Greg Koch is Afraid of Becoming a Curmudgeon & We Drink Stone Brewing's FML and Dayfall
Yes, you read the title right. Greg Koch. As in co-founder of Stone Brewing. Greg Koch. As in the co-master mind of some of the best hop-forward beers this side of, well, Earth. Arrogant Bastard. Ruination. Enjoy By. Cali Belgique. Frankly, too many to name here. But we could go on.
We digress. Greg joins the Beer Freaks Crew to talk about Germany's reinheitsgebot, what drew him and Steve to focus Stone Brewing on hoppy beers, brewing technology and ingredients, rock and roll, and trying his best to keep an open mind and not become a curmudgeon as he gets older and wiser. All this while Derek and Stu enjoy Stone Brewing's Fear Movie Lions (guess why it's called that!) and the new Belgian White, Dayfall. Cheers to some incredible beers, and stories!
Bob Barnes is Afraid of Heights & We Drink Able Baker Infamy 2403 Imperial Porter
Bob Barnes is a former school teacher turned food and beverage writer in Las Vegas. He's written for Gayot, Vegas Seven, Las Vegas Magazine, Celebrator Beer News, and more. And he's here with us to talk about his very, very specific fear of heights, particularly when his feet are not supported (think ski lift). To help him cope with his very rational fear of falling from such great heights (what up, Postal Service?), we crack open a few Able Baker Infamy 2403s, which happen to be barrel-aged imperial porters. We also spend time talking about the history of the Las Vegas beer scene, which has changed dramatically since the 90s. It's gonna be a fun ride. Keep your hands and (especially) legs inside the cart at all times, Bob!
Zane Lamprey is Afraid of Bombing and We Drink Offshoot Beer Co. & Marlowe Artisanal Ales
Zane Lamprey is a legend (he might kill me for saying that), starring in incredible shows like Three Sheets on the Travel Channel and Spike, Drinking Made Easy on AXS TV, and Have Fork, Will Travel on Food Network, not to mention his podcast and upcoming comedy and brewery tour which is almost guaranteed to be coming to a brewery in your town (seriously, just go to zanelamprey.com to see the tour). And for some very strange reason, he decided to join us on Beer Freaks to talk about his fear of bombing on stage, the sustainability of our environment and planet, his brand Adv3nture, his collaboration beer, and more while we drink some tasty beverages from Offshoot Beer Co. and Marlowe Artisanal Ales. If you don't listen to this episode, there's something wrong with you.
Chad Letts is Afraid of the Dissolution of Our Country & We Drink Techno Tomboy by Outer Range Brewing
Chad Letts is a voice over artist. And that’s pronounced “arteest.” He’s done some serious work, including a Super Bowl ad for Mercari. So what’s he doing on our show? Well, other than showing off his sweet pipes, he also wanted to sit down and have a delicious Outer Range Techno Tomboy craft beer with us while talking about his fear of the downfall of culture by means of technology, lack of conversation, and perspective. We talk politics, political correctness, cancel culture and more while enjoying a delicious Techno Tomboy IPA from Outer Range Brewing out of Frisco, Colorado. Oh, and Pat from an earlier episode joined us as a guest host. It was pretty fun. Plus, we got a little boozy. Join us!
"Beer Snob" Julio Has PTSD And We Drink Mason Ale Works Harry & the Sendersons Hazy Triple IPA
Julio is an amazing dude, veteran, father, husband, and former MMA fighter. But you might know him best from his Instagram handle, @lasvegasbeersnob. This guy knows what's up in the Las Vegas beer community, having appeared at almost all of the most recent brewery openings, bartending at Servehzah on Main Street, and chugging plenty of beers along the way!
This episode was a roller coaster. There are ups, where we are all having a blast, talking smack about baseball and beer. Then, there are some downs, when we dive into Julio's military service that has left him with PTSD and the challenges that come along with it.
But the good news is that we all had a blast by the end while we enjoyed a beer with amazing can art and even better taste, Mason Ale Works (of course it's another San Diego brewery) Harry and the Sendersons Triple Dry Hopped Hazy Triple IPA with Citra, Mosaic, and Galaxy Hops!
