for the news this week as well, learning about a study from Cornell on why some people don’t have a taste for beer.  We also check out 8 hotels that are brewing their own beer and get some pointers on creating a great beer list.   It’s been 10 years since InBev bought AB and we see how they have been faring since. Finally we report on a Czech non-alcoholic beer that helps women with breast cancer.   

We are extending our #caskquiz from last week which was “Have you ever traded beer with a stranger?  What was swapped?” 

We so love hearing from you! Please send in feedback and beer suggestions by calling us at (919) 502-0280, Tweeting us, following our Instagram or friending us on Untappd, posting on and liking our Facebook page, or emailing us! And please rate & review us in iTunes or Stitcher if you haven’t done so!

Direct download: talesfromthecask271.mp3
Category:Tales From the Cask -- posted at: 6:00am EDT

He’s the owner of the coveted 10 timers jacket and he’s in the bar! Yes our good friend Joe Zonin returns to celebrate Carolina Brewing’s 23rd anniversary with us! Plus he shares some outstanding beers with us: Be Like Mike New England IPA, Irish Dry Stout, and a special treat, the Belgian-Style Quad Beer Army Collaboration!

At long last MegaMergerMania returns, in two stories! First up in The Drinks Business we learn that Australia’s Lion is acquiring London’s Fourpure Brewing, and we follow with Food & Wine reporting that six foreign craft beers owned by AB-InBev are about to make their US debut. Next up Craftbeer.com (thanks Michael Radziwon!) shows that Denver’s Brewability Lab is giving special needs adults a job and purpose, then The New York Post profiles a female beer sommelier, and The New York Times uncovers America’s craft beer diplomacy. We close over at Call to the Pen where we see the San Francisco Giants are charging nearly $20 for craft beer!

We have your answers to last week’s #caskquiz which asked “do you have a beer cellar? Is it organized?” This week we want to know “have you ever traded beer with a stranger? What was swapped?”

We so love hearing from you! Please send in feedback and beer suggestions by calling us at (919) 502-0280, Tweeting us, following our Instagram or friending us on Untappd, posting on and liking our Facebook page, or emailing us! And please rate & review us in iTunes or Stitcher if you haven’t done so!

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This week Tony and Jenn invite fellow Mims employee and beer adventurer Dave Burrows back to the show to fill in the cohost spot while Chip is on vacation.  Dave regales us with stories of his latest beer trips and brings us some amazing brews to try.  We head to Massachusetts favorite Treehouse and try their Very Green DIPA then cross the country to sample two Colorado brews, Paradox Arno Palmer and Trinity President’s Club.  Rounding out the lineup is  Central Waters BA Barleywine from Wisconsin. 

It’s a diverse news week as well!  We learn about Canadian beer standards from Food Safety News, find out that PBR could possibly be without a brewer and get a list of the best beer cocktails.  We also cover a great story about Dairy farms finding new opportunities as breweries. 

Last week our #caskquiz was “have you ever invested in a brewery or bought stock? Which ones?” This week we want to know: “Have you ever visited a farm brewery?  Which one?” 

We so love hearing from you! Please send in feedback and beer suggestions by calling us at (919) 502-0280, Tweeting us, following our Instagram or friending us on Untappd, posting on and liking our Facebook page, or emailing us! And please rate & review us in iTunes or Stitcher if you haven’t done so!

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We have always wanted to be...ACTING! And this week we get the chance when we go live from the Raleigh Little Theatre! Starring brews form Sycamore, Starpoint, and Anchor! Featuring theatre mogul Charles Phaneuf plus two good friends from the charity event Groove in the Garden: Adam Lindstaedt and Nick LaRock! And we have props on stage including Sycamore Strawberry Lemonade Gose, Starpoint 12 Parsecs Session IPA, and Anchor SanFranPsycho IPA!

 

In the beer news, we go financial with The Motley Fool and learn how to invest in craft beer! Next up Paste (thanks sfringer!) reveals that craft breweries are teaming up to raise funds for the ACLU with "People Power" beers, and then Forbes pictures beer being more popular than wine in 48 states on Instagram! We close in the world of baseball, first via The Mercury News with the excitement that beer lovers will enjoy A’s turning back the clock on seat alcohol sales, and finally MLB.com introduces Gabby DiMarco, the fan who caught a foul ball in her beer and finished it!

We have your answers to last week’s #caskquiz which asked “what’s your 2018 summer band tour/beer pairing?” This week we want to know “have you ever invested in a brewery or bought stock? Which ones?”

We so love hearing from you! Please send in feedback and beer suggestions by calling us at (919) 502-0280, Tweeting us, following our Instagram or friending us on Untappd, posting on and liking our Facebook page, or emailing us! And please rate & review us in iTunes or Stitcher if you haven’t done so!

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With the arrival or meteorological summer on June 1, what better time to taste the latest from cool Asheville, NC! Our good friend Peter Bassett from Wicked Weed joins us and his cooler is packed with some terrific beers: Imperial Coolcumber, Artistry II, Persistence, Fraise Morte,  and Sandiaca!

We have beer news! To start with, Food and Wine reveals the most popular beer trends of 2018 (so far). Next up is The Denver Post reporting that the price of canned beer will rise — and so could cost of public projects in Colorado as new tariffs on steel and aluminum take effect. Then The USA Today shows us Milwaukee breweries from classic to craft, and we close the week with Forbes on Lagunitas Brewing’s successful formula of craft beer and music!

We have you answers to last week’s #caskquiz which asked “does the term ‘craft’ mean anything to you applied to a product other than beer? If so what?” This week we want to know “what’s your 2018 summer band tour/beer pairing?”

We so love hearing from you! Please send in feedback and beer suggestions by calling us at (919) 502-0280, Tweeting us, following our Instagram or friending us on Untappd, posting on and liking our Facebook page, or emailing us! And please rate & review us in iTunes or Stitcher if you haven’t done so!

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Tony and Jenn make a triumphant return to the soggy lands bearing gifts from von Trapp, Wicked Weed and Ballast Point! If only they could sing like the Von Trapp kids! We share a delectable treat from that family, namely the Von Trapp Double IPL! Plus we have both Wicked Weed Astronomical IPA and Ballast Point Moscow Mule!

In the news we begin with Reuters reporting that beer is not beneficial according to a German court. Next we have The Chicago Tribune revealing that Indiana convenience stores have found a new way around a cold beer ban. Then it’s The Daily Beast (thanks to @choverstad!) asking why does the price of a craft beer vary so widely? And we close with The Independent showing why farmers are trying to turn 'craft beef' into the next craft beer!

We have you answers to last week’s #caskquiz which asked “if you knew a beer had locally sourced ingredients would that make you more likely to purchase it?” and this week we want to know “does the term ‘craft’ mean anything to you applied to a product other than beer? If so what?”

We so love hearing from you! Please send in feedback and beer suggestions by calling us at (919) 502-0280, Tweeting us, following our Instagram or friending us on Untappd, posting on and liking our Facebook page, or emailing us! And please rate & review us in iTunes or Stitcher if you haven’t done so!

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We love heading west to Winston-Salem to see our friends from Foothills Brewing, and this week our friend Shawn Densmore brings Foothills to our little bar! Shawn discusses all the latest from the brewery, and he brings us two delectable treats to sample: Thousand Smiles and Tangled Vine Rose!

