The Drinking Buddy Show - Craft Beverages & Artisan Snack Pairings

In this info-packed episode, "accidental" sake expert Greg Beck takes us through the fascinating history and varieties of sake. We'll get into how sake is brewed, the regions of Japan that produce it, and why you shouldn't be so quick to dismiss Nihonshu because of a poor prior experience.

Our founder Frank Rodgers talks with Long Beach-based sake sommelier and shochu advisor Greg Beck about how he went from a high school student in Arizona taking German classes, to an "accidental" expert on the Japanese craft of sake making. We’ll follow Greg’s path from his first trip to Japan, his exploration of sake breweries and festivals, and his blossoming career as a sommelier while working as a journalist in New York, then returning to the West Coast.

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Summary (TLDR)
Ambitious Ales started when five friends decided to leave their careers behind and take their homebrewing hobby to the professional level. I sat down with Garrett to learn about their journey from winning a couple of brewing awards to opening their doors on Atlantic Avenue in a local landmark. We chatted about their goal of being a community hub, their plans for the future, and their latest lineup of craft beers.

Timestamps
1:17 Garrett Carroll
7:00 Switching from music to craft beer
11:01 The five founders of Ambitious Ales
15:32 Surviving the pandemic
18:14 The Ambitious brand
20:03 A community hub
21:41 Expansion
24:16 Current beer lineup
29:45 Where to learn more

Beer

6.8% ABV Mandrake Falls West Coast IPA by Ambitious Ales
Hops: Triple Dry Hopped with Rakau, Motueka and The Bruce
Notes: Approachable, clean, modern West Coast profile with tropical fruit and soft citrus

5% ABV Gandalf the Crisp New Zealand Style Pilsner by Ambitious Ales
Hops: Motueka
Notes: Lime zest, clean profile, balanced bitterness

Learn More

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Frank chats with two LA beer celebrities. Daniel Drennon is the publisher, editor, and head writer of Beer Paper, the local monthly you’ll find at just about any brewery or bottle shop in SoCal. Tomm Carroll is a beer educator, judge, traveler, and writer, and has witnessed the explosion of craft beer in Los Angeles. Tomm is also the senior contributor for Beer Paper. Despite the stops and starts due to COVID19, Daniel and Tomm continue to support their local breweries, and the passionate brewers and entrepreneurs behind them. Frank chats with them about the once non-existent craft beer scene, what brought them both to writing about beer, and their thoughts on how craft beer will evolve during and post coronavirus.

Host Frank Rodgers brings back accidental sake expert Greg Beck, along with Nankai Shochu Founder Paul Nakayama, to enjoy some unconventional sake and shochu pairings. Greg gives insight into how and why pairing works while we sample cheese, chicken, and our very own Rayu Senbei snack. Warning: This episode will make you hungry!