The Brew Daddies

It’s time for merry shenanigans in the DC area, and that means an overflow of holiday events and the festive beers that come with them. Brandy sits down with friends from Red Bear Brewing, co-owner Bryan Van Den Oever and resident drag queen Desiree Dik. Bryan and Desiree spread holiday cheer as they announce Red Bear’s upcoming seasonal beers and events, including drag shows, a New Year’s Eve Drag Ball complete with go-go dancing, and the first ever Red Bear Brunch that’s hitting DC with a deliciously killer menu.In other news, Mike, Brandy, and Jake celebrate National Lager Day, talk crazy American beers, and reveal a local DC beer that recently went through chemical analysis and approval to receive a very special title. Wanting to work at an awesome DC brewpub? Red Bear Brewing is hiring! You can apply here. Keep up to date with everything happening at DCBeer.com, @DCBeer on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. Email us at beershow@dcbeer.com. Thanks to our monthly supporters Jeff Michael O'Connor Favi

Just over the Bay Bridge lies a brewery that people across the nation have tasted the goodness of since 1995. That brewery is Dogfish Head. Today, Jake sits down with Dogfish Head’s Mariah Calagione and Andrew Greeley. They recently published The Dogfish Head Book: 26 Years of Off-Centered Adventures that shares the story of Dogfish Head, the lessons learned, the first beers, and the stories of employees who have made the dreams of Dogfish come true. Mariah and Andrew bring back the memories of old beers, reflect on how far the craft beer industry has come, and share the newest happenings at Dogfish Head, including staying at the Dogfish Inn, chocolate lobster beers, and the pale ales that bring the fresh taste of the 90s. Keep up to date with everything happening at DCBeer.com, @DCBeer on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. Email us at beershow@dcbeer.com. Thanks to our monthly supporters Jeff Michael O'Connor Favio Garcia Josh Ellen Daniels Juan Deliz Mike Lastort James Wisnieski Brian Min

This week, we dive into some of the most creative and passionate beers you’ll find in DC一Soul Mega. Mike sits down with Elliott Johnson, CEO and co-founder of Soul Mega. Soul Mega operates as a contract brewery. Elliott explains the challenges they’ve faced operating as a contract brewer during the COVID-19 pandemic, reveals if they’ll eventually open a brick and mortar facility, and lets us know where DC beer drinkers can find Soul Mega beers. Elliott and Mike also discuss what beer trends have been taking off in DC and the thrill of hoppy black lagers.Then, Jake, Brandy, and Mike debate if December holiday beers should be promoted in early November, and give us a rundown on all the DC beer events coming up. It’s also DMV Black restaurant week, and Mike lets us know which amazing breweries, distilleries, and wineries are participating!Keep up to date with everything happening at DCBeer.com, @DCBeer on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. Email us at beershow@dcbeer.com. Thanks to our monthly supporters Jeff

Brandy sits down with Lily Schulz, new lead brewer at the Right Proper Brewing Shaw Location. Lily shares her story of how she left an office job to work at a brewery. Then, she tells us what it’s been like switching brewing locations, moving to a more manual form of brewing, which beer is her favorite to brew, and what happens to her sense of smell after smelling hops all day in a brewing course. Lily then leaves us with parting thoughts and shares what brewing collaborations are coming up at Right Proper. Then, Jacob, Brandy, and Mike plead with the DC area breweries to make dark beers. Mike then tells us all about Brave Noise Beers--an anti-racist, anti-sexist, anti-discriminatory beer movement--and shares how you can be involved.  Keep up to date with everything happening at DCBeer.com, @DCBeer on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. Email us at beershow@dcbeer.com. Thanks to our monthly supporters Jeff Michael O'Connor Favio Garcia Josh Ellen Daniels Juan Deliz Mike Lastort James Wisnieski

For this episode, you’ll want to find the nearest fireplace, grab a beer, and get cozy. We have two interviews that both focus around beer history and the stories you may have never heard.  First, Mike talks with Brian Alberts, a Seattle-based beer historian and writer. Brian tells us about some unique moments in beer’s history, including the rare reasons why Oktoberfest has been cancelled, aside from COVID-19. He also shares about the tournament bracket he made for Oktoberfest beers, and the surprising beer that came close to winning. Then, Mike talks with Theresa McCulla, the curator at the American Brewing History Initiative at the National Museum of American History. Theresa shares how the Initiative uses beer as a lens to view American history, and how the upcoming event Beer Histories, Now will explore the stories of beer that aren’t widely told. Theresa tells us which filmmakers, journalists, brewers, and beer historians will be involved in the event, and gives us a sneak peak of how these people are c

