Best Steph Heffner Podcasts (2024)

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262: Birdsmouth Beer (or I Will Follow You to Wings) 1:41:49

11d ago1:41:49

1:41:49

Joining us this episode from all-lager brewery Birdsmouth Beer in Oceanport, NJ is Andy Gioia. Not joining us this episode, unfortunately, is Wayne. Fortunately, in his place, our longtime friend from the earliest days of Beer Busters, Slimy Sauce himself, Mark Graves. Topics of discussion include lagers, of course, and why only lagers. Plus, the n…

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261: RationAle Brewing (or Reverse Osmosis) 1:16:15

3M ago1:16:15

1:16:15

Just in time for dry (or at least a little less damp) January, we are joined by Jamie Fay, the Founder and CEO of the fastest-velocity brand in the non-alcoholic craft beer category, RationAle Brewing. We learn about the uniquely personal origin story of RationAle, nerd out quite a bit about the NA brewing process, talk about the many and varied re…

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260: Stickman Brews Exit Interview (or Beefie) 2:00:06

5M ago2:00:06

2:00:06

For nearly a decade, almost as long as we’ve been doing this podcast, Stickman Brews has been the unequivocal purveyor of the finest beers in Southeastern Pennsylvania. As of October 2023, this, like all good things, has come to an end. In all seriousness, Ethan Buckman – the inimitable proprietor and brewer for Stickman – along with partners Jim B…

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259: Wine and Dinosaurs (or Language Evolves) 1:51:23

6M ago1:51:23

1:51:23

After a three-year hiatus, the Wine & Dinosaurs fest at the Delaware Museum of Nature & Science returned for 2023 and we were once again on-location doing the pod thing. Presented by M&T Bank, all proceeds from the event featuring wine, food, and of course great beer, go to supporting the museum and its mission. We catch up with a few old friends f…

1
258: Barra Brava Brewing (or We Hope to Make You a Soccer Fan) 1:46:57

6M ago1:46:57

1:46:57

We are down one Beer Buster this episode as Dan was unable to join us, but we soldiered on and welcomed Adrián & Sebastián, founders of Barra Brava Brewing Company and lovers of all things soccer. Incubated on site at Marz Community Brewing Company, where Sebastián is Head Brewer and Adrián is Production Manager, Barra Brava’s mission is to ultimat…

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257: Crooked Hammock Brewery (or Mountain of Cat) 1:25:52

7M ago1:25:52

1:25:52

With decades of experience in the beer world, Larry Horwitz is The Greatest Talker in Beer. Currently Head of Brewing Operations at Crooked Hammock Brewery, he is overseeing a complete overhaul of their core beers. We chat about that, all things Crooked Hammock, but also we go on plenty of tangents as Larry recounts beer stories from the past and i…

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256: Succession Fermentory (or Tangible Connections) 1:37:54

8M ago1:37:54

1:37:54

Co-Owner and Head Brewer of Succession Fermentory, Keith Hartwig joins us this episode. Succession is a farmhouse brewery located at Stella Lou Farm in Cochranville, PA. Opened in 2022, Succession produces sour and farmhouse ales using locally grown and sourced ingredients. A rare Friday night recording session sees a little more consumption than t…

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255: Ploughman Farm Cider (or Explosive Crispiness) 1:50:25

9M ago1:50:25

1:50:25

Founder and owner of Ploughman Farm Cider, Ben Wenk joins us this episode as we take another of our occasional departures from the world of beer. Wenk is a seventh-generation farmer at Three Springs Fruit Farm in Aspers, PA, where apples for Ploughman products are sourced. We go deep on apples in this one, from training trees to apple genetics, plu…

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254: Our Town Brewery (It's Not a Light Switch, It's a Dimmer) 1:45:34

9M ago1:45:34

1:45:34

All Beer Busters Podcast hosts are present and accounted for again as we welcome Rob Tarves, Co-Founder of Our Town Brewery in Lancaster, PA. Our Town is a community-focused brewery with a vision for using fresh, innovative beer and a thoughtful food program to further connect people in Lancaster. We chat about the journey to opening the doors at O…

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253: Suspended Brewing (or Big Yoga) 1:40:44

10M ago1:40:44

1:40:44

We’re down one co-host this episode as Dan was otherwise engaged on the evening of the occasion of this recording. But Wayne does his best to hold the reins as he and Steph welcome Josey Schwartz, owner and brewer at Suspended Brewing in Baltimore. Located in the historic Pigtown neighborhood, Suspended is a fully vegan, cruelty free company with a…

