Good Beer Hunting

In this conversation, we're talking about hospitality. It's a bit of an audio-based extension from what Sightlines reporter Kate Bernot has covered on GoodBeerHunting.com, telling the story of a widening gap that breweries are navigating between those who go wide—trying to find success by flinging beer as far as they want and need to for sales—and those who stay narrow by focusing on their neighbo...

The practices of writing and editing, while similar, each require very specific skill sets that nudge against one another, but remain deeply individual in practice. The greatest writers rely on talented editors to shape their voice, and the best editors are those who can spy potential within a story and help tease it out as part of a collaborative effort. The results are mostly enjoyed by readers...

Before it became a worldwide beer campaign, the phrase 'Black Is Beautiful' was a positive affirmation in my childhood. I had previously written about it on GoodBeerHunting.com in the essay,  Colorism, Black Pride, and the Black Is Beautiful Initiative . Then, in June 2020, the saying also became the name of an international collab beer as an initiative created by Weathered Souls Brewing' Marcus B...

The latest beer news, product developments, and what constitutes a "five-alarm fire" for distributors—at least, according to distributors. It's all here in The Gist, a new Good Beer Hunting podcast with Kate Bernot and Beth Demmon, where you'll get a breakdown of why the latest happenings in beer matter and the context around it all. This bite-sized show gives listeners quick, quippy, and expert i...

Becoming a journalist today seems more treacherous than in any other time in history. With notions like "alternative facts" on the rise, media companies slashing budgets and jobs, and more divisiveness among readers than ever before, who on earth would sign up to work in media? Ren LaForme would, for one, and he has no regrets about it. In fact, he's added a new position to his CV as the new North...

Every successful small business owner has to raise the bar if they're going to compete. And for many, that means raising money, too. In this special episode, we're talking about a series of articles that has appeared on Good Beer Hunting called " Compound Interest ." The stories written by Jerard Fagerberg are profiles devoted to founders who aligned their growth, fundraising, and community—and wh...

For years now, practically any industry has dealt with the threat of burnout. It was a problem before the COVID pandemic, became a bigger issue during 2020 and 2021, and has lingered since, as people try to find work-life balance that helps them find time to feel relaxed, recharged, or just happy. The challenges related to burnout are particularly harsh in hospitality, where staff at your favorite...

What does it take to throw a party for ten thousand of your closest friends? A party that brings famous music acts from all over the country to your stage? A party with unlimited beer. And more than that, a party that brings in serious cash for a good cause. With enough planning, funding, and support from your community, you might pull it off. But to throw a party like that eight times in a row, y...

This is a special edition of the podcast where we let you peer behind the curtain. Our guest, baseball writer and beer enthusiast Eno Sarris, is the subject of a profile you can read on Good Beer Hunting. As part of the reporting for that story, I recorded one of our interviews to share with you—it's a way for you to hear from Eno more of what makes him the person he is today, as well as gain a be...

There's a certain magic to baseball, filled with myths, heroes, and the power to make people feel that anything is possible. It's no wonder it's called America's greatest pastime, or why players like Babe Ruth, Jackie Robinson, and Mickey Mantle are household names, familiar even to those who don't closely follow the sport. But sometimes it's those off the field who are the myth makers, the legend...

Flavor is much more than what something tastes like. It's aroma, mouthfeel, and flavors all mixed together to create a sensory experience that has the power to transport us through time and space. It's unique to each person, yet universal in scope; shared on some level by every human who ever existed.  In this episode, my guest is Mandy Naglich, a previous Good Beer Hunting contributor and author...

If you're an avid watcher of Netflix, you may have caught this episode's guest on the hit series, Drink Masters , a reality-style competition based in the world of cocktails. LP O'Brien was the inaugural winner of the show, which she joined after years of a successful career in bartending, cocktail creation, and a host of hospitality roles. Her career was objectively already impressive before Netf...

