About this episode

The episode discusses diversifying beverage offerings beyond beer with guest Rich Michaels, co-founder of Second Act Spirits.

From coffee to kombucha, wine, and spirits, there are a lot of different ways brewers are offering beverages beyond beer. There are some natural connections between some of the categories, but also a lot to learn. Often it comes with experience, passion, and a good push. This month, we're glad to be talking with Rich Michaels, who is the co-founder of Second Act Spirits in New York. As the name suggests, this is a new chapter for him and his wife Stacey. You’ll hear about his background in brewing in a moment and how he found his way into distilling and the work that goes into changing gears. There are a lot of important nuggets in this conversation that you’ll pick up along the way. If you’re thinking about adding a new fermentation program to your business or looking to make a switch, Rich is here with some guidance. The BYO Nano Podcast Episode 79 is sponsored by: Five Star Chemicals Running a nano brewery means making every minute count, and your cleaning products should work just as hard as you do. Five Star Chemicals' Saniclean PAA Pro combines an acid rinse and no-rinse sanitizer into one powerful solution, helping remove beerstone, protect your equipment, and simplify…

People in this episode

Guest: Rich Michaels

Topics covered

• diversification
• brewing
• distilling
• fermentation
• entrepreneurship

Keywords

• brewing
• distilling
• kombucha
• spirits
• entrepreneurship
• fermentation
• craft beverages

Sponsors

Five Star Chemicals

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Second Act Spirits

Places: New York

More episodes of BYO Nano Brew Podcast

• Episode 78: Making the Most of Malt · June 15, 2026 · 54 min

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