This is a mighty special episode of The DC Beer Show! First, Jake speaks with Greg Engert about the return of SNALLYGASTER, DC's top annual beer festival. This year's lineup includes 450 highly sought-after brews on draft from over 200 of the finest American and international breweries, along with local food trucks and two stages of live music. Jake and Greg talk about what attendees can expect and highlight some of the top breweries in the lineup. Tickets are still available (as of October 1) at Snallygasterdc.com.In the second half of this extended episode, you'll hear Brandy and Jake speaking with each of the seven breweries at the 2021 Battle of the Barrel-Aged Beers, one of the most popular events of the DC Brewers' Guild's annual DC Beer Week. Brewers from Port City, Hellbender, 3 Stars, DC Brau, Other Half, Right Proper, and Atlas talk about their entries in this year's contest and the barrels they used to create their concoctions. Recorded live at the event! Congrats to DC Brau for winning this year! 

Prepare yourself, because it’s fall in DC. It’s the season of beer.  And this means, there’s an amplitude of beer events. Today, Brandy, Mike, and Jake give you the rundown of brewery-hosted events in these upcoming weekends, where to find new DC beer brands, and, of course, the DC Beer Week rundown!DC Brewers’ Guild President Leah Cheston and Executive Director Kim Bender join Jake for an overview of the week’s events and look forward to some of the highlights. Be sure to check it all out for yourself at DCBeerWeek.net!Keep up to date with everything happening at DCBeer.com, @DCBeer on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. Email us at beershow@dcbeer.com. Thanks to our monthly supporters Jeff Michael O'Connor Favio Garcia Josh Ellen Daniels Juan Deliz Mike Lastort James Wisnieski Brian Minch Chris Frome Jon Gilgoff Sam Chip Tory Roberts Steven M Quartell Chris DeLoose Lauren Cary Amy Crone Clifton B Scott Pavlica Greg Antrim jeffrey garrison Joshua Learn Alexis S

This week, take a break from your go-to beer and have a cocktail instead. We’re talking with Jade Aldrighette, the General Manager from ANXO. Jade has spent a significant time throughout her career studying how drinks allow us to deeply connect with people. She’s mastered this art, her cocktails have been featured in local publications and national broadcasts, and now, Jade is proving this mastery by heading up the cocktail program at ANXO. Jade shares about foraging botanicals to infuse in drinks, how she matches people with the cocktail they’ll love most, and what cocktails she’s planning for the newest ANXO location. After the interview, Jacob, Brandy, and Mike discuss the great joys of Oktoberfest, specifically which breweries are crafting Oktoberfest beers. Spoiler alert: there are a lot.Keep up to date with everything happening at DCBeer.com, @DCBeer on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. Email us at beershow@dcbeer.com. Thanks to our monthly supporters Jeff Michael O'Connor Favio Garcia Josh

DC Beer is shouting a friendly “hello!” to our neighbors up Interstate 95. Mike and Brandy share a pint with Nick Fertig, co-owner of Full Tilt Brewing in Baltimore, MD. Nick, along with his cousin Dan, started as homebrewers, then moved to contract brewing while working full-time jobs, and eventually opened the Full Tilt brick & mortar location. Nick shares how they navigated these different phases of brewing, what kinds of challenges they faced opening a location in early 2020, and shares about their recent collaborations with pop-punk band All Time Low and baseball analyst writer Eno Sarris. Nick shares about big events coming up at Full Tilt that may or may not include surprise tattoos, and then reveals his favorite beers that have emerged from the Baltimore brewing scene.In other news, it’s never too early to start talking Oktoberfest. That’s right! Brandy reveals the Oktoberfest events coming up this fall that you cannot miss. Keep up to date with everything happening at DCBeer.com, @DCBeer on Faceb

We leave DC and travel to Montana, land of the Scotch Ale, but more importantly, home of Kate Bernot, the beer journalist and writer of Good Beer Hunting. Kate is in the leadership of the North American Guild of Beer Writers and is an award-winning author who writes for other publications such as Craft Beer & Brewing. Kate reveals why Montana’s regional peculiarity is the Scotch Ale. Jake and Kate then take a birdseye view on beer in America and discuss some of the greatest beer comebacks and whether the Boston Lager will make a reprisal, the rise of hard seltzers, ready-to-drink cocktails, and canned wine, and how these trends may lead to buyer confusion. Then, Kate shares about the #MeToo reckoning in the beer industry and how beer journalists should approach it. Jake and Kate discuss why victims’ stories were not shared through traditional media and what the role of beer journalists should be in this era. In other news, Brandy gives us the rundown on all the beer events and happenings in the DMV, and s