Beer is a treasure trove for anyone who wants to be a lifelong learner. From a historical perspective alone, there are thousands of years of brewing to discover and explore. If you ever get bored of that, you can switch to incredible discoveries around yeast and hop varieties. There's a wealth of knowledge to be had for anyone, and it can be particularly useful by breweries as a way to educate cus...

The American South means a lot of things, to a lot of people. But one thing is for certain—there's no place like it in the world.  For his first feature in Good Beer Hunting, freelance journalist Owen Racer wrote about this place, its people, and how beer fits into it all. During a year as a resident of New Orleans, Owen tapped into the food and drink scene, researching its illustrious history, sh...

This episode is a special one for us. It brings together voices of people who were in Nashville for the 2023 Craft Brewers Conference as a spiritual sequel to a 2018 episode we called " Strong Feelings ." Our goal then and now is simple: To capture the feelings of a particular moment in the beer industry and encourage people to share ideas, inspiration, and what they think matters—or maybe needs t...

It's not breaking news to say there aren't many women owners across beverage alcohol, or to say there are even fewer Black women in ownership positions. That's why when a company helmed by an African-American woman does launch, it's essential to explore who they are, what they're doing, and how we can understand their endeavors to help move industry cultures forward.  Monique Gray is the founder o...

At what point do creative pursuits become exercises in futility? When does the lack of success become failure, and when does it serve as a reminder in the value of pursuing a breakthrough? How can we look to the Earth as a guide towards unpredictability—and what does beer have to do with any of this? In his piece titled " From the Pores of Earth—The Impractical Alchemy of Stone Fermentation ," a s...

It's easy to get lost in the world of craft beer. I liken it to falling in love with someone. For years, craft beer was the only thing I could think of, but eventually I came up for air and realized there's a world of wine and spirits out there. But instead of diving into the history or stories behind my favorite bottles, I find myself fascinated by the influencers, tastemakers, and educators in t...

Once upon a time, supporting independent makers in food and drink was paramount for conscientious consumers. To these shoppers, a common goal was to avoid anything with a whiff of global corporate ownership. But today, the goal posts have shifted in a slightly different direction, with customers often focusing on aspects like seasonality, sustainability, and staying as close as possible to the sou...

We've all heard the stories of homebrewers following their passion into professional brewing. There's an engineer or a lawyer who homebrewed for years and after lots of encouragement, decided it was time to give it a go. But how many Wall Street investment bankers turn down lucrative salaries to open a brewery? There's at least one in San Diego, and it's Doug Constantiner from Societe Brewing Comp...

People in the beer industry often tout the aspiration of using the drink as a way to "build community." What they typically mean is that interacting over a beer is meant to be some kind of equalizer, allowing humans to connect in a better way. In this episode we meet someone who has taken this idea to heart, acting as one of the most prominent community builders in the Arizona beer scene for sever...

We've all set professional goals at one point or another, even if it's just thinking back to the time as a kid you wanted to be an astronaut or athlete or president of the United States. For us adults, some of that imaginative whimsy fades once we actually start our working lives, but the desire to find something special isn't ever fully lost. In this episode, we're going to talk hopes and dreams,...

When it comes to alcohol in Tennessee, whiskey is king. But craft beer is slowly starting to become part of the state's identity, and in Chattanooga, the brewing scene is finally coming into its own. In his first piece for Good Beer Hunting, writer Drew Pitt, a Chattanooga transplant by way of Los Angeles, explores the history, legacy, and challenges beer has faced in the city and gives us a glimp...

I have a confession. I have a vested interest in getting people excited about cider through beer. I even wrote a book about it called " The Beer Lover's Guide to Cider ," which comes out in September and aims to translate existing beer knowledge and appreciation as a way to inspire readers to explore a new-to-you beverage in cider. Luckily, I'm not the only one with this mission, and today, you'll...

The past year has been a hard one for most beer categories. With the exception of imports—particularly those from Mexico—volume growth hasn't been easy to come by. That's led companies to release new brands and packaging formats, but there are only so many ways a brewery can find new avenues to sell more beer. So, in recent months, you may have noticed another tactic: rebates. Offering money back...