It’s unofficially summer and we are set up in Nature’s Living Room in Durham with our good friend Scott Mizerak.  We discuss his new role as the Regional Sales Manager for Foothills Brewing and what it is like to be the boss!  We get the latest scoop on expansion at the brewery and their distribution footprint and of course drink some tasty brews.  This week we have fresh Hop Job, as well as the Polaris Pilsner and Mosaic IPA from the Hop of the Month series.

Our listeners helped us out with some great news items this week!  We got submissions from former guests and our producer.  We announce the top IPAs by state according to ratebeer.com, play an online beer brewing and selling game, and give college grads some new beer options for the real world.  We also learn how you can be part of choosing an officially licensed LSU beer and discuss SodaStream’s latest gadget that brews beer in seconds!

Last week for our #caskquiz we asked “should there be a beer marketed just to women?” And this week we want to know “what’s your favorite hometown IPA?”

We love hearing from you! Please send in feedback and beer suggestions by calling us at (919) 502-0280, tweeting us @talescask, following our Instagram @talesfromthecask, posting on and liking our Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/TalesFromTheCask or emailing written or audio messages to talesfromthecask@gmail.com! And please rate & review us in iTunes or Stitcher if you haven’t done so!

Jenn took off for a well-earned vacation so Tony and Chip needed two people to fill her shoes - good friend Sami Prentice from Wicked Weed and beer aficionado Scott Richardson! Sami talks about the latest from Asheville and brings four incredible beers for us to try: Tropicmost Passion Fruit Gose, Garcon de Ferme Farmhouse Ale with Peaches, Recurrant American Sour Ale, and Marina American Sour Ale!

Too much news out there to choose from? Not for us! We begin with WTVR reporting that Ballast Point Brewing is joining Va.’s craft beer roster, while in MegaMergerMania news Mother Jones reminds us that corporate beer overlords will soon own 1 out of every 3 beers made on Earth. Next up Food & Wine asks has the craft beer movement finally gone too far? while Seattle Weekly provides a handy drinking dictionary, and Gamespot reveals that Overwatch's Hit Marker sound effect comes from beer. We have two from Fox News: a report that whale vomit beer could be the next big thing and the question of whether women really need a beer made just for them, and we close with The Guardian on a cask from the past: archaeologists have discovered a 5,000-year-old beer recipe.

Last week’s #caskquiz was “what American and what import summer beers are you most looking forward to trying?”  while this week we want to know “do you think that brewers should make beer just for women?”

We love hearing from you! Please send in feedback and beer suggestions by calling us at (919) 502-0280, tweeting us @talescask, following our Instagram or friending on Untappd @talesfromthecask, posting on and liking our Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/TalesFromTheCask or emailing written or audio messages to talesfromthecask@gmail.com! And please rate & review us in iTunes or Stitcher if you haven’t done so!

We cannot stay in the little bar lately, and with Tony out selling, Jenn and Chip sneak over to redacted with fan fave co-host Aubrey Herbert from Sierra Nevada! Aubrey brings along a flight of the beers featured in the 2016 Beer Camp Across America: Sweet Sunny South Southern Table Beer, Moxee Moron Imperial Session IPA, Pat-Rye-Ot Revolutionary Pale Ale, West Latitude Session Rye with Hibiscus, Family Values Imperial Brown Ale with Cocoa, and Stout of the Union Robust Stout!

As usual, the beer news is all over the world! We start with VinePair reporting that the Venezuelan president has ordered brewers to make beer or go to jail, followed by Forbes with a cool story about the small brew taking on Budweiser, Miller and Coors, and then Bloomberg offering the 12 best beers for summer. Next up we have Fox News showing a craft brewery trolling Budweiser’s “America” beer with ‘Murica brew, then CNBC asking has craft beer lost its flavor to globalization? while The USA Today showcases the new cruise ship that has its own brewery! We end with The Boston Globe on the rise of the beer snob and finally Mirror talks about the pizza chain launching beer pizzas made from craft ales and lagers - but only in one UK branch!

Last week’s #caskquiz was “what do you think about Budweiser becoming America?” while this week we want to know “what American and what import summer beers are you most looking forward to trying?”

We love hearing from you! Please send in feedback and beer suggestions by calling us at (919) 502-0280, tweeting us @talescask, following our Instagram or friending on Untappd @talesfromthecask, posting on and liking our Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/TalesFromTheCask or emailing written or audio messages to talesfromthecask@gmail.com! And please rate & review us in iTunes or Stitcher if you haven’t done so!

Our intrepid travelin’ man Dan B recently stopped by the bar offering delights via the mighty beer state of Wisconsin from New Glarus, Central Waters, and South Shore! The wonderful brews are New Glarus Dancing Man Wheat, Central Waters Glacial Trail IPA, South Shore Rhoades’ Scholar Stout, and we finish up with New Glarus Milk Stout! Thanks Dan!

