Beer and Conversation with Pigweed and Crowhill

The boys drink and review a pale ale from Oliver Brewing, then bask in the fortunate timing of their births. No, we didn’t win World War II or build the postwar economy, but those of us born between 1960 and 1980 — the late Boomers and early Gen X — may have hit the generational jackpot. In this episode, we explore why we think our generation is the most fortunate of all. We were… * Too young for...

Pigweed and Crowhill drink and review Summerfest lager from Sierra Nevada, then dive into the most consequential U.S. Supreme Court decisions handed down since the Dobbs ruling that overturned Roe v. Wade. We explore the Court’s growing willingness to redraw the legal map on race, religion, executive power, parental rights, and the limits of judicial authority. Highlights include: Affirmative Acti...

The boys drink and review Calaminator, Crowhill's homebrewed dopplebock, then discuss the surprising comeback of Catholicism. What is a "rad trad"? Why are young people -- particularly young men -- increasingly attracted to conservative Catholicism? "How Catholicism Got Cool" by Madeleine Kearns addresses this question. Reasons include ... * Transcendence and mystery * Givi...

P&C drink and review Pigweed's home-brewed pale ale, then discuss the societal danger of the so-called beta male. They react to a review by Dr. Orion Taraban of a Survivor episode that discusses the complex interactions between alpha males, beta males, and clever women. According to Dr. Taraban, the women made an alliance with the beta males to kick out the alpha males, but then the women...

With special guest Longinus, the boys drink and review an IPA from the Ministry of Brewing in Baltimore, then discuss some fairy tales. The two stories reviewed in today's episode ended up as #4 and #3 in a recent contest between Grimm's fairy tales. Pigweed, Crowhill, and Longinus review the stories and evaluate the imagery and messages they contain. The fisherman and his wife is a tale o...

With special guest Longinus, the boys review a shandy from Founders, then continue their "shortcut to the classics" series with a review of Robert Louis Stevenson's "The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde" -- a haunting 1886 novella that ripped the mask off Victorian respectability and exposed the brutal split within human nature. Set in the same foggy, gaslit London a...

The boys drink and review Ballast Point Sculpin IPA then discuss CIA brainwashing. From LSD-laced cocktails in CIA-run brothels to secret psychic spy units trying to read Soviet minds, this episode dives into some of the U.S. government's most bizarre and controversial experiments. We expose the dark legacy of MK-Ultra, including mind control, psychological torture, and illegal human experimentati...

The boys drink Pigweed's crazy "Iron Dome" cocktail, then continue their "nooze and booze" series with a discussion of the Israel-Iran war. Israel and Iran have been adversaries for decades. Iran loudly insists it wants to destroy Israel. They also insist they will develop a nuclear bomb. Israel calls that an "existential threat" to their regime and will not allow...

The boys drink and review Lost Navigator from Heavy Seas, then discuss the idea of bringing your authentic self to work. There are benefits to having different views and perspectives in the workplace -- both for the employer and for the employee. But some people think the job of the workplace is to make them feel good. To feel affirmed and comfortable. That's nonsense. And sometimes your &quot...

P&C drink and review Shiner's Ruby Redbird, then discuss the big bang and what (if anything) came before. While most scientists believe in a hot big bang, there is a lot of dispute about what happened right before that. The most well-known theory is the "singularity," and there is no "before" in that scenaio. But there are a lot of other options that scientists have con...

P&C drink and review a robust porter from Founders, then discuss how artificial intelligence will change education -- for good and ill. Crowhill wonders why we don't yet have the self-paced education that his mother promised way back in the 70s? AI could do that, but it would be a major challenge to the current institution and would almost certainly be opposed. AI disrupts the current syst...

The boys drink and review Vixen Irish Style Red Ale by Old Bust Head, then discuss a provision from the infrastructure bill that was designed to prevent drunk driving. The mandate is that all cars after 2026 would have a system to monitor the driver to ensure he's not drunk, in which case it will shut down the car. This system would monitor the face of the driver and all conversations in the c...

