Barley & Me

Host Ben Rice travels to Portland, OR, to sit down with brewer Conrad Andrus of Culmination Brewing. We talk Culmination's history, Conrad's first beer love - a barrel aged Scotch ale, which might be a Barley & Me first!, plus delicious, delicious tacos. We also discuss having an expansive tap list despite a tiny brewing area and how to get into the brewing industry. Enjoy!Don't forget about Zwickelmania, going on at breweries all over Oregon this Saturday, February 24.Follow Culmination Brewing @culminationbrewing on Instagram and FacebookFollow Barley & Me across social media @barleyandmepodIntro music: "JamRoc" by Breez (@breeztheartist)Logo by Jessica DiMesio (@alivingclicheart)You can now buy Barley & Me t-shirts via Zen Threads: www.bit.ly/BarleyZen

Host Ben Rice travels to Portland, OR, to sit down with Migration Brewing's owner Colin Patrick Rath to discuss their upcoming 8th anniversary (taking place Saturday, February 17, 2018, which is also during Zwickelmania, a crazy free beer event happening Portland-wide - get beer straight from the tanks at participating breweries), as well as the trials, tribulations, and successes of the past 8 years, as well as what the future holds for Migration and the industry in general. We break down the absurdity of one-off beer styles, what hot new trends we see coming down the pike in beer, and, of course, in America. Plus we delve into hockey, soccer, hooliganism, and why none of us can be president. All this and more on a very special anniversary/Zwickelmania edition of Barley & Me. Enjoy!Find out more about Migration Brewing @migrationbrewing on Instagram, @migrationbrew on TwitterFind out more about Zwickelmania, happening February 17, 2018 throughout Portland and February 24, 2018 throughout the entire state

Host Ben Rice re-visits Rocklin, CA's Moksa Brewing during their opening week. Brewers Derek Gallanosa and Cory Meyer and co-owner Scott Williams talk about the brewery's first week in business, the unforeseen issues in opening, and their hopes and dreams for the brewery moving forward.Follow Moksa Brewing @moksabrewingFollow Barley & Me @barleyandmepodIntro Music: "JamRoc" by Breez (@breeztheartist)Logo by Jessica DiMesio (@alivingclicheart)You can now buy Barley & Me tees by Zen Threads : www.bit.ly/BarleyZenAnd don't forget, you can get $5 off your first Lyft ride by downloading the app and using promo code "BarleyAndMe"

Host Ben Rice travels to Loomis, CA, to meet with Kenny Gowan, owner and head brewer of Loomis Basin Brewery, at the Loomis Basin Brewing Gastropub & Smokehouse, to discuss the beer business. Kenny and Ben delve deep on this episode, getting into Kenny's history as a restauranteur in San Diego and his family's ties to the beer and restaurant industry. We also talk about the overlooked business side of the industry, including expansion, employee wages and benefits, and healthcare. And of course, BBQ. Gotta talk some BBQ. Plus! Kenny discusses his excitement over the upcoming additions to the Sacramento beer scene and how Moksa, even if only for a moment, brought the region's brewers closer together. All that and much, much more, on episode 63 of Barley & Me. Enjoy!Follow Loomis Basin Brewing on social media @loomisbasinbrewingcoFollow Barley & Me @barleyandmepodIntro Music: "JamRoc" by Breez (@breeztheartist)Logo by Jessica DiMesio (@alivingclicheart)Buy Barley & Me tees at www.bit.ly/BarleyZen

Host Ben Rice travels to Stockton, CA to sit down with area comedian Rhoda Ramone and Barri & Steve Altimari of High Water Brewing at their unofficial taproom, Taps. Barri & Steve have been brewing under the High Water name for over 20 years and made a big splash in the beer world with their Campfire Stout, which tastes exactly like S'mores. But their experimentation goes back to day one. One of the few remaining "gypsy" breweries in California, High Water is pleased to announce that they'll be opening their own facility in Lodi later this year. So sit down and enjoy the tales of some of the friendliest people in the beer business as they tell you of their triumphs and failures. It's a joy. This episode is dedicated to the memory of beer connoisseur Mike Long, a long-time friend of the Altimaris and beer lovers everywhere. RIP, Mike.Follow High Water Brewing @highwaterbrewing on Instagram and @highwaterbrew on TwitterFollow Rhoda Ramone @rhoda_ramoneFollow Barley & Me @barleyandmepodIntro: "JamRoc

