Pint Talking

This week I was down in Delaware, Ohio hanging with Frank Barickman who is the owner and head brewer at Restoration Brew Works. Frank and I discussed the brewery's opening in 2015, and how they survived through 2020. We also talked a lot about how breweries need to evolve in 2023 to remain successful. During the interview we drank some very tasty beers including a Pilsner featuring a new aged lage...

In this episode Bob and I stay on the IPA train, and turn our attention to the Hazy IPA.   Emphasizing hop aroma and flavor without bracing bitterness, the New England IPA leans heavily on late and dry hopping techniques to deliver a bursting juicy, tropical hop experience. The skillful balance of technique and ingredient selection, often including the addition of wheat or oats, lends an alluring...

This week I got to sit down with our old friend Paul Fryman from JAFB to catch up on everything that is going on at the Wooster, Ohio brewery. Paul brought his brewer Josh Orzel to the show as well. Not only did we discuss the latest happening at JAFB, but we also discussed some fresh beer topics like the use of AI in the craft beer world, and the latest craft beer legend to close their doors. Dur...

In this episode Bob and I finally reach the IPA category. We begin this category with the American IPA. Characterized by floral, fruity, citrus-like, piney or resinous American-variety hop character, the IPA beer style is all about hop flavor, aroma and bitterness. This has been the most-entered category at the Great American Beer Festival for more than a decade, and is the top-selling craft beer...

No, new show this week, so instead I am giving you the opportunity to listen to one of our bonus episodes called the Power Hour. If you join the Patreon you'll get an episode like this every month. Enjoy your free sneak peek. Get your tickets to the Lorain County Beerfest or better known as the Brewfest Waterfront District. It is happening on 8/12 from 1 to 6pm at Black River Landing. Tickets are...

In this episode Bob and I Move on to the American Wheat beer. American wheat beers are some of the most approachable beers in the craft beer world, and the versatility of wheat beer allows it to be combined with a variety of ingredients or enjoyed on its own alongside a wide variety of food options. The sizable portion of wheat malt used to brew wheat beer lends a lighter, distinctive experience c...

This week I celebrate my 100 th episode with a visit to Cambridge, Ohio. This week's brewery visit was at Guernsey Brewhouse, and I got to sit down with Shawn Long who is the co-owner of Guernsey Brewhouse along with his wife Amy. We were also joined by Shawn's co-brewer Tony Wray. We talked about the history of Cambridge and its lack of brewing history. We discussed the challenge of being a rural...

This week I sat down with Nick Sheets and Zack Cline at Henmick Farm & Brewery near Columbus, Ohio. Henmick is situated on 8 acres of the Sheets family farm in Delaware County. Henmick has a huge amount of outdoor space to accommodate some larger crowds that they often see come through the doors Thursday through Sunday. The beers at Henmick run the gamut. Their portfolio incudes lagers, IPAs, Belg...

This week I sat down with Michael Chisnell and Nick Law from Ignite Brewing Company to announce the opening of their newest location in Brunswick. We discussed in depth everything that went into opening a satellite location. We talked about how the new location will operate, and what the goals are for the new location as well as what the long-term goals are for Ignite as a company. Beer Selection:...

In this episode Bob and I stay home in the U.S. and follow the Blonde Ale with the Cream Ale. The American cream ale is a mild, pale, light-bodied ale, made using a warm fermentation (top or bottom fermenting yeast) and cold lagering. Despite being called an ale, when being judged in competitions it is acceptable for brewers to use lager yeast.   Style examples: 1.      Wolf's Ridge Day Break 2.  ...

In this episode Bob and I come back home for another crushable summer beer style. This week we drink and talk about the American Blonde Ale. One of the most approachable styles, a golden or blonde ale is an easy-drinking beer that is visually appealing and has no particularly dominating malt or hop characteristics. Rounded and smooth, it is an American classic known for its simplicity. Sometimes r...

This week I sat down with Mike Pelechaty and Dave Edwards from Masthead Brewing Company in Cleveland, Ohio. During the show we discussed the process that went in to opening Masthead. Over the course of a year the ownership team considered over 200 different locations and visited almost 100 buildings before landing on Superior Avenue. Based on our discussions it's clear that Masthead cares deeply a...

In this episode Bob and I switch to one of the most delicious beer styles in all the world, Kolsch. Kölsch is one of the most strictly defined beer styles in Germany : according to the Konvention, it is a pale, highly attenuated, hoppy, bright (i.e. filtered and not cloudy) top-fermenting beer, and must be brewed according to the Reinheitsgebot.   Style examples: 1.      JAFB – Kemp's Kolsch 2.   ...

