Tales From The Cask Craft Beer Podcast

It’s crazy to think it’s been a year since we started working with our friends Eric McKay and Scott Apicella from Hardywood Park Brewery! Time flies when you are selling beer, which is why we have a DeLorean! The guys join us at the bar to tell us about what’s been happening in Richmond (and Charlottesville!), reveal their historic Jamestown beer, and bring the goods to try! They include The Original Five Flavors Ale, Dreamlike NE DIPA, Cuvée Peach White Wine Barrel-Aged Belgian Tripel, and Bourbon Cru Barrel-Aged Belgian Quad! We start the news with a followup to an item from last month. Back in July, Uproxx profiled some Instagram beer influencers to follow. A backlash then ensued over a Brewbound podcast that disparaged some of the women in that list. Our buddy Steve found Vinepair sharing Uproxx, Brewbound, and the Internet gaze on women in beer, which lead us to Uproxx itself talking with these same female beer Influencers, discussing sexism and representation in the industry. Next it’s a potential re

The last meteorological month of summer begins this week, and it’s just the two of us to kick it off! We have a delectable wide span of treats from Sycamore, Wicked Weed, and Olde Hickory to boot! They are: Sycamore Luau Lemonade, Wicked Weed Coastal Love, and Olde Hickory Photon Sphere! We start the heavy news week with a double dose of MegaMergerMania! First up  WOIO reports that Cleveland-based Platform Beer is joining AB InBev as its newest craft acquisition. Then The Mercury News reveals that a distributor buyout is causing over 1,000 employees to lose their jobs in the Bay Area and beyond. In happier news, Fortune shows that over 1,000 new craft breweries have opened in the past year, while Vox explores the rise of babies in bars, and Reuters (thanks Frank!) finds that India's capital has banned AB InBev for three years for alleged tax evasion. Next Forbes visits the largest celebration of women in craft beer, and then NBC examines a clean water case fermenting trouble for craft breweries and

Summertime demands refreshing brews, and our friends Summer Blaylock and Matt Holmes are in town with treats from Radeberger Brewery that fit the bill! They chat with us about the latest from Frankfurt, Germany, and then they share a couple of tasty light brews with us: Clausthaler Dry Hopped and Schofferhofer Pomegranate! The news begins locally here in Mayberry via WRAL (thanks Scott!) with the announcement that an Orange County woman has been named the first North Carolinian to be certified as an expert in 'all things cider'! Next we have The Boston Globe opining that the craft beer industry has a diversity problem, followed by The USA Today (thanks Michael!) unveiling an Area 51 raid that has caused Bud Light to offer free beer for 'any alien that makes it out'! Then it’s Food & Wine demonstrating that craft beer drinkers are becoming less adventurous than they used to be, and we close with Boston.com’s list of 6 expert tips for reading a beer label! For last week’s #caskquiz we wanted to know what be

You guys didn’t realize that Chip took the DeLorean this week to make it back to the future in time to meet Jenn and special guest/Mims on-premise sales rep David Pavlus! David shares his origins in a surprising field, his entry into the beer world, and how exciting his Cicerone journey has been! Then we have super brews including the Alesmith/Beechwood Collaboration Boom Crash Hopera, Idle Hands Six Seam Double NEIPA, and Trillium Blackberry Super Duper Soak! Newstime begins with a follow up on the financial shenanigans of AB InBev, as they continue to try to shed debt! The New York Times reveals that after an unsuccessful attempt at an IPO, the brewer is selling its Australian unit! Next we have The NY Post (thanks Alex!) heading to the malt shop to find PBR launching a hard coffee made with ‘creamy American milk’, followed by Syracuse.com (thanks Michael!) asking Dilly what? Now CNY’s Bud Light brewery is making a mead! Then as a public service, we have Westword sharing that GABF tickets go on sale next we

We are right in the middle of the hottest days of summer and Chip and Jenn take advantage of the heat to cool down with some of the best new beers for the season!  They enjoy Austin Eastciders Lemon Ginger, Suncrush Grapefruit, and Ballast Point’s Citrus Cove Gose.  Chip is gearing up for his annual visit to Coronado’s brewpub so we also check out their Rise East and Set West IPAs.   The news doesn’t slow down for the summer, we had quite a few breaking stories this week from around the globe!  We discuss the Asian beer market and its impact on a potential AB IPO for China, then head to Canada to discuss some possible changes to how provinces sell beer.  We make a quick stop in the US to hear about the final beer in Ommegang’s popular Game of Thrones series then jump back overseas to cover the World Cup in Qatar and learn why you shouldn’t try to sell North Korean beer online.  We end with a feel good story about the new 6pk rings now in use that are biodegradable and feed marine life!   For last week’s #cas

