Hop Nation USA - A Craft Beer Podcast

Episode 172: My Best Pod Theory

Jason Cercone returns to the Hop Nation USA via Zoom with Steve and Adam. He's the host of the new podcast consulting podcast Pod Theory. This week they look at Michelob's Chief Exploration Officer, WWE Wines, Clayton Kershaw's charity beer, Coca-Cola and ALDI changing the seltzer game, and more. Then they get into podcast and marketing theory, including the importance of planning, what causes podcasts to fail, how to stand out, and how to grow your audience. Finally, they play a game of "Is it A Podcast, Is It A Beer, or Is It Both?"

Beers:

Four Points Cargovan IPA

Shubrew Jumpman Pixelated IPA

Levity End of Haze IPA

Hitchhiker Hammer & Lime Cocktail Ale

Riverside Brewing Puckish Berliner-Weisse

Southern Tier Pumking Nitro Pumpkin Ale

Helltown Hefeweizen

Abjuration Strawberry Milkshake Ale

Michelob Infusions Prickly Pear

Episode 171: United Kingdom Come

Katie has returned from deployment, successfully quarantined and brought beers from the U.K. Now it's time for her to Voltron(or Megazord) with Kelsey to make Kasey and join Adam and Steve in the studio. First they talk about the big news of mediocre lager Yuengling teaming up with mediocre macro purveyor Molson Coors to purvey Yuengling to the west. Then it's discussion of "underrated" Old Thunder Brewing, and Greensburg Craft Beer Week. Then they're on to modern solutions for modern problems as Oktoberfest is canceled, but the crew has solutions for in home Oktoberfest. Finally, Katie and Kelsey provide their picks for the 2020 Fantasy Fridge.

Beers:

Purity Brewing Pure Ubu Amber Ale

Moorhouse's Brewery Pendle Witches Brew Strong Ale

Wild Weather Ales Full of Beans Export Maple & Walnut Coffee Stout 

Episode 170: Best I CansPgh + 2020 Fantasy Fridge Draft

Bill the mind behind the best Twitter resource for Pittsburgh can releases joins Steve and Adam over zoom. He talks about the fomo driving the origins of @canspgh, following Phish, exploring outside of Pittsburgh and more. He also participates in the yearly Fantasy Fridge Draft where everyone tries to draft the best Fridge with such categories this year as The Election Night Beer and the Aussie Rules Football beer.

Beers:

Dancing Gnome Painter Pigment NEIPA

Rivertowne Oktoberfest

Hitchhiker Brewing Bane of Existence Double IPA

Aslin Brewing Master of Oranges IPA

New Holland Dragon's Milk White barrel aged white stout

Yellow Bridge Brewing YB Pils

Strange Roots Mutant Temple IPA

North Country Sour Series Watermelon Cucumber Lime

Grist House Dark Nectar Honey Porter

Episode 169: Oh My Social Darling (Don't Cryo)

Adam is back from vacation and is back in the studio with Steve. This week they're drinking beers beloved by social media and Untappd. First they talk about the East End survival package, how the Great American Beer Festival adapted for Covid, and Luke Bryan. It was slow news week. Then they talk about the 20 Most Influential beers according to First We Feast and Zythophile and update the list for 2020. Finally, it's a discussion about the 10 most influential beers/breweries of Pittsburgh. Come for the hype beers, stay for the sick Bane impression and Chicago song.

Beers:

Lawson's Finest Liquids Sip of Sunshine IPA

Allagash White Witbier

Toppling Goliath Brewing King Sue DNEIPA

Episode 168: Fairly Very Local (w/ Aadam Soorma)

This week Kelsey returns and takes over for cohost as Adam is in North Carolina. Steve is still here. Together they interview Aadam Soorma of Very Local PGH. He offers his insight of being a beat journalist for the city of Pittsburgh which includes everything from breweries to food trucks to coffee roasters. All of them local. He also offers his own personal experiences, stories of stumbling upon a brewery in Ohio and his bag of mixology tricks. Finally Steve rips off Adam who rips of PTI to play the game Word where they tackle subjects like Stone, Busch dog beer, Gardner Minshew and the return of beerfests.

