BeoirFest: Let's Talk Beer: Recent Episodes
BeoirFest
Join us for interviews and discussion with some of the best independent brewers.
Every week(ish) our roundtables bring 3 brewers together to taste each others beers and discuss brewing, beer and more. The chats are unplanned and use the beers as a jumping point for conversation.
Brewers from 18 countries including Ireland, UK, Latvia, Lithuania, Estonia, Poland, Malta, Germany, Belgium, Netherlands, Finland , Romania, Portugal, Greece, Cyprus, France, Spain and more have already taken part.
Video's available at BeoirFest.com - while there you can also register to join us live.
In this episode, I'm joined by Jonathan Spielberg, founder of Postcard Brewing Company in Dublin, Ireland. Jonathan, originally from New York, takes us through his journey from IT project management to becoming a key player in Ireland's craft beer scene. We delve into the challenges of transitioning from a hobbyist brewer to establishing a fully-fledged brewery, the complexities of contract brewing, and the lessons learned from the successes and failures of various craft beer ventures.
Jonathan shares the inspiration behind Postcard Brewing, including how Dublin's iconic landmarks and his love for West Coast IPAs influenced the branding and beer styles. We also discuss the balancing act of catering to local tastes while eyeing the international market, especially the challenges of breaking into the U.S. craft beer scene.
Tune in to hear about the creative process behind their unique beer labels, the role of marketing in the craft beer industry, and what lies ahead for Postcard Brewing as they continue to expand both domestically and internationally. Whether you're a craft beer enthusiast or interested in the business side of brewing, this episode is packed with insights and stories from the heart of Ireland's brewing industry.
Beer was a fundamental part of life in Ancient Egypt. But what did it taste like? That's the sort of question most of would briefly ponder and then move on. Not Dylan McDonnell.He set about plans to recreate an ancient beer as accurately as possible. It turned out to be a 3 year project of deciphering ancient documents, finding ingredients that were as authentic as possible - and even finding a yeast that was scraped from 3,000 year old pottery.Dylan is joining me to chat about how he had the idea, what it involved, and most importantly how the beer tasted.
Lambic is synonymous with Brussels. The usual story is that the spontaneously fermented beer has been brewed unchanged since medieval times, a remnant of how all beers were once brewed.The story is more interesting though.Beer Historian Roel Mulder from LostBeers.com joins me to explain how Lambic beers originated in the 18th century and how they went on to be the Brussels 'peoples beer,' declined in popularity in the mid 20th century, and have seen a dramatic revival in the 21st.We discuss the first recorded mention of lambic, the requirements for a beer to be lambic, where it was brewed and why it developed.
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Thornbridge Brewing in the UK are an award winning brewery that have a strong emphasis on tradition but like to take chances.They have recently linked with Brooklyn Brewery founder Garrett Oliver to brew a beer with Fonio. This is a staple grain crop in West Africa but it's not widely know outside of the area. It's hardy and grows in dry conditions, but it is hard to harvest and process.Why decide to brew with it?And why take ownership of the world's only remaining Burton Union system? Thornbridge head brewer Rob Lovatt joins me for a brief chat about all the exciting news out of Thornbridge
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Wild East was founded in 2019 by Brett Taylor, Tyler March and Lindsay Steen. Based in Brooklyn they have a focus (though by no means exclusive) on mixed fermentation and Brett-based beers. They started with 40 barrels and have since grown that by a further 100. As they say they themselves, they aim to push boundaries and open new doors for anyone who’s remotely interested in beer. We do this by producing a diverse range of lagers & ales with balanced and complex, yet approachable flavors and the utmost dedication to quality control. Join us for a chat to learn how they got started, how it's going, and what the future holds..
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Looking at the history of the world through it's 6 favourite drinks might seem a bit unusual. But this lens throws light on changes in culture as well as power throughout the ages.Tom Standage, editor of The Economist, took this approach in his book "A History Of The World In 6 Glasses," in which he traces trends through the history of Beer, Wine, Spirits, Tea, Coffee, and Coke. Tom joins me for a chat focusing on the first three of these (though we'll probably mention the others as well.)How did each influence the civilisations of their times? What do they say about the transfer of power and wealth across the ages? And which is better????
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It's a big claim to say any one brewery is the best in its country. But Elias Wicked Ales won the award as The Philippines best two years running at the Asian Beer Championship.Founded by Raoul Masangcay in 2019 Elias Wicked Ales gained prominence quickly. Raoul is the first beer sommelier in The Philippines and built his interest in, and knowledge of, craft beer through his years working in the US.With Elias Wicked Ales he aims to bring a unique Philippines influence to craft beer, exploiting the flavours available throughout the country.Raoul manages the brewery and taproom from Oregon where he works a day job as an Electronic Engineer. Learn more about his story when he joins me live for a chat.
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Vietnamese are among the top ten beer drinkers in the world. The country also has one of the most vibrant beer scenes in Asia. East West is one of the leading craft breweries in Vietnam. Based in Ho Chi Minh City they were founded by a multi-national team (hence the name) with the intention of building a world-class brewery.Their brewery and taproom in the heart of the city ensures that the beer is as fresh as it can be and they made an impact out of the door.Join founder Loc Truong and head brewer Patrick Barnes for live chat about East West Brewing and the whole Vietnamese craft beer scene
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Huston Lett and Tom Ross founded Bastet Brewing in Tampa Bay, Florida back in 2014 but didn't actually launch until 2019.Inspired by the ancient Egyptian brewing culture they chose the name Bastet after the god who was prevented from destroying mankind when she was fooled into getting drunk.With such a long view of brewing history both Tom and Huston have taken care to brew beers that represent a breadth of vision from across the world. While you'll find IPA's in their line up you are also going to find beers from a variety of styles, backgrounds, and cultures
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The Wari Empire ruled in Peru from around 600 to 1100. During that time they ruled over much of coastal and highland Peru.Recent excavations have revealed that one of the tools they used to forge alliances was with the local beer, chicha. This was brewed in large state-owned breweries and used both as a way of creating links with neighbouring tribes and also as a way of ensuring stability within the empire itself.Regular festivals and beer-laden social gatherings were an ingrained part of Wari society.Donna Nash of Arizona State University is one of the people whose work has revealed the large role of chicha in Wari society. She joins me for a chat about the Wari and the role chicha played in maintaining their society.
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Black owned breweries are just 1% of breweries in the US. Recently opened Vine Street in Kansas City is the only one in Missouri.Join founders Kemet Coleman and Woodie Bonds for a chat about the brewery and the challenges and expectations of being minority owned.
As the first black-owned brewery in Missouri, Vine Street not only crafts exceptional beers but also actively contributes to the cultivation of a community that celebrates diversity and unity.
