The Beer Mighty Things Podcast

In this episode, I connect with Devin Smith, Co-Owner and Brewer at Clarion River Brewing in Clarion, PA.

We discuss the brewery briefly but we're really digging into her journey to become a brewer.

We met in Milwaukee while waiting for our Ubers.  We continued the conversation via Zoom.  Here it is.

From a Wastewater and Environmental Services background, Jamie Schild had an “AHA” moment when the COVID19 pandemic hit. It was time to leave wastewater and get involved with carbonated water mixed with hops and malt and launch A-Bay Engineers.

Jamie and I talk about the importance of energy efficiency,and the impact of phantom power on energy usage. Additionally, we explored the intricacies of analyzing brewery profitability and the importance of implementing scorecards and business intelligence tools to help identify expenses that are out of line and standardize procedures. 

Jamie and I also discussed the importance of building a strong company culture and how it can be achieved through initiatives that continually improve, such as building psychological safety with teams and being vulnerable. We emphasized the importance of creating a safe place to share and communicate, and being okay with something being wrong in order to fix it.

Finally, we discussed the importance of improving sustainability in craft breweries and explored various strategies to achieve this goal, such as conducting surveys and using scorecards to track progress, as well as offering fractional sustainability positions to help breweries achieve their goals. We hit slightly on Google Data Studio / Looker Studio.

Throughout the meeting, we share personal experiences, recommendations, and insights into our reading habits, personal interests, and companies that inspire us. The conversation highlighted the importance of continuous learning and personal growth, as well as the value of finding inspiration in the world around us. Enjoy!

Tyler Montgomery, Founder of Brewer Magazine and Abettor Brewing Company drops in to discuss the the rise of craft beer in Kentucky and Tyler shares how he started Brewer Magazine as a side project and how it eventually grew into a full-time pursuit.

The magazine's mission is to focus on the business of craft brewing and empower business owners by featuring long-form journalism with successful business owners in the industry.

We also talked about the toll that entrepreneurship can take on mental health and offered strategies for coping. Tyler also shares how he got the idea to open a brewery in his hometown of Winchester, Kentucky. We discuss the growth of the brewery, starting with a small location in 2017 and expanding to a larger warehouse in 2020. Tyler also discussed how they built a following for their brewery before even launching by involving the community in the journey through social media and giveaways.

They focused on building a comfortable and accepting space for everyone in the community to gather.Kyle and Tyler also discussed the advantages and challenges of self-distribution for breweries, including increased cash flow and the ability to diversify.

We also dive into ourlove for outdoor activities and specifically discussed the exciting options available in Red River Gorge, including underground kayaking.

It’s that time again for the WIBS 23 and we’re welcoming in the Marketing Director of Womens Craft Fermentation Alliance (WCFA), Amanda Camp.

Love beer? How about wine, sake, and cider? How about wild fermentations and beverages made from foraged ingredients? Then the 3rd annual WIBS 23: A Craft Fermentation Summit is for you.

The Summit will be held virtually on October 21 & 22, 2023. The WIBS will feature speakers from all over the world, including a sake journalist and brewer from Japan, and will cover a range of fermentation topics, including beer, wine, cider, and more. The summit will also include special events on Friday evening, and all sessions will be recorded for attendees to access later.

WIBS 23 will cover topics such as healthy relationships with alcohol, wild fermentation, and forage brewing. *Bonus* The summit will feature speakers from multiple continents, which will provide multiple points of view.

Pre-registration is open and that the first 150 people to pre-register will receive a VIP swag box.

Today we’re welcoming in Diana Eberlein, the Chairperson/President of the Cannabis Beverage Association and the VP of Marketing for Sorse Technology.

She's a "D.A.R.E. Baby" turned CannaCurious and we're about to find out why.

We discuss how to work with Budtenders, the upcoming Cannabis Drinks Expo, the revolutionary state of Minnesota and demystifying Delta9.

LinkedIn and follow her posts.

