Points Of Brew

Hello, and welcome to the latest episode of the Points of Brew podcast with Stephen Carter and Aaron Getliffe. In this episode, the lads are joined by Social Media & Marketing Manager of Unbarred Brewery, Brett Preston. Brett joins Stephen & Aaron for a drink-along of sorts, as they both drink the latest releases from Unbarred; the Dank & Danker IPAs. Listen in as Brett discusses life at Unbarred Brewery and how he came to be there, and the story behind both beers which were drank on the show. The beers were sourced and purchased from Yorkshire Craft Beers where they are available, or from Unbarred's website directly here. Huge thanks to Brett for coming onto the show, and we hope that you enjoyed listening as always!

In this episode, Stephen & Aaron are joined again by Lotte Peplow of the Brewer's Association as they speak with head brewer of DC Brau Alex Spencer. A brewery that has come to the UK recently hitting the shelves in Home Bargains, they have also collaborated with the Craft Beer Channel and Howling Hops too, both at home and away. Alex discusses both brews, and the resulting beers, alongside his involvement with the brewery and history within the industry. Huge thanks to Lotte for organising the show once more and providing samples of both beers which were consumed during the show.

Join the lads (Stephen & Aaron) as they delve into the world of craft beer which is available on the shelves of Home Bargains right now! Joined by Lotte Peplow (European Representative of the Brewers Association), Chris Smith and Robby Willey (co-founders of Virginia Beer Co) they chat about all things American beer, import/export and the support the BA lends to American brewers. As part of the show, Stephen and Aaron both drink Gorgeous, Virginia's hazy Citra IPA at 5.7%, which is available in Home Bargains now in 330ml cans. Stephen also tries a can of their Purple Hand Gang, a fruited sour which isn't available in the UK right now sadly. They are however optimistic about future beers making it to UK shores in the near future. Huge thanks to Lotte for arranging the podcast, sending the beers out to drink during the show and for the chaps from Virginia taking time to chat to the Points of Brew podcast.

In this episode, Stephen & Aaron are joined by a very special guest, Steve Grossman of Sierra Nevada brewery in the US! Steve is the brother of original founder, Ken, and now heads up the brewery's export division amongst other duties which he explains as part of the show. Steve was an excellent guest, and there's potentially another show in the works before the end of the year too, so watch this space... Thank you for listening to this Sierra Nevada special, and please send any comments, suggestions or feedback to pointsofbrew@gmail.com

In this episode of the Points of Brew podcast, Stephen is joined by returning guest, James Fox, who originally joined Stephen during lockdown three years ago. James explains what has changed since they last spoke three years ago, whilst discussing the two beers he sent over to drink during the show. They were a Session/Table NEIPA which he brewed in under three days, and a black IPA which he knows that Stephen loves! He goes on to discuss how the Teesside home-brew club has grown and he now heads it up since previous lead Alex Postles has taken on his brewery, Bayonet, full time. Thanks to James for sending out the beers to be drank on the show and if you want to find out more about James and his brews, you can do so by searching for 'Fox Brewing' on Instagram. Likewise, search for the 'Teeside Homebrew Club' to find out more about their meetings too.

In this episode, Stephen & Aaron make their way through the beers kindly sent to them from the new Drink Cask Fresh campaign; a campaign designed to reform cask beer and reinvigorate people's passion for it. Cask beer is unique to this country, but it is often treated as a second-grade citizen in the beer world, often dismissed as nothing more than brown, boring or even twiggy beer! We bust some myths regarding cask beer in an attempt to promote and save this genuine British institution as it is something we created and is completely unique to us as a nation. During this show we drink beers included in the box from Timothy Taylor, Robinson's, Dark Star and Titanic all of which were well-received and excellent examples of bottle conditioned beer that would be delightful on cask as per this campaign. Of course, this box is for promotional purposes and the intention is that we all head to our local and drink fresh pints of cask where we can. For more info, head to the Drink Cask Fresh website here

In this show, Stephen & Aaron chat with Simon Howers of Padstow Brewing Co. who is now one of the most featured guests on the show! As always, it was a great chat with Simon and he shares details of how Padstow are celebrating their 10th anniversary and the beer they brewed for it, 10/10.

