Cincy Brewcast

MadTree, even as they continue to change and evolve somehow manage to feel more and more like themselves. On this week's episode of Cincy Brewcast we talk about how MadTree fits into the picture of Cincinnati Beer today, and how they continue to do what they do. Head Brewer Brittany Frey shares her thoughts about the industry and where its going - and we OF COURSE - drink a few beers along the way.

I was afraid that I wouldn’t be able to get a show up this week – and then remembered that I’d be hitting up the Ohio Craft Brewer’s Association’s ‘Pamona’s Abundance’ event at Urban Artifact. This celebration of women in beer would be absolutely perfect! I’ll be the first to admit that it’s not the best audio in the world – it’s a little echoy in the reliquary of Urban Artifact – but the panel is good enough that it won’t matter once you start listening! Huge thanks to the folks at the OCBA for putting this on and to all the women who took part in the panel: Brittany Frey – MadTree Ali Hovan – HiHo Natalie Iseli-Smith – Yellow Springs Sami Kleiner – RahrBSG Kayla McGuire – Gemüt Daria Moore – Rhinegeist Moderated by Amy Mast – Craft Leadership As always, thank you for being a fan of this show! If you like what I do, don’t forget that you can head over to TheGnarlyGnome.com/Support and become a Gnomie! If you want to learn more about the Ohio Craft Brewer’s Association – you can visit them at OhioCraftBeer.org or listen to them on the podcast previously!

I LOVE a new brewery, especially when that new brewery is run by an older brewery that I already love. I love it even more when that team manages to create a new space that takes all the things we already love and gives it a new personality. If you’re not putting it together yet, that’s exactly what’s going on at Gilligan’s Brewery in Wyoming, Ohio. In this episode, I sit down with Chris Henry, their marketing manager, to have a beer and figure out exactly how and why the brewery plans to keep connecting even better with the community around them. It’s a wonderful episode, and if you haven’t been yet – I can’t encourage you enough to head out to visit Gilligans! You can check them out online – or hit them up on social media. This show is brought to you by listeners just like you. If you like what you hear, you can go to TheGnarlyGnome.com/Support to help it keep growing.

Higher Gravity On Continued Evolution And How They Stay Great. This week’s episode of Cincy Brewcast takes us back to Higher Gravity. Higher Gravity has two locations: the OG spot in Northside and a space in Blue Ash at Summit Park. Their Summit Park has a full coffee program, and both locations have great cocktail menus. They sell amazing, well-curated beer, a variety of wines, seltzer, and THC beverages. It’s incredible how they’ve continued evolving while still staying who they are. I wanted to understand this evolution and see how they managed to be so great along the journey. Owners Jason and Nick were kind enough to sit down with me over a few beers and help me unwrap everything! Make sure that if you like Higher Gravity, and what they’re up to you visit them on their website. If you like what I do here… or anywhere I’m out making stuff – you can support me (and get exclusive access to extra content and cool swag) by supporting and becoming a “Gnomie.” Every little bit helps. Even a quick share on social media makes a massive difference in how this all keeps growing! Guests This Episode Nick Belleman – Higher Gravity Jason Parnes – Higher Gravity From The Beer Fridge Treehouse Brewing – Haze BC’s Brewing – Bottle Shop Series: Jerry

The long quest to find the mysterious “Party Tree” comes to an exciting conclusion for me with a short hike through the woods with the one and only Matt DeMaris. I really wanted to get him on the podcast to talk about this year’s Honor Bus, his Vets & Brews charity work… and of course to have him lead me to this legendary, mysterious spot in the woods. If you want to learn more about Matt and Vets & Brews… you can find them online right here. More importantly, if you want to support the honor bus this year – you can do that right here! Guests This Episode Matt DeMaris – Founder, Vets and Brews From The Beer Fridge Happy 2 Brewing – Midnight Rickshaw Rebel Mettle – Volume Streetside – Apple Brandy Almond Macaroon Demogorgon There might have also been a couple more beers consumed that afternoon… the Party Tree demanded it.

This is the end of a fantastic Oktoberfest season for me. For the fifth year in a row, as soon as the first local Oktoberfest beers hit shelves, I started my quest. It’s a journey to find the “best” Cincinnati Oktoberfest beer that takes me through a massive bracket, head-to-head matchups between every single packaged Cincinnati Oktoberfest beer, and culminates in a live event to let the final four battle it out in a blind, head to head face off. There are always a lot of great beers (32 of them this year), and almost any of them could, and deserve to, win – but only one can. This year’s finals took place in the beer garden at Sonder Brewing Company in Mason, Ohio – last year’s winner – and MadTree, Sonder, Third Eye, and West Side Brewing battled it out together before triumphantly, MadTree’s Ziegler came through as this year’s champion (Their second time winning “The Golden Gnome” trophy). Huge thanks to all who came and hung out to watch the finals this year! We’ll be back at it again next year, so stay tuned! Guests This Episode Julia Rohs – Truth Beer And Podsequences (This Year’s Guest Judge) From The Beer Fridge MadTree – Ziegler (This Year’s Winner) Sonder – Oktoberfest Third Eye – Drittes Auge Festbier West Side Brewing – Oktoberfest

There’s been a lot of confusion in the local beer circles about what’s going on with Bircus. They got a lot of folks a little worried when a ‘For Sale By Owner’ sign appeared on the marquee of the Ludlow Theater. I headed down to Ludlow, Kentucky to talk to Paul Miller (The Chief “Goof Officer”) of Bircus to get it all settled. Paul lets us behind the curtain to talk about how the brewery’s move down the street and the long-term growth plans of the whole idea of Bircus call for a new evolution. The sale of their historic space is one piece of that puzzle. Over a couple of beers, a lot of laughs we work our way to the bottom of what’s happening with Bircus. That’s not all, though – Paul made a quick phone call to Obekeng Malope (you’ve hopefully read her work in ‘Final Gravity’, or in ‘On Tap’ Magazine) all the way in South Africa. She’s incredible, and I feel like I need to do a full episode with her when she’s here in the US, soon! Action Packed? I’d say so… it’s a lot to cram into one episode of Cincy Brewcast! From The Beer Fridge Bircus – Miss Patterson Guests This Episode Paul Miller Obekeng Malope

The folks at Happy 2 Brewing in Anderson don’t have any major aspirations to be the next big Cincinnati brewery. In fact, they seem to be happy just being in a neighborhood spot located in a little pizza shop, making beer that they really enjoy. I’m a firm believer that this is a model more places should adopt. Small pockets all over the city can support a taproom model like this, and I hope that we see a lot more of it going forward! I sat down with brewers/owners John and Dave Maddrill to learn how Happy 2 came to be, why they ended up where they are, and how they try to do things their own way without paying too much attention to what the world tells them they’re “supposed” to do. Guests This Episode John Maddrill – Happy 2 Brewing Company Dave Maddrill – Happy 2 Brewing Company From The Beer Fridge Happy 2 Brewing Company – Crispy Shifty Happy 2 Brewing Company – Cloudy Clough Pike Happy 2 Brewing Company – Tonight Today Happy 2 Brewing Company – Be Discreet Raspberry Wheat Show Links Happy 2 Brewing – Facebook Happy 2 Brewing – Instagram