Consuming The Craft

Tina Hoffert is an A-B Tech’s Craft Beverage Institute of the Southeast alumni and Brewer at the North Belgian Brewing Company. She holds a Bachelor’s degree in Biology from East Carolina University, and following a career in the pharmaceutical industry, Tina moved into the brewing business. Prior to working with the North Belgian Brewing Company, Tina worked with local craft brewers, Catawba Brewing Company. Currently, she is continuing her booze education at the Heriot-Watt University of Edinburgh, studying for her Master’s degree. Today, Tina joins me to share her journey from the pharmaceutical industry into the craft brewing business. She reveals the job opportunities that opened up to her after graduating from A-B Tech’s Craft Beverage Institute. We explore the latest hazy spirits trend and how this affects the flavor profiles of the finished products. We discuss the wonder of fortified wines, the following significant trends in craft beer, and what is coming to the ready-to-drink market. We also sample

A-B Tech’s Craft Beverage Institute of the Southeast alumni, Karen (Kay) Gonzalez, joins me to share her experiences during her month-long trip to Mexico. She reveals the main flavor characteristics of the beers she tried and what she missed about American beer. We discuss why Mexico is one of the leading rum producers and what it’s like to bring diversity to the brewing industry. Kay shares the new recipes she is working on and tips for anyone wanting to start a craft brewing company. And in our Booze Clues segment, Kay and I sample Two Trees Rye Bourbon. This week on Consuming the Craft:●      The beers Kay sampled during her month-long trip to Mexico●      The main characteristics Kay noticed about the beverages she tried●      Why Mexico is one of the leading producers of rum in the world●      How Kay’s company is bringing diversity to the brewing industry ●      Booze Clues: Two Trees Rye Bourbon●      What Kay missed about American beer during her visit●      The current challenges with Aluminium suppl

I am often tasked with trying unusual spirits, exotic flavors of craft beer, and new and exciting products in the beverage industry. Today I sample something that those of you in the Chicago area will know very well… and you probably have a love-hate relationship with this particular spirit.  Today, I explore the unusual and distinctive flavor of the bäsk liquor, Jeppson’s Malört. I share the interesting history of the spirit and how it is made. Sampling the flavor palate and unusual fragrance of Jeppson’s Malört, I suggest some possible uses in mixed drinks. I also share how this incredibly bitter spirit is a ‘rite of passage' for Chicago drinkers and how the liquor is seeing a resurgence throughout the US and Europe.  This week on Consuming the Craft: ●     The history behind Jeppson’s Malört●     How Jeppson’s Malört is made●     The unusual fragrance of the spirit●     How Jeppson’s Malört plays on the palate●     Possible uses for mixed drinks with this spirit●     The resurgence of Jeppson’s Malört in t

Chad Slagle is the Co-Founder of Two Trees Distilling Co. and Chief Executive Officer of Two Trees Beverage Co. Inc. As a serial entrepreneur, Chad has been an innovator and inventor in the fitness, technology, and beverage industries since 2005. He is the co-inventor of the rapid whiskey aging technology utilized at the Two Trees Distilling Company and has worked as the head of product development for the company since its inception in 2018.  Chad joins me to share the journey of the Two Trees Beverage Company into the ready-to-drink market. He shares insights into perfecting the taste profile of a new hard seltzer and shares what it was like to work with the people on TV show, Moonshiners. He reveals some new products that his team is working on at Two Trees. Chad also shares the plan for rolling out the new product to stores and what the future holds for Two Trees. This week on Consuming the Craft:●      The diversification of Two Trees from distillation into the RTD (Ready To Drink) market●      The proce

John Lyda is my cohort in arms at the Craft Beverage Institute of the Southeast. After working as the Senior Vice President and Brewmaster at The Highland Brewing Co. for over 20 years, John took his passion to the next level and began teaching at the Craft Beverage Institute as a Brewing, Distillation, and Fermentation Instructor. John joins me for today’s Booze Bits to discuss vegetable-based spirits and shine a spotlight on a delicious, potato-based liquor called Aquavit. We taste the incredible Norwegian cask-matured beverage and explore the unusual nose and palate experience. We also share how you can use this Norwegian spirit to create unique cocktails and which foods would pair well with Aquavit. This week on Consuming the Craft:●      Working with vegetable-based spirits●      Booze Bits: Norwegian Cask Matured Aquavit from LINIE●      The unusual nose and palate journey of Aquavit●      How Aquavit can make traditional cocktails more unique●      Foods that would pair well with the Aquavit Resources

