Better on Draft | Craft Beer Podcast

As we've reached 242 episodes, we decided to spruce things up a bit, change up the format, and change out how we bring you content.  This episode is different as we forwent the news segment to continue talking with our guest!  Stay tuned for part two on monday!  You can watch us live at https://www.facebook.com/betterondraft . You can also watch us live on YouTube at https://www.youtube.com/b...

CRAFT BEER PODCAST NEWS EPISODE!  News Topics: Best in Beer's Top 20 (beerandbrewing.com) Pairing Beer w/ Halloween Candy (wbtv.com) Jon Lester Buys Chicago Beer (radio.com) Sponsors: North Center Brewing - https://northcenterbrewing.com/ Zetouna Liquor - https://www.facebook.com/Zetouna-Liquor-Fine-Wine-Cigars-146021445420374/ Join The Michigan Beer Discord - https://discord.gg/vEEDyzwdjT Do...

As we've reached 241 episodes, we decided to spruce things up a bit, change up the format, and change out how we bring you content.  While this episode is delayed (Saturdays will be the new release date), on Mondays will release the news segment.  Both will still be recorded We are live Fridays at 7pm EST on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/betterondraft . You can also watch us live on Yo...

SHOW INFO: – The four hosts discuss the intricacies of how judging works, what the medals mean to beer fans, and if Michigan has fallen behind on the times. We also talk about the intricacies of giving away free beer in the USA. Sponsors: North Center Brewing - https://northcenterbrewing.com/ Zetouna Liquor - https://www.facebook.com/Zetouna-Liquor-Fine-Wine-Cigars-146021445420374/ PCI BrandCraft...

As we've reached 240 episodes, we decided to spruce things up a bit, change up the format, and change out how we bring you content.  While this episode is delayed (Sundays will be the new release date), on Tuesdays we will release the news segment.  Both will still be recorded We are live Fridays at 7pm EST on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/betterondraft . You can also watch us live on...

Segment one we come back to a Michigan Brewery who is starting their expansion into Florida, so we bring in Co-founder, Director of Sales & Marketing at Pigeon Hill Brewing Company Michael Brower to chat with us about the brewery including the grand opening of their new auxillary taproom which was opening as we were recording live.  Michael talks about getting into a lawsuit with LMFAO, living...

The Michigan Hop Alliance is a large acreage farm up in Leelanau County which is one of the largest independent hop suppliers in the midwest.  Some of the top breweries in the country look to Michigan Hops for the way they're grown, so Mike comes on the show to talk about how resilient the plant is, what people look for in hops when they're brewing, and what hops can tell us about the be...

NOTE- Beginning of the show during the introductions Ken's mic was static-y.  It was fixed about 7 minutes in and was fine the rest of the show.  We apologize that we weren't able to fix it earlier. Segment 1 and 2 brought on a little bit of news as we all discussed the changes over the last five years, what COVID has done to alter the community for the rest of our lives, and what we exp...

We start the interview with Jim Schleckser, author of Professional Drinking, a book about how to drink in a professional setting.  We talk to him about wine tastings, how to approach networking events, and we begin to break down what the future holds during COVID networking sessions. Segment 2 we talk about the news and keep Editor in Chief Edwin Norton who joined us for the interview talking abou...

Every once in a while you sit down with someone in the industry and you just let them talk.  Dan Carey of New Glarus is that person.  When he speaks, you listen.  Dan joined us this week to talk about his humble beginnings, and how he's made New Glarus and Spotted Cow the Brewery/Beer of Wisconsin.  He talks about distribution, his choice to concentrate on such a small footprint, and what he...

With the internet back up, we bring in Buck and Cody from Grand Armory to talk about five years brewing in the state of Michigan, the hard times of a tourist town during COVID, and the future plans of distribution of beer!  Cody helps Ken learn the difference between a "Juicy IPA" and a "New England IPA", and Cody/Buck give their opinions of how they judge their fellow brewerie...

CRAFT BEER PODCAST INFO: Not even crappy weather knocking out Ken's power could stop this episode from happening.  A big thank you to Wayne of The Brewz Brothaz (See link to their podcast below) for providing me a space to set up my rig.  Sadly we didn't get the opportunity to be live but the show still went on as planned as we sat down with Marcus who talked to us about the origins of B...