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Alcohol has been used by humans since the beginning of time. Why do we still injest what is a poison?
Edward Slingerland addressed this question in his book "Drunk. How we sipped, danced, and stumbled our way to civilization."
Edward is the Professor of Philosophy at the University of British Columbia and his book looks at the alcohol from an evolutionary and religious viewpoint.
His conclusion is that alcohol has been essential in helping humans be creative and build civilizations.
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We've been following the birth of Checkerhead Brewery on Vancouver Island for a while.Street Juggles David Aiken is creating a lifestyle micro-brewery that will allow him to meet his financial needs and also have a great quality of life.It's been almost a year since we last spoke. How is the project getting on?
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The caricature of the Irish involves a lot of alcohol and drunkenness. It often comes as a surprise when people discover just how widespread and culturally ingrained temperance and teetotalism is in the country.Father Theobald Mathew's temperance crusade was the single most extraordinary social movement in pre-famine Ireland, enlisting millions of Irish men and women to give up drink for life.This coincided with, and arguably enabled, a national identity which coincided with Daniel O'Connell, and the mass-meetings he organised.Professor Paul Townend of University of North Carolina, Wilmington wrote the book "Father Mathew, Temperance, and Irish Identity" and is an expert on Father Mathew and the temperance movement.He joined me for a fascinating chat.
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Lambic brewing around Brussels has a long tradition. After many years of decline it has in recent times gone through a revival.Existign breweries have grown and a handful of new breweries have opened.Brewery Kestemont is a family-owned brewery located in another Lambic brewery that closed in 1968.Run by brothers-in-law Lias Kestemont and Wim Krieckemans the brewery produced its first beers in 2020.They use the traditional spontaneous fermentation and local organic products, and have just been accepted as the newest member of the Lambic Brewers Association, HORAL.Join us for a live beer chat to learn all about lambic traditions and the challenges of opening a new lambic brewery.
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Austin has a big and exciting craft beer scene. But surpringly there is only one female-owned brewery where the owners do all the brewing. That is Lass Haüs Ales.Founded by Amber McCullough and Kris Carpenter the brewery specialises in Belgian-style ales.They've experienced their share of ups and downs in trying to bring a brewery to life and they'll be sharing their experiences during our live beer chat.
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Not everyone iopens a brewery by mistake. Or gets national publicity before they do. But Dave Henderson from Northern Ireland did just that when he bought a brewing system off Gumtree in Australia.When that happened himself and his wife felt that had to go ahead. Join Dave for a chat about his experiences and be amazed at the accuracy of his Australian accent!
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Apiwe Nxusani-Mawela is one the the driving forces behind craft beer across Africa. She's the founder of Tolokazi Beer in South Africa, the first brewery to be owned by a black woman in the continent.She's holds Master Brewer qualification from the Institute of Brewing and Distilling in the UK and was the first black woman to be accredited as a trainer with them.Apiwe is not only a force in South Africa but has helped breweries through the continent, most recently helping Kweza get their brewery set up in Rwanda.You'll remember Apiwe from our series of chats on traditional African brewing, something she's passionate about. I'm thrilled to be able to chat to her about her own experiences and projects, especially the release of her beers in the UK.
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Sonja Mitchell had the same experience many of us have, we want a beer but have to be up early the next morning.And like us she was not happy with the non-alcoholic beers available to her.Unlike the rest of us she decided that she should brew her own. And so she started Jump ShipBrewing, Scotland's only exclusively non-alcoholic brewery.
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There is much we still don’t know about beer in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries. Historians of food and drink have produced a huge amount of research that explores its deep and complex importance to everyday life. But what did that beer look and taste like? How much alcohol did it contain? How nutritious was it? Though some researchers have tried to answer these questions using the written records left behind by brewers, they have typically made assumptions based on modern ingredients, equipment and techniques. Dr. Susan Flavin set out with a small team to answer those questions. Armed with a 15th Century Irish recipe her team at FoodCult.eu gathered ingredients that match as closely as possible to the originals, and even went as far as building a brewhouse of the time.Susan is joined by food historian Marc Meltonville who had responsibility for recreating the brewery itself for a chat about the project and its findings. You can learn more about the project at https://foodcult.eu/exhibition/brewing-historical-beer/
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Commercial Craft Beer is relatively new to Uganda. One of the pioneers in the scene is Banange Brewing in Kampala.Founded by friends Adam and Pall, who met through their mutual passion for freestyle kayaking on the Nile the brewery has established a strong place for itself in the Ugandan Craft Beer Scene.Co-founder Adam Cameron joined me to tell me the story of how a Canadian and Icelander built Uganda's third largest brewery.--- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/beoirfest/message
The National Centre For Brewing and Distilling is based in Carlow, as part of Teagasc.It's a new initiative that aims among other things to focus on the testing of raw materials for malting and the production of small batches of specialised malts for the craft beer sector, and of test batches for the malting and distilling companies.As the Irish drinks industries continue to thrive, the country has seen significant growth in both alcoholic and non-alcoholic drink sales. Manager Lisa Ryan joins me for a chat about heritage grains, the potential for Irish grains in Irish beer and whiskey and lots more.
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The American craft beer scene is pretty white and male. Only something like 4% of breweries are owned by minorities.
This makes Mad River Brewing very unique.
The brewery got its start 30 years ago at the beginnings of the craft beer revolution in California. But in 2019 it was bought by the Yurok tribe, making it perhaps the only tribally-owned brewery in the country.
The mandate is for the brewery to promote Yurok culture, generate employment and income, and act as an example to Yurok and other tribes.
It is also women-led, with all its senior management being female.
Mad River CEO Linda Cooley (also part-Irish) took time to tell me how she manages these demands while still brewing great beer.
We covered a lot of ground in what was a really enjoyable and informative conversation.
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Velten Tiemann was born in Zambia but spent most of his career working in the wine industry in Germany and Australia.On returning to Zambia and realising he wanted to ferment something, Velten and his wife started Wild Dog. The decision was driven by the fast turnover, no waiting a year between projects.Since brewing that first 100-litre batch Wild Dog has grown and won many awards.
Velten joined me for a chat about the potential and the difficulties of brewing inn Zambia.
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In St. Anthony on the Northern tip of Newfoundland, 3 friends decided to create a community focused brewery.Despite having no experience they opened their brewery and taproom at the end of the world in November 2019 - just in time to be shut down by Covid a few months later.Nevertheless they persevered and their taproom is a higlioght of the local community and they also sell their beers farther than St. Anthony's.Join founder Brad Simms to learn what it's like brewing in so remote a location and the lessons learned
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Ask anyone and 90% of the time you will be told that beer consists of malt, yeast, water, and hops.John Midgley of Cool Cousin Brewing in New York is brewing without malting, just using enzymes and grain. He says it uses less water and energy.Many cultures around the brew beer without malting and have done so for millenia. So in principle this is nothing new, though the exact method might be.John joined me for a chat about his method, how it came about, the potential upsides and downsides and how his first beer using this process won awards. We talked about the environmental savings when using enzymes, the history of exogenous enzymes, and how other brewers can brew this way.
