Author: Jake Huolihan

I’ve personally little interest in brewing at the professional level, but that’s not to say I don’t have massive amounts of respect for those who do, in fact I usually look to professional brewers for inspiration on how or what to brew. It’s these very people who are responsible for driving innovation and creativity in the industry, which ultimately trickles down to all of us who enjoy drinking craft beer or even brewing our own. As someone who has benefited immensely from all of this, I was stoked to have the opportunity to meet a bunch of these rad brewers at one of the world’s largest craft beer events– the Great American Beer Festival (GABF).

As a resident of host city, Denver, CO, I have actually attended GABF in the past and more or less knew what to expect– huge crowds, long lines, and lots of beer. But this time was different, my overall intent influenced by the fact I had a responsibility to relay my experiences to those unable to make it… I scored a press pass and thus couldn’t focus solely on sampling every beer possible as I’d done in the past. Rather, over the 3 days I spent at the festival, I interviewed numerous respected brewers about the methods they use to craft the beers we all love so much. What follows are a few of the more memorable personal experiences I had at GABF interspersed with audio of interviews with various professional brewers.

| 2016 Great American Beer Festival |

Professional Brewers Are Awesome

Every interview I did at GABF was amazing, I truly can’t express how grateful I am to the brewers who lent me a few minutes of their time to share such interesting information. For me personally, talking with Vinnie Cilurzo was a highpoint of the festival, not only because it was Russian River Brewing beers that ultimately inspired me to get into homebrewing, but he was also super cool!

Interview with Vinnie Cilurzo of Russian River Brewing Company

Hanson Makes MMMBeer

What millennial doesn’t know where they were in 1996 when they got their copy of Hanson’s Middle Of Nowhere including the chart topping hit, Mmmbop? It was early Christmas morning when 8 year-old me popped the CD in my boombox and spent the rest of the day rocking-out to the subtle tones of a song that continues to produce a strong sense of nostalgia for me. As an unashamed fan, I was surprised to discover this post-pubescent brotherly trio had developed a passion for crafting delicious beer, which culminated in the starting of their own Hanson Brothers Beer Company.

I spent some time chatting with Zach Hanson, the youngest of the trio, who said he and his brothers are just as involved as anyone in their brewery, explaining they have a hand in every aspect of their beer from start to finish and derive just as much pleasure from figuring out the amount of chocolate to use in their delicious Stout as they do pouring samples for festival patrons. If you get a chance, definitely give Hanson Brothers beer a shot, and don’t be intimidated by the long line of former fan-girls, you’re who they really want to talk to!

Professional Brewers Respect Their Roots

I spoke with countless brewers during GABF and one thing they all had in common is their appreciation for homebrewers. Indeed, many professional brewers started out by making beer in their kitchens and garages, and while the days of 5 gallon batches are behind them, the respect they have for where they came from was obvious. For example, Brew Strong host Jamil Zainasheff shared with me his experience transitioning from brewing at home to founding Heretic Brewing Company in Fairfield, CA, and he also comments on what he sees as being an important focus for brewers of all ilks. Despite being an award winning professional brewer, Jamil continues to support the homebrewing community as evidenced by his ongoing involvement with The Brewing Network and willingness to engage with other homebrewers.

Interview with Jamil Zainasheff of Heretic Brewing Company

Similarly, homebrewers respect and appreciate their professional counterparts, creating a rather symbiotic relationship. As American Homebrewers Association (AHA) director, Gary Glass, points out, there are now thousands of breweries across the country doing amazing things out of a passion for the craft, a passion that for many began with a plastic bucket and recipe kit. We are very fortunate to have this organization doing what they do not only for homebrewing, but the beer community overall. If you’re not yet a member, consider becoming one soon!

Interview with Gary Glass of the American Homebrewers Association

Women Are Rocking Craft Brewing!

I sampled amazing beer from countless breweries headed by equally as amazing women such as Linsey Cornish from Horse And Dragon Brewing Company out of Fort Collins, CO, makers of some of the best beers I had in all of my GABF sampling! Sure, women continue to be underrepresented in brewing in general, but we’ve got to start somewhere, and the fact women like Linsey and Lauren Salazar from New Belgium are kicking so much ass is very encouraging.

