Drink Beer, Think Beer With John Holl

Latest Episodes:

Ep. 156 - Von Ebert Brewing Oct 12, 2022

Show notes

This is the last, for now, of the shows recorded on location from the Pacific Northwest. It was recorded at Von Ebert Brewing’s Glendoveer location, on the far edges of Portland, Oregon and situated on a golf course.

Von Ebert is a brewery that has been crushing it since the start. Making great IPAs and Lagers as well as boasting a terrific blending program – in fact we discuss some of those beers on this show to illustrate ingredients and process.

A brewery with a diverse portfolio that executes on the highest of levels always has something to explore, and prior to the show Jeff Alworth, the writer, author, and podcast host, had been driving me around Oregon and trying to dissect Von Ebert.

Since it was such a conundrum, I invited him to co-host this episode.

Happily it goes off the rails at points.

Our guests keep us on track and they are:

Sam Pecoraro, the Head Brewer who has been brewing around Portland for 11 years at various breweries, including Burnside Brewing, The Commons Brewery and Breakside Brewery before joining Von Ebert at their inception in 2018. As Head Brewer, Sam leads the Pearl District and Glendoveer Brewing teams in all quests related to IPA variants, German-inspired lagers and mixed culture beers.

And Jason Hansen, the Lead Brewer and Blender who Started homebrewing right after college, and ended up getting a job at Seven Bridges Organic Homebrew Supply in Santa Cruz, CA. before moving to Sante Adairius Rustic Ales where he eventually became head brewer. He was then Lead Fermentationist at Garden Path Fermentation in Burlington, before joining Von Ebert in 2018.

It’s a crowded table that grows a bit more when we’re joined later in the show by Madeleine McCarthy, who was then a brewer at Von Ebert but has since started working at 10 Barrel Brewing.

There is a lot to unpack on this rollicking show recorded just off the practice green at the course with a an audience putting a dent into the lager taps.

-John Holl

This episode is sponsored by:

Jack's Abby Brewing

Guatemala, the land of eternal spring, rich agriculture, and affinity for fantastic food and coffee. Craft beer is a fledgling movement in the country, but it’s being led by our friends from El Zapote Brewing. Our conversation with them inspired us to create a unique coffee golden lager with imported beans from Finca Retana family farm in Antigua, Guatemala. We believe this beer will have a true taste of the country and we hope you enjoy this unique lager inspired by culture, colors, and conversation.

For more Drink Beer, Think Beer check out All About Beer.

Hosts: John Holl and Jeff Alworth
Guests: Sam Pecoraro, Jason Hansen, Madeleine McCarthy
Sponsors: Jack's Abby, The Craft Brewery Cookbook, All About Beer
Tags: Beer, Brewing, Hops, Recipes, Growth, Oregon, IPA, Lager, Mixed Fermentation

Ep. 155 Austin Umbinetti-Hutton of Aslan Brewing Oct 05, 2022

Show notes

As the sojourn through the pacific northwest continues I’m thrilled to air this episode of the podcast recorded in Bellingham Washington at the Aslan Depot where head brewer Austin Umbinetti-Hutton joined me before a live audience on a wide ranging conversation about his career, the beers Aslan is making, the importance of community and creativity, and more.

This Episode is Sponsored By:

New Holland Brewing
Dragon's Milk began as a single barrel experiment over 20 years ago at New Holland Brewing Company and has since grown to become the best-selling American-made stout. Aged in bourbon barrels, rich notes of roasted malt, chocolate, and vanilla make for a deliciously smooth and drinkable brew. Whether it's sitting by a bonfire or binging the latest season of Game of Thrones, share a legend with Dragon's Milk today. Learn more and find Dragon's Milk near you at dragonsmilk.com.

For more Drink Beer, Think Beer check out All About Beer.

Host: John Holl
Guest: Austin Umbinetti-Hutton
Sponsors: New Holland Brewery, The Craft Brewery Cookbook, All About Beer
Tags: Beer, Brewing, Hops, Recipes, Growth, Washington, IPA, Lager, Hop Water

Beer Travelers: Denver Sep 28, 2022

Show notes

From Andy Crouch:

"Denver holds a special place in my heart. I’ve watched as the local beer scene has grown and then exploded, with dozens and dozens of breweries cropping up in parts of town that didn’t even really exist, such as RiNo. Denver has long had a formidable beer scene but today it is one of the country’s best. And on this second episode of the Beer Travelers podcast, we’re going to talk with two local experts, Tristan Chan of PorchDrinking and Jonathan Shikes of the Denver Post. These two are as knowledgeable as they come and as we’ll hear, they are full of advice for planning your visit to the Mile High City.

