The Gnarly Gnome: All The Podcasts

This one is a special show. I gathered a great panel of the biggest and most geeky lager brewers across Cincinnati to do a live version of the show. We talked lager. We got super nerdy, and we knocked back a few incredible beers along the way. From touching on some history, some hopes for the future, and even some talk about what makes lager so… special – we covered it all. There was a lot to unpack, and I’m not done talking lager… I love it for so many different reasons, and look forward to sharing that love even more as this community keeps growing! Huge thanks to everyone who was able to make some time to help make this show happen, and a massive shoutout to Fretboard for hosting. I have a lot of other “roundtable” shows that I’m planning, so stay tuned! For all you local breweries – if you want to host something like this – shoot me a message and let’s make it happen! Guests This Episode * Adam Mills – Cartridge Brewing Company* Brad Plank – Fretboard Brewing Company* Danny Herold – Sonder Brewing* Erich Streckfuss – Moerlein Lager House* Evan Rouse – Braxton Brewing Company* Josh Wilson – Fifty West Brewing Company* Mike Brown – Rebel Mettle Brewing From The Beer Fridge There were so many beers being passed around that table… It’s impossible for me to remember what all was there. Hahahaha. If you like what I do here – or anywhere you like to consume my content, know that it all happens because of folks like you.  If you want to support The Gnome, you can always go to http://www.TheGnarlyGnome.com/Support and do just that. Also – if you want to make your drinking experiences better, or at least more fun, you can hit up some of the links below that I’ve put together – note: these are affiliate links, which means that when you click and purchase I get a paid a tiny little bit.  That doesn’t mean it costs more to you – just that it helps me! * Spiegelau IPA Glass* Spiegelau Stout Glass* Spiegelau Wheat Glass* Spiegelau Barrel Aged Glass* Spiegelau Tasting Kit* NewAir Beer Fridge

There’s been quite a few things that have happened in the craft beer world since we last sat down with Firehouse Grill and Brewery in Blue Ash. We needed to sit down and have a conversation, that’s for sure. Head Brewer Justin Chaney (you might know him as Pee Paw) took a few minutes on a quiet night while the brewery was closed last week to sit down and have a chat about what they’ve been up to. We (of course) dove into a few of their beers (as well as a bottle of one of Justin’s favorite beers…) to see first hand how things are evolving and what they’ve been brewing. It’s a good show, and hopefully gives you a nice picture of who they are, and what their spot in the Cincinnati beer community is! If you like what I do here – or anywhere you like to consume my content, know that it all happens because of folks like you.  If you want to support The Gnome, you can always go to http://www.TheGnarlyGnome.com/Support and do just that. Also – if you want to make your drinking experiences better, or at least more fun, you can hit up some of the links below that I’ve put together – note: these are affiliate links, which means that when you click and purchase I get a paid a tiny little bit.  That doesn’t mean it costs more to you – just that it helps me! * Spiegelau IPA Glass * Spiegelau Stout Glass * Spiegelau Wheat Glass * Spiegelau Barrel Aged Glass * Spiegelau Tasting Kit * NewAir Beer Fridge * Miir Drinkware And Accessories

I have to admit to you, I wasn’t going to have a show for you this week. It’s been hardcore family time this weekend, and last week had quite the schedule, too. Holiday weeks, you know? I couldn’t do it, though. Not only was I wanting to try some fun technology things out to see how “basic” I could produce a whole episode – but I just can’t stand when there isn’t something to upload on a Monday morning. So… it’s a short show, a little abbreviated to say the least – and I don’t really give you much fun conversation – but at least I got to say hi and have a quick beer with you, right? We’ll be back to normal next week – along with a live episode of The Weekly Pint on Monday Night, and an episode of Prost over on YouTube on Thursday! From The Beer Fridge * Listermann – Pride 2021

