It’s a sad time in the brewing industry. Bill (William) Coors, an executive at Coors Brewing Company, recently passed away at the age of 102. So, as John Lyda and I tip our glasses to remember the great Bill Coors, we share our thoughts on proper beer filtration methods and brewing styles. John joins me to discuss “lazy brewing” and the brilliant marketing strategy behind the New England Style IPA beers. John shares his concerns about New England’s style and filtration methods and why he believe...
Oct 26, 2022•24 min
This week on Consuming the Craft, John joins me to scratch the ‘beer-y itch’ and discuss all things related to lite beer. We dive deep into the history of lite beer and share who really invented the golden elixir. We discuss the process of reducing calories in beer, why lite beer was originally created, and the characteristics of the best-selling beer in the world. We also share our most and least favorite beer and wine choices and how to infuse your favorite flavors into vodka. This week on Con...
Oct 26, 2022•24 min
Ian McHarg is the Herald of Hops; the Leader of Lupulin at Country Malt Group . With over 100 years of combined brewery and brewing experience as well as 11 warehouses across North America, the group is committed to providing a wide range of quality ingredients and excellent service throughout the craft beverage industry. Ian joins me today to discuss the State of Brew-Union and share his analysis of the Hops Report. He explains why European hop harvest yields are low for 2019 while those in the...
Oct 19, 2022•21 min
Greg Hill is a Certified Cicerone and the Production Director at Urban Orchard Cider , a family-owned and operated craft cider producer based in Asheville, NC. Since it’s launch in 2015 at the Craft Beer Rising event, the company has gained multiple awards and recognition including taking First Place as the Best Place to Drink Cider in America in 2017 by Food & Wine Magazine. In addition to crafting some of the best tasting cider in the country, the company frequently holds events at their W...
Oct 19, 2022
Chris Reedy is the Director of Food, Beverage, and Natural Products at NC BioNetwork . NC BioNetwork offers educational and lab resources, courses, and training programs that impact the economic and workforce development within the biotechnology, biomanufacturing, and life sciences industries across North Carolina. Chris is responsible for providing leadership and administrative oversight for statewide programs and resources. Chris joins me today to discuss the Food Safety Modernization Act and ...
Oct 12, 2022
Beau Evers is the Account Manager at Crosby Hops Farms . Founded in 1900 by Albert and Mary Crosby, Crosby Hops is the leading grower, manufacturer, and processor of top-quality hops. The family farm consists of 160 acres of rich soil in Willamette Valley, Oregon. They are certified Salmon-Safe growers and Certified B Corp suppliers with an unwavering commitment to quality, sustainability, innovation, and community. Beau joins me today to discuss the magical spice of beer hops and the trends he ...
Oct 12, 2022•26 min
Max Fann is the Co-Owner and Chairman of Inbox Beverage and a Brewing and Fermentation Program alumni of A-B Tech’s Craft Beverage Institute of the Southeast. After completing the program, Max when on to become a brewer and Wood Cellarman at Wicked Weed Brewery, where he eventually became the Lead Pub Brewer and Research & Brand Development Brewer. With his knowledge from the Craft Beverage Institute and his pursuit of an MBA from LSU, Max wanted to create a faster and easier way to build a ...
Oct 05, 2022•15 min
After graduating with a degree in Environmental Design in Architecture from North Carolina State University, Palmer Fox found himself in an early-life crisis. He always had a knack for entrepreneurship when he was young, and spending his life in front of a drafting board didn’t sound so appealing. So, after some soul-searching in Asheville—and falling in love with the mountains—Palmer found himself in craft beverages learning how to do prohibition-era cocktails. He soon became the Bar Program Di...
Sep 28, 2022•27 min
As a young man, Kevin Sondey followed The Grateful Dead's rock band to learn about music and himself. The Grateful Dead not only provided him with great music—but also introduced him to craft brews. Kevin is a stalwart of the craft beverage industry, having worked in several market niches, from distilling and brewing to kombucha and ginger beer; as the Production Manager of Ginger's Revenge, Kevin focused on supporting his team in efficiently creating quality products. Kevin joins me today to sh...
Sep 21, 2022•29 min
Sara Stender Delaney came to the Craft Beverage Institute of the Southeast at A-B Tech with a vision—an idea she wanted to morph and mold into something new: draft tea. A working mother in Asheville, Sara wanted more fun, healthy, nonalcoholic options in the Beer City. Since then, she has put her skills, passion, and determination into creating Sarilla, an award-winning nonalcoholic beverage in cans and kegs made with organic, fair-trade Rwandan tea. Sara is also the founder of Africa Healing Ex...