We are always getting to try new brews from our friends at Lagunitas, and this week we get some brewery talking along with the sampling! Our friends Danielle Auslander and Ben Mack join us at the bar to reveal the newest treats from Petaluma and give us the skinny on cans! And the beers are amazing: Phase Change Seasonally Unexpected Wet-Hopped Juicy Ale and Little Sumpin’ Hazy! An old friend of the show is in the news this week, as Vinepair (thanks Steve!) is chatting with Rodenbach brewing legend (and our guest at the bar back in Eps 101 and 128 from 2015) Rudi Ghequire! Then it’s time for the numbers with The Motley Fool asking can Anheuser-Busch InBev show craft beer the way back to growth? Next The Hawk reports that  craft brewers attempting to win over lager drinkers in South Africa, followed by Food & Wine’s reporter who got a beer spa treatment that was transcendent. We close up this week with Uproxx profiling ‘beer influencers’ who are actually worth following on Instagram! For last week’s #caskq

It’s been two years since we started selling the incredible taste treats from Upland Brewing! This week our buddy and Director of Sales Matt Mitchell ventures down from Indiana to share the latest news about the explosive growth Upland is enjoying. And he has some awesomeness for us to try: Campside Pale Ale, Juiced In Time NEIPA, and Found American Wild Ale! In the news, Eater Austin (thanks Alex!) provides a follow up from a story from last week, in that now Celis Brewery is no longer going up for auction after the owner files for bankruptcy. Next we have Bloomberg sharing the not very surprising news that Trump’s brewery tariff threat has craft beermakers sitting out, followed by The Boston Globe showing that for craft brewers, four-packs of cans have become the norm. Then it’s Patch reporting that drinking a beer is helping support the Detroit Zoo, and VinePair (thanks Steve!) lists the 10 most valuable beer brands in the world. We close the week with The Charlotte Observer revealing that one of the

We can’t believe it’s been three years since we had our good buddy Keith Klemp on the show to talk shop and drink with us! Keith shares what he’s been homebrewing lately and swaps great stories with us. Then we try some Foothills Nautical IPA, AleSmith Muy Sabroso, and the newest iteration of the Sierra Nevada/Dogfish Head collaboration Life and Limb! After all that, he lets us taste his own incredible 2017 quad! We have yet another robust week’s worth of news for you, beginning with Brewbound (thanks Alex!) revealing the sad news that the Celis Brewery is to be sold at public auction on July 2. We pivot north to Canada’s Global News reporting that one-third of B.C.s’ hop farms have closed, despite the province’s craft beer boom, then we go east to The New York Times showing us malt beverages like LaCroix, but with a buzz, and then Bloomberg maps out where microbrewery jobs are overflowing. Next up The San Diego Reader finds a new generation of local brewers who made noise this craft beer awards season,

We felt like getting overseas this week, and we knew the perfect person to join us - Niels Lameijer, the Vistage Chair extraordinaire! We brought the Einstök, and he brought the La Trappe! First though, we learn about Niels’ home of The Netherlands and what Holland is, plus he shares his beer adventures across the border to Belgium. Then it’s tasting time with Einstök Arctic Pale Ale, Einstök Wee Heavy, La Trappe Dubbel, and La Trappe Quadrupel! News is copious and global this week, beginning at home with The Motley Fool asking is 2019 is the year craft beer sales turn negative? Next up in Canada the The CBC (thanks Frank) shares the sad news that Canadian craft brewing innovator John Mitchell has died at 89, while over at The Calgary Herald (thanks Michael!) we learn that after a  $1.7-million loss, Big Rock Brewery is announcing layoffs and blaming Alberta's beer tax increases. VinePair (thanks Steve!) lists 12 breweries who are combating water waste in beer production, and then France 24 (thanks again

She’s been gone for a while, and now she is back, and with our beloved co-founder! Who are we talking about? The incomparable Aubrey Herbert and the amazing Tony Walldroff from Sierra Nevada! Yes, Aubrey makes her return in style with new beers that she and Tony share with us! They are Helles in the Tropics, Hop Solo Single Hop IPA, and Estate Farmhouse Ale! The news begins this week south of the border via Bloomberg presenting Mexican craft beers that ditch lager and lime for world-class flavors! Then we head a bit north to The LA Times asking what goes into an $899 bottle of beer? Next over in Maine, The Bangor Daily News shows us a Belfast bar that only serves ciders, and then down in The New York Times we find craft brewers lightening up and take aim at the ‘sweaty consumer’. We close the week in Thrillist which poses and answers the question why you should drink lambics! We are back in the #caskquiz groove! Last week we asked what’s the wild beer flavoring you want to try? This week we want to know what

