🎙️Welcome to episode nineteen of Liquid Liner Notes! On this episode I chat with Adam Vavrick (@Adam.Vavrick), the Corporate Buyer and Business Development Manager for Beer on the Wall (@WeHaveGreatBeerEH).We start with how he became interested in craft beer, eventually working at Sam’s Wines & Spirits and then @BinnysBev after the purchase. We discuss being the beer manager at one of the largest beer shops in the Midwest during the time of exponential craft-growth. During his time at Binny’s he also oversaw the initial Goose Island bourbon county Black Friday release, with several to follow.Next Adam moved to Waunakee, Wisconsin, to become the Director of Sales & Marketing for @DrinkOctopi, a state of the art contract brewery. Missing Chicago, Adam moved back to the city, taking the Beer Director role at @PublicanChicago. Working at Publican gave Adam his first experience in a restaurant, further developing his love of the experiential side of beer. While there Adam got to collab on beers with the likes of @FirestoneWalker, help open the O’hare location, and be named one of @WineEnthusiast’s Top 40 Under 40 in 2017.Next Adam decided to go into the distribution business, founding Do Right Distribution Company in 2019. A boutique craft beer and cider distributor that focused on local Chicago breweries, as well as great European breweries from the defunct Shelton Brother’s portfolio. We talk about the adversity (physical, emotional, & financial) he faced during this venture, including a global pandemic. We also talk about finding his place in the industry again after closing the business.After picking up bartending shifts at Revolution for a short time, Adam joined Beer on the Wall as Corporate Buyer and Head of Business Development. Beer on the Wall is a boutique craft beer, wine, and spirits store with three suburban locations in Chicagoland. We chat about building a beer program across multiple locations, and what it means for him to be back in customer facing side of beer.Adam is also involved extracurriculars in the beer world, including being on the Board of Directors for the @BeerCultureCenter_, tasting with the Beverage Institute, and judging multiple global competitions.Additionally, we talk about Adam’s love of music and synths. Be it creating and documenting sounds, working as a project manager at @WaxTraxChixago, or flying to help reconfigure synths for TOOL.

🎙️Welcome to episode eighteen of Liquid Liner Notes! On this episode I chat with Michelle Foik (@Foiker), co-owner of Eris Brewery and Cider House (@ErisChicago).We start with Michelle’s early entry into the hospitality industry. Holding a host of different roles with Goose Island, Revolution, and Virtue Cider. Roles that include sales, general manager, marketing, and events.Next we talk about the decision to open her own business, Eris, with her business partner Katy Pizza. We discuss where the name came from, the decision to focus on cider, and the process of converting a one hundred year old former Masonic temple into a brewpub, that had most recently been a Korean church. We discuss Eris’ cider and beer portfolio, as well as their venture into THC beverages. Then we move onto the current outlook on cider, and what difficulties and opportunities exist in the industry.We also talk about Michelle’s work within the community on issues like mental health, imposter syndrome, and being a resource for others in the craft industry. You can find Eris at their brewpub, 4240 W. Irving Park Rd., Chicago, IL 60641, or on shelves across Illinois.

🎙️Welcome to episode seventeen of Liquid Liner Notes! On this episode I chat with Tony Assimos, owner of Tone Deaf Records, located in Chicago's Portage Park neighborhood.We chat about Tony growing up in California and how that impacted his love of music. Then we talk about him deciding to open a record store, and the process of doing that, including stock, location, and marketing.Next we chat about what makes his shop special, including what labels and genres he focuses on, as well as in-store performances, and zines. We also talk about the day-to-day of owning a brick-n-mortar shop.Then we move on to his record label Tone Deaf Tapes that focuses on ambient, experimental, and electronic music. We also talk about Tony’s personal record collection and background as a musician playing in various punk, ska, shoegaze, and other genres. You can find Tone Deaf Records (@ToneDeafRecs) at their Portage Park shop, 4356 N. Milwaukee Ave., Chicago, IL 60641.

🎙️Welcome to episode sixteen of Liquid Liner Notes! On this episode I chat with Trevor Rose-Hamblin, co-owner and head brewer of Old Irving Brewing Company.We chat about Trevor's start in the restaurant business, building his was up to GM of the famed Moto restaurant with one of his mentors Homaro Cantu. We talk about his beginnings as a home brewer, and how that evolved into the OIB concept.Then we talk about how being a trained chef impacts him as a brewer, from recipe design, to a DIY focus on the highest quality ingredients. We discuss some of OIB's most well known beers including Beezer, Della, and Krampus, their barrel aged stout series. The discussion has even more importance after OIB won silver for the “Special Strong Porter & Stout” category for Chumperado, a variant of Krampus that heavily relies on homemade ingredients.We also talk about Trevor's work with groups like The Trotter Project and Hope for the Day. Discussing why mental health is so important to him, and how he integrates it into business practices. I also try to highlight what a great leader Trevor is in not only his business, but in the industry. You can find Old Irving Brewing (@OldIrvingBrewing) at their neighborhood namesake brewpub, 4419 W Montrose Ave, Chicago, IL 60641. Also find their beer across Illinois and parts of Wisconsin.

🎙️Welcome to episode fifteen of Liquid Liner Notes! On this episode I chat with Charolette Converse, the hospitality and events manager for Solemn Oath and Hidden Hand Brewing. We chat about Charolette’s time in the industry at three different breweries, and the roles she held. We talk about the importance of education for staff, as well as curating an experience in order to separate yourself in today’s craft industry. We also talk about the inclusive brew days she lead for women both at Mikerphone and most recently Solemn. Setting up sensory panels to help pick ingredients, a group brew day, and setting up a network for women around the Chicagoland area. You can find Solemn Oath (@SolemnOathBeer) at their Naperville location and their Still Life location in Chicago’s Logan Square location. Also find theirs and Hidden Hand’s (@HiddenHandBeer) across Chicagoland.