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252: Denizens Brewing (or We're Zigging) 1:58:49

12M ago1:58:49

1:58:49

Joining us this episode is Julie Verratti, Co-Founder and Chief Brand Officer at Denizens Brewing. The founding of Denizens is a unique and compelling story, full of intrigue and – more seriously – political lobbying and law reform. We also get deep in the weeds on packaging sizes, barriers to entry for small businesses in certain sectors (related …

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251: Hostful! (or The Lip Edition) 1:39:12

12M ago1:39:12

1:39:12

This episode is (almost) entirely devoid of guests. But don’t worry, our trio of stewards will guide you through this auditory experience, and you will emerge a more fuller version of yourself. Plus, Patrick Reed, a founding organizer of Ephrata Brewfestpops in to give us the details on the upcoming 2023 festival at Whistle Stop Plaza in Ephrata, P…

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250: The Referend (or Barn Cats) 1:50:22

1y ago1:50:22

1:50:22

In a wild and spontaneous episode (see what we did there?), we are joined by Co-Owner of The Referend Bier Blendery, James Priest. Specializing in spontaneous fermentation and blending, The Referend opened in Pennington, New Jersey in 2016 and relocated to Pinnacle Farms in Kutztown, PA in 2021. We take a dive into the world of traditional, wild fe…

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249: Pink Boots Society (or We're All Ears and Only Some Nos) 1:57:00

1y ago1:57:00

1:57:00

We're joined this episode by some old friends and new from various corners of the beer world, all serving as the Leadership Team for the Pink Boots Society Greater Philadelphia Chapter. With local chapters across the world, Pink Boots' mission is to assist, inspire, and encourage women and non-binary individuals in the fermented/alcoholic beverage …

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248: Athletic Brewing (or Tasting is Believing) 1:52:48

1+ y ago1:52:48

1:52:48

We kick off Dry January with a brewery producing some of (if not the) best non-alcohol brews available. Joining us are Zoe Riccio, Director of Global QA and Compliance, and Russ Meister, Head of Quality, at Athletic Brewing. With facilities on both coasts, Athletic not only produces world-class liquid without the booze, they are also committed to b…

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247: Exhibit 'A' Brewing (or It's About the Experience) 2:23:54

1+ y ago2:23:54

2:23:54

Joining us this episode are Co-Founder and Head Brewer Matthew Steinberg, and General Manager Kelsey Roth from Exhibit ‘A’ Brewing Company in Framingham, Massachusetts. Founded in September 2015, Exhibit ‘A’ is well known for its “farm to can” initiatives focusing on local sourcing for its beers, sustainable practices, and social initiatives around…

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246: Stickman Brews (or Don't Go to Applebee's, Go to Stickman) 1:43:05

1+ y ago1:43:05

1:43:05

So…did you miss us? Sorry for the unanticipated hiatus. Unfortunately, Dan suffered a pretty gnarly injury involving alcohol, golf, and a tree. Thankfully, he’s well on the way to recovery and, after some much needed healing time, we’re ready to get back to it. And who better to remind us how we do this thing than perennial favorite friend-of-the-s…

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245: City-State Brewing (or Put Down the Lactose) 1:43:52

1+ y ago1:43:52

1:43:52

This episode we’re joined by CEO of yet another Washington, D.C. brewery, James Warner from City-State Brewing. This craft brewery, taproom, arts venue, and event space celebrates the history and culture of DC and the people there strive to live its values in everything they make and do. Unfortunately, Dan was unable to make this recording and so W…

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244: Red Bear Brewing (or 150 Rainbow F*cks) 1:47:51

1+ y ago1:47:51

1:47:51

Coming to us from Washington, D.C. this episode is Director of Marketing & Events/Owner of Red Bear Brewing, Bryan Van Den Oever. From rainbow fucks to long walks in dark alleys, from nuclear medicine technology to making pumpkin beers cool again, there is no shortage of riveting conversation. We also get a bit serious in discussing Red Bear’s work…

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243: Love City Brewing (or You Are the Machine) 1:37:25

2y ago1:37:25

1:37:25

Joining us this episode is Co-Owner of Love City Brewing and Chairperson of the Brewers of PA Equity and Inclusion Committee, Melissa Walter. We discuss the committee and its goals, as well as several other initiatives and events by Love City aimed at promoting and supporting marginalized communities. Plus discussions on resources and organizations…

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242: PlantPub (or The Best Freakin’ Nachos Ever) 1:23:51

