Good Beer Matters Podcast

Craft beer was meant to be better, to create an artisanal experience out of flavor, history, and culture. But sometimes, we overindulge and lose sight of what brought us here. My next guest reminds us that, for a great experience, mindful drinking is mandatory, but alcohol is optional. We find great experiences at the intersection of craft and culture. These are the stories of us, of great food an...

I wanted to have a little fun and celebrate the holidays with you. There's also a little announcement in this episode. I wish you all wonderful beer and pairings, a Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays and a fantastic New Year. Cheers.

We can travel nearly anywhere to have a pint with locals. But there’s one place we often find ourselves, a place where no-one else can go. This episode is about the experience we have in our mind, and the state of our mental health within the context of beer.  If we’re sick we go to a doctor. If we’re injured, a physical therapist. When we want to perform better, we see a coach. Addressing our men...

Belgium holds one of the richest beer cultures in the world. But, with a history and culture as diverse as theirs, beer is only the beginning. My next guest is a master storyteller who guides us even deeper into the world beyond the beer we already know and love.    Because I haven’t yet traveled to Belgium myself, It’s easy for me to make assumptions about the culture based on my experience with...

Italy is best known for their culinary and wine traditions that extend thousands of years, not beer. But that’s the point. Imagine what they can do when they include great beer. My next guest guides us to that inflection point when good beer meets a culture known for its flavor. I’m fortunate to have enjoyed the Italian dining experience. The preparation, the slow cooking, the attention to flavor,...

Long ago a side trip to a pub while traveling was enough. Now, squeezing in a side trip to a museum while Beer Traveling is commonplace. My next guest is one of these people who put Beer Travel on the map, and she wants to share with us just how wonderful it is.  Not everyone can easily travel abroad. For some, it’s a bit of a luxury. But, unlike other luxuries, travel is an investment in your exp...

Canada is known for many cool things, especially beer. But, I’ve never been there and I don’t know much about it other than what I see in the movies. So, I asked my next guest to give us a tour of the craft and the culture of beer in Canada.  I’m always amazed that despite whatever differences we may perceive between us and other people, we are also so much alike. Beer happens to be one of those w...

In a previous episode we explored craft beer in latin America. However, it focused on places that are hot spots for American expatriates and global vacationers. In this episode, my next guest guides us through a taste of Latin American Craft Beer from the perspective of the locals.   At the end of a long day or a long week I prefer to unwind with people I love, to have an interesting conversation,...

I’ve never been to Norway. And honestly, I know very little about it. But I find that a curious mind is the key to exploring new beers, new cultures, and new friends. A beer and a question opened the door to my next guest, who guides us through the beer culture of Norway.  Every culture has a beer culture, even the ones who aren’t known for their beer. This is because every country has beer, and e...

Why do we humans crave alcohol so much? Is it the flavor, the effect, or both? What purpose could this possibly serve for our evolution and our culture? My next guest is a professor and author who has answered all these questions. So, grab a beer, and let’s get to class. I tell people that beer is something no-one needs, but everyone wants. Would you agree? I don’t condone abusing alcohol, but it...

Why does beer flavor matter so much? I mean, as long as it tastes good, what else is important? Can we actually get a sense of place through flavor? My next guest seems to think so and is here to share this, and Australian culture through the flavor of beer.    In his book “Tasting Beer”, Randy Mosher tells us, “Like any aspect of a consciously lived life, enjoying beer to the fullest takes educat...

Do you ever wonder what beer 100 years ago tasted like? What if you lived in an old Scottish castle and discovered a long-lost brewery on the premise? As far-fetched as this sounds, my next guest is here to share this experience and the blast from the past she produces for the rest of us.  New beer is exciting. And, I’m a big proponent of constant improvement. But some things have already been per...

The imaginary wine line separates beer regions from wine regions, and it goes right through the middle of France. Yet somehow we think of the French as wine lovers who sometimes drink beer. My next guest is here to set the record straight and share the French beer culture with the rest of the world.  French Cuisine is world-renowned and sets the standard for what an elevated cuisine experience can...