African-American brewers have been producing beer in America for centuries. So why did it take until 2011 for the first black-owned brewery to open in DC? Today, Jacob, Mike, and Brandy dive into the systemic issues that resulted in exclusionary brewing scenes across the nation and whether or not the contract brewing model is beneficial. To understand these concepts, Mike shares research on the South Carolina brewing scene and the gang discusses why a state that began with enslaved brewers has no black-owned breweries today. Be on the lookout for openings, including Earth Tap Brewing, a black-owned brewery coming to DC soon!Keep up to date with everything happening at DCBeer.com, @DCBeer on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. Email us at beershow@dcbeer.com. Thanks to our monthly supporters Jeff Michael O'Connor Favio Garcia Josh Ellen Daniels Juan Deliz Mike Lastort James Wisnieski Brian Minch Chris Frome Jon Gilgoff Sam Chip Tory Roberts Steven M Quartell Chris DeLoose Laur

It’s the dog days of summer. Thirsts need to be quenched. What do we recommend? Your local homebrewers summer pints. Today, Brandy hangs out with Mike Lastort, lover of ska AND the incoming president for the DC Homebrewers Club. Mike tells us if his first homebrew was good or not, what he did to become a better homebrewer, and who ended up drinking all his crafted brews during the pandemic. Mike also shares how he plans to incorporate more women and people of color into the DC Homebrewers club, a space that has typically been with mostly white men. After, Mike, Jacob, and Brandy discuss the first beer made from all-Virginian ingredients, reflect on Brandy’s merry birthday shenanigans and finicky DC brewpub vs brewery laws, and debate over a certain local brewery who may or may not have cursed a Washington sports team.  Thanks to our monthly supporters Jeff Michael O'Connor Favio Garcia Josh Ellen Daniels Juan Deliz Mike Lastort James Wisnieski Brian Minch Chris Frome Jon Gilgoff Sam

Today, we shared a beer with Jesse McNew, co-owner of Cult Classic Brewing which sits just across the Bay Bridge in Stevensville, Maryland. Jessie shares the tale of how he and his brother went from homebrewing as teenagers (don’t tell anyone!) to opening a brewery. Jessie gives us the lowdown on Cult Classic’s wide range of beers that includes more than the popular hazy juice bombs, and also explains how the brewery plays into the Cult Classic theme with intimidating open mics, live music, and cult classic cinema events. Before we go, Jake gives exciting updates on which beer bars are reopening in DC! The gang also discusses if “ bottles-to-go” will stick around as the world opens up, Advisory Neighborhood Commissions (it’s a DC thing), and all the breweries they’ve visited in the last couple weeks they believe you need to check out. Keep up to date with everything happening at DCBeer.com, @DCBeer on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. Email us at beershow@dcbeer.com. Thanks to our monthly supporters Jeff

The DC Beer family is expanding!  Today, we sit down with the newest DC Beer member Sarah Jane, host of Beer Me! Sarah gives us the lowdown of the Beer Me! relaunch, shares the story of how she got involved in the food and beer industries, and explains her goal of showing the world of beer through diverse insights from all over the world. Then Sarah answers a curious question: has there ever been a hard seltzer pairing on a fine dining menu?  Beer Me! is relaunching June 18th, don’t miss it! Keep up to date with everything happening at DCBeer.com, @DCBeer on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. Email us at beershow@dcbeer.com. Thanks to our monthly supporters Jeff Michael O'Connor Favio Garcia Josh Ellen Daniels Juan Deliz Mike Lastort James Wisnieski Brian Minch Chris Frome Jon Gilgoff Sam Chip Tory Roberts Steven M Quartell Chris DeLoose Lauren Cary Amy Crone Clifton B Scott Pavlica Greg Antrim jeffrey garrison Joshua Learn Alexis Smith A t Dan Goldbeck A

City State Brewing is coming to the Brookland/Edgewood neighborhood. Today, Brandy chats with James Warner, owner of City State. James gives a compelling answer to the frequent question: why are you opening another brewery in DC? Then, he shares the parts of DC that inspire City State the most, how local art and community will be incorporated into the atmosphere, and how the City State team will create a sense of home in DC’s neighborhoods. After the interview, Jake addresses the damaging behavior taking place in breweries across the country.Don’t miss City State’s Opening weekend, on Memorial Day Weekend! Stay up-to-date by following them on Instagram. Keep up to date with everything happening at DCBeer.com, @DCBeer on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. Email us at beershow@dcbeer.com. Thanks to our monthly supporters Jeff Michael O'Connor Favio Garcia Josh Ellen Daniels Juan Deliz Mike Lastort James Wisnieski Brian Minch Chris Frome Jon Gilgoff Sam Chip Tory Roberts Steven M Q

