BrewViews: Recent Episodes
Aaron Black
BrewViews podcast is for craft beer lovers, homebrewers, and professional brewers. We focus on and highlight breweries in Wisconsin and the Upper Midwest. babrewingcompany.com
For episode 22, we sat down with Joseph Alton, Owner of Botany BrewFarm, in Wilson, WI. Joseph is no stranger to the craft beer community. Growing up in St. Paul, MN, he was a co-founder of the Beer Dabbler and The Growler magazine. Working his way up in the hospitality industry, Joseph is finally finding out what he wants to be when he grows up! If the BrewFarm name sounds familiar, it's because this was Dave's BrewFarm he purchased. Joseph talks about the transition from the noise of city living, to the tranquility of living above the brewery, on the edge of the Driftless Region, in rural Wisconsin. He looks to carry on the tradition of being a fully environmentally sustainable brewery and cultivating many of the ingredients that will eventually go into his beers, giving it a certain terroir. Not only having his own creations, but also featuring collaborations and guest brews. We talk about the influence the previous owner had with this "brewers orchard", on this 35 acre piece of land. We dive into how he plans to utilize a coolship, from a converted dairy tank, to brew some wild fermented and funky beers. Though Botany BrewFarm is not officially open yet, you are going to want to check this place out when they do officially open. It will be a full BrewFarm experience! Slated to open early spring of 2024, follow them and be on the lookout for pre-brew events this fall! We talk about this, plus much more! You can find Botany BrewFarm on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Threads, and at https://www.botanybrewfarm.com/
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For episode 21, we had the privilege to sit down with Co-Owner and Head Brewer, Ashleigh Carter, at Bierstadt Lagerhaus, in Denver, CO. This was our first podcast episode outside of Wisconsin, and it was an entertaining one! Bierstadt is one of the top small breweries in the country! If you haven't heard of them before, you need to check them out! Ashleigh talks about how her and Bill started out with little to no funding, but had a passion to create something as a reflection of who they are. They are a lager only brewhouse turning out some absolutely amazing Pilsner, Helles, and Dunkel, from a 1932 copper brew kettle from Germany! Ashleigh also educates us on the beauty of a slow pour faucet. We dive into a variety of different topics, from plants in the brewery, to the Reinheitsgebot, to Bierstadt's strict adherence on using their branded glassware with their beer, plus much more! You can find Bierstadt on Facebook and Instagram, and at https://bierstadtlager.com/
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For episode 20, we sat down with Jon Christiansen, Owner and Head Brewer, at Zymurgy Brewing Company, in Menomonie, WI. Opening a brewery was a long-term goal of Jon’s, that happened in 2018. This early passion led him to formal brewing education through the renowned Siebel Institute, that took him to Belgium and Germany. We talked about the meaning of the name “Zymurgy”, the study of fermentation, which fits perfectly for the name of the brewery! Located in a repurposed automotive garage, Jon went into it with no specific direction for identity and is letting that happen organically. They host a variety of different concerts and events, including being a local venue for death metal shows. Zymurgy has wide selection of beer styles, and even their own root beer! We tapped into Jon’s thought process how he decides what to brew. They have a strong commitment to community, education, and sustainability, which happens to be their vision. We talk about this, plus much more! You can find Zymurgy on Facebook and Instagram, and at https://www.zymurgybrew.com/
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For episode 19, we had the pleasure to sit down with the incoming President of the Jacob Leinenkugel Brewing Company, Tony Bugher. Established in Chippewa Falls, WI, in 1867. Leinie's is a 155 year old brewery, that is still family run! You don't survive that many years and get to that level of success without strong family leadership, innovation, and community support. We touch on all those points in this episode.
