United We Drink

As the Beyond Beer segment of adult beverages continues to climb a surprising entry into the game has been seeing some significant leaps. THC beverages (seltzer, tonics, sodas, etc) have been catching people's interest in states that allow them and they are seeing impressive sales. The guys discuss this segment and how high they see them going. Take a break from alcohol with  Athletic Brewing . Fo...

New Belgium has found ways to reinvent itself time and time again in an every changing beer market. Kelly McKnight and Matty Gilliland (aka Matty Smooth) have been integral parts to those changes. Kelly and Matty join the show to talk about R&D brewing, stories behind some of the brands that went up to full production and you get the first glimpse at the future (pending) Kelly McKnight Show. Get c...

Spencer Wills, Head Brewer at Sceptre Brewing Arts, joins the show to talk about being a former Florida brewer, his struggles with mental health and bad brewery owners to finding a place in the industry. It's a great conversation filled with fun and a bit of shade. Cook like a pro with Made In Cookware . Follow  United We Drink  on their social media channels. Twitter Instagram Facebook

Prepare for a wild ride as Mike takes Kevin and Tim to task on their beer knowledge with BREW YOU KNOW! Then after the wheels come off that ride the guys talk about the news. Take a break from alcohol with  Athletic Brewing . Follow  United We Drink  on their social media channels. Twitter Instagram Facebook

Joel Suarez , of Niche Brands NYC , is a kid from the Bronx with a dream. His love for craft beer may only be exceeded by his love of community and the people that make them. We talk with Joel about his rise through the beer world and how it became important to him to work with breweries, bars, restaurants and drinkers that look beyond the standard white dudes with beards image in the industry. Ge...

The beer industry contributes, both directly and indirectly, to a lot of environmental issues that we often overlook. Some of these things aren't accounted for because of the sheer cost of implementation while others might be pure ignorance. The guys look into some of the things the brewing world isn't doing from a sustainability standpoint and what they can do, even if it's small. Take a break fr...

The Brewers Association provided a state of the industry at the Craft Brewers Conference that included the grim news that 2024 has reported more brewery closures than openings for the first time. The guys digest this news and talk about some other perceptions of the industry almost half way through the year. Get coffee delivered to your door with Made In Cookware . Follow  United We Drink  on thei...

The show has covered horror stories working in the brewery and dealing with customers but today's episode takes a different direction to frustrating stories. The guys talk about dealing with vendors, solicitors and other folks that think they should be doing business with breweries. Get coffee delivered to your door with  Trade . Follow  United We Drink  on their social media channels. Twitter Ins...

There was a time when you could find beer related events going on almost every day of the week at local bars and restaurants. A tap takeover here. A pint night there. Today those events seem almost extinct. The guys talk about these events, why they don't seem to happen anymore and if there is room for beer events in the market anymore. Get coffee delivered to your door with  Trade . Follow  Unite...

Pay for brewery employees has been a subject talked about in circles for years. In comparison to similar trade and manual labor jobs many brewery salaries don't match up. High overhead, low margins and poor market portrayal (affordable luxury) have been reasons given for why breweries can't provide higher wages. The guys tackle this subject. Get coffee delivered to your door with  Trade . Follow ...

Grab bag time! The guys talk about a variety of topics including hefeweizens, branding and Cigar City. Get coffee delivered to your door with  Trade . Follow  United We Drink  on their social media channels. Twitter Instagram Facebook

Tim Johnson joins the podcast as a new co-host and the guys talk about beer awards. Do they actually mean anything? Get coffee delivered to your door with  Trade . Follow  United We Drink  on their social media channels. Twitter Instagram Facebook

The word "why" can begin a lot of questions in relation to the beer industry. Mike and Kevin propose a number of these questions to each other to see what they think is the right answer. Get coffee delivered to your door with  Trade . Follow  United We Drink  on their social media channels. Twitter Instagram Facebook

Taprooms, or tasting rooms to some, have evolved considerably over the last decade for breweries. A spot that was once considered, by many, to be a place to introduce people to their beer that can then be bought out in the market have turned into full scale bars and restaurants with the goal of keeping people coming back and spending. Mike and Kevin dive into own premise and taprooms and what they...

Tim Johnson returns to the show to talk about his move from the beer industry to the spirits industry. He discusses the similarities and differences in an adjacent adult beverage field. Get coffee delivered to your door with  Trade . Follow  United We Drink  on their social media channels. Twitter Instagram Facebook

Kevin tells the story of a voicemail he received from someone upset about his beer's availability and price. The guys talk about what goes into pricing of beer once the consumer sees it in a retails store. Get coffee delivered to your door with  Trade . Follow  United We Drink  on their social media channels. Twitter Instagram Facebook

The Craft Brewers Conference (CBC) is an annual conference put on by the Brewers Association filled with educational seminars, an expo hall and lots of beer. It has seemed over the years that the core reasons for the conference have been lost and instead have turned into a yearly vacation for brewery personnel to get drunk in a new city. Mike and Kevin discuss this on today's new episode. Get coff...

The last time the show specifically talked about distribution the world hadn't fallen apart yet from Covid. A lot has changed with the middle tier since then. Mike and Kevin talk about what it's like being a distributing brewery in 2023. Get coffee delivered to your door with Trade . Follow  United We Drink  on their social media channels. Twitter Instagram Facebook

Does quality matter when it comes to sales? Do good quality beers outsell bad ones? Do consumers notice? Mike and Kevin discuss on today's episode. Get coffee delivered to your door with  Trade . Follow  United We Drink  on their social media channels. Twitter Instagram Facebook

Friction points pop up to almost any business. They slow down how things are run and grow. Breweries are no different. Mike and Kevin talk about some of the most common friction points in the beer biz and different ways you can approach them. Get coffee delivered to your door with  Trade . Follow  United We Drink  on their social media channels. Twitter Instagram Facebook

Breweries face a lot of different regulation bodies, on the federal and state level. Many brewers will say there is too much restrictions while others say there is not enough. Mike and Kevin dive into this topic and see if maybe it's really somewhere right in the middle. Get coffee delivered to your door with  Trade . Follow  United We Drink  on their social media channels. Twitter Instagram Faceb...

Dustin Jeffers has gone from working in breweries to working with breweries. He talks to Mike and Kevin about his transition from brewery to working for Next Glass, the parent company of Untappd, and what it has done for him. Get coffee delivered to your door with  Trade . Follow  United We Drink  on their social media channels. Twitter Instagram Facebook

Over the years the tradition of season beers has changed a lot. Some have gone away while others have changed with no emphasis on the actual climate of the season. Mike and Kevin discuss this on today's episode. Get coffee delivered to your door with Trade . Follow  United We Drink  on their social media channels. Twitter Instagram Facebook

In the early days of craft Mike & Kevin would peruse the shelves of our locals stores and find brands from breweries like Avery, Great Divide, North Coast and more making up the majority of the space. Today many of these brands of old don't exist anymore or aren't distributed in these necks of the woods. The guys get nostalgic and talk about the love of many of these beers and what they meant to t...

A lot of people travel with beverages and food in mind. Going to wine country, the Bourbon Trail and Oktoberfest are all popular trips. Mike and Kevin talk about their travels centered around adult beverages and how they planned them plus how they tackle these things now with families. Get coffee delivered to your door with  Trade . Follow  United We Drink  on their social media channels. Twitter...