The Brew Daddies

In this episode of the DC Beer Show, Jace Gonnerman, the Beverage Director for Meridian Pint, Brookland Pint, and Smoke & Barrel drops by and chats with Richard. Jace shares with the DC Beer Show how he sources craft beer for each of the three restaurants, and how they all have their own personalities and customers.Craft CompetitionRichard gets Jace’s opinion on the competition that his businesses are faced with as craft beer is becoming more common in restaurants and bars throughout the area. There is not only a spike in restaurants but also a spike in restaurants that are looking to serve local craft beer to their patrons. Jace goes on to share how this impacts Meridian Pint and the other two restaurants.They also discuss how more and more breweries are focusing their energies on the tasting room experience and thus, in turn, the arc of where customers are going to get their beer is shrinking. They chat about the concept of a restaurant-first business that has craft beer, where customers can get food an

Multi-platinum, Grammy-nominated recording artists Nappy Roots chats with Richard, in this episode of the DC Beer Show.You may be asking yourself why are rappers on the DC Beer Show? The Nappy Roots artists are the owners of the Atlantucky Brewery outside of Atlanta, GA, and were in town on their Great American Beer Run tour across the US.Atlantucky BeersThey share with Richard their evolution from drinking beer in the early 2000s to now being craft beer connoisseurs and brewers. Currently, Atlantucky doesn’t have an official spot to brew but they have brewed with various breweries across the United States. Nappy Roots tells Richard about some of the brews they have made - many named after some of their hit songs - and which breweries they are brewed from.Front Porch Pale AleWatermelon Chiquen & GritzKentucky Mud Chocolate StoutThe Humdinger Imperial Rye StoutGood Day IPANappy Roots TV ShowNappy Roots is getting ready to release a TV show called 40 Akerz and a Brew. The show follows them around the countr

DC Beer Week kicks off September 8 through September 15, 2019.DC Beer Week is an annual celebration of the craft beer culture and industry that is in DC. The celebration is in its 11th year, and serves as a fundraiser for the DC Brewers’ Guild and is full of beer events at many different breweries in the DC area. DC Beer Week is a great chance to take friends out and experience beer if they aren’t avid beer drinkers. There are close to 30 events taking place throughout the week, including a Marquee event each night. All of the events are listed on the DC Beer Event Calendar.The Marquee Events for the week are:Sunday, Sept 8: The Official DC Beer Week Kickoff Party at Bluejacket, beginning at 12pm. During the Kickoff Party, the Solidarity Brew will be released at 4pm on tap and will also be available in cans. The Solidarity Brew is a collaboration brew from the different breweries. Monday, Sept 9: Peabody Heights Brewery’s Farmhouse DIPA Release Party at Chuch Hall at Georgetown Park. The event will take place

DC Beer Show hosts Adam and Richard find themselves in Columbia, Maryland at Hysteria Brewing Company and are joined by Director of Sales Ty Kreis. The three discuss how Hysteria’s start is different than a typical brewery, and the path that Ty took to join the Hysteria team.From Production to CanningHysteria Brewing Company is a production brewery that runs a 20-barrel system but will soon be upgrading to 40 barrels as they move towards becoming a distribution brewery. By adding canning to their name, the brewery will continue to grow their organization just as they have over the past two years.The three discuss how the market is moving away from bottles and growlers, and headed to cans and crowlers. They weigh the pros and cons of each consider how the canning industry will continue to grow.Bold Flavors and IPAsHysteria Brewing Company is constantly pushing the envelope on their beers. They pride themselves in providing bold flavors and never leaving their patrons searching for it. Adam, Richard, and Ty dis

Adam and Richard find themselves back at Dynasty Brewing Company, but not to talk about Dynasty. Instead, they are talking to Alex Lynch, from Mieza Blendery. In 2011, Alex began focusing on sour and saison beers in his unfinished basement, which is where he fell in love with the mixed culture fermentation beers.What is a Beer Blendery? Mieza Blendery contracts out the wort production process of making beer and focuses solely on fermentation. A beer blendery creates multiple beer components with the intention of blending those components together to create the final product. This can come mixing together diverse barrel flavors, fruits, nuts, spices, and more. Since blenderies can focus all their energy on the fermentation process, they often create beers that are more complex and tend to lean on the sour side of craft beer. Expressions of TerroirHistorically focused on wine but making its way into the craft beer industry, “terroir” refers to specific characteristics and flavor profiles that result from the sp

