Grit & Grain Podcast

Episode 121: Live at Washington Craft Beer Summit Nov 15, 2024

Stop #2 of the Grit & Grain roadshow is in the books! Our best buddy and director of events for the Washington Brewers Guild, Shawna Cormier, invited us to record live from the showroom floor at one of the best craft beer conferences in the country., Washington Craft Beer Summit.

Tune in while we catch up with Shawna for the first half of the episode — talking about what it takes to run a professional beer conference and her surprise hidden talent. We were also lucky enough to get some beer ingredient insights from our friends Colin Harvin of Omega Yeast and Jon Mendrick of Country Malt Group.

Tap, tap, tap

Alright, Grit & Grainers! Email us at cheers@gritandgrainpodcast.com with your comments, opinions, and your secret beer title. You can subscribe to GGP on YouTube, Amazon, Apple Music, Spotify, Google Play, and iHeartRadio, and please leave us a review. Be sure to also follow us on Facebook and Instagram.

If this podcast is not what you expected, please alter your expectations. No such thing as a bad time to visit Tacoma. No such thing as too much barleywine. Tune in next Friday for more sweet chatter. Cheers!

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Episode 120: Do the Brewallup! Nov 08, 2024

We’re on location for Episode 120 — hanging out at Brewallup Craft Beer Festival in Puyallup! The crew trekked over to the birthplace of the Pacific Northwest hop industry to sit down with a few fantastic speed round guests and try some wonderful beers being poured at one of the best beer fests in Washington.

Crack a local beer for this one and tune in to hear about the hop history of Puyallup, Ron’s new house beer made by Vancouver’s award-winning Loowit Brewing, and we catch up with our buddy AJ Wiltrout from Caskcades who announces some big changes for their beer business.

Tap, tap, tap

Alright, Grit & Grainers! Email us at cheers@gritandgrainpodcast.com with your comments, opinions, and your suggestion for a new GABF theme area. You can subscribe to GGP on YouTube, Amazon, Apple Music, Spotify, Google Play, and iHeartRadio, and please leave us a review. Be sure to also follow us on Facebook and Instagram.

If this podcast is not what you expected, please alter your expectations. No such thing as a bad time to visit Tacoma. No such thing as too much barleywine. Tune in next Friday for more sweet chatter. Cheers!

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Episode 119: We Tried 140 Fresh Hop Beers! Nov 01, 2024

That’s right! One hundred forty! But it wasn’t us; it was the two most diligent fresh hop hounds in Tacoma: Michael McCourt and Austin Patjens. Our good buddies hung out with us on Episode 119 to relive their 2024 fresh hop journey including heavy hitters, surprise home runs, and a few that got away. We discuss this year’s fresh hop beer award winners. We also debate McCourt and Patjens’ top 10 fresh hop beers for 2024.

Crack any leftover fresh hops you have, join us for this awesome recap, and be sure to take notes so you know the breweries to keep an eye out for next year.

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Alright, Grit & Grainers! Email us at cheers@gritandgrainpodcast.com with your comments, opinions, and your favorite fresh hop beers. You can subscribe to GGP on YouTube, Amazon, Apple Music, Spotify, Google Play, and iHeartRadio, and please leave us a review. Be sure to also follow us on Facebook and Instagram.

If this podcast is not what you expected, please alter your expectations. No such thing as a bad time to visit Tacoma. No such thing as too much barleywine. Tune in next Friday for more sweet chatter. Cheers!

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Episode 118: The Beer Rep’s Journey to GABF with David Maravilla Oct 25, 2024

The Great American Beer Festival just wrapped up and after nearly a year of speculation on the changes being rumored at the biggest craft beer awards show and festival, we were eager to grab a local friend and long-time beer industry professional, Urban Family Brewing Sales Manager David Maravilla, to hop on the mic this week. First — to introduce himself to you all, and second — to catch us up on the vibes at this year’s GABF.

Crack a beer, preferably a delicious Urban Family sour, and tune in for stories about life as a young beer rep, convenience store sabotage, and using balloons to attract fellow youths to craft beer festivals.

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Alright, Grit & Grainers! Email us at cheers@gritandgrainpodcast.com with your comments, opinions, and your suggestion for a new GABF theme area. You can subscribe to GGP on YouTube, Amazon, Apple Music, Spotify, Google Play, and iHeartRadio, and please leave us a review. Be sure to also follow us on Facebook and Instagram.