Sep 14, 2022•29 min
John Lyda is a full-time faculty member at AB Tech and is the thumb that grasps the educational hammer in our Brewing, Distillation, and Fermentation program. It’s the first two-year accredited degree in the country that gives students an Associate’s of Applied Science in Distillation and Fermentation. After working at The Highland Brewing Co. for over 20 years, John took his passion and applied it to teaching at the Craft Beverage Institute. Today, John and I discuss the evolution of the Craft ...
Sep 07, 2022•25 min
How much beer do you need to entertain a room full of friends and family? How many kegs would you need to throw your next get-together or party? While the answer to these questions relies on many different factors, the short answer is…it depends. How big is the keg? This week, I discuss how to determine the number of beer kegs you will need to throw your next party or get-together. I explain why kegs come in various shapes and sizes and discuss some of the key factors you need to consider when d...
Aug 31, 2022•5 min
I often take on the task of trying exotic spirits, weird and wonderful flavors of craft beer, and new products in the beverage industry. You may be familiar with wheat bourbon, but perhaps less so with wheat whiskey. Today, I try a Kentucky straight wheat whiskey, which is underserved in our industry. In today’s Booze Bits, I sample Bernheim Original Wheat Whiskey and see how wheat changes the flavor profile. I explore the sensory analysis of the product and how the whiskey would work in mixed d...
Aug 24, 2022•7 min
What does it take to become a great mazer? Or brewmaster? Or winemaker? John Lyda—full-time instructor at A-B Tech’s Craft Beverage Institute of the Southeast and meadmaker extraordinaire—says that the key is playing around with the different flavors your raw materials can give you. He’s brought a bottle of mead he found all the way from Denmark to demonstrate what he means. In this Booze Bits episode, John and I have a bottle of mead from the Danish company Dansk Mjød, and discuss mead making. ...
Aug 17, 2022•15 min
When Lauren Turpin was in high school, she always thought about opening a sports bar or beer place, though she wasn’t sure where the interest came from. She later graduated from Babson College and worked in corporate America. But, while completing a Master’s in Information Science at UNC Chapel Hill, Lauren became interested in wine. She was inspired to write a business plan for an urban winery and, when the opportunity to turn that plan into a reality presented itself, Lauren jumped at the chan...
Aug 10, 2022•26 min
Greg Hill has a deep passion for learning. Greg—the Head Cider Maker and Production Director at the Urban Orchard Co. in Asheville—is one of the first graduating cohorts of A-B Tech’s Craft Beverage Institute program. He completed a Master’s in Education and Training and is currently working on a Ph.D. in Education and Training. A lifelong learner, Greg believes that standardizing education and training can help increase the progress of the craft beverage industry. Greg joins me today to discuss...
Aug 03, 2022•27 min
Pop quiz: the shape of a drinking glass can affect the flavor and aroma of liquor—fact or fiction? John Lyda and I put this question to the test. The brewmaster extraordinaire, John Lyda, is the former Sr. Vice President of Highland Brewing Co. and current full-time instructor at A-B Tech’s Craft Beverage Institute of the Southeast. He is highly regarded in Asheville for introducing the community to different beer styles that would lay the foundations of the Beer City. In this episode that John ...
Jul 27, 2022•19 min
The man of the hour, John Lyda, is an instructor at A-B Tech’s Craft Beverage Institute of the Southeast. Before joining the program’s faculty, John served as Senior VP and Brewmaster at Highland Brewing Co. But after more than two decades of working with the company, John—who was pivotal in laying the foundations of the Beer City—thought it was time to pass along his knowledge to the next generation of local brewers. John joins me today to discuss why great welding work is important to craft br...
Jul 20, 2022•22 min
While Russ Karasch has been a cooper for over 32 years, he has been in the wood industry for more than five decades. Alongside his daughter, Heidi Korb, Russ founded Black Swan Cooperage in 2009. Thanks to the support of their family, friends, and community, Black Swan Cooperage has grown to a global brand recognized for its high-quality cooperage products and innovations. Russ joins us today to discuss how Black Swan Cooperage is helping reduce distilleries’ wood consumption through their squar...
Jul 13, 2022•14 min
Mike Roberts used to hate beer while he was in university. It wasn’t until he had a taste of pilsner during a visit to Prague that he had an epiphany: the drink tasted phenomenal, and Mike knew he fell in love. Fast forward to today, and Mike serves as the Craft Solutions Facilitator at Cru Brewing Systems and boasts 15 years of brewing experience. Before joining Cru Brewing Systems, Mike worked with several other companies, including Old Yale Brewing in Canada and Mountain Goat Beer in Australi...
