The Beer Diary Podcast

Catching up for the first time in a while, and not long after a now-notorious kerfuffle over the 'Death From Above' beer put out by Garage Project (site of my day job, if you haven't already noticed), my fellow red-bearded beer writer Hadyn Green and I were about to have a ramble about potentially-offensive beer names when George leapt in and suggested / insisted we save it for a podcast episode. And here's the result.

On the 14th anniversary of the first entry in the original Beer Diary, George and I present a "holiday special" of sorts — a look back on what's changed, and what hasn't, since we last talked and since we first talked. We cover a little of the long arc of news, entry and exit from the subculture of beer (or anything else), the ageing of beer and of ourselves, and keeping things in balance in a peculiar world.

Catching up and determined to get back to the regular casting of pod, George and I sat down and — rather accidentally — wound up talking about the recent and surprising news of the sale of local darlings Emerson's — the craft beer gateway for both of us — to Lion; we happened not to've spoken to each other about it before hitting 'record'. Surprisingly, I found myself in the middle of the "debate", such as their was, and a little put out by nonsense on each side.

An episode with no beer. Well, none were consumed — out of a vague nod to Dry July, but more a result of us both being in losing phases of the age-old battle of Monkey v Microbe. We ponder Dry July, as a charitable enterprise (we're unconvinced) and (much better) a way for people to test and/or manage their relationship with one of humanity's favourite drugs. We drink some worthwhile non-beers, and I have a little ramble on the social history of tea and coffee and whatnot. And an episode this time of year wouldn't be complete without a looking-forward toward the beer awards and Beervana.

We sit down with Steph and Jonny of Craft Beer College, a newly(ish)-formed outfit who run educational beer tastings. We talk beer-enthusiast origin stories, the joys of volunteering at beer festivals, and consumer education.