I am falling deeper in love with the city of Hamilton every time I get a chance to hang out there. This underrated northern suburb has more going for it than I think a lot of folks understand, and I’m glad to have two episodes in a row dedicated to businesses that are located there. This week I sat down for my first show at the Casual Pint in Hamilton, though owner Ann Marie has been on the show before to speak about what they’re doing over there. Somehow, they’ve taken a concept that seems very simple and managed to put an incredible, local spin on it that is hard to put into words. We drank a beer or two, and we talked about how in the world they’ve managed to do what they’ve done, and how big of a role the city itself plays into that. We also explored a little bit what might be in store for ‘The Pint’ in the near future… It’s a heck of a show! Guests This Episode * Ann Marie Cilley – The Casual Pint, Hamilton From The Beer Fridge * Blend – Goose Island 312 Shandy/FatHeads Bumbleberry If you like what I do here – or anywhere you like to consume my content, know that it all happens because of folks like you.  If you want to support The Gnome, you can always go to http://www.TheGnarlyGnome.com/Support and do just that. Also – if you want to make your drinking experiences better, or at least more fun, you can hit up some of the links below that I’ve put together – note: these are affiliate links, which means that when you click and purchase I get a paid a tiny little bit.  That doesn’t mean it costs more to you – just that it helps me! * Spiegelau IPA Glass* Spiegelau Stout Glass* Spiegelau Wheat Glass* Spiegelau Barrel Aged Glass * Spiegelau Tasting Kit* NewAir Beer Fridge

This week on the Brewcast we make our way into downtown Hamilton, Ohio for a show that showcases something I’ve been wanting to for a while now. Pinball Garage. This bar/pinball arcade has a wall of taps loaded up with craft beer and more than 30 tables for you to test your skills. It also just so happens that right now they have an exclusive collaboration beer on tap from their friends over at Sonder Brewing Company. This beer, called Wizard Mode, is what prompted the episode… and definitely what we found ourselves drinking out in the sunshine while recording. It seems to be the summer of collaborations for Sonder, and we dive into that, as well as some of the history and future plans for Pinball Garage. It’s a great one! Guests This Episode * Bradley Baker – Pinball Garage* Wayne Memmot – Sonder Brewing Company From The Beer Fridge * Sonder Brewing – Wizard Mode, White Ale with Grapefruit To Help Support Cincy Brewcast: If you like what I do here – or anywhere you like to consume my content, know that it all happens because of folks like you.  If you want to support The Gnome, you can always go to http://www.TheGnarlyGnome.com/Support and do just that. Also – if you want to make your drinking experiences better, or at least more fun, you can hit up some of the links below that I’ve put together – note: these are affiliate links, which means that when you click and purchase I get a paid a tiny little bit.  That doesn’t mean it costs more to you – just that it helps me! * Spiegelau IPA Glass* Spiegelau Stout Glass* Spiegelau Wheat Glass* Spiegelau Barrel Aged Glass* Spiegelau Tasting Kit* NewAir Beer Fridge

It’s a little crazy to think about when you talk to beer geeks here in Cincinnati – but if you’re going to count Brew Dog, Platform or North High as local craft beer spots… local taprooms, or whatever you might classify them as, you can’t also leave off BJ’s. Yes… it’s a chain. No, they aren’t cranking out groundbreaking beer that will get you lining up for a release. But they’re doing something that few places like them have managed to do – survive. I made a quick phone call to Marco (you know him from Cellar Dweller) and we grabbed a flight of beer to talk about what makes BJ’s who they are. We explored how they’ve managed to survive when others like them haven’t. We just talked over a few beers, and it was a blast! I won’t ever claim that BJ’s is my favorite taproom, or that they’re a “local brewery” – but I’ll definitely shout from the rooftops that you should pay a little more attention to them than you probably do! Guests This Episode * Marco Penilla – Cellar Dweller From The Beer Fridge * BJ’s Brewhouse – Lightswitch Lager* BJ’s Brewhouse – Harvest Hefeweizen* BJ’s Brewhouse – Nutty Brewnette* BJ’s Brewhouse – Committed, DIPA If you like what I do here – or anywhere you like to consume my content, know that it all happens because of folks like you.  If you want to support The Gnome, you can always go to http://www.TheGnarlyGnome.com/Support and do just that.