2y ago1:23:51

1:23:51

Co-Founder of PlantPub, a concept that combines the world’s best craft beers with plant-based versions of pub foods favorites, Patrick McAuley joins us this episode. Patrick is a Boston-based serial entrepreneur, author, speaker, and startup consultant for ethical/plant-based companies. We chat about his discovery of the benefits of a plant-based d…

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241: Cartel Brewing (or Freeze Dried) 1:24:18

2y ago1:24:18

1:24:18

Joining us this episode is Founder and Head Brewer at Cartel Brewing & Blending, Adam Chamberland. Located in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, Cartel was established in late 2019 by Adam and co-founders Cullen Farrell, Kyle Ober and Xiang (Sam) Guo. We chat about the history of Cartel, various variations of blending, myriad collaborations, and even duck sa…

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240: Pour Man's Brewing (or It’s the Kleenex of Buns) 1:39:19

2y ago1:39:19

1:39:19

This episode, like many things these days, was conducted in a hybrid fashion. We were on location for only the second time since the start of the pandemic at Pour Man’s Brewing Company. Joining us via Zoom (after a very long fight with technical difficulties) were Sam from Pour Man’s as well as Dean Pierce and Shannon Benshoff, General Manager/Part…

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239: Prototype Brewery and Meadery (or Robust Bathroom Facility) 1:32:20

2y ago1:32:20

1:32:20

Our old friend and honorary Beer Busters, Kevin Keller joins us this episode to catch us up on the progress of Prototype Brewery and Meadery, specifically the upcoming Prototype Brewery Invitational 2022, that was originally slated to happed in 2020, but then COVID. The fest, featuring 45+ breweries, will be held Saturday, April 30, 2022 from 12:00…

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238: Stickman Brews (or Ethan’s Grievances as it Relates to Lagers) 1:33:14

2y ago1:33:14

1:33:14

Perennial podcast pontificator Ethan Buckman, proprietor of Pennsylvania’s own Stickman Brews, joins us this episode to…well, here are his own words: “I’ve got a lot to say and I’m hoping you will let me once again take this lovely thing you have made and co-opt it entirely for my own.” Those lots of things to say were about lagers, including addre…

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237: BrewStacheStrong (or Must-Have Mustache) 1:32:14

2y ago1:32:14

1:32:14

This episode we chat with Colin Gerner, President and Co-Founder of StacheStrong, a nonprofit that was born from brotherly love after Colin’s brother, GJ Gerner, underwent his first brain cancer surgery for Glioblastoma. Sadly, GJ lost his battle with this horrible disease in 2019 at the age of 30. #BrewStacheStrong is a collaboration beer project,…

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236: Therapy Brewing (or Kids, Horses, and Chickens, Oh My!) 1:42:18

2y ago1:42:18

1:42:18

Joining us this episode is Chris Kuriga, Owner and Head Brewer at the rural and laid-back Therapy Brewing in Mill Creek Township, Pennsylvania. We chat about the unique location of this outdoorsy brewery, located on a sprawling 200 acres, the challenges in finding your way there, and the more-than-worth-it rewards you’ll enjoy when you do. We also …

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235: Lost Barrel Brewing (or One Beer Two Spoons) 1:56:05

2y ago1:56:05

1:56:05

We’re joined this episode by General Manager/Head Brewer, Patrick Steffens and Marketing and Events Manager, Natalie Femia, from Lost Barrel Brewing in Middleburg, Virginia. The brewery opened in December 2020 and shares a property with an operational horse farm. Lost Barrel produces a variety of beers and hard seltzers, serves an elevated pub grub…

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234: New Trail Brewing (or Is It 3 or 4?) 1:40:52

2y ago1:40:52

1:40:52

Several of the ladies of New Trail Brewing in Williamsport, PA, join us this episode, including Assistant Brewer Cloey Hertwig, Packaging Tech Bethany McDonald, Office Manager Morgan Tramontana, and Regional Sales Representative Helana Zimmerman. Plus, past guest and Director of Brewing Operations, Mike LaRosa. We get to know a little bit about eac…

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233: Necromancer Brewing (or I'm Gonna Get a Beer) 1:38:24

2y ago1:38:24

1:38:24

After chatting about this brewery in a few recent episodes, we sit down with Lauren Hughes, Head Brewer at Necromancer Brewing in Pittsburgh. We discuss the inspiration behind the brewery, opening during COVID, their mission to revive forgotten beer styles, Lauren’s journey to the brewery, and more. In Happy Fun Time, we play a round of There’s Wei…