Charlie Peaches is Afraid of Fucking Up & We Drink Odell Brewing Friek Raspberry Cherry Sour
Charlie Peaches is many things. An entrepreneur. A philosopher. A deep thinker. He's worked with multinational, multimillion dollar organizations on strategy consulting for several years now. So it only makes sense that one of his fears is, well, fucking things up. This isn't just about business, it's about all things in life, what could we possibly fuck up today? Something that we can all probably wrap our heads around, right? But don't worry, it's not all business. Because we overcome this fear tonight, at least temporarily, by drinking Odell Brewing's Friek Raspberry Cherry Sour. An interesting beer, to say the least. But that makes sense. Because it's an interesting podcast!
Emma Doherty is Afraid of Bugs & We Drink New Glory Gummy Worms Chew Pale Ale and Anakena Carmenere Wine
Emma knows her stuff. In fact, while she might be one of the youngest sommeliers in America, she also knows a thing or two about beer. And we put her to the test. Not only that, but we also had wine on the show for the first time EVER. That's right. Derek and I can class it up sometimes. So don't be alarmed when we know our stuff about wine, too. Oh, and we talk about bugs. Because who isn't afraid of bugs. This is one you don't want to miss.
John & LeAnne Notabartolo Are Afraid of Rats & We Drink Nota Brau and Lagunitas
John and LeAnne Notabartolo are Las Vegas badasses, and quite possibly the inspiration for the Dos Equis most interesting man in the world. They've done just about everything. They know just about everyone. So we talk with them about their fear of rats and life's purpose, and drink some damn good beer, including one Jon brewed himself. See? Didn't we tell you they do just about everything?
Horror Happy Hour #7: Le Père Fouettard & We Drink Founders Big Luscious Stout
Père Fouettard (pronounced [pɛʁ fwɛtaʁ]; French for '"Father Whipper" or "Old Man Whipper"') is a character who accompanies Saint Nicholas on his rounds during Saint Nicholas Day (6 December) dispensing lumps of coal and/or beatings to naughty children while St. Nicholas gives gifts to the well behaved.[1] He is known mainly in the far north and eastern regions of France, in the south of Belgium, and in French-speaking Switzerland, although similar characters exist all over Europe (see Companions of Saint Nicholas). This "Whipping Father" was said to bring a whip with him to spank all of the naughty children who misbehaved.
Oh and we drink Founders Big Luscious Stout brewed with chocolate and raspberries. 7.8% and full of flavor. Listen to hear more!
Horror Happy Hour #6: The Winchester House, Big Dogs Brewing Violent Violet
The Winchester House in northern California has captivated the interest of ghost hunters and aficionados for decades. From the dozens of rooms, ever expanding construction, hallways and doors leading to nowhere, and spiritual seances, this unlikely story of the heiress to the Winchester Rifle fortune is as captivating as it is bizarre. So enjoy, and crack a Big Dogs Brewing Violent Violet with us as we tell the tale.
Horror Happy Hour #5: Dyatlov Pass, Cascade Brewing Cranberry Sour
The Dyatlov Pass incident has kept people guessing for decades since the 1950s, so much so that the case has even been reopened. Experienced hikers getting freaked out, leaving their tents in the dead of night during sub-zero temperatures, and getting maimed and murdered by god knows what. But the call was coming from inside the tent, as it seems they all clawed and cut their way out randomly as they were set to sleep for the day. Crazy, crazy stuff. So we sip a great beer in Cascade Brewing's Cranberry Sour and talk about all of the facts, and then all of the crazy theories that are out there, from hallucinatory reindeer piss to the abominable snowman, and everything in between.
Horror Happy Hour #4: Roanoke Island, 10 Barrel Brewing, Ratio Beerworks
This episode is particular fun for us because not only are we talking about the creepy and mysterious disappearance of the settlers on Roanoke Island (just off the coast of North Carolina), but we are also finishing the #ColoradoWeirdBeerChallenge. That's right, we drink a beer infused with carrots, as well as a beer with a hybrid of weisse and bock styles. This is one you don't want to miss!
