The Gnarly Gnome: All The Podcasts

Linsey Kraeling runs the Tour de Cincinnati – which is a website that if you aren’t already familiar with – you need to quickly make yourself familiar with. It’s a one stop guide to all things Cincinnati, from top ten lists to a whole slew of reviews and advice on places to go. It’s incredible. She’s got a wealth of beer information on her site, how could you write about Cincinnati and not have beer information? Which means I needed to get her on the show – and this week (in the middle of my Covid lockdown) seemed like a great time. I was locked in my basement, and she was kind enough to keep me company for a little bit to talk about her website, social media, Cincinnati, and how it all comes together. Enjoy this episode – and if you don’t already follow her on social media – do it! Guests This Episode * Linsey Kraeling – TourdeCincinnati.com From The Beer Fridge * Listermann – Shamrock Shake* Sonder – Record Hop (Northern Discovery Hops)

I got Covid. Because I have it, I’ve been locked up in the basement this week, separated from my family and hacking up a lung. It’s been miserable, and unfortunately it bleeds over into the Brewcast this week, too. It’s a short one, and it’s a solo one… but how else would I start year 7 than with some chaos? We’ll be back to normal next week – in the meantime, come take a peek at how this show has evolved over the years – spoiler alert – it’s about you.

I’ve been waiting to do this show for a very long time… It’s a heavy one. I haven’t sat down with Dogberry Brewing company (on the Brewcast), and the brewery’s owner Tony Meyer for a couple of years now, and there is a lot that has happened in that time. I wanted to give Tony a chance to tell his story, not because you guys don’t understand the terrible things that have happened in the last year – but because it is really important to understand who DogBerry is. It’s not that any of this has changed fundamentally who they are – but it has solidified it in a way that not many things are able to do. I love these guys – and you deserve to hear this story from Tony’s own voice. Guests This Episode * Tony Meyer – DogBerry Brewing From The Beer Fridge * DogBerry – Freiheit Bock

If you have been around Cincinnati Craft beer for a little while, you probably know Del Hall – he’s definitely caused a few waves with his yearly ‘Beer Fast’ that he does each spring – but he’s also one of the owners of Mason’s 16 Lots Brewing, and a really fantastic guy to sit down and have a beer with. So… we did. 16 Lots is in the midst of a big rebrand, and a refresh of their identity – and since their new cans were making their debut in the taproom – I thought the timing just seemed perfect, right? We cracked open a couple of beers and chatted about everything, from Bockfest, to 16 Lots, to Del’s history and how he got into craft beer… and how he ended up at 16 Lots after all this time. Guests This Episode * Del Hall – 16 Lots Brewing From The Beer Fridge * 16 Lots – Bayern Kurve Bock

In a world where craft beer has created every concept imaginable, from massive production breweries to movie theaters to breweries aboard cruise ships… there aren’t many things that feel as great as a good, old, neighborhood brew pub. The folks behind Montgomery Public House (also lovingly called MPH) knew that when they started planning for their space in downtown Montgomery. Built upon a foundation of great food, great beer and great service – these guys had no idea that when they opened their doors in 2020, it would be in the middle of a global pandemic. They’ve soldiered on, though. Today we have a space that their loyal customers are happy to call home, and folks like me are more than happy to visit! I sat down to get the rundown of how the brewery came to be. We drank a few beers and explored exactly what their concept is all about, and even dove into the question that might hit you as soon as you look at their tap lineup – What’s with the Left Hand Brewing Company beers? It was a great show! Make sure that you subscribe on your favorite podcast platform, and if you like what we’re doing each week – consider heading over to support! Guests This Week * Jim Christmann – Montgomery Public House* Bill Bolger – Montgomery Public House From The Beer Fridge * Summit-ator – Doppelbock* Das Weizen – Hefeweizen* Napoleon’s Revenge – Belgian Tripel* Grate Dane – Baltic Porter* Bitchin’ Kitchen – IPA