In this energetic and thought-provoking episode, I'm chatting with author of "The Tip Jar Culture" - Gregory Offner Jr.

From Insurance broker to Dueling Pianist, Gregory is sharing his passion for the Employee Experience and how companies can engage their staff more effectively to create a better workplace overall. We talk vulnerability, leadership, books and taking yourself and your business to the next level.

This episode is full of great soundbytes as we welcome back author of The Complete Beer Course, Joshua M. Bernstein. We go on many tangents, we think, RETHINK as we delve into the future of the brewery experience throughout multiple cities and tasting rooms.

10 years later, we have new updates to an old book of his - The Complete Beer Course and it doesn't disappoint. From disc golf to chicken $hit bingo, we're covering it all. Josh has "fresh memories and tired eyes" and he's happy to share his experiences with you.

Chris Rhoades, the co-founder of Beer Tree Brew Co in Binghamton NY, pops by to share their process of making tasty liquids and creating great experiences. We discuss the early beginning brewpub ideas to growing hops & grain, to attending festivals as a guest and then becoming a New York beer destination!

We talk NY state brewery farm laws, expansion during a pandemic, food programs, breweries that inspired them as well as their small "Batch Coffee" program.

Chris then shares his book and podcast list. Tune in and enjoy!

We're taking a trip "back in the day" with Pennsylvania Native, Senior VP of Sales and Partnerships at GoTab, Rick Malthaner.

We talk about his start in the industry many moons ago and he's seen it all - and he's still as enthusiastic as ever. We dive into the history of POS systems, his kegerator story and his genius kegged seltzer hack!

Then we get into the crux and the power of QR Codes heavily utilized by GoTab.

- Founded in 2016, GoTab processes over $250M transactions per year with operations across 35 U.S. states and growing and we dive into my phenomal first-hand experience at Guinness Open Gate in Baltimore - Easy, at our own pace, no waiting for a server, no lines, no empty glasses, no waiting on a check, and ultimately a greater overall customer experience.

I always try to bring in advocates and resources for the food & beverage community and today's guest is a great strategic partner for your business. He’s helped my clients (breweries, restaurants and building owners) in many ways.  

Today we welcome Senior Principal, Business Consultant at EKC Strategic Business Alliance -Phil Mortell.

• Energy Procurement
• ERTC & other Tax Benefits
• Merchant Processing
• Lending
• Equipment Management

In this episode, I catch up with a long-time friend that burned the boats and moved to Florida to follow a dream he truly believed in. We're talking with Mather Wiswall, the Co-Founder of the American Grid Association and Marketing Master for the Florida Grid League. 

We're discussing the Grid League - a co-ed spectator sport where atheletes compete throughout the season for a grand prize.  This sport  brings in all the elements - excitement, leadership, strategy, athleticism, communication, grit, comradery.

We talk about the journey, the bootstrapping, working with a family member/business partner that lives in a completely different state and how to balance it all to keep pushing through. 

Oh, and it's mango season in Florida!

Today we welcome friends Caiti Sullivan & Trevor Greer - Co-Owners of Coven Brewing in Pittsburgh.

With artistic backgrounds and a keen eye for detail, these two have created unique beers with a welcoming spiritlike ambience in the Lawrenceville neighborhood. 

Combining their love of art, beer, culinary ingredients and tinkering with fermentation techniques, they'll awaken your mind and tastebuds with their brews. 

We also touch on their epic Halloween party and fantastic playlists!

Icarus Brewing, Brix City and the Brewers Guild of NJ are spearheading this #BrewJersey effort to raise awareness about the state of the craft beer rules, laws and regulations in New Jersey and to do that, we’re welcoming in Jason Goldstein, owner of Icarus Brewing in Lakewood NJ.

Together, your brewery can get involved to fix a broken system and brew a tasty beer to spread the word. 

Let's face it - The word "audit" seems scary and also seems like a lot of work.  Well, "The Beer Accountant" Pat McDonald and myself are here to help you navigate this insurance request quickly & without a headache. 

