Host Ben Rice travels to Eureka, CA, to speak with Lost Coast Brewery's head brewer Briar Bush and Savage Henry Comedy Festival participant Nando Molina. We chat about beer history, including Lost Coast's place in beer history as the first woman-owned and -operated craft brewery in America, as well as women's history in beer. We delve into Lost Coast's standout artwork and how they maintain their old-school cool while keeping up with the times. We talk about Ben's recent "sports" injury and fant...
Oct 29, 2018•54 min
Host Ben Rice travels to the 2018 California Craft Beer Summit to conduct mini-episodes with brewers, vendors, and beer industry professionals. This is the 3rd of 3 episodes recorded during that trip. In Segment One, Ben chats with old friends Scott Williams of Moksa Brewing and Delayna Fitzgerald of Drake's at the Barn, to discuss brewery expansion, as Moksa plans to increase its production area and Drake's Brewing is opening a new satellite location in Sacramento. We also talk about the import...
Oct 15, 2018•48 min
Host Ben Rice travels to the California Craft Beer Summit 2018 to conduct short-form interviews with brewers and industry professionals. In the 2nd of 3 episodes from this event, there are two segments: the first with Alex Larrabee of Big Stump Brewing (Sacramento), Kelly Lohrmeyer of Yakima Chief Hops, and Tanner Davies of Country Malt Group, to talk about how hops, malt, water, and yeast come together to make phenomenal beer and forge friendships. Then in segment two, Ben chats with Josie Beck...
Oct 03, 2018•51 min
Host Ben Rice travels to the 2018 California Craft Beer Summit to talk to beer industry near and far about themselves, their beer, and their specialties. This is the first of three episodes recorded there. The first segment features Meghan Peltz, the Sensory Manager at Sierra Nevada Brewing Company. We dive into the quality control world of the craft beer industry, its importance, and how to separate that nerdy side from the beer enjoyment side, plus how Meghan found herself in this interesting ...
Sep 26, 2018•54 min
Host Ben Rice travels to Rancho Cordova, CA, to meet with David Mathis of the Rancho Cordova Chamber of Commerce, Strad Meadery's Dan Slort, and Fort Rock Brewing's Heidi Wilder, to discuss the upcoming Barrel District Experience event. Longtime listeners may have heard rumors of this upcoming project, celebrating the burgeoning beer, mead, and spirits community in Rancho Cordova. The grand opening/kickoff event is happening Saturday, October 6, featuring live music, art, drinks, and food throug...
Sep 19, 2018•37 min
Host Ben Rice travels to Rancho Cordova, CA, to speak Jason Williams, Duncan Alexander, and Jack Alexander of the newly-opened Burning Barrel Brewing. You may remember Jack and Duncan from episode 61, which was recorded during their planning and build-out phase. We now catch up with them 5 weeks after their grand opening, to compare and contrast their expections versus reality of brewery ownership and operation, plus what they think is in store for the future. As we continue to chat, we eschew t...
Sep 05, 2018•1 hr 2 min
Host Ben Rice travels to Rancho Cordova, CA, to sit down with Old Hangtown Beer Works's head brewer/owner Michael Frenn and sales director Tyler Getz, as well as beer blogger Amber Clemons of Hopular Culture. Together, we discuss the role classic beer styles play in the modern American craft beer world, and Michael discusses his humble beginnings as a teensie tiny nanobrewery. As we take a stroll down Memory Lane, discussing beer greats Michael Jackson and Fred Eckhardt, we also delve into our g...
Aug 22, 2018•2 hr 1 min
Host Ben Rice travels to Placerville, CA, to sit down with Solid Ground Brewing's KC and Scott, with BJCP judge and professional brewer Ellen Sherrill in tow, to dig deep into the depths of start-up breweries. Celebrating 13 months in existence, but decades of experience in the beer and wine industry, KC and Scott openly discuss the reasons why they opened in Placerville instead of a metropolitan area, the trials of opening a full production brewery without a focus on IPAs, and exceeding expecta...
