Beer and Conversation with Pigweed and Crowhill

Latest Episodes:

George Washington, the greatest man who ever lived (ep. 637) Aug 23, 2026

Show notes

Who was the greatest man who ever lived? Yeah, okay, Jesus. But who was called "the greatest man" by his enemies? That would be our first president, George Washington, who was declared the greatest man who ever lived by none other than his rival, King George. Why? Pigweed and Crowhill dive into that topic, and explore the amazing life and legacy of George Washington. But first, they drink an IPA inspired by ... Iron Maiden? What do they have to do with beer? This show is part of our America 250 series. We hope you appreciate our efforts to highlight important parts of American history as we celebrate 250 years of this strange experiment in the American Republic.

Mexico: Tequila, Mariachis, and the Charm of Nobody Being in Charge (ep. 636) Aug 20, 2026

Show notes

Pigweed, Crowhill, and Longinus are back from Mexico with stories to tell. The trip takes them from the beach town of Sayulita to the sprawling metropolis of Guadalajara and finally to Tequila—where the agave fields are endless, the distilleries are fascinating, and the tour bus gets considerably livelier on the way home.Along the way, they encounter mariachi bands, Mexican craft beer, cobblestone streets, scooters that would horrify an American safety inspector, mysterious walls topped with barbed wire, a spectacular rainstorm, and a culture that can feel simultaneously more relaxed and a little more dangerous than home. It leads to one of the recurring observations of the trip: part of Mexico's charm is the feeling that nobody is quite in charge—and that's both liberating and unsettling.Pour yourself a beer and join us for a conversation about what surprised us, what we loved, and what Mexico looks like when you get beyond the resort.

Are We Still Doing This? Cultural Fads That Refuse to Die (ep 635) Aug 14, 2026

Show notes

Why do some cultural fads disappear while others hang around long after everyone seems to have moved on?Pigweed and Crowhill drink and review a hazy IPA and ask, “Are we still doing this?” From pronouns in bios, COVID-era leftovers and land acknowledgments to climate alarmism, corporate virtue signaling, Pride Month, recycling and other remnants of the great cultural craziness of the past several years, they run through the ideas and practices they thought would have faded away by now.Every society gets swept up in bad ideas, moral panics and strange enthusiasms. The question is whether we can eventually admit it, laugh at ourselves, and move on. The good news? Pigweed and Crowhill think most of these things are finally trending in the right direction.📬 Send us your thoughts: pigweedshow@gmail.com 🌐 More episodes: pigweedandcrowhill.com👍 Like, subscribe, and tell a friend

Did Women Make the World Woke? Helen Andrews and feminism (ep. 634) Aug 09, 2026

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Pigweed and Crowhill review two versions of the same old ale and tackle Helen Andrews' provocative argument that much of what we call “wokeness” can be understood as the feminization of our institutions.As women have become majorities in fields such as education, law, publishing, and human resources, Andrews argues that traditionally feminine priorities — empathy over rationality, safety over risk, cohesion over competition, and consensus over conflict — have increasingly shaped the rules by which institutions operate. Pigweed and Crowhill explore that idea through cancel culture, the workplace, the legal system, free speech, DEI, and the very different ways men and women tend to handle conflict.Is Andrews onto something? Probably. But is feminization really a unified theory of wokeness, or just one factor among many? As usual, the conversation wanders through history, politics, psychology, law, and culture — with beer close at hand.

Why Everyone Wants AI… But Nobody Wants a Data Center Next Door (ep. 633) Jul 19, 2026

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America needs more data centers to power AI -- but communities across the country are starting to say, "Not here."

In this episode of Beer and Conversation with Pigweed and Crowhill, we explore why counties and states are putting the brakes on new AI infrastructure. Data centers promise billions of dollars in investment, but they also consume enormous amounts of electricity, require vast tracts of land, generate noise, and create surprisingly few permanent jobs. Is the economic payoff worth the cost?

We also tackle the bigger questions:

* Why AI is driving an unprecedented demand for electricity

* Whether America's power grid can keep up

* The case for small modular nuclear reactors (SMRs)

* Why local communities are increasingly resisting new data centers

* Whether fears about AI are justified—or overblown

* How the AI race with China changes the debate

* Why this issue is becoming one of the country's newest political battlegrounds

The result is a genuine dilemma: America may need AI infrastructure to remain competitive, but the communities expected to host it are increasingly questioning whether they're getting a fair deal.

Grab a beer and join us as we explore one of the most important—and least understood—technology controversies of our time.

Thomas Jefferson: Genius, Contradictions, and the American Experiment (ep. 632) Jul 18, 2026

Show notes

Thomas Jefferson was far more than the author of the Declaration of Independence. He was a lawyer, architect, inventor, linguist, scientist, diplomat, president, and one of the most influential minds behind the American experiment.

In this episode of Beer and Conversation with Pigweed and Crowhill, we trace Jefferson's remarkable life—from writing the Declaration of Independence and championing religious liberty to the Louisiana Purchase, Lewis and Clark, the Barbary Wars, and even his surprising belief that woolly mammoths might still roam the American West.

We also tackle the hardest question surrounding Jefferson: how do we reconcile his soaring ideals about liberty with the fact that he owned hundreds of slaves? Rather than reducing him to either hero or villain, we examine the historical, political, and personal contradictions that continue to shape the debate over his legacy today.