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Kalao is a pan-African brewery based in Senegal.
A small nano-brewery thinking big they have collaborated with brewers worldwide, most recently with Brooklyn Brewery.
This chat with founder Raphael discussed their use of the grain fonio and its potential in beer across the world.
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Sandoval Brewing are located in the heart of Argentina's wine country.
Founder Sebastian Marano joined me for chat about the beer scene in Argentina, and the challenges of brewing beer in a market where wine is the daily drink.
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Choctaw Beer was a unique American Frontier beer.
Originally brewed by the Choctaw tribe in Oklahoma it became a staple beer among the coal miners, known colloquially as "choc."
Its core was basic beer but it also included snuff and poisonous berries.
Professor Steve Sewell, Professor of History at the College of the Mainland in Texas will be talking about "Choc," it's origins, cultural place in Choctaw and Oklahoma culture and lots more.
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John Hilliard retired to Japan after 33 years in Los Angeles. He and his wife then decided to set up Kameido Beer in the heart of Tokyo.
John took a few minutes out of his busy day to tell me about the brewery and what brewing in Japan is like.
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Van and Sumit Sharma are sons of fifth-generation Indian restaurateurs. Born in London with its large Indian community, they moved as children to Maine, where they were the only Indian children and Indian restaurants didn't exist.
And of course there was no suitable beer to pair with the food either.
In 2020 they set out to create an American brewed Indian Craft Beer that would pair with the food in their families restaurants.
The result is Rupee Beer, and award-winning beer that is specifically designed as what they call a "global beer for curry."
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Keith Yager went from homebrewer to founding brewer at Huntsville Craft Brewery Yellowhammer, picking up the "Brewmaster of The Year" Award along the way.
In 2022 he moved to Decatur Brewery Cross Eyed Owl (XEO). And just this week he has become the new owner along with his brewing duties.
Join Keith for a chat about his brewing experiences and what he thinks the future holds for Alabama Craft Beer
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Dr. Wichit Saiklao is known as the Godfather of Thai Craft Brewing. He is the founder of Chit Beer, located on an island near Bangkok - and technically illegal.But he is also an army colonel who holds a doctorate in computer engineering and teaches at Thailand’s most prestigious military academy.Oh, he also founded one of Thailand's biggest logistics platforms.Chit as he is widely known not only brews and sells beer but also teaches home brewing skills and is pretty much single-handedly responsible for the Thai home brewing and craft beer scenes.He sees beer as a way to change the country, but this role in popularising and growing the Thai Craft Beer scene doesn't sit obviously with that of his military or business background.Join us to learn more about the man, Chit Beer, and the future of Thailand's Craft Brewing Scene
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Erich Phillips was one of the pioneers of the Cambodian craft beer scene, founding Cerevisia Craft Beer in 2013. He's watched the Cambodian beer scene undergo dramatic changes and has built the brewery into one of the countries leading craft breweries.Join us for a chat about his experiences, the future of Cambodian craft beer and its place in the East Asian craft beer industry.
Website: https://www.cerevisiacraftbrewery.com/
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Kenyan craft brewery, 254 Brewing was founded by Limerick man Eoin Flinn and opened its doors just as Covid hit.It has rapidly become one of the leading lights in the Kenyan craft beer scene.Learn how Eoin came to found the brewery, how it survived its turbulent early years, and what the beer scene in Kenya is like.
Website: https://254brewing.com/
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Aditya Challa wanted to open a Goa Craft Microbrewery, but the laws wouldn't allow it. So instead he opened the first Singapore craft brewery. Jungle Beer become an iconic Singapore craft beer brand that won top awards across AsiaBut when the laws in Goa changed he shipped that brewery over to Goa and opened Susegado to produce Goan Craft Beer.Join Adi for a chat about his experiences and a look at the beer scenes in both Singapore and Goa
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Kimchi is a fermented cabbage and very important in Korean culture. Nowadays home and commercial makers use glass or plastic pots for the fermentation.But the traditional method uses specialised clay pots called Onggi, and afficianados insist that the kimchi they produce is superior.Kim Soohwan from Georgia Institute of Technology investigated this and discovered what it is that makes the onggi fermentation pots unique.
Join him to discuss his findings and what it might mean for other traditional fermented products such as traditional real ale and craft beer
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Gareth Hunt founded Be Easy Brewing in 2016 in Aomori, Japan. He's seen he growth of the Japanese beer scene both as a brewer and also as host of the Japan Craft Beer Channel on YouTube.
He joined me for a chat about his experiences, "Gareth's Beer", the current beer scene in Japan, and what he thinks the future holds.
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Luke Yardley of Hong Kong brewery Yardley Brothers joins me for a chat about setting up a craft brewery in Hong Kong and the challenges it brings.Yardley Brothers have won numerous awards since they were founded. They have a strong wild, sour and barrel-aged programs, all of which pose unique challenges in a place as crowded as Hong Kong.
Yardley Brothers Website: https://www.yardleybrothers.hk/
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Located in the vibrant beer culture of Margaret River, Beer Farm have a big environmentally-conscious brewery and bar.
Marketing Manager Benny Joseph took the time to tell me the history of Beer Farm and how they relate to the beer, wine and tourist businesses that are so strong in that area of West Australia.
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Getting together for a chat on our live beer webinar this week we have another three great brewers from Lithuania, Hungary, and Bulgaria.Lithuanian Craft Brewery, Green Monster from Kaunas were one of the pioneers of the craft scene in Lithuania, and the first to brew many of the more popular international styles, including their flagship IPA.Hungarian craft brewery First Craft Beer was founded in Budapest by two brothers in 2016. They pioneered the taproom in the city and have a special love for barrel aged stouts.Bulgarian craft brewery Cohones from Sofia are one of the leading breweries in the still relatively small Bulgarian craft beer scene. And they produce the highest-rated Bulgarian beer.It's an interesting mix of experience and culture and made for a really interesting chat that covered everything from can vs bottles, to beer festivals, barrel ageing, local beer scenes, honesty with customers, and the impact of AI on breweries.
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Jaime Zuluaga, founder of San José craft brewery The Costa Rica Beer Factory joins me to discuss the Costa Rica beer scene, online craft beer courses, the history of his Costa Rican craft brewery, and lots more.This was a really great and fun chat.I'd never met a brewer who'd never tasted beer before starting commercial brewing!