But first it’s news time courtesy of VinePair’s piece on a malt pioneer revolutionizing how New England craft brewers think about their grains. Next is The USA Today unveiling PicoBrew’s new craft beer appliance that can brew it all — even kombucha! Then we have New York Magazine mapping out craft beer in Beijing and where to drink it and we wind down with The Daily Telegraph reporting that women in the UK are increasingly drinking beer at home.

We are carrying over the #caskquiz from last week which asked “do you agree with Pete Coors that the hard-line stance of the BA ultimately hurts all beer?”

We so love hearing from you! Please send in feedback and beer suggestions by calling us at (919) 502-0280, Tweeting us, following our Instagram or friending us on Untappd, posting on and liking our Facebook page, or emailing us! And please rate & review us in iTunes or Stitcher if you haven’t done so!

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It’s a nice relaxy week in the bar as we open up the vaults with beers from the road including some from Hinterland and Stevens Point (thanks to Dan for both of these!) plus Two Roads! We get to taste Hinterland Door County Cherry Wheat, Hinterland Luna Coffee Stout, Stevens Point Milkshake Malt Porter, Two Roads Lil Heaven Session IPA, and Two Roads Road 2 Ruin DIPA!

It’s newstime this week beginning with Food and Wine revealing why small-batch beer releases are such a big deal for brewers. Next we have Space.com blasting off with the out-of-this-world Vostok space beer bottle, then The BBC reports that Tetley's beer is being brewed in Leeds after a six-year hiatus. We close with The Sacramento Bee’s report that local  craft brewers are bristling at a BUD-owned beer garden.

Then we have your responses to last week’s #caskquiz which asked “do you know a brewery that combines brewing with another activity/business like Division Brewing does? What brewery and what else do they do?” and this week we are asking “do you agree with Pete Coors that the hard-line stance of the BA ultimately hurts all beer?”

We so love hearing from you! Please send in feedback and beer suggestions by calling us at (919) 502-0280, Tweeting us, following our Instagram or friending us on Untappd, posting on and liking our Facebook page, or emailing us! And please rate & review us in iTunes or Stitcher if you haven’t done so!

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Category:Tales From the Cask -- posted at: 6:00am EDT

We finally take a breather from the road this week with our buddy Kirby Dean from Blake’s Hard Cider Company! Kirby tells us about his background on the dark side (distribution) and ho he moved toward the light of the supplier world. Then he shares the latest from Armada, and we get to try this delicious trio: Rainbow Seeker, Santa Rosa, and Wild Nova!

We lead with what we hope is the last word on the sad tale of Green Flash with The San Diego Union-Tribune reporting  what Green Flash's woes mean to craft beer. Next we have

The Wisconsin State Journal’s  interview with Josh Noel on his new book, Goose Island, and 'selling out' in the craft beer world. Then it’s The Denver Post and Pete Coors’ letter calling out “cheap shots” from Colorado craft brewers, and we wind up with The Examiner spotlighting the world’s oldest surviving beer revived from a 220-year-old shipwreck!

Then we have your responses to last week’s #caskquiz which asked “do you know a brewery that combines brewing with another activity/business like Division Brewing does? What brewery and what else do they do?” and this week we are asking “do you agree with Pete Coors that the hard-line stance of the BA ultimately hurts all beer?”

We so love hearing from you! Please send in feedback and beer suggestions by calling us at (919) 502-0280, Tweeting us, following our Instagram or friending us on Untappd, posting on and liking our Facebook page, or emailing us! And please rate & review us in iTunes or Stitcher if you haven’t done so!

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Category:Tales From the Cask -- posted at: 6:00am EDT

The Delorean is getting max mileage this year as Tony and Jenn leave Chip at the bar and head down east to visit the NC brewing pioneer Uli Bennewitz and our old buddy Greg Hirsch from Weeping Radish Farm Brewery! Uli tells us about how he got into the brewing business, all the changes he has seen, and then tries some treats with us:  OBX Kolsch, Corolla Gold Munich Style Helles, Yours Truli Wheat Ale, Red Ale, Black Radish Schwarzbier, IPA, and Doppelbock!  We also learn how he is working to promote the farm to table movement and craft food production and of course try some of their delicious charcuterie!

Our craft beer news starts with a hint of wine via Fox News reporting that a UK brewery is making craft beer with white wine. Next we have an international-flavored duo, first from The Denver Post revealing that in Denver the trend toward Mexican-inspired craft beer comes with a message, and second from The Billings Gazette introducing beer without borders when Brazilians pick up tips from Helena's craft brewers. We close out the week with The Boston Globe publishing an open letter to men who sell beer, from a woman who drinks it.

Then we have your responses to last week’s #caskquiz which asked “do you buy any “craft” consumer goods? What are they?” and this week we want to ask our female listeners “have you ever been mansplained at a bar or shop about beer? What happened?”

We so love hearing from you! Please send in feedback and beer suggestions by calling us at (919) 502-0280, Tweeting us, following our Instagram or friending us on Untappd, posting on and liking our Facebook page, or emailing us! And please rate & review us in iTunes or Stitcher if you haven’t done so!

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Category:Tales From the Cask -- posted at: 6:00am EDT

This week we drive over to Cary, NC to meet up with our friend Archie Gleason from Charlotte's Sycamore Brewing! Sycamore has hit central NC in a big way this month, and Archie relates the brewery’s origins and how he came to join them. Then we get to sample a delicious 4-pack: Southern Girl Blonde, Rainbow Dust IPA, Countryside IPA, and Mountain Candy IPA!

Legal news debuts this week via Trademarkyourbeer.com with all the details on the latest in the Stone vs. Keystone Lawsuit! Next up we have Forbes’s list of 16 fun facts about beer and taxes, followed by The Daily Beast asking (and answering) has American craft beer taken over the world? Then just for Tony we have NY Upstate revealing that bland beer is here to stay in the opinion of a SUNY Oswego professor, plus The BA’s chart of the fastest growing craft breweries of 2017, and we close with The Montgomery Advertiser defining Breweriana: antiquing for beer lovers!

Then we have your responses to last week’s #caskquiz which asked “what is the most you have paid for a beer at a concert or sporting event?” and this week we want to know “do you have a vintage piece of breweriana and if so what is it?”

We so love hearing from you! Please send in feedback and beer suggestions by calling us at (919) 502-0280, Tweeting us, following our Instagram or friending us on Untappd, posting on and liking our Facebook page, or emailing us! And please rate & review us in iTunes or Stitcher if you haven’t done so!

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We have another whale for you this week and it’s a big one! Sam Calagione, the founder of Dogfish Head Brewing, has come to town and he sits down with us to share some terrific beers and chat! Sam gives us his views on recent events in the craft beer world, talks about being a hotelier, and fills us in on the latest brews from Delaware!

We so love hearing from you! Please send in feedback and beer suggestions by calling us at (919) 502-0280, Tweeting us, following our Instagram or friending us on Untappd, posting on and liking our Facebook page, or emailing us! And please rate & review us in iTunes or Stitcher if you haven’t done so!

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We fire up the DeLorean again this week and visit redacted with our friends Ethan Boylan and Dan Bond from Lagunitas! The lads share the latest from Petaluma and Chi-Town, and they pony up some awesome whales for us: Plum and Jasmine Gose, Pineapple Yuzu, Sally, WTFarmhouse Sour w/Cherry, Cafe Con Leche Imperial Milk Stout, and a palate cleanse with the amazingly refreshing Sumpin’ Easy!

