Beers with Nigel

Act 75: The run-around with the traveler Blues

Our friends Karen & Lenny, aka @cedarandsilver, have been living the #airstreamlife criss-crossing the country for the last 4 years. What started as Karen’s dream has turned into the couple being able to hit breweries far and wide — and tagging breweries with those oh-so-cool #beerswithnigel stickers.  Check out the episode and maybe you too can live the life. 

What we're drinking: Grains & taps Brewery, Cherry Lemon Sherbet; Diametric Brewing, Slide Left; Turning Point Beer, Pina Colada Froyo Pulp; Turning Point Beer, Raspberry Cheesecake & Chill; Side Project Brewing, Wilson; Peticolas Brewing Company, Sit down or I’ll sit you down.

Act 74: Initiation by Fireball

Two of the three members of the Kansas City-based band, Run With It, join Nigel and Nick in studio for this latest episode. The duo tells their musical stories, including a dark chapter that led Miguel to walk away from the industry for a period. This is episode isn't as beer-centric as usual, but as always, it's the stories that draw us in... Junior, Nick apologies, he forgot to list the beers again.

Act 73: Let’s open a pizza joint; check that we’re opening a brewery!

After meeting during this year's Barrel & Flow Fest in Pittsburgh, Nigel and Nick invited the gang from Four Cities Brewing in New Jersey to join the show and talk about their path to opening a brewery (in case you missed the foreshadowing, we learn the original idea was a pizza joint), and creating a community around their craft. 

Act 72: Ladies and gents, please give a round of applause for our podcast daddies

It's Barrel and Flow week! Nigel and Nick welcome back Day Bracey and Ed Bailey, hosts of the Drinking Partners podcast and founders of the Barrel and Flow festival in Pittsburgh, PA. There were many beers consumed during conversations about the upcoming festival and, well, other things.

Act 71: Entertaining out-of-town guests

If you drink beer, they will come. That’s how the saying goes, right? Kevin and Ryan, of Dry Dock Brewing, were in town this week and Nigel and Nick decided it was time to extend a little KC beer hospitality. While sharing (many) beers at Transparent Brewing, they discussed Kevin’s entry into ownership of the Aurora, Colorado brewery and brewery supply store after deciding he didn’t need no stinking bosses anymore, and their ever-evolving love of craft beer. Dry Dock recently expanded its distribution into Kansas and the company is looking for further expansion over the next few years.

Pre-show Drinkers and Mystery Beers consumed: Bligh’s Barleywine Ale, Dry Dock Brewing; Bodies, Basketballs & Big Wheels, Diametric/Vine Stret/Vanessa House Collab; Apricot Blonde, Dry Dock Brewing; Stone in Love; Gotahold Brewing; Blood Orange Blonde, Dry Dock Brewing; Yuppies in Blazers, Grains & Taps; En Voyage bourbon barrel aged imperial stout, The Big Friendly; Beer Karma oatmeal stout, Transparent Brewing (with a little help from Nigel and Nick); and Lighthouses Rule, Transparent Brewing.

Act 70: At the convergence of wagon trails and beer

Jessie Rose isn't burper. There you go. That's your breaking news for the week. What Jessie is though, is co-owner and head brewer for 3 Trails Brewing in Independence, Mo. Nigel and Nick are close to rounding out their tour of Eastern Jackson County, Mo breweries and sit down with Jessie to talk about his road from Kansas City to Michigan and back again to help open this brewery and tap room located in President Harry S. Truman's old stomping grounds.

Mystery beers consumed: Trains & Gains, Grains & Taps; State Wide Hazy Pale Ale, 4 Hands Brewing Co.; Bicycle Daze, 3 Trails Brewing Co.; and Alohops tropical milkshake IPA, Pathlight Brewing.

Act 69: Is it cake?

69, baby! Yeah, we take the easy jokes on this show. For the 69th episode of this podcast, Nigel and Nick hit the road again and travel to Old Town Lenexa, Kansas to sit down with Craig Adcock, chef, baker, wine afficianado, beer lover and owner of Jude's Rum Cakes and Table Ocho. Oh, he's also a rum maker. Craig tells us of his Rum Cake Imperial Stout collab with Limitless Brewing, and his story from traveling the world as a member of the US Armed Forces to making home and building business in the midwest with his wife, Teresa.

Beers consumed: Prospector's Pick, Seven Falls Brewing; Underwater Panther, The Fermentorium; and Jude's Rum Cake Imperial Stout, Limitless Brewing. 

Wine consumed: Le Provencal Dotes de Provence Rose

Act 68: Hammy went HAM... and then we had beer

Who knew that upon entering Apex Aleworks there's a chance you'll be welcomed with a performance of Shakespeare behind the bar? Well, it happened while Nick and Nigel were setting up the gear for another road show, this one in Independence, Mo with Apex Aleworks owner Tim Callahan. We talked about his entry into beer and the story of why, after leaving a career in technology, his wife would suggest he buy a brewery. The beer is good and the stories are even better in this one, folks. Oh, and lest I forget, we added something new to the show this week — the sultry vocal tones of Big Rip's Bri Burrows.

Mystery beers consumed in this episode: Frühlingsbock Maibock, The Fermentorium; La Chouffe Blonde, Brassiere d’ Achouffe; and Hazy IPA, Red Leg Brewing Company 

Act 67: The lake doth overflow... and is that a big wheel?

These guys won't be stopped by something so minor as a flash flood! Last week, Diametric Brewing, in Lee's Summit, Mo, hosted Oklahoma City's Vanessa House and Kansas City's Vine Street Brewing for a collab brew day. And because it's what they do, Nigel and Nick crashed the party and whipped out their mics for some fun conversation about beer, brewery origin stories and more. Beers consumed from BKS Artisan Ales, Alma Mader, Vanessa House and Diametric.

Act 66: David saves the day

A rough week for Nick. He and Nigel hopped in the FJ Mobile Studio-Mobile and trekked to North Kansas City for a visit with Bri Burrows at The Big Rip Brewing. Unfortunately, Nick somehow didn't have the power cord for his soundboard in the bag and we almost didn't have a show. But never fear, Super Dave was there! David Dutchman stepped in with a handy extra power cord and the guys were able to talk with Bri about her entry into her, the almost 10-year-old Kansas City brewery and a slew of other topics bouncing around in their heads. Oh, and Bri sings, too!

Mystery beers: Cinnamon Roll Pastry stout, Toppling Goliath Brewing; Foeder Force One, Diametric Brewing; and More Stout, Big Muddy Brewing.