Jul 06, 2022•19 min
Max Fann is the Co-owner and Chairman of Inbox Beverage, a company making innovations in the industry by building and distributing breweries, wineries, and distilleries in shipping containers. Max is an alumnus of A-B Tech’s Craft Beverage Institute of the Southeast. After graduating from the Fermentation program, Max went on to work as a brewer at Wicked Weed Brewing—eventually becoming its Research and Brand Development Brewer. Max joins us in this episode to discuss how Inbox Beverage is inno...
Jun 29, 2022•7 min
While we have varying degrees of knowledge and education in the industry, some things—such as accuracy, cleaning, and sanitation—need to follow standards. This is an idea Karen “Kay” Gonzalez—an alumnus of the ABTech Craft Beverage Institute of the Southeast program—agrees on. Being mindful of accuracy, Kay notes, is what made her brewery succeed well. And she’s right—to be a successful brewer in the industry, you have to have a mind for perfection. In this episode, Kay and I discuss the accurac...
Jun 22, 2022•7 min
John “Laser” Lazarovic is an alumnus of the Craft Beverage Institute of the Southeast. Before studying at ABTech, John was in the culinary world and only did some home brewing on the side for fun. He later graduated with the class of ‘21 and interned at the Oklawaha Brewing Company in Henderson, North Carolina. Today, John works at Turgua Brewing Co., a brewery based in Fairview, North Carolina. John joins us today to describe his time at ABTech’s Craft Beverage Institute of the Southeast. He di...
Jun 15, 2022•17 min
Mike Fuller is a master brewer at Kite Hill Brewing Co. at Clemson City in South Carolina. After graduating from ABTech’s Craft Beverage Institute of the Southeast program, Mike spent nine years in Asheville, North Carolina working in several breweries, including Oskar Blues and DSSOLVR. Later, Mike dreamed of going to Clemson to give the city its first brewery—a dream he would soon realize by working with Kite Hill Brewing Co. Mike joins us today to discuss his career journey after graduating f...
Jun 08, 2022•13 min
Andrew Boyd is the President of Blue Label Packaging Company, a printing and packaging company dedicated to translating the spirit of their clients’ businesses into labels and packaging. As the President of Blue Label, Andrew is passionate about well-designed business processes and upholding the company’s high service standards to customers. Andrew joins me today to discuss printing, packaging, and labeling for craft breweries. He describes his background and how he got started in printing and p...
Jun 01, 2022•17 min
Rebecca Murphy has a Bachelor's degree in English Language and Literature from Eastern Michigan University, a Master's Degree in Physical Therapy from Western Carolina University, and an Associate in Applied Science from A-B Technical Community College in Brewing, Distillation, and Fermentation. A former Army Engineer, Rebecca has moved on from building and blowing things up to drinking professionally and doing very careful math as Head of Product Development of Two Trees Distilling Co. in Fletc...
May 25, 2022•23 min
Max Fann is the Co-Owner and Chairman of Inbox Beverage and a Brewing and Fermentation Program alumni of A-B Tech’s Craft Beverage Institute of the Southeast. After completing the program, Max when on to become a brewer and Wood Cellarman at Wicked Weed Brewery, where he eventually became the Lead Pub Brewer and Research & Brand Development Brewer. With his knowledge from the Craft Beverage Institute and his pursuit of an MBA from LSU, Max wanted to create a faster and easier way to build a ...
May 18, 2022•15 min
Kimberly Floyd is Co-Founder and Executive Director for the North Carolina Craft Beverage Museum. She also currently serves as the Site Manager at the Zebulon B Vance Birthplace State Historic Site. She has a Master's degree in Public History with a concentration on Museum Studies from North Carolina State University and a Bachelor’s degree in History from Meredith College. Kimberly has worked in the public history field for over 14 years and is part of the team working to bring the North Caroli...
May 11, 2022•21 min
John Lyda is a full-time faculty member at AB Tech and is the thumb that grasps the educational hammer in our Brewing, Distillation, and Fermentation program. It’s the first two-year accredited degree in the country that gives students an Associate’s of Applied Science in Distillation and Fermentation. After working at The Highland Brewing Co. for over 20 years, John took his passion and applied it to teaching at the Craft Beverage Institute. Today, John and I discuss the evolution of the Craft ...
May 04, 2022•25 min
Johnny Knowles is the Head Brewer, Distiller, and jack-of-all-trades at Rye Knot Brewery, Distillery, and Pub. A Craft Beverage Institute alumni, Johnny was an EMT before starting in the industry as a bartender. The brewing bug bit, and he has been working on the production side of the business ever since. Today, Johnny shares his many roles within the Rye Knot Brewery, Distillery, and Pub. He shares the best things about the AB Tech program, the unique way he found out about it, and the job opp...
Apr 27, 2022•23 min