We open with a couple of sad news items this week, beginning with The San Diego Union-Tribune reporting that Green Flash is closing its Virginia Beach brewery and withdrawing from the East Coast. Then The BBC reveals that pubs are in danger, followed by better news in The Chicago Tribune that the US craft beer industry saw record openings — and closings — in 2017.  Next up: hemp news, first from The USA Today showing that craft brewers are tapping into cannabis-infused beers and then Forbes talking with Blue Moon's creator who aims to get customers Mile-High on his new brew. We close up with Forbes again offering to take you out to the ball game and Boston.com’s news that ‘New England-style’ beers might start winning more awards.

Then we have your responses to last week’s #caskquiz which asked “are you experiencing craft beer burnout, and if so what old-school beer are you returning to?” and this week we want to know “do you have a regular pub or watering hole that you frequent several times a week? Or do you usually consume at home?”

We so love hearing from you! Please send in feedback and beer suggestions by calling us at (919) 502-0280, Tweeting us, following our Instagram or friending us on Untappd, posting on and liking our Facebook page, or emailing us! And please rate & review us in iTunes or Stitcher if you haven’t done so!

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We took the show on the road this week to Durham to visit with long time listener and collaborator Bryan D Roth. We catch up and learn of Bryan’s latest explorations in the beer writing world and we delve a little deeper into his piece from Good Beer Hunting. Regarding the changing landscape of traditional beer distribution from several different and often competing perspectives. After our thought provoking discussion We try the new and NC Only Southern Gothic from Sierra Nevada, Coronado’s brand new and unique Coco Chaos, and we wrap up with a pecan pie imperial brown ale from Evolution craft brewing.[Text Wrapping Break][Text Wrapping Break]We hit the news hard this week starting with Mybeerbuzz.com’s note on an anticipated new brew from Bear Republic. We head over to Spectrum Local News who dishes out all the back and forth on twitter regarding basketball,beer and governors. Paste Magazine shows us the dark side of craft beer releases and Travel and Leisure has the inside scoop on a very Royal beer! We then went straight to the source and dove into the aforementioned three part series on modern beer distribution with Bryan Roth of Good Beer Hunting himself! 

Then we have your responses to last week’s #caskquiz which asked “do you think that the tariff on aluminum will change your beer purchases?” while this week we are asking ”have you interacted with your local distributor at a retail account?” 

We so love hearing from you! Please send in feedback and beer suggestions by calling us at (919) 502-0280, Tweeting us , following our Instagram or friending us on Untappd, posting on and liking our Facebook page, or emailing us! And please rate & review us in iTunes or Stitcher if you haven’t done so!

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Category:Tales From the Cask -- posted at: 6:00am EDT

Everything’s bigger in Texas, and that includes the awesome ciders from Austin Eastciders! Sales gurus Brad McKeever and Ryan McAulay join us in the bar and relate the story of the cidery, the scene in East Austin, and then they share delicious ciders with us: Original Dry, Blood Orange, Pineapple, and Texas Honey!

Much to Chip’s delight, econ news leads the week via The New York Times which asks will Trump’s tariff trade policy fit into a can of beer? Next we have Newsday showcasing an 'Atlas of Beer' that surveys beer culture around the world, followed by two BrewDog stories: one in The Sun reporting that BrewDog is facing backlash over its ‘new’ cheaper Pink IPA beer for girls and the other from ABC News on BrewDog’s crowdfunded craft beer hotel opening this summer in Ohio! We wind up the week with Forbes showing that  hard cider sales slipped and then rebounded!

Then we have your responses to last week’s #caskquiz which asked ”what’s the funkiest alcohol sales rule where you live?” while this week we are asking “do you think that the tariff on aluminum will change your beer purchases?”

We so love hearing from you! Please send in feedback and beer suggestions by calling us at (919) 502-0280, Tweeting us , following our Instagram or friending us on Untappd, posting on and liking our Facebook page, or emailing us! And please rate & review us in iTunes or Stitcher if you haven’t done so!

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Category:Tales From the Cask -- posted at: 6:00am EDT

This week we are so excited to introduce an old friend from a new partner brewery - it’s Greg Leone from Michigan’s Roak Brewing! Greg gives us all the skinny on the doings in Royal Oak and tells us how much he misses living in NC! Plus: shorts! Then we get to sample three crazy good brews: Live Wire IPA, Devil Dog Oatmeal Stout, and HopGazer IPA!

Craft beer and health are at the top of the newshour via Fox News revealing that craft beer drinkers have healthier habits than non-craft drinkers. Next up The Financial Times reports that the US craft beer slowdown has sent the hops market from boom to bust. We close with The Chicago Tribune showing us that craft beer icon Three Floyds' brewery will triple in size and The USA Today shining the spotlight on craft brewers who are seeking to involve more African Americans.

Then we have your responses to last week’s #caskquiz which asked  “what’s your go-to beer after your workout?” This week we want to know “do you do things like drink diet non-alcoholic beverages or eat low-calorie foods to allow yourself the space to drink craft beers? If so what?”

We so love hearing from you! Please send in feedback and beer suggestions by calling us at (919) 502-0280, Tweeting us , following our Instagram or friending us on Untappd, posting on and liking our Facebook page, or emailing us! And please rate & review us in iTunes or Stitcher if you haven’t done so!

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We are so in the spirit of Valentine’s Day this year, and the great folks at Crispin, Lost Abbey, and Hardywood are there for us! They have some great red tastes for us this week, including Crispin Rose Cider, Lost Abbey Framboise Amarosa Barrel-Aged Raspberry Sour, and Hardywood Raspberry Stout!

We have a follow up story in the news from that terrific piece in The Atlantic last month courtesy of Bloomberg offering up craft brewing as a model for helping the middle class. Next KNSD San Diego reports that Stone Brewing is taking on 'big beer' giant MillerCoors for use of the 'Stone' Brand, followed by The Seattle Times revealing that Seattle-based PicoBrew is going professional with its Z series beer-brewing machine. We close this week with The Boston Globe pouring us post-race beers with electrolytes and Live Science’s trip in the wayback machine to show ancient ale: or the oldest beer in Greece dating to the Bronze Age!  

Then we have your responses to last week’s #caskquiz which asked “if you could combine two beers (or styles of beers) for flavor what would they be?” This week we want to know “what’s your go-to beer after your workout?”

We so love hearing from you! Please send in feedback and beer suggestions by calling us at (919) 502-0280, Tweeting us , following our Instagram or friending us on Untappd, posting on and liking our Facebook page, or emailing us! And please rate & review us in iTunes or Stitcher if you haven’t done so!

 

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We all know about the medicinal properties of craft beer in moderation, and who better to discuss them with than our friends Scott Goudy, Samuel Itin, and Neal Nealing from Medthink Communications! We chat about what the lads do at Medthink and and get to try some big stouts: Evolution Rise UP, Foothills Sexual Chocolate 2018, and Lagunitas Cafe Con Leche! Plus we learn that they are budding podcasters!

It was really hard to cull the news this week! We being with Business Insider’s profile of a former biotech executive left her day job to open her own brewery. Next up The WaPo Wonkblog ventures their opinion that Budweiser’s Super Bowl ad is a plea to its fleeing customers, followed by The BBC reporting that North Korea is launching an  'exclusive' new beer. We close the news with Munchies suggesting that you punish yourself with a pepper spray-flavoured craft beer!

