Episodes

Jen Currier is the Maven Wood Cellarman at Wicked Weed Brewing Company and a graduate of the Craft Beer Institute. At Wicked Weed, she works in the sour production facility, which focuses on creating unique, sour beers. She holds an Associate degree in Applied Science, Brewing, Distillation, and Fermentation from the Asheville-Buncombe Technical Community College and a Bachelor’s degree in Human Biology from North Carolina State University. Jen joins me today to share her career journey into cr...

Eric Lebsack is the Seller Master of Ponysaurus Brewing Company. Ponysaurus is a 6,000 square-foot brewery with locations in Asheville, Charlotte, Wilmington, Greensboro, Raleigh, and Durham. They are known as a forward-thinking, backward-tasting brewery dedicated to creating a beer designed to be savored and appreciated. Eric joins me today for a double dose of Booze Clues to discuss the new products Ponysaurus plans to release into the marketplace. He explains why it’s crucial for brewers to ...

Diane Currier is the founder of Honeygirl Meadery, a meadery based in Durham, North Carolina. Diane first discovered mead after visiting her sister in Alaska and experiencing her first taste. In 2012, after earning a second-place ribbon at the North Carolina State Fair for her hibiscus lemon thyme mead recipe, she decided to launch her company to produce high-quality, handmade meads that promote and support and support beekeeping and honeybees while improving their natural habitats. Diane joins...

Chris Harshman is the Director of Technology Services at A-B Tech. With a wide assortment of professional (and non-professional) titles behind his name, his most preferred title is Whiskey Enthusiast due to his newfound passion for whiskey and bourbon. Chris joins me again today to share his first foray into ‘investing’ in barrel bourbon. He explains the difference between a Master Distiller and Master Blender and the various factors that impact the flavor profiles in whiskey. We also discuss t...

Chris Harshman is a ‘Whiskey Enthusiast’ and the Director of Technology Services at A-B Tech Community College in Asheville, NC. Chris holds a Full Stack Web Development Certification and Computer Software Engineering Certification from Free Code Camp, a Bachelor’s degree from Elon University, and a Law degree from Temple University. Additionally, he holds a Green Belt in Lean Six Sigma and a PMP Certification from the Project Management Institute. Chris joins me today to share how he became a ...

Audra Gaiziunas is the founder and CEO of Brewed for Her Ledger, a management consulting firm helping businesses and entrepreneurs in the craft brewing and cider communities improve profitability through business plan reviews, operational auditing, designing financial management systems, and providing full-service bookkeeping solutions. She is a Maven of Breweries and Wineries that has worked exclusively in the craft beer industry for a decade. She holds an undergraduate degree in accounting and...

Sara Stender is the empress of loose-leaf tea. She is the founding CEO of 3 Mountains, LLC., the Founder and Executive Director of Africa Healing Exchange, and the owner of Tima Tea. After learning about the Rwandan genocide at the age of 22, she was on a mission to help the Rwandan people and economy. By 2012, she founded the Africa Healing Exchange, and in 2016, 3 Mountains and Tima Tea were born. Tima Tea currently offers several organic tea products, including black tea, green tea, tulsi lem...

Dan Kulenic is the COO of Precision Fermentation. Since it’s founding in 2017, Precision Fermentation has been dedicated to providing real-time monitoring solutions to craft brewers that dramatically enhance their control over the fermentation process. With over 20 years of experience in the brewing industry, Dan is passionate about craft beer and the people that produce it. Dan joins me today to share how Precision Fermentation got started and how they help brewers improve the quality of their...

Kimberly Floyd has a Masters degree in Public History with a concentration on Museum Studies from North Carolina State University. She currently serves as the Site Manager at Zebulon B Vance Birthplace as well as the President and Founder of the North Carolina Craft Beverage Museum. Kimberly joins me today to explain what the NC Craft Beverage Museum is and the projects and programs currently being planned for the museum. She explains her mission for telling the social, cultural, and economic s...

Leah Howard wears a lot of hats. She is the President of the Distillers Association of North Carolina (DANC), a mutual benefit corporation that strives to promote the common business and regulatory interests of businesses in the North Carolina craft distilling industry. She also serves as the CEO of Cultivated Cocktails, a distillery dedicated to creating joy and bringing people together over quality spirits and craft cocktails—and she does it all while being a mom. Leah joins me today to discu...

If you think non-alcoholics are easy to make and have no future in the market, think again. John Lyda—full-time instructor at and stalwart of A-B Tech’s Craft Beverage Institute of the Southeast and meadmaker extraordinaire—foresees that, as the industry innovates, non-alcoholic liquor will become as popular as their alcoholic counterparts. The industry, John says, will start to explore more flavor-wise, profile-wise, and body-wise in non-alcoholic beer—and that’s something important as people a...

John Lyda is the master of all-things-brewing. He is a full-time faculty member and instructor at CBI where he shares his wealth of knowledge and experience on brewing, distilling, and fermentation with his students. John joins me for today’s Booze Clues Special - his favorite type of spirit - tequila. We share our “o-pinas” on tequila and scotch and discuss some of the best-tasting tequila and scotch drinks we’ve enjoyed. We also discuss how CBI aims to help students learn the art of making cr...

