Barley & Me

For the last episode of 2017, host Ben Rice invites some of his favorite people over for a riveting BATTLE OF WITS! Comedians Emma Haney and Stephen Furey return, having appeared on last year's Christmas Bottle Share episode AND the 40s episode, Garrett Boatman of that same previous Christmas episode also appears, plus Andy Armstrong (formerly of American River Brewing) and his wife Lea Gibson (both of whom you may recognize from the Lil Sumpin Sumpin to Talk About episode) as well! We break down 13 wits, whites, and weisses while discussing the year 2017 and relentlessly smack-talking each other as host Ben Rice gets progressively drunker and seemingly no one else does. For those who like to spoil Christmas, here are the final rankings of the white ales we tasted: 13) Einstok Icelandic White Ale 12) Hoegaarden 11) Blue Moon 10) Lost Coast Great White 9) Franziskaner Weissbier 8) Erdinger Weissbier 7) Allagash White 6) Moylan's White Christmas Spiced Winter Ale 5) Urban Roots/Alvarado Street Hoeygaarden 4) St

Host Ben Rice travels to San Francisco to sit down with Anchor Brewing's brewmaster, Scott Ungermann, about Anchor's lauded history and the lovely Our Special Ale, AKA Anchor Christmas. We also get into Sapporo's recent purchase of Anchor, Scott's unique intersectional history with Anchor Brewing, and whether or not the buyout affects Anchor's "craft beer" status. The answer may surprise you. Also, we chat about how Anchor's brewing methods stand out against the typical methods you see at breweries today, Scott's favorite winter activities. and get a tad profound. Enjoy!Follow Barley & Me on social media @barleyandmepodFollow Anchor Brewing @anchorbrewingIntro music: "JamRoc" by BreezLogo by Jessica DiMesio

Host Ben Rice travels to Yolo Brewing (West Sacramento) to chat with director of brewing operations David Weiss. His guest this week is comedian and musician Alfonso Portela. We discuss Yolo ownership's previous endeavors, coffee, death, and drums. Alfonso learns about the brewing process and David talks about what he's excited about in the Sacramento beer scene. All this and more, on Episode 57 of Barley & Me!Follow Yolo Brewing @yolobrewFollow Alfonso Portela on Twitter @alfonsoportela or on Instagram @fonzieportelaFollow Barley & Me @barleyandmepodIntro Music: "JamRoc" by Breez (@mr4proaudio)Logo by Jessica DiMesio (@alivingclicheart)Barley & Me is brought to you by Lyft. Use the promo code BarleyAndMe for $5 off your first ride.

Host Ben Rice travels to Nixtaco Taqueria in Roseville, CA, to host Danksgiving with Nixtaco owner Patricio Wise and special guests Zak Souza and Ismael Alarcon. While sipping on some IPA's, we discuss labor laws that leave your favorite restaurants closed on Mondays, what makes a good and bad dank IPA, the importance of good labeling and logos in beer, how to properly fry a turkey, why Patricio is the Lord of Rice, and what we're dankful for in the year 2017. Enjoy!Follow Nixtaco pn social media @nixtacoFollow Barley & Me @barleyandmepodIntro: "JamRoc" by Breez (@mr4proaudio)Logo by Jessica DiMesio (alivingclicheart) 

Host Ben Rice travels to Windsor, CA with guest Steve Ausburne of Barrel Proof Comedy Podcast to sit down with Daniel Weber and Wes Deal of Barrel Brothers Brewing Company to discuss their first year in business and their plans to expansion. We take a few sidebars down some unsavory paths before coming out clean on the other side, thanks to some double-filtered, two-ply assistants. Then we get into their bottling and canning side, how to properly and improperly barrel a beer, and what goes into naming beers in an increasingly competitive and creative beer community. All this and more, on Episode 55 of Barley & Me!Follow Barley & Me @barleyandmepodFind out more about Barrel Brothers Brewing at www.barrelbrothersbrewing.com or find them on social media: @barrelbrothersbrewing on Facebook and Instagram and @barrelbrosbeer on TwitterFollow Steve Ausburne @doctorausburne on Twitter and @mondaleferraro on InstagramCheck out Barrel Proof Comedy Podcast @barrelproofcomedy on Facebook and @barrelproofpod on Tw