We so love hearing from you! Please send in feedback and beer suggestions by calling us at (919) 502-0280, Tweeting us , following our Instagram or friending us on Untappd, posting on and liking our Facebook page, or emailing us! And please rate & review us in iTunes or Stitcher if you haven’t done so!

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Category:Tales From the Cask -- posted at: 6:00am EDT

It took us years of patient asking, and this week Jenn closes the deal and brings in our retailer friend and frequent contributor Bruce McKim! Bruce tells us his origin story, talks about the evolution of craft beer retailing, and shares some of his cool can/bottle collection! Plus he has some taste treats including Wicked Weed Angel of Darkness 2015, Mikkeller/Three Floyds Salmon Pants, Dogfish Oak Aged Vanilla World Wide Stout, and the just-released Wicked Weed 5th Anniversary Still Sour with Apricots!

We have more fun news in the craft beer world this week, beginning with Science! VinePair shows us a Brooklyn scientist and his two-headed monster turning craft beer into whiskey! Next we have The New York Times visiting the buzz in Stockholm with craft beer featuring less buzz, followed by The Bozeman Daily Chronicle debuting cooperative craft breweries as a new approach to revitalizing small towns. We wind up with Food & Wine telling us why you really need a new scratch and sniff beer guide!

We so love hearing from you! Please send in feedback and beer suggestions by calling us at (919) 502-0280, Tweeting us, following our Instagram or friending us on Untappd, posting on and liking our Facebook page, or emailing us! And please rate & review us in iTunes or Stitcher if you haven’t done so!

 

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So the sunny lands were a bit snowy last week, and we were trapped away from the bar! Thank goodness it melted and we were able to rejoice with delicious new treats from Upland Brewing! The lineup was outstanding: Prim Barrel-Aged Fruited Sour, Revive Barrel-Aged Fruited Sour, and the Crimson Wood-Aged Sour!

You take a week off, the news piles up! We begin in The Atlantic where we learn that craft beer is the strangest, happiest economic story in America. Next up is The New York Times offering two big brewers joining the New England I.P.A. craze, followed by strategy+business and their question can craft beer continue to tap into growth? We wind up the week with Civil Eats’ visit to foraged craft beer and Wired’s dateline Jan. 24, 1935: first canned beer sold!

We so love hearing from you! Please send in feedback and beer suggestions by calling us at (919) 502-0280, Tweeting us , following our Instagram or friending us on Untappd, posting on and liking our Facebook page, or emailing us! And please rate & review us in iTunes or Stitcher if you haven’t done so!

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Category:Tales From the Cask -- posted at: 10:17am EDT

We are all back in the little bar and we have a New Year’s treat thanks to our good friend Kat Dougan with Founders Brewing! Kat drops by to share all the doings from Founders, and she shares some terrific beers with us! They are the All Day IPA, Azacca IPA, Sumatra Mountain Brown Imperial Brown Ale, and the Breakfast Stout!

Chip returns to the news desk with Paste asking what is "independent" beer worth to you? Next we have Ozy in Thailand revealing that craft beer is illegal there … but rebel brewers are fighting back, followed by The Drinks Business dropping by a Canadian bar that charges $15 for Bud Light to promote craft beer. We close up with MassLive’s list of the 5 craft beer personality types and The Chicago Tribune reporting that Lyft is launching a Chicago craft beer to offer ride discounts!

We so love hearing from you! Please send in feedback and beer suggestions by calling us at (919) 502-0280, Tweeting us, following our Instagram or friending us on Untappd, posting on and liking our Facebook page, or emailing us! And please rate & review us in iTunes or Stitcher if you haven’t done so!

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Happy New Year Tales Fans!  We are ringing in 2018 with a new round up of beers with show regular Connor Desmonds.  He brings us the latest innovations including the latest spring seasonal Hop Bullet and new year round offering Hazy Little Thing. We then jump straight into the latest 12pack 4 way Variety pack containing a twist sure to be greeted with joy if you are a coffee lover.  

You may notice Chip’s absence this week but Tony and Jenn step up to the news desk with some lighthearted stories to start the year.  We learn about barley being grown at the International Space station and follow one man’s journey to survive on nothing but beer for a week.  Many of us donned our beer jackets for New Years Eve but we discover scientific evidence on why this is a bad idea.  We also follow the latest coffee/beer collaboration news as Dunkin Donuts releases a beer to celebrate the winter solstice. 

We have your responses to last week’s #caskquiz which asked ”Have you ever been to an ax throwing bar or would you go to one?” This week we ask ”What new beer are you most excited to see/try in 2018” 

We so love hearing from you! Please send in feedback and beer suggestions by calling us at (919) 502-0280, Tweeting us , following our Instagram or friending us on Untappd, posting on and liking our Facebook page, or emailing us! And please rate & review us in iTunes or Stitcher if you haven’t done so!

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Category:Tales From the Cask -- posted at: 6:00am EDT

We can’t believe we are 5 this year with our Holiday Spectacular! As always, we have so many of our friends from the year stop by with some of their astounding whales to share for the good cheer of the yuletide! Joining us is a murderer’s row of guests including Jon, Connor, Matt, Thomas, Greg, Dave, Jake, Tim, Nikko, Beth, Marlise, and Wil, plus longtime listeners and contributors Brian and Scott! We had a very special appearance by Hoda! And of course, the two who were there at the beginning, Aubrey and Joe!

We offer up just a wee bit of news this week before the festivities! Forbes reports that passage of the new tax bill brings lower levies to brewers.Then we have (just for Tony) NY Upstate’s exciting spoiler reveal that the next Ommegang/Game of Thrones beer is an epic barleywine!

We so love hearing from you! Please send in feedback and beer suggestions by calling us at (919) 502-0280, Tweeting us, following our Instagram or friending us on Untappd, posting on and liking our Facebook page, or emailing us! And please rate & review us in iTunes or Stitcher if you haven’t done so!

And a very Happy Festivus to all our friends!

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Category:Tales From the Cask -- posted at: 6:00am EDT

It’s almost time for our Holiday Spectacular, and while we are getting ready for the festivities we share some spectacular treats from Foothills, Ballast Point, and Lagunitas! They are the Foothills People’s Moravian Porter, Ballast Point High West Victory at Sea, and Lagunitas Willetized Coffee Stout!

Good cheer and good news in the beer world abound this week, beginning with The Boston Globe and the exciting announcement that Sam Adams is the new official beer of the Red Sox! Next up some econ via The Cheat Sheet who show us an historical look at the price of beer, followed by Vice and the sad news that a Beyoncé-inspired beer is no more. We close with KDKA Pittsburgh toasting scientists who have figured out how to turn beer into petrol and Food & Wine visiting a craft beer-focused axe-throwing bar!

We have your responses to last week’s #caskquiz which asked ”do you know any craft cideries near you and if so who are they?” This week we want to know ”would you go (or have you gone) to an axe throwing bar?”

We so love hearing from you! Please send in feedback and beer suggestions by calling us at (919) 502-0280, Tweeting us, following our Instagram or friending us on Untappd, posting on and liking our Facebook page, or emailing us! And please rate & review us in iTunes or Stitcher if you haven’t done so!

