2011 brewery round up

For all you beer lovers, we’ve compiled a list of all the breweries that we’ve visited this year with the interviews from brewers you wish you met.

Samuel Adams: an interview with Jim Koch, founder of Boston Beer Company

Jim Koch comes from a long line of brewers dating back to 1800′s. Somewhere down the line the family craft was left behind, until Jim realized that beer drinkers were looking for an experience that water-downed pilsners couldn’t provide. Read more.

New Belgium Brewing tour + interview with CEO Kim Jordan

Twenty years ago, New Belgium Brewing was a two person operation in Fort Collins, Colorado brewing the first Belgium beers in the U.S. Now they employ 410 workers and produce 700,000 barrels a year. Our host Jace Milstead sat down with New Belgium’s CEO, Kim Jordan, to discuss beginnings, collaborations, and a company that just might be receiving an application from yours truly. Read more.

Brew day with Ladyface Ale’s Cyrena Nouzille and David Griffiths

Ladyface Alehouse & Brasserie sits at the bottom of the Ladyface Mountain in Agoura Hills, CA about 35 miles northwest of downtown Los Angeles. Co-owner Cyrena Nouzille and brewmaster Dave Griffiths have been producing beers at this location since November of 2009. Read more.

Weihenstephan, the oldest brewery in the world

Approaching a thousand years of documented history, Germany’s Weihenstephan has had the time to figure out this whole beer thing that we all love. Our host, Jace Milstead sat down with Marcus Englet, the world export director for the brewery for a tasting and brain picking session with the representative of the oldest brewery in the world. Read more.

LAB Brewing Company: inside look at Agoura Hills’ newest gastropub

Just a mile east of Ladyface Ale Companie in Agoura Hills, CA sits the newly opened LAB Brewing Company, lead by brewmaster Roger Bott and Executive Chef Moez Megji. Our host Jace Milstead sat down with Roger to chat about his brewing days abroad, the role of yeast and transitioning from home to commercial brewing. Read more.

Noble Ale Works: a nobler experiment now brewing in Anaheim

Starting out by contracting the Dale Bros. facility in Upland, CA and brewing every two weeks, Noble Ale Works finally has their own facility. And in a way, while it might not be their intent, the microbrewery’s strict focus on quality is giving a twist on the idea of the Noble Experiment. We sent our host Jace Milstead down to their brewery in Anaheim, CA to discuss all that is beer with co-founder Jerry Kolbly. Read more.

Enegren Brewing Company: the definition of American nanobrewery

These boys do more than just throw their hands up in the air. Enegren Brewing Company based in Moorpark, CA is a nanobrewery created by three guys, all under the age of 30: brothers Chris Enegren, Matthew Enegren (pictured on the left) and friend Joe Nascenzi (pictured on the right). In fact, they are so small that they were able to brew a batch of beer with hops they grew in a communal garden in Santa Monica. We got together with little brother Matthew Enegren during brew day to discuss how they got started, high tech brewing and their day jobs. Read more.

Bootlegger’s Brewery: of business and beer

Aaron Barkenhagen, founder of Bootlegger’s Brewery in Fullerton, CA is one of those rare cases where school and real-life actually correlated. We sent Jace Milstead, ever excited over Mint Chocolate Porter, to Bootlegger’s to talk beer, books, business, and the point where they all meet. Read more.