Beers:

Cinderlands Test Piece Citra IPA

Grist House Double Edged Sword DIPA

Chandeleur Island Brewing Raspberry Ginger Sour Ale

Hitchhiker Brewing Fruit Rush Blueberry Watermelon Lemonade Smoothie Sour Ale

Grist House Udderly Bananas Porter

Couch F1 Hazy IPA

Grist House Seltza Drip Strawberry + Guava Seltzer

Abjuration Brewing Vanilla Oak Belgian

 

Episode 167: Sleeping in the Logyard

Adam and Steve are in studio sharing the bounty of Logyard Brewing. First they talk about Budweiser desperate for attention from the driest state in the union, but get distracted and talk about Demolition Man. Then Steve lobbies for a job as the CMO for Bud Light Seltzer which leads to a sick Back to the Future reference. Also pickle beer is back. Then they're off to the most remote breweries in both Pennsylvania and the U.S. A lot of hyper local small community references follow. Finally, it's a 2020 update of how stupid beer is and what stupid things have made their way into beer... and what hasn't.

Beers:

Logyard Brewing Pine Man IPA

Logyard Brewing Misery Whip NEIPA

Logyard Brewing Shandy le Bleu Blueberry Shandy

Episode 166: Why Does It Burn When I PA? (w/ Breweries in PA)

Matt and Chadd from Breweries in PA join Steve and Adam to talk about the state of beer in Pennsylvania (booooooo) They get into adapting a website primarily based on reporting from breweries for the current Covid situation. How to still run brewery supporting events, like a scavenger hunt, and what the future of their events might look like. Then they talk about favorite Black is Beautiful beers, what breweries in PA need more love, where they would do their website if they couldn't focus on Pennsylvania, and more. Finally, it's a rousing game of is it a Minor League Baseball Team or a Beer? This game is hard. What is a Sod Poodle anyway?

Beers:

11th Hour Brewing Embrace the Martian Experimental IPA

11th Hour Brewing Nocturnal Rainbow Coffee Milk Stout

Four Seasons Brewing Norwegian Lights IPA

Grist House Parrot Party Dessert Sour

Hitchhiker Brewing Point of Confusion White Stout

Lavery Brewing Pineberry Crush Sour

Spoonwood Consuming Fire Smoked Porter

St. Boniface Craft Brewing Theory and Reality IPA

Tattered Flag Brewing Flavor Guided Juice Missile IPA

 

Episode 165: Beers from County Hell

Adam and Steve are in the studio drinking beers from breweries that touch Allegheny County. Local-ish. They have news about Shiner, Aldi, and Hitchhiker. Then they do a round up of all the new breweries aposedta open up in Pittsburgh within the next year, and boy is it a lot. It's a lot without even getting into non-local, non-independent, and spaces that aren't just extensions of already existing breweries. Saturation? What saturation? Finally, Steve dives into the world of seltzer reviews on Untappd and comes up with some of the dumbest and funniest reviews, while also complaining about why people are bad at reviewing and Untappd should be shut down.

Beers:

North Country Brewing Strawberry Colada Sour Series

Four Points Overbranded Mosaic DIPA

Petrucci Brothers Tears of Joy Barrel Aged Belgian Quad

Episode 164: All in a Day's Work (w/ Day Bracey)

Day Bracey of the Drinking Partners Pod and one of the Founders of Fresh Fest Beer Fest joins Steve and Adam to talk everything Digi Fest coming up Aug 8th. They get into all the wonderful collaborations coming for the festival, the uniqueness of being able to distribute a beer fest cross country, what it takes to build an app, lessons the world of stand up gave Day to apply elsewhere and how Pittsburgh provides opportunities to creators looking to succeed. There's also a lot of talk of food and the best beer and sandwich pairings.

 

Beers:

Troegs Nimble Giant IPA

Grist House Bee-utiful Blonde

11th Hour Brewing Embrace the Martian IPA

Sweetwater Brewing Trainwreck

Westbound and Down Hazy IPA

Grist House Crisp Kolsch

Shubrew Shunami S'mores Stout

Episode 163: For Beersons Unknown

Adam and Steve continue the new normal of one episode in the studio (one off.) This week is the return of the Mysterious Beer Fridge of Mystery. They talk about the revised PA food laws, learn what a Raines sandwich is, are confused by the Ohio voting awareness campaign "collaboration," and get fed up with Florida.  Then they talk about the greatest unsolved mysteries in beer. They're mostly truck heists, but it's wild. Finally, it's another round of Nobody Asked You where they answer beer questions from the internet nobody asked them... and one about the Seattle Kraken. There's also Alex Jones impressions. I know it doesn't seem like they have a place on a beer podcast, but it makes sense. You'll see.

 

Beers:

Southern Tier Vanilla Whipp Milkshake IPA

Strange Roots Pineapple Upside Down Cake Ale

Saucy Brewworks Modern Crimes Coconut Porter