We talk about what audits are, what they're not, and how to get the info quickly from your accountant to satisfy the audit.  This is helpful, thanks for tuning in. 

Join us as Ted Lasso, Slash and a Mermaid "Beer Spooky Things" in this Halloween Edition episode.  We all dressed up without really discussing dressing up and it was perfect!  You can view our costumes on the show image.  

It was a blast to have Emily & Danny Wang tell us their story on how they met and how they founded Fermly, a craft beer laboratory in Denver Colorado.  

We dive into how Fermly is solving problems using QA/QC data points and software to provide 24/7 results.  We hit on Non-Alcoholic Beers, Food Safety and their terrific, insightful blog.  

In this episode with Wormtown's Kary Shumway, HE interviews ME.  We're talking year-end insurance tips, taking inventory and figuring out where you've been so you can get where you're going. 

We're talking Inflation, property valuation, audits and certificates of insurance as well as employee classification and what does/doesn't trigger insurance claims, including ADA-Compliant websites. 

Today's guest is David Meltzer, a world-renowned motivator who's mission is to empower OVER 1 BILLION people to be happy!   He’s been a mentor of mine from afar and hosts Entreprenuer Magazine's Podcast: The Playbook, which I've listened to every single day for roughly 3 years.

He served as CEO of the Sports Agency that was the inspiration for the movie Jerry Maguire and Dave wants to “MAKE A LOT OF MONEY, HELP A LOT OF PEOPLE, and HAVE A LOT OF FUN!”  Who doesn't?

We talk about a person’s energy & frequency and discuss how he Dared Mighty Things to earn over $100-million-dollars but also lose it all.  We converse about losing gracefully and how losses can become positive lessons.

My Phillies are about to take on his Padres for the NLCS.   LET'S GO PHILS!  #redoctober

PK Agrawal is the Founder and CEO of The 5th Ingredient in South Florida, a company that develops all-in-one data management systems for the beverage industry and he stops by to drop some knowledge in this episode.

PK is a Florida native, a Harvard Alum and took a chance with Ballast Point in San Diego to be a Process Engineer and help them optimize their packaging equipment.  He led the team to launching a nitrogen bottling line and bulk production of nitrogen kegs. Hell yea!

The Beer30 and Bucha30 software systems transform your brewery's data into cost savings, with an emphasis on quality, consistency, and efficiency.

We discuss the Australian beer market, travel, food, scuba diving and 2023.

Today we speak with John Medkeff, Author of Brewing in Delaware, Delaware’s foremost expert on Delaware’s brewing history, President of The Friends of Delaware’s Gambrinus Statue, Inc and the one who’s tasked with restoring The King of Beer - King Gambrinus. 

We met at the Odessa Beerfest in Delaware and it immediately felt like a story you needed to hear. We dive into the history, restoration and the legend of King Gambrinus including his time spent at Delaware's Diamond State Brewery.  From the King's official day, 3D Laser scanning, and John's 501(c)(3), we dig into everything that goes into resurrecting the 135 year old statue.

We're replaying Episode 15 of my April 2020 conversation with a good friend, Bill Covaleski of Victory Brewing Company because I feel it's an important early episode to hear, especially if you're new to our podcast. I know you'll enjoy it. 

Bill and I discuss their original name choice, turning obstacles into opportunities and "the hot breath of wolves breathing on the back of your neck." 

Bill and his team at Victory Brewing have been pioneers of DARING MIGHTY THINGS for a long, long time!  

Thanks for listening!   

Anne Gannon, Founder of The Largo Group drops in to provide us some terrific tax strategies as we enter Q4 of 2022.

We talk about the hiring of 87,000 IRS agents, the ERTC, PPP and how to reduce your taxable income. 

We're talking important dates, Year-end bonuses, purchases and inventory reviews. 

Don't forget to use that R&D Credit that's available to you brewers!