Interview with Linsey Cornish of Horse And Dragon Brewing Company

Hazy Schmazy…

I was jacked to sample many of the NE-style IPAs I knew would be available at GABF this year, it’s a style I’ve come to appreciate since making a few batches of my own. While homebrewers continue to bicker over the appearance of this hoppy ale, it seemed to me professional brewers were more concerned with shit that actually matters– flavor, aroma, and mouthfeel. For example, in the previous interview with Vinnie Cilurzo, he commented on being able to related with NE IPA brewers since he was similarly harped when brewing IPA over a decade ago. Known for experimenting with various interesting styles in smaller batches, NoDa Brewing Company’s Chad Henderson talked with me about their New England style IPA, which was oddly non-hazy while retaining massive “juiciness,” easily one of my favorites during GABF.

Interview with Chad Henderson of NoDa Brewing Company

On Methods For Making Authentic German Lager

Prost Brewing out of Denver, CO resurrected a dead brewery out of Germany, imported it to the United States, and has since made a name for themselves by crafting award winning authentic German beers, mostly of the lager variety. While they’ve gone through a brewer or two, the one thing that hasn’t changed is their fantastic beer. Besides being a local favorite of mine, Prost Brewing consistently wins awards for their delicious lagers, proving that something they’re doing is right. I talked with Bryce from Prost Brewing about the methods they use to craft their authentic Germans lagers, asking specifically about attempts they make to limit oxygen ingress throughout the brewing process.

Interview with Bryce of Prost Brewing Company

Where There’s A Crop, There Will Be Dusting

Malcolm and Marshall pointed this out in their Homebrew Con 2016 summary, my experience mirrors theirs– have people any shame?! I swear I died multiple times while walking around the expo or waiting in line to sample beers. I can say with confidence that I didn’t dust a single crop once during the entire festival. You are welcome! Perhaps the trick my wife’s cousin, who happens to be a nurse, taught me worked– before a day of heavy imbibing, take a concoction of Zantac, Ibuprofen, and chocolate milk to assuage the crappier side-effects large amounts of beer can have.

Professionals Care About Ingredient Selection

As homebrewers, we’re quick to supplant one ingredient for a supposedly equivalent other with the expectation of similar results. However, professionals approach ingredient selection far more seriously, and for good reason, as a small change in character could result in a huge impact in customer satisfaction. I sat down with Juno Choi from BSG HandCraft to discuss some trends he’s noticed recently when it come to brewing ingredient.

Interview with Juno Choi of BSG HandCraft

Water Quality Matters

Making water adjustments has been viewed a sort of “last step” process that only the nerdiest of us homebrewers pay any attention to. However, based on findings from multiple exBEERiments on the topic, some of us have accepted water quality if far more important than originally assumed. While a few of brewers I interviewed at GABF said they don’t make many adjustments, most acknowledged the importance of ensuring the proper water chemistry in order to achieve the right character in their beer. As Jerry from Lone Tree Brewing indicated, sometime source water is perfect though requires adjusting for certain styles. For me, gone are the days of ignoring the ingredient that makes up the huge majority of my beer.

Interview with Jerry of Lone Tree Brewing Company

| Additional Interviews |

Interview with Max of Grand Teton Brewing Company

Interview with Wade of Ironworks Brewery & Pub

Interview with Tyson of Nebraska Brewing Company

| CONCLUSIONS |

The Great American Beer Festival offers craft beer enthusiasts and homebrewers the opportunity to taste delicious beer that may otherwise be difficult to find, chat with incredible brewers willing to share interestingly nerdy information, and hangout out a bunch of people with similar interests. What’s not to love about this?! It’s likely I’ll never become a professional brewer, but I enjoy fantasizing about it at times, and hanging out with all of the cool brewers at GABF certainly made the prospect more appealing. I think the main reason for this, though, is that they remind me of what I love so much about homebrewers. In the end, I left GABF with a renewed love of American craft beer and I’m looking forward to next year. For those who can swing, I can’t recommend attending enough!

Jake was one of two people representing Brülosophy at GABF this year, stay tuned for even more interviews in the near future! And please, if you’ve attended GABF or have any thoughts on the interviews, do share in the comments section below.

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