After our vacations, we are both back, tanned, rested and ready for summer beer time! Who better to kick off meteorological summer than our good friend Kris Harper with DuClaw Brewing? Kris shares the latest news from the brewery and Baltimore, and he has a stellar lineup for us to taste! The treats include Haze of Glory NE IPA, Dad Bod DIPA, My My Key Lime Pie Sour, Sour Me Unicorn Farts, and Sour Me Carolina! Lots of news piled up while we were away! First up is VinePair (thanks Steve!) reporting that  beer provides more jobs, wages, and economic impact than wine or spirits, with a follow up story from OregonLive providing a deeper dive on those numbers about beer’s economic impacts. Next up The Charlotte Observer tells us that N.C. breweries and distributors have reached an historic new accord that will benefit beer drinkers in the state. Then we have Brewbound (thanks Michael!) revealing that the TTB is slapping Constellation Brands with a $420,000 fine, followed by Food & Wine’s list of the cities th

After taking a couple weeks to go through our cellar and try some beers amongst ourselves we are ready to have some visitors back in the bar!  This week we talk with Greg and Kevin from Wicked Weed and get all the latest on their many facilities in Asheville, there is plenty going on for the summer tourist season!  They’ve got new items on the beer side too and we sample Appalachia, Passionfruit Lychee Burst, Serotina and their own Oak Fermented Cider.  We had another great round of listener submitted new stories this week- Michael sends us some Mega Merger Mania news from Canada and Steve sends us a great article about two of our favorite things Craft Beer and Cheese!  We also continue our discussion on diversity in the beer world and how the BA is helping with a new grant.  On the educational front we learn how drinking beer can help global biodiversity and review a new exhibit in Denver that covers Colorado’s history of beer.    Last week’s #caskquiz question was Avengers: Endgame inspired: “what’s the bes

We told you last week how many taste treats were piling up in the beer cooler, and we are aiming to increase those depletions this week! So we belly up to the bar for another killer lineup! We start with ciders: Blake’s Traffic Jam Strawberry, Blackberry, and Raspberry Cider,  1911 Established Black Cherry Cider (thanks Dennis!). Then it’s beer time: Bear Republic Thru the Haze IPA, Shubrew No Woman No Rye (thanks Bruce!), and Ballast Point Easy Seas! We have a colossal MegaMergerMania story leading the news via The Motley Fool, as two craft beer legends, Sam Adams & Dogfish Head, are joining forces! Next up Food & Wine profiles a ‘Beethoven of Brewing’ who makes some of England’s best beers — and she can’t even taste them! Then we move to Westword uncovering the real story behind the Oskar Blues/Guns N' Roses lawsuit, followed by The Charlotte Observer showing that breweries in Charlotte provide a welcome shot to home values. We wind up the week with The Independent reporting that Beavertown B

We had a blast during our extended NC Beer month, and now it’s time to see the rest of America! We hop all over the country, and we have beer delights including Metal Monkey Bikini Bottom, DuClaw No Way Gose, AleSmith Hi Hoaloha Pale Ale, Coronado Tail and Tooth Hazy IPA, and batting cleanup, Hardywood Park Hopkeeper Double IPA with Virginia Honey! The news begins overseas this week via The Daily Mail exploring the wine-loving French who are creating British-style beers in their own craft breweries! Next we have Market Watch providing more proof that millennials are beer snobs, followed by Hour Detroit going undercover with a craft beer reviewer, and then Food & Wine reports that ’ice’ beers are no longer recognized by the Brewers Association. Then you guys step up for the final two stories! First WRC-TV (thanks Frank!) looks inside the lives of DC's blue collar cats and Forbes (thanks Jasmine!) profiles 'functional beverages' as the next trend that everyone's going to be talking about! Last week’s #caskq

It seems like only yesterday we were all at redacted in Cary for the Sycamore Brewing kickoff party… in reality it’s been a year! So to celebrate, we have our buddies Archie Gleason and Josh Jolly in the house! The boys share the news about the explosive growth the brewery is enjoying, and they have a cooler filled with taste treats: Mountain Candy IPA, Juiciness IPA, Citropica IPA, and a surprise gift from Archie’s travels up north, 3 Floyds Gumballhead Wheat! Now that the heat has returned (finally!) to Mayberry, we begin the news with Bloomberg asking what’s craft brewing’s hot new style? Beer made with spicy chili peppers! Next up is another MegaMergerMania event, this time in Canada via the CBC, as Sleeman is making a bid for Calgary's Wild Rose Brewery. Then Fox News is reporting that an Army vet lost 44 pounds only drinking beer for Lent! We wind down the week with VinePair (thanks Steve!) revealing a craft beer pioneer who blames its bankruptcy on pumpkin beer and Ars Technica demonstrating how to