Direct download: talesfromthecask241.mp3
Category:Tales From the Cask -- posted at: 6:00am EDT

It’s been way too long since we went a-cidering, so this week we are very lucky to have Andrew Blake and Aaron Lanctot from Blake’s Hard Ciders in town! We chat with the lads about the explosion in the number of craft cideries, the latest news from their cidery in Armada, MI, and we get to sample both Archimedes and Snapdragon!

Before we get the cider, we have your news starting with Westword’s wry and deceptively titled opinion piece craft beer is dead — your favorite delicious style killed it! Next up, AdWeek (via Frank C!) shares that (no really, this is funny) Bud Light sent a hilarious cease-and-desist scroll to the makers of ‘Dilly Dilly’ Ale, followed by Forbes asking can a South Korean craft beer crack the U.S. market? and then The Motley Fool offering advice on how to invest in the beer industry. In honor of our guests we have NPR revealing that craft hard cider is on a roll and we wind down with CNet (courtesy of @SFringer!) transporting us to a Star Trek-themed Captain's Holiday beer!

We have your responses to last week’s #caskquiz which asked”what beer-related emoji would you like to see?” This week we ask ”do you know any craft cideries near you and if so who are they?”

We so love hearing from you! Please send in feedback and beer suggestions by calling us at (919) 502-0280, Tweeting us , following our Instagram or friending us on Untappd, posting on and liking our Facebook page, or emailing us! And please rate & review us in iTunes or Stitcher if you haven’t done so!

Direct download: talesfromthecask240.mp3
Category:Tales From the Cask -- posted at: 6:00am EDT

What better time for coming together than Thanksgiving? We have so much to be thankful for, especially the incredible collaboration brew Olde Rabbit’s Foot, brought to us this week by our friends Sara Miller from Olde Hickory, Robert Owen from Duck Rabbit, and Shawn Densmore from Foothills! Plus our guests share more holiday treats: Olde Hickory Christmas, Foothills Craft Happiness Sustenance, Duck Rabbit Wee Heavy, and Duck Rabbit Rabid Duck!

Before the sipping, we have lots of news this week, starting with The Chicago Tribune’s opinion that the boom in sugary pastry stouts shows that the craft beer industry may be forgetting what beer tastes like. Next up Brewbound reports that Left Hand Brewing has filed a lawsuit against White Labs over allegedly contaminated yeast, then Politico shows us that the Senate tax bill would benefit beer and citrus, and Forbes (courtesy of Frank C!) lays out a road map to 15 craft breweries. We climb aboard with Extra Crispy and a cruise ship brewmaster who makes beer with seawater, while The Chicago Tribune takies us to a Wisconsin pub that offers free beer until the Packers score, and we close with KTVT (Dallas) and a beer named after one of the last surviving Tuskegee Airmen.

We have your responses to last week’s #caskquiz which asked “do you think it’s a little pretentious to use terms like “nil” when talking about soccer in American sports reporting?” This week we want to hear “who your dream brewing collaborators would be and what style of beer would they make?”

We so love hearing from you! Please send in feedback and beer suggestions by calling us at (919) 502-0280, Tweeting us, following our Instagram or friending us on Untappd, posting on and liking our Facebook page, or emailing us! And please rate & review us in iTunes or Stitcher if you haven’t done so!

Direct download: talesfromthecask238.mp3
Category:Tales From the Cask -- posted at: 6:00am EDT

Thanksgiving is coming early this year, and we have the beers to pair with that turkey, featuring the always spectacular Anchor Christmas Ale courtesy of our friend Brandon Foglio! We get a few minutes with Brandon to talk about the 2017 release, and then we retire to the bar and sample some of the Sierra Nevada Holiday Haze IPA and our very own Savannah Heat Spicy Wheat collaboration brew made with Smith Mathews from Southbound Brewing!

We have a cornucopia of news for you this week, starting with CBS tagging along on Sierra Nevada’s annual pilgrimage to sniff out the country’s best hops! Next up Bloomberg interviews Budweiser’s ex-marketing chief on the world of weed, followed by CNBC prognosticating that craft beer should enjoy 5 to 6 percent growth, and The New York Times offering to pair beer with that Thanksgiving bird. We close with The LA Times showing us that beer for athletes is the post-workout snack you always wanted, and WCPO in Cincinnati (via intrepid newsman Frank C) reporting that a craft brewery will sell Columbus Crew-themed beer to help keep that MLS club from moving to Austin!

We have your responses to last week’s #caskquiz which asked “if marijuana were legal in your state (or if it is), do you think it would/does affect your beer consumption?” This week we ask “do you think it’s a little pretentious to use terms like “nil” when talking about soccer in American sports reporting?”

We so love hearing from you! Please send in feedback and beer suggestions by calling us at (919) 502-0280, Tweeting us, following our Instagram or friending us on Untappd, posting on and liking our Facebook page, or emailing us! And please rate & review us in iTunes or Stitcher if you haven’t done so!

Direct download: talesfromthecask237.mp3
Category:Tales From the Cask -- posted at: 6:00am EDT

With this cold damp weather here in Mayberry, we are jonesing for the warmth of sunny southern California and our buddy Wil from Coronado Brewing delivers it! Wil shares the news from San Diego and some terrific beers to boot: Salty Cove Gose, Coastwise Session IPA, and Early Bird Cold Brew Milk Stout!

We have a new spin on MegaMergerMania this week via The Motley Fool reporting that megacorp Constellation Brands wants drinkers to get a different buzz (and it’s not beer!). Next is MSN profiling what happens when whiskey meets craft beer, and Inside Science revealing that geneticists have unlocked the secret of rose and honey scents in beer. We close with Design You Trust unveiling cool beer cans that show the Pantone color of the brew inside!

We have your responses to last week’s #caskquiz which asked “now that you know the Astros won the World Series, if you were the mayor of Houston, what beer would you have bet with the mayor of LA?” This week we would like to know “If marijuana were legal in your state (or if it is), do you think it would/does affect your beer consumption?”

We so love hearing from you! Please send in feedback and beer suggestions by calling us at (919) 502-0280, Tweeting us, following our Instagram or friending us on Untappd, posting on and liking our Facebook page, or emailing us! And please rate & review us in iTunes or Stitcher if you haven’t done so!

Direct download: talesfromthecask236.mp3
Category:Tales From the Cask -- posted at: 6:00am EDT

We are always excited when Sierra Nevada brings us a new treat, and this week’s no exception! Jenn checks the warehouse and finds that the all-new Fresh Hop IPA 12-pack cans are here! They feature a Session IPA, IPA, Double IPA, and just in time for the holidays, a fresh hop version of the famous Celebration IPA!

We want to school you this week, beginning with some etymology and The American Heritage Dictionary Blog on the evolution of the words ale and beer! Next we have some history courtesy of intrepid field reporters Steve and Frank with NPR’s examination of the other Reformation or how Martin Luther changed our beer, followed by science from CBS MoneyWatch revealing that climate change is hurting craft breweries. We wind down the week with CBC showing that drinking a beer can help you speak a foreign language and CNBC’s chat with Sam Adams' Jim Koch on the secret to his $200 bottle of beer!

We have your responses to last week’s #caskquiz which asked  “if you were mayor of your fave Major League Baseball city, which beer would you bet with your opposing mayor?” This week we are asking “now that you know the Astros won the World Series, if you were the mayor of Houston, what beer would you have bet with the mayor of LA?”

We so love hearing from you! Please send in feedback and beer suggestions by calling us at (919) 502-0280, Tweeting us, following our Instagram or friending us on Untappd, posting on and liking our Facebook page, or emailing us! And please rate & review us in iTunes or Stitcher if you haven’t done so!