Aug 08, 2018•1 hr 51 min
Host Ben Rice travels to Portland, Oregon, to drop in on Patrick Lawrence of Oregon Mead & Cider Company, with comedian, artist, podcaster, card game creator, and general creative Carolyn Main, to discuss the wonderful world of mead, a Barley & Me first! We talk the mead-creation process and how it compares to beer, cider, braggot, and more, plus the surprising ingredient that can cause cross-contamination and the importance of bees to mead and the world's food supply. And, as is par for...
Jul 25, 2018•47 min
Host Ben Rice travels to Empress Tavern in Sacramento, CA, on behalf of the California Craft Brewer's Association, to talk with restauranteurs and brewers moments after they are picked to collaborate with each other on food and beer pairings for the upcoming California Craft Beer Summit (Sept 6-8). Ben talks to Leia Bailey, managing direction for the CCBA, about the Brewed for Food event and the CA Craft Beer Summit, then he sits down with Patricio Wise of Nixtaco and Lauren Zehnder of Mraz Brew...
Jul 11, 2018•31 min
Host Ben Rice sits down with New Glory Brewing's head brewer Kyle Leddy and special guest comedian Becky Lynn, to talk about Kyle's latest beer endeavors. We are also joined by Kyle's wife Claire Leddy, as we discuss Kyle's birthday, New Glory's upcoming 5th Anniversary Sudsapalooza!, and commercial brewing vs home brewing. Plus we take a deep dive into Ben's bad travel planning, put the "fun" in funerals, and have a heavy conversation about love, relationships, and intimacy. Oh, and some comedy...
Jun 25, 2018•1 hr 27 min
Host Ben Rice travels to Final Gravity in Roseville, CA, for a very special episode with the Sacramento chapter of the Pink Boots Society during their tap takeover. Ben sits down with special guest Lindsey Nelson, co-owner of The Art of Beer, as well as four PBS members: Amy Mahoney, beer buyer at The Brass Tap (Rocklin, CA); Heidi Wilder, partner at Fort Rock Brewing (Rancho Cordova, CA); Teresa Psuty, head brewer/co-owner of Crooked Lane Brewing (Auburn, CA); and Amy Ruthnick, co-owner of Fina...
Jun 12, 2018•1 hr 12 min
Host Ben Rice travels to Fountainhead Brewing in Sacramento, CA, to speak with brewer Daniel Moffatt and operations manager Mark Bojescu, with special guest Justin Chechourka, author of the recently-released Sacramento Beer Book. We discuss the random happenstance that occurred at Fountainhead that led him to penning the Sacramento Beer Book, the tribulations of the free market economy, as well as other strange coincidences in the brewery's rise. This episode features several running themes, inc...
May 30, 2018•1 hr 31 min
Host Ben Rice visits Empress Tavern to sit down with brewer Peter Hoey and owner Rob Archie of Urban Roots Brewing to discuss the upcoming opening of their brewery and smokehouse in Sacramento (set for May 19, 2018). We talk what to expect when you're expecting (to open a brewery), Rob's history in the restaurant world, Peter's brewing history, and the beers that made them the men they are today. Plus! The biggest BBQ this side of the Mississipp', appreciating the classics while still pushing be...
May 14, 2018•27 min
Host Ben Rice travels to San Francisco, CA, to sit down with Tobias Zollo, head brewer, and Marcus Englet, Sales Director, of Bayerische Staatsbraurei Weihenstephan, the oldest brewery in the world, to discuss their new collaboration beer with Sierra Nevada, Braupakt! It's a beautiful blend of old and new world brews, with a bold citrus up front, with a classic Hefe finish. But we can't just discuss that beer, which took almost a year of conversation to perfect, we have to talk about the Bavaria...
