We're discussing Nick and Jen's recent trip to Europe and all the cool things they experienced, while Joe reminisces on his trip to Europe a couple of years ago. Since this is a beer podcast, it's no surprise that we spend most of the time discussing the beer culture in Amsterdam, Belgium, and Germany - namely, the emphasis that bars and pubs place on using the correct glassware. What glasses do they use and how does the beer culture (specifically glassware for beer) differ from that of the US? You'll have to tune in to hear the answers!
With the recent news of Anderson Valley Brewing Company up for sale, Joe and Nick learned about the brewery using solar panels to source half of their energy, and this opened the door for more research! We discuss the organization (USGBC) that certifies businesses who demonstrate environmentally friendly and sustainable practices and how those businesses can achieve a LEED certification - our focus is on craft breweries but there are plenty of other businesses (many in North Carolina) who have achieved LEED Certified status. From solar panels and wind turbines to efficiency in equipment and infrastructure to reduce energy waste, there are solutions and opportunities for breweries to reduce their energy consumption and also reduce their energy costs by using alternative sources.
Joe and Nick are back and eager to drink as many Oktoberfest brews as possible this fall! What better way to do that than to line up five commercial examples of the style and do a blind ranking? Last year, we did a North Carolina lineup and this year went with options that can be procured from all over the US so that hopefully you can find them in your local grocery store or bottle shop and taste along. We also had the pleasure of trying a homebrew from our friend and listener, Matt, who created a Märzen homebrew this year.
With Oktoberfest and all things pumpkin just around the corner, what better time than now for us to discuss...fresh hops? While we're getting into the Oktoberfest and pumpkin beer season, it's also the time of year when many hops are harvested and breweries start releasing their fresh hop beers. What are "fresh hops" and why should we as consumers care? Is it all for show or is there some merit to it? And why are these hops so wet? All this and more unfolds in this episode!
We are saying goodbye to CO2 (at least for this episode) and drinking only nitro beers on this episode! On the podcast, we try a few different beers from Left Hand Brewing Co., who is well known for canning and bottling many different nitrogenated beers. We discuss some of the history of nitrogen being introduced to beer as an alternative to carbon dioxide, the technology behind nitrogenated beer, and why nitro doesn't work for everything.