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Sorghum is the traditional brewing grain in Africa. But sorghum beer is rarely found outside of the continent. Rwandan brewery Kweza joined together with Yakima Chief Hops to develop a hop mix that works exceptionally well with sorghum, giving craft brewers around the world the opportunity to experiment with the grain and with brewing sorghum beer.Kweza Craft Brewery founder Jessi Flynn and Luke Kulchstein from Yakima Chief Hops joined Canadian craft brewer Steve Beauchesne and Kweza brewer Tapiwa Charosa on our real ale craft beer, live beer webinar to discuss the project.Find out what brewing with sorghum entails - and their challenge to other brewers to brew with sorghum while supporting Kweza in their efforts to ensure Rwanda's first craft brewery - wholly owned by women - is a success.
Learn More About Taking Part at www.yakimachief.com/commercial/hop-wire/kweza-project
Contact Jessi at kwezabrewery.com
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We last spoke to juggler and comedian David Aiken back in November as he worked towards getting his microbrewery Checkerhead Brewing, open on Vancouver Island. It's time for part 2 of our Birth Of A Brewery Series as we check back and see how things are going and if he's still on target for an April opening Checkerhead is a small local brewery that he hopes will be come part of every Vancouver Island road trip.
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The Vancouver beer scene is well established and vibrant. One of the main breweries in the city is Parallel 49 who were founded 10 years ago.
Founder and Head Brewer Graham With told me about the history of the brewery, what's ahead, and how he sees the beer scene in Vancouver.
Contact Details
parallel49brewing.com
Facebook.com/parallel49brewing
Instagram.com/parallel49brewing
BeoirFest Contacts
BeoirFest.com
YouTube.com/beoirfest
Instagram.com/beoirfest
Facebook.com/beoirfestonline
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Three brewers from Portugal, Sweden and Lithuania get together for a chat about beer and brewing in their countries.
Brekeriet are the longest-established of the three brewers, having been founded in 2010 by 3 brewers. They are best known for their sour beers, so much so that they have to establish a new brand for their non-sour beers.
Kuro Aparatura were established in Vilnius in 2018. They brew a range of beers designed to be different but drinkable.
Ophiussa Brewing are the newest of our three guests, having been founded in Portugal in 2021. They mix a core range with regular specials from their microbrewery.
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Paracaidista focus on styles that aren't too common in Mexico, styles such as Saisons, Brett, and more. This was a really interesting chat with the founder, Adrian Rodriguez-Montfort.
QUICK NOTE: There were a few moments during this chat when Adrian's connection dropped out. It's not more than a few seconds so hopefully you'll stick with what is a very interesting look at the Mexican Beer scene with one of the pioneers of that scene.
CONTACT DETAILS
Website: paracaidista.mx
Instagram: instagram.com/paracaidistamx/
Facebook: facebook.com/ParacaidistaMX
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This is the 2nd part of our session with Christian Berger from Beer-Studies.com discussing the ways different cultures and traditions have solved the problem of converting starch to fermentable sugar as part of the brewing process.
During this session Christian discusses the final 3 options of the 6 steps he has identified by which people saccharine starch.
Looking for a brewery to visit? BreweryVisits.eu
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Sea Change Brewing, based in Edmonton were one of the pioneers of the new wave of craft brewing that started in Alberta in 2016. In that year the law changed removing a minimum production limit that prevented smaller breweries from opening.
Founded by punk musicians this is a brewery that likes to do things a bit different and have fun doing it.
🍺 https://www.seachangebeer.com
🍺 http://facebook.com/seachangebrewingco
🍺 http://twitter.com/seachangebeer
🍺 http://instagram.com/seachangebrewingco
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When you think of beer it probably involves Malt, Hops, Yeast, and Water. But traditional brewing techniques around the world often involve only a few of these. Indeed, the most common brewing method in the world doesn't involve malt or yeast!
Christian Berger has spent decades researching different brewing cultures and at Beer-Studies.com has created an incredible resource. He joins me to discuss 6 ways of extracting sugars from starch, only one of which is malting.
We talked for nearly 3 hours in a session full of information.
This is the first part of that discussion, covering Christian's background and the first 3 of the 6 pathways to brewing.
💠 Check Out Beer-Studies.com for plenty more information about brewing traditions around the world.
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Big Shed Brewing are pioneers of the Adelaide brewing scene, having officially started 10 years ago (brewing was a bit later).
Founder Craig Basford joins me for a chat about the brewery, the beer scene in Adelaide and the changes he's seen.
letstalkbeer #beerpodcast #adelaide #australiabeer #beerchat
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Candid Brewing was founded in Antigonish, Nova Scotia by Bryan Druhan, an experienced brewer with some of Canada's leading craft breweries.
They combine a taproom and brewery that focuses on easy-drinking beers.
CONTACT DETAILS
Website: candidbrewing.ca
Facebook: www.facebook.com/candidbrewing
Instagram: www.instagram.com/candidbrewing/
letstalkbeer #beerpodcast #novascotia #craftbeer #antigonish
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One For The Road exclusively brew non-alcoholic beer from Calgary, Canada. The brewery was founded by Graham Matheos and he joins me to talk about the brewery itself as well as the current market for non-alcoholic beer and its future.
One For The Road Details
Website: www.onefortheroadbrewery.com
Facebook: www.facebook.com/onefortheroadbrewery
Instagram: www.instagram.com/onefortheroadbrewing
letstalkbeer #beerpodcast #nonalcoholic #craftbeer #calgary
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Dave Henderson and his wife Shiree Phillips bought a brewery of Gumtree (well Dave did) and went immediately from home brewing to commercial. They're currently gypsy brewing and about to open their own facility in 2023.
They also have big plans.
Dave is from Derry in Northern Ireland and he told me about his journey during a trip back home over the Christmas.
Hop & Clover Contact Details
Website: hopandcloverbrewing.com.au
Facebook: www.facebook.com/hopandclover
Instagram: www.instagram.com/hopandcloverbrewing
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The Federation of Beer, based in Vulcan, Canada (yes, really!) are responsible for producing Star Trek themed beers.
Working with local breweries around the world and of course Paramount Pictures they produce unique one-off batches that are both drinkable and collectible. Join me and Vern for a chat about the whole "Enterprise" (no groaning back there!)
Federation Of Beer Links
Website: https://www.federationofbeer.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BoldlyBrewing
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/federationofbeer/
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Located right in the heart of Alberta, Stronghold Brewing have built a taproom and brewery that straddles a rural/urban divide. The distinct nature of their two local markets make for an interesting mix of beers and approach to brewing.