This idea is a little strange, yet, that’s a big reason why I love it as much as I do! Urban Artifact discovered a little bit of living brewers yeast, deep underground in a lagering tunnel where the F &JA Linck brewery used to exist more than a hundred years ago. They took that yeast, named it, and made a beer with it. That idea has birthed an entire festival called Missing Linck Fest, in which the team invites breweries from all over to try their hand at it, create a beer using this yeast and to see what happens. It’s literally a way for every brewery to try their hand at tapping into the past. We talked about Missing Linck a couple of years ago on the show – back when they thought they were launching the festival… but because of the “stuff” last year – it didn’t quite happen as planned. This year still isn’t back to normal, yet, but the festival has arrived. On this episode we drink the beer, and talk about what it means and what the festival is all about. Of course – we head right down a couple rabbit holes, as I’ve learned it’s pretty easy to get myself distracted when a great beer is in my hand. Great time? Yeah… it was a great time. Guests This Episode * Colin Foy – Head Brewer at West Side Brewing* Bret Kollmann Baker – Director of Brewing Operations – Urban Artifact* Mike Morgan – Notorious Author, Historian and Drinker* Cincinnati Beer – Mike’s most recent book (This is an affiliate link, so while it doesn’t cost you any more, I get a little kickback if you purchase it here)* Over The Rhine, When Beer Was King (This was the book I read that introduced me to Mike, again… an affiliate link – it helps me out, but doesn’t cost you more) From The Beer Fridge * West Side Brewing – Missing Linck Thank you for being a listener of Cincy Brewcast – I hope you know how much it means to me that you can take part in this show, and what is growing to be an archive of Cincinnati Beer history. Your continued support is worth a lot to me! If you want to know how to support this whole thing even more, you can always head over here and show your love that way – it comes with a few fun perks and I’m always working on more!

I use the tagline ‘The Voice of Cincy Craft’ in Cincy Brewcast a lot. When I say it, though, I don’t necessarily mean that I am the voice of Cincy craft. You are. Every one of you who contributes to the show, the blog, all of it are part of the voice of Cincy craft. If you have ever sat next to me or stood across a bar from me and had a conversation you’re definitely part of the voice of Cincy craft, too. And this episode? Well… it features two more folks who I think are a big part of the voice of Cincy craft. I sat down with Diamon Bell (Beer is not for boys) and Matt DeMaris (the Brews Traveller, from Hustle and Brews) to talk about what role Cincy craft plays in their life and what role they play in the evolution of this community, too. We drank a few beers (we were on location at BCs Bottle Lodge in Montgomery for this episode, talked about how they got their start, and where they are going in their own content and platforms. This show is a great one, and if you’re not already following them – make sure you do it as soon as possible! Guests This Episode * Diamon Bell – Beer is not for Boys (Check out her instagram page here)* Matt DeMaris – (Hustle and Brews, Vets and Brews) From The Beer Fridge * Warped Wing – Ermal’s Raspberry Cream Ale* Fifty West – Peeled Out* Northern Row – Striper* MadTree – Sprye (read more about this beer)

Covid has been tough, and there are lots of places that we craft beer drinkers were worried about. The small, neighborhood places were hit hard, and at the start of the pandemic we were preparing ourselves for the worst. As we find ourselves close to the hopeful end of it all, it’s an amazing feeling to sit down in the beer garden of one of those places knowing that not only did they make it through – they are seemingly better than ever. It’s been far too long – but it’s as good as always to sit down with owners Mark and Amy Lortz of the Common Beer Company to talk about what they’re working on. We drank a few beers, enjoyed the sunshine and hopefully give you a little sneak peek into why so many folks have fallen in love with them, their space, and of course their beers! Guests This Episode * Mark Lortz* Amy Lortz From The Beer Fridge * The Common – Dark Cloud* The Common – Dooley* The Common – In The Tank* The Common – Muzzy* The Common – Ni* The Common – Savvy Mingle* The Common – Zummy This episode and all the episodes of Cincy Brewcast wouldn’t be possible without the support of people like you. I appreciate those of you who support my projects, and what you to know that you are what makes this all what it is! If you want to help support, you can always do just that by going here – and know that it makes a huge difference!