For years, I’ve heard about South East Asia as a place where one could live well for dollars a day, where the life people dream of is actually tangible. What began as an interrupted conversation about diving and life as an expatriate, took a turn into the heart of darkness to find craft beer in Southeast Asia.  What do you think about when it comes to Southeast Asia? I’ve never been, but I’ll admi...

Brazil is one of the largest countries in the world with cultural and environmental diversity to match. So why don’t we talk more about Brazilian Beer?  My next guest is a Beer educator and she wants to change the way we think about Brazil within the world of beer.  We can see Brazil’s influence on the world through movies, music, sports and more. It was only a matter of time before we started to...

We recently finished off graduation season, and speakers at these ceremonies often talk about education as the doorway to better opportunities and experiences. Is this also true in beer? Does a higher beer education deliver on the promise of opportunity and experience?  My next guests and I discuss this question and how we’re trying to answer it. If you ask me, the models have been proven and the...

To get the full Bavarian Beer experience, I find it helpful to go back a thousand years. Without a time machine, we’ll have to visit a brewery nearly as old. My next guest tells us the story of the incredible beer ecosystem that exists just north of Munich in the world’s oldest brewery. I think it’s fair to say that any brewery with a school and a thousand-year history is one we can take leadershi...

Once upon a time, American brewers traveled to Europe, rediscovered beer, and became inspired. They came home and started the craft beer revolution, disrupting the homogenous macro brew industry. Approximately 30 years later they returned the favor. My next guest tells his story of infusing American Craft into the Dutch beer culture.  It never ceases to amaze me that beer culture is a global thing...

It’s a dream, to spend the day doing the activities you love with the people you love. Then, cap it all off with a great conversation, a meal, and a very good beer. My next guest tells the story of his pursuit of this dream and creating this experience for his guests.  The joy of the Pura Vida, or the good life, is sometimes just out of reach. In our fast-paced societies, I believe we need to find...

The middle of a desert may be the last place you’d find a brewery, but it's the best place to find a drink. Except, in this desert, there is a vast mix of cultures, affluence, and a complicated relationship with alcohol. My next guest has navigated through the challenges to create a brewery with a taste of the Middle East. If beer is a representation of culture, can we rely on beer to be the a...

There’s an old quote that goes something like, “Tell me what you eat and drink, and I’ll tell you who you are.” This truly could be applied to any culture, but I think it especially applies to a culture so deeply rooted in their beer that the entire nation owns a brewery. My next guest tells an extra special story because it’s about a nation, their beer and a decades long lawsuit that continues to...

Sure, I’d love to take a trip to Britain, find a pub and settle into an old wooden chair with a pint of real ale in my hand. But if you end up on the American West coast, specifically in Central Oregon, that same UK experience is waiting for you. My next guests are keeping up with traditional ale, and are here to remind us why it matters. I understand consumers don’t want what’s old. We want the n...

Many of us are fortunate to have to choose between a number of breweries near our home. And, beer travel has not only become a thing, but planning destinations around access to beer is a normal criterion. But, with good beer becoming so ubiquitous, how do we find those out of the way and worth-staying-for-awhile experiences that stand out above the rest? My next guests have a tip or two to share w...

I’m going to level with you. I originally didn’t want to get into beer as a profession. I was an athlete and associated the beer business with excess and a growing belly. Not only was I wrong, but my next guest proves that athleticism and beer can go hand in hand. Between alcohol and abstinence lay nothing more than a foul-tasting stigma. At least, that’s how it used to be. Alcohol is still a choi...

I wish you and I could have been there, sailing the Straits of Florida toward Cuba, when the idea came to my next guest. An idea that serves a niche, solves a problem, and promotes better living. My next guest tells the origin story of the raddest fast-growing lifestyle beer brand today. Beer is like a tool. And there’s the right tool for every job. Sometimes we need a high-gravity Barrel Aged bla...