Co-owner Ayleigh Henderson told me their about their history and how Covid has made her aware of the fragility of 5-year plans.
BREWERY LINKS
Website: https://strongholdbrewing.ca
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/165634640869548
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/strongholdbrewing
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When Russia invaded Ukraine Pravda Brewery in Lviv switched from making beer to Molotov Cocktails. They also released their recipes for other brewers to use.
Under the Brew For Ukraine initiative brewers around the world brewed the beers and donated the profits to help the people of Ukraine.
Yuri from Pravda Brewery as well as Vern from Federation of Beer kindly gave their time to tell me how the initiative was started, where it is now, and what the current situation is in Ukraine.
Any brewers who would like to take part and do some good for Ukraine can still do so. More details are available at BrewForUkraine.beer
WEBSITES TO LEARN MORE OR TAKE PART
BrewforUkraine.beer
Pravda.beer
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Small Change brewing have been based in Massachusetts a couple of years before the pandemic started. They focus on beers outside the hazy IPA range, ones they want to drink themselves. We discussed their history, future and influences.
If you want to be featured go to https://interview.beoirfest.com/breweryprofile
SMALL CHANGE CONTACT DETAILS
Website: https://www.smallchangebrewing.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/smallchangebrewing/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/smallchangebeer/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/smallchangebeer
Untappd: https://untappd.com/w/small-change-brewing-company/389363
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How does an ex-juggler get into brewing? What happens between idea and opening the brewery?
David Aiken is planning to open Checkerhead Brewing on Vancouver Island, Canada in early 2023. During our chat he explained how he went from Juggler to homebrewer and what his plans are for the brewery. We covered the similarities of brewing and juggling, the philosophy of growing too fast, revenue models and lots more.
This was a truly fascinating and fun chat and one I think you'll really enjoy.
This is the first of hopefully multiple episodes as we talk to David an track his progress over the next few months. Discover what challenges he faces, what is unique to Vancouver and what is universal.
CHECKERHEAD CONTACT DETAILS
Website: https://checkerheadbrewing.com
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/checkerheadbrewing/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/checkerheadbrewing/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCbuS32r4REKfl4kflgga6jQ
Untappd: https://untappd.com/CheckerheadBrewing
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Cerveceria Desobediente is a small local brewery based near Mexico City. Owner Fernando told me about the history of the brewery, the challenges he overcame and his philosophy of success, as well as giving an insight into the Mexican beer scene.
Brewery Links
Website: https://cerveceria-desobediente.business.site
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCsMN5_0o-QPAbLMp5O5lH5Q
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CervezaDesobediente/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/desobediente_cerveceria/
Untappd: https://untappd.com/CerveceriaCholula
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Microbrewery from Cyprus have started a multi-year journey to recreate a fig-based Bronze Age beer for sale to the modern beer drinker.
They have just completed stage 1, with the results about to go on sale in selected locations across Cyprus.
They joined me for a chat about the origins of the project, the archaeology behind it, and what the next steps are.
NOTE I had some mic problems for the first 2-3 minutes. They cleared up!
Octo Microbrewery Website: https://octo.beer
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Gateway Brewing was one of the original craft breweries in India. It's faced a lot of challenges over the last years, not least the pandemic but also the bureaucracy and regulations around brewing in India.
Founder Navin Mittal gave me a look into the history and ethos of the brewery as well as what the future holds.
Gateway Brewing Links:
Website: https://www.gatewaybrewery.com
Taproom: https://gatewaytaprooms.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/GatewayBrewery
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/GatewayBrewery/
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How do yeast labs differentiate themselves? Why do brewers buy yeast? How do labs commercialise complex farmhouse yeasts?
Omega Yeast is one of the leading providers of yeast to home-brew and commercial brewer alike. They provide the gamut from widely-available standard strains to unique strains such as the famous Lithuanian Farmhouse Yeast "Jovaru." All produced to order so they are fresh and active when they reach the brewer.
Lance Shaner is the co-founder and owner of Omega and he joined me to chat about the history of Omega, the role of yeast labs, and how unique yeasts such as Jovaru are managed on a commercial basis.
Omega Yeast Media
Website: https://omegayeast.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/OmegaYeast
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/omegayeast/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/OmegaYeast
Top Crop: https://topcrop.co
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In the first of a new series of episodes featuring short brewery profiles we chat to Robert Buethe, the founder of Numu Brewery in Costa Rica.
Brewery Website: https://www.numubrewing.com
Taproom Website: https://www.taproombistrocr.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/numu.brewing
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/numu.brewing/
If you're a brewery we'd love to hear your story. Just head over to https://interview.beoirfest.com/breweryprofile
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This weeks chat has 3 innovative and exciting brewers from Hungary, Denmark, and Netherlands.
- Dealbreaker is our first ever Hungarian Brewery. A ghost brewery founded by 2 leaders of the Budapest beer scene who are also responsible for Budapest Beer Week.
- Spybrew describe themselves as a secret microbrewery based in Hvidovre, Denmark. They've been brewing since 2014 and this is our opportunity to make them just that little less secret.
- Crooked Spider from The Netherlands are joining us for the second time. Based in Wassenaar they are also a microbrewery founded in 2014, though they upgraded the facilities in 2021.
This is a really interesting mix of brewers with lots of different experiences and we had a good chat about everything from their stories, to the attraction of beer festivals, and how where a beer is brewed makes a big difference.
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Join us for a chat with two fascinating brewers.
- Fat Walrus was founded by a Lithuanian in New Zealand before moving back to Dublin. They are an award-winning small-batch brewery with big ambitions.
- Birra Dimont is based at the foot of Italy's Friulian mountains. Their unfiltered and unpasteurised beers are inspired by the legendary local sprites.
This was a very enjoyable and informative chat where we covered a range of topics from how the brewers got started, through branding, beer styles and brewing as art or science. We even had a comparison tasting of a beer fermented from the same wort with two different yeasts.
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Malt is one of the key ingredients in both beer and spirits.
What grains are used and where they are grown can have a huge impact on the flavour of the final product. And today we have two experts to discuss these factors.
Angelita Hynes is the Terroir Expert at Waterford Distillery. Waterford have pioneered single-farm (and even single-field) whiskeys and have built up a huge knowledge on the effect of terroir on the grain and malt. They are now investigating heritage grains and their impact on the whiskey.
Maurice Deasy is the owner of Canvas, a small-batch Farmhouse Brewery in Tipperary, Ireland. At Canvas he brews with the grains he grows himself and has also started growing heritage grains and investigating their flavours in the beer.
Both Angelita and Maurice have a wealth of knowledge, and maybe more importantly, a real passion for the beers, whiskeys and ingredients. We covered a lot of ground in the chat including the proof that terroir is a factor in malts, what actually constitutes terroir, what are heritage grains, the work that's required to regenerate a heritage grain, how truly local beers impact tourism, the market for specialised beverages and a lot more.