Stephen Daniels is the Food and Beverage Business Development and Sales Manager at Filtrox, North America. He holds a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration and Management from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and an Associate's Degree in Viticulture and Enology from Walla Walla Community College. He is a filtration expert at Filtrox, working on innovative filtration technologies for the beverage industry. Today, Stephen joins me to discuss all things filtration, including the latest media from Filtrox that removes TCA. We explore why many filter presses and filter sheets get a bad reputation and the benefits of good depth media filtration technology. Stephen shares how you can create haze stability for a consistent product and what’s next in the filtration industry. He also shares his thoughts on hard seltzers and the importance of shelf life and stability in your finished product. This week on Consuming the Craft: ● A new filtration media from Filtrox that removes TCA

Chall Gray is the founder of three companies with experience in hospitality, real estate, and entrepreneurship. His Slings & Arrows Consulting bar projects have been featured in The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, the Whiskey Advocate, and more. Chall is the co-owner and Booze Jockey of the acclaimed local bar, Little Jumbo in Asheville, NC, and the author of The Cocktail Bar: Notes for an Owner & Operator, covering everything from choosing an initial bar concept to the day-to-day business operations of running a bar.

CBI037 - Instant-Aging and Rewriting the Brewing Book with Chad Slagle   Chad Slagle is one of the co-founders of the Two Trees Distilling Co. based in Fletcher, N.C. A Black Mountain native, Chad lov

CBI036 - Brown Liquor Love and the Restaurateur Journey with Former Navy Captain Bob Byron   Bob Byron is a Naval Academy Graduate and retired Navy Captain that took a different direction from most af

CBI035 - The Meandering Path that Leads to Brewing and Being a Female Brewer with Rebecca Murphy   Rebecca is a student in the brewing, distillation, and fermentation program at CBI Tech. She grew up

CBI034 - Words of Wisdom and Questions from Students with Fellow CBI Instructor John Lyda   John Lyda is the Brewing, Distillation and Fermentation Instructor at the Craft Beverage Institute. A long a

CBI033 - Drive-Through Booze and Revisiting Classic Beers with Leah Rainis   Leah Rainis is the Executive Director and the mind behind the Asheville Brewers Alliance (ABA). Starting her career in the

CBI031 - How Community College Can Develop Soft Skills with President John Gossett   Dr. John Gossett became the President of ABTech Community College in March 2020.  He has a 32-year career in higher

CBI030  - The Politics of Yeast and the Art and Science of Winemaking with Shruthi Dhoopati   Shruthi Dhoopati, the young winemaker extraordinaire, was once a Political Science student at the Universi

CBI032 - Riding the Cider Wave and Talking Picklebacks with Greg Hill   Greg Hill is the head cider maker at Urban Orchard, a first-level sommelier, and graduate of the CBI program. He has a love of p

CBI028  - The Battle of the Negroni and Concocting Spirits with the Urban Gastronome, Jeremy Hood   Former cocktail hobbyist and self-proclaimed ‘cocktail nerd’, Jeremy Hood, took his passion for spir

CBI027 - The Shining and Brewing Lessons with ABTech Alumnus Dan Rowe   Dan Rowe is an alumnus of ABTech’s brewing program. After graduating in 2017, Dan worked at Dogfish Head Brewery for two years b

CBI026  - The Big Little Jumbo in the Room and Running a Cocktail Bar with Chall Gray   Chall Gray is an entrepreneur, author, and handsome athlete extraordinaire. His passion for mixology and cocktai

CBI025 - Female Brewing Ambitions & Collecting Recipes from the Women of Craft Beer with Anita Riley   Anita Riley is a Board Member of the an organization that supports the progression of women in t

CBI024 - The Drinkable Art of Wine Pairing with Certified Wine Specialist and Drinker to the Stars Andy Hale   Andy Hale is the Education Director and primary teacher at the Asheville School of Wine i