Host Ben Rice travels to Rancho Cordova, CA, to speak with father-and-son team Jack and Duncan Alexander of forthcoming Burning Barrel Brewing, with special guest Peter Wisham of Beers In Sac, a mobile beer tracking app that has expanded to get into the personal, corporate, and beerfest events game. Be sure to check out their first annual Hazy IPA Fest in Sacramento this Friday. Peter also assisted SacTown Union when they were opening, so we talk about the trials and tribulations of brewery openings and ownership, the Oregon and California beer scenes, plus bad beer memories. Duncan turns the tables on Ben, forcing him to talk about this podcast you're listening to. And it is simply the worst. But everything else is great! Plus! Jack talks about beer in the 80s and 90s and Barley & Me gets its first chance to hear what beers got a 23-year-old excited about entering the beer industry. All this and more on Episode 61 of Barley & Me. Enjoy!Follow Burning Barrel Brewing @burningbarrelbrewcoFollow Beers In

For the first episode of 2018, host Ben Rice travels to Davis, CA, to sit down with Brennan Fleming (Dunloe??) of Dunloe Brewing and the esteemed Dr. Charlie Bamforth for a Barley & Me first! A professor and pupil sit down to see just how much the student has learned and discuss how far beer has come in the last 40 years. Dr. Bamforth holds forth on what happened to the British beer business under Margaret Thatcher and the ramifications that could befall American beer. Plus we talk about how beer has changed in the last few years and how taste and industry standards evolve. Brennan shares some beer memories and the joys of small business onwnership and Dr. Bamforth drops his first-ever on-air cuss. It's another action-packed episode of Barley & Me. Enjoy!Follow us on social media @barleyandmepodFollow Dunloe Brewing @dunloebrewingCelebrate Charlie Bamforth's entire catalogue wherever fine books are sold.Intro music: "JamRoc" by Breez (@mr4proaudio)Logo by Jessica DiMesio (@alivingclicheart)

For the last episode of 2017, host Ben Rice invites some of his favorite people over for a riveting BATTLE OF WITS! Comedians Emma Haney and Stephen Furey return, having appeared on last year's Christmas Bottle Share episode AND the 40s episode, Garrett Boatman of that same previous Christmas episode also appears, plus Andy Armstrong (formerly of American River Brewing) and his wife Lea Gibson (both of whom you may recognize from the Lil Sumpin Sumpin to Talk About episode) as well! We break down 13 wits, whites, and weisses while discussing the year 2017 and relentlessly smack-talking each other as host Ben Rice gets progressively drunker and seemingly no one else does. For those who like to spoil Christmas, here are the final rankings of the white ales we tasted: 13) Einstok Icelandic White Ale 12) Hoegaarden 11) Blue Moon 10) Lost Coast Great White 9) Franziskaner Weissbier 8) Erdinger Weissbier 7) Allagash White 6) Moylan's White Christmas Spiced Winter Ale 5) Urban Roots/Alvarado Street Hoeygaarden 4) St

Host Ben Rice travels to San Francisco to sit down with Anchor Brewing's brewmaster, Scott Ungermann, about Anchor's lauded history and the lovely Our Special Ale, AKA Anchor Christmas. We also get into Sapporo's recent purchase of Anchor, Scott's unique intersectional history with Anchor Brewing, and whether or not the buyout affects Anchor's "craft beer" status. The answer may surprise you. Also, we chat about how Anchor's brewing methods stand out against the typical methods you see at breweries today, Scott's favorite winter activities. and get a tad profound. Enjoy!Follow Barley & Me on social media @barleyandmepodFollow Anchor Brewing @anchorbrewingIntro music: "JamRoc" by BreezLogo by Jessica DiMesio

Host Ben Rice travels to Yolo Brewing (West Sacramento) to chat with director of brewing operations David Weiss. His guest this week is comedian and musician Alfonso Portela. We discuss Yolo ownership's previous endeavors, coffee, death, and drums. Alfonso learns about the brewing process and David talks about what he's excited about in the Sacramento beer scene. All this and more, on Episode 57 of Barley & Me!Follow Yolo Brewing @yolobrewFollow Alfonso Portela on Twitter @alfonsoportela or on Instagram @fonzieportelaFollow Barley & Me @barleyandmepodIntro Music: "JamRoc" by Breez (@mr4proaudio)Logo by Jessica DiMesio (@alivingclicheart)Barley & Me is brought to you by Lyft. Use the promo code BarleyAndMe for $5 off your first ride.