Stay tuned at the end of the episode for my personal favorite suggestion for Denver. Hint: it’s the perfect place for a nightcap or to end your trip."

This Episode is Sponsored by:

Pub Culture Beercations
Stop living vicariously through other people's social media posts and get out and make some memories of your own! Join Pub Culture Beercations for one of our upcoming tours and start exploring the world one pint at a time with us. Visit PubCultureBeercations.com for more information.

For original articles or to read the vast archives or to check out All About Beer. follow us on Twitter @allaboutbeer and Instagram @allaboutbeer. Support Journalism by visiting our Patreon Page.

Host: Andy Crouch
Guests: Tristan Chan and Jonathan Shikes
Sponsor: Pub Culture Beercations
Tags: Denver beer, Bierstadt Lagerhaus, Avery Brewing

Ep. 154 - Kevin Quinn of Bale Breaker Brewing Sep 21, 2022

Show notes

In the 1920s when the practice was more common, Meghann Quinn’s ancestors followed the railroad west and wound up settling a farm in Washington’s Yakima Valley.

Following the repeal of Prohibition, they got into the hop industry and have ridden the wave since; supplying the larger brewers through the uninspired decades of large-scale American brewing, and into the boom days of today’s craft surge.

Seeing the success of hops in the larger market coupled with an interest in homebrewing Quinn, her husband Kevin, and her brothers launched Bale Breaker brewing on the property in 2013.

Kevin Quinn is my guest today.

How close is the brewery to the field? It takes less than five minutes to get from the bine to the kettle, he says.

It’s more than hops here as well.

There’s an apple orchard on the nearly 3,000-acre farm, along with fields of Hungarian Wax Peppers, some hemp, and 2021 marked the third barley harvest. Last year they processed more than 200,000 pounds of barley, some of which went into Bale Breaker beers as well.

There is a real sense of pride that comes with growing ingredients where they are used and it’s clear from the steady stream of visitors that come through during this season and year round, that drinkers and other brewers feel the same.

This Episode is Sponsored By:

Denver Rare Beer Tasting
Heading to Colorado for GABF? You should check out the Denver Rare Beer Tasting on October 7th. It's an incredible afternoon of beer passion featuring America's top craft breweries pouring rare, exotic and vintage brews to benefit the Pints for Prostates campaign. This is truly a bucket list event for a great cause where you get to try beers you won't find elsewhere, and meet the men and women who brewed them. More information at pintsforprostates.org.

For more Drink Beer, Think Beer check out All About Beer.

Host: John Holl
Guest: Kevin Quinn
Sponsors: New Holland Brewery, Denver Rare Beer Tasting, The Craft Brewery Cookbook, All About Beer
Tags: Beer, Brewing, Hops, Recipes, Growth, Washington, IPA, Lager

Ep. 153 - Chuckanut Brewery + Garden Path Fermentation Sep 14, 2022

Show notes

"I’ve been spending the last week or so in the Pacific Northwest and this is the first of several shows that I’ll be bringing you from Washington and Oregon.

It kicks off at Chuckanut, the brewery founded by Mari and Will Kemper and recorded at their brewery in Burlington, Washington, south of Bellingham where they long operated a pub and restaurant. This production facility is largely dedicated to lager, with a few ales thrown for good measure, but mostly lagers.

They’ll expand upon what brought them to this town, across from the airport in a minute and expansion plans for what is lovingly referred to as South Nut.

And we’ll talk about the intersection of clean and wild beers with their brewery neighbors Ron Extract and Amber Watts who run Garden Path Fermentation, a temple for all things drinkable from beers to wine, mead, and more.

While it may seem, at first glance, little to connect them aside from the larger beer industry, there are actually strong ties."

-John Holl

This Episode is Sponsored By:

For more Drink Beer, Think Beer check out All About Beer.