In this episode, Stephen & Aaron welcome Alex Postles, owner and brewer from Bayonet Brewing onto the podcast. Whilst the brewery may only be part time, running alongside Alex's full-time military career, it has certainly gathered momentum and a strong reputation over the past 18 months which Alex discusses. During the show the chaps discuss and drink beers which Alex kindly sent to the show which were Keyboard commander and Delta Lima Six, a West Coast IPA and a Pale Ale respectively. Whilst doing so, Alex also discusses his busy schedule for 2023, plus for expansion and the potential to bring in another brewer in his absence due to his career. As part of this show, Alex has offered 10% off his webshop and listeners can use code 'POB10' to get 10% off their order placed directly with Bayonet on their website. More info can also be found here, and it's recommended you follow them across all their social media channels and purchase Alex's beer where you can! As always, if you have any questions, comments or feedback please send it in to pointsofbrew@gmail.com and don't forget to like, follow and subscribe to this channel wherever you choose to listen, and leave a positive review if you think we're doing a good job!

In this episode Stephen & Aaron are joined by returning guest, Elliott Carrington AKA Crafty Carrington who first appeared on the show back in 2020 as a home brewer and enthusiast. Since then, things have changed somewhat as Elliott is now a brewing assistant at Powder Monkey Brewery in Gosport and the trio drink some Powder Monkey beers whilst having a chat how Elliott found himself at Powder Monkey. During the show, the chaps drink their extremely nice Explosion West Coast IPA, the Drop Anchor Vienna Pale Ale and the BBQ Pitmaster Rye IPA, all of which were superb. Powder Monkey brew some interesting styles which aren't regularly seen in the beer world, alongside the hazy IPAs and Pales you'd expect them to. Do you want to learn about the second swallow? Then listen in to this show as Aaron tells you all about it! You can find more out about Powder Monkey by visiting their website or finding them across social media by searching for Powder Monkey. They are also offering 20% off their beers for a limited time only so use code 'POB20' at point of checkout to receive 20% off your order!

In this episode of the Points of Brew Podcast, Stephen & Aaron are joined by head brewer from Play Brew Co in Middlesbrough, James Baylin. Play are renowned for beers which push the envelope, such as a chocolate cereal milk beer and Drumstick lolly inspired pale, so they lads delve into what makes Play Brew tick, and how they come up with their ideas.  James explains how his background in studying music offers no support in what he is doing now, brewing, and how he came to be at Play after gaining valuable experience elsewhere. He also discusses the 24 inch mega pizzas which are being served at their taproom from Lucky Ted's, now on a permanent basis. Sound good? Then hit play, and listen in to this chat whilst drooling over the thought of pizza. You're welcome.  As always, any and all feedback is welcomed and can be sent to pointsofbrew@gmail.com

In this episode of the Points of Brew podcast, Stephen & Aaron find themselves recording virtually once again as they are joined by Tom Palmer, co-founder of Mondo Brewing in London. Tom explains how Mondo came to be founded, his history home brewing and experiences doing so both in the US and in Japan, which sparked his enthusiasm for experimentation and brewing on a larger scale.  During the show, Stephen drinks their Session IPA Little Victories, before both him & Aaron come onto Phantasm Of the Hopera, their latest collaboration beer with Saltaire Brewery in Yorkshire. This beer uses an ingredient which, to date, is exclusive to the US and New Zealand; Phantasm, a powder derived from dried and crushed white wine grapes. Tom explains how this helps promote flavour and aroma in their beer, with fewer hops needed during the brewing process which hopefully will help the industry become more sustainable in the future.  Tom also discusses their process of choosing not to boil during the brewing process, which they did for this beer also, and the benefits which this can bring to particularly hoppy beers in both depth and thickness. Thanks to Tom for joining us on the podcast, we appreciated his time with us considering he was feeling under the weather on the night too. Also thanks to the team at Mondo for sending us the beers ahead of the show, whilst they were free this did not influence our thoughts and opinions which were reflected in the show.  As always, please feel free to send any questions, comments or feedback to pointsofbrew@gmail.com and don't forget to like, comments, share and subscribe to this podcast wherever you choose to listen to it. 

It's brew day! Watch and listen in as Stephen & Aaron fire up the pilot kit at Quirky and attempt to brew a Double IPA (DIPA) in homage to the yearly hype release, Putty, from Verdant in Cornwall. Taking inspiration from it, the duo try and replicate Putty's success and follow the recipe as closely as possible but make their own tweaks to the recipe in order to put their own spin on the beer. Stephen & Aaron drink a can of Putty in this episode to see what the hype is all about and if the fuss is still worth it (spoiler alert, it is!) and begin to dream of making a beer of a similar quality to this. Does the pilot kit survive? Tune in and find out, and see what tweaks have been made to the recipe and, more importantly, when the beer will be released! The beer will be available in the coming weeks at the Quirky tap room so stay tuned for announcements on social media for its release.  As always, if you have any questions, comments or feedback please get in touch on pointsofbrew@gmail.com or reach out on any of our social media platforms. Don't forget to like, comment, share and subscribe to this podcast wherever you listen and watch it, as it helps reach more people interested in good beer!