If this podcast is not what you expected, please alter your expectations. No such thing as a bad time to visit Tacoma. No such thing as too much barleywine. Tune in next Friday for more sweet chatter. Cheers!

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Episode 117: Hard Agave, Beers, and Bedtime with Rachyl Fojtik Oct 18, 2024

That’s right! Our good friend and social media savant Rachyl Fojtik is back on the mic again! Sometimes better known by her popular online alias, @beersandbedtime, Rachyl has been newly appointed as the social media manager for the viral new Thorntail Hard Agave beverage. She dives into her strategies for marketing, promoting, and education customers on a brand-new category of beer-adjacent goodness. She also gives us some updates on new mechanics you should be using on each social media platform to optimize your beer content.

Crack a beer, or a hard agave, and tune in for your social media education.

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Alright, Grit & Grainers! Email us at cheers@gritandgrainpodcast.com with your comments, opinions, and how you meet like-minded people. You can subscribe to GGP on YouTube, Amazon, Apple Music, Spotify, Google Play, and iHeartRadio, and please leave us a review. Be sure to also follow us on Facebook and Instagram.

If this podcast is not what you expected, please alter your expectations. No such thing as a bad time to visit Tacoma. No such thing as too much barleywine. Tune in next Friday for more sweet chatter. Cheers!

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Episode 116: Beer Beef, Part 2 Oct 11, 2024

That’s right! We’re back with another beefy episode filled with beer industry pet peeves! Ron explains why he has beef with his entire beer cooler, unmarked samples, sticky cans, and plastic kegs — Bethany slams cans without dates — and Matt and Ron damn near throw hands over the necessity of tap handles.

Crack a beer, hang out, and let us know what your beer beef is!

Tap, tap, tap

Alright, Grit & Grainers! Email us at cheers@gritandgrainpodcast.com with your comments, opinions, and favorite tap handle ever. You can subscribe to GGP on YouTube, Amazon, Apple Music, Spotify, Google Play, and iHeartRadio, and please leave us a review. Be sure to also follow us on Facebook and Instagram.

If this podcast is not what you expected, please alter your expectations. No such thing as a bad time to visit Tacoma. No such thing as too much barleywine. Tune in next Friday for more sweet chatter. Cheers!

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Episode 115: Lyra Teaches Beer Oct 04, 2024

Time for school! This week we invited our good friend and long-time beer industry professional Lyra Penoyer to sit down for a few beers and a few great stories. Lyra is one of those seasoned behind-the-scenes industry folks that has influenced much more than most would know. From starting her journey at a small local craft brewery, to helping to open the now world famous Flatstick Pub, to becoming one of the first women in Washington to pass the Certified Cicerone exam, to owning her own small but impactful beer and wine business, and now to becoming the first person in Washington to qualify as a WSET Beer instructor, and believe it or not, much, much more.

Lyra has done quite a lot and has met some pretty awesome people along the way and we get to hear all about it. If you’re the type that likes to know how the sausage is made in the beer world and really get to know the folks that make it, this one’s for you. Crack a beer, sharpen your pencils, and tune in!

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Alright, Grit & Grainers! Email us at cheers@gritandgrainpodcast.com with your comments, opinions, and another beer exam that Lyra can tackle. You can subscribe to GGP on Amazon, Apple Music, Spotify, Google Play, and iHeartRadio, and please leave us a review. Be sure to also follow us on Facebook and Instagram.

If this podcast is not what you expected, please alter your expectations. No such thing as a bad time to visit Tacoma. No such thing as too much barleywine. Tune in next Friday for more sweet chatter. Cheers!

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Episode 114: Adventures in Hop Country! Sep 27, 2024

Ron has returned! And he’s brought fresh hops and f*ck ups from his time in Yakima, where he and Phaedra picked hops, toured farms, and drank all the wine. The two barely overlapped with Bethany, who was invited to speak at the Master Brewers Association about the importance of clean lines and the safety of N/A beer served on draft.

Crack a fresh hop and tune in to hear about everyone’s adventures in hop country and a little bit about the illustrious fresh hop collaboration project Ron was invited to be a part of this year!

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Alright, Grit & Grainers! Email us at cheers@gritandgrainpodcast.com with your comments, opinions, and your favorite fresh hop beer this season. You can subscribe to GGP on Amazon, Apple Music, Spotify, Google Play, and iHeartRadio, and please leave us a review. Be sure to also follow us on Facebook and Instagram.