This week, we toast to the ups and downs life brings, and to...cicadas. You had to know it was coming, but with the emergence of Brood X comes the emergence of cicada-themed beers in the DMV. But before our cicada friends start singing from the trees about their 17-year journey, we venture back even further to the early dawn of brewing in America. Mike sits down with Frank Clark, Master of historic foodways at the Colonial WIlliamsburg Foundation. Frank has studied beer history for years. Frank and Mike discuss how the 18th century beer realm preserved and flavored beer without hops, the archaeological sites that reveal America’s first brewing companies, and the highly anticipated Ales Through The Ages Conference.  For cicada-themed beers, check out Silver Branch’s Brew’d X IPA and Hellbender’s Deafening Chorus American Stout.  Thanks to our monthly supporters Jeff Michael O'Connor Favio Garcia Josh Ellen Daniels Juan Deliz Mike Lastort James Wisnieski Brian Minch Chris Frome Jon Gilgo

Today, we find out what it truly means to brew authentic, local beer. But first, Jacob, Brandy, and Mike bring some exciting news on the ever-anticipated Snallygaster, discuss tasty beers that make up for bad dates, and share what excellent new beers they're finding now in post-vaccination brewery expeditions. Jacob then sits down with Josh Chapman, co-owner, co-founder, and brewer at Black Narrows Brewing Company, a brewery that brings a much deeper meaning to “locally crafted” beer in Chincoteague, VA. Black Narrows is highly intentional to partner with the Eastern Shore community and express the local foodways through their brewing process. Josh discusses the stories behind their famous oyster beer “Salts”, how breweries can better represent their geographic location, and specifically how Black Narrows allows the community to guide the ingredients and brewing process. Keep up to date with everything happening at DCBeer.com, @DCBeer on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. Email us at beershow@dcbeer.com. Thank

Hurrah! It’s the first podcast where we're all vaccinated! To celebrate, we talk with the great Erika Goedrich, owner of Craft Beer Cellar DC which has been serving Washingtonians the finest craft beer in Northeast Washington D.C. Before the interview, Brandy, Mike, and Jacob discuss a potential controversy between Flying Dog and Beer Kulture, an organization committed to diversity, equality, and inclusion in the craft beer space. Then, Brandy brings us the interview with Erika. Erika shares the story of how she decided to open a beer store, discloses if Mike has a “grandpa taste” in beer or not, and talks about “hype beers” and if they sell. Brandy and Erika also discuss the bestseller beers of the DMV, Erika’s decision to donate to National Guard Troops, and the importance of businesses being involved in their communities.Keep up to date with everything happening at DCBeer.com, @DCBeer on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. Email us at beershow@dcbeer.com. Thanks to our monthly supporters Jeff Michael O'

Hazy IPAs have erupted in the DC beer scene. But rather than quickly joining the hype, one DMV brewery chose to methodically approach the creation of their Hazy IPA. Today, Jacob sits down with our friends at Port City Brewing — Area Sales Manager Will Bruder and Brewer Jon Harahan. Jake, Will, and Jon get to the bottom of why Port City chose to brew The Hazy IPA and how their research and development (RND) affected the end result. They also discuss the Port City Lager series, the upcoming release of the Mexican Dark Lager, and what in the wild west Smoke Beers have to do with anything. After the interview, Brandy, Mike, and Jacob talk about Whale Pod. Not the large group of mammals, but a new service that ships craft beer across the U.S., including into DC.  Keep up to date with everything happening at DCBeer.com, @DCBeer on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. Email us at beershow@dcbeer.com. Thanks to our monthly supporters Jeff Michael O'Connor Favio Garcia Josh Ellen Daniels Juan Deliz Mike

Today, Jacob, Brandy, and Mike honor the women at the helm of the brewing scene in the DMV. Brandy grabs a virtual pint with Erin Karla Young, the Marketing Manager at Silver Branch Brewing. Erin tells us all about the Pink Boots Society DC, an association for women who work in beer from brewing to the taproom, to marketing and sales. Erin and Brandy discuss how the scene of beer is changing as more women and people of color enter the industry. Erin parts with advice for women wanting to go into brewing. We end the episode with a list of breweries around the DMV who are releasing Pink Boots beer in honor of Women’s History Month, including Silver Branch’s Power Boots 2021 Sour IPA. Keep up to date with everything happening at DCBeer.com, @DCBeer on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram, and join our new DC Beer Discord community! Email us at beershow@dcbeer.com. Thanks to our monthly supporters Jeff Michael O'Connor Favio Garcia Josh Ellen Daniels Juan Deliz Mike Lastort James Wisnieski Brian M