In this episode of the Points of Brew podcast, Stephen & Aaron are joined by Pete Brown, the founder of Forest Road Brewing Company in London. Coming from America with a dream to be a part of the UK's upcoming craft beer revolution, Pete explains how he left the US to make it in the brewing world in London. With previous experience at Siren and Camden, Pete was no stranger to brewery life when he went to make it on his own, but he discusses how it wasn't quite as simple as that.  During the show, the lads drink Forest Road's Sesh, Ride, Work and Posh before simultaneously finishing off on they now-renowned Double IPA, Jupiter. We then dig into the cease and desist case submitted by AB InBev against Jupiter, over fears it would cause damage to their existing product, Jupiler. Being a lager served and brewed in Belgium, this seemed extreme and eventually the case was dropped, which Pete goes on to explain why it was dropped.  Huge thanks to Pete for coming onto the show and more information can be found out about Forest Road here including how to order their beer! They all come highly recommended, with Jupiter being a firm favourite of the hosts. The beer was kindly provided to the show before recording, however this did not affect their thoughts and opinions given on them.  If you'd like to contact the Points of Brew podcast, then you can do so by emailing direct at pointsofbrew@gmail.com

In this bonus episode, Stephen & Aaron drink two beers which they were sent from Birra Montecassino in Italy. Regarded as perhaps the world's oldest brewery, Birra Montecassino was revived following its destruction during the infamous battle of Montecassino during World War Two. Beginning production once more in 2018, using new kit but traditional methods, recipes and ingredients, the brewery is now looking to expand and once more become renowned worldwide as it once was many years ago.  The two beers drank during the show were 'Alba' and 'Aurea', the first being a golden ale and the second being a white wheat beer at 5% and 4.8% respectively. Listen in as the chaps give their views on these two beers in this short bonus episode, and you can find more information about the brewery over at their website here. As usual, please send any comments and feedback to pointsofbrew@gmail.com and don't forget to like, follow and subscribe to the Points Of Brew podcast wherever you listen to the show. You can also find us on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and TikTok. The two beers sent were gifted to the show, but this did not affect our views reflected in the show. 

In this episode of the Points Of Brew podcast, Stephen & Aaron are joined by Peter Kennelly, who is the Head of Sales for Pillars Brewery in London. As a lager-only brewery, Peter gives us a great insight into what it's like working for a specialist company, in both sales & production, and the challenges Pillars regularly face too.  During this show, Stephen & Aaron try the gluten free Pilsner, the Icebock and the Barrel Aged Icebock, all of which are available on the Pillars' webshop which can be found here: https://www.pillarsbrewery.com/pages/shop-collections The beers were sent ahead of the recording, but this did not affect the feedback given during the show  Peter explains how the brewery has changed even during the time he has been there, with new horizontal conditioning tanks being recently installed, and their experimental ice conditioning process used during fermentation of the bocks we tried on the show. Huge thanks to Peter for joining us, and the lagers which Pillars are producing come highly recommended. For more info on Pillars, head to their social pages by searching 'Pillars Brewery' or checking out their website above.  Don't forget, if you're enjoying this podcast then please do like, share, follow/subscribe on your platform of choice and leave us a positive review if you think we're doing a good job! Likewise, any and all feedback can be sent directly on pointsofbrew@gmail.com

In their first episode of 2023, Stephen & Aaron attempt to answer the question of, 'What is a cold IPA?' As part of their research, they drink four different examples of differing strengths and flavours from Harbour, Braybrooke, Camden Town and Zapato. Do they understand what a Cold IPA is anymore than when they started the show? Listen in to find out! Aaron details his exciting Christmas plans as he closed out 2022, and Stephen details his overnight trip to the Lake District before looking on to 2023 and the guests and plans for the podcast heading into a new year.  If you would like to get in touch with the show, please do so via direct message on social media, or send an email directly to pointsofbrew@gmail.com. Likewise, any positive reviews and feedback are greatly appreciated, so if you can rate the show on your podcast platform of choice, that would be massively appreciated.

