Beer Busters

This episode we are joined by Ashleigh Carter, Head Brewer and Co-Owner at Bierstadt Lagerhaus, a traditional, lager-focused brewery in Denver, Colorado. Right up front, we discuss the “slow-pour pils” and why it’s worth waiting for your beer (a conversation we also had – with samples – back in Episode 173 at Victory Brewing). We also talk about the appeal of lagers and the traditions of European and, specifically, German brewing. Other topics include glassware, distribution and control over product quality, and more. As has become the norm, we have a lengthy conversation on the impacts of COVID on the industry at large and the struggles at Bierstadt specifically – including how it has forced them into canning. After that, we lighten things up as Wayne hosts a round of There’s Weird in my Beer in Happy Fun Time. Then more talking and drinking. That’s kind of our whole thing. Do you love Beer Busters? Of course you do! Why not leave us a rating and review on your podcast platform of choice and consider support

We’re joined this episode by Jason Ufema, owner of Shy Bear Brewing in Lewistown, PA. With a focus on hospitality and creating a destination experience, Shy Bear features a full service kitchen, live music and events, and – of course – a long list of diverse and tasty brews. The brewery launched on St. Patty’s Day in 2018 and quickly became a favorite spot in the community. Our conversation ranged from Jason’s experience in hospitality, his family’s coffee business, staying afloat during COVID, and much more. In Happy Fun Time, Wayne hosted a round of Oktoberfest-inspired Bad Beer Reviews. All while we sampled a solid lineup of Shy Bear beers. Do you love Beer Busters? Of course you do! Why not leave us a rating and review on your podcast platform of choice and consider supporting us on Patreon.

This year, Sly Fox Brewing will be celebrating their 25th anniversary, and it’s been too long since we checked in with this staple of Pennsylvania beer. Returning after his appearance way back in episode 114 is Sales Director and member of the founding family, Peter Giannopoulos. Joining him are newcomers to the podcast Keith Maynard, Philadelphia Area Market Manager, and Sarah Jagiela, Marketing Manager. We talked about the upcoming anniversary, dealing with COVID, the revival of Reading Premium, plus some breaking news about upcoming releases and the fate of the 360 Can. In Happy Fun Time, Wayne hosted a round of Band, Beer…or Both? All the while sampling Sly Fox brews new and old. Do you love Beer Busters? Of course you do! Why not leave us a rating and review on your podcast platform of choice and consider supporting us on Patreon.

February 2020 was a time when Corona was just a beer, social distance meant cancelling your Friday plans to watch Netflix, masks were for surgeons, and Human Robot opened their doors in the former Saint Benjamin location in Philadelphia. Despite the subsequent slow-motion train-wreck apocalypse, the new brewery has managed to thrive with a solid offering of top class beers. We are joined this episode by two of the team behind Human Robot, Ken Correll and Chris Roller. Throughout a night of often random and meandering conversation, we discuss a few relevant topics such as: the history of the brewery, their philosophy and approach to beer, and the analog trolling of Memphis Taproom (one of our favorite spots in Philly, of which Ken is a co-owner). In Happy Fun Time, Wayne hosted a game all about weird beer fests, from the before-times when they were still a thing. All of this and more, over copious servings of Human Robot’s best brews. Do you love Beer Busters? Of course you do! Why not leave us a rating and re

It’s hard to believe we’ve done 200 episodes of Beer Busters. One fateful day way back in the Spring of 2013, Dan and Steph sat down with a slapped together recording set up in Steph’s basement and nervously tried to talk about beer in an insightful and entertaining way. Soon Wayne joined and, before we knew it, we were travelling to breweries far and wide (relatively), recording on site at festivals and other events, and constantly being shocked that people not only listened to us, but took our little project seriously. Unfortunately, here at 200 episodes, we are in a socially distant, Zoom call phase. But we’re still having a blast and connecting with amazing people. For better or worse, this milestone episode was nothing like the giant live event for our 100th. The world has changed a lot since then, and, honestly, so have we. It so happened that, in the course of following the Black is Beautiful beer project, we connected with the only distillery (so far) involved in it. McClintock Distilling and Idiom Br