Adam and Richard sit down with Favio Garcia, Partner and Director of Brewery Operations at Dynasty Brewing Company, in Loudoun County. As one of the “Godfathers of DMV Brewing” Favio worked at various breweries in the DC area before opening Dynasty Brewing Company. When he got his start in the brewing industry many years ago, it was still referred to has micro-brewing. At that time, beer was not allowed to be sold directly to customers within the breweries; the only revenue that could be made was during beer tours. Brewery Business ModelsThe three converse about the evolution of the craft beer industry. They consider the various brewery business models and the advantages to the popular model that is now spreading across the craft beer community.Dynasty Brewing Company's New BeersFavio divulges about how the beer known as “Tuppers” came to be and how it has traveled from Old Dominion Brewing Company to Dynasty Brewing Company with minor changes to the recipe and the future of packaging for the beer. Recently,

Adam and Richard visit DC Brau, the first production brewery in DC since 1956. They sit down with brewery founders, Jeff Hancock and Brandon Skall, to discuss the history surrounding the brewery and brewery legislation that had to take place in order for beers to be served in the brewery itself.Brewery Market EvolutionWhen DC Brau opened its doors in 2011, there were only 1,500 breweries open country-wide.  Today, that number is upwards of 8,000. Given these statistics, Adam, Richard, and the DC Brau founders speculate if the market is becoming too saturated as well as what breweries are needing to do to stand apart from the rest. They touch on the evolution of brewery models - the distributor model to the taproom model.DC Brau + JamesonRecently, DC Brau has started working with Jameson Irish Whiskey and has been releasing two beers every year that are aged in Jameson barrels. Jeff and Brandon share their decision to sustain the flagship beers for so long before making changes earlier this year. One of those

For the first time ever, the DC Beer Show episode highlights a yeast business. Jasper Yeast is located next to Ocelot Brewing Company in Dulles, Virginia. Adam and Richard visit with the team - Jasper Akerboom and Travis Tedrow. They discuss how the company was established and the experience that each team member brings to the company. What exactly does Jasper Yeast do?Yeast is one of the most important parts of the brewing process. It adds flavor and body to a beer. Without it, nothing would work. Jasper and Travis explain how yeast growing is a completely different world than brewing. They take their explanation to the scientific level by explaining the isolation process of yeast. Jasper Yeast offers about 300 different yeast strains to its customers. Adam and Richard learn about the different flavor notes that yeast can bring to a beer. Jasper and Travis also theorize about what new styles of beer may be coming our way based on the yeast being yielded. Thanks to our monthly supporters Jeff Michael O'C

The DC Beer Show heads to Ocelot Brewing Company for this episode. Adam and Richard visit with Adrien Widman, owner and founder. Previously an IT guy, Adrien began brewing beer after a trip to San Diego where he got hooked on craft beer.Ocelot Brewing Company is a 15-barrel brewhouse and unlike a lot of other breweries, it does not have a flagship beer. Rather, Ocelot is known for its special and unique IPA and Pilsner beers. Adrien explains why he decided to not have a flagship beer and the advantages that come from this decision.Ocelot Brewing’s Phishy RelationshipAdrien shares where the name ‘Ocelot’ came from as well as how he goes about naming a majority of his beer. He mentions that he and his staff are quickly running out of ideas after naming more than 270+; Richard and Adam give Adrien ideas for upcoming beers and his unnamed Saison.Pinball and BeerOcelot has a large taproom and an arcade area with several pinball machines, and more on the way. They enjoy hosting concerts and this fall they will be h

The DC Beer Show visits Sapwood Cellars in Columbia, Maryland, where Adam and Richard speak with owners Scott Janish and Michael Tonsmeire. Scott has recently released the book The New IPA: Scientific Guide to Hop Aroma and Flavor. Michael is the author of American Sour Beers. These two styles — hoppy IPAs and sour barrel-aged beers – define the majority of the beers the team is creating.Sapwood Cellars runs a 10-barrel set-up designed to give their beers definition and body. They serve almost exclusively in their taproom, where they have ann unusual approach to serving sizes they feel presents their products in the best possible light. Sapwood Cellars also offers some special experiences we haven't seen anywhere else. Beer lovers can work with Scott and Mike to make their own custom beer, sign up for a "blending day" where they can help the brewers blend and formulate the final product to be served. Scott and Michael share their thoughts on 3.8 Special, their collaboration with DC Beer, why they love Calypso