Host Ben Rice visits the new Tilted Mash Brewing location to sit down with owners Derrick Prasad and Jonathan Martinez, along with guest Keith Lowell Jensen, to talk coffee and Tilted Mash's recent relocation. Things go sideways, as Ben chose to record during their twice-monthly comedy show Tilted Mashterpiece Theatre, as every comic on the bill (Shahera Hyatt, Diego Curiel, and Christy Farley) pops on the mic, as do Kyle and Kady, the beertenders. Keith has his first alcoholic beverage in years, Ben tells drunk stories, and Jonathan becomes the second guest to admit to trying to steal a statue. This one goes off the rails and back again. Enjoy!And don't forget to find Keith's albums on Stand Up! Records (www.standuprecords.com) or pre-order Keith's first collection of essays, "Punching Nazis and Other Good Ideas" from Amazon.Follow Tilted Mash at @tiltedmashFollow Keith Lowell Jensen at @keithlowellFollow Barley & Me at @barleyandmepodIntro music: "JamRoc" by Breez (@mr4proaudio)Logo by Jessica DiMesio (

Host Ben Rice travels to the 2017 California Craft Beer Summit to suss out interviews from attendees. In this episode, there are 5 separate interview segments. In segment 1, he speaks with Naiche Minor & John Hutchings from Fall River Brewing and Kyle Leddy from New Glory Brewing about their recent collaboration and their review of the first day on the expo floor for the summit, as well as the Fall River airplane. In segment 2, Ben sits down with Pat Fahey, the content director for the Cicerone Certification Program, and master cicerone & beer educator Nicole Erny, to discuss what a cicerone is, the differences between cicerone levels, and how to get into it, plus Nicole lets you know what classes she will be teaching in the coming months and how to register. In segment 3, Ben chats with Adam Hunt & Brian Vermont of Solano Brewing Company and ABM Equipment's John Hilgendorf, and they discuss starting a brewery from the owner's perspective, as well as that of a brewery designer, plus we get a sneak

Host Ben Rice sits down with beer know-it-all Dan Scott, Capital Beer and Taproom's Peter Halldorf, and YOLO Brewing's David Weiss to discuss the recent closings of Rubicon and American River Brewing Companies, plus tell their favorite stories about experiences with these breweries. We touch a little bit on causation, but this episode is about celebrating the time they were with us and our hopes for the future, should a buyer come about. Plus Ben talks about how much of an asshole he used to be and why a famous comedian blocked him on Twitter. Listen to the end for a (possibly inaccurate) tip about some upcoming beer bars, as well!Thanks for listening.Follow Barley & Me @barleyandmepodIntro music: "JamRoc" by Breez @mr4proaudioLogo by Jessica DiMesio @alivingclicheartThis episode is brought to you by Lyft! Get $5 off your first ride by using the promo code BarleyAndMeAnd also brought to you by the California Craft Beer Summit, taking place September 7-9. Get tickets at www.californiacraftbeer.com

Host Ben Rice travels to San Leandro to speak with Cleophus Quealy's owner/brewer Dan Watson, along with Bay Area comedian Chad Opitz. The man with the best beer joke in the biz talks about getting his start in high school drama, moving into the thrilling world of odd-ball music in Seattle, then taking up stand-up in the weirdo town of Santa Cruz, while Dan talks about his early love of European beers that led him to start up a small brewery in California, with a concentration on flavors pulled from fruits and yeasts, nearly bypassing the hop craze. We dive into conversations about misspelled names, misread names, and how every brewery name is stupid. Plus beers, beards, more beers, and more beards! on another riveting episode of Barley & Me! Enjoy!Follow Barley & Me at @barleyandmepodFollow Chad Opitz at @chadopitzFollow Cleophus Quealy at @cleophus_quealyIntro music: "JamRoc" by Breez (@mr4proaudio)Logo: Jessica DiMesio (@alivingclicheart)This episode is brought to you by Lyft. Try Lyft now and ente

Host Ben Rice travels to Alameda, CA, to sip on suds and take in the gorgeous scenery of Faction Brewing, along with their owner/head brewer Rodger Davis and special guest, comedian DJ Sandhu. We talk about the trials of surviving in the Bay Area given the tech boom, start-up brewery costs, the band Tool, how The Grateful Dead got Rodger into brewing, and Ales for ALS, which is taking place at Faction Brewing on Saturday, July 22, 2017.This episode was also filmed and is available to view on YouTube at https://youtu.be/t8DIAsL0vogThank you to Rodger and DJ for taking part and to Brandon Morgan (of Shitty Food Blog) for filming. Thanks as always to Breez for the intro music. The track is called "JamRoc." Artwork is by Jessica DiMesio. And thank YOU for listening.Follow Barley & Me on social media @barleyandmepodFollow host Ben Rice on Twitter @comedianbenriceFollow Faction Brewing online @factionbrewingFollow DJ Sandhu @djsandhu20This episode is brought to you by Lyft - get $5 off your first ride using pro