If this podcast is not what you expected, please alter your expectations. No such thing as a bad time to visit Tacoma. No such thing as too much barleywine. Tune in next Friday for more sweet chatter. Cheers!

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Episode 113: The Birthplace of Pilsner with R.J. Adler Sep 20, 2024

That’s right! Our best bud R.J. is back on the mic this week! Ron and Phaedra were busy picking some fresh hops in over in Yakima, but R.J. hung out and caught us up on his wonderful and spontaneous trip to the motherland of crispy boys — the Czech Republic!

Tune in to hear about his amazing, guided tour at Pilsner Urquell (including the cave-dwelling beer sage that serves guests unfiltered pours from the barrel), the impact Urquell has on the local beer scene around Prague, and which American beer trends are finding their way to places like Poland.

Crack a pilsner if you’ve one and hang out with us!

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Alright, Grit & Grainers! Email us at cheers@gritandgrainpodcast.com with your comments, opinions, and the last time you Czech yourself. You can subscribe to GGP on Amazon, Apple Music, Spotify, Google Play, and iHeartRadio, and please leave us a review. Be sure to also follow us on Facebook and Instagram.

If this podcast is not what you expected, please alter your expectations. No such thing as a bad time to visit Tacoma. No such thing as too much barleywine. Tune in next Friday for more sweet chatter. Cheers!

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Episode 112: Vibe Checks with Mikey De Alwis of Chez Lafayette Sep 13, 2024

Happy Friday, Grit and Grainers!

We’re back with a banger this week. There’s been tons of talk around town about the new creole-concept bar and restaurant, Chez Lafayette, in downtown Tacoma. We figured it was a great time to bring in owner and operator, Mikey De Alwis, to discuss his project, his time in the industry, and his nerdy love of all things liquid — including beer!

Mikey walks us through how he connects with customers, creates a captivating restaurant space, and why he chooses high quality options across the board — from his food menu to his tap list. If you just want some background on some of the newest hotness in Tacoma’s food and drink scene or just want to hear him gush out loud about Matt, we have you covered. Crack a beer, check the vibes, and tune in!

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Alright, Grit & Grainers! Email us at cheers@gritandgrainpodcast.com with your comments, opinions, and your reviews of Chez Lafayette. You can subscribe to GGP on Amazon, Apple Music, Spotify, Google Play, and iHeartRadio, and please leave us a review. Be sure to also follow us on Facebook and Instagram.

If this podcast is not what you expected, please alter your expectations. No such thing as a bad time to visit Tacoma. No such thing as too much barleywine. Tune in next Friday for more sweet chatter. Cheers!

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Episode 111: Beer Beef Sep 07, 2024

Happy September, Grit and Grainers! Fresh Hop season is upon us, we’ve recovered from all the Tacoma Beer Week festivities, and Ron is out of town this week on a west coast adventure … so...

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Episode 110: Through the Hop Bine with Kirby and Gracen of Wyckoff Farms Aug 30, 2024

It’s that time of year, folks! Fresh Hop season is upon us, so the Grit & Grain thought it was a perfect time to bring back our good buddy Kirby Redman, director at Wyckoff Farms....

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Episode 109: Iconic Bites of Tacoma with Kris Hay, Part 2 Aug 23, 2024

Welcome back to part 2 pairing beer and Tacoma iconic bites with Kris Hay of Tacoma Aroma Flavor. The journey continues with three new bites this week: Pao’s Glazed donuts, potato perogies from Zaya Cafe, and...

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Episode 108: Iconic Bites of Tacoma with Kris Hay, Part 1 Aug 16, 2024

That’s right! It’s about time we had ourselves a proper food episode, and it’s a double-header. And, who better to join us than Kris Hay of Tacoma Aroma Flavor. Kris has been collaborating with local...

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Episode 107: Live from Brew Five Three! Aug 13, 2024

It’s a special midweek episode! The Grit & Grain team had the privilege of recording a live show from the grass of the fantastic Brew Five Three Beer & Music Festival. If you missed the...

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Grit and Grain Episode 106: Washington Wild and Salmon-Safe Aug 09, 2024

Chris Chappell digs sustainability, Arizona Wilderness Brewery, social media, and Pacific Northwest watersheds. Brian Antonio Muegge digs Gonzaga, wildlife conservation, Nickelback, and keeping salmon safe. Chappell works to protect wild lands and rivers in our...

