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!

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!

What a great year we are having with our friends from Wicked Weed! Our buddy (and brewery sales guru) Justin Crouch stops in to chat, and he brings along a large group of friends to dish on all the lastest from Asheville! Plus he has a couple of timely treats: Dark Age with Coffee and a mystery beer that will be coming out early in 2019!

For Thanksgiving week we have more fun news than we have seen in quite some time! We begin with Extra Crispy revealing why so many brands are getting into beer now, followed by WTOP spotlighting a new exhibit at Heurich House that taps into DC’s history through beer. Next up is a terrific announcement on Facebook (thanks sfringer & evanrnhall!) by Sierra Nevada about their special Resilience Butte County Proud IPA, which has 100% of sales proceeds going to help victims of the Camp Fire conflagration in northern California. Then we go south to Los Angeles Magazine’s musical piece on how a local brewery created a beer worthy of the L.A. Phil’s centennial season, and we close the week with Denver Westword reporting that Colorado Governor Hickenlooper may be leaving office, but the Governor's Mansion beer taps will stay!

Last week’s news about cannabis drove the #caskquiz asking “are you interested in trying a non-alcohol cannabis “beer”? Would you make it part of your rotation? How about alcohol/cannabis beer?” This week we want to know “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?”

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 mead tease from the folks at Honeysuckle Meadery way back in Episode 180 (!), and now mead masters William Costen and Erik Lensch invite us over for a visit and a sampling! The guys share the story of the meadery’s journey thus far, and then we have six incredible meads to try: Elderberry and Elderflower, Blueberry Jam, PawPaw Patch, Midnight Bramble, Raspberry Jam, and the astounding Peanut Butter and Jelly!

As he often does, Chip starts the news out slow and low and builds to a final crescendo! He begins with Bloomberg and the global climate change-related news that your craft beer is about to get more expensive. Next The Twin Cities Pioneer Press reveals the sad news that Great Waters Brewing Co. in St. Paul is closing. Then VinePair (thanks sfringer!) has specious “news” claiming that ​​​​​​​a new AB-InBev video says that ‘craft beer’ will be gone in two years (here come the trolls!), followed by Colorado Public Radio’s opinions that craft beer is finding it harder to stay king of the mountain in Colorado. We close the week with The USA Today’s profile of Blue Moon's founding brewer who is popping the top on a pot-infused beer and Paste’s terrific news that the economic impact of San Diego craft beer has passed the $1 billion threshold!

Apparently everyone was sick of the U.S. election cycle, so we had limited responses to last week’s #caskquiz asking if you were celebrating the election results or drowning your sorrows. This week we are curious to hear if you interested in trying a non-alcohol cannabis “beer”? Would you make it part of your rotation? How about alcohol/cannabis 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!

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!

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!

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!

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!

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!

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!

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!

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!

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!

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!

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!

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!

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!

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!

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!

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!

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!

It’s been forever since we heard that Bal’mer accent, so we juice up the DeLorean to visit with our friend Dave Benfield from DuClaw Brewing! Dave tells us all about the latest from Maryland and tries some delectable brews with us: Gose O’s, Dad Bod Double IPA, and All Along the Hop Tower Double IPA!

We are replete with beer news this week, beginning with Food & Wine’s somewhat misleading title people aren't super excited about beer right now. Next we have a follow up to last week’s story on the European CO2 shortage, this time via Yahoo News UK reporting that beer rationing is beginning in the UK as a result of the carbon dioxide crisis. Then we learn from The BBC that Birmingham beer glasses have been seized for being too small, followed by Madison.com with tips for building a beer cellar, and we wind up with Mass Live’s parade of craft beer names that are getting crazier every year!

We have your answers to last week’s #caskquiz which asked “who is your World Cup team and what beer are you drinking to cheer them on?” This week we want to know “do you have a beer cellar? Is it organized?”

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 took years of cajoling, and it has paid off! Eric McKay and Patrick Murtaugh, the co-founders of Hardywood Park Craft Brewery are here at the bar and in our market at last! The guys discuss their history together, the founding of the brewery, and the mythical story of their trip to Australia. And we get to try an incredible flight of their beers including Pils, VIPA, None of This Makes Sense, Virginia Blackberry Belgian White Ale, Peach Tripel, and Tropic Like It’s Hot Sour Ale!

The World Cup dominates the beer news this week! But first we begin with The Takeout (thanks @sfringer!) believing that craft lager is an oxymoron no more. Next up The Daily Beast asks are craft beer bottles an endangered species? Then we go to Europe during the World Cup competition with U.S. News and World Report revealing that beer is running dry in Moscow, followed by The Independent reporting that the UK is facing a beer shortage during World Cup and barbecue season, and we close with The Drum’s surprising news that Carlsberg has created a caviar beer to fish for fans at the Russian World Cup!

We have your answers to last week’s #caskquiz which asked “have you ever visited a farm brewery?  Which one?” This week we ask “who is your World Cup team and what beer are you drinking to cheer them on?”

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!

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!

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!

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!

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!

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!

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!

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!

Once again Tony and Jenn hit the road to bring you another whale interview: Eric Wallace and Heath Perkins from Left Hand Brewing! Eric and Heath talk about the founding of the brewery, the latest happenings and brews, and try three amazing beers with us: Juicy Goodness, Death before Disco, and a rare cellar find, the 2009 Barrel Aged Imperial Stout!  Eric also discusses his recent projects as chairperson of the Brewers Association and gives us a sneak peek of topics for his speech at the Craft Brewers Conference in Nashville.   

