Hop Nation USA - A Craft Beer Podcast

Episode 218: Necromancy Pants (LIVE at Necromancer Brewing)

Fall doesn't officially start until September 22, so the 2021 Spicy Boi Summer Revenge Tour rolls on at Necromancer Brewing. Adam and Steve are joined by head brewer Lauren. They talk about the light speed opening of the Pittsburgh brewery, the ideas behind resurrecting old beer styles, Oktoberfest plans and more. Then they get into Lauren's history and her journey from homebrewer to Sun King to the Pittsburgh Symphony to Viceland and beyond. Finally, they play a game of Bring It Back From the Dead, where they choose what former beer trends they want to resurrect. It ends in needing a backhoe.

BEERS:

Necromancer Brewing Cans of Worms ESB

Necromancer Brewing White Knuckle Belgian IPA

Necromancer Brewing Sticke Together Sticke-Altbier

Episode 217: From Our Homebrew to Yours (LIVE at NHHBF‘21)

 

It's wild episode this week with a full deck of hosts Steve, Adam, Kelsey and Katie live at the North Hills Homebrew Fest at the Syria Shriner's Pavilion. They sit down with the head brewer for Penn Brewery to talk about judging the competition, upscaling homebrews to commercial level beer, upcoming Oktoberfest, and more. Plus they talk to four homebrewers pouring at the event of varying experiences. Plus they drink beers from the homebrewers. Plus they had giant friggin' pierogis and brats, but you don't hear that on the episode.

Homebrewers Featured:

Wrenchworks Brewing

Steelbridge Brewing

Door Top Brewing

Tapmoor Brewing

Sixty South Brewing

Posset Brewing

Episode 216: A Rad Dish About Homebrewing

This week Adam Bashline of Bash Brew and the Decayin' With the Boys Podcast joins Adam and Steve in the Hop Nation USA Studios. This week they're drinking nothing but reinheitsgebot beers before they wade into the utter chaos of a homebrewing event. They give a preview of the North Hills Homebrew Fest on Sunday August 29th that they'll all be participating in. They also talk about new Pittsburgh breweries, and the Duke's Mayonnaise beer. Then in a fun chat about the scale of Bash Brew's system, how it's scaled since first being built, what's pro-level and what's still DIY, and what gadgets would and should you buy as a homebrewer. Finally it's the return of the long dead Dirty Anagrammer 9000 using the names of NHHBF'21 beers to slake its thirst for poop and pee jokes.

BEERS:

Weeping Radish Farm Brewery Yours Truli wheat ale

Weeping Radish Farm Brewery Red Ale

Weeping Radish Farm Brewery Black Radish Schwarzbier

Episode 215: Roll Out the Barrel, Feel the Flow (with Day Bracey)

This week Adam is on vacation. So instead it's Steve, Dennis, and Day Bracey spending time talking about Barrel & Flow Fest 2021, the largest Black beer fest coming from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. You could call this a Hop Nation USA x Daily Sip x Drinking Partners collab, if you wanted because they spend a lot of time talking about the wonderful collaboration beers at B&FF. This includes Dennis' collab with Our Town, how Run the Jewels got hooked up with Brew Gentlemen, and the three beers they're drinking on this episode. Plus they get into what separates Barrel & Flow from other fests, its growth, partnership with Tavour, what it takes to put on such a massive event, the future, and more.

BEERS:

Crafted Culture x Burgh'ers Brewing Knock If Ya Bock Doppelbock

18th St Brew x Revolution Brewing Shop Talk West Coast IPA

Byron Nash x Helltown Brewing BLQ METAL Hazy IPA

Episode 214: Reserve in Peace

An episode Il Classico with Adam and Steve from the Hop Nation USA studio. Steve picked a bunch of mutants of beers styles Adam likes and then they drink. Goodnight everybody.

...oh plus, Pickle Beer is back, Texas loves trash beer, and Pittsburgh is getting a new brewery. Find out why all the cool kids are taking selfies with their vax cards. Plus they pay their (dis)respects to the 11 garbage brands Epsteined by Molson Coors. And they rip off PTI again despite Steve not watching ESPN or knowing how to pronounce a lot of words.