On this episode of Barley & Me, host Ben Rice visits upcoming Rocklin, CA, brewery Moksa Brewing and speaks with owners Nu Boonkham and Scott Williams, as well as head brewer Corey Meyer (previously of New Glory Brewing) and also with special guest Rebecca Steele-Wilkie, owner of Cuvee Marketing and creator of the Instagram account Art of the Jockey Box, to talk about the expectations for Moksa, the surprising difficulties in opening a brewery at a location where another brewery used to exist, barrel aging, and marketing. We look forward to seeing what Moksa has in store when they open later in 2017. Be sure to check out Art of the Jockey Box on Instagram and visit www.cuveemarketing.com for all your beer and wine marketing needs.Follow Barley & Me on social media @barleyandmepodFollow host Ben Rice on Twitter @comedianbenriceIntro music: "JamRoc" by Breez (@mr4proaudio)Logo by Jessica DiMesio (@livingclicheart)This episode is brought to you by Lyft. Download the Lyft app and get $5 off your first rid

Host Ben Rice travels to Nevada City with guest and renowned beer judge "Big Mike" Moore to talk shop with Jim & Simon of Ol' Republic Brewing. Ol' Republic specializes in European style ales and lagers. We talk about their early years, as they grew their brand in a world dominated by hop-heavy beer. Plus they let us know how they came up with the name for their award-winning Dortmunder Export Lager, "Dead Canary." Jim & Simon regale us for over an hour with successes both anticipated and unforeseen as they attempt to get a foothold into the California beer scene while brewing beers that are not typically made by smaller breweries. Ever wondered how beer prices are determined or what challenges beer judges face? You'll find out! Plus they'll drop a surprise announcement at the end, something that I am very excited about. Enjoy!Follow Barley & Me on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram @barleyandmepodFollow Ol' Republic on Facebook & Instagram @olrepublicbrewery and on Twitter @olrepublicbrewIntro m

On episode 47, host Ben Rice visits an undisclosed location to talk about the state of the beer union. With him are Andy Armstrong of American River Brewing, his wife Lea, Kyle Leddy of Moonraker Brewing, his wife Claire, his daughter Olive, and Sacramento Beer Group founder Chris Guthrie. We talk about the Lagunitas and Wicked Weed buyouts, AB InBev's purchase of the entirety of the South African hop crop, and the future of the beleaguered 12 Rounds Brewing in Sacramento. PLUS Ben sings some metal, Kyle puts on a snazzy child's jacket, Chris does his best Olive impersonations, muchos chugs, and more!Follow Barley & Me on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook @barleyandmepodFollow American River Brewing on Facebook and Instagram @americanriverbrewingFollow Moonraker Brewing on Facebook and Instagram @moonrakerbrewingArtwork by Jessica DiMesioIntro Music: "JamRoc" by Breez (@mr4proaudio)ALSO you can now get $5 off your first Lyft ride by using the promo code "BarleyAndMe". Each new account using this code helps

Host Ben Rice travels to Rancho Cordova, CA, to visit its newest brewery, Fort Rock Brewing, to chat with owner/head brewer Tom Fuquay and special guest Joyce Tayag of Tommy T's Comedy Club (located in the same building, what a tie in!). We'll discuss the trials and tribulations of an upstart brewery with no commercial brewing experience, plus the resurrection of Tommy T's. Listen up as we talk beer history, as well as what beer really is, when you break it down in scientific terms (the answer...may surprise you). And for any listeners out there who have not yet dabbled in homebrewing or have tried unsuccessfully, Tom gives his tips and tricks to better homebrewing. And of course, Ben can't help but try to get Joyce to convince Tommy T's ownership to start carrying some Fort Rock brews. All this and more, on episode 46 of Barley & Me. Enjoy!Follow Barley & Me on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram @barleyandmepodEmail us at barleyandmepodcast@gmail.comIntro Music: "JamRoc" by Breez (@mr4proaudio)Logo by

We're back! Episode 45 finds host Ben Rice at Drake's Brewing in San Leandro, chatting with comedian Jason Cole and head brewer John Gillooly. This episode is a dream, as we spin off on frenzied tangents for nearly two hours, imparting opinions, stories, history lessons, and a metric ton of brewing facts and tips. Plus we talk about Drake's recent expansion into Oakland and their upcoming expansion into Sacramento. To quote a review of Drake's food selections, "it's better than it needs to be." So grab a Jolly Rodger and relish in the tales spun, from copyright and trademarking shenanigans, including some rad Star Trek cease and desist letters; to malt liquor history and tips n tricks; to Jimmy Carter. Hell, there's even some fine and dandy Star Wars talk for those who listen to the very end. It's one hell of a good time. Enjoy!Follow Drake's on all social media at @drakesbeerFollow Jason Cole on Twitter at @thatsnotgravyFollow Barley & Me on all social media at @barleyandmepodIntro Music: "JamRoc" by Bre