It takes me about an hour to get from my doorstep to the barstool at Sons of Toil, but the drive is a really small price to pay for a brewery that is doing what they are doing. They’ve captured a laid back “country” vibe that is genuine, relaxing, and exactly what we all need from time to time. When you couple that up with some absolutely awesome beer? Well… it could be a three hour drive and it would be worth it. I sat down with owners Dave and John along with their head brewer Nate to figure out how it all comes together, and where some of the inspiration comes from. We get into their histories, and how they decided to start a brewery in Mt. Orab, and even got a few sneak peeks at what might be in store for the brewery in the coming years. If you’ve never been out to the brewery – it’s 100% time that you remedy that! This show will certainly make you craft a few beers sitting out in their backyard. As always, this show is brought to you by people like you – I’m so, so grateful for all the folks who support what I do and make it possible every month – if you want to know more, or you might want to spend a couple bucks each month to help out, head over here to do just that! I have to give a special shoutout to this month’s sponsor level backer, Bret Kollmann Baker, who as I hope you’re aware is from Urban Artifact. They’re doing some really spectacular stuff over there, and you should show them some love, too. You can get onto their website and order beer now, to have it delivered right to your doorstep – it changes the game, for sure!

Zane freaking Lamprey. I have wanted to get this man on my show for a very, very long time. An inspiration to what I do as a “drinking content creator” or whatever this journey I’m on is, and a really, really funny dude, Zane has pioneered the way for people who want to entertain around drinking culture. He’s getting ready to hit the road all across the country to have a pint or two and put on a standup show in taprooms and it provided the perfect opportunity for him to make an appearance. We talked about his upcoming tour and chatted about his career, and how he’s got from point A, to where he his today… point G? It’s been a long winding road, and I find the route pretty fascinating. Do yourself a major favor, and head over to Adv3nture.com to check out his company that not only provides some fantastic outdoor gear, but plants three trees each time you buys something. Also… make sure that you head over to his website to grab your tickets for the tour – they’re making stops at a few cities around – including right here in Cincinnati at Fretboard in September. Guests This Episode * Zane Lamprey (If you couldn’t tell by the show title)

Lager beer spent a lot of time building a reputation – and it wasn’t always a good one. In the modern world of craft beer there are places, though, like Rebel Mettle doing everything in their power to break the reputation and bring lager back in a BIG way. It was awesome getting to sit back down with these folks right as they were rolling out the first cans from their brewery and dive into how they make it all work. The show might have been a little chaotic, but I should have just trusted my back up systems, because it turned out fine… (I’m an idiot, and didn’t have a memory card… it’s a long story – you don’t need to worry about it). It’s been 7 months since we last did a show at Rebel Mettle, and it seems both like it was just yesterday – and like it’s been a lifetime. We sipped on a few beers, and explored a LOT including the cans – how they’ve been handling opening a brewery during a pandemic, and maybe what they see for craft beer in the future. It’s a good one! Guests This Episode * Mike Brown – President, Rebel Mettle* Jonas Locke – Director of Quality, Rebel Mettle* Josh Deitner – Director of Brewing, Rebel Mettle From The Beer Fridge * Rebel Mettle – Colonel Copper* Rebel Mettle – Bock Flavored Beverage Product* Rebel Mettle – Pathological Lager* Rebel Mettle – Wolf Hype

I don’t get a ton of chances to sit down at one of the country’s top 25 craft breweries. We’re pretty freaking lucky, though to have one tucked right away in a little building on Elm Street in Over-The-Rhine. I’m being a little sarcastic, here… if you’ve been to Rhinegeist, you know that ‘little’ is the last thing you should use to describe them. Sitting down with their director of Education, Chris Shields, though… we talked about how they’ve managed to create a massive brewery, and somehow kept that taproom feeling the same today as it was the day they opened their doors almost 8 years ago. We rolled into a few rabbit holes during the conversation, and we might have gone a little longer than I planned – but we hit some conversation points that I’ve been itching to talk about for a long time. We explored the journey that Rhinegeist has been on – from their early days to now – and how they did it. Of course – you can’t really talk about their past with trying to figure out their future, too… and of course we tried to explore that, too. Along the way? You know we knocked a few beers back to chat about what they’ve been brewing! Guests This Episode * Chris Shields – Rhinegeist From The Beer Fridge * Rhinegeist – Table Beer* Rhinegeist – Sun Spun* Rhinegeist – Glow* Rhinegeist – Steve* Rhinegiest – Uncle (I don’t know if we really talked about this one on the show, but you know that if I’m at the ‘geist… I have a pint of it next to me.)