The beer news isn’t just about craft this week! We start with ‘Merica, and specifically The NY Times as Budweiser rebrands itself ‘America’, and this goes nicely with a companion piece in The Wall Street Journal revealing that German retailers have been fined $103 Million for fixing beer prices with AB-InBev’s help. After that we go electoral with The Atlantic offering politicians and America’s new beer test, followed by Eater reporting a new craft beer will benefit victims of the Paris terror attacks, then 9News shows how a CSU professor is revolutionizing the beer industry, The USA Today says that the Stone Brewing co-founder has announced a new craft beer angel investor, and we close with The Great Falls Tribune’s fungus beer?! No, really.

Last week’s #caskquiz was “what has been your fave beer festival?” while this week we want to know “what do you think about Budweiser becoming America?”

We love hearing from you! Please send in feedback and beer suggestions by calling us at (919) 502-0280, tweeting us @talescask, following our Instagram or friending on Untappd @talesfromthecask, posting on and liking our Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/TalesFromTheCask or emailing written or audio messages to talesfromthecask@gmail.com! And please rate & review us in iTunes or Stitcher if you haven’t done so!

Everyone returns to the bar to meet our good friend Glen Selby who brings tons of laughs and the latest from DuClaw Brewing! Glen fills us in on all the doings in Baltimore, expansion plans for the brewery, and has some tasty brews for us to try: Morgazm Grapefruit Blonde Ale, Funk Blueberry Citrus Wheat Ale, and the astounding Blood Orange Neon Gypsy IPA!

Newstime presents a feast of craft beer news! First up is The Daily Meal with what’s sure to be a controversial list of the most popular beer by state, followed by The Wall Street Journal reporting that beer has become the latest scarcity in Venezuela, and Discovery News on turning fog into beer in the world's driest desert. Next UPI show us an Australian brewery that is creating beer using yeast from belly button lint, then Forbes follows breweries taking their shows on the road and we wind up with The Boston Globe’s profile of the venture capital firm that has become a big player in the craft beer business.

Last week’s #caskquiz was “what’s your favorite hop name?” while this week we want to know “what has been your fave beer festival?”

We love hearing from you! Please send in feedback and beer suggestions by calling us at (919) 502-0280, tweeting us @talescask, following our Instagram or friending on Untappd @talesfromthecask, posting on and liking our Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/TalesFromTheCask or emailing written or audio messages to talesfromthecask@gmail.com! And please rate & review us in iTunes or Stitcher if you haven’t done so!

We enjoyed the road so much last week, we decided hit it again and found ourselves with our friend Thomas Vincent, the founder of Compass Rose Brewery! With Tony away Thomas agreed to both co-host the show and share outstanding taste treats as well! We talk about the brewery and sample five brews including Wheelhouse IPA, Agave Cream Ale, Hefeweizen, Irish Lager, and Coffee Porter!

Newstime was filled with craft beer goodies! In the UK The Guardian asks is it closing time for the Campaign for Real Ale? while Bon Appetit tried the weirdest new beers out there. Next we finally read you the Reinheitsgebot and report from The LA Times how the law has kept German beers pure for 500 years but that might not be enough to save them, while  Fortune reveals how that law still controls the global beer industry. We follow with Men’s Journal’s question is Guinness craft beer? and another MegaMergerMania! exclusive from MarketWatch observing that the deal that shook craft beer five years ago is still reverberating, and we close with LA Eater on a hoax craft beer newcomer serving up insults online.

Since we recorded so early this week we are continuing last week’s #caskquiz was “What’s your fave hop name?”

We love hearing from you! Please send in feedback and beer suggestions by calling us at (919) 502-0280, tweeting us @talescask, following our Instagram or friending on Untappd @talesfromthecask, posting on and liking our Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/TalesFromTheCask or emailing written or audio messages to talesfromthecask@gmail.com! And please rate & review us in iTunes or Stitcher if you haven’t done so!

Crank Arm Brewing Company - bikes, rickshaws, and beer! Sign us up! This week we head to downtown Raleigh and share some great brews with Adam Eckhardt, the co-owner and co-founder of Crank Arm! He shares the story of the brewery’s origins and how he decided to get into the beer biz. Then we get to sample awesome beers: Uphill Climb Belgian Blonde, Unicycle Single Hop Pale Ale, and the deliciously decadent Trail Bandit Milk Chocolate Peanut Butter Stout!

Once again we had mega beer news to choose from! The Chicago Sun-Times interviews Sam Adams creator Jim Koch on his new book, followed by The San Diego Reader reporting that Mikkeller is now bringing a world of craft beer to San Diego, and then Breaking Israel News shows us a beer from the time of Jesus. It wouldn’t be a news week without MegaMergerMania!TM and Bloomberg delivers AB InBev accepting Asahi’s offer to buy the Grolsch, Peroni and Meantime Beer Brands, then Bloomberg reveals why German craft brewers won't play by Germany's 500-year-old rules, Medical News Today shows us that a beer compound decreases weight gain and lowers cholesterol, and we wind up with Oddity Central on a Russian man’s beer pipeline that runs straight to a his kitchen!

Last week’s #caskquiz was “How likely are you to buy a pint and shop in grocery stores with growler stations?” This week we want to know “What’s your fave hop name?”

