Barley & Me

Host Ben Rice chats with Canadian musician/producer/craft beer enthusiast Jordon Zadorozny of pop-rock band/solo project Blinker the Star, to discuss Canadian craft beer, as well as the parallels and dichotomies of the craft beer scene and the music scene from the early 90s to today. We go down Ben Rice's rabbit hole of fandom, as a means to end regarding a discussion of creativity, growth, expansion, and the effects of the internet on beer and music. We talk Failure and failures, big budgets and limited releases. Plus! Jordon's/Blinker the Star's latest release, and his/its upcoming next record. It's incredible to hear how beer has evolved through the eyes of a musician who also watched the rise and fall of the music industry. Thank you to Jordon for lending me his time. Enjoy!Find out more about Blinker the Star, download tracks, or order an album at www.bandcamp.com/BlinkerTheStarBarley & Me can be found across social media @barleyandmepodAlso, during this crisis, 100% of profits from sales of Barley &

Host Ben Rice remote-calls Teri Fahrendorf, the founder of the Pink Boots Society, to talk about the creation of this wonderful program, its expansion, and why she had to fire herself. Joining us are Alyssa Steger, the President of the Sacramento Pink Boots Society chapter and head brewer at Fort Rock Brewing, and Heidi Wilder, Fort Rock's director of fun-tivities. We discuss scholarship programs, how the Pink Boots has changed over the years and why, the current Pink Boots collaboration releases, and the weight of being an inspiration for future generations (and how PBS has helped to lift that). Plus! Secrets Revealed! What it's really like to be a woman in beer! The answer, may surprise you. All this and so much more, on the latest episode of Barley & Me. Enjoy!Find out more about the Pink Boots Society and how to support them at www.pinkbootssociety.orgFollow Fort Rock Brewing for all their delicious beers and ways to buy it @fortrockbrewingBarley & Me can be found across social media @barleyandmep

Host Ben Rice practices shelter in place and social distancing by interviewing Mike Mraz of Mraz Brewing remotely. We chow down on chicken wings with various hot sauces while discussing Mraz's upcoming/postponed 7th anniversary, the coronavirus's effect on Mraz's business, as well as the craft beer industry and small businesses in general, as well as how to stay fit during this shutdown. Plus! Ben reveals how he's raising funds for service workers, teachers, students, and performing arts theaters affected by the shutdown and Mike announces an exciting upcoming collaboration with Red Bus Brewing. All this and more, on episode 124 of Barley & Me. Enjoy!Find out more about Mraz Brewing, their current beer availability, and more, at www.mrazbrewingcompany.comFollow Barley & Me across social media @barleyandmepodThank you to Granites Famous Cheesesteaks & Wings, on Foothill Blvd, in Roseville, CA, for providing Ben’s hot wings. Order online at www.graniteswings.com or follow them on Instagram @granites

Host Ben Rice practices social distancing by ringing up Sacramento Beer Frontier's Aaron O'Callaghan to discuss the Coronavirus/COVID-19 and its potential effects on the beer industry and the world. With no medical background and no skin in the beer game, Ben & Aaron can talk freely about this topic. But for proper perspective, Ben created an anonymous industry survey, which gathered responses from brewers, owners, sales reps, taproom managers, hop growers, maltsters, and media relations members in the industry. We try to keep the Barley & Me charm and improvisational interview style as well, so this may be a long episode but hopefully it's an easy listen. All this and a shocking amount more, on episode 123 of Barley & Me. Enjoy!Find out more about our guests today by following them on Instagram:Sacramento Beer Frontier: @sacbeerfrontierAlso, during this crisis, 100% of profits from sales of Barley & Me shirts via Zen-Threads.com will go to Another Round, Another Rally, a charity that supports

Host Ben Rice travels to Chico, CA, to talk to the town's second-ever brewery, Secret Trail Brewing, and owner/brewer Charlie Barrett, as well as Chico's indie-pop darlings Surrogate (represented by guitarist Michael Lee and keyboardist Daniel Martin). We talk consumption, creativity, and a change to the digital/internet era, as well as pesky ABC regulations, marketing tactics, and how to retain your individuality in a market that has certain expectations. Plus! Expansion! Singles on tape! Knowing you might fail but at least you tried! And the challenges of live performance, especially in Sacramento, CA. But it's not all doom and gloom! We also talk about Surrogate's upcoming appearance at The Maltese's 10th anniversary show (May 30th) and Secret Trail's SpringFest on May 9! Enjoy!Find out more about our guests today by following them on Instagram:Secret Trail Brewing: @secrettrailbrewingcoSurrogate: @_surrogateAnd of course, you can follow Barley & Me across social media @barleyandmepodThis episode is br