This was a little different. I had an idea, and some goofy behind-the-scenes stuff that I needed to test out – so we rolled with it. I called a couple of friends (Justin and Danny from Sonder) and we did a long-distance Brewcast that hopefully doesn’t sound too much like it. The idea was simple… I threw together two little packs of beers for a blind tasting – none of us knew what beers were what, and we just started drinking, and talking. If you have been listening along with the journey of Cincy Brewcast since the beginning, you know that shows like this are how we sort of started – just fun ideas with good people and some beers… I hope to bring a little bit of that spirit back in the future. While the beers that we drank weren’t the freshest, it really wasn’t the point. It was about the conversation, the act of “getting together” and having a drink… even if it was digitally. Guests This Episode * Danny Herold – Sonder Brewing* Justin Neff – Sonder Brewing From The Beer Fridge * Wolf’s Ridge – Heartlandia* Brew Dog – Kaiser Co-Op* Seventh Son – Millstone* Heineken – 0% Non-Alcoholic (just listen… it was curiosity)

Sometimes scheduling doesn’t work out – it’s often that life takes over, family takes over and it just doesn’t work. This week? My guest that was supposed to be on the show let me down though… I was up a certain creek, without a paddle. This is why we have friends. The guys over at March First shot me a message as soon as they heard what I was going through, and said they’d be happy to jump on the show and chat. I ran over, eager to hang out over a beer and talk about whatever came into the conversation – after all… I’m a huge fan. Between the brewery, distillery, taprooms, let alone their little “side project” podcast called Shift Beers? There is a lot we could talk about… and a lot we did. If you want to know more about March First, obviously you can read about them here on the website, or if you wanna do things the official way, they’ve got their own website too. As for that Shift Beers Podcast I mentioned? You should definitely head over and subscribe to that – it’s on Apple and probably wherever else you listen to your podcasts, too! Guests This Episode * Chris Paquette – March First* Bryan Fisher – March First From The Beer Fridge * Dubbel Chin – Belgian Style Dubbel

Dead Low Brewing has been through a lot in their short life here in the Cincinnati Craft Beer Community – and with the chaos that the last year has brought, they’re definitely looking forward to what the future has in store for them. I sat down this week with their head brewer, Grant Thompson, who came on board just as Covid hit the industry in 2020. With how… “weird”, the last year has been, I know that a lot of folks haven’t had the chance to sit down and get to know him, and what he’s all about – so this episode spends a lot just diving into what makes him tick. We talk about how he got into the industry, how he ended up here in Cincinnati, and what he likes to brew. Of course… we drank a couple of beers along the way, too! For more information about Dead Low Brewing, you can of course explore a bit here on my website, but make sure that you head over to their site for a great breakdown of what you can expect when you stop in. Speaking of stopping in… you should 100% do that, too. They’re in a great spot, right off the highway by Coney Island and Riverbend – get out there and check them out! Guests This Episode * Grant Thompson – Dead Low, Head Brewer From The Beer Fridge * Dead Low – Zwickel Pilsner* Dead Low – Circadian Detachment* Dead Low – Schwarzbier* Dead Low – Division Channel* Dead Low – First Of All* Dead Low – Crazy Yvan

Ugh… Alone in studio for the second week in a row. Cincy Brewcast is certainly not about being along in a basement studio – but with colds hitting our house last week… it’s how things are going to be. Dad-Life. I won’t let it stop me from getting this show out, though – although a little later than it’s supposed to be. As we head into the last few months of winter, we’re getting into one of my favorite times in Cincinnati… Bock beer season. We’ve talked about Bock a few times on Cincy Brewcast, but I thought it was a great opportunity to dive into the history of the style a bit and some of the history of Bockfest to help get you excited for the upcoming beers that I sure hope will fill your beer fridge. We’re already starting to see the first few bocks hit shelves and tap lines around town and I’m excited!

It’s been a heck of a ride getting through 2020 – but here we are – 2021. With the new year comes bright futures, exciting ideas and for me, a renovated studio packed full of new ideas. This episode might be a “solo” show, which means it’s a little abbreviated – but in it we talk about the upcoming plans, not just from a few local spots in the middle of growth, but the plans of the Gnome and all the “stuff” around that. It’s a lot to cover, in a really short period of time, so grab a beer, hunker down and let’s do this! From The Beer Fridge * MadTree – Treesearch 04