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232: Guardian Brewing (or Donut Boats) 1:27:07

2+ y ago1:27:07

1:27:07

Kim Collins, Owner and Head Brewer at Guardian Brewing Company in Saugatuck, Michigan, joins us this episode. Guardian is a 100% LGBTQ-owned, women-owned, & brewer-owned brewery, Located just two miles from Lake Michigan. Kim is also currently a Board Member on the Michigan Brewer’s Guild Board and is the Founder and Co-Chair of the Diversity Equit…

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231: 412 Brewery (or We Love Crispy Boys) 1:13:02

2+ y ago1:13:02

1:13:02

Joining us this episode is Adam Bey, Co-Owner of 412 Brewery in Pittsburgh and member of the Pittsburgh Brewery and Diversity Council. We discuss the history of 412 Brewery, how Adam and others came to take over ownership of the brewery from the founders, the Diversity Council origins and the very important work they do. Do you know what a Canadian…

1
230: Trace Brewing (or Cool Sh*t Room) 1:39:03

2+ y ago1:39:03

1:39:03

Co-Founder and CEO of Trace Brewing Company in Pittsburgh, PA joins us this episode to talk about the young brewery, his personal journey to founding Trace, how they are taking action to promote diversity in the beer world, and much more. A large chunk of our conversation centered around Trace Brewing’s Vocational Program, which offers six month pa…

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229: Tara Nurin (or I Should've Learned to Land Planes) 1:42:06

2+ y ago1:42:06

1:42:06

In an episode that plays fast and loose with time, continuity, and word tenses, Steph and Wayne were joined by Tara Nurin, a writer who primarily covers lifestyle trends with a focus on craft beer, alcohol and culinary tourism and their impact on economic development, and author of the recently published, A Woman’s Place Is in the Brewhouse: A Forg…

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228: Hostful! (or Chug Foam Together) 1:17:33

2+ y ago1:17:33

1:17:33

Due to circumstances beyond our control, our scheduled guest for this episode could not join us. So, it’s just the three of us this time. It’s been a while. We take some time to continue our conversation on the state of equality in the craft beer industry, focusing on resources and actions. Those aforementioned circumstances beyond our control were…

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227: Brian Mills (or That's Why I Opened My Mouth) 1:47:02

2+ y ago1:47:02

1:47:02

This episode we’re joined by our friend/cool beer guy/podcast patron Brian Mills. We talk about the ongoing discussions of sexual harassment and assault in the beer industry. After an overview of where things stand, including the controversy surrounding the Mikkeller Beer Celebration Copenhagen, we move on to discussing how to affect real change in…

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226: Chatty Monks Brewing (or I'm Two Ryans) 1:19:03

2+ y ago1:19:03

1:19:03

After a short hiatus, we're back! And this time we're joined by the new crew at Chatty Monks Brewing in West Reading, PA - Devi Jagadesan (owner), Ryan Berkis (marketing), and briefly John Stemler (brewmaster and beverage consultant). We chatted about the challenges of taking ownership of a brewery during the pandemic, changes and future plans for …

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225: Devil's Eye Brewing (or Another Hot Chicken Sandwich) 1:37:46

2+ y ago1:37:46

1:37:46

We’re joined this episode by Rob Getz, brewer at Devil’s Eye Brewing in Dillsburg, PA, who Dan (somewhat drunkenly) met at a Renaissance Faire beer fest. We discuss that story, Rob’s unusual path to brewing at Devil’s Eye, his shady beer hand-off with Steph at an abandoned hotel, and much more. In Happy Fun Time, Wayne hosts a round of Bad Beer Rev…

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224: Brews and Bands for Bart Beer Festival 3:05:48

2+ y ago3:05:48

3:05:48

This episode was recorded on site at the Brews and Bands for Bart Beer Festival at Tattered Flag Brewery and Stillworks in Middletown, PA. This event was organized to raise money for the family of Bartley Kaminski, a huge figure in the beer world who sadly lost his battle with cancer recently. We invited a long list of friends to sit down and chat,…

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223: Lady Justice Brewing (or Edible Luster) 1:35:37

2+ y ago1:35:37

1:35:37

This episode we are joined by Betsy Lay, Owner and Head Brewer, and her wife, Alison Wisneski, Director of Marketing for Lady Justice Brewing Company in Aurora, Colorado. Lady Justice is a not for profit (though not legally a non-profit, something we discuss) and community supported brewery whose mission is to brew great beer to make the world a be…