Host Ben Rice travels to PRINCETON!, California, to sit down with Farmers Brewing's Bill Weller. We talk about the humble beginnings of Farmers Brewing and how random happenstance changed their initial trajectory tremendously. Plus! Rice in beer? What happens when a craft brewery makes that their grain of focus and what does it take to make medium grain japonica rice amplify the profile of a craft beer? Trial, error, more trials, and importing equipment from Spain! All with the goal of reclaiming American light lagers from large multinational conglomerates while giving the people what they want! From their Core Fore, to seasonal brews, to how life as a farmer influenced Bill's plans and techniques, there's a lot to learn, on episode 121 of Barley & Me. Enjoy!You can follow Barley & Me across social media @barleyandmepod. You can email questions/comments/concerns to barleyandmepod@gmail.com or barleyandmepodcast@gmail.com. New website! www.barleyandmepod.com! And, of course, you can buy Barley & Me

Host Ben Rice travels to Sacramento, CA's Tower Brewing to talk to TV/radio/podcast producer Cindy Baker, plus Tower Brewing crew Mike Ungerbuhler (head brewer), Micah Ochej (brewer), and Calvin Crawford (taproom manager) about creativity, commitment to passions, and how your backgrounds help you build to your present and future. Plus! Buying Rubicon IP(A), rum varieties, why it feels worse when someone is disappointed in you instead of mad at you, the rise and fall of Brut IPA, and an odd first/fourth anniversary. All this and more, on episode 120 of Barley & Me. EnjoyYou can follow Barley & Me across social media @barleyandmepod. You can email questions/comments/concerns to barleyandmepod@gmail.com or barleyandmepodcast@gmail.com. New website! www.barleyandmepod.com! And, of course, you can buy Barley & Me t-shirts at www.zen-threads.com.Find out more about our guests today by following them on Instagram:Tower Brewing: @towerbrewingcoCindy Baker: @sindeeviciousThis episode is brought to you by:-

Host Ben Rice travels to the Art of Beer Invitational 2020 to conduct a handful of mini-interviews!In segment one, Ben sits down with Cynthia Lee and Trish Showen of DarkHeart Brewing (Sacramento) plus beer volunteer and secret Barley & Me MVP Scott Mills to talk the art and influence of Art of Beer, designing a pirate-themed brewery, releasing the Kraken, and the sunken costs and buried treasures of the beer business.In segment two, Ben is joined by Laine Ruona of Almanac Brewing (Alameda) and Chris Smith of South Lake Brewing (South Lake Tahoe) to talk family ties, our strange and winding paths through the beer industry, and the difficulty of establishing a new brewing identity and crafting beers for beer fans and tourists alike. Plus upcoming Almanac collabs and South Lake’s TAMBA fundraisers.And in our final segment, Ben has an earnest conversation with brewer Jared Long, Jack Alexander of Burning Barrel Brewing (Rancho Cordova), and Tom Jones of the California Aerospace Museum (and creator of the Hop

Host Ben Rice travels to West Sacramento, CA, to chat with Jackrabbit Brewing's head brewer Rob Moreno and Sacramento-based improvisor Justine Lopez. We kick off 2020 with conversations about secondary businesses to drive success, Sacramento's growing arts and comedy communities, what 2020 holds for craft beer (and Jackrabbit in particular), plus brand management and business planning, marriage and child-raising pros and cons, and how dogs can tell if you're a good person or not. Also! How improv is like sports, Ben's bad decision making, and the drawbacks of capitalism. All this and more, on episode 118 of Barley & Me. Enjoy!You can follow Barley & Me across social media @barleyandmepod. You can email questions/comments/concerns to barleyandmepod@gmail.com or barleyandmepodcast@gmail.com. New website! www.barleyandmepod.com! And, of course, you can buy Barley & Me t-shirts at www.zen-threads.com.Find out more about Jackrabbit’s goals and progress, plus can releases on Instagram @jackrabbitbrewing

Host Ben Rice travels to New Helvetia Brewing in Sacramento, CA, to sit down with friends of the pod and truly terrific comedians Stephen Furey, Emma Haney, and Becky Lynn, to talk about their accomplishments in 2019, their hopes and aspirations for 2020, and drink some beers we've never had before. We also all realize that to make a living in the arts, you have to be a corporate shill, so we rave about our favorite things (please send us money) and rant about Ben's dictatorial hosting style. In this episode, we tackle beers from Little Beast, Sierra Nevada, North Coast, and Ruhstaller, bookended by known quantities from Asahi and New Helvetia. Thank you to New Helvetia for giving us a place to record and crafting some tasty stuff. Cheers to you all in the year 2020, and thank you for listening. Enjoy!You can follow Barley & Me across social media @barleyandmepod. You can email questions/comments/concerns to barleyandmepod@gmail.com or barleyandmepodcast@gmail.com. New website! www.barleyandmepod.com! And