Host: John Holl
Guests: Mari Kemper, Will Kemper, Ron Extract, Amber Watts
Sponsors: Harpoon Brewery, Denver Rare Beer Tasting, The Craft Brewery Cookbook, All About Beer
Tags: Beer, Brewing, Homebrewing, Recipes, Growth, Washington, Wild, Lager

Ep. 152 - Brad Ring of Brew Your Own Magazine Sep 07, 2022

Show notes

"A few weeks ago I spent some time in Vermont, touring around breweries, catching up with old friends, and doing a little promotion for The Craft Brewery Cookbook – which is available now where books are sold.

At two of my stops I teamed up with Brad Ring, he’s a long-time friend and colleague and the publisher of Brew Your Own Magazine.

BYO has a long and storied history and is the best resource for anyone looking to get into homebrewing or looking to add on knowledge.

I’m not just saying this because I host a monthly podcast for BYO about nano brewing, or because I’ve written for the magazine over the years. It’s true because it is smart and detailed a publication run by dedicated homebrewers who appreciate history and where things are headed.

Much like professional brewing, homebrewing has evolved and Ring and his team constantly keep their finger on the pulse. In keeping up with the times BYO has recently released an updated version of the Big Book Of Homebrewing. You can find it where good books are sold and on the BYO website.

I sat down with Ring in his office, just before a book signing. He opened some cans of a Lawson’s finest liquid pale ale and we talked about the new book and homebrewing in general."

-John Holl

This Episode is Sponsored By:

Harpoon Brewery
Did you know that Harpoon IPA is New England’s Original IPA?

Brewed in Boston and Vermont for decades by their Employee Owners.

Hoppy, crisp, perfectly balanced.

Harpoon IPA: New England’s Original IPA.

For more Drink Beer, Think Beer or to check out Beer Edge follow us on Twitter @thebeeredge and visit All About Beer.

Host: John Holl
Guest: Brad Ring
Sponsors: Harpoon Brewery, Denver Rare Beer Tasting, The Craft Brewery Cookbook, All About Beer
Tags: Beer, Brewing, Homebrewing, Recipes, Growth, Vermont

Ep. 151 Dave Colt and Andrew Hood of Sun King Brewing Aug 31, 2022

Show notes

"A long, long time ago I lived, briefly, in Indiana working as a newspaper reporter. Working the late shift there weren’t a lot of drinking options for a post-shift beer. Thankfully there was a brewpub not far from the office that would stay open late and on most nights I’d find Dave Colt and Clay Robinson working on recipes and plotting their own brewery.

The brewery would become Sun King, and is one of the largest in Indiana with a growing footprint, multiple locations, and a commitment to quality and irreverence that is unrivaled. It’s been fun to watch the brewery grow and rack up awards, and as I was thinking about this week’s show, I noticed a can of Cherry Busey, the brewery’s Flander’s Red ale on my desk.

So calling up Dave Colt and Andrew Hood, who runs the barrel program, seemed like a smart move.

From talking about how the program has grown, to new avenues the brewery has explored – including a spot in Florida, it’s a wide ranging and fun romp through Central Indiana and beyond."

-John Holl

This Episode is Sponsored By:

Harpoon Brewery
Did you know that Harpoon IPA is New England’s Original IPA?

Brewed in Boston and Vermont for decades by their Employee Owners.

Hoppy, crisp, perfectly balanced.

Harpoon IPA: New England’s Original IPA.

For more Drink Beer, Think Beer or to check out Beer Edge follow us on Twitter @thebeeredge and visit All About Beer.

Host: John Holl
Guest: Dave Colt, Andrew Hood
Sponsors: Harpoon Brewery, Denver Rare Beer Tasting, The Craft Brewery Cookbook, All About Beer and The Beer Edge
Tags: Beer, Brewing, Barrels, Recipes, Growth, Indiana, Florida, Cream Ale, Flander's Red

Ep. 150 - Christian Weber of Common Roots Brewing Aug 24, 2022

Show notes

"The fire was fast moving and devastating, and even standing outside the rubble in the immediate aftermath Christian Weber knew that Common Roots would rebuild.

The brewery in upstate New York had become a community hub and the loss was devastating, not only for the customers, for Weber’s family – which founded and built the brewery – but also the employees who relied on the company.

So from day one Weber said they would be supported and the brewery would be back.