In this special edition podcast, Stephen chats with professional drummer and craft beer enthusiast Ashley Doodkorte all the way from Perth, Australia. Graphic designer by day, but drummer for the progressive pop metal band Voyager (and others) by night, Ash is the first musician on the show, and the first guest from Australia! In this show, Ash shares his experiences as a drummer and life on the road across Australia, Europe and beyond, but more importantly, shares his beer adventures and experiences whilst doing so! To name but two, he has visited Cloudwater and Dogfish Head on his travels and hopes to do more on their next tour (TBC for 2023). Ash also discusses their attempt to represent Australia at last year's Eurovision and how they came so close, only to be thwarted by the judging panel. Is that the end of their attempts however? Maybe they'll give it one more go next year... We also discuss the age old question of 'Can a shark play drums?' which Ash not only answers, but demonstrates (link below). Massive thanks to Ash for coming onto the Points Of Brew podcast, and thanks to the band for reaching out and offering to be part of the show. To find out more about Voyager, head to their website. You can listen to their music on Spotify and YouTube and also watch the video for their single 'Submarine' here, in which you can watch a shark attempt to play drums... As always, any feedback is appreciated and can be sent to pointsofbrew@gmail.com All artwork and music used with permission of the band.

In this episode of the Points Of Brew podcast, Stephen & Aaron are joined by David & Dale from new brewery in Nuneaton, Dead Weight. A very small batch brewery, producing around 100 cans per batch, David & Dale are intent on producing the best beers they can and only producing ones that they would like to drink themselves. The duo kindly sent out some cans ahead of the recording including their newly launched west coast IPA, Tidal Wave, hopped with Huell Melon, their session IPA, Dinghy, and their baltic porter, Tempest. As you'll hear on the show, the beers went down incredibly well and wish the pair all the best for their future releases and potential expansions when they are ready. To find out more about Dead Weight, head to their website (https://www.deadweightbrewing.co.uk) where you can also buy their beers directly to be shipped, and you can also find them on Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/deadweightbrewingco/). Thanks to them for sending the beers out to be tried on the show, and their gifting of these did not affect the thoughts or opinions reflected on the show.  As always, any questions comments or feedback can be sent to pointsofbrew@gmail.com 

In this episode of the Points of Brew podcast, Stephen & Aaron drink two beers from Flying Trunk Brewery and deliberate how to pronounce the first of theirs, Petrichor. Whilst drinking this beer, they discuss Aaron's recent trip to Prague as he visited 'beer heaven' and drank a flight of beers ranging from a west coast IPA all the way to a NEIPA. What could be better?! They then drink the second beer sent to them by Flying Trunk, Past Your Bedtime, a five grain stout which (surprisingly) both Stephen and Aaron enjoyed! When Stephen finds a stout he can drink, you know it's serious business! Huge thank to Flying Trunk for providing the beers for the show, and both Stephen & Aaron gave their honest opinions on both beers despite them being provided for free. If you have any questions, comments or feedback for the show please get in touch via one of our social media channels or get in touch by emailing at pointsofbrew@gmail.com 

In this special roundtable episode, Stephen hosts a number of guests who have been affected by and campaigning against the closure of the National Brewery Centre in Burton Upon Trent.  In a recent decision taken by owners Molson Coors, following actions taken by Burton Council, the National Brewery Centre has now closed its doors, however local residents will not sit by quietly and allow this to go unnoticed.  Stephen is joined by Steven Blakemore (Former Volunteer & Campaigner), Jack Burrows (Former Volunteer & Campaigner), Richard Grosvenor (Local Councillor & Campaigner) and George Collins (Former Burton resident & Campaigner) who all share their opinions and experiences on the matter. Whilst the Centre may have closed, there is clearly still a chance to voice opinions against this closure to the council who, hopefully, may change their decision or at least go some way as to putting minds at rest regarding the collection of displays within the museum.  There is an active Facebook group with regular updates on the matter which can be joined here and protests arranged in an attempt to further the message and change the council's decision. Thanks to all guests who joined on the show and to George for asking to us take part in this vitally important campaign helping persevere our national brewing heritage. The National Brewery Centre was a vitally important showcase of our brewing history & something to be proud of and, without it, the town will be much poorer for it.  Molson Coors were approached to appear on the show, however they did not respond to any of our requests.  #SaveTheNationalBreweryCentre