🎙️Welcome to episode fourteen of Liquid Liner Notes! On this episode I chat with Tab-One, emcee, producer, and one-fifth of hip-hop group Kooley High. A great conversation with one of my favorite emcees allowing the opportunity to get to know him on a personal level and chat about what inspires and drives him to make music. First we talk about how he got into music and eventually met the fellow members of Kooley High while attending NC State. We also talk about his creative process for song writing, and run through all of his releases, solo as well as with Kooley. Then we talk about the newest Kooley High Album, "All Infinite", and how it came together with outside producer Tuamie. You can find Tab-One on Instagram at @Tab_One, and Kooley at @KooleyHighNC. Check out their respective Bandcamp pages at https://tab-one.bandcamp.com/music & https://kooleyhigh.bandcamp.com/album/all-infinite. Outro song is the title track off the new Kooley album "All Infinite"!

🎙️Welcome to episode thirteen of Liquid Liner Notes! On this episode I chat with Marty Scott barrel program manager of Revolution Brewing, Chicago’s largest independently owned craft brewery, and founder of Barrelponix, a consulting firm on all things wood aging. I talk to Marty about how he became interested in craft beer and got his start at Revolution. Then we talk about the history and growth of Revolution's Deep Woods barrel aging program, the importance of relationships with vendors, be it barrel sourcing or adjuncts like coffee. We also talk about the challenges that can arise, and Marty's constant desire to improve the product and push the program forward. Then we chat about Marty's travels, his internships at Herman Story Wines, a winery in Paso Robles, California, and his time spent at Tonnellerie Ô cooperage, as well as the innovative work they're doing with Creative Oak. Finally, we talk about Barrelponix, Marty's new consulting company where his mission is to help brewers start or upgrade their barrel aging programs, and increase efficiency. You can find Barrelponix on Instagram at @Barrelponix. You can find Revolution at @RevBrewChicago, as well as their taproom 3340 N. Kedzie in the Avondale neighborhood of Chicago, as well as there newly renovated brewpub at 2323 N. Milwaukee.

Episode 12 - Mike DeMalpartida & Ian Swanson - Sundial Brewing & Blending On this episode I chat with Mike DeMalpartida & Ian Swanson, two of the three co-founders of Sundial Brewing & Blending. We chat about going from home brewing to opening their own brewery, focused on farmhouse ales. From designing the taproom to the mentors they leaned on along the way. We discuss their inspirations and philosophies, as well as their use of fruit, and a developing barrel program. We also talk about their barrel society, “The Barrel Collective”, which offers members only events, bottles, and discounts at the taproom. As well as their taproom and all of the types of events they hold including charcuterie classes, floral arrangement classes, and food pop-ups. You can find Sundial on IG at @SundialBrewing and at their taproom 200 Applebee St., Ste. E, Barrington, IL You can find me on Instagram at @Hip__Hops & @LiquidLinerNotesPod Email: [email protected]

Episode 11 - Tim Gormley - Visuals Wine, Ceremony of Seasons, and Burial Beer Company On this episode I chat with Tim Gormley, co-founder of several Asheville, NC based companies in the beverage and music world, including Visuals Wine, Ceremony of Seasons, and Burial Beer. Tim and I talk about how he got into craft beer and his journey which lead him to Asheville as a co-founder of Burial Beer Co. We then talk about Burial's growth from a one barrel brew system, to a brand with five venues across North Carolina, each with unique experience. The discussion then breaks into the Burial co-founder's jump into the world of wine, cider, and aperitifs as the beverage brand Visuals. We talk about the challenges and successes of creating this experience, including creating their wine club Ritual of Senses that releases on the equinox or solstice. Along with making the experience uniquely Asheville, Tim's love for music influenced the wine club to include an element of music. Tim created a record label named "Ceremony of Seasons" to release a vinyl record from an Asheville based ambient/electronic artist with every quarterly release. On Instagram you can find Visuals at @DrinkVisuals, Ceremony of Seasons at @CeremonyOfSeasons, Burial at @BurialBeer, and Eulogy at @EulogyAVL. Check out Ceremony of Season's lineup at https://ceremonyofseasons.bandcamp.com/ Check out Visual's Wine and the Ritual of Senses Wine Club at https://drinkvisuals.com/ You can find me on Instagram at @Hip__Hops & @LiquidLinerNotesPod Email: [email protected]

Episode 10 - Naaman Gambill of The Hive Supply On this episode I chat with Naaman Gambill, one of the founders and managing partners of The Hive Supply. A Chicago area bee keeping supply store, resource, and apiary manager company. I talk to Naaman about growing up in Indiana on a hobbyist farm where he developed a passion for bee keeping. We then talk about his journey from school teaching to opening his own business encompassing both his passions for education and bee keeping. We discuss the benefits of local honey, and the challenges of bee keeping in the midwest. Finally, we wrap it up discussing some of the collaborations they're done with the craft beverage industry.  You can find The Hive Supply on Instagram at @TheHiveSupply, their storefront at 1702 S. Clinton in the Pilsen neighborhood of Chicago, as well as at several local farmer's markets! You can find me on Instagram at @Hip__Hops & @LiquidLinerNotesPod Email: [email protected]