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!

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!

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!

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!

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!

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!

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!

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!

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!

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!