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The idea of an Estate Beer is not new. But creating a city-wide one from scratch just might be. That's what Tom Kiely, chair of the Slow Beer chapter of San Diego Slow Food and former MD of Thorn Brewing is attempting to do.
Tom joined me to chat about the project. We covered the philosophy behind it, and the challenges involved.
We covered what an Estate Beer actually is, beer tourism, American Brewer respect for Belgian Brewers, San Diego Weisse's, replacing hops with fruit, introducing grain to Avocado farms and a lot more...
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South Africa has a large level of youth unemployment. Beer Is Art is a project to help generate employment through entrepreneurship in the beer industry, not only in brewing itself but also in the related elements such as marketing, podcasting, tourism, logistics and more.
- Obakeng Malope is the founder of the project. She's a beer cicerone and film maker who has also trained in brewing
- Chatty Girija is the host of Cheers Chatty, Indias's largest beer podcast.
- Ankur Napa is a 12 year veteran of the Indian brewing scene.
They form the core team behind the project and we'll discuss the project, what they each bring to it, and the odd diversion into the wider beer chat.
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This week we have another chat with 3 excellent brewers
- 🇲🇦🇷🇴Maktoob are a brand new Romanian brewery influenced by North African traditions.
- 🇨🇿Thrills are a Czech brewery who brew modern beers outside of the traditional Czech Pilsners.
- 🇮🇪Pikeman from Ireland are named after the farmers who rose against English domination of Ireland in the 1798 revolution.
These are three small and very new brewers from different ends of Europe, each of whom have a clear knowledge of the history and brewing of their respective countries. They have carefully chosen branding that reflects their place in that history and culture and it made for a very interesting chat.
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Barrels have taken an important place in brewing. Whether it's barrel-ageing stouts or fermenting wild ales, they are used to add different flavours to dark beers and to keep yeast for wild ones. But how exactly do brewers use the barrels? Where do they get them? What's the lifecycle of a barrel?
To discuss this we have an expert panel...
- ASC Barrels are a cooperage, sourcing and providing barrels to brewers. They also organise the Barrel Summit in Deauville, France every 2 years.
- Zmajska Pivovara were pioneers of craft brewing in Croatia and have a strong barrel-aged program.
- Brasseria Della Fonte are a small family brewery located on a farm in the Tuscan countryside. They started their barrel program in 2092 with 35 barrels
- Wild Beer Co. from Somerset in England brew exciting, complex, wild beer. They have 600 barrels and plenty of experience.
It's an interesting mix of experience from both sides of the barrel and we had a fantastic chat covering the whole gamut of sourcing, blending, selecting and more
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This week we have 3 exciting brewers from Denmark, Finland, and Portugal to chat about their experiences in beer and brewing.
- AleFarm are the first brewery to join us from Denmark. They're a family run brewery making clean, barrel-aged, and mixed fermentation beers.
- Cerveja Lince are based in Lisbon where they combine a brewery and taproom. They donate a percentage of their revenues to help preserve the Lynx (hence their name).
- CoolHead was founded in 2016 determined to put to put Finland in the craft beer world map. They recently moved into a a unique 1500 m2 glass building that used to serve as a greenhouse in the heart of Helsinki.
It's another interesting mix of brewers and unique markets and a fascinating chat that covered local scenes, raw ales, salted liquorice sours, low-alcohol and lots more.
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Join the founders of three exciting microbreweries who are all focused on their very unique local beer markets
- Fjord & Fjell are our 1st Swiss guests. Founded by a Norwegian they are in a very unique beer market, brewing for their own local area.
- Diaz Brewing launched 1 year into the pandemic in the heart of Beglium's competitive and conservative beer market.
- Octo Microbrewery have been busy introducing craft brewing to the wine-focused Cyprus market, including their unique Cyprus Grape Ale.
It's an interesting mix of brewers and unique markets and a fascinating chat.
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African influence on commercial craft brewing has been small. But that is starting to change, right now among brewers of African heritage but possibly soon among the wider craft world. This episode, organised by The Chicago Brewseum brings together a panel to discuss the influence of African brewing and culture and its potential amongst American brewers.
- How are traditional beers reflected in modern American beers?
- How are traditional ingredients used or reflected?
- How will traditional African beers reach beyond a niche market?
The Panelists:
Kofi Meroe is the founder of Washington DC brewery Sankofa. Sankofa is a word from the Ashanti/Akan people in Ghana and translates to “Go back and get” and Kofi brings this attitude to the beers they brew, getting inspiration from his own Ghanian heritage.
Jamhal Johnson is the founder of Moors, a new Chicago brewery directly and deliberately inspired by African brewing traditions.
Leo & Denise Sawadago are the founders of Montclair Brewery in New Jersey influenced by African heritage and traditions
Liz Garibay is the founder and Executive Director of The Chicago Brewseum. The Brewseum is a registered cultural non-profit focused on exploring the cultural side of beer and brewing. They host regular talks, tours and an annual Beer Culture Summit.
Toni Boyce is the co-founder of BlaQ & Soul a space centering Black LGBTQ+ folks through food and beverage, community activism, and lived experience-based education.
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Commercial brewing in Africa has been dominated by large multinationals for a variety of reasons. While homebrewing has existed and been popular it is only in the last few years that a commercial scene has started to grow. In this session I was joined by the founders of 3 of the leading African craft breweries for a chat about their experiences and what they think the future holds for craft brewing in Africa
- How did they get their breweries started?
- What is the potential for craft brewing?
- What are the obstacles?
- What will be the unique African characteristics and what will it take from the global brewing?
The Guests...
Apiwe Nxusani-Mawela is the founder of Tolokazi Beer, South Africa's first black female owned brewery. She is the Chairperson for the Institute of Brewing and Distilling, Africa Section and Distilling and the Beer Association of South Africa. She is on the Board of Directors for both the Craft Brewers Association of South Africa and African Manufacturers Association; and was Chairperson of the Board for the Beer Association of South Africa. She has always tried to incorporate traditional elements to her beers and has unrivalled knowledge of traditional brewing.
Jessi Flynn is the Managing Director of Kweza, Rwanda's first craft brewery. Kweza has recently completed a very successful crowd-funding campaign and is building a brewery focused on bringing traditional brewing techniques and ingredients to the modern craft market.
Kevin Conroy is the co-founder of Bature Brewery. Originally from Scotland he has spent years advising companies in Africa and Asia before founding Bature.
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The first of 3 episodes produced in association with The Chicago Brewseum, we have something very special as we look at traditional brewing in Africa including its cultural position, the techniques and ingredients used, how it's changed and lots more.