NOTICE: We are aware of the background noise in this episode and are unable to fix it. We were left with the choice of scrapping the episode or continuing our goal of pushing breweries and their stories. We hope you enjoy! We are live Fridays at 7pm EST on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/betterondraft . You can also watch us live on YouTube at https://www.youtube.com/betterondraft , on Twitch...

As we continue to branch off into more non-local non-Michigan breweries, we bring in Jason Brewer (yes, real name) from Listermann Brewing to chat about their well sought after beers, the future of distribution, and working from the ground up at the brewery. We try a few of their beers including Pride which coincides with Cincinatti Pride, and we also talk about the collaboration with our guest fo...

We are live Fridays at 7pm EST on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/betterondraft . With a short staff this week we bring in Michael and PJ from Saugatuck Brewing to chat about the changes in life since COVID, how they're still pushing out kegs of beer, and what Michiganders look for from breweries outside of the state, and what outside of Michigan drinkers look for in Saugatuck Brewing. ...

CRAFT BEER PODCAST INFO: Wes and Josh from Odd Side Ales join us to chat about the revolution that is seltzer including Odd Side coming into the game hard. Josh gives us a run down on the transformation of his position during COVID from kegging to packaging nearly all products, and Wes gives us some insight on how breweries get out to other states and how we as Michiganders are true homers and how...

CRAFT BEER PODCAST INFO: Debi joins us from www.tagabrew.com to tell us the story of how a little keepsake from a brewery turned into this multi-hundred brewery trend where people can go to a brewery and collect a little charm for their attendance. Tagabrew was founded on just promoting the local industry and each other, and as Michigan Beer continues to grow, so does Tagabrew as they reach into o...

We are live Fridays at 7pm EST on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/betterondraft .   Chris from The Mitten Brewing Company sits down to talk with us about opening up a brewery, expansion, and the different cultures of working during COVID in three very different cities across Michigan.  He talks to us about the haunted building his Grand Rapids brewery sits in, and that after COVID there is in...

We are live Fridays at 7pm EST on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/betterondraft .  You can also download the Hot Mic app (Use code BOD, it is free) to watch us live if you do not have a Facebook! Still social distancing but it gives us a chance to bring Andrew in from Secret Hopper, a mystery shopper website that helps breweries better understand what they may be missing on the customer servi...

CRAFT BEER PODCAST INFO: To no ones surprise, we were not back in the studio this week.  Angie of Fermenta (https://fermentamichigan.org/) and Annette May of Fermenta and School Craft College (https://www.schoolcraft.edu/academics/culinary-arts-brewing-and-distillation-technology/brewing-and-distillation-technology) joined us live to talk about how we can do better to get women into the industry m...

Coming in a few minutes late (we won't hold it against him) Scott Newman Bale joined us to talk about his first major job working for EA, coming to the states and meeting Joe, the cycle of liking and disliking beers, and we get a timer on when we can finally talk about the "Michigan Only, Michigan Forever" ordeal from 2016.  Scott also chats us up about his feelings on some of the n...

We brought in Rep Pauline Wendzel of District 79 to chat about the slew of alcohol bills that are upcoming in the state legislature of Michigan, all tied together, and all reliant on each other.  She talks about her love of sours and sneaks in some of her favorite breweries not in her area!   OWNERS NOTE** As someone who loves beer, seeing these updates happening in all aspects of the brewing (and...

We learned when John Mallett speaks, you listen because he's about to drop some knowledge on you.  We sat down with John for about an hour as we talked about everything from beer, brewery making, craft beer in the 90s, and we lay down the gauntlet challenge as he said he could get any brewery equipment out, and we inform him of former brewery Etouffee, the short lived Brew-Pub above the now p...

While our guest worked out some technical issues, we went live with just the hosts to talk about what is going on in Michigan as we prepare to re-open and enter the mixture of Phase 4/5 of our plan to flatten the curve.  We were then excited to have Jason Gladfelter, Director of Brewery Mediation Network join us form Denver to chat about his profession and what he does to help breweries succeed wi...

John and Bill from Athletic Brewing take the time out of their busy day to chat about NA beers and how the industry is starting to change. We discuss how Bill was looking to remove the alcohol from his life but still wanted to enjoy a flavorful craft beer with his food, and John discusses the intricacies of making NA beer and the very few 'happy' accidents that sadly have to be diluted a...