Fall is always a busy season for craft beer festivals and this episode serves as a preview of what’s on the horizon for the Fall Festivals in the DC area.DC Beer Week will be taking place September 8 - September 15, 2019 this year. It is an eight-day fundraiser event put on by the DC Brewers Guild. Each day there will be marquis and spotlight events, plus smaller events taking place at various breweries in the DC area. As usual, there will be a Solidarity brew, a collaboration of the brewers throughout the area, to be showcased at a kickoff event at Bluejacket. To find more information about the events, ticket prices, education and breweries involved, visit DCBeerWeek.net. The 11th Annual Takoma Foundation Nuclear-Free Beerfest is taking place on September 22, 2019. 100% of proceeds from this event go to local charities and organizations. Tickets will be on sale soon.Coming up on October 12th is Snallygaster 2019. It is the biggest beer festival in the area and will showcase 400 of the best beers from around

In this episode, Richard is joined by Barrett Lauer, Head Brewer of District ChopHouse. Barrett has been brewing beer for 23 years and has been at District ChopHouse for 15. He is one of the few brewers in the DC area who we could consider an “original” based on his professional experience and length of brewing knowledge.Richard and Barrett discuss the classic style of beers including light lagers, amber ales, and nut brown ales that District ChopHouse produces and that its customers consistently look for. While chatting with Richard, Barrett shares the personal story behind the saison that District Chophouse has released, who it is named after, and what it means to him.They also talk about the future of brewpubs in the DC area, including the growth that is happening and the challenges that can pose to brewpubs. 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

In this episode, Mike Stein sits down with the President of the DC Homebrewers Club, Omar Al-Nidawi. The DC Homebrewers Club started in 2008 and meets once a month where its members share their homebrewed beer and upcoming recipe ideas.Omar tells Mike how the purchase of a Mr. Beer Kit began his journey in homebrewing. Since purchasing the kit, Omar has honed in his skills and has gone on to become an award-winning homebrewer with one of his favorite styles of the British Brown Ale. Mike and Omar also discuss the brewing process of five-gallon batches on Mike’s stove top in his kitchen.If you are interested in the DC Homebrewers Club you can find them on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/groups/DCHomebrewers or on their website at http://blog.dchomebrewers.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 DeLoos

Greg Engert is a leader of the craft beer experience in the DMV and in this episode, he visits with the Brew Daddies to talk about how he started and shaped some of the region’s top venues and events, including Churchkey, The Sovereign, Bluejacket, and Snallygaster.Greg is a self-taught beer connoisseur and he discusses whether that is even a possibility for someone entering the craft beer industry today and how famed beer writer Michael Jackson influenced him at a young age.As Neighborhood Restaurant Group’s (NRG) Beer Director, overseeing more than 20 locations across the DMV, Greg has strived to make it the norm to pair food with beer, not just wine. He encourages patrons to step out of their comfort zone and try beers that they may not otherwise notice but that pair well with their meal.This is a great conversation and one of our favorite episodes of the Show to date! Thanks to our monthly supporters Jeff Michael O'Connor Favio Garcia Josh Ellen Daniels Juan Deliz Mike Lastort James Wisn

Not only is Loudoun County home of Jasper Yeast Labs and the Mid-Atlantic’s first commercial-scale hops processing facility, but it also has the highest concentration of craft breweries in Virginia. And now they’re launching the inaugural LoCo Beer Week June 22 - 29, 2019!Richard is joined by Beth Erickson, President & CEO of Visit Loudoun, Lashelle Davis of Loudoun County Brewers Association and House 6 Brewing, and Richard Hartogs, Co-founder of Rocket Frog Brewing Company to discuss the upcoming event and what it means for the local DMV area.More than 30 breweries along the LoCo Ale Trail will be featuring events, beer releases, and specials in their tasting rooms to celebrate LoCo Beer Week. In addition, craft beer restaurants within Loudoun and the greater DMV area will be hosting LoCo Beer Week tap takeovers and provide specials to customers.For more information on LoCo Beer Week, visit www.visitloudoun.org. If you plan to visit any of the week’s events, be sure to take pictures, post, and tag on so

Elder Pine Brewing & Blending Brews What They LoveThe Brew Daddies travel to Gaithersburg, Maryland to visit Elder Pine Brewing and Blending Co. This newer farm brewery was previously a Christmas tree farm and is in an agricultural reserve. Elder Pine focuses mainly on distribution and canning and can be found in over 100 locations throughout Maryland, with long term plans to expand into Washington DC and Virginia.In mid-May, they opened their unique wood-themed taproom to the public. They specialize in blending and strive to make the best beer at the best time. They enjoy making dark easy-to-drink beer that beer drinkers can enjoy; one such beer is their Pliable Foe, which is easy enough to drink they have deemed it their “breakfast beer.” Be sure to visit the farm brewery during their Christmas in July event!Find Elder Pine at:https://www.elderpine.com/homeFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/elderpinebeer/Instagram/Twitter: @elderpinebeer Thanks to our monthly supporters Jeff Michael O'Connor Favi