Host Ben Rice travels to San Diego, CA, to conduct mini-interviews during Karl Strauss’s Collabapalooza 2019! This is the second episode in that series of mini’s. In segment one, Ben sits down with Craig Nelson of Resident Brewing and Nyle Molina of Abnormal Brewing, to discuss their strange shared history, lager collaborations, POGs, tribal tattoos, the brewpub model, and the similarities (and surprising differences) between the San Diego and Florida craft beer markets. In segment two, Lost Abbey’s Chase Michaels and Nick Tretow go in-depth on the sour/wild ale process, as well as the fairy new offshoot brewery model (Lost Abbey is itself an offshoot of Port Brewing, as is The Hop Concept), and why anyone would ever want to live in the Midwest. And finally, in segment three, Ben chats with Larry Monasakanian of Fall Brewing and Justin Stambaugh of Stave & Nail, to learn about the exciting world of small-scale craft brewing, mass-produced craft Mexican lagers, Fall’s involvement with Who Cares, and the di

Host Ben Rice travels to San Diego, CA, to attend Karl Strauss's Collabapalooza 2019, voted the best beer fest in West Coaster Magazine. This episode contains 2 mini-interviews and episode 116 will feature 3 more, recorded at Collabapalooza! In segment one, Ben talks to Doug Constantiner of Societe Brewing and Jeff Wiederkehr of Burning Beard Brewing. We talk friendship, collaboration, education, and tin foil hats, plus the inevitability of the band Tool. In segment 2, Ben sits down with Joe Kurowski of White Labs, Paul Heaverly of Melvin Brewing, and Anthony Beach of Latchkey Brewing. We talk about the White Labs/Latchkey collab Pigtail IPA and the surprising story of its name (what a twist!), plus the underappreciation of yeast's effects on beer taste, camaraderie in the beer industry, and a prescient conversation about the Ballast Point buyout. And Anthony asks probably the most important question in craft beer, "In reality, what's the liquids?" All this and more, on episode 115 of Barley & Me. Enjoy!F

Host Ben Rice travels to Auburn, CA's Crooked Lane Brewing to sit down with brewmaster Teresa Psuty, plus Queen of Beer Competition coordinators Melissa McCann, Rebecca Steele-Wilkie, and Vickie Olson, to discuss the upcoming 26th annual Queen of Beer homebrewing competition, as well as Crooked Lane's humble beginnings to their current status as California's Craft Brewery of the Year. The Queen of Beer crew lays out their history, including their early adoption of the HAZE craze, plus their ever-expanding supporters and sponsors, new prizes/awards (including for first-time submitters and the champion earning a brew day with Drake's Brewing!), and their collection of world-class beer judges to help female brewers get the feedback they need to become professionals. They have even expanded their entry date to December 6, 2019, so, if you're a female-identifying homebrewer in the US, you can enter for just $10 at www.queenofbeer.beer. The competition is December 12 at Fort Rock Brewing. Get all this info and more

Host Ben Rice travels to Sacramento, CA, to sit down with Porchlight Brewing's brewer John Prather, plus the Vice Chair of the Sacramento Arts Commission, Maya Wallace. We discuss everyone's history with Sacramento, plus their observations on the city's growth economically, socially, artistically, and beer-centrically, and how all of those intertwine. Plus! The housing crisis! The hidden morality of beer regulations! Bill Buckner and the 1986 Red Sox! And how the internet has changed our ability to measure popularity. We also break down Belgian vs German brewing methods, fix the broken beer festival model, and solve palate fatigue. All this and more, on episode 113 of Barley & Me. Enjoy!Follow Porchlight Brewing @porchlightbrewingcoFind out more about all of Maya Wallace's projects and interests by following her on Instagram @sactomayaFollow Barley & Me across social media @barleyandmepod and check out the brand-new still-in-progress website www.barleyandmepod.comYou can buy Barley & Me t-shirts a

Host Ben Rice travels to San Diego, CA, to Karl Strauss Brewing's Pacific Beach location to sit down with Karl Strauss Brewing's brewmaster of research & development Paul Segura and Thorn Brewing's head brewer Doug Pominville Jr. and tasting room manager Jay Jones. We talk Collabapalooza 2019, their collab Countess Sparkula (a breakfast pastry stout made with Count Chocula and edible sparkles), the history and progression of San Diego craft beer, and the invention of Collabapalooza! Plus! Ben forgets recent craft beer regulations and history, the excitement of Kveik yeasts (plural? Plural!), the learning curve in transitioning from home brewing to professional brewing, craft lager growth, proper show design for safe shower beer enjoyment, and we break the code of silence on how collaboration beers are made. All this and more, on episode 112 of Barley & Me. Enjoy!I would like to give a big thank you to Emily Hutto, Chea Franz, and the entire Rad Craft Beer crew for making this episode possible. Find ou

