In part two of our conversation, we talk to Ben Love and Van Havig about some of the challenges facing breweries as the year nears its end.

Today we join you from the industrial tract in Southeast Portland that Ben Love and Van Havig selected ten years ago when they founded Gigantic Brewing. At the time, they expected it would blend in with its surroundings, and they devoted little attention to the tiny taproom space they called the Champagne Lounge. To their surprise, it has become a success, encouraging them to open a second taproom during Covid and, last month, a third. In today’s pod, we’re going to ask them about the new place, their tenth anniversary, and how things have changed since 2012.

The cold weather seems to come fast. Through October, crisp mornings often give way to sunny afternoons. After Halloween, however, the days grow short and the sun disappears behind gray clouds. Once we fall back after daylight savings end, darkness starts arriving at the end of the workday and the sun makes a slow, sleepy return. Winter is coming, and bringing the cold and wet with it. On today’s show we offer a tonic that’s at least a thousand years old—the winter warmer, a beer to heat body and soul. Tastings: Ninkasi Sleigh'r, Anchor Christmas Ale, Deschutes Jubelale, Double Mountain Fa La La La La

A few weeks back, Jeff’s editor at Craft Beer & Brewing wrote to explain that the magazine was shifting to its original quarterly format. The reason wasn’t declining revenues, but efficiencies—it’s less expensive and simpler to put out four issues a year than six. That got us thinking: how do magazines work? How has Craft Beer & Brewing survived when so many other magazines folded? How do the internet, social media, and newer delivery systems like podcasting impact print media--should we be thinking in terms of media companies rather than magazines? In today’s show, we have Jamie Bogner, Craft Beer & Brewing’s publisher, on to give us the low down about how they do it.

For most of the 20th century, if you wanted to point to an actual American style of beer, you had to face San Francisco. Steam beer, a frontier concoction brewed fast for thirsty gold miners, became a signature of the city. Many breweries made it in the latter half of the 19th century, but they all died out, save one: the Anchor Brewery, which was rescued from bankruptcy in 1965 and helped jump-start craft brewing in America.

We join you from the best place on the planet for Show 169—a pub, smack dab in the middle of fresh-hop season. We recorded this show on-site at Portland’s Loyal Legion, which is reliably stocked with these little gems throughout the season. While we sipped on them, we discussed hops, the harvest, and the seasonal, regional delight that are fresh hop ales.

[Warning: raw audio of spotty quality] In this Pod Extra, Jeff interviews legendary London brewer Derek Prentice, beer historian Ron Pattinson, and Goose Island Innovation Brewer Mike Siegel. They teamed up on a special project to recreate a 1960s barley wine made by London's now-defunct Truman brewery--where Derek started brewing in 1968, Double Eagle combines a wood-aged barley wine inoculated with wild yeast (Brett C), blended with fresh barley wine. In the interview, Jeff learns about the history of the beer, Derek's career, and many other lovely tidbits along the way. It is the raw audio, so there's no intro or outro.

It’s hard out there for a brewer. Heat, drought, supply-chain issues, metal shortages, war, and inflation—all these things seem to be conspiring against them. On today’s show we’ll have a look at these headwinds, assess how bad they are, and how soon brewers might see some relief.

Though many Americans may not realize it, Scotland is one of the world’s great old brewing countries. Even if you have heard of 80 shilling ales and wee heavies, however, you may not be familiar with the vat-aging tradition Gareth Young mines at Epochal Ales in Glasgow. Drawing on archival records, Young is bringing attention to beers like stock ale and Glasgow porter. In Show 167, we get on the horn with Glasgow and have a fascinating chat with Gareth.

When Stone Brewing launched in the mid-90s, its aggro “you’re not worthy!” vibe captured the counter-culture zeitgeist of craft brewing. It was able to build a brand on the rising popularity of IPAs—one that took it to Virginia and ultimately Berlin. Yet all that reversed itself in recent years and Stone found itself flailing in a new world that didn’t admire aggro anymore. It got us thinking about how breweries go through a familiar life cycle, one that would make a worthy topic. Beers tasted: Fort George 3-Way, Sierra Nevada Hazy Little Thing Photo: Sierra Nevada's first brewery (photo: Sierra Nevada)