Pat Evans is Afraid of the Worst Case Scenario & We Drink Mason Aleworks & Mother Earth Brewing
Pat is a beer and liquor writer, as well as a professor at UNLV. This guy legitimately gets paid to travel the country and drink. Where do we sign up? Except, Pat's problem is that in every situation, Pat goes to the worst-case-scenario. We are all victim to that sometimes, but Pat won't even drive on the freeway. So we discuss this fear over a few great beer choices, brought to you by Derek's wife. Cheers!
Dr. Swarts is Afraid of the Future for Our Kids & We Drink Modern Times and Founders
Dr. Spencer Swarts is a childhood friend of Stu who also just so happens to be working on developing the latest advancements in rapid COVID testing in San Diego. He's been on the front lines of Flu testing as well. With a PhD from San Diego State University, he gives us the scoop on the latest in all things COVID, talks about his concerns about the future world we are handing to our children, and drinks some great beers with us over Zoom. Cheers!
Brian Chapin is Afraid of Being Stagnant & We Drink Mikkeller and Stone Brewing
Brian basically created the beer scene in Las Vegas. Does he brew beer? No. Does he own a brewery? No. But the dude started Motley Brews after spending time in Phoenix and San Diego, realizing that Vegas was ripe for the local, cultural phenomenon that is beer. And he was right. He's brought thousands of people out to incredible brew scenes like Downtown Brew Festival, Hopped Taco, the Great Vegas Festival of Beer, and plenty more. The guy knows his beer. Let's be honest. And we are incredibly lucky to have him spend some time with us, talking about his plight, as well as enjoying some great beer from Mikkeller and Stone Brewing!
Matt Brady is Afraid of TBD & We Drink His Astronomy Aleworks Brews
The founder and brewer of Astronomy Aleworks shares some of his beer, takes us to school on style, and plays fear trivia. Matt is a guy that doesn't hold back, either in his rhetoric or in his brewing style. Opening his brewery, Astronomy Aleworks in Las Vegas just a couple of years ago, Matt and his team have already made a splash on the Vegas brewery scene. Yes, he likes Star Wars. And yes, he has had several prominent astronomers come and speak at his brewery. But this is also a guy who doesn't give a damn about speaking his mind when it comes to other brews, politics, or cultural events. And it's pretty freaking awesome. Join us. And grab a beer while you do. Preferably an Astronomy Aleworks brew.
Laura is Afraid of Not Mattering & We Drink 7Five Brewing & Mason Aleworks
Laura is awesome. Let me just lead with that. We decided that her story was worth telling, especially when she decided that her worst fear was not mattering. We knew how to help: Great beer, of course. And then we talked about the damned cosmos. Right? I mean, we're all stardust that found its way to consciousness. So, that should be some damned meaning. But what helps us get there is Ryan Reaves brewery, 7Five. Specifically, the Shiver Giver. Then, Mason Aleworks helps us go cosmic with the Big Time Cosmic Revelation. So here we are. Hope you can hang.
Rich Barra is Afraid of Home Invasion & We Drink Ommegang and Dogfish Head
Today we've got two GREAT beers and a pretty damned good fear. While we enjoy some Ommegang Double Barrel Dubel and Dogfish Head 120 Minute IPA, we talk about Rich's fear of not having a gun in preparation for a possible home invasion. Controversial? Maybe. But the dude wants to look out for his family. And who can fault him for that? Let's rock and roll!
Derek Has Night Terrors & We Drink Deschutes Neon Daydream & Rogue Dreamland
Not only is this our first podcast back after a roughly five-month hiatus. Not only did we impressively tie the beer names to match up with the fear that we would discuss. Not only does the podcast sound crystal clear with some incredible new sounds. But we have a brand new co-host! Damn, this is a good podcast. *Sips beer*. Where was I?
Oh ya, I am incredibly excited to announce that Derek (who has been on an earlier episode) is officially joining me as co-host of Beer Freaks. And as an initiation, he has to talk about his deepest, darkest fear for his inagural episode. So, Derek talks about his night terrors and sleep paralysis. And because he told me what his fear was in advance, I was able to find a few beers from some of my favorite breweries to match up with the theme: Rogue Dreamland and Deschutes Neon Daydream. The fact that they are both from Oregon was a total coincidence. I'm assuming the folks that brew beer in that state are just sleepy all the time. Or they have wildly vivid dreams, perhaps from doing too many mushrooms. I'm not sure. And I'm certainly not judging.