BEERS:

Surly Brewing Pentagram Dark Sour

Threes Brewing Kicking and Screaming Foudre-Fermented Pilsner

Rusty Rail Brewing Buckeye Gold Peanut Butter Chocolate Imperial Hefeweizen

Episode 213: Sheepshank the Frays (LIVE at Two Frays Brewery)

Steve and Adam are traveling once again. This time it's to one of Pittsburgh's newest breweries in Two Frays in the heart of Garfield. They sit down with owners (+more) Mike and Jen Onofray. They talk about the origins of the brewery, what it's like planning during the pandemic but missing restrictions as they opened, and how they connected with the community. Then they get more into Mike's brewing history, the travel and experiences both Mike and Jen bring with them.  Finally, it's a quiz and it's knot what anyone expected.

BEERS:

Two Frays Brewery It's Always Sunny With A Beer Session IPA

Two Frays Brewery Sor'Ace Saison

Two Frays Salty Ginger Gose

Episode 212: In the Groove (LIVE at Inner Groove Brewing)

Adam and Steve take a trip up the Allegheny River to Verona and Inner Groove Brewing. They're joined by Kevin and Jen Walzer, part owners, as well as brewer and marketer respectively. Also new assistant brewer Marcus Wyatt sits down as well. First they get into the history of the brewery, the link to vinyl and music references in the theme, a hint at some big news for the future and upcoming events. Next Marcus tells his story from homebrewer to working for Inner Groove and landing a scholarship for the new brewing program at Point Park University. He gets into everything he's learning at the program and what his future plans are. Finally it's a mad dash for the best record collection. Everyone's on a vinyl hunt in another devious game devised by Steve.

BEERS:

Inner Groove Brewing Bored Rotten Hazy IPA

Inner Groove Brewing Satellite Heart Sour Ale

Inner Groove Brewing Melt With You Waffle Cone Brown Ale

Episode 211: A Trace of Beer, A Hint of Coffee

This week Steve and Adam make it to Trace Brewing in the trendy Bloomfield neighborhood of Pittsburgh. They're joined by third time returning Aadam Soorma who is in charge of their marketing, Zach Colton head brewer, and Joe Burns who runs the coffee side of Trace. They talk about all three's histories and how they arrived at Trace. They also talk about coolships, Redhawk coffee, drag brunches, and more about what makes Trace a unique space. Finally, it's a game of Team Beer vs Team Coffee to see who knows more about their respective beverage.

BEERS:

Trace Brewing Lazy Summer Home Pale Ale

Trace Brewing Moving Castle 2 IPA

Trace Brewing Kellerbier Pale Lager

Episode 210: Stoutmas in July

Full house at Hop Nation Central with Kelsey, Katie, Adam and Steve. In case you didn't know, all weather is stout weather and every season is stout szn. In the news, someone stole beer from billionaires who didn't need or drink it, marketing firms ruin another collab beer with AC/DC, Coors kills seltzer, and the most confusing collab with Suntory Beam Boston Beer Truly Sauza (hit that SEO.) Then they talk about the process for making ice creamed beer the WDS Dessert way and come up with their own dream innovations for the next big non-beer beer. Finally it's a game of Invest, Visit and Burn to the Ground involving some of the gang's favorite breweries.

BEERS:

Logyard Brewing Kick Back 2XCoffee Stout

Oskar Blues Death by Flapjacks

Spoonwood Brewing Mochanut Goon BBL Stout

Episode 209: Between the Burial and Me

Steve and Adam are back on Zoom, but they're using this power for the good of talking to David Paul Seymour who is the artist for Burial Beer. They also bring in Greg from North Carolina. Greg is their Burial Beer dealer. Then they all have a good time. They learn about DPS's history before Burial, how he got the job, and some of his favorite beers and breweries. Then they talk about David's projects outside of Burial including his new novel Kumasan and the feature length animated film The Planet of Doom. Finally, it's a game of Is It a Beer, Is it a Metal Song, or Is It Both?

BEER:

Burial Beer Co. Have Everything and Have Nothing At All Dry Hopped Pilsner

Burial Beer Co. While the Light is Lime Enjoy Your Time and Just Don't Die This Time Orange IPA

Burial Beer Co. Skillet Donut Stout

Burial Beer Co. Spectacle of Martyrdom Mild Ale

Burial Beer Co. Metallic Vessels Black Lager with Coffee

SELTZERS:

Fulton Strawberry Rhubarb Hard Seltzer

Fulton Hopped! Hard Seltzer