The world climate leads beer news via KTAR asking could climate change be ruining the taste of your favorite craft beer? We follow with Paste reporting that Atlanta's New Realm Brewing is expanding ... to Green Flash's Virginia Beach facility. Then we have SFGate taking us on the first cannabis, craft beer and wine tour from San Francisco to Sonoma County and we wind up with The Dallas Star-Telegram showing that craft beer, bands, comic books and 'Brenda' help set Division Brewing apart from the crowd!

Then we have your responses to last week’s #caskquiz which asked “have you ever been mansplained at a bar or shop about beer? What happened?” and this week we want to ask “do you know a brewery that combines brewing with another activity/business like Division Brewing does? What brewery and what else do they 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!

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!

It’s old home week for Tony as an emissary from the Finger Lakes region has brought us beer: it’s Chad Gourley from Ithaca Beer Company! Chad joins us to relate the origins of Ithaca, how he moved from the dark side to the light of the beer business, and he presents us delectable delights: Apricot Wheat, Flower Power, and Super Stout! Plus a true ginger!

We lead off the news this week with The Roanoke Times reporting that Deschutes is rethinking its plans for a Roanoke brewery. Next up South Florida reveals that the Feds have warned Florida breweries to stop making marijuana-flavored beer, followed by Food and Wine (thanks Carl!) showing us that AB InBev's 'no boil' brewing method could mean greener beer! We close with Thrillist’s (thanks Michael!) list of the 11 people you see on every brewery tour and Nosh on CPGs capitalizing on craft!

Then we have your responses to last week’s #caskquiz which asked “do you have a vintage piece of breweriana and if so what is it?” and this week we want to know “do you buy any “craft” consumer goods? 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!

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!

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!

After the Easter mayhem and in celebration of the opening of baseball season, we take a seat at the bar and unwind with our friends Frank and Keith while trying a trio of deliciousness from Olde Hickory, Southern Tier, and Wicked Weed! They are Olde Hickory Thallo, Southern Tier Wrinkle in the Fabric, and Wicked Weed Incandescent!

There is more sad news from California to lead us off this week from The San Diego Union-Tribune in that Green Flash has been sold following foreclosure. Next up VinePair asks if a craft brewery can sell out without being bought, while Punch reveals how Other Half became the official beer of Wall Street, and Esquire reports that Budweiser and Jim Beam are making a beer together. We wind down in the sports world with Bunkered disclosing that Augusta National security has handed out a forbidden 'phrase' sheet for The Masters and The WaPo advising that you don’t freak out about the Nationals’ $16 craft draft beer!

Then we have your responses to last week’s #caskquiz which asked “do you have a regular pub or watering hole that you frequent several times a week? Or do you usually consume at home?” and this week we want to know “what is the most you have paid for a beer at a concert or sporting event?”

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 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!

It took a while to get him into our busy brewing schedule, and it was totally worth the wait for our homebrew contest winner Chris Nadeau to come and make a batch of his incredible Trips Up North New England Stout! It was even better than we remembered! And to top it all off, he shared two great finds from up north, Treehouse Old Man ESB and Industrial Arts Wrench!

With Chip back in the newsroom, he naturally turned to econ courtesy of The Wall Street Journal (thanks Frank!) announcing that the Trump Tariff layoffs have begun! Next up The Brewers Association has released their annual 2017 top 50 brewing companies by sales volume and you may be surprised at the rankings. Then VinePair believes that maybe craft beer’s post snob era is here, followed by The New York Times revealing that something’s brewing in the lab: beer without hops, and then Mumbrella reports that CUB’s Ginger Gene ad has been banned for ‘vilifying’ redheads! Plus we sneak in a little humblebrag about Raleigh placing 11th in Food Truck Nation’s list of the top 20 food truck cities!

Then we have your responses to last week’s #caskquiz which asked ”have you interacted with your local distributor at a retail account?” and this week we want to know “are you experiencing craft beer burnout, and if so what old-school beer are you returning to?”

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 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!

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!

We couldn’t think of a better place to celebrate a quarter millennium of shows than over in Durham with our friends Tim Harper and Nikko Carlson at Starpoint Brewing! And they just had their 1-year anniversary at the site! We discuss their year in Durham, check in with head brewing dog Hobbs, and sample four astounding brews: Dirty D New England IPA, Perception Peach Pale Ale, Whiskeytown, and McKinney Vol. 1!

There was really too much news this week, beginning with The New York Times demonstrating how craft breweries are helping to revive local economies, followed by The Denver Post reporting that New Belgium is cutting 28 jobs. Next is The Independent showing that Brewdog is going to open the DogHouse Hotel in Aberdeenshire, and then The New York Times (again) reveals a new old wave in craft beer. We follow with good news in the Midwest via ABC as Indiana is becoming the last state to allow Sunday beer, wine and liquor carryout! We close out the week with The News & Observer (via Geistbear) stepping into a place for ax throwing and beer drinking that is coming to downtown Durham!

Then we have your responses to last week’s #caskquiz which asked “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?” and this week we want to hear ”what’s the funkiest alcohol sales rule where you live?”

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!

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!

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!

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!

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!

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!

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!

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!