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Episode 105: Super-Secret Barleywine Brunch with Sean Jackson Aug 02, 2024

Year 3 is off and running! And what better way to get it rolling than catching up with our best buddy, Sean Jackson. Producer Doug let us commandeer his super-secret studio for an hour to...

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Episode 104: Leaving the Lawyer Life Behind with Rob and Abe from Ilk Beer Jul 26, 2024

Welp! We did it guys. Episode #104 marks 2 years in the books for us at the Grit & Grain Podcast. We figured there was no better way to put a bow on year 2...

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Episode 103: Overthinking with Michael and Brian from Vice Beer Jul 19, 2024

Welcome to the second to last episode of year 2! For the occasion, we wanted to put a few episodes together with some of our best buds and to kick things off we had our...

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Episode 102: Matt & Doug’s Excellent Adventures Jul 12, 2024

This week, we decided to kick back, crack a few fantastic beers, and just hang out. We haven’t had a chance to hear about Producer Doug Mackey’s adventures throughout England or much about co-host Matt...

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Episode 101: Getting Prehistoric with Rob and Kelly from Triceratops Jul 05, 2024

Hope everyone had a wonderful Fourth of July! This week, we were joined by the minds behind sweetheart brewery and South Puget Sound staple, Triceratops Brewing. Rob and Kelli have been slinging delicious beer to...

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Episode 100: Fast Fashion, Part 2 Jun 28, 2024

Grit & Grain presents Part 2 of our conversation with The Masonry and Fast Fashion folks: the infallible Sam Morin, the unbreakable Sarah Moorman, and, of course, the master of pizza, beer, and stone …...

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Episode 99: Fast Fashion, Part 1 Jun 21, 2024

You’ll never guess who we sweet talked into driving down from Seattle to hang with us for our milestone 99th and 100th episodes: the infallible Sam Morin, the unbreakable Sarah Moorman, and, of course, the...

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Episode 98: Roofing, Rapping, and Running a Brewery with Paul Reiter of Great Notion Jun 14, 2024

Welcome Grit & Grainers! We’re back and kicking off the countdown to our anniversary episode with an absolute banger — Paul Reiter, founder and CEO of the world-famous Great Notion Brewing. Barely 10 years since...

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Episode 97: Where in the World is Brian Strumke? May 31, 2024

This week, the Grit & Grain Podcast welcomes back our good friend Brian Strumke of the world-famous Stillwater Artisanal Ales. It’s been a hot minute since we’ve caught up with Strumke and as in his...

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Episode 96—Doug and Phaedra’s Eurotrip May 24, 2024

Our best buddy and endlessly talented producer Doug Mackey is out of the country galavanting around London for a few weeks (we are pretty jealous) and, as luck would have it, our other best buddy...

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Episode 95: Back to School Night! May 17, 2024

Shawna Cormier and Jess Keller Poole of the famed Seattle Beer School made the traffic-laden trek down to Tacoma for another afternoon of shenanigans with the Grit & Grain team. We get into what it’s...

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Episode 94: Todd Clement of Monkless Belgian Ales May 10, 2024

Lay down your robes, Grit and Grainers; Today we’re talking to the master of locally-brewed traditional Trappist-style Belgian ales, sans the monks — it’s Todd Clement from Monkless Belgian Ales! Discover what drove Todd to...

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Episode 93: Barley-whining and Chalupas May 03, 2024

Grit & Grain co-host Matt McLaren had a weird week. And sure enough, so did Seattle beer. The craft beer industry is full of shake ups both big and small. This week we let Matt...

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Episode 92: Shabby Road and Hazy Black IPAs Apr 26, 2024

This week the team finally sat down with none other than Jon Sleight of the lauded Jon’s Homebrew and Wine Supply in Puyallup, Wash. This seemingly humble, local homebrew supply store has spent years at...

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Episode 91: Clean Lines and Dirty Minds Apr 12, 2024

Break out your gloves, goggles, and your pH strips! For Episode 91, the Grit & Grain Podcast dives into the rarely talked about, but supremely important, sector of the beer world — line cleaners. You...

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Episode 90: Light and Dark with R.J. Adler Apr 05, 2024

Happy April Fools’ week! This week, we couldn’t help but embrace our delinquent side and R.J., being the gold standard human being that he is, was kind enough to let us T.P. him so we...