What had been scheduled long in advance as an on-site podcast recording for Pour Man’s second anniversary became, in the age of Corona, another socially distant podcast. That didn’t stop the fun, though. Sam and Ryan first appeared on Beer Busters when we were at Pour Man’s in Ephrata, PA for episode 164, in which we had a pretty raucous evening. They return along with long-time partner, Mike King, to chat about the latest at the brewery, adding canning, expanding their offerings and distribution, doing deliveries, and planning a second anniversary event amidst the pandemic. In Happy Fun Time, Wayne hosted a round of There’s Weird in My Beer … and Two Cocktails. At the top of the episode, we sampled another Black is Beautiful beer, this time a Brown Ale collaboration between Tröegs and Harris Family Brewing. In a rare feet of planning and organization, the guys were kind enough to get us a handful of their beers ahead of time so we could actually drink the product made by the people on the show. Do you love B

No quarantine would be complete without getting a little Naked. For this socially distant episode we caught up with our old friend, but somehow first-time podcast guest, Hannah Gohde. Hannah recently joined Naked Brewing Company as their head brewer after years of brewing at Free Will. We talked about what brought Hannah to beer and - ultimately - to Naked Brewing, got some details of exciting new beverages on the way, and had a spirited discussion about inclusion and diversity in the craft beer community.  Dan reported on yet another new hard seltzer entering the market and Wayne hosted a round of Libation or Fabrication (At the Movies). All while we drank various and sundry brews, because there's not much else to do these days. Do you love Beer Busters? Of course you do! Why not leave us a rating and review on your podcast platform of choice and consider supporting us on Patreon.

We kick off this episode by catching up with Ryan Ludwig, owner of Rebel Hive Meadery in Reading, PA. As we sip some of the fine honey wine, we chat about Rebel Hive’s new bottle shop in West Reading, mead slushies, taster packs, new varieties, and much more. Then we head into the meat of the episode with Dan Hershberg, owner of Workhorse Brewing in King of Prussia, PA with a tap room in Philadelphia. Workhorse brews have been a main stay for us keeping our sanity during quarantine with their city-wide delivery available in Philly. Over cans of some of their summer releases, we chat about how the company has navigated the challenges of the COVID pandemic, new beer releases, and their work with various charities. On the topic of philanthropy, Wayne hosted a game all about craft beer’s long history of working for the greater good, with the winners nominating charities that Beer Busters and Workhorse will be donating $197 to, in honor of our 197th episode. The chosen charities are: True Colors United – https://

This episode we present a series of interviews around the Black is Beautiful Beer Collaboration Project. Over 900 breweries representing every state in the US and over 17 countries around the world have joined the effort to raise awareness for the injustices people of color face daily and raise funds for police brutality reform and legal defenses for those who have been wronged. We start off the episode with the man who started the project, Marcus Baskerville, Founder and Head Brewer at Weathered Souls Brewing in San Antonio, Texas. Next, we are joined by Timothy White, Jr., one of the founders of the first wholly black owned brewery in Pennsylvania, Harris Family Brewing in Harrisburg. Harris Family has joined in the project with several brew day collaborations with Love City Brewing, Two Locals Brewing, and Tröegs. Finally, we catch up with our old friend, Sam Masotto, owner of Bonn Place Brewing in Bethlehem, PA. Bonn Place brewed their version of the Black is Beautiful beer with another local, minority ow

We start this episode with a conversation with our old friend Dain Shirey from St. Boniface Craft Brewing about their latest venture, a new restaurant and bar in downtown Lititz, PA, Tied House. Then, it’s on to another socially distant episode with the founders of Pilger Ruh Brewing, brothers Tyler and Conlan Budwash. Still under construction, the new brewery is set to open in Pottsville, PA later this year or early next. The pair are also the brains behind the Schuylkill County Brew Fest, which was unfortunately cancelled this year (like every other beer fest) due to COVID-19. We discuss the plan for Pilger Ruh, the beer scene in “the skook”, collaborations, and more. In Happy Fun Time, Wayne hosted a round of Bad Beer Reviews. And we all drank various and sundry brewskis. In solidarity with the recent protests following the death of George Floyd at the hands of law enforcement, we are suspending our Patreon pledges for the month of June, and encourage our patrons to instead donate to charities and organiz

