Graining In

We put a temporary hold on the Monday Morning Ratings War this week to welcome John Holl himself - our nemesis // respected veteran industry journalist we hold in particularly high esteem - for a virtual conversation!
In all seriousness, John is part of the very short list that makes up the top echelon of journalism in the beer industry. His extensive resume includes authorship of countless articles in the industry's leading magazines (All About Beer, BYO) and multiple books, one of which - Drink Beer, Think Beer - shares the name of the podcast he currently hosts which ultimately made this all happen in the first place. In this eclectic conversation, John puts the uncomfortable level of reverence Matt and Noah have for him aside, and walks us through his entry into journalism, his move to focus exclusively on beer, and the ways he's adapted to a media landscape that has changed just as rapidly as the industry it covers. We also get into John's approach and perspective to journalism itself and how he balances objectivity within it, dissect the relationship between deadlines and hangovers, and discuss how the beer industry slowly but surely seems to be spurring more positive and broader conversations about its own narrative.
While found the perspective of one of the most highly-regarded people covering the our industry extremely insightful and hope you do as well...John Holl is still our rival. But this conversation might have shifted our approach in the ratings arena from that of a starred general to more of a multi-cause telethon operator.
Bring on the ratings, PERIOD!(?) ......................................................................................................Music: "Mountain Climb" by Jake Hill

Matty and Noah talk the Steel City, debut a very special new email, plead for reviews, rip through some mail, and get fully acquainted with the wonders of Marzen, Festbier, and the like............. ................ ...................Music: "Mountain Climb" by Jake Hill

We're keeping it close to home this week with Allison Stevens, owner of The Thirsty Pig in Portland, ME! Allison is Noah's former boss, as well as a handful of other BBB employees, and Matt wastes no time in getting the scoop on Noah's performance as an employee (in an extraverted environment, no less). We shares countless stories about unique characters cast of people the bar has always attracted, the synergy that has come out of it, and the tremendous amount of impact it had on the brewery's formation and place in the Portland beer community. The last year also brought to an end to Allison and the Pig's involvement in two major events - Old Port Fest and Portland Beer Week, the latter of which Allison has been spearheading since she brought the concept to life in 2012. We get into the different, but equally complicated, reasons for and emotions from those eras ending.
After tracing Ally's interesting arc into the beer industry and the impact Shipyard and its owner Fred Forsley had on her perspective and career. Lastly, we revel in the wonder of the amazing place Allison calls home - Peaks Island. Legally part of Portland, but spiritually very distinct, Ally moved there after meeting her eventual husband Dave, and talks about how the different pace of island living has helped balance out both her business and mind.
This was an absolute fun one, full of real-time reflection, and was a great remind er of how fulfilling having a conversation between friends can be ...................................................................................... Music: "Mountain Climb" by Jake Hill

Hopefully distance does make the heart grow fonder, because Matty and Noah have found themselves alone once again. We reflect on the handful of guest conversations we've been privileged to over the last five weeks, but end up back where we always do: Allagash. Jason Perkins brought Brettanomyces to the forefront of Matty's mind via thoughts of Allagash's almighty Bret Michaels. So he uses a recent BBB3R release - Fire Road - to set the stage for a conversation all about the most misunderstood yeast in the game.
We talk about the seemingly infinite kinds of flavors that Brett can leave its mark through and try to go further than the grossly overused note of "funk" and "horse blanket", seriously questioning the percentage of the beer-drinking populus that has ever come within 100 feet of an actual barnyard. Noah also shares the brewery's method to try to actually become familiar with sensory "notes" commonly associated with Brett fermentations, like mango, passionfruit, lemongrass (Spoiler alert - the trick is to smell and taste the real thing). We also get into the rationale behind dry-hopping a mixed-ferm beer like Fire Road, the effect dry hops can have on the finished product, and the status of his quest to develop a true house culture for the brewery.
Regardless of its many, many different possible attributes, the overall "wild" character Brettanomyces can add to a beer is described as such for a reason, and this is not the first nor the last time we'll dive into a conversation exclusively about this beautifully confusing microorganism. Even so, it felt like we made some modicum of process...If not, at least the Three Bay is fun............................. ................................................. ......................................... Music: "Mountain Climb" by Jake Hill

We're looking for stoke outside of beer this week and talking directly with a man that's been mentioned on multiple episodes of this podcast: Ryan Adams!
Ryan is the co-owner of Better Letter Hand Painted Signs (the work of which can be seen at countless businesses in greater Portland), and independently takes on jobs as a muralist/graffiti artist. We orbit around the multiple jobs Ryan's done at BBB3R, as Matty and Noah were blown away by the process, approach, and level of quality they were each created through. But prior to keeping it contemporary, the guys have a seemingly endless list of questions about the mysterious world of DIY graffiti, where Ryan cut his chops as an artist. We also hear what it's like to paint for an audience (which occasionally is shitfaced), Noah learns there can be a lot more to tagging than an act of minor vandalism, Matt has an epiphany about curls in font, and we get an answer to the age old question, "Is Beer Art?".
The biggest takeaway from the episode, though, was how surprisingly analogous brewing is with painting - or most any creative pursuit done passionately. Episodes a bit removed from beer itself have a tendency of revealing those unseen connections between vocations, and this one uncovered the most links yet. So grab a Mike's Hard, Bud Light Lime, or whatever else you feel like putting down your gullet, and listen in to this conversation about a world that you'll likely find simultaneously foreign and familiar.
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Music: "Mountain Climb" by Jake Hill