Host Ben Rice sits down with Andy Klein, owner and brewmaster at Monk's Cellar in Roseville, CA, as well as brewer Bryan Crass and sales rep Lewis McGeorge, to talk about their upcoming 5th anniversary (Friday, October 18/Saturday, October 19), including their collaboration beers with over TWENTY breweries. Once of those is Huntington Beach's Beachwood Brewing, and their owner/brewmaster Julian Shrago was kind enough to make an appearance. Together, Julian and Andy walk down memory lane, from trips to Europe to the Great IBU Wars of the early 2010s. Julian also breaks down his scientific study of Cantillon and how to use that information to impart proper sour/funk to your beers. Plus! The importance of yeast! Someone at this table loves pumpkin beers! And Julian has Bryan's latest creation, Pie Curious, for the first time ever. All this and so much more, on episode 111 of Barley & Me. Enjoy!Be sure to check out Monk's Cellar's fantastic lineup of events this week, and follow them on social media @themonks

Host Ben Rice travels to Davis, CA to talk to Sudwerk Brewing's co-owners Trent Yaczan and Ryan Fry, plus Davis-based comedian Bex Nava, about Sudwerk's upcoming 30th anniversary (the celebration is Saturday, October 26)! We discuss the transition from original ownership to their grandsons, maintaining your core identity while also keeping up with current craft beer trends, how to open and maintain a creativity-based business, and the importance of community collaboration and involvement. Plus! Sudwerk's efforts to be the "Sierra Nevada of Lagers" in their business practices and constant innovation, such as their line of Hazy IPLs. And! We break down Bex's possible venue names and styles, handling fair competition judging for the arts, and did we mention Sudwerk is turning 30? All this and more, on episode 110 of Barley & Me. Enjoy!Find out more about Sudwerk's history, upcoming releases, and their anniversary events by checking out www.sudwerkbrew.com or across social media @sudwerkbrewContact Bex Nava a

Host Ben Rice travels to Sacramento, CA's Oak Park community to talk to brewer Geoff Scott of Oak Park Brewing Company and PR/marketing consultant Shane Barker. We talk about the re-invigoration of Oak Park, as well as the grand re-opening/reimagining of Oak Park Brewing Company, which has new ownership, new brewers, new chefs, but is trying to maintain and build on its ties to the Oak Park community. We talk food, community, the changing beer marketing scene, America's litigiousness (literally the American government's litigiousness in one case), the homlessness epidemic, and we try to determine what reality really is. Plus! We try to find out if Ben's girlfriend is a bully, if malt liquor has a place in craft beer, what makes for a good beard, and if the earth is flat. Really. All this and much more, on episode 109 of Barley & Me. Enjoy!Find out more about events, food, and beer at Oak Park Brewing by following them on social media @opbrewcoGet info on marketing, PR, and more from www.shanebarker.com or

Host Ben Rice travels to SacYard Community Taphouse to meet with San Diego's original craft brewery Karl Strauss, via their Northern California sales reps Peter August & Jeff Broaddus, as well as beer marketer Emily Hutto of Rad Craft Beer. We chat about Karl Strauss Brewing's history in America's craft beer scene, how they've stayed relevent and even managed to expand their brand, as well as their slew of recent collabs, including the New California IPA brewed with the legendary Russian River Brewing. Emily tells us how she got her start in PR/marketing/brand management through a career in journalism and the importance of building a network. We delve into adorable pets (please see the Barley & Me Instagram for proof), re-connecting with old friends through beer, and the actual Karl Strauss's many exploits, including but not limited to his dabbling in a macro beer you might know and love. All this and more, on episode 108 of Barley & Me. Enjoy!Check out the New California IPA wherever fine indepen

Host Ben Rice travels to Sacramento, CA, to speak with Urban Roots Brewing's Peter Hoey (brewer/owner) and Rob Archie (owner) and host of the Letter Talk Podcast Alyssa Cowan. We tackle the tough topics, like time management, adapting your business plan to your intended audience, learning from failures, and the mystery of Dippin' Dots. Plus! Which type of wrestling is real and which is fake, Rob's astonishing lost and found moment, Netflix obsessions, and international tales of mystery. All this and more, on episode 107 of Barley & Me. Enjoy!Follow Urban Roots, its ever-expanding taplist, and its Sunday movie list @urbanrootsbeerCheck out Letter Talk Podcast wherever you get your podcasts and follow Alyssa Cowan across social media @alyssapantsYou can also follow host Ben Rice and Barley & Me @barleyandmepodEmail questions, comments, concerns, guest ideas, etc., to barleyandmepod@gmail.com or barleyandmepodcast@gmail.comHave a story about racism, sexism, and/or homophobia while working in the beer ind