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Episode 89: Lawnmower Beers Mar 29, 2024

Happy lawn mowing season! No better way to ring in the first few sunny days of the year than a review of our favorite warm-weather beers that pair perfectly with your yard work regimen. Crack...

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Episode 88: Homebrewing Mar 22, 2024

The Grit & Grain Podcast does our best to be window into the beer world keeping an ear to the ground on local and national happenings … turns out Phantasm powder isn’t the only thing...

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Episode 87: Bret Gordon of Lumberbeard Brewing Mar 15, 2024

There have been plenty of episodes where you’ve heard us sing the praises of the fantastic breweries in Spokane, Wash. It’s time we grabbed the story behind one of the best. Bret Gordon, founder, and...

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Episode 86: Ilk Beer, Part 2 Mar 08, 2024

Checking in with Ilk Beer! Abe and Pat came back this week to catch us up on everything they’ve been doing since episode #22; and holy crap have they been busy! They fill us in...

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Episode 85: Lowercase Brewing Mar 01, 2024

The Grit & Grain Episode 85 is all about understated lagers and non-capital letters. Local sweetheart beermakers Chris Smith and John Marti from Lowercase Brewing discuss everything from starting up their tiny brewery in Seattle’s...

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Episode 84: Love Letter to the NYC Beer Scene Feb 23, 2024

This week local beer sales rep, and our favorite New York transplant, Billy Manton hung out to tell some of his favorite stories from his days at one of the OG New York City craft...

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Episode 83: Mashing In News, Love Edition Feb 16, 2024

It’s Valentine’s week! So, for Episode 83, we sat back, cracked a few fancy bottles, and talked about the current happenings in the industry while enjoying homemade baked goods. We discussed everything: the return of...

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Episode 82: Sensory Science with Rikki Welz Feb 09, 2024

TODAY IS GONNA BE A TREAT! And not because of all the candy … Rikki Welz is back for Episode 82 of the Grit & Grain Podcast, and this time she’s dialing the OHAI meter...

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Episode 81: Gateway Beers with Donna Herren Jan 26, 2024

“I REMEMBER MY FIRST BEER!” shouts Ron to Matt over an open can of Foster’s Premium Lager. This week on the Grit & Grain Podcast — it’s gateway beers! And who better to join us...

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Episode 80: Lucky Envelope Brewing Jan 19, 2024

It’s not uncommon to hear the Grit & Grain team gush about beer folks that stretch and skew the boundaries of tradition. The future of craft beer lies in new ideas by brewers who aspire...

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Episode 79: Fermentation Jan 12, 2024

This week we changed gears a bit and logged an episode 10,000 years in the making! The team sat down, sans guests, to get extra nerdy on fermentation. Bethany, being an avid fan of all...

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Episode 78: Brew Your Own Jan 05, 2024

New year, new hobby! The new year feels like the fresh start we’ve all been waiting for, so why not start off by learning something new? Like how to make beer of course! This week...

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Episode 77: Year-end Hang Dec 29, 2023

Happy holidays Grit and Grainers! What a wild year it’s been! Since it’s the last episode of 2023, we wanted to reel back a little, hang with the crew and be silly behind the mic...

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Episode 76: Tim Ensign Dec 22, 2023

It’s not every day that the Grit and Grain chats with an industry veteran with a solid record of predicting the beer world’s future. The craft beer markets are so fluid and fickle at times...

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Episode 75: Scott Travis and Lambics Dec 15, 2023

All right Grit and Grainers! Whip out your corkscrews, pop your antacids, and unlace your #tacomalambicbasket because this week we’re discussing our favorite fancy funky fermented Belgian beverage, lambic, and with our good friend and...

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Episode 74: Chris Baum of Varietal Beer Dec 08, 2023

Barely 30 minutes outside of Yakima, but still well within Eastern Washington’s hop country, the town of Sunnyside houses what’s been called one of the best-kept secrets in Washington craft beer, Varietal Beer Company, and...

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Episode 73: XBP Limited Liquids Dec 01, 2023

What’s better than one Lee? You guessed it … a pour from a magnum bottle of 2012 vintage St. Bernardus Belgian Dark Strong Ale. BUT a close second is TWO Lees! This week the Grit...

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Episode 72: Sean Jackson Nov 24, 2023

Here are a few things you might not know Sean Jackson: He eats Belgian waffles every morning with a side of barleywine syrup; a statue of Manneken Pis of Brussels, the Belgian national symbol depicting...