Direct download: talesfromthecask235.mp3
Category:Tales From the Cask -- posted at: 6:00am EDT

It’s time to fire up the grill this week with those renowned pitmasters Don Chartier & Ethan Boylan from Lagunitas! The lads come to town to cook for our team and serve up some tantalizing brews to pair with the food: Born Yesterday Pale Ale, 12th of Never Ale, and Eroica Flemish Farmhouse Ale!

It’s World Series time and of course it’s intersecting the beer world courtesy of The LA Times’s report that LA Mayor Garcetti's World Series bet is rankling L.A.'s craft brewing community! Next we have guidelive showing how craft beer hopes to brew diversity beyond the stereotypical bearded white guys. We then move to Food Republic asking would you drink Dead Sea salt beer? and we wind up with Chicagoist’s opinion on what Chicagoland craft beer goes best with classic Halloween candies?

We have your responses to last week’s #caskquiz which asked “if the BA crowd-sourced buyout goes through….what should AB-Inbev be renamed?” This week we want to know “if you were mayor of your fave Major League Baseball city, which beer would you bet with your opposing mayor?”

We so love hearing from you! Please send in feedback and beer suggestions by calling us at (919) 502-0280, Tweeting us, following our Instagram or friending us on Untappd, posting on and liking our Facebook page, or emailing us! And please rate & review us in iTunes or Stitcher if you haven’t done so!

Direct download: talesfromthecask234.mp3
Category:Tales From the Cask -- posted at: 6:43am EDT

It’s double jeopardy in the bar this week courtesy of our friends Jake Taylor and Spencer Kilgore from Ballast Point! The guys share the latest scoop from San Diego and tell us all about the new Virginia brewery, which is now open to the public! Plus we have more BP goodness with the Fathom IPA and the Sour Wench!

Exciting MegaMergerManiaTM news leads us this week from craftbeer.com relating the new tongue-in-cheek effort to crowdsource a purchase of behemoth A-B InBev! Next up VinePair examines the clickbait headlines blaming millennials for killing craft beer. We close with Ozy taking us where farmers are turning into craft beer brewers and Mikkeller announcing its collaboration with filmmaker David Lynch!

We have your responses to last week’s #caskquiz which posed the question “have you ever used beer for medicinal purposes and if so what ailment?” This week we want to know “if the BA buyout goes through….What should AB-Inbev be renamed?

We so love hearing from you! Please send in feedback and beer suggestions by calling us at (919) 502-0280, Tweeting us, following our Instagram or friending us on Untappd, posting on and liking our Facebook page, or emailing us! And please rate & review us in iTunes or Stitcher if you haven’t done so!

Direct download: talesfromthecask233.mp3
Category:Tales From the Cask -- posted at: 7:59am EDT

We have a new guest from an Olde friend, as in Sara Miller from Olde Hickory! Sara joins us to reveal all the latest from western NC and has two incredibly delicious treats for us: Wheatwine and the intrepid pioneer Daniel Boone Barrel-Aged Imperial Brown Ale!!

There’s topical news for Tony & Jenn after their trip to Denver! It’s in The Full Pint with some suggestions for an overhaul for the Great American Beer Festival! Next we visit our friends from Chippewa Falls via The New York Times on Leinenkugel, an old brewery learning new tricks. We close with Atlas Obscura (via our buddy Frank C) revealing a craftbeer named by a neural network and WCSH (in Portland ME) asking could a new beer help women going through menopause?

We have your responses to last week’s #caskquiz which posed the question “what airport is your favorite for craft beer?” This week we want to know “have you ever used beer for medicinal purposes and if so what ailment?”

We so love hearing from you! Please send in feedback and beer suggestions by calling us at (919) 502-0280, Tweeting us, following our Instagram or friending us on Untappd, posting on and liking our Facebook page, or emailing us! And please rate & review us in iTunes or Stitcher if you haven’t done so!

Direct download: talesfromthecask232.mp3
Category:Tales From the Cask -- posted at: 8:33am EDT

We are most definitely southbound this week - as in Savannah’s amazing Southbound Brewing courtesy of our friends Smith Mathews and Carly Wiggins! Carly lets us in on the latest from the brewery while Smith is hard at work helping craft a delicious fall treat with us. And of course he has to tackle the three questions! As a bonus, we try three beers that go well in a flight: Starpoint I Yam What I Yam, Southbound Picture of Nectar, and Lost Abbey Cuvee de Tomme!

Real beer life intersects nicely with the news beginning with The Denver Post’s belief that perhaps craft beer is facing an identity crisis as the Great American Beer Festival arrives in Denver. Next we have The USA Today listing the best airports for craft beer lovers (perfect for Tony & Jenn as they travel) followed by Ozy’s cool piece on craft beer and steam trains in the UK! We wind up with NPR delving into the taming of the brew or how sour beer is driving a microbial gold rush and Paste (via intrepid field reporters Steve L & Frank C and Darrell D) ranking 176 of the Best DIPA/Imperial IPAs!

We have your responses to last week’s #caskquiz which posed the question “who is the closest craft brewery to your house and how far is it?” This week we want to know “what airport is your favorite for craft beer?”

We so love hearing from you! Please send in feedback and beer suggestions by calling us at (919) 502-0280, Tweeting us, following our Instagram or friending us on Untappd, posting on and liking our Facebook page, or emailing us! And please rate & review us in iTunes or Stitcher if you haven’t done so!

Direct download: talesfromthecask231.mp3
Category:Tales From the Cask -- posted at: 7:14am EDT

We are traveling through time and space courtesy of the Delorean this week to bring you Eric and Bret Kuhnhenn from Kuhnhenn Brewing! Tony and Jenn fire up the Mr. Fusion and head to Warren, MI to visit Eric and Bret, learn all about the brewery, and bring back the astoundingly delicious whale Raspberry Eisbock!

With Chip back, the newsroom presented him with a plethora of beer business news beginning with Motley Fool asking has AB-InBev finally had its fill of craft beer? Next up Forbes reports that despite slowed growth, craft beer's economic contribution has jumped 20%, and then Visual Capitalist presents cool graphics showing which cities are fueling America’s craft beer boom. We close with Boise State Public Radio revealing that slower growth for craft beer is leaving Northwest hops producers with a surplus and NPR (via our friend Steve L) on the next big thing in beer: a small taproom!

We have your responses to last week’s #caskquiz which posed the question “what’s your craft beer name from the Twitter game featuring your grandfather’s job and a word you don’t understand?” This week we want to know “who is the closest craft brewery to your house and how far is it?”

We so love hearing from you! Please send in feedback and beer suggestions by calling us at (919) 502-0280, Tweeting us, following our Instagram or friending us on Untappd, posting on and liking our Facebook page, or emailing us! And please rate & review us in iTunes or Stitcher if you haven’t done so!

Direct download: talesfromthecask230.mp3
Category:Tales From the Cask -- posted at: 6:57am EDT

Chip is on sabbatical this week so Tony and Jenn track down one of the few Sierra Nevada employees who has yet to be interviewed for Tales!  Connor tells us how he got into the biz and what is new with Sierra, including a fun collaboration with a local celebrity chef!

