Consuming the Craft

Chris Harshman is a ‘Whiskey Enthusiast’ and the Director of Technology Services at A-B Tech Community College in Asheville, NC. Chris holds a Full Stack Web Development Certification and Computer Software Engineering Certification from Free Code Camp, a Bachelor’s degree from Elon University, and a Law degree from Temple University. Additionally, he holds a Green Belt in Lean Six Sigma and a PMP Certification from the Project Management Institute.

Chris joins me today to share how he became a whiskey and bourbon enthusiast and why he believes there’s ‘no wrong way’ to drink bourbon. He describes the various ways he enjoys drinking good bourbon and shares how staying hydrated throughout the day impacts your experience. He also discusses the sensory experiences and challenges that many bourbon judges and tasters experience when judging various types of bourbons as well as the differences between store picked and non-store picked bourbons.

This week on Consuming the Craft:

• What inspired Chris’s enthusiasm with whiskey.
• Why your taste for whiskey may change as you get older.
• How he enjoys drinking bourbon.
• How proper hydration impacts your experience of drinking alcoholic beverages.
• The challenges associated with whiskey and bourbon tasting and judging.
• Why it’s important for bourbon judges to swallow the bourbon, instead of spitting it out, when judging different bourbons.
• What aromatic compounds are and how they impact your whiskey tasting experience.
• How the processing process impacts the ‘mouth feel’ while drinking whiskey and bourbon.
• The benefits of “barrel picking” and the importance of distillers establishing relationships with vendors.
• The Booze Clues Old Weller store pick vs non-store pick bourbon challenge.
• My 10-part whiskey tasting method.
• How your sensory memory and recognition impacts your preferred whiskey choices.
• Does non-chill filtering truly change the taste of whiskey?

Connect with Chris Harshman:

• LinkedIn

This episode is brought to you by...

McConnell Farms - Taste the Way You Remember. Enjoy homemade ciders and ice cream made from only the best produce on the market. Visit the McConnell Farms website to learn more our seasonal inventory and delicious creations you can make with our homegrown produce.

Consuming the Craft is produced by Podcraft. You can create your own great podcast - faster and easier - at Podcraft.com

Audra Gaiziunas is the founder and CEO of Brewed for Her Ledger, a management consultancy firm helping businesses and entrepreneurs in the craft brewing and cider communities improve profitability through business plan reviews, operational auditing, designing financial management systems, and providing full-service bookkeeping solutions. She is a Maven of Breweries and Wineries that has worked exclusively in the craft beer industry for a decade. She holds an undergraduate degree in accounting and business management from Loras College and a graduate degree from the prestigious Kenan-Flagler OneMBA Program at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

Audra joins me today to share how she became known as a “fractional CEO” and beer maven. She shares her first experience of home brewing an all-grain smoked porter beer and why she runs half marathons for beer. She explains how your systems and processes impact your numbers and why it’s important to regularly review and update your Chart of Accounts. She also shares some of the most common mistakes she sees small breweries and wineries make as well as the benefits of working with a “fractional CEO” to improve your business operations and increase profits.

This week on Consuming the Craft:

• What is a “Fractional CEO” for breweries and wineries?
• How Audra helps brewery and winery CEO’s bridge the gap between their passion for bubbly beer and understanding the numbers.
• Her first foray into home brewing.
• Why she runs a half marathon to “earn her beer.”
• How your systems and processes can help you improve your numbers without sacrificing quality.
• The benefits of working with a “fractional CEO.”
• The impact of trying to micromanage your brewery employees.
• The most common mistakes Audra has seen in breweries and wineries.
• The Super Boozey Booze Clues orange golden toffee liquor and the unconventional lessons Audra has learned from her mother.
• The different flavor profiles between blackcurrant and redcurrant.
• Audra’s mother’s Eastern European spirit concoctions - including her interesting take on a traditional cavass recipe.
• The interesting - yet unknown - Lithuanian beer culture.
• Why the Lithuanian beer culture is the heart of craft artisan beer.
• The Game of Thrones Viking Effect of mead.

Connect with Audra Gaiziunas:

• Brewed For Her Ledger
• Brewed For Her Ledger Facebook
• Instagram
• LinkedIn

This episode is brought to you by...

McConnell Farms - Taste the Way You Remember. Enjoy homemade ciders and ice cream made from only the best produce on the market. Visit the McConnell Farms website to learn more our seasonal inventory and delicious creations you can make with our homegrown produce.

Consuming the Craft is produced by Podcraft. You can create your own great podcast - faster and easier - at Podcraft.com

Sara Stender is the empress of loose-leaf tea. She is the founding CEO of 3 Mountains, LLC., the Founder and Executive Director of Africa Healing Exchange, and the owner of Tima Tea. After learning about the Rwandan genocide at the age of 22, she was on a mission to help the Rwandan people and ecomony. By 2012, she founded the Africa Healing Exchange and in 2016, 3 Mountains and Tima Tea were born. Tima Tea currently offers several organic tea products including black tea, green tea, tulsi lemongrass tea, silver tea, and white tea with several new flavors expected to hit the market soon.

