Four Brewers: Craft Beer and Homebrew · John Holzer, Greg Nagel, Joe Senigaglia, Jason Harris

362: Oh, Hey There!

September 20, 2023·1 hr 24 min·5 clips

Jason argues that letting breweries make cider is a 'bullshit law' that undermines craft cideries.

This episode marks the return of the Four Brewers podcast after a nearly year-long hiatus, featuring hosts Jon Holzer, Jason Harris, Greg Nagel, and Tim Mather. The conversation is a casual catch-up that transitions into a wide-ranging discussion on the current craft beer landscape. The hosts share personal updates, including Jon's move and significant home investments, before diving into beer industry news and tasting several new beers. The episode covers the closure of Anchor Brewing, with speculation about Sapporo selling its valuable San Francisco property and the potential for the brand to be revived elsewhere. Greg shares a story about interviewing former owner Fritz Maytag, who described early, improvised brewing methods like coating fermenters with black tar. The hosts discuss the dominance of brands like New Belgium's Voodoo Ranger IPA and the trend of high-ABV, large-format cans. Tasted beers include a Japanese Lager from Harlan Brewing, El Segundo's Puftgold Fest Beer, Bottle Logic's Fluid Dynamics Keller Pils, and an Oktoberfest from Heater Allen. Greg promotes his upcoming Furkenstein Craft Beer Festival in Anaheim. Interesting insights include the technical discussion of spunding, a method for natural carbonation, and the hosts receiving a pressure fermentation kit from Spike Brewing. The group analyzes new California laws allowing breweries to produce cider, debating whether this undermines dedicated cideries. Tim tries a West Coast IPA from the obscure Skyduster Brewing, which surprises with its quality. Jon samples a non-alcoholic Pilsner from Self Care, while Jason tries a USC-branded "Fight On" pale ale from Stone Sapporo, noting its departure from Stone's classic bitter profile. The tone is relaxed, humorous, and deeply conversational, filled with inside jokes and personal anecdotes. The style is that of friends reuniting, blending personal updates with informal beer reviews and industry commentary. This episode will appeal to long-time fans of the show who have missed the hosts' dynamic and listeners interested in a casual, insider's perspective on craft beer trends and news. Those seeking a highly structured, topic-focused beer review show might find the meandering catch-up less engaging.

As heard by us

A loose return episode that turns life catch-up into grounded hop talk.

The episode leans on a personal catch-up that actually feels lived in: a death in the family, a house sale, a new home, a move, and the cost of upgrades and a backyard all give the conversation some weight.

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Why you'd press play

You want a return-show beer hangout that starts with real life and lands on hop details.

Read the full recommendation in PlayNext →

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