We love hearing from you! Please send in feedback and beer suggestions by calling us at (919) 502-0280, tweeting us @talescask, following our Instagram or friending on Untappd @talesfromthecask, posting on and liking our Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/TalesFromTheCask or emailing written or audio messages to talesfromthecask@gmail.com! And please rate & review us in iTunes or Stitcher if you haven’t done so!

It took weeks of cajoling and some pregame beering, and it worked to get our friend Travis “Trevor” Hardee to join us! He talks about his career in the beer world, what his job entails, and how many stores set up their beer sections. Then we try classic brews from Starpoint, Wicked Weed, and Lagunitas: Hipster Hobo, Labonte Pear, and Waldo!

A plethora of beer newsness awaits this week, starting with yet another installment of our ongoing series MegaMergerMania! The Richmond Times-Dispatch brings news that the sale of Devils Backbone Brewing Company to AB InBev elicits praise and sadness. Then, the weather via The Weather Channel forecasting last year’s heat wave may drive up craft beer prices, followed by Forbes Asia on the frontier of beer in Vietnam, and in the UK The Publican’s Morning Advertiser says that craft beer must gain better access to pubs to see US-style success. Finally, we head into Space.com with a heads up for beer lovers revealing that Mars tech could brew better bubbles and then Deutsche Welle tells us why Jews replaced wine with beer in Bavaria.

Last week’s #caskquiz was “Is it a ‘cop-out’ for a brewery to brew a year-round beer but change hops per batch depending on what is available?” This week we want to know “How likely are you to buy a pint and shop in grocery stores with growler stations?”

We love hearing from you! Please send in feedback and beer suggestions by calling us at (919) 502-0280, tweeting us @talescask, following our Instagram or friending on Untappd @talesfromthecask, posting on and liking our Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/TalesFromTheCask or emailing written or audio messages to talesfromthecask@gmail.com! And please rate & review us in iTunes or Stitcher if you haven’t done so!

It’s a relaxy week at the bar, and so we are going to the West Coast for our beers! Well, not technically going there, but you know what we mean! It’s an all-A week too, with Anchor Mango Wheat, Almanac Citra Sour and the amazing Alaskan Smoked Porter!

The news is global from craft beer! First of all we have rankings: The BA released their 2015 Brewery Rankings! Then we follow with The Indianapolis Business Journal’s story on a an IU biochemist helping craft brewers overcome costly challenges, then Crux’s revelation that Benedictine brewer-monks say beer, like God, just makes life better, and The LA Times reporting Carnival's largest cruise ship will brew its own on-board craft beers. Then The Guardian tells us that Wales and London's craft beer scenes continue to thrive, while the  CBC shows that 'Stout' friendships exist between craft brewing rivals, and Herald Scotland says that a Scottish craft brewer is launching the 'world's first spreadable beer'. Finally we have The San Diego Union-Tribune on the fact that Ballast Point Sculpin is leading San Diego craft beers to a robust year and The Economic Times India about Mango lager and India's thirst for craft beer.

Last week’s #caskquiz was “where do you buy your ingredients for home brewing?” And this week we are asking (via our friend @choverstad) “Is it a ‘cop-out’ for a brewery to brew a year-round beer but change hops per batch depending on what is available?”

We love hearing from you! Please send in feedback and beer suggestions by calling us at (919) 502-0280, tweeting us @talescask, following our Instagram or friending on Untappd @talesfromthecask, posting on and liking our Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/TalesFromTheCask or emailing written or audio messages to talesfromthecask@gmail.com! And please rate & review us in iTunes or Stitcher if you haven’t done so!

This week we chat with Dan Gridley, the owner of Farm Boy Farms in Pittsboro, NC about growing the hops, barley, rye, etc. that are used to create beer. Local is huge now, and that goes for beer ingredients too! Dan sells to NC breweries so that they can source their raw materials close by. We also try Starpoint Top Knot, Wicked Weed Dark Age, and a very special beer: Tony made an IPA!

Culling the news was a challenge for sure! Good news starts off for craft beer sales via The Pittsburgh Tribune reporting that craft beer continues to grow, while The Morning Advertiser (UK) notes UK imports of US craft beer are up. Next Forbes posits that private equity in the craft beer market spells upheaval within a decade, followed by Quartz revealing why startup beer brewers are skipping stores and selling directly to locals and Munchies with a shocking story about a Nazi-themed German beer. We wind up with MassLive comparing the craft beer community to early indie rock and The Cincinnati Business Courier showing Cincinnati’s newest bar will price beer like stocks.

We extended the #caskquiz where we asked “what signs have you seen someone show that they are a craft beer bore?” while this week we want to ask all homebrewers “where to you buy your ingredients for brewing?”

We love hearing from you! Please send in feedback and beer suggestions by calling us at (919) 502-0280, tweeting us @talescask, following our Instagram or friending on Untappd @talesfromthecask, posting on and liking our Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/TalesFromTheCask or emailing written or audio messages to talesfromthecask@gmail.com! And please rate & review us in iTunes or Stitcher if you haven’t done so!