Episode 24: Carton Brewing

This week we spoke with Augie Carton of Carton Brewing in Atlantic Highlands, N.J. Or, rather, he spoke to us. An excellent storyteller and passionate brewer, Augie packed in the history and philosophy of his beer and brewing generally into a tight 35 minute show.
He talked about specially paired beers, what it was like making "Boat" a 4(ish) percent beer that is all flavor, before the notion of flavor with a low ABV came into vogue. It's a tough beer to get outside of N.J. and, while that's not, not part of the design, it does allow them to make the beers they want and get them into the hands of the people most likely to appreciate them.
Augie also tells some great stories about customized beers--those made specifically with restaurants--and one made for a specific dish prepared at one of the best restaurants in the world. There's too much to talk about, so take a listen.

Episode 21: Tin Cannon Brewing

We were joined this week by +John Hilkert and +Aaron Ludwig of +Tin Cannon Brewing Co. One of our favorite features, when we can make them happen, is when we can speak with homebrewers about their decision to go professional. More than about scaling up, it's always cool to be reminded that the problems, solutions, and small victories in brewing are similar at all scales.
John and Aaron preview some of their beers and plans for their brewery and taproom set to open later this year. One of the fascinating things that most sets the craft beer boom aside from other industries is how regularly many of the next generation breweries are pay as you go. Our guests talk about their plan for growth in terms of small successes financing larger ones. With an increasing number of breweries opening yearly, it seems wise to make sure you're not over leveraged going into a new endeavor. The Tin Cannon guys talk about how the market can dictate their growth without threatening their longterm chances of success.

Episode 19: Mispillion River Brewing

Even though I know I'm not as clever as I believe I am, I'm still even less clever than that. This week, Doug and I were able to secure an interview with +Eric williams [sic] of +Mispillion River Brewing who was a charming, fun informative guest. But technical difficulties made him sound as if he were in a tin can. So before I break down the show, I have to recommend and thank the new version of +Audacity® which saved the interview and pulled Eric's voice out of the chaos my poor connection created. Anyway, I think we have the problem licked for now (again) but only time will tell.