Since Connor is a known whale hunter we track down a few hard to find beers for him including a Three Floyds Floy Division II IPA, Hardywood’s Cuvee Gold and Barrel Aged Chico-Style Wild Ale.  He also brings us a Rue D’Floyd to try!

Tony jumps behind the news desk to talk about a Beer for Horses, how much beer Wisconsonians really drink and the latest scientific breakthroughs in brewing.  In honor of our guest’s homeland, we also discuss a new signature beer from Purdue!

We have your responses to last week’s #caskquiz which posed the question “what’s your craft beer name from the Twitter game?” This week we want to hear more responses so remember the formula: your grandfather’s job and a word you don’t understand!

We so love hearing from you! Please send in feedback and beer suggestions by calling us at (919) 502-0280, Tweeting us, following our Instagram or friending us on Untappd, posting on and liking our Facebook page, or emailing us! And please rate & review us in iTunes or Stitcher if you haven’t done so!

Direct download: talesfromthecask229.mp3
Category:Tales From the Cask -- posted at: 8:13am EDT

We return from all our various road trips with new treats this week from Windmill, Sierra Nevada and Ellison Brewing! After catching up on the excursions for work and fun, we try some IPAs: Windmill Exit Buddy IPA, Sierra Pronto IPA, and Ellison OFP IPA!

We got a week off from #MegaMergerMania, and it returns via Beer Street Journal (courtesy of our buddy @sfringer) with a brutal day as A-B InBev lays off hundreds of employees in “The High End”. Then we pivot to more fun news, starting with radio station WAMU (thanks to our friend Frank C!) returning to our recently met obscure local fruit, the Pawpaw, a hipster banana, followed by CNBC on how a three-person NC craft beer brewery surged to national fame in just four years. We then share a cool new game from Twitter in Food & Wine that reveals how to name your own craft beer, techdirt reporting that UK craft beer trademark applications have doubled in ten years  and we close with NPR treating us to kelp finding its niche in the craft beer scene!

We have your responses to last week’s #caskquiz which posed the question “What’s the strangest thing you have fished out of a pint of beer?” This week we want to know “what’s your craft beer name from the Twitter game?”

We so love hearing from you! Please send in feedback and beer suggestions by calling us at (919) 502-0280, Tweeting us, following our Instagram or friending us on Untappd, posting on and liking our Facebook page, or emailing us! And please rate & review us in iTunes or Stitcher if you haven’t done so!

Direct download: talesfromthecask228.mp3
Category:Tales From the Cask -- posted at: 6:55am EDT

We pack up the travel case and head to Broadway(Street) in Durham to visit second time guest Matt Pennisi. This time Matt is fully permitted and up and running as he gives an update on what’s happening all things Durty Bull. We sample Durty Bull Lager, Bourbon Barrel-Aged Blackberry Sour and Bourbon Barrel-Aged Baltic Porter.


In a seemingly rare week without #MegaMergerMania, Jenn and Tony lead us off with some gear you must procure before heading to German Octoberfest celebrations. We discuss a beer to honor late a late Michigan state punter and report on the continuing court case where Kona Brewing finds itself on the defendant’s chair.  We’ve got some big news for NC State fair goers sure to please those in search of a frosty malt beverage this fall. We finish things up with a progressive idea hoping to take hold in Toronto, particularly for those who enjoy a beer in the park.

We have your responses to last week’s #caskquiz which asked” Have you ever homebrewed? What style was your first?”

This week we’re dying to know ” What’s the strangest thing you have fished out of a pint of beer?” #caskquiz

We so love hearing from you! Please send in feedback and beer suggestions by calling us at (919) 502-0280, Tweeting us, following our Instagram or friending us on Untappd, posting on and liking our Facebook page, or emailing us! And please rate & review us in iTunes or Stitcher if you haven’t done so!

Direct download: talesfromthecask227.mp3
Category:Tales From the Cask -- posted at: 6:37pm EDT

It’s contest time in the bar as we host our 2nd annual Homebrew contest! Joining us on our panel of judges are fan faves Aubrey Herbert & Jake Taylor! Here are our results!

1st Place- Chris Nadeau with Trips up North Black IPA

2nd Place- Carl Hoverstad with Syksyn Saison

3rd Place- Heath Perkins with Amber Alert Hoppy Amber Ale

We also are awarding a special jury prize for best label to John Beal II for Purrrgatory Pale Ale!

Before the merriment we have news beginning with The HuffPo reporting BrewDog is now giving its staff a week's paid 'Pawternity' leave! Next we have The Calgary Herald showing that Alberta's craft beer policy is causing collateral damage, followed by Draft Magazine asking why are so many breweries selling their beer in 15-packs? We wind up this week’s news with UPI revealing how scientists turn brewing waste into fresh yeast to make more beer and The Independent telling you how to bathe in brew at the world’s first beer swimming pools!

We have your responses to last week’s #caskquiz which asked “how much do you usually pay for a six-pack of beer?” and this week we want to know “have you ever homebrewed and what was your first style?”

It’s also time for our 2nd Tales Homebrew Contest! We want to try your best homebrew and there are two categories: true to style and the wildcard! With our recent travels, we are extending the deadline one week! It’s now August 28, 2017! For more details click here!

We so love hearing from you! Please send in feedback and beer suggestions by calling us at (919) 502-0280, Tweeting us, following our Instagram or friending us on Untappd, posting on and liking our Facebook page, or emailing us! And please rate & review us in iTunes or Stitcher if you haven’t done so!

Direct download: talesfromthecask226.mp3
Category:Tales From the Cask -- posted at: 7:03am EDT

This week we are heading for the hill country of Indiana with our good friends Doug Dayhoff and Dusty Howe from Upland Brewing! The guys talk to us about Upland’s origins, it’s expansion into North Carolina, and then they share some great beers with us: Champagne Velvet, Wheat, Coastbuster, Iridescent and Hopsynth!

The world of craft beer intersects the world of weed in the news via Business Insider revealing a beloved craft-brewer is brewing marijuana beer! Next up The Denver Post shows that craft beer is the new weapon in a New Mexico sports rivalry, followed by Think Progress’s opinion that beer is the greenest beverage. We wind down with Craft Brewing Business rocking out and drinking local beer with the band Foreigner and The HuffPo detailing how a six-pack of craft beer ends up costing $12.

We have your responses to last week’s #caskquiz which asked “what’s the most creative thing you have thought of or done while drinking a pint?” and this week we want to know “how much do you usually pay for a six-pack of beer?”

It’s also time for our 2nd Tales Homebrew Contest! We want to try your best homebrew and there are two categories: true to style and the wildcard! With our recent travels, we are extending the deadline one week! It’s now August 28, 2017! For more details click here!

We so love hearing from you! Please send in feedback and beer suggestions by calling us at (919) 502-0280, Tweeting us, following our Instagram or friending us on Untappd, posting on and liking our Facebook page, or emailing us! And please rate & review us in iTunes or Stitcher if you haven’t done so!

Direct download: talesfromthecask225.mp3
Category:Tales From the Cask -- posted at: 6:34am EDT

That’s right, we are using the Delorean this week to visit with our friend Dave Burrows and we are having a whale of a good time! How so? By Dave regaling us with tales of the sales side of the beer business, and then by the treasure trove of rarities he shares with us from his extensive tour of the midwest including Shorts Soft Parade, Surly Xtra Citra Pale Ale, Three Floyds Apocalypse Cow, and Alaskan 30th Anniversary Perseverance!

