Tales From the Cask Craft Beer Podcast (tales from the cask)

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!

Direct download: talesfromthecask311.mp3
Category:Tales From the Cask -- posted at: 6:00am EDT

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!

Direct download: talesfromthecask310.mp3
Category:Tales From the Cask -- posted at: 6:00am EDT

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!

Direct download: talesfromthecask309.mp3
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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!

 

Direct download: talesfromthecask308.mp3
Category:Tales From the Cask -- posted at: 6:00am EDT

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!

 

Direct download: talesfromthecask307.mp3
Category:Tales From the Cask -- posted at: 6:00am EDT

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!

Direct download: talesfromthecask306.mp3
Category:Tales From the Cask -- posted at: 6:00am EDT

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!

 

Direct download: talesfromthecask303.mp3
Category:Tales From the Cask -- posted at: 6:00am EDT

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?”

Direct download: talesfromthecask302.mp3
Category:Tales From the Cask -- posted at: 6:00am EDT

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!

 

Direct download: talesfromthecask301.mp3
Category:Tales From the Cask -- posted at: 6:00am EDT

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!

Direct download: talesfromthecask300.mp3
Category:Tales From the Cask -- posted at: 6:00am EDT