Sactown Union's Quinn Gardner leads a panel discussion on Opening Night of Sacramento Beer Week 2017. featuring a panel of some of the greatest pioneers of the Northern California beer scene. Listen, as Dr. Charlie Bamforth (UC Davis), Barbara Groom (Lost Coast Brewery), Judy Ashworth (Lyons Brewery Depot), Shaun O'Sullivan (21st Amendment Brewing), John Martin (Triple Rock, Drake's Brewing), and Michael Barker (Sactown Union) discuss what craft brewing is (and isn't), what role craft beer plays in the community, and just how far we've come in the last decade and where beer is going next. And all completely unedited. I'd like to thank Quinn for inviting me to record this event for posterity. Please enjoy not technically an episode of Barley & Me!

Host Ben Rice sits down with comedian Dorian Foster to test out his sound equipment, nearly 6 months before recording the first ever episode of a beer podcast that would come to be known as Barley & Me. Never intended for release, we bring this to you, because SF and Sacramento Beer Week make all brewers way too busy to take some time to talk to me about beer. So here it is: the unreleased, demo tracks you never knew you wanted! We do a bottle share in host Ben Rice's apartment and talk BUI's (not IBUs), cicerone tests, comedy,  randomAdam Sandler appearances, and how not to pet a cat. Plus we spitball potential names for the podcast! It was a weird experience, re-listening to life 2.5 years ago, not knowing what this podcast was even going to be. I laughed out loud a few times and I hope you do too. We'll be back soon with all new episodes! In the meantime, enjoy all those beautiful beer weeks and be sure to follow Barley & Me on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter at @barleyandmepod, and subscribe on i

Host Ben Rice makes his second appearance at the Art of Beer Invitational. This will be either episode 43 of Barley & Me or Episode 1 of BarLeddy & Me, as Moonraker's Kyle Leddy takes over co-hosting duties midway through. Join us as we chat with Serious Talk Seriously's Johnny Flores (with Kyle and his wife Claire acting as co-guests!), then we speak with Elisia Gonzales and Delayna Fitzgerald of Eat Farm To Fork, before creating an impromptu beer roundtable with Kyle and Claire (again!), Jeff Broaddus of Karl Strauss, and Casey Carhart of Deschutes. Then we'll close out with some sage words from a few Art of Beer patrons. Plus Becky Lynn sneaks in some words of her own. We have an incredibly deep conversation about the recent brewery buy-outs, plus distribution talk, and we try to remember all the Wayans Brothers. Plus so much more! On Episode 1 of BarLeddy and Me. Enjoy!Follow Barley & Me on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook @barleyandmepodLearn more about Eat Farm To Fork at eatfarm2fork.comI f

Host Ben Rice sits down with event directors Jennifer Land Irwin (Art of Beer, January 27) and Kate Whelan (Sacramento Beer Week, March 2-March 12) to discuss the ins and outs of planning major beer events, while sipping on Christmas ales at Sacramento's Hideaway Bar & Grill, a lovely dive bar on Franklin Blvd. We get into the nitty gritty of event planning, the triumphs and tribulations, plus the differences in a one-night only event at one location versus a week-and-a-half long excursion at dozens of venues. We'll also chat about the Women's March, Stranger Things, classic and new musicals, and how to add an exciting game show element to up the ante at beer events. Plus Gilmore Girls! And politics. Also, Kate's beer group, Hop Broads, and their Beer Week beer design. And everything under the sun, until we get forced to shut up because of inclement weather because I chose to record this outside. Thank you to Hideaway's owner Mariah York-Carr for giving us the space to do this. Enjoy!Find tickets to Art o

Host Ben Rice conducts a Christmas bottle share with some comedian friends at West Sacramento restaurant Sail Inn Grotto. Guests Stephen Furey (The Comedy Store), Garrett Boatman (retired), Luke Soin (Epic Tiki and The Sexy Podcast), Emma Haney (Fem Dom Com), and Becky Lynn (Hot Drunk Sets) join us, with Stephen Furey leading the charge as we rate the best and worst of: Candy! Cookies! White Elephant Gifts! Beer! Plus Garrett and Ben beef with BevMo, Luke explains how he learned to be intolerant of gluten (the answer might surprise you), and why everyone in comedy hates the word "skit." Plus a look back at the surprising oeuvre of Dane Cook and made-up facts about your favorite young adult novelists. Enjoy episode 41 of Barley & Me!Theme Music: "JamRoc" by Breez (@mr4proaudio)Logo by Jessica DiMesioFollow Barley & Me on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook at @barleyandmepodEmail questions, comments, and concerns to barleyandmepodcast@gmail.comFollow our guests on Instagram! Stephen Furey @scubastevefurey