At the top of the show, we interview Nate Kresge from GK Visual, the Harrisburg production company behind Brewed in the Burg, Poured in PA, and now a new ongoing docu-series, Poured in PA: The Series. With a more in-depth focus on the stories of craft beer throughout Pennsylvania, the series is available on YouTube, and coming soon to Amazon Prime. It’s worth a watch, particularly episode 5, which features a few of your favorite podcasters. Then we dive into the main episode…While many small businesses are struggling during the ongoing shutdown, Hemauer Brewing is a bright spot – they’ve pushed ahead and opened their doors! Founder Brooks Hemauer joins us again after his last appearance, a mere six months ago, that now feels like a decade. In the news we talk about the new Sheetz/Neshaminy Creek collab Hot Dog Beer (seriously), GABF going virtual, and the closing of the 3Floyds Brewpub. In Happy Fun Time, Wayne hosted a brand new game all about Strange Shots and Curious Cocktails. All the while maintaining s

Given the recent protests that have arisen in the wake of the death of George Floyd at the hands of law enforcement, we have decided to make an effort to use our platform to support the black community by stepping away from the microphones and sharing our space with the voices of that community. This episode, we present audio from a livestream by Dennis Guy, Co-Founder and CEO of First Sip Brew Box. As a black business owner and veteran, Dennis shares his thoughts on the current movement with a message of positivity and unity, while recognizing the pain and injustice that has persisted in our society for far too long. This is followed by the audio from a recent episode of The Daily Sip, a video series hosted by Dennis, in which he has a conversation with Ralph Marion, aka The Beered Black Man, a craft beer enthusiast and blogger from Birmingham, Alabama, who promotes diversity and inclusivity in the world of beer. We are suspending our Patreon pledges for the month of June, and encourage our patrons to instea

Quarantine continues, we’re all stuck at home, but the podcast must go on! Since we’ve started this series of socially distant episodes, we’ve made a point to have guests on that we know well, really get along with, and that we can count on to keep us laughing. Few people fit those requirements quite as well as Ethan Buckman, co-founder of Stickman Brews. Unfortunately, our field-promoted, honorary fourth Beer Busters, Kevin Keller, couldn’t join us for this one. But, we soldier on and engage in riveting conversations about dick pics, creamy cocktails, Oreo beer, and the worst Wawa in America. We also talked about Stickman’s work with Laurel House and their Walk a Mile in Her Shoes, a Men’s March Against Rape, Sexual Assault, and Gender Violence. Steph reported on the Sly Fox Bock Fest and Goat Race going digital. And Dan took over the job of Happy Fun Time Games host and lead us in a round of Stay the Fuck Inside, a drinking game made for social distancing, and supporting COVID-19 relief, including proceeds

Our socially distant series continues and we catch up with some old friends, John from Free Will Brewing and Brandalynn, who we first met at Zeroday Brewing and is now at Haymaker Meadery. Anyone who knows beer in Pennsylvania has heard of these two. John is a widely respected brewer who helped make Free Will one of the most popular breweries locally and beyond. Brandalynn has contributed to the alcohol industry in our home state in so many ways, wearing more hats than the Queen of England. In this episode we discuss the effects the pandemic has had on their respective companies and the industry as a whole, as well as some thoughts on where things go from here. In Happy Fun Time, Wayne presented a general trivia game all about Corona…the beer. All this and more while we each drank from our quarantine stores of beer. Do you love Beer Busters? Of course you do! Why not leave us a rating and review on your podcast platform of choice and consider supporting us on Patreon.

Because we still can't go anywhere, we've returned for another socially distant podcast! We were joined once again by our friend and beer industry guru, Kevin Keller. This time Wayne was unfortunately unable to join - he was away in the distant, magical land of West Philadelphia (where he was neither born nor raised). We moved things around a little bit...Steph delivered some uplifting beer news, and Dan led his own version of Happy Fun Time Games. We all drank various beers, and Kevin told us about his fun new way to infuse more flavors into some already delicious brews. We hope everyone is staying safe and healthy out there. Cheers to you all! Do you love Beer Busters? Of course you do! Why not leave us a rating and review on your podcast platform of choice and consider supporting us on Patreon.