Dan McConnell is the owner of McConnell Farms, a family-owned farm based in Henderson County, North Carolina. Since its establishment in the 1940s, McConnell Farms has grown and produced a wide variety of crops and livestock. Today, the farm primarily focuses on growing row crops such as strawberries, blackberries, and corn as well as fruit trees. Dan holds a Bachelor’s degree in Horticulture with a special focus on Fruits and Vegetables from North Carolina State University. McConnell Farms is o...

This week on Consuming the Craft, John joins me to scratch the ‘beer-y itch’ and discuss all things related to lite beer. We dive deep into the history of lite beer and share who really invented the golden elixir. We discuss the process of reducing calories in beer, why lite beer was originally created, and the characteristics of the best-selling beer in the world. We also share our most and least favorite beer and wine choices and how to infuse your favorite flavors into vodka. This week on Co...

It’s a sad time in the brewing industry. Bill (William) Coors, an executive at Coors Brewing Company, recently passed away at the age of 102. So, as John Lyda and I tip our glasses to remember the great Bill Coors, we share our thoughts on proper beer filtration methods and brewing styles. John joins me to discuss “lazy brewing” and the brilliant marketing strategy behind the New England Style IPA beers. John shares his concerns about New England’s style and filtration methods and why he believ...

Greg Hill is a Certified Cicerone and the Production Director at Urban Orchard Cider, a family-owned and operated craft cider producer based in Asheville, NC. Since it’s launch in 2015 at the Craft Beer Rising event, the company has gained multiple awards and recognition including taking First Place as the Best Place to Drink Cider in America in 2017 by Food & Wine Magazine. In addition to crafting some of the best tasting cider in the country, the company frequently holds events at their West A...

Ian McHarg is the Herald of Hops; the Leader of Lupulin at Country Malt Group. With over 100 years of combined brewery and brewing experience as well as 11 warehouses across North America, the group is committed to providing a wide range of quality ingredients and excellent service throughout the craft beverage industry. Ian joins me today to discuss the State of Brew-Union and share his analysis of the Hops Report. He explains why European hop harvest yields are low for 2019 while those in the...

Beau Evers is the Account Manager at Crosby Hops Farms. Founded in 1900 by Albert and Mary Crosby, Crosby Hops is the leading grower, manufacturer, and processor of top-quality hops. The family farm consists of 160 acres of rich soil in Willamette Valley, Oregon. They are certified Salmon-Safe growers and Certified B Corp suppliers with an unwavering commitment to quality, sustainability, innovation, and community. Beau joins me today to discuss the magical spice of beer hops and the trends he ...

Chris Reedy is the Director of Food, Beverage, and Natural Products at NC BioNetwork. NC BioNetwork offers educational and lab resources, courses, and training programs that impact the economic and workforce development within the biotechnology, biomanufacturing, and life sciences industries across North Carolina. Chris is responsible for providing leadership and administrative oversight for statewide programs and resources. Chris joins me today to discuss the Food Safety Modernization Act and ...

Max Fann is the Co-Owner and Chairman of Inbox Beverage and a Brewing and Fermentation Program alumni of A-B Tech’s Craft Beverage Institute of the Southeast. After completing the program, Max when on to become a brewer and Wood Cellarman at Wicked Weed Brewery, where he eventually became the Lead Pub Brewer and Research & Brand Development Brewer. With his knowledge from the Craft Beverage Institute and his pursuit of an MBA from LSU, Max wanted to create a faster and easier way to build a beve...

After graduating with a degree in Environmental Design in Architecture from North Carolina State University, Palmer Fox found himself in an early-life crisis. He always had a knack for entrepreneurship when he was young, and spending his life in front of a drafting board didn’t sound so appealing. So, after some soul-searching in Asheville—and falling in love with the mountains—Palmer found himself in craft beverages learning how to do prohibition-era cocktails. He soon became the Bar Program Di...

After graduating with a degree in Environmental Design in Architecture from North Carolina State University, Palmer Fox found himself in an early-life crisis. He always had a knack for entrepreneurship when he was young, and spending his life in front of a drafting board didn’t sound so appealing. So, after some soul-searching in Asheville—and falling in love with the mountains—Palmer found himself in craft beverages learning how to do prohibition-era cocktails. He soon became the Bar Program Di...

After graduating with a degree in Environmental Design in Architecture from North Carolina State University, Palmer Fox found himself in an early-life crisis. He always had a knack for entrepreneurship when he was young, and spending his life in front of a drafting board didn’t sound so appealing. So, after some soul-searching in Asheville—and falling in love with the mountains—Palmer found himself in craft beverages learning how to do prohibition-era cocktails. He soon became the Bar Program Di...

As a young man, Kevin Sondey followed The Grateful Dead's rock band to learn about music and himself. The Grateful Dead not only provided him with great music—but also introduced him to craft brews. Kevin is a stalwart of the craft beverage industry, having worked in several market niches, from distilling and brewing to kombucha and ginger beer; as the Production Manager of Ginger's Revenge, Kevin focused on supporting his team in efficiently creating quality products. Kevin joins me today to s...