About this episode

This episode features a panel discussion on the relationships and science behind sourcing quality beer ingredients.

When you look at the top restaurants around the world, no matter what cuisine they may focus on, there’s one commonality they all share, and that’s deep relationships with those who grow and raise the very best ingredients. It’s the same in beer—you can’t be the best at what you do without the meaningful, personal, financial, and long-standing relationships that ensure the brewery has access to the very best quality ingredients. These relationships don’t materialize overnight, but for Firestone Walker, they’re the product of 30 years of work. In this series, we highlight a number of these crucial growers, brokers, and processors who have played a role in the world-class beer that Firestone Walker makes. Episode 4: The Science & the Art The fourth and final episode of the Source Material series features a panel discussion recorded at the 2025 Craft Beer & Brewing Brewers Retreat, with Firestone Walker Brewmaster Matthew Brynildson, Russian River Cofounder Vinnie Cilurzo, and Mike Roy of hop grower Roy Farms. Through the conversation, the two remarkable brewers and multigenerational hop farmer walk through sensory evaluation of a selection of hops to give listeners a…

People in this episode

Guests: Matthew Brynildson, Vinnie Cilurzo, Mike Roy

Topics covered

• beer ingredients
• brewing relationships
• hop evaluation
• sensory analysis
• craft brewing
• brewer panel discussion

Keywords

• Firestone Walker
• hops
• brewing
• craft beer
• sensory evaluation
• brewer relationships
• 2025 harvest

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Firestone Walker, Russian River, Roy Farms

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