Last week I had the chance to sit in that rebuilt brewery, now with an expanded taproom and restaurant, and to see the plans for additional growth just across the street. It’s a remarkable journey for this brewery – which is centered in the Adirondacks - but available in 10 states.

Weber talks us through it all."

-John Holl

This Episode is Sponsored By:

Harpoon Brewery
Did you know that Harpoon IPA is New England’s Original IPA?

Brewed in Boston and Vermont for decades by their Employee Owners.

Hoppy, crisp, perfectly balanced.

Harpoon IPA: New England’s Original IPA.

For more Drink Beer, Think Beer or to check out Beer Edge follow us on Twitter @thebeeredge and visit All About Beer.

Host: John Holl
Guest: Christian Weber
Sponsors: Harpoon Brewery, Denver Rare Beer Tasting, The Craft Brewery Cookbook, All About Beer and The Beer Edge
Tags: Beer, Brewing, Kitchen, Recipes, Growth, IPA, New York

Ep. 149 - Travis Zeilstra of By All Means Brew Lab Aug 17, 2022

Show notes

"I met Travis Zeilstra more than a dozen years ago, at the first SAVOR event in Washington D.C. he was pouring beers for the brewery he worked for at the time and we struck up a conversation about beer and food – natural given the event – that stuck with me for quite some time.

He’s done his turns in kitchens and preparing menus and thinking about the ways flavors interact and can delight. Now, as the head brewer of By All Means Brew Lab in Billings, Montana he can think about how the beers interact with the food offerings, and how he wants the beers to present after turns with various ingredients and in wood.

Ever thoughtful and passionate, there’s a lot to dive into, so let’s do just that."

-John Holl

This Episode is Sponsored By:

Harpoon Brewery
Did you know that Harpoon IPA is New England’s Original IPA?

Brewed in Boston and Vermont for decades by their Employee Owners.

Hoppy, crisp, perfectly balanced.

Harpoon IPA: New England’s Original IPA.

For more Drink Beer, Think Beer or to check out Beer Edge follow us on Twitter @thebeeredge and visit All About Beer.

Host: John Holl
Guest: Travis Zeilstra
Sponsors: Harpoon Brewery, Denver Rare Beer Tasting, The Craft Brewery Cookbook, ProBrewer, All About Beer and The Beer Edge
Tags: Beer, Brewing, Kitchen, Recipes, Wood, IPA, Montana

Brewer to Brewer: Tomme Arthur and Marcus Baskerville Aug 10, 2022

Show notes

On the first episode of the Brewer to Brewer podcast Tomme Arthur of The Lost Abbey interviews Marcus Baskerville of Weathered Souls Brewing.

Eventually the conversation turns to Black is Beautiful, the global collaboration that Baskerville and the brewery spearheaded. To date more than 1,200 breweries in 22 countries have brewed and released the beer which aims to “raise awareness for the injustices people of color face daily and raise funds for police brutality reform and legal defenses for those who have been wronged.”

Much has been said and chronicled about the beer and its history but Arthur wanted to go a little deeper and do a fresh check in. Hear their full conversation on the Brewer to Brewer podcast.

This Episode is Sponsored by:

Firsd Tea
Firsd Tea is a proud sponsor of the Brewer to Brewer podcast. They have been working with brewers on a wide range of ingredients in delicious beers. Firsd Tea combines the flexibility of order sizes with the experience you need to create innovative and successful tea beers. They get you the most direct-from-farm tea selection so you are working with flavorful and consistent products. You can find out more about Firsd Tea’s collaborations with brewers and tea ingredients by visiting blog.firsdtea.com.

For original articles or to read the vast archives or to check out All About Beer. follow us on Twitter @allaboutbeer and Instagram @allaboutbeer. Support Journalism by visiting our Patreon Page.

Host: Tomme Arthur
Guest: Marcus Baskerville
Sponsor: Firsd Tea
Tags: Brewing, Black is Beautiful, Collaboration, Travel

The following music was used for this media project:
Music: Hip Hop Intro 06 by TaigaSoundProd
Free download: https://filmmusic.io/song/9533-hip-hop-intro-06
License (CC BY 4.0): https://filmmusic.io/standard-license
Artist website: https://linktr.ee/taigasoundprod

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