Tony shares a brief history of the brewery, along with talking about his path to become the next President of Leinenkugel's, taking the reins from his uncle, Dick Leinenkugel. Innovation is at the forefront of what keeps Leinie's relevant and successful. Hear how their new 7 barrel pilot brewery, in the Leinie Lodge, is doing just that. He talks about the unique dynamic Leinie's has due to their age, being owned by Molson Coors, and yet still having the autonomy to be family run. We talk about the beer and hear the impact Summer Shandy had on the growth of the brewery. Tony also shares a funny story about an "A-list" celebrity he met as a kid, back in 1984, when he toured the brewery! Hear about this and much more! The Leinenkugel's is worth the visit and you will not be disappointed! You can find them on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter, and at https://www.leinie.com/
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For episode 18, we sat down and had an entertaining conversation with Aaron Gilling, Owner, Brewer, and Dishwasher, at Stubborn Brothers Brewery, in Shawano, WI. Aaron and his brother Eric opened Stubborn Brothers in the midst of COVID, in 2020. This experimental brewery is currently a 7-barrel brewhouse that supports 23 beers on tap, including a GABF Gold Medal winner! They focus on stylistically accurate beers, support the local farmers and the community, and, well, do whatever they want when it comes to brewing. Aaron gives his candid thoughts on different beer styles and talks about his un-traditional career path from doctor to brewer! Hear how they resurrected Shawano Club Pilsner, a pre-prohibition beer, from one of the original bottles. Aaron has some simple advice for a beer you brew that you don't like! We also talked about their unique location, at the old, restored vaudeville Crescent Theater, plus much more! You can find them on Facebook and Instagram at Stubborn Brothers Brewery, and at https://www.stubbornbros.com/
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For episode number 17, and our second Views on Tap episode, we are explaining the brewing process. Our guest is Haven Schultz, homebrewer and part of the leadership team for The Bru Club Facebook group, which is associated with one of my favorite homebrewing podcasts, Brulosophy. Listen to hear how Haven and I met, along with how and why he got hooked on homebrewing. And, of course, the brewing process.
We were on-site at my garage, in Eau Claire, WI recording the podcast during a brew day! Not all of the people who listen to this podcast are homebrewers or professional brewers, just craft beer and brewery fans, so we wanted to do more of an educational episode that walks you through the brewing process, while attempting to keep it simple and fun. Hopefully the more you understand about the brewing process, the more you'll get out of the BrewViews podcast and the more you'll get out of visiting you favorite breweries! If you have any questions, feedback, or want to know more from Haven, you can reach him at haven@thebruclub.com.
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Episode number 16 was a fun one! We made our way down to La Crosse, WI for the 608 and Friends Parking Lot Party! This was originally supposed to be the 2nd Annual 608 Day, but due to some circumstances outside of their control, there had to be a late change in plans, as Phil Humphrey talks about. We had to dodge some rain, but no one really seemed to care, everyone was having an amazing time! Great breweries, great beer, great friends, and great conversation!
We were fortunate enough to interview the 5 breweries present that were serving beer at the parking lot party. We spoke with Austin Jevne, from Humble Forager Brewery, Kyle Vetter, from 1840 Brewing, Tim Goers, from G5 Brewing, Simon McConico, from Vennture Brewing, and Levi Funk, from Untitled Art.
We had 4 main questions for each of them, where they talked about their brewery, talked about what beer they brought, talked about what makes their brewery unique, and what makes the craft beer community so special. It was awesome to hear how the craft beer community comes together to support each other, such as events like this that had to make a last-minute change in plans. Take a listen to hear what they had to say! If you would like to find out more about each of these breweries, and their beer, check them out below!
https://www.608brewingcompany.com/
https://www.humbleforagerbrewery.com/
https://www.1840brewing.com/
https://www.g5brewing.net/
https://vennturebrewco.square.site/
https://www.drinkuntitled.com/
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For episode 15, we sat down with Phil Humphrey, Owner and Head Brewer, at 608 Brewing Company, in La Crosse, WI. 608 is the area code for the Southwestern quadrant of Wisconsin and it's also where you can find this innovative brewery that is not afraid to push the limits on what you can brew. We talked about the how and why of what they brew, including their barrel-aging program. We also spend some time talking about the numerous collaborations 608 has done with other breweries and why that is so important to Phil. With all they have going on, it's not hard to see why they have quickly been gaining popularity and notoriety. We also touched on what makes 608 unique, plus much more! You can find them on Facebook and Instagram at 608 Brewing Company, and at https://www.608brewingcompany.com/
Check out BrewViews at babrewingcompany.com
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For episode 14, we sat down with Ryan Stolt, Owner of Bloomer Brewing Company, in Bloomer, WI. We talked about how Ryan's father, Dan, started the brewery after Ryan got him hooked on home brewing. Bloomer Brewing tries to keep it local with where they source their ingredients from, to collaborating with a couple different local businesses to create a beer for them. This brewery has a little something for everyone. They are all about a fun and family friendly vibe, from their delicious beer, to their label designs, to their taproom. We talked about it all, plus much more! You can find them on Facebook and Instagram at Bloomer Brewing Co, and at http://bloomerbrewingco.com/