We are continuing our celebration of NC Beers this week with our friend Ryan McLoughlin from Charlotte’s Birdsong Brewing! Ryan tells us how he moved from the education field into the world of beers, plus he relates the story of Birdsong! And since it’s his first time on the show, he’s got a powerhouse lineup of awesome brews for us: Rewind Lager, Paradise City Session IPA, Sunshine Gose, Lazy Bird Brown, Pink Robots Kettle Sour, Jalapeno Pale, and Higher Ground IPA! That’s a lot of happy tasting! It comes in handy with some sad news to start the week from Brewbound (thanks Steve!) reporting that Constellation Brands is closing two Ballast Point locations and abandoning plans for a San Francisco brewpub. Then we learn from Yahoo Finance that brewery openings have plummeted in the UK as that country is nearing peak craft beer. For better news we head out west with The San Francisco Chronicle to find the newest trend in athletic recovery is drinking beer, and via Fortune we hear that low ABV, fruit-fl

It’s incredible to believe that it took us 6 years to get our good friend Janet Cooper from Foothills Brewing onto the show! We rectify that oversight this week! Janet shares her beer world origins, including her stint at Mims Distributing, plus all the latest from Winston-Salem! Then she unveils treats from Foothills: Malt Shaker Amber Ale and Cabernet Cafe People’s Porter! Then she has two bonus treats from Georgetown Brewing: Bodhizafa IPA and Lucille IPA! Craft beer MegaMergerMania returns this week via The Oregonian reporting that Oregon’s Ninkasi Brewing has sold a majority stake to a new craft-beer venture. Next up The Motley Fool thinks that craft beer is not dead...yet, and Forbes has a piece on beer brewing bias in a Stanford study that reveals preference for beer from male brewers. Then we wind down with Men’s Journal (thanks Steve!) telling us that Patagonia is suing Anheuser-Busch for selling a beer that suspiciously shares its name and logo and VinePair (Steve again!) surprising us with beer-fla

You know we love our road trips, and with this nice weather we drop the top on Chip’s T-Bird and head over to Durham to visit with our good friends Tim Harper and Nikko Carlson at Starpoint Brewing! The guys share what’s been happening since our last visit, and then we taste their latest brewing magic: Into the Mystic, Tilt, the legendary Tekkno Boy, and Black Pearl Oyster Stout! In the news, we return this week to the lastest MegaMergerMania courtesy of FoodBev Media announcing that Mahou San Miguel has acquired a majority stake in Avery Brewing. Next is Forbes showcasing Blake's Hard Cider’s 'kinder' side with the release of Rainbow Seeker Craft Hard Cider, followed by Bon Appétit reporting that Big Alcohol is bracing for a more sober future. We wind up the news with The Chicago Tribune reminding us that although craft beer growth is slowing despite a record number of breweries, it is staying ahead of the broader beer market. For last week’s #caskquiz we asked what you think about the RateBeer acquisi

Craft beer has exploded in North Carolina, and it’s time to celebrate NC Beer Month with our friend Rich Greene from the NC Craft Brewers Guild! Rich fills us in on the dozens of beer month events happening all across the state, and he shares the latest news from the Guild. Then we start our month-long exploration of NC craft beers with Sycamore Citrus Gose, Southern Pines Grapefruit Hefeweizen, New Anthem Songs Unsung, and Trophy Slim with the Tilted Brim! The news field is crowded this week, starting with a long and thoughtful piece in Medium (thanks David!) on how the world’s biggest brewer killed the craft beer buzz. Then we have a Tales news first - 3 stories from one source (hey, you guys found them for us! Cheers!) They are all in VinePair, with the first two thanks to Steve: in one we learn about big beer, big data, and the big implications of AB InBev’s RateBeer acquisition, and in the other we get a short hop take on the beer industry being hit (hard) by aluminum tariffs. Then thanks to Alex we wi

You want to hear about American brewing history from America’s Oldest Brewery? Then listen in this week with our friend Sheryl Yuengling from the legendary D.G. Yuengling and Son Brewery! Sheryl is joined by a couple of friends from the brewery James White and Rah-Lee Hunt. They fill us in on the news about the 190th anniversary of Yuengling (yes, it was 1829 when D.G. started the whole shebang!) and all the latest from Pottsville, PA. Plus we get to try the incredibly refreshing Golden Pilsner! This week you guys did almost all the news research for us! We start with a couple from our buddy Frank, first in The Stranger reporting that Budweiser, er Elysian Brewing, is closing their Tangletown Pub, and then Yahoo Sports Canada hitting the ice to find the Carolina Hurricanes taking a shot at Don Cherry with a special beer. Next those innovators at Dogfish Head feature in a story from WSB with a craft beer that can also develop film! Then thanks to Thomas, Brewbound shares that a private investment firm is a