Host Ben Rice travels to Nixtaco Taqueria in Roseville, CA, to host Danksgiving with Nixtaco owner Patricio Wise and special guests Zak Souza and Ismael Alarcon. While sipping on some IPA's, we discuss labor laws that leave your favorite restaurants closed on Mondays, what makes a good and bad dank IPA, the importance of good labeling and logos in beer, how to properly fry a turkey, why Patricio is the Lord of Rice, and what we're dankful for in the year 2017. Enjoy!Follow Nixtaco pn social media @nixtacoFollow Barley & Me @barleyandmepodIntro: "JamRoc" by Breez (@mr4proaudio)Logo by Jessica DiMesio (alivingclicheart) 

Host Ben Rice travels to Windsor, CA with guest Steve Ausburne of Barrel Proof Comedy Podcast to sit down with Daniel Weber and Wes Deal of Barrel Brothers Brewing Company to discuss their first year in business and their plans to expansion. We take a few sidebars down some unsavory paths before coming out clean on the other side, thanks to some double-filtered, two-ply assistants. Then we get into their bottling and canning side, how to properly and improperly barrel a beer, and what goes into naming beers in an increasingly competitive and creative beer community. All this and more, on Episode 55 of Barley & Me!Follow Barley & Me @barleyandmepodFind out more about Barrel Brothers Brewing at www.barrelbrothersbrewing.com or find them on social media: @barrelbrothersbrewing on Facebook and Instagram and @barrelbrosbeer on TwitterFollow Steve Ausburne @doctorausburne on Twitter and @mondaleferraro on InstagramCheck out Barrel Proof Comedy Podcast @barrelproofcomedy on Facebook and @barrelproofpod on Tw

Host Ben Rice visits the new Tilted Mash Brewing location to sit down with owners Derrick Prasad and Jonathan Martinez, along with guest Keith Lowell Jensen, to talk coffee and Tilted Mash's recent relocation. Things go sideways, as Ben chose to record during their twice-monthly comedy show Tilted Mashterpiece Theatre, as every comic on the bill (Shahera Hyatt, Diego Curiel, and Christy Farley) pops on the mic, as do Kyle and Kady, the beertenders. Keith has his first alcoholic beverage in years, Ben tells drunk stories, and Jonathan becomes the second guest to admit to trying to steal a statue. This one goes off the rails and back again. Enjoy!And don't forget to find Keith's albums on Stand Up! Records (www.standuprecords.com) or pre-order Keith's first collection of essays, "Punching Nazis and Other Good Ideas" from Amazon.Follow Tilted Mash at @tiltedmashFollow Keith Lowell Jensen at @keithlowellFollow Barley & Me at @barleyandmepodIntro music: "JamRoc" by Breez (@mr4proaudio)Logo by Jessica DiMesio (

Host Ben Rice travels to the 2017 California Craft Beer Summit to suss out interviews from attendees. In this episode, there are 5 separate interview segments. In segment 1, he speaks with Naiche Minor & John Hutchings from Fall River Brewing and Kyle Leddy from New Glory Brewing about their recent collaboration and their review of the first day on the expo floor for the summit, as well as the Fall River airplane. In segment 2, Ben sits down with Pat Fahey, the content director for the Cicerone Certification Program, and master cicerone & beer educator Nicole Erny, to discuss what a cicerone is, the differences between cicerone levels, and how to get into it, plus Nicole lets you know what classes she will be teaching in the coming months and how to register. In segment 3, Ben chats with Adam Hunt & Brian Vermont of Solano Brewing Company and ABM Equipment's John Hilgendorf, and they discuss starting a brewery from the owner's perspective, as well as that of a brewery designer, plus we get a sneak

Host Ben Rice sits down with beer know-it-all Dan Scott, Capital Beer and Taproom's Peter Halldorf, and YOLO Brewing's David Weiss to discuss the recent closings of Rubicon and American River Brewing Companies, plus tell their favorite stories about experiences with these breweries. We touch a little bit on causation, but this episode is about celebrating the time they were with us and our hopes for the future, should a buyer come about. Plus Ben talks about how much of an asshole he used to be and why a famous comedian blocked him on Twitter. Listen to the end for a (possibly inaccurate) tip about some upcoming beer bars, as well!Thanks for listening.Follow Barley & Me @barleyandmepodIntro music: "JamRoc" by Breez @mr4proaudioLogo by Jessica DiMesio @alivingclicheartThis episode is brought to you by Lyft! Get $5 off your first ride by using the promo code BarleyAndMeAnd also brought to you by the California Craft Beer Summit, taking place September 7-9. Get tickets at www.californiacraftbeer.com