P&C drink and review an amber ale from Nepenthe brewing, then discuss the Ubertrends shaping society. Michael Tchong’s groundbreaking 2019 book "Ubertrends: How Trends and Innovation Are Transforming Our Future" revealed eight major societal shifts that are redefining values, behaviors, and our everyday lives in 2025. From the rise of casual living and digital lifestyles to the obses...

The boys drink and review a light IPA, then delve into the recent assessment by the President’s Make America Healthy Again (MAHA) Commission. The report highlights a concerning rise in childhood illnesses and chronic conditions. From skyrocketing rates of obesity, diabetes, and neurodevelopmental disorders to mental health crises among teens, the data paints a troubling picture of America’s younge...

The boys drink and review Howling Gale IPA from Fair Winds Brewing Company, then discuss the impact of cheap merchandise from China. We get a lot of stuff from China, which isn't necessarily bad. But there are some products -- like human or dog food -- where there are legitimate health concerns. Even some Chinese clothing can have chemicals on them that are not good for you. What are the other...

The boys drink and review Key Brewing's Dark Slide Porter, then discuss the intentional destruction of the west. Something feels wrong, and it’s not in your imagination. In this hard-hitting episode, the boys expose the deliberate unraveling of Western civilization. From the rewriting of history to the weaponization of language, we break down how guilt, division, and ideological capture are be...

The boys drink and review a double IPA from Dale's and then discuss AI companions. AI companions are coming whether we like it or not. In fact, they’re already here. Most of us already talk to our computers, even if it’s just to curse them for being clueless. So why not design machines that actually listen, respond, and understand us better? In this episode, we explore the promise and peril of...

The boys drink and review Pigweed's homebrew IPA, then discuss the pope news. Why does the Catholic Church have a pope, and how did that role evolve into what it is today? In this episode, we explore the theological roots of the papacy, starting with Jesus’ words: “You are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church.” We dive into the biblical and historical concept of the pope as the keepe...

In this episode of Beer and Conversation with Pigweed and Crowhill, we crack open a First State IPA and dive into the quirky and complex history of Maryland—from its colonial beginnings to its odd borders, bold flag, and surprising state symbols. Learn about:* Why Maryland has one of the most distinctive flags in the U.S.* The Catholic roots of the colony and its experiment in religious tolerance*...

With special guest Longinus, the boys drink and review Dad Strength IPA, then discuss a short novel by Jane Auten as part of their "shortcut to the classics" series. After a brief review of Austen's biography, they dive into the first book Austen wrote, but one of the last to be published. Lady Susan is an epistolary novel, meaning that it's composed of a bunch of personal letter...

The boys drink and review Capit-Ale from Devil's Backbone, then clear out the mail bag. One reader objected to the fact that our show on slavery didn't focus on slavery in America. Which was the point. JR asked what we thought of tariffs on aluminum and steel that harm the craft beer industry. Miss Maisy asked why our show on left-wing violence didn't address conservative violence like...

The boys drink and review The Crisp from Sixpoint brewery, then discuss the World Economic Forum. The WEF is a non-governmental organization based in Switzerland. It's famous for its annual meeting in Davos. It was founded by Klaus Schwab in 1971 as the European Management Forum, but changed to the WEF in 1987 and expanded its mission globally. It's mission is to “improve the state of the...

The boys drink and review Mas Lima from Oscar Blues, then ask whether the Democrats want to win another election. They're not acting that way. In fact, the Democrats seem intent on losing even more. They've attached themselves to ideas and issues that 80 percent of the public reject, such as ... * Castrating confused children * The border and immigration * Standing up for gang members * Re...

The boys drink and review Delicious IPA from Stone, then discuss prisons, and whether we're in a digital version of one. The "panopticon" is a prison design invented by the philosopher Jeremy Bentham. The idea is that if you make prisoners feel as if they're constantly under surveillance, the prisoners will regulate themselves and the guards won't have to bang them about so m...

P&C drink and review a blonde ale from the Brookeville Beer Farm, then discuss the process of de-extinction -- bringing animals back from the graves of history. Using DNA from dire wolf fossils from 13,000 and 72,000 years ago, Colossal Biosciences claims to have brought the dire wolf back from extinction. What they really did was edit the genes of a gray wolf to look a little more like a dire...