I digress. So please enjoy Derek's first episode as co-host. Oh, did I mention the location of the podcast has changed, too? Ya, we are out of the plywood booth I built for my garage. I'll always have love for that thing. But it was hot. I mean, it was in my Las Vegas garage. C'mon! But now, oh boy, we have a sweet setup in Derek's podcast man cave, where the beer flows like wine. Enjoy!
Kyle & Phil Are Afraid of the Post COVID World & We Drink Sierra Nevada, Belching Beaver, and More
Phil, Kyle, and I have been friends since college. I've been delaying having them on the podcast because they're both bastards. But, it was inevitable. Phil is a massive player in the consulting world and Kyle has been crushing it on the tech scene in the Bay Area for a while. So we all decided to have a few beers and talk about what weird things are freaking us out right now.
Oren and James Are Afraid Rock & Roll Dying, Coronavirus; We Drink Lock Down Supplies
This is my first time doing a virtual podcast with remote guests. Thanks COVID-19. So sorry about the uneven audio. But we have a good time discussing Oren's fear that rock and roll is dying, James' fear of what the world is going to look like after the Coronavirus pandemic, all while drinking whatever we have on hand during our respective quarantines. This ranges from Sierra Nevada, Guinness, a few Canadian beers, and of course, a Stone and Alesmith collaboration. Enjoy!
Horror Happy Hour #3: The Jonestown Massacre, 41 Years Later
Almost 41 years ago to the day, over 900 Americans lost their lives in a cult suicide in South America. Let's talk about it while we drink a beer.
Ben is Afraid of Not Finding His Life's Purpose & We Drink Firestone Union Jack
Ben is a good friend and former co-worker of mine. In fact, he was one of the first people I met when I moved to Las Vegas in 2011. He is a writer, musician, entrepreneur, family man, and all-around badass. And for one night, we discuss his very real fear of not finding the thing that he really wants to do in life, especially now that he's almost in his 40s. And to help discuss (and maybe even forget about) that fear, we sit back and enjoy a few Firestone Union Jacks, as well as another beer I had left over in my fridge from 21st Amendment Brewing, their 10th anniversary special release of Monks Blood.
Wyndee Forrest is Afraid of Clowns & We Drink CraftHaus Beer at the Brewery!
Super excited for this one! I am lucky enough to host Wyndee Forrest, co-owner of CraftHaus Brewery, on this episode of Beer Freaks while she hosts me at her brewery. We sip some of their best beers (Dry Heat New England IPA is incredible, by the way), talk about how hazy IPAs use dry hopping to reduce bitterness, and discuss her intense fear of clowns which began with the movie Poltergeist. So much fun! No clownin'.
Horror Happy Hour #2: History of Halloween & Ninkasi Dawn of the Dead Red (Again)
Halloween is one of my favorite holidays every year. Tons of great horror films to watch. Crazy scary stories shared. And of course, great seasonal beer. But where does it all come from? In this Horror Happy Hour, we will dig into the history of Halloween, which starts over 4,000 years ago with the Celts, then to the Romans, and eventually, right here to America. Cheers!
Horror Happy Hour #1: Aliens Abducting Cows & Ninkasi Dawn of the Dead Red
Welcome to the first episode of my Horror Happy Hour format. In this roughly five-minute episode, I talk about cows being de-genitaled (is that a word?) in Oregon with no trace of blood while I drink Ninkasi's Dawn of the Dead Red, a fantastic red IPA from the same state where aliens might just be abducting said cows. Cheer!
Ann Johnson is Afraid of Birds & We Drink Station Twenty Six Brewing and Surly Brewing
Ann Johnson is a human badass who travels the world, grew up on a farm, drinks some damn good beer that she happily shared with me, and is for some strange reason afraid of birds (what?). We talk about that fear, along with several others while we hammer back a couple of really great IPAs from Station Twenty Six Brewing including Juicy Banger IPA (the classic) and Juicy Banger Fresh Hop IPA (the young gun), as well as an Xtra Citra Pale Ale from Surly Brewing. After those brews, we were both seeing birds.