Along the way, we discuss:

* Why Jefferson was chosen to write the Declaration of Independence

* The revolutionary ideas that transformed government forever

* States' rights vs. federal power

* The Louisiana Purchase and constitutional questions

* Lewis and Clark's unexpected mission to search for mammoths

* The First Barbary War

* Jefferson's passion for science, education, and the University of Virginia

* The enduring paradox at the heart of Jefferson's life

Grab a beer and join us for a thoughtful conversation about one of America's most brilliant—and most complicated—Founding Fathers.

Bad French Ideas: Foucault, Derrida & the Theories That Broke the West (ep. 630) Jul 16, 2026

Show notes

Foucault. Derrida. Lyotard. Three French philosophers walk into a cafe — and forty years later, American universities can't define what a woman is.In this episode, Pigweed and Crowhill dig into a viral French mea culpa: an apology, on behalf of France, for exporting postmodernism to the world. They trace the direct line from French theory's core claim — that truth is just a mask for power — through Judith Butler, Edward Said, and Kimberlé Crenshaw, and into today's language of oppressor/oppressed, meritocracy-as-racism, and "words are violence."Topics covered:* Why civilization rests on three pillars — truth, morality, and inherited tradition — and how French theory tried to dynamite all three* The difference between what Foucault et al. probably meant and what their disciples did with it* Why "everything is a power struggle" is really just Marxism with race swapped in for class* The philosophical case against relativism (and why no one actually lives like a true relativist)* Fragmentation, diversity, and the postmodern seduction of "there is no truth, only narrative"* Why a civilization that's only trained to deconstruct forgets how to buildPlus: a four-year-old bottle of Flying Dog Double Dog Triple IPA that's mellowed into something closer to a barleywine — tasting notes, aging thoughts, and whether it's worth the cellar space.#Postmodernism #Foucault #WesternCivilization #Philosophy #CraftBeer #IPA #BeerReview #PoliticalPhilosophy #CultureWar #Podcast

"I've Been Lied To My Entire Life" — The World Cup Discovers America (ep 631) Jul 12, 2026

Show notes

The 2026 World Cup brought millions of international visitors to the United States—and many of them experienced something they weren't expecting.

For years they had been told America was dangerous, hostile, racist, politically unstable, and falling apart. Instead, many found friendly people, clean cities, incredible food, welcoming communities, freedom, abundance, and an atmosphere that challenged everything they thought they knew.

In this episode of Beer and Conversation with Pigweed and Crowhill, we examine the gap between America's international reputation and the experiences of the people who actually came here. Why has so much of the world developed such a dark view of the United States? What role do media, politics, and ideology play? And why were so many visitors saying, "I've been lied to my entire life"?

Join us for a conversation about perception, propaganda, culture, and what the World Cup unexpectedly revealed about America.

What Would the Founding Fathers Think of America Today? (ep. 629) Jul 10, 2026

Show notes

As America approaches its 250th birthday, we fire up a (mostly) reliable time machine and imagine what the Founding Fathers would think if they could see the United States today.

Would George Washington be amazed by America's military power? Would Benjamin Franklin marvel at electricity, space travel, and modern technology? Would Thomas Jefferson recognize the federal government they created—or wonder what happened to the republic they envisioned?

Over a German wheat beer, Pigweed and Crowhill explore questions the Founders might ask about:

* The Constitution and the Bill of Rights

* Free speech and religious liberty

* The Second Amendment

* Taxes and the growth of government

* The Tenth Amendment and states' rights

* Originalism vs. the "living Constitution"

* The rise of the federal bureaucracy

* Presidential power

* Political parties (which many Founders distrusted)

* Whether America has fulfilled—or departed from—the Founders' vision

Along the way, we also review a classic German Weissbier and finish with another round of "Satire or No Satire?" — where today's headlines are sometimes stranger than fiction.

Whether you agree or disagree with our conclusions, we hope this conversation encourages you to think more deeply about America's constitutional heritage as we celebrate the America 250 anniversary.

Cheers!

#America250 #FoundingFathers #Constitution #BillOfRights #AmericanHistory #GeorgeWashington #ThomasJefferson #BenjaminFranklin #PoliticalPhilosophy #BeerAndConversation #PigweedAndCrowhill #Originalism #ConstitutionalLaw #HistoryPodcast

America 250: How Well Do You Really Know America? (ep. 628) Jul 10, 2026

Show notes

As part of our America 250 series, Pigweed, Crowhill, and Longinus put each other to the test with a wide-ranging game of American trivia.How many people signed the Declaration of Independence? Which president served the shortest term? Why did George Washington's resignation astonish the world? Which four states meet at Four Corners? And could you answer the same questions that left some college students completely stumped?Along the way, we discuss fascinating stories from American history, including the Revolutionary War, the Constitution, Valley Forge, the Statue of Liberty, Fort McHenry, the American flag, and many of the remarkable coincidences and personalities that shaped the United States.Before the trivia begins, we also review a Baltimore Pilsner from Guilford Hall Brewery, comparing it to the classic pilsner style and debating whether it really fits the category.Whether you're a history buff or just enjoy learning something new, grab a beer and play along to see how much you know about America.In this episode:* Baltimore Pilsner from Guilford Hall Brewery* America 250 trivia challenge* The Founding Fathers and the Revolution* George Washington's remarkable legacy* American symbols and traditions* Surprising historical factsCan you beat Pigweed and Crowhill?Cheers—and happy birthday, America! 🇺🇸🍺

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