Apr 30, 2018•21 min
Host Ben Rice travels to Portland, OR, to sit down with Van Havig and Ben Love of Gigantic Brewing, along with guest George Dimeo of beer distribution company Maletis Beverage, to talk about beer. And 80s SoCal Punk. And 90s London House. And why death metal is dumb, but awesome. Plus! Why greatest hits albums are vanity projects, brewer faces ending up on the bottles of other brewers' beers, what sets Gigantic apart from other breweries, and the epic battles between cans and bottles, between Am...
Apr 17, 2018•1 hr 47 min
Host Ben Rice travels to Portland, Oregon, to sit down with Great Notion Brewing's Paul Reiter and comedian Nathan Hart. We talk about Great Notion's upcoming second location, their recent win at the Extreme Beer Festival, brewer James Dugan pops on to discuss beer names and lamps, plus we delve into the Portland comedy scene, the vibrant night life around Great Notion, food trucks, Philly cheesesteaks, the Eagles' Super Bowl win, and GOATS and goats. All that and more, on episode 70 of Barley &...
Apr 02, 2018•45 min
Host Ben Rice travels to Claimstake Brewing to talk to Rancho Cordova city councilmember Donald Terry about two events on a very busy Claimstake calendar. On March 28, at 6pm, they will be hosting a St. Baldrick's event for the City of Rancho Cordova (and with Sacramento Beer Enthusiasts) with yours truly, Ben Rice, hosting. Also, on March 24 and 25, Claimstake will be celebrating their two-year anniversary with some pretty great collaboration beers. Donald & Ben talk about the St. Baldrick'...
Mar 19, 2018•33 min
Host Ben Rice travels to Old Town Brewing (Portland, OR) to sit down with their social media manager Jordan Wilson and Portland-area comedian Alex Falcone. We talk about Old Town's recent victory over the City of Portland in a trademark dispute over their White Stag logo and the events that led to the suit. We also chat about why beer tap lists might change during the winter months, adult abductions, haunted breweries, and the three commonalities between Ben, Jordan, and Alex. Plus we talk about...
Mar 12, 2018•1 hr 5 min
Host Ben Rice travels to Portland, Oregon, to sit down with Coalition Brewing's Elan Walsky and Portland comedians Molly Smithson and Amanda Martin-Tully to discuss CBD-infused beers. While helping you learn how to mellow out over a pint of beer, we also delve into helpful hints on street drinking, drinking at work, proper keg stand etiquette, and a thorough breakdown of Jello Shots. Amongst these tips and tricks are conversations about tip-snipping, making salad dressing with beer (or just usin...
Feb 26, 2018•1 hr 35 min
Host Ben Rice travels to Portland, OR, to sit down with brewer Conrad Andrus of Culmination Brewing. We talk Culmination's history, Conrad's first beer love - a barrel aged Scotch ale, which might be a Barley & Me first!, plus delicious, delicious tacos. We also discuss having an expansive tap list despite a tiny brewing area and how to get into the brewing industry. Enjoy! Don't forget about Zwickelmania, going on at breweries all over Oregon this Saturday, February 24. Follow Culmination B...
Feb 21, 2018•18 min
Host Ben Rice travels to Portland, OR, to sit down with Migration Brewing's owner Colin Patrick Rath to discuss their upcoming 8th anniversary (taking place Saturday, February 17, 2018, which is also during Zwickelmania, a crazy free beer event happening Portland-wide - get beer straight from the tanks at participating breweries), as well as the trials, tribulations, and successes of the past 8 years, as well as what the future holds for Migration and the industry in general. We break down the a...
Feb 16, 2018•59 min
Host Ben Rice re-visits Rocklin, CA's Moksa Brewing during their opening week. Brewers Derek Gallanosa and Cory Meyer and co-owner Scott Williams talk about the brewery's first week in business, the unforeseen issues in opening, and their hopes and dreams for the brewery moving forward. Follow Moksa Brewing @moksabrewing Follow Barley & Me @barleyandmepod Intro Music: "JamRoc" by Breez (@breeztheartist) Logo by Jessica DiMesio (@alivingclicheart) You can now buy Barley & Me tees by Zen T...