The traditional beers and the way they are brewed are very different from the modern scientific brewing and we have three exceptional panellists, each very knowledgeable about traditional brewing but also pioneers in the craft brewing scene across Africa.
Apiwe Nxusani-Mawela is the founder of Tolokazi Beer, South Africa's first black female owned brewery. She is the Chairperson for the Institute of Brewing and Distilling, Africa Section and Distilling and the Beer Association of South Africa. She is on the Board of Directors for both the Craft Brewers Association of South Africa and African Manufacturers Association; and was Chairperson of the Board for the Beer Association of South Africa. She has always tried to incorporate traditional elements to her beers and has unrivalled knowledge of traditional brewing.
Jessi Flynn is the Managing Director of Kweza, Rwanda's first craft brewery. Kweza has recently completed a very successful crowd-funding campaign and is building a brewery focused on bringing traditional brewing techniques and ingredients to the modern craft market.
Bayo Ijasan is the head brewer at Bature Brewery in Nigeria He has always been interested in brewing both traditional and modern beers and studied Brewing and Distilling in Scotland.
This is the first in a 3-part series that will also cover the position and potential of craft brewing in Africa, as well as a look at African influences on American craft brewing.
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Yeast is arguably the most important and least controllable part of brewing. While commercially available isolated strains attempt to give some control to the brewer there is a whole alternative that works with less controlled cultures.
Making cider faces the same decisions and challenges but with less tradition of working in this area.
To discuss all this we have an exciting panel:
- Amund Polden Arnesen is the founder of Eik & Tid, a Norwegian brewer of raw unboiled ales and a brewery that re-pitch their house culture.
- Jan Lemmens is the founder of De Kromme Haring in Amsterdam, a brewery that brews both "modern" and traditional style. He's also the organiser of Carnivale Brettanomyces, the pre-eminent festival focused on wild fermentation.
- Liam McDonnell is the owner of Legacy Irish Cider, a maker of traditional cider who experiment with different yeasts.
This is a panel with unmatched experience in using yeast in different situations.
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This week I had joining me three excellent and relatively new breweries.
- Art Is An Ale is the first French brewery to join the roundtables. Based in the Loire valley they operate a brewery and pub that started in 2019. They have a tourist and local market and are trying to divide production of beers betwen these two and what they want to brew themselves.
- Freddo Fox started in Barcelona in 2021. They rapidly set out to differentiate themselves with their beers and their style. They have never brewed a beer twice but are now looking at selecting a core range.
- Crafty Bear is a Dublin based brewery that started just prior to the pandemic. They've slowly built a core range and are now planning on adding to that with regular and seasonal specials.
We chatted about the different markets, the finances and planning in a brewery, the experience of starting a brewery around a pandemic, introducing craft beer to non-beer cultures and much more.
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This week we're joined by 3 brewers with very different experiences for an epic chat that went way over schedule.
- Simian Ales is a microbrewery based in Munich who brew a mix of modern and traditional beer styles
- Lupum Wild Beer is Portugals first farmhouse brewery, located on the farm of the Lopes family near Porto
- De Lütte from Salzhausen just outside Hamburg are a brewery that focus on small batch-brewing.
In 2 1/2 hours we chatted epretty much every topic you can think of from recycling to Oktoberfest, Brazilian beer styles to wood. For the first hour there were three of us and then came Antonio from Lupum, and we got a 2nd wind! I won't say more, just enjoy.
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This week we have two great brewers who have built very strong reputations in a short time.
- Basqueland was founded in 2016 to brew beers as good as the Basque cuisine. They've gone from strength to strength and have developed a very strong reputation for both their core range and their more experimental beers.
- Hopfully was founded in Ireland in 2017 and have developed their own strong reputation for their small-batch releases.
Both brewers are very interested in the pairing of beer and food and it influences the beers they make. We had a great chat about all of this, about barrel-aging, beers they would never brew and more.
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To mark International Gruit Day on February 1 we hosted a very special chat with three experts in both the history and brewing of this traditional low-hop beer style.
- Dr. Markus Fohr is the organiser of International Gruit Day, head of Lahnsteiner Brauerei, German Champion of Beer Sommeliers, and specialist in Gruit Beer.
- Stoycho Pampov is the founder of Rhombus Brewery in Bulgaria, a brewery that love to experiment and take interest in traditional brewing methods
- Simonas Gutautas from Dundulis Brewery in Lithuania is an archaeologist who became a brewer. With Dundulis he spends a lot of time researching and brewing traditional beers, including Gruits.
We'll be chatted about the history of Gruits, their place in modern brewing, and why these brewers are so fascinated with them and answered plenty of questions about the actual brewing of gruits and how homebrewers can start experimenting.
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Another chat with 3 brewers from Spain, Netherlands, and Croatia...
Varionica were pioneers in the Croatian Craft Beer scene and have gone from strength to strength.
El Camino/CantaBrew from Cantabria in Northern Spain brew the El Camino brand of beers.
Crooked Spider from the Netherlands was founded in 2014 and moved into a new brewery in Wassenaar in January 2021.
Looking for a brewery to visit? Check out BreweryVisits.eu
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This week we welcomed brewers from Ireland, Spain, and Belgium for a chat about the beer scene in their countries, their experiences and more.
- St. Mels was founded in Ireland in 2014 and rapidly gained a reputation for quality beers in both the core and specials range.
- OSO from Madrid are a gypsy brewery founded in 2018 by experienced brewers. They also run a small bar with a mix of their own and guest beers.
- Valduc is a Belgian cooperative brewery founded in 2017 to combine the tradition of Belgian beers with a modern outlook.
This was a wide ranging chat that covered the history behind each brewery, the beer scene in the different countries, the place of Untappd, collaborations and much more.
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For a chat about Raw Ales and Farmhouse Brewing we brought together Butchers Tears from The Netherlands, DOK Brewing from Belgium, and Lars Marius Garshol from Norway.
- Lars has spent 10 years researching and investigating traditional farmhouse techniques and is the author of the definitive book on the subject. He's also the man who brought kviek to the worlds attention.
- DOK are a brewery in Ghent who have a special interest in the traditional brewing areas and mix these with the more commercial beers.
- Butchers Tears from Amsterdam focus on traditional beers, primarily of English and German traditions, but also lately on Scandinavian lines.
These are three experts on brewing, who have also given a lot of thought to the culture and history of these traditions.
Eik & Tid from Norway and Otterbank from Ireland were also due to take part but unfortunately a family emergency meant Amund could not take part, and Declan had technical issues. I hope to get them both back at a later date and maybe we can pursue some of those threads I mentioned!