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Episode 71: Dark Beers Nov 17, 2023

A Dark Mild, Schwarzbier, Black IPA, Milk Stout, Baltic Porter, and Barrel-aged Imperial Stout walk in for a performance review. The reviewers leave slurring their words. Welcome to Grit & Grain Episode 71! We pivoted...

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Episode 70: Michael Perozzo Nov 10, 2023

Beer Nerds rejoice! The one and only Michael Perozzo made the trek up from Vancouver, Washington, to sit down with the Grit and Grain podcast to discuss everything from beer names to branding to his...

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Episode 69: Kevin Quinn Nov 03, 2023

In 1920, Michael Loftus, an Irish immigrant and grandfather of BT Loftus, follows the railroad west, settles in Yakima, and buys the family homestead. Twelve years later, Leota Mae, wife of BT Loftus and great-grandmother...

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Episode 68: AJ Wiltrout and Andy Gaine Oct 27, 2023

Electricity introduced AJ Wiltrout to Andy Gaine; beer kept them together. In February 2018, the electrician industry duo opened Caskcades beer bar and game room in downtown Puyallup pouring all styles while pinball machines supplied...

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Episode 67: Larry Rock Oct 20, 2023

This week on the Grit & Grain Podcast, we sat down with Larry Rock to discuss funk music, Alabama White Barbecue Sauce, birthing classes, and family. Oh, we did discuss beer too. Rock has been...

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Episode 66: Brad Benson Oct 13, 2023

From the Iowa family farm and Critical Juncture Brewing Company to three locations and a distribution company, married couple Lara Zahaba and Brad Benson bet it all on Stoup Brewing. The Italian wine importer and...

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Episode 65: Great American Beer Festival recap Oct 06, 2023

The Great American Beer Festival (GABF) has come a long way since original founder Charlie Papazian launched it in Boulder, Colorado, in 1982. Initially held in conjunction with the American Homebrewers Association’s annual conference, Papazian’s...

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Episode 64: Michael Sullivan, Part 2 Sep 29, 2023

Tacoma’s craft brewing industry today hearkens to a time over a century ago when the city was one of America’s great beer-making capitals, the home to a robust industry of breweries and beer halls. With...

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Episode 63: Michael Sullivan Sep 15, 2023

Job Carr, Allen Mason, Murray Morgan, Michael Sullivan — when Grit and Grain ponders Tacoma’s history, these names pop into our minds. In fact, Michael Sullivan, the only one of those men associated with Tacoma’s...

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Episode 62: World Wide Beer Fest Sep 08, 2023

At Grit and Grain we do our best to find harmony in the past, present, and future of craft beer. It is no secret that the industry and community we cherish is notoriously resistant to...

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Episode 61: Norm Cartwright, Part 2 Sep 01, 2023

It’s not the norm for the Grit & Grain Podcast to promise and not deliver, but beer happens. This week we welcome our longtime friend and Deschutes Brewery/Boneyard Beer Sales Executive Norm Cartwright to Episode...

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Episode 60: Rachyl Fojtik Aug 25, 2023

Striking the balance between leveraging social channels to connect with customers while also keeping up with the pace of social without losing your unique voice as a brand has only become more challenging — and...

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Episode 59: Brew Five Three Aug 18, 2023

It was a sweltering mid-80s degrees and the Grit & Grain Podcast shuffled around the Chambers Bay grounds with 1,300 other sweaty beer tasters, shifting between booths emblazoned with names of the breweries invited by...

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Episode 58: Kirby Redman Aug 11, 2023

Located in Eastern Washington with its headquarters in the Lower Yakima Valley in Grandview, Wyckoff Farms is a third-generation family business that’s been growing hops for nearly 50 years, as well as grapes on the...

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Episode 57: Tacoma Beer Week Beer Aug 04, 2023

With Tacoma Beer Week #8 around the corner, we figured it was a great time to feature a few of the young talented brewers making waves in Grit City’s beer scene. Luckily, they also happen...

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Episode 56: Jeff Stokes Jul 28, 2023

He’s been the man behind Keep It Like Vic Secret, What The Flocc, Big Tom Milkshake IPAs, Aroma of Tacoma IPA, It’s Always Sunny in Sigadelphia, There’s Always Money In the Snow Cone Stand, and...