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222: Brews and Bands for Bart 2:02:24

2+ y ago2:02:24

2:02:24

Shortly after the recording of this episode, Bartly Kaminski lost his battle with cancer. Our thoughts and love are with his family, his many, many friends, and the countless lives he touched. The Brews and Bands for Bart Festival will go on as planned, to honor his memory and celebrate the joy that Bart brought into the world.…

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221: Stickman Brews (or Feral Packs of Chihuahuas) 2:04:52

3y ago2:04:52

2:04:52

We’re joined this episode by our longtime friend and frequent podcast guest, Ethan Buckman from Stickman Brews. We chat about what’s new with Stickman, Ethan’s new venture, False Bottom Spirits, and a number of other things of varying degrees of randomness. In Happy Fun Time, Wayne hosted a round of the rarely-seen Brewery or Forgery, in which Dan,…

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220: A Love Letter to Lagers 1:24:11

3y ago1:24:11

1:24:11

This episode is an audio recording from our virtual event, A Love Letter to Lagers, held on June 8th, 2021, as part of Philly Beer Week. Our guests for this happy hour panel were Jack Hendler, Co-Owner and Brewer at Jack’s Abby in Framingham, Massachusetts, and Ashleigh Carter, Co-Owner and Brewer at Bierstadt Lagerhaus in Denver, Colorado, breweri…

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219: Philly Loves Beer (or You Had Me at Swill) 1:15:50

3y ago1:15:50

1:15:50

Just in time for Philly Beer Week 2021, we catch up with Executive Director of Philly Loves Beer (the organization behind beer week), Christina Dowd. At the start of the show, we address the ongoing wave of reports of sexism and harassment in the beer industry. The outpouring of stories was sparked by an Instagram post by Brienne Allan, production …

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218: Hairless Dog Brewing (or Everybody’s Got Access to Rocks) 1:14:08

3y ago1:14:08

1:14:08

This episode is a Beer Busters first, dedicated entirely to non-alcoholic beer. Joining us is the Co-Founder and CEO of Hairless Dog Brewing, Jeff Hollander. The Minneapolis based production brewery produces exclusively alcohol-free beer. And it’s for real. Most “NA” beers are brewed traditionally – alcohol and all – and then have the booze removed…

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217: Bar Hygge/Brewery Techne (or Beans?) 1:50:30

3y ago1:50:30

1:50:30

Joining us this episode are Tom Baker, longtime owner of Earth Bread + Brewery, and now founder of Bar Hygge in Philadelphia, along with Duffy Lonergan, brewer for Bar Hygge’s on-site Brewery Techne. We talk about Tom’s long and storied history in the world of beer, Duffy’s (less long and storied) background and what brought him to Brewery Techne, …

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216: St. Boniface Craft Brewing (or Annivermilkary) 2:19:31

3y ago2:19:31

2:19:31

This episode we share some brews with our longtime friend, Dain Shirey, from St. Boniface Craft Brewing in Ephrata, PA. This year the brewery celebrated its 10th anniversary, so we took a trip down memory lane and discussed the history of St. Boniface as well as our long association with the brewery (including the birth of “no squids were harmed”).…

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215: Attic Brewing (or They Have a Parking Lot) 1:29:34

3y ago1:29:34

1:29:34

Joining us this episode is Laura Lacy, Co-Owner (along with her husband Todd) of Attic Brewing in the Germantown section of Philadelphia. Open just over a year, Attic proudly serves a wide array of beer styles, offering limited delivery service within the city. We talk about opening a brewery just before the pandemic hit, how Laura and Todd ended u…

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214: Philadelphia Grain & Malt Symposium 1:30:16

3y ago1:30:16

1:30:16

This episode features audio from our recent live virtual happy hour segment as part of the 2021 Philadelphia Grain and Malt Symposium. We were joined by our friend Nate Kresge, Founder of Harrisburg-based media production company, GK Visual in a panel discussion along with a lineup of people from the brewing industry including, Dan Hershberg from W…

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213: Pour Man's Brewing and Moo-Duck Brewery (or Going Hamms) 1:50:58

3y ago1:50:58

1:50:58

Moo-Duck Brewery in Elizabethtown and Pour Man’s Brewing in Ephrata are longtime friends of the podcast and longtime friends of each other, regularly collaborating and brewing at each others’ facilities. Mike Brubaker from Moo-Duck and Ryan Foltz, Sam Son, and Mike King from Pour Man’s join us this episode to chat about their collaborations, new de…

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