Host Ben Rice travels to San Leandro to speak with Cleophus Quealy's owner/brewer Dan Watson, along with Bay Area comedian Chad Opitz. The man with the best beer joke in the biz talks about getting his start in high school drama, moving into the thrilling world of odd-ball music in Seattle, then taking up stand-up in the weirdo town of Santa Cruz, while Dan talks about his early love of European beers that led him to start up a small brewery in California, with a concentration on flavors pulled from fruits and yeasts, nearly bypassing the hop craze. We dive into conversations about misspelled names, misread names, and how every brewery name is stupid. Plus beers, beards, more beers, and more beards! on another riveting episode of Barley & Me! Enjoy!Follow Barley & Me at @barleyandmepodFollow Chad Opitz at @chadopitzFollow Cleophus Quealy at @cleophus_quealyIntro music: "JamRoc" by Breez (@mr4proaudio)Logo: Jessica DiMesio (@alivingclicheart)This episode is brought to you by Lyft. Try Lyft now and ente

Host Ben Rice travels to Alameda, CA, to sip on suds and take in the gorgeous scenery of Faction Brewing, along with their owner/head brewer Rodger Davis and special guest, comedian DJ Sandhu. We talk about the trials of surviving in the Bay Area given the tech boom, start-up brewery costs, the band Tool, how The Grateful Dead got Rodger into brewing, and Ales for ALS, which is taking place at Faction Brewing on Saturday, July 22, 2017.This episode was also filmed and is available to view on YouTube at https://youtu.be/t8DIAsL0vogThank you to Rodger and DJ for taking part and to Brandon Morgan (of Shitty Food Blog) for filming. Thanks as always to Breez for the intro music. The track is called "JamRoc." Artwork is by Jessica DiMesio. And thank YOU for listening.Follow Barley & Me on social media @barleyandmepodFollow host Ben Rice on Twitter @comedianbenriceFollow Faction Brewing online @factionbrewingFollow DJ Sandhu @djsandhu20This episode is brought to you by Lyft - get $5 off your first ride using pro

On this episode of Barley & Me, host Ben Rice visits upcoming Rocklin, CA, brewery Moksa Brewing and speaks with owners Nu Boonkham and Scott Williams, as well as head brewer Corey Meyer (previously of New Glory Brewing) and also with special guest Rebecca Steele-Wilkie, owner of Cuvee Marketing and creator of the Instagram account Art of the Jockey Box, to talk about the expectations for Moksa, the surprising difficulties in opening a brewery at a location where another brewery used to exist, barrel aging, and marketing. We look forward to seeing what Moksa has in store when they open later in 2017. Be sure to check out Art of the Jockey Box on Instagram and visit www.cuveemarketing.com for all your beer and wine marketing needs.Follow Barley & Me on social media @barleyandmepodFollow host Ben Rice on Twitter @comedianbenriceIntro music: "JamRoc" by Breez (@mr4proaudio)Logo by Jessica DiMesio (@livingclicheart)This episode is brought to you by Lyft. Download the Lyft app and get $5 off your first rid

Host Ben Rice travels to Nevada City with guest and renowned beer judge "Big Mike" Moore to talk shop with Jim & Simon of Ol' Republic Brewing. Ol' Republic specializes in European style ales and lagers. We talk about their early years, as they grew their brand in a world dominated by hop-heavy beer. Plus they let us know how they came up with the name for their award-winning Dortmunder Export Lager, "Dead Canary." Jim & Simon regale us for over an hour with successes both anticipated and unforeseen as they attempt to get a foothold into the California beer scene while brewing beers that are not typically made by smaller breweries. Ever wondered how beer prices are determined or what challenges beer judges face? You'll find out! Plus they'll drop a surprise announcement at the end, something that I am very excited about. Enjoy!Follow Barley & Me on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram @barleyandmepodFollow Ol' Republic on Facebook & Instagram @olrepublicbrewery and on Twitter @olrepublicbrewIntro m

On episode 47, host Ben Rice visits an undisclosed location to talk about the state of the beer union. With him are Andy Armstrong of American River Brewing, his wife Lea, Kyle Leddy of Moonraker Brewing, his wife Claire, his daughter Olive, and Sacramento Beer Group founder Chris Guthrie. We talk about the Lagunitas and Wicked Weed buyouts, AB InBev's purchase of the entirety of the South African hop crop, and the future of the beleaguered 12 Rounds Brewing in Sacramento. PLUS Ben sings some metal, Kyle puts on a snazzy child's jacket, Chris does his best Olive impersonations, muchos chugs, and more!Follow Barley & Me on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook @barleyandmepodFollow American River Brewing on Facebook and Instagram @americanriverbrewingFollow Moonraker Brewing on Facebook and Instagram @moonrakerbrewingArtwork by Jessica DiMesioIntro Music: "JamRoc" by Breez (@mr4proaudio)ALSO you can now get $5 off your first Lyft ride by using the promo code "BarleyAndMe". Each new account using this code helps