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Episode 55: Keith Carpenter Jul 21, 2023

Selling beer. Sounds like a pretty sweet job, eh? It’s beer! The stuff just sells itself! Not exactly. Just ask Keith Carpenter, which we did. At age 21, Carpenter began his beer career in the...

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Episode 54: Channel 253 Adult Civics Happy Hour Jul 14, 2023

It’s Grit and Grain … LIVE! That’s right! This week’s episode is a special one. Matt and Ron were honored to be invited by Nerd Farmer Podcast host, teacher of the year, and homebrewer(!) Nate...

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Episode 53: First Anniversary Show Jul 07, 2023

Try as we might, it would simply be impossible to capture the joy of the last year in a single one-hour episode. Regardless, we gave it our best shot. This week, Ron, Sean, Matt, and...

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Episode 52: Seattle Beer School Jun 30, 2023

In the Seattle Beer School Teachers’ Lounge you’ll find Jess Keller Poole — a Certified Cicerone, BJCP Judge, beer journalist, and podcast host on Cheers to Beers — and Shawna Cormier — director of Membership...

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Episode 51: Will and Mari Kemper, Part 2 Jun 23, 2023

In 1984, chemical engineer and homebrewer Will Kemper and his culinary crackerjack wife Mari left Boulder, Colorado, and opened Thomas Kemper brewery on Bainbridge Island, Washington, then quickly moved it to Poulsbo. In 1992, Thomas...

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Episode 50: Mari and Will Kemper Jun 16, 2023

Mari and Will Kemper were early insurgents in the craft beer revolution that introduced America to sophisticated, small-batch suds. With Will’s engineering degree and homebrew recipes and Mari’s culinary prowess and tenaciousness the couple left...

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Episode 49: Mike Runion Jun 09, 2023

You can’t talk South Sound beer without mentioning 7 Seas Brewing and its founders, Mike Runion and Travis Guterson. From their humble downtown Gig Habor beginnings in 2008, to the 2009 fire relocation across town,...

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Episode 48: Kent Wetzler Jun 02, 2023

This week’s guest, if we’re speaking in beer years, is a lifelong friend. But what feels like a lifetime only started around 1987 in University Place when there weren’t any craft breweries in the South...

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Episode 47: Stacey O’Connor May 26, 2023

It’s the old enjoys homebrewing, join the South Sound Suds Society, land a cellar job at Fish Brewing but quickly advances to brewing, joins a lager-only Olympia brewery named after a Warren Zevon song meets...

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Episode 46: Jeff Lee and the CBC May 19, 2023

Sure, you like beer — but have you ever worn it? Wrapped your entire being in it and then spend three days at a convention devoted to it? That’s what the country’s most dedicated beer...

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Episode 45: Tony Lawrence May 12, 2023

In the late 1980s, Tony Lawrence arrived in Bend, Oregon, for the snowboarding at Mt. Bachelor, but stayed for the dish pit at Deschutes Brewery. Head brewer John Harris knew Lawrence was more than a...

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Episode 44: Mashing In with Matt & Ron May 05, 2023

Broadcasting from the Red Room in the historic Parkway Tavern on the North Slope of Tacoma, Washington, this is Mashing In with Matt & Ron. Spend an hour with us Mashing In the hottest and...

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Episode 43: Mike Hunsaker Apr 28, 2023

Mike Husaker drove thousands and thousands of miles to become a gold medalist brewer. He took all the crap jobs and low paying gigs to take his chemical engineering degree and 10 years of homebrewing...

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Episode 42: Charles Finkel, Part 2 Apr 21, 2023

After many years in the wine and beer distributing business, Charles and Rose Ann Finkel opened Pike Place Brewing in Seattle’s historic Pike Place Market neighborhood in 1989. While working tirelessly to guide and grow...

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Episode 41: Charles Finkel, Part 1 Apr 14, 2023

In the late 1960s, Oklahoman Charles Finkel thought the beer and wine scene sucked in his home state. He headed west as adventurists do landing in Washington state where his passion for all things fermented...

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Episode 40: Paul Whitcomb Apr 07, 2023

Bremerton in the house! Grit & Grain Podcast sat down with our friend Paul Whitcomb of Silver City Brewery. Whitcomb grew up in Bremerton homebrewing with his dad when they weren’t attending every beer festival...

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Episode 39: Diamatris Winston Mar 31, 2023

“That’s what got me excited. The options people have and the new audiences that can be drawn in to drink beer. Not for the sake of getting drunk, but just that community around beer,” says...