This week I sat down with Doug Reynolds at Uniontown Brewing in Ashland, Ohio. Doug has been on the show a couple of times before, but the last time we sat down in the tap room was November of 2020. Doug talked to me about some of the growth that has happened at Uniontown over the past couple of years including adding a new fermenter and the addition of more tap handles. We discussed how inflation...

In this episode Bob and I keep crushing lagers. This week we travel to Munich, Germany and look into the Munich Helles lager. A beer for beer lovers, the German-style helles is a malt accented lager beer that balances a pleasant malt sweetness and body with floral Noble hops and restrained bitterness. The helles is a masterclass in restraint, subtly and drinkability which makes it an enduring styl...

This week I sat down with Wil Schulze and Victor Ecimovich from Edison Brewing Company in Columbus, Ohio. Edison opened in late 2020. The venue is quite spacious with a large outdoor area that includes a stage for entertainment. There is also plenty of room inside to enjoy the delicious European style brews being conjured up by both Victor and Co-brewer Zac Baaske. Edison also features a secondary...

In this episode Bob and I keep crushing lagers. This week we travel to Vienna, Austria and look into the Vienna lager. Vienna Lager ranges from copper to reddish brown in color. The beer is characterized by malty aroma and slight malt sweetness. The malt aroma and flavor should have a notable degree of toasted and/or slightly roasted malt character. Hop bitterness is low to medium-low.   Style exa...

This week I sat down with Nate Klein who is the co-owner of Parsons North Brewing in Columbus, Ohio. Parsons North has a super cool outdoor space, as well as a pretty darn spacious indoor area as well. They opened at the beginning of 2019, and they have been rocking it for the past 4 years. The beer is phenomenal and there are plenty of fantastic options for those that may not be beer oriented. PN...

In this episode Bob and I head back to Germany to drink one of our favorite styles, the Schwarzbier. Sometimes called black lagers (the name literally means black beer), they may remind some of German-style dunkels, but Schwarzbiers are drier, darker and more roast-oriented. These very dark brown to black beers have a surprisingly pale-colored foam head (not excessively brown) with good cling qual...

In this episode Bob and I stay in the Czech Republic and we talk about Czech Dark Lagers. Czech Dark Lager or Bohemian Dark Lager is an old-world style of dark lager originating in Bohemia, what is now the Western portion of The Czech Republic. The Czech name for the style is Tmavé Pivo, which translates to Dark Beer. Style examples: 1.     Bernard černý ležák 12° 2.     Klaster Dark Beer 3.     S...

This week I sat down with Eric Kuebler and Rob Weaver from The Laird Arcade Brewery. The Laird Arcade Brewery or LAB is located in an arcade built sometime in the mid 1800's in downtown Tiffin, Ohio. Tiffin is a college town that is the host to both Heidelberg College and Tiffin University. The LAB opened in 2018 as the first Tiffin Brewery post Prohibition. Not only is the LAB making some great b...

In this episode Bob and I stick with lagers, but instead of Germany or the U.S. this time we head to the Czech Republic, and tackle the Czech Pale Lager.   The Czech Pale Lager is a hoppy, session-strength pale lager that is among the most popular styles of beer among drinkers in the Czech Republic. The guidelines give us something of a mish-mash of guidance, though. The beer should be "rich" and...

This week I sat down with Mark Burke, Dave Jones, and Zach Osborne from Arrogant Goat Brewing in Bucyrus, Ohio. The guys told me how they were inspired to open a brewery by drinking a craft beer while attending a parade. The rest as they say, is history. All three guys take part in brewing and running the tap room. While the tap room is open two days a week, they have a steady flow of clientele. W...

This week Bob and I wrap up our lager kick for now as we discuss the German Pilsner. Quite possibly the most iconic beer style in modern history, the pilsner captured the attention of beer drinkers across the world and inspired a myriad of regional imitations. This lightly colored, exquisitely balanced lager remains one of the most loved beers to enjoy, and one of the most challenging for the brew...

This week I sat down with Carmone and Duncan Macfarlane from The Phoenix Brewing Company in Mansifeld, Ohio. They are no strangers to the show as Phoenix has appeared two other times in the past. During this visit we talked about some of the ways the brewery has changed over the past couple of years including the addition of the Spirit Room located on the second floor above the tap room. The Spiri...