If you'd rather view the video of this session it's available on BeoirFest.com, where you can also register to take part in any future sessions.
Looking for a brewery to visit? Check out BreweryVisits.eu
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This week we had a chat with Margaret from A.M.O in Portugal and Cathal from Rascals in Ireland. Both began as homebrewers and now run breweries that have very strong taprooms.
Originally from Canada, where she started her interest in home brewing, Margaret moved to Portugal about 10 years ago and her continuing interest in brewing led her to start commercial brewing in 2016. A.M.O brew a wide range of beer styles, driven in large part by the feedback from the regulars in the taproom.
From Dublin, Cathal spent some years in New Zealand where he encountered a vibrant craft scene. On returning to Ireland he started Rascals with his wife in 2014. They combine the brewery with a taproom that specialises in high-quality pizza.
We had a good chat that covered specifics of brewing some beer styles, the place of community in brewing, getting feedback from regulars, and the scenes in each country.
You can see the video of this chat at BeoirFest.com where you can also register free to take part in any of the future sessions.
Looking for a brewery to tour? Check out BreweryVisits.eu
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This week we had Janis and Robert from Kürish in Latvia joining Miro from Croatia's Nova Runda for a chat that covered beer styles, a discussion of Gypsy Brewing versus owning your own equipment, a walkthrough of how Kürish started their brewing (with pictures of the set-up), the obligatory cans v bottles chat, the effect of COVID on craft brewing, crowdsourcing and much more.
Nova Runda began as homebrewers turned gypsy brewers in Croatia in 2013. They were the first craft brewery in the country and they have grown by initially focusing on their local market, building a following, and crowd-sourcing. They moved into their own brewery in 2019 and have since started exporting.
Kürish in Latvia started also as homebrewers, selling to fellow students. In 2019 they bought a small brewery set-up and increased their volume. This started selling out quickly and they have since moved to gypsy brewing.
As usual you can watch the video at BeoirFest.com where you can also register to be part of the chat with future roundtables.
Looking for a brewery to tour or visit? Check out BreweryVisits.eu
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Join us for a chat about all things beer and brewing with guest brewers from Ireland, Spain, and Norway/Greece/Czech Republic!
During this chat with some very experienced brewers we discussed the beer scene in the different countries, how it's changed, the influence of Untappd, the place for traditional techniques such as decoction, the difficulty in shipping beer at the right temperature and lots more.
Join us at BeoirFest.com to be part of future sessions
This Weeks Guests
- Third Barrel in Ireland
- Brew & Roll from Spain
- Axiom from Czech Republic and Solo from Crete, represented by Kjetil Jikuin from Norway!
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This week we focus on the wonderful topic of stout with Mean Sardine from Portugal and Maltgarden from Poland. We chatted about different stout types, the differences between the markets and of course tried a few for ourselves. Great chat that you'll enjoy.
This Weeks Guests:
- Mean Sardine
- Maltgarden
Looking for a brewery to visit in Europe?
Finding it hard to know which among them actually allow visitors? Check out BreweryVisits.eu
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In this weeks episode we get three home brewers who tuned commercial together for a chat. It turned into a discussion of markets, how to get started, beer style, and details on brewing specific beers. All in a fun hour.
This Weeks Guests
- Maltgarden from Poland
- Pühaste from Estonia
- Skinny Bones from Germany
Looking for a brewery to visit in Europe?
Finding it hard to know which among them actually allow visitors? Check out BreweryVisits.eu
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This week we had a chat about brewing with a local focus with Huskie Craft Beer from Malta, Higgins Ale Works from Munich, and Kappse Brewers from Rotterdam.
These are brewers at different stages of their journey but each is focused very much on their local city and this informs the beers they brew.
It was another interesting chat you'll enjoy.
This Weeks Guests:
- Higgins Ale Works
- Kaapse Brewers
- Huskie Craft Beer
Looking for a brewery to visit in Europe?
Finding it hard to know which among them actually allow visitors? Check out BreweryVisits.eu
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This week we had a chat about brewing generally with Hopalaa from Latvia, Blacks from Ireland, and Bura from Croatia.
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This week we focused on Barrel-aged beers with Finland's Mallaskoski, Belgiums Brussels Beer Project, and Estonia's Pohjala.
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Joining our chat this week were Ireland's Land and Labour along with Nevel Wild Ales, and Butchers Tears from The Netherlands. Our chat took place just days after Nevel Wild Ales were crowned as having the best beer in The Netherlands.
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Join Bereta from Romania, Arpus from Latvia, and Hopfully from Ireland for a chat full of craic and laughs. These are three great brewers with huge reputations, but most importantly they're full of chat.
As usual you can also catch the videos on the website if you prefer. And if you want to join us live simply register free at Beoirfest.com
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This session we tried to focus on how to capture a sense of place in beer. Taking part were Hof Ten Dormaal from Belgium and Ballykilcavan from Ireland.
As usual you can also catch the videos on the website if you prefer. And if you want to join us live simply register free at Beoirfest.com
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This is the 2nd of two very special sessions focusing on traditional Lithuanian Farmhouse Brewing.
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This is the 1st of two very special sessions focusing on traditional Lithuanian Farmhouse Brewing.
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This week sees the first venture out of Ireland with the participation of Francois from Peak Beer in Belgium.
Joining Francois were Dave from Dundalk/Brewmaster and Jonny from Trouble in Dublin, making a welcome return.
We covered different beers styles, the place of non-alcoholic beers, the old bottle versus can debate and much more.
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Our guests this week ranged from the north of Ireland to the south in a very relaxed and fun conversation. We had Bullhouse Brewing from Belfast, Lineman from Dublin, and Killarney from the very south.
We also had audience interaction and just some great craic.
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As a change this week we turned our attention to Cider, with 3 of Irelands leading Cider Makers. A fun, wide-ranging chat ensued that included technical aspects like the definition of cider and the importance of yeast but also wandered wide and far.
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Join 3 Dublin brewers this week for a chat about attracting the general public to craft beer as well as the more commercial side of craft brewing.
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Join 3 of Irelands leading brewers for a chat about Hops and their place in modern brewing (with a diversion to also include mangoes and a rant about Untappd).
This week we had Blacks of Kinsale, Wicklow Brewing Company, and Hopfully with a visit from former Galway Bay headbrewer Will Avery.
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Join the brewers from Black Donkey, Canvas, and The White Hag for a discussion about yeast, sours, the place for local beer, and a rant against Prosecco!
Moss from Canvas even stopped mid-plough to join us.
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True Or False? Yanaroddy is brewed with coconuts that wash up on the Donegal coast. Just one of the many questions answered in this chat about stout and porter with 3 of Irelands longest established breweries; Trouble, Dungarvan, and Kinnegar.
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