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Better on Draft 385 | Beer News in List Form

·1 hr 13 min·4 clips

A VinePair article asks when cheersing became uncool, after a 20-something cheersed a date and surprised him.

Rob kicks things off with the usual welcome. Wendy is drinking Fine Corinthian Leather Nachos from Hoof Hearted Brewing, and that leads into a story about trying to grab a different nachos beer for a game on Uncapped. The joke about the nachos hangs around long enough to set the mood. They also touch the alphabet drinking challenge and how awkward it was to find a beer for the letter Y. From there the show turns toward Beer City voting. Rob says he wanted to talk about Michigan, since Grand Rapids has worn the beer city label for years. The ballot this year includes Best Beer Garden, Best Beer City, Best Beer Festival, Best Beer Label, Best Brewery Tour, Best Brew Pub, and Best New Brewery. Voting ended on February 23rd, so the results are just around the corner. They read through the nominees in alphabetical order. Asheville, Atlanta, Austin, Bellingham, Bend, Boston, Charlotte, Columbus, Denver, Grand Rapids, Honolulu, Milwaukee, Minneapolis, Pittsburgh, Portland, Richmond, San Diego, St. Louis, Tampa, and Yakima all get airtime. Atlanta comes up as a sneaky beer city, even if the breweries are spread out. Grand Rapids gets the same scrutiny, because downtown density helps but does not automatically make the whole city easy to work. That becomes the real standard they keep circling back to. A good beer city, in their view, needs enough brewery density that you can actually move through it without the whole day turning into a drive. The conversation stays casual and a little argumentative, but in the friendly way beer people usually mean it. There is some correction and side talk around Ohio, which keeps the list from feeling too polished. They wander into college loyalties too, comparing Miami University, Eastern Michigan University, and Henry Ford College. Rob notes that Miami University basketball is undefeated, which sends the chat down one more side street. The close is loose and playful rather than tidy. It ends with the show’s familiar sign off and the reminder that whatever you think of your beer, it is Better on Draft.

As heard by us

Beer City voting, local pride, and a loose argument about beer density.

Episode 385 stays in Better on Draft's lane: Rob and Wendy trade drinks, then move into the Beer City ballot and the question of what actually makes a beer destination. Atlanta and Grand Rapids get the most attention, and the conversation keeps its feet on the ground.

Read the full review in PlayNext →

Why you'd press play

If you like beer news that turns into a city-by-city argument, press play.

Read the full recommendation in PlayNext →

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