Feb 12, 2018•37 min
Host Ben Rice travels to Loomis, CA, to meet with Kenny Gowan, owner and head brewer of Loomis Basin Brewery, at the Loomis Basin Brewing Gastropub & Smokehouse, to discuss the beer business. Kenny and Ben delve deep on this episode, getting into Kenny's history as a restauranteur in San Diego and his family's ties to the beer and restaurant industry. We also talk about the overlooked business side of the industry, including expansion, employee wages and benefits, and healthcare. And of cour...
Feb 07, 2018•1 hr 34 min
Host Ben Rice travels to Stockton, CA to sit down with area comedian Rhoda Ramone and Barri & Steve Altimari of High Water Brewing at their unofficial taproom, Taps. Barri & Steve have been brewing under the High Water name for over 20 years and made a big splash in the beer world with their Campfire Stout, which tastes exactly like S'mores. But their experimentation goes back to day one. One of the few remaining "gypsy" breweries in California, High Water is pleased to announce that the...
Jan 31, 2018•1 hr 36 min
Host Ben Rice travels to Rancho Cordova, CA, to speak with father-and-son team Jack and Duncan Alexander of forthcoming Burning Barrel Brewing, with special guest Peter Wisham of Beers In Sac, a mobile beer tracking app that has expanded to get into the personal, corporate, and beerfest events game. Be sure to check out their first annual Hazy IPA Fest in Sacramento this Friday. Peter also assisted SacTown Union when they were opening, so we talk about the trials and tribulations of brewery open...
Jan 23, 2018•1 hr 30 min
For the first episode of 2018, host Ben Rice travels to Davis, CA, to sit down with Brennan Fleming (Dunloe??) of Dunloe Brewing and the esteemed Dr. Charlie Bamforth for a Barley & Me first! A professor and pupil sit down to see just how much the student has learned and discuss how far beer has come in the last 40 years. Dr. Bamforth holds forth on what happened to the British beer business under Margaret Thatcher and the ramifications that could befall American beer. Plus we talk about how...
Jan 16, 2018•1 hr 3 min
For the last episode of 2017, host Ben Rice invites some of his favorite people over for a riveting BATTLE OF WITS! Comedians Emma Haney and Stephen Furey return, having appeared on last year's Christmas Bottle Share episode AND the 40s episode, Garrett Boatman of that same previous Christmas episode also appears, plus Andy Armstrong (formerly of American River Brewing) and his wife Lea Gibson (both of whom you may recognize from the Lil Sumpin Sumpin to Talk About episode) as well! We break dow...
Dec 28, 2017•1 hr 49 min
Host Ben Rice travels to San Francisco to sit down with Anchor Brewing's brewmaster, Scott Ungermann, about Anchor's lauded history and the lovely Our Special Ale, AKA Anchor Christmas. We also get into Sapporo's recent purchase of Anchor, Scott's unique intersectional history with Anchor Brewing, and whether or not the buyout affects Anchor's "craft beer" status. The answer may surprise you. Also, we chat about how Anchor's brewing methods stand out against the typical methods you see at brewer...
Dec 11, 2017•59 min
Host Ben Rice travels to Yolo Brewing (West Sacramento) to chat with director of brewing operations David Weiss. His guest this week is comedian and musician Alfonso Portela. We discuss Yolo ownership's previous endeavors, coffee, death, and drums. Alfonso learns about the brewing process and David talks about what he's excited about in the Sacramento beer scene. All this and more, on Episode 57 of Barley & Me! Follow Yolo Brewing @yolobrew Follow Alfonso Portela on Twitter @alfonsoportela o...
Dec 04, 2017•1 hr 23 min
