Beers with Nigel

From VHS to IPA: Beer Karma, Mystery Packs & a Neil Diamond Tribute

From slinging VHS tapes to pouring pints, John Couture has been on a wild ride through the world of craft beer! This episode, John — co-founder of the beloved and gone, but not forgotten, Beer Station — joins Nigel and Nick to talk about his latest venture, Local Liquid KC, an online marketplace bringing Kansas City’s best local beverages straight to you.

John takes us back to his beer-drinking origins (shoutout to Boulevard Wheat in ‘95), spills the secrets of his own “beer karma,” and shares the highs and lows of running a craft beer bar. Plus, we dive into the changing landscape of the beer industry, the rise (and challenges) of craft brewing in KC, and how Local Liquid is shaking things up with curated mix packs, mystery boxes, and workplace beer delivery.

And because this is Beers with Nigel, expect plenty of tangents—like grandparent nicknames, why a beer garden shower might be a bad idea, and a strong case for catching a Neil Diamond tribute show.

Crack open a cold one and join the fun! 🍻

Act 125: Celina Tio says, 'Boom MFers'

She is, as we say, a force of nature. Celina Tio has long been a presence in Kansas City's restaurant and bar scene as a critically acclaimed and award-winning chef, restaurateur, bar owner and distiller. Act 125 was all over the place as Nigel and Nick had fun trying to keep up with this big personality committed to providing people with the best experiences possible surrounding her food and curated beer and spirits offerings. Viewers beware because when she walks in the room — Boom!

Act124: Beer Karma, Beerducation & who’s your daddy?

Beer Karma is back! Nigel and Nick are celebrating their fourth annual Beer Karma collab with Transparent Brewing with a live episode inside the taproom on the eve of Thanksgiving. Transparent owner Nolan Brown and his Cellartween Conor Payne join the show to talk about this year’s brew and whatever else pops up during the evening — including the question of is Nolan Conor’s daddy, or do Nigel and Nick share the duty of raising one half of their podcast offspring. This year’s release is a coffee and peanut butter stout and is obviously the best of the releases so far because it was Nick’s idea.

Act 123: Ballerinas, hunters, brewers, bad bets... & jazz cooking?

If we've learned anything in 123 episodes it's that the beer community includes people of all backgrounds and all talents. This week, Daelyn Schellhaas joins the show. How did she get into the beer game? Well, first she was a professional ballerina for 20 years, then she was a chef and mixoloigist. Somewhere in the middle she took up hunting and is now the assistant brewer at Pittsburgh's Altered Genius. Oh, and she's a rabid Buffalo Bills fan recording the episode just hours before her team kicked off against Nick's beloved Kansas City Chiefs. They may have made a bet during the show. Nick may have lost that bet. At least the show was fun!

Act 122: Rabbits are cool

Welcome to Kansas, where the jokes are as fresh as an Iowegian's corn! Speaking of corn, did you know about "corn sweat"? It's a real thing! When corn opens up at the husk, it creates extra humidity, leading to a unique weather phenomenon. Or, it's just one of those things where you need to check with your partner. This week, we're at Discourse Brewing with owners Matt and Amanda, who in spite of their alma mater and choice in baseball teams, are pretty damn cool. Grab a beer, turn your podcasting app to 11 and join us for some burps and stories. Just remember, Nigel will judge your burps.

Act 121: Brews, Banter, Big Dreams & those darned Wyomigans

In this episode of the Beers with Nigel podcast, hosts Nigel Woodbury and Nick Parker welcome special guest Billy Conway from Squints Apparel. The conversation kicks off with a light-hearted discussion about the show's rules. They reminisce about past collaborations and the impact of COVID on their activities, including a mention of brunch offerings at a local bar. Billy shares his journey from working in sports to launching the Squints Apparel brand, highlighting the mentorship he received from his friends at Stuey McBrew's. The episode features humorous anecdotes, discussions about local beers, and the creative processes behind branding and design in the beverage industry. Overall, it's a fun and engaging episode that blends beer culture with personal stories and insights into entrepreneurship.

Act 120: The KC Krewe done took over PGH

If you listen for more than a few minutes, you know the Barrel and Flow Festival is pretty much an annual pilgrimage for hosts Nigel and Nick. But this year, the dynamic duo of drinking wanted to upsize the KC representation at the best damn beer festival in America. Eight friends of the show decided to pile into three cars for an epic road trip and chance to see for themselves what Nigel and Nick were always talking about. In this episode, Zach, Caesar, Phil, Krissie and Matt stop by The Vault to offer their reactions and summary of the trip.

Act 119: We're here for the beer — and the pinball and the mango and...

The Beers with Nigel podcast is an official beer collaborator at this year’s Barrel & Flow Fest. Of course Nigel & Nick are always extra, so why not go do the collab in person. Once the brew day at Helicon Brewing was done (we brewed a tropical stout) we sat down with head brewer Sean & owner Chris. Helicon is a staple in the town of Oakdale, PA & the story of how a brewery has more than 30 pinball machines & no a/c is an interesting one for sure. You’ll hear us taste mango purées headed for the collab beer. Riveting content for sure!  

Act 118: Road trippin' before Barrel & Flow

Nigel & Nick hit the road hard as in all the way to Pittsburgh, PA.  Before the big brew collab day at Helicon Brewing the boys stopped by Trace Brewing.  Aadam & Katie were great hosts as we talked the origins & mission of Trace, the Pittsburgh beer scene & of course Barrel & Flow/

Act 117: Just nucleatin' & chasin' the perfect pour

There's a lot of sensory engagement when drinking a beer. It all matters — the look, the aromas, the flavors, the mouth feel — all of it. But every now and then it's also a feeling, a memory and sense of nostalgia to a treasured time and relationship. For Dan Paustian, the memory is equally important to the taste. Dan dropped by The Vault to talk with Nigel and Nick about his quest to recreate his grandfather's beer glass and give beer drinkers, brewers and taprooms the perfect drink every time.