I love shows like this. We used to call them bottle shows, but there really aren’t many bottles these days vs cans. The basics are simple. Crack open a few beers, shoot the breeze and see what comes up. We started the framework of the episode with a text message a few weeks ago that posed the question “What would Cincinnati look like if Rhinegeist never opened here?”. From there… we dove down a rabbit hole of great conversation, and really fantastic beers. Michael Amann from Adena is always a pleasure to have on the show, and his thoughts and opinions definitely make him a great guest! Guests This Week * Michael Amann – Adena Distribution From The Beer Fridge * Alexandria Brewing Company – Threshhold* Brink – On The Brink* Wooden Cask – Oh, Hell Yes!* Narrow Path – Petite Poire* Streetside – Alpha If you enjoy this show, my website, or definitely my YouTube channel – you can always support them all by heading here to spend a couple bucks a month to keep it all running. I also have a pretty sweet swag shop available if you want some shirts, hats, or stickers to show your love for Cincinnati Craft Beer to all your friends. Speaking of support… I have to give a huge shout out to the month’s sponsor – Bret Kollmann Baker over at Urban Artifact. If you live here in Cincinnati, you already know how awesome these guys are, and they’ve made it so, so easy for us to get their beer. You can hit up their website and order it online, having it dropped off right on your doorstep without you having to go anywhere. I will say, though – if you want to go somewhere, now that their taproom is back open, it’s a pretty great spot to grab a pint of some of the city’s most innovative beer. — Please support them, they support me!

On one hand, I get upset with myself when it takes me this long to get out to a local brewery to help them share their story with you. It drives me crazy. On the other hand, it feels so flippin’ good to finally get out there – that I almost forget about how crazy it makes me. The folks over at Cincy Brewing Company have been on my “need to record list” for far too long – but my lord am I glad to finally get out there. Their beer is better than ever, they are starting to really figure out who they are – and the taproom is finding it’s place in this bigger community in a really fun way. I dig this one, a lot. We talked about how they got started, who they are, and about what they’re brewing. We even dove into the big question of “how big is too big” for a place like Cincy Brewing Company. It’s a long, fun show! Guests This Episode * Rob Rosen – Cincy Brewing Company* Brian Ross – Cincy Brewing Company From The Beer Fridge * Cincy Brewing Company – 4 Locks* Cincy Brewing Company – Branch Hill Bender* Cincy Brewing Company – Ezz* Cincy Brewing Company – Lincoln Heights* Cincy Brewing Company – Mad Anthony* Cincy Brewing Company – The Valley* Cincy Brewing Company – Wright Stuff Also – I have to give a massive, massive shoutout to this months sponsors of the show: * Chef Tony over at FoodTrucker Magazine – he’s also with the Queen City Mobile Food Truck Association. It covers two sides of the food truck world. If you have a food truck or are just nerdy about the behind-the-scenes “stuff” that it takes to run one – check out Food Trucker Magazine. If you’re looking for a food truck, though – Queen City Mobile Food Truck Association is the place to go. This organization can find the best truck for your taproom, event, or whatever you need a truck for. They’re great people, doing great work!* Bret Kollmann Baker over at Urban Artifact. Bret’s a great dude, and his brewery is cranking out some of the most fun, innovative beer in this city (and well beyond). They’ve got an online store that you should check out – especially since they’ll ship it right to your doorstep (depending on where you live. These folks are sponsors… they make this happen. You can help too, though. If you want to dedicate a few bucks each month to the Brewcast, to the website, the YouTube channel… all of that. You can always hit up the support page and do just that. It helps… it helps a lot!