Summer sales are hot, and so is MegaMergerMania! Two stories in that vein lead the news, with The Denver Post reporting that New Belgium is leading an effort to rescue a San Francisco beer maker Magnolia Brewing, and The Miami Herald revealing that beer giant Constellation is buying the Funky Buddha Brewery. Next up The Full Pint asks is Colorado’s craft beer scene oversaturated? Then we close with Allpsych on the psychology of beer tasting and Imbibe Magazine exploring mixed-culture fermentation.

We have your responses to last week’s #caskquiz which asked “what’s the most creative thing you have thought of or done while drinking a pint?” and we are extending it another week due to our time travels!

It’s also time for our 2nd Tales Homebrew Contest! We want to try your best homebrew and there are two categories: true to style and the wildcard! With our recent travels, we are extending the deadline one week! It’s now August 28, 2017! For more details click here!

We so love hearing from you! Please send in feedback and beer suggestions by calling us at (919) 502-0280, Tweeting us, following our Instagram or friending us on Untappd, posting on and liking our Facebook page, or emailing us! And please rate & review us in iTunes or Stitcher if you haven’t done so!

 

Direct download: talesfromthecask224.mp3
Category:Tales From the Cask -- posted at: 6:37am EDT

You know how we love us some tech, so we are fortunate to have at the bar our friend Brent Nolan, a co-founder of the cool app Stealz! Brent tells about how to use the app to check in with all kinds of businesses and get cool swag, and he tries some great beers with us: Schofferhofer GF, Moosehead Radler, Austin Eastciders Blood Orange, and Coronado Beach Break IPA!

Fun news is on tap this week, starting with more MegaMergerMania but in reverse! It’s  via The New York Times reporting that a small Transylvania brewer stood up to a beer giant and survived! Next we have CBC on London, Ontario’s exploding craft beer scene, followed by Mashable telling us to forget Trump's wall because a brewery wants a beer bar on the U.S.-Mexico border. We close with two from the UK: The Coventry Telegraph showing us a craft beer made in Warwickshire has been named best in the UK, and The Sun discovering that drinking beer makes us smart and creative.

We have your responses to last week’s #caskquiz which asked “do you have a favorite iconic beer logo image and if so which one?” and this week we are asking you to share a eureka moment you have had while hoisting a pint!

It’s also time for our 2nd Tales Homebrew Contest! We want to try your best homebrew and there are two categories: true to style and the wildcard! The deadline for entries is Total Solar Eclipse Day in the U.S. which is August 21, 2017! For more details click here!

We so love hearing from you! Please send in feedback and beer suggestions by calling us at (919) 502-0280, Tweeting us, following our Instagram or friending us on Untappd, posting on and liking our Facebook page, or emailing us! And please rate & review us in iTunes or Stitcher if you haven’t done so!

Direct download: talesfromthecask223.mp3
Category:Tales From the Cask -- posted at: 7:33am EDT

This week the Rockies return to the bar with our friend Heath Perkins from Colorado’s Left Hand Brewing! Heath shares the latest from Longmont and has some awesome treats for us: Travelin’ Light Kolsch, Saison au Miel, Saison Aux Baies Amères, and the astonishing 2013 Widdershins Barleywine!

We have numbers in the news this week via Fortune showing that the craft beer boom has gone flat. In spite of this, new breweries continue to open and CNN Money has advice on how to start a successful craft beer brewery. Next up we head overseas where American Craft Beer infiltrates Thailand’s craft beer rebellion, then Travel Market Report brings us beer tourism on tap for travel agents, and we close with out of this world Beer Alien joining punk legends NOFX in invading Stone Brewing (the brewery is still standing)!

We have your responses to last week’s #caskquiz which asked “are you using special glassware for your beer and if so what kind?” and this week we are asking “do you have a favorite iconic beer logo image and if so which one?”

It’s also time for our 2nd Tales Homebrew Contest! We want to try your best homebrew and there are two categories: true to style and the wildcard! The deadline for entries is Total Solar Eclipse Day in the U.S. which is August 21, 2017! For more details click here!

We so love hearing from you! Please send in feedback and beer suggestions by calling us at (919) 502-0280, Tweeting us, following our Instagram or friending us on Untappd, posting on and liking our Facebook page, or emailing us! And please rate & review us in iTunes or Stitcher if you haven’t done so!

Direct download: talesfromthecask222.mp3
Category:Tales From the Cask -- posted at: 7:19am EDT

At last Chip returns the DeLorean and we are all together in the bar sharing some new faves from Roak, Coronado, and Olde Hickory! Our taste treats include Roak Creative Tension IPA, Coronado 21st Anniversary IPA, and Olde Hickory Flanders Red!

In the news this week, the beloved saga of MegaMergerManiaTM continues in two stories! First is in The Detroit Free Press revealing that Short's Brewing is selling a 20% stake to Lagunitas, and the second story is via Porch Drinking reporting that Brooklyn Brewery is partnering with 21st Amendment and Funkwerks. Next up is CNBC telling us that Goldman is downgrading beer stocks because millennials like wine better, followed by The Boston Globe showing us beer with a lobster background note, and we close with Gear Patrol asking why beer bars are switching to stemware?

We have your responses to last week’s #caskquiz which asked “would you drink a caffeinated beer and if so what style” and this week we ask “are you using special glassware for your beer and if so what kind?”

It’s also time for our 2nd Tales Homebrew Contest! We want to try your best homebrew and there are two categories: true to style and the wildcard! The deadline for entries is Total Solar Eclipse Day in the U.S., which is August 21, 2017! For more details click here!

We so love hearing from you! Please send in feedback and beer suggestions by calling us at (919) 502-0280, Tweeting us, following our Instagram or friending us on Untappd, posting on and liking our Facebook page, or emailing us! And please rate & review us in iTunes or Stitcher if you haven’t done so!

Direct download: talesfromthecask221.mp3
Category:Tales From the Cask -- posted at: 7:36am EDT

We are very excited this week and gracious to chat with the oft-travelling Nick Nunns and Kat Wilkinson who are visiting from young but pioneering Denver mixed culture brewery, TRVE.  We learn how they got started and about their unique process for the acidic side of brewing.  They bring us some hard to find and classic brews to try and we sample Ecate, Ostara, Red Chaos and Revengeance

Tony and Jenn handle the news this week with fun beer stories from around the globe!  We talk about the perfect beer to pair with tacos in Texas, an ambitios project to beautify industrial areas with  hops in Pittsburgh. We let you in on the perfect spot to don a kimono and drink unlimited beer in Japan.  In legal news we report on the unfortunate beer naming dispute between Elvis Presley’s estate and Scottish Brewer Brewdog. 

We have your responses to last week’s #caskquiz which asked “Will you buy beer based on the BA seal?”  and this week we want to know if you would still drink a caffeinated beer if they were legal? And what style of beer should it be?

It is also time for our second Tales Homebrew Contest!  We would love to try your best homebrew and there are great prizes, the deadline for entries is August 21st.  Details can be found here. Good Luck and Good Brewing!

We so love hearing from you! Please send in feedback and beer suggestions by calling us at (919) 502-0280, Tweeting us, following our Instagram or friending us on Untappd, posting on and liking our Facebook page, or emailing us! And please rate & review us in iTunes or Stitcher if you haven’t done so!

Direct download: talesfromthecask220.mp3
Category:Tales From the Cask -- posted at: 7:36am EDT