This season is one of the finest times to crack open a cold beer… but what makes Christmas beer, well… Christmas beer? What’s this style all about? I was joined this week by Bret Kollmann Baker from Urban Artifact to crack a few open and figure it all out. Bret is easily the biggest Christmas beer nut that I know… so it only seemed fitting for him to help me navigate these waters. We talked about what makes this style so special to folks who go bonkers for it each winter, and the nostalgia factor’s importance in it all. It’s a great episode… If I do say so, myself. Guests This Week * Bret Kollmann Baker From The Beer Fridge * Great Lakes – Christmas Ale* West Side – Holiday Ale* Rhinegeist – Snug* Platform – Yule Jude* Wooden Cask – Winter Ale* Sam Adams – Old Fezziwig* Lexington Brewing Company – Kentucky Bourbon Barrel Peppermint Porter

This week’s episode is about Big Cis… the beer, the event, the plans for next year… but it’s about exploring what it’s all about, too. This collaboration is not just about creating a beer – it’s about reminding ourselves what makes craft beer so fun, and so special in the first place. I sat down with Andy Reynolds from Alexandria Brewing and Sean Willingham from Municipal Brew Works to have a couple beers, talk about Mike and explore this whole idea of Big Cis – and you get to hang out with us while we do. Guests This Episode * Andy Reynolds – Alexandria Brewing Company* Sean Willingham – Municipal Brew Works From The Beer Fridge * Braxton Brewing – Edge Of Mysteries* Braxton Brewing – Coffee Crumb Cake* Braxton Brewing – Dark Charge – Blueberry Muffin

I have been wanting to get the Ohio Craft Brewer’s Association on the show for a very long time, and with the current state of the world – it seemed like it couldn’t be more timely than to get them on in 2020. Justin Hemminger from the OCBA joined me via Zoom to chat about the organization, and how 2020 has shaped up to be something unlike any year before. I can’t even begin to tell you how many folks have let me know that the very existence of an organization like this has been critical for their business this year – and it has brought to light just how valuable they are… not every state is as lucky as Ohio to have as great of folks working for their industry. On the show we drank a couple of beers – Justin was drinking Fretboard’s OohAhh and I put away Taft’s Santa’s Bribe. We talked about the history of the OCBA and some of the main focuses or goals that they have as an organization. We talk about their auction that they were getting ready to launch (it’s live now!) and the importance of fundraising (especially in a year like this…) – all in all? I call this one a great episode! Guests This Episode * Justing Hemminger – The Ohio Craft Brewer’s Association From The Beer Fridge * Fretboard – OohAhh* Taft’s – Santa’s Bribe

Quarantine is in full effect in my house, which means that the Brewcast schedule has taken a hit this month. Shows that I planned, are postponed, and the ease of just hitting record is, well… not easy. Being locked in a house with two small kids, and a wife who (although she may like beer) has no desire to sit around and talk beer with me – it all means that I have a lot on my mind. This week’s release of BCCS (and a ton of really fantastic local beers) means that you might have to deal with a solo rant this week while we normalize the schedule a little bit. With my apologies… hang in there for this one! From The Beer Fridge * Fretboard Brewing – Cool Meditation

I have been wanting to do this show (or some version of this show) for literally years at this point. Warped Wing Brewing Company might be very much a Dayton Brewery, but it’s easy to see that they, and their beer, most definitely play a role in Cincinnati Beer. We’ve had their beer on the show a few times… and it seems like it’s finally the opportunity to get them on and talk about the brewery in a little more depth. The brewery recently opened up their Barrel Room and Smokery in Springboro, and it’s close enough to Cincinnati that… well… the line get’s blurry enough. I sat down with owner’s John Haggarty and Nick Bowman to explore not just what this new location is all about, but also to dive into their story a bit to give you an idea why this brewery is as fantastic as I think they are. We drink a few beers, share a few laughs and hopefully shed a little light on their story (and give you a few reasons that you need to head up to check out what they’re doing!) Guests This Episode * John Haggarty* Nick Bowman From The Beer Fridge * Warped Wing/Crooked Handle – 12 Days of Christmas Cranberry Kolsch* Warped Wing – Esther’s Little Secret 2020* Warped Wing/Witch’s Hat – Carajillo You can always find out the latest information about Warped Wing by hitting them up on their website, and their social media. If you pay close attention, you might be able to find the latest news right here too… hmmmm…