DC Beer Land News & EventsThe Mayor of DC has introduced legislation that will give a license exemption to home brewers.Aslin Beer Co. close to opening new location in Alexandria, VASaturday, 6/1: Red Bear Brewing Company hosting Pride Yoga PartySaturday, 6/1: 2nd Annual Priday Night at Port City Brewing CompanyWednesday, 6/5: LGBTBBQ Comedy Roast at Red Bear Brewing CompanyThursday, 6/6: Datcha Beer Garden hosts launch of #PridePils beer canLove Struck by Beer: Justin and JulieIn this DC Beer Show episode, Richard is joined by home brewers and craft-beer-loving couple, Justin and Julie. The two share how they have visited over 250 breweries that are spread across three different countries and countless states. The couple spills about their favorite breweries outside of the DC area as well as those that are within it - Hellbender Brewing Co., 3 Stars Brewing Co., Right Proper Brewing Co., and Aslin Beer Co. Thanks to our monthly supporters Jeff Michael O'Connor Favio Garcia Josh Ellen Daniels

DC Brews News and Upcoming EventsBrewbound’s Brew Talks at Penn Social included topics of the Federal Excise Tax on gallons of beer, as well as how the trade war with China is affecting the brewery industryWednesday, 5/22: B Side hosting “Beer for Wine Lovers” eventMemorial Day Weekend EventsBluejacket pouring Metal Guru all weekend long, beginning at 12pm each dayDirt Farm Brewing hosting a weekend-long partyPort City has events on Saturday, 5/25City Tap Penn Quarter hosting Summer Kickoff Party on Monday, 5/27Tuesday, 5/28: Tuesday Brewsday at KramersTaxes and Tariffs: Craft Brewing in 2019Adam and Richard (the Brew Daddies) are joined by Bob Pease, CEO of the Brewers Association. Bob gives the two a rundown on how SAVOR got started, the aim, and what the future might hold.Currently, the Craft Beverage Modernization and Tax Reform Act of 2019 is a hot topic in the brewing industry. Bob relates the Association’s effort to extend the Act and, possibly, making its benefits permanent. Take a look at House Bill

DC Craft Beer News and EventsBoston Beer has acquired Dogfish HeadSAVOR Week - could it be the last ever?Wednesday, 5/15: Gaslight Tavern previewing OmmegangWednesday 5/15: Roofers Union featuring two New England breweriesThursday, 5/16: ChurchKey celebrating the week with 5 breweriesThursday, 5/16: The Sovereign featuring 35 beers from 6 breweriesThursday 5/16: Jack Rose Saloon showcasing 5 breweries with 4 beers eachThursday, 5/16: Founders of 2nd Shift Brewing at Lost Dog CafeThursday, 5/16: Pater Johannes of Benediktiner Brewery visits Hazel on V StreetFriday, 5/17: SAVOR!!! Lots of events going on all over the DC areaFind all the info about SAVOR weekend at the DC Beer calendar!Denizens New Location Opening by End of Month!The Brew Daddies visit Denizens Brewing Co.’s new Riverdale Park Station location and chat with two of the founders, Jeff Ramirez and Julie Verratti. The Riverdale Park Station location will open later this month with a full liquor license as well as a full kitchen with new menus. The

DC Brews NewsPort City Brewing Company released the third lager of 2019Homebrew competition winners announced!Wednesday, 5/8: City Tap in Penn Quarter hosting Singlecut Beersmiths on 4 tapsThursday, 5/9: Port City vs Rocket Frog in the Drink Local Throwdown 2019 FINALSThursday, 5/9: Owen’s Ordinary hosts Maine Beer CompanyThursday, 5/9: The Sovereign features 15 beers from Jester KingSaturday, 5/11: ChurchKey celebrates their 10th anniversary with 30 rare beers on tapSunday, 5/12: Dirt Farm Brewing and City Tap hosting Mother’s Day BrunchTuesday, 5/14: Tuesday Brewsday at Kramers Bar & Cafe in Dupont CircleLiz Garibay and Dr. Brian Albert talk about beer history In this special episode, Mike Stein sits down with Liz Garibay and Dr. Brian Alberts, two beer historians. Liz specializes in Nineteenth-Century beer and alcohol history and is the Founder and Executive Director of the Chicago Brewseum, a museum that focuses on the history of beer. Brian specializes in the Nineteenth Century brewing industry and G