Welcome to our first podcast from the end of days! We couldn't think of anyone better to help us try to be silly in the current environment than our old pal, Kevin Keller. He's worn many hats in the local beer industry, but is venturing deeper with his new project, Prototype Brewery & Meadery. There was supposed to be a pretty rad event with several local breweries in attendance, but it's been postponed to make sure everyone involved can be as safe as possible. There was no news or Know Your Beers, but we did somehow find a way to play a recycled version of Happy Fun Time Games from 7 years ago. And most importantly, we made each other laugh while supporting some of our favorite breweries, while practicing social distancing. We sincerely hope everyone out there is safe and healthy, and can't wait to raise a pint with you in person as soon as we're allowed.     Do you love Beer Busters? Of course you do! Why not leave us a rating and review on your podcast platform of choice and consider supporting us on P

This episode was recorded just before the pandemic roared into full swing, businesses like Stolen Sun were still operating mostly normally – but there was already unease. We brought sanitizer and disinfectant wipes to the recording, but we weren’t yet living in full-on quarantine mode. Obviously, the subject of Corona came up, though not immediately, and we tried not to talk about it at length. We did address the uncertainty small businesses were facing – an uncertainty that has, unfortunately, only grown since. If your reading these words while all of this unpleasantness is still happening, please support local businesses like Stolen Sun any way you can. They are adapting, offering curbside pick up and delivery, trying to keep their livelihoods intact and their families, employees, and customers safe. If you’re reading this in the future, maybe try to send a tweet back in time and tell us everything will be ok. All that said, this episode is not really a bummer, we promise. We drank and made merry and talke

We return again for a night of rabble-rousing and spirited conversation to Naked Brewing in Huntingdon Valley, PA. Joining us are podcast alums Jim and Dave, as well as Beer Busters virgins Kevin and Shawn. With the sweet sounds of live music by Mojo & The Helper Monkeys wafting in the taproom, we discuss Naked’s upcoming second location in Bristol, their involvement with Pink Boots Society and the Bold Women & Beer Festival (spoiler: we’ll be podcasting there), tap room etiquette and more. Our bellies were filled with amazing vegan sandwiches and mac and cheese courtesy of Un Soul Food, and we even got a chance to chat with owners, Bryon and Natasha Dockett. In Happy Fun Time, Wayne hosted a round of Libation or Fabrication, and Steph taught us all about the beer/cider hybrid, graf, in Know Your Beers. Do you love Beer Busters? Of course you do! Why not leave us a rating and review on your podcast platform of choice and consider supporting us on Patreon.

This was quite an epic night. It began with crowlers of helles and pilsner (nice) and ended with drunkenly driving farm equipment around the property (not that we condone such activity – we are professionals on a closed course). Warwick Farm Brewing is a “family owned and operated Brew Farm that produces high quality independent beer on a historic farm in Bucks County Pennsylvania.” It’s also a pretty cool place with some pretty awesome people, two of which – Ryan and Tim – sat down and shared some brews and stories and barely kept the show on the rails. Also, Dan fell off a chair. In the news, we talked about the closure of Stoudt’s Brewing. In Happy Fun Time, Wayne hosted a round of Bad Beer Reviews. And Steph talked about unfiltered beers in Know Your Beers. Do you love Beer Busters? Of course you do! Why not leave us a rating and review on your podcast platform of choice and consider supporting us on Patreon.

Honestly, we could podcast here every episode. In fact, our guest and one of our favorite people in the beer industry, Ethan from Stickman Brews, has his own podcast. It’s called Bad Beer and High Prices and features Ethan and partners Jim and Kate. You should check it out. You should also listen to this episode of Beer Busters. Unfortunately, the rest of the crew were ailing and couldn’t join us. But, Ethan is more than enough for an episode chock full of honesty, ranting, and laughter. We discuss Untappd, Yelp, selling out, the prevalence of  drugs in the food/beverage industry, and much more. Dan reported on the news, including the acquisition of Press Seltzers by Constellation Brands. Wayne hosted round two of There’s Weird in My…Booze in Happy Fun Time. We skipped Know Your Beers to allow for more drinking and chatting. After this, check out our previous Stickman episodes here, here, here, and here. Do you love Beer Busters? Of course you do! Why not leave us a rating and review on your podcast platfor