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For episode 13, we sat down on our hinders with Owner Mike Stroik, Brewmaster David Oldenburg, and Beerslinger Jake Bowden, of H.H. Hinder Brewing, in Waupaca, WI. They say a healthy business culture is everything, and this is exemplified at H.H. Hinder. If you can't tell by the name, they like to have fun and create an inviting and positive experience, from the building aesthetics, to the events, to the staff, to Jake's energetic personality, to the beer. Speaking of beer, they have an award winning Brewmaster, David, 2015 GABF Large Brewpub Brewer of the Year, national-ranked BJCP judge, and has won numerous awards with his beers. Hear his thoughts on beer and brewing! Also we talked about how Mike brought all of this together and what makes this place so special. Of course, there are many laughs and Hinder puns throughout the episode! By the way, the H.H. in front of Hinder is for Mike's father Howard, and his wife Jackie's father, Harold. This is a place you'll want to come experience! You can find them on Facebook at HH Hinder Brewing Company, on Instagram at hinder_happenings, and at https://hinderbrewingco.com/
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For episode 12, we sat down with friends and Co-Founders of Hop & Barrel, Brian Priefer and Justin Terbeest. Hop & Barrel is located in Hudson, WI, right on the Minnesota boarder. We had a lively conversation about the inception of Hop & Barrel and how Brian and Justin's background in brewing, and their slightly different directions in the industry helped shape this popular and growing brewery. We also talked about the recent opening of the second Hop & Barrel brewery, in Spring Valley, MN. Brian is BJCP judge and Justin has won many homebrewing competition medals. Listen to hear how that plays into their business model and how they craft their beer. We had some laughs when Brian and Justin shared their "exploding cans" story, plus much more! If you want to stay in the know with what's going on at H&B, they have their own podcast, Hop & Barrel Happy Hour. Also, if you're a homebrewer, check out their Homebrew Bound podcast! You can find Hop & Barrel at https://www.hopandbarrelbrewing.com/. They are also on Facebook and Instagram.
Check out BrewViews at babrewingcompany.com
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For episode 11, we sat down with Eric Rykal, of Modicum Brewing, in Altoona, WI. Believe it or not, this is our first episode in our area! The definition of "Modicum" says it all with how Eric models his craft brewery business! Find out how staying small allows him the flexibility to brew a "well-constructed beer that showcase complexity, subtlety, and nuance". We talked about how he got his start at a couple local Chippewa Valley breweries, that inspired his craft to open his own brewery. We also found out Eric's rules for visiting breweries, plus much more! Modicum brews some amazing beer and is worth the visit! You can find them on Facebook and Instagram at Modicum Brewing, and at https://www.modicumbrewing.com/
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For episode number 10, and the last one of 2021, we are doing something a little different. This is our first Views on Tap episode! We take a beer related topic and take a dive into sharing our opinions and views on it. These will usually be shorter episodes and we'll throw them in randomly throughout the year.
For our first Views on Tap episode, Aaron talks about Beer and Health. A subject that is rarely talked about, but needs to be talked about more. He shares some of his personal stories, thoughts, and opinions on it. There are two main parts to this, physical health and mental heath. We'd love to hear your feedback on this first Views on Tap episode! Also, if you have any stories related to this topic, we'd love to hear them!
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For episode 9, we sat down with Chad Forsberg, of Footjoy Farm and Brewing, in Melvina, WI. They are new to the brewing scene as of April 2021. Look no further if you want to try a very one of a kind beer (and some pretty amazing pizza). Not only does Footjoy brew with unique homegrown and foraged ingredients, but they also grow all their own grains they brew with, with a farm-to-glass approach. Chad is trying to make barley sexy again! With a wide variety of grains, including many ancient grains, Footjoy is out to maintain the genetic diversity of seeds. Plus, he sells the grains and is working to make some of these unique varaties more available to brewers. We talked about how his background in produce and grains contributes to his beer recipe formulation, some challenges of starting out, plus much more! You can find them on Facebook and Instagram at Footjoy Farm and Brewing, and on their https://www.footjoyfarmbrewery.com/
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For episode number 8, we sat down with Heart Of The North's enthusiastic Co-owner, Head of Marketing, Sales, R&D, and everything beer, Tom Taylor. HOTH, is located in Ladysmith, WI, and was founded in 2019. This family owned brewpub is unique in many ways! Not only is it the only brewpub in the state of Wisconsin to be attached to a garden center, but it also has the smallest brewery and smallest kitchen in the state! Listen to find out how this unique concept has become successful and how they have continued to gain momentum. We also talked about successes, challenges, of course their beer. You can find them on Facebook and Instagram at Heart Of The North Brewing Co. Their website is coming soon!