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Episode 38: Michael Dempster Mar 24, 2023

What craft beer and comedy have in common is that artists drive them both. Michael Dempster is such an artist. Many years ago, Dempster left Gig Harbor to write comedy for various mediums on the...

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Episode 37: Doug Ellenberger Mar 17, 2023

Stuff a napkin in your front shirt collar and put down that menu because the Grit and Grain is serving up some Doug Ellenberger this week! In 2001, Ellenberger packed up his 1987 Volvo Station...

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Episode 36: Colin Harvin Mar 10, 2023

For nearly the past decade, Skagit Valley Malting has been providing brewers, distillers, and culinary artisans with a selection of single variety malts from Skagit Valley grown barley. Colin Harvin, who is the new Business...

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Episode 35: Eric Willard Mar 03, 2023

From Tiny’s Organic farm hand to volunteering at Two Beers Brewing in 2009 to launching the first Seattle-based cidery since Prohibition and changing Washington state liquor laws, Eric Willard has also performed almost every job...

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Episode 34: Rikki Welz Feb 24, 2023

The first and only Advanced Cicerone in Washington state and assistant sensory scientist at John I. Haas Farms in Yakima, Ellensburg resident Rikki Welz brings her hop lab to the Grit & Grain Podcast. Employed...

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Episode 33: Ben Chase Feb 17, 2023

Ben Chase is known for many glorious things in the Northwest beer world. For instance, when he pulls up to a brewery to grab beer for his Rainier Growlers, he’s often picking up beer for...

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Episode 32: Brian Strumke Feb 10, 2023

Stillwater is the brainchild of Baltimore native Brian Strumke, whose past life as an internationally renowned electronica DJ and producer led him down a path to crafting some of the world’s most unique and highest-rated...

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Episode 31: The Skoog Files, Part 3 Feb 03, 2023

During Prohibition, a rumored blind pig called “The Skoog” poured beer and liquor for Tacomans who, first, could find the speakeasy, and second, knew the password or secret phrase. The Grit & Grain Podcast has...

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Episode 30: Russ Heaton Jan 27, 2023

Russ Heaton opened Doyle’s Public House in Tacoma’s Stadium District at 3 p.m. Monday, April 17 2006. Heaton’s passions continued with the addition of the largest whiskey collection in the state in conjunction to his...

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Episode 29: Kenny T Beerman Jan 20, 2023

If you ask Ken DesMarets, and we did, which number is greater — the number of breweries he has received a paycheck from or the number of nicknames he’s been called, Kenny T Beerman or...

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Episode 28: Donovan Stewart, E9 Brewing Jan 13, 2023

E9 Brewing Sales Director Donovan Stewart is known by several names — Don, Coach, Don of Time, Donnyllama, and Snake Lix, just to name a few — but World-Wide Don could work too. Donovan has...

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Episode 27: Chris Miller, The Red Hot Jan 06, 2023

Whether it was the hotel rodeo party that banned him from the rodeo circuit and a U.S.-Canada border town, or his back injury sustained building fancy things for fancy people, Chris Miller gave it all...

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Episode 26: George Hancock Dec 30, 2022

When you begin to homebrew the day homebrewing was officially legalized in the United States (Oct. 14, 1979), live on a sailboat while hand building a brewery in Seattle’s Ballard neighborhood, then open Maritime Pacific...

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Episode 25: Trevor Nichol Dec 23, 2022

Trevor Nichol is a jack of all trades, master of all. When he’s not mountain biking, forging knives, or designing, installing, troubleshooting and repairing automation systems for commercial and industrial applications, Trevor Nichol masters beer,...

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Episode 24: Ilk Beer Dec 16, 2022

Aubrey “Abe” Burt and Pat Jansen met working at Three Magnets Brewing where Pat was head brewer and Abe held multiple positions over the years eventually becoming the Three Mags’ sales executive. Together, they’re opening...

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Episode 23: Donna Herren Dec 09, 2022

We’re keeping the Tacoma Beer Royalty drive alive. The Grit & Grain Podcast sat down with another of our longtime friends Donna Herren who has been the beer/wine/cheese director for at Tacoma Boys Market on...

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Episode 22: R.J. Adler Dec 02, 2022

Grit & Grain Podcast sat down with another of our longtime friends and Sierra Nevada. Sales Executive R.J. Adler to discuss his days as assistant manager of Pint Defiance, co-owner of Northish Beer Company, sales...

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