Bart Watson, Chief Economist of the Brewers Association comes by to chat about what exactly an economist does for the brewing industry, how he gets his data and some new stats. We dive into Boston Beer Co. and Dogfish Head joining forces, as well as the Brewers Association Annual Hill Climb.

Red Bear Brewing Company recently opened in the NOMA neighborhood of Washington DC. Brewery owners and operators Simon Bee, Bryan Van Den Oever, and Cameron Raspet come by to chat about the opening process. They discuss different decisions they've made and how those decisions have gone on to mold the guest experience, the employee experience, and their experience. If you have ever dreamed about opening a brewery or any business, this is an episode for you!

Expanding any business is filled with challenges and decisions, expanding a brewery is no exception. Julie Verratti, co-owner, and chief brand officer of Denizens Brewing Co. is in to explain the process of deciding to expand the brewery, things learned in the process and consistency in their brand & culture.

In honor of Mother's Day today we tackle the mother of dragons, sorry no, the mother of beer...yeast! Dr. Matt Humbard, a microbiologist, yeast wrangler, and soon-to-be brewery owner comes by to do a deep dive into the wonderful world of yeast.

Every year the Brewers Association hosts the Craft Brewers Conference. The conference is filled with educational seminars, events, keynote speakers, demonstrations, and countless networking opportunities. On top of all that, there is BrewExpo America, where hundreds of vendors come, from all over the world, to sell and educate the consumer about their products. This ranges from new canning lines to beer slushie technology. Here are a few interviews from the expo floor.

As we close out the circle of our beer judge episodes, today we talk about a recent homebrew competition - how it was organized and who is champion! The winner gets to scale up their recipe at DC Brau and have their beer sold at every Pizza Paradiso location. Every homebrewer’s dream come true.

Recorded at the Craft Brewers Conference in Denver, Colorado, we get to chat with Ethan Cox, president and the main instigator at Community Beer Works in Buffalo, New York. We discuss the flourishing beer scene in western New York, how to get more people drinking craft beer, beer travel, and staying true to your beer brand.

Join us for a special show with Dr. Brian Alberts and Liz Garibay from the Chicago Beer + Culture Project and The Brewseum. They are in DC to talk beer history, and how beer shapes community and culture. Returning to the show we also have Mike Stein, local beer historian to taste the East Indian Porter he brewed with Bluejacket Brewery and historian, Ron Pattinson.

The Beer Judge Certification Program (BJCP) was founded in 1985 to "to promote beer literacy and the appreciation of real beer, and to recognize beer tasting and evaluation skills." The approach to gain this certification is very hands on. Ben Hunter, Sales Manager for Denizens Brewing Co. and Certifed Beer Judge explains the process of studying for the certification. We dive into what it's like to judge a beer competition, and how to start judging beer.

How do brewers select hops for their brews? What qualities do they look for in the hops and the production/processing? Listen in for the answers. Alex Barth, CEO of John I. Haaz and a seventh-generation hop producer is our guest. We also get into new flavor research, hazy IPAs, and hop extracts.