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For our seventh episode, we sat down with co-owners, bothers, and all around great guys, Zak and Ryan Koga. Karben4 Brewing, in Madison, WI, was founded in 2012. They like to have fun, and may not take themselves seriously, but they take brewing beer very seriously. We of course talked about their flagship beer, Fantasy Factory, which has really interesting story, being a Hazy IPA, before that was really a thing. K4 has an amazing story on what they were able to do for their community to come together and pull through COVID, and what they continue to do to give back. We also talked about their collaboration beers with Kwik Trip, the very well thought out meaning behind their name, and much more! At the end of the podcast, we had the questions turned on us! This was our longest podcast to date, but it's filled will great stories and entertaining and candid conversation! You can find them at https://karben4.com/
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For our sixth episode, we did something a little different. We were actually interviewed by Landon Cerny, from Taproom Travelers, another group that is passionate about craft beer and breweries. They are based out of Eau Claire, WI, like us, and do more than just podcasting, they also produce some creative videos that highlight craft beer and breweries. On their Taproom Takeover, we talked about how BrewViews got started, trends we are seeing, some interesting things we have noticed, our favorite beer styles, Untappd, and much more! You can find them at https://taproomtravelers.com/. You can also find them on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.
Check out BrewViews at babrewingcompany.com
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For our fifth episode, I had the honor to talk with Dan Carey, Brewmaster, at New Glarus Brewing. Dan, with his wife, Deb, Founder and President, is employee owned and has a great story! We talked about the uncertain start of New Glarus, Dan's creativity and inspiration behind designing beer, a couple big decisions that were made to keep this a Wisconsin only beer, and of course talked about Spotted Cow. Did you know that Spotted Cow is not the beer that made the world take notice? Have a listen to what makes them so amazing! And what did Dan think when I suggested Spotted Cow should be Wisconsin's state beer? I also got great insight from Dan about his opinion on beer styles! You can find them at https://newglarusbrewing.com/
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For our fourth episode, we sat down with Joe Katchever, Owner/Founder/Brewmaster and Production Manager, at Pearl Street Brewery, in La Crosse, WI. Established in 1999 and still going strong! La Crosse is beer city and Joe talked about keeping the streak going for the city commercially producing beer there. He also talked about getting started brewing in Colorado and how he landed in La Crosse. We talked about some locally sourced ingredients Pearl Street uses, Joe's thoughts on the current state of the craft beer industry, of course their beer, and much more! There is great history and great stories shared! You can find them at https://pearlstreetbrewery.com/
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For our third episode, we sat down with Spencer Churchill, General Manager, at Round Man Brewing, in Spooner, Wisconsin. This was a very entertaining podcast with many laughs! Round Man is family owned and run, and very community focused. They opened their doors and 2018, and have yet to have a "normal" year. Round Man is a brewpub and pride themselves on hospitality and overall experience. We talked about how COVID was a blessing in disguise, how they cater their beer selection to their unique demographic, cool building history, and much more! You can find them at https://roundmanbrewing.com/
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For our second episode, we sat down with Bo Belanger, Owner, at South Shore Brewing, in Washburn, Wisconsin. South Shore was founded in 1995, Wisconsin's seventh microbrewery, first in northern Wisconsin. We talked about the changes and challenges in the past 26 years, from ingredients to equipment, what makes their Nut Brown Ale so good, Bo's thoughts about Untappd, and much more! You can find them at https://www.southshorebrewery.com/
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For our first episode, we sat down with Chris Gethers, Co-owner and Head Brewer, at District 1 Brewing, in Stevens Point, Wisconsin. We talked about D1's philosophy, surviving the pandemic, the roll they play in the community, of course their beer, and much more! This is a brewery that is community focused and wants to make the best beer possible. You can find them at http://www.district1brewing.com/
Check out BrewViews at babrewingcompany.com
BrewViews podcast is for craft beer lovers, homebrewers, and professional brewers. This episode is short introduction to what you expect to get our of this podcast and give you a little bit of background on how it came to be. You can find us online at babrewingcompany.com.