Sara joins me today to discuss how the Rwandan genocide inspired her mission to bring direct Rwandan tea to the US while helping to improve the Rwandan economy. She explains the difference between bag tea and loose-leaf tea and explains how tea bags were actually created by mistake. We discuss the unhealthy side effects of drinking bag tea and how sales from Tima Tea helps grow the Rwandan economy and inspire communities. She also shares some of the latest ventures and products Tima Tea expects to release this year.

This week on Consuming the Craft:

• What’s included in the Get Loose Kit.
• The unhealthy side effects of drinking bag tea.
• The Booze Clues Sparkling Mushroom Tea surprise - Tea in a wine glass?
• What inspired her mission to bring Rwandan-direct tea to the United States.
• The creation of Tima Tea’s upcoming products: Harvest Gold and Platinum.
• Blending black tea with a sweet apple juice flavor.
• Why they decided to put a gorilla on the can design.
• Tima Tea’s newest venture: The Tulsi Lemongrass Tea
• How Tima Tea sales are helping to build legacies in Rwanda as well as improve its economy.

Connect with Sara Stender:

• Tima Tea
• 3 Mountains
• Africa Healing Exchange

Consuming the Craft is produced by Podcraft. You can create your own great podcast - faster and easier - at Podcraft.com

CBI010 Improving Quality & Consistency of Fermented Brews with Dan Kuleric of Precision Fermentation

Dan Kuleric is the COO of Precision Fermentation. Since it’s founding in 2017, Precision Fermentation has been dedicated to providing real-time monitoring solutions to craft brewers that dramatically enhance their control over the fermentation process. With over 20 years of experience in the brewing industry, Dan is passionate about craft beer and the people that produce it.

Dan joins me today to share how Precision Fermentation got started and how they help brewers improve the quality of their craft while working more efficiently. He explains what the BrewMonitor is and how the data it collects helps brewers ensure brew consistency from batch to batch. He also explains how the system allows brewers to spend more time with their families while monitoring the fermentation process in real-time through the use of technology and artificial intelligence.

This week on Consuming the Craft:

• How Precision Fermentation got started and how they help brewers improve the way they monitor the fermentation process.
• What the BrewMonitor is and how it helps brewers monitor the quality of their fermented brewed products.
• How CBI plans to use the BrewMonitor with our students.
• How the data collected with the BrewMonitor can help brewers ensure brew consistency.
• How the BrewMonitor uses AI technology to alert brewers when their fermentation benchmarks are not met.
• The Booze Clues ‘Hoppy Pale Ale’ surprise.
• What’s next for Precision Fermentation?

Connect with Dan Kuleric:

• Precision Fermentation

Consuming the Craft is produced by Podcraft. You can create your own great podcast - faster and easier - at Podcraft.com

Leah Howard is the owner of H&H Distillery, a 4-year-old craft spirits distillery based in Asheville, NC. H&H Distillery currently distills three great-tasting spirits: Hazel 63 Rum, Asheville Coffee Liqueur, and Hwy 9 Gin - all of which are available in ABC stores throughout North Carolina as well as select locations in Illinois.

Leah joins me today to share the story of how H&H Distillery got started, why they decided to spend the first full year in business focusing on crafting their product, and the importance of learning to properly run and manage your still before launching your product into the market. She explains the risks and legal implications associated with home distilling and the challenges many small distilleries face regarding the new bills and legislation occurring in the industry. She also explains the importance of connecting with others within the craft beverage community, how it can impact the growth of your business.

This week on Consuming the Craft:

• How H&H Distillery was born.
• Why it took the company a full year to release their first product to the marketplace.
• The importance of developing your product before bringing it to market.
• The legal amount of wine and beer you can make in a home-based brewery.
• The risks and legal regulations regarding distilling at home.
• The challenges associated with selling craft spirits.
• New laws, bills, and legislation occurring in the industry that can affect small craft spirit distilleries.
• The difference sales codes distillers must comply with in order to sell their products to consumers.
• The Booze Clues ruby red cocktail surprise.
• The importance of connecting and networking with other professionals in the industry.
• How cultivated cocktails enhance the customer’s drinking experience.
• The concept behind the Bro Wall, Tampon Flasks, and Cocktail Cans.

Connect with Leah Howard:

• H&H Distillery

This episode is brought to you by...

McConnell Farms - Taste the Way You Remember. Enjoy homemade ciders and ice cream made from only the best produce on the market. Visit the McConnell Farms website to learn more our seasonal inventory and delicious creations you can make with our homegrown produce.

Consuming the Craft is produced by Podcraft. You can create your own great podcast - faster and easier - at Podcraft.com