PK is Afraid of Overpopulation & We Drink Tenaya Creek and Joseph James
PK is a world traveler, engineer, good friend, and great dude. And today we are talking about his fear of overpopulation and how that is going to impact several aspects of humanity moving forward, including famine, global warming, technology, and more. So it's a damn good thing we have several beers, including Joseph James Hop Box and Tenaya Creek to keep those fears at bay. Cheers!
Horror Happy Hour #0: I am Afraid of Black Holes & I Drink Kung Pao Beer!
No guest this time. Just me, my fear of this gigantic black hole that was just discovered and Kung Pao Imperial Stout by Stillwater Artisanal Ales. Believe it or not, this shit was good. I'm talking about the beer. You can decide for yourself on the podcast.
Derek Krueger is Afraid of the Dark & We Drink Golden Road and Saint Archer
Derek is a good friend of mine, basically a Las Vegas native, a podcaster, a TV show host, a man of many talents, and just a fascinating dude. He's also afraid of the dark. And with the stories he tells, he has good reason to be. Damn! So to help get through it, we drink a Golden Road Spicy Mango Cart. Then we try a fantastic brew from Saint Archer (I love you, San Diego).
Ty Tomco is Afraid of the Meaning of Life & We Drink Moscow Mules
Ty is a good friend of mine, a colleague here in Las Vegas, a financial wizard, and he's afraid of the meaning (or meaninglessness) of life. So to help us dive through this, we drink some Moscow Mules. I know, I know, I'm already breaking the rules of my show. But it's my show. Plus, Ty brought them. So we drank them. And they were damn delicious. Especially considering it was like 100 degrees in my recording booth (aka garage).
Also, you'll notice that I call the show "Beer & Horrors." That was the original title. And it's funny, because if you say it fast, it sounds like... well, never mind. But, I was told be too many people close to me that they didn't like it, so I changed it to the new and improved Beer Freaks, which I think even more succinctly encapsulates what this show is about.
Marie Sabino is Afraid of Going to Hell & We Drink Stiegl Radler and Bell's Brewery
Marie is a world traveler, Peace Corp survivor, mountain climber, desert hiker, Las Vegas festival wrangler, and an all-around awesome human. And she just so happens to be an agnostic who is really worried that maybe religion and spirituality is real, and now she's going to hell. So to help her cope, we drink Stiegl Radler Grapefruit which is pretty tasty but super low in ABV. Then we have Bell's Brewery Oberon Wheat Ale which was fantastic.
Jeremy Delfin is Afraid of Aliens & We Drink Einstok Olgerd Pale Ale
Jeremy is a good friend, construction planner, Spartan runner, new father, good boyfriend, Sun Devil's fan (unfortunately), festival-goer, and just a really cool guy. Even though he now lives in Phoenix, he came back to visit me in Las Vegas (well, me and the Life is Beautiful music festival) the same weekend that the "Storm Area 51" thing was supposedly going on. So Jeremy wanted to talk about his fear of aliens. And to help us do that without running away in fear, we decided to drink a few Einstok Olgerd Icelandic Arctic Pale Ales. Jesus that is a long name for a beer.
Blaine DeLuca is Afraid of Nukes & We Drink Joseph James Citra Rye Pale Ale
Blaine is an industrial engineer, world traveler, and all around good dude. But he used to work for a nuclear power company. So his fear is about nuclear proliferation, especially considering Russia just bragged about launching new rockets that are impossible to shoot down. So to help get past this perfectly legit fear, we drink a few beers, including Joseph James Citra Rye and Lovelady 9th Island Pineapple Sour. Blaine's also got a super charming southern accent, so you might want to just listen for that and that alone.
Also, you'll notice that I call the show "Beer & Horrors." That was the original title. And it's funny, because if you say it fast, it sounds like... well, never mind. But, I was told be too many people close to me that they didn't like it, so I changed it to the new and improved Beer Freaks, which I think even more succinctly encapsulates what this show is about.