Shownotes
What is the current state of beer and brewing in Wisconsin? Greg Washington of Badger Beer Report reports the latest trends, brewery openings, and the bittersweet closures in the Wisconsin beer scene.
Badger Beer Report: https://www.badgerbeerreport.com/
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TIMELINE
00:00 Welcome Greg!
01:05 State of Beer in Wisconsin
01:51 Losses in the Industry
02:58 Greg's Journey into Beer
05:09 New Breweries and Innovations
09:02 Importance of Community and Experience
13:34 New Glarus Expansion and Industry Insights
18:16 First Time Go To Beer
23:01 Greg's Third Place
26:11 Favorite Porters and Breweries
28:30 Mt. Rushmore of Wisconsin
32:47 The Community of Brewers
34:22 Check Out Badger Beer Report!
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CREDITS
Hosts:
Bobby Fleshman - https://www.mcfleshmans.com/
Allison Fleshman -https://www.instagram.com/mcfleshmans/
Joel Hermansen
Gary Ardnt - https://everything-everywhere.com/everything-everywhere-daily-podcast/
Music by Sarah Lynn Huss - https://www.facebook.com/kevin.huss.52/
Recorded & Produced by David Kalsow - https://davidkalsow.com/
Brought to you by McFleshman's Brewing Co
Transcripts
McFleshman's: Hello everyone.
Speaker:My name is Gary Arndt, and welcome to another episode of Respecting the Beer.
Speaker:For this episode, we've cut all the dead wood.
Speaker:Everyone that, that was kind of holding us back.
Speaker:In the words of Janice Joplin.
Speaker:To paraphrase, it's just me and Bobby.
Speaker:That's it.
Speaker:The man who's forgotten more about brewing than I know, and I think that's literally true that that's probably very close to a literal truth.
Speaker:But.
Speaker:Also Bobby McCoy would've been a cool name if I would've taken Allison's name, last name.
Speaker:Yeah, it would've been close.
Speaker:Yeah, it would've been close to that.
Speaker:But also that's about as badass about We Western name you could have had.
Speaker:But what we lose in co-host, we gain in guess because we have a really good one.
Speaker:On this episode, we got Mr. Greg Washington from the Badger Beer Report covering everything beer and brewing in the state of Wisconsin.
Speaker:Welcome, Greg.
Speaker:Finally, good to get you on the show.
Greg Washington:Thank you for having me on one of my favorite Wisconsin Brewery podcast,
Greg Washington:McFleshman's: Thanks for being here.
Greg Washington:So, um, if you were to give the state of the Union address for Wisconsin beer, how would you summarize it?
Greg Washington:What is the state of beer and brewing in Wisconsin?
Greg Washington:The state of beer and brewing?
Greg Washington:Great question by the way.
Greg Washington:The state of beer and brewing in Wisconsin is solid.
Greg Washington:We're mitigating our losses.
Greg Washington:With, uh, wonderful replacements.
Greg Washington:Um, we are moving in the areas that we haven't been.
Greg Washington:We are losing some, yes, but we are generally in probably the same place we were last year.
Greg Washington:Um, maybe better, I don't know.
Greg Washington:McFleshman's: Well,
Greg Washington:what have been some of the losses?
Greg Washington:I mean, what, what have, what have, I know some, uh, microbrewers have closed.
Greg Washington:Yeah, so the big ones this year were, um, the, scene as a whole was 1840, um, was probably the biggest one.
Greg Washington:We lost them and their ex extension in West Bend.
Greg Washington:And then we had a loss in their family right after that.
Greg Washington:So that was really emotional for our beer scene for sure.
Greg Washington:We lost two Great Danes this year, y'all.
Greg Washington:And we lost two out of the five that we have.
Greg Washington:Or I'm sorry, five in America and one in Japan.
Greg Washington:Uh, and so those were the big ones.
Greg Washington:Um, you know, the longer that you are around and the more that you know, you surround yourself with community, the harder it, the hit is on a community.
Greg Washington:McFleshman's: Yeah, I'll second that on 1840.
Greg Washington:They, they were bringing it big.
Greg Washington:They've been bringing it big for a while.
Greg Washington:I, I know Kyle and and his family have been going through some stuff and I, uh, the industry has, has, uh, felt that locally for sure.
Greg Washington:They, they raise the bar pretty high and our heart goes out to them over there.
Greg Washington:Amen to
Greg Washington:Why don't we get into your origin story?
Greg Washington:How did you get into beer and beer in Wisconsin?
Greg Washington:I've been an at-home dad for 20 plus years, and during that time I realized that once I am done doing my at-home dad and homeschooling, um, I would need a career.
Greg Washington:So I started.
Greg Washington:About 10, 10 years ago, um, with my goofy brand name and goofy brand Daddy Porter.
Greg Washington:And I just did that to hold myself accountable and to teach people or to help teach people, come along the craft beer world and come into the crafter world like I was so, you know, I was trying beers and I was learning and all these things.
Greg Washington:I was reading newspaper columns from people named Wisconsin Beer Baron, Chris Rasner.
Greg Washington:And I was doing whatever I could to just you know, I was just loving beer in a, not in a I wanna buzz beer, but more in a community, in a you know, the history and the different flavors and the different breweries that have their different, Aesthetics and atmosphere and community.
Greg Washington:So it was just all that, that brought me in about 10 or 15 years.
Greg Washington:And since then, I've just really found a love of Wisconsin beer and Wisconsin brewing.
Greg Washington:So about four years, five years ago, I approached Chris Rasner Beer Baron about starting w Badger Beer Hour and one of our.
Greg Washington:First guess actually was the man that is across the table from me virtually, uh, Bobby was on our, uh, stream very early.
Greg Washington:And yeah, so that it started to, you know, build into that.
Greg Washington:And then last year, um, we decided to make Badger Beer Hour a big.
Greg Washington:Bigger and batter.
Greg Washington:And now we do report.
Greg Washington:Now we're almost like a full service 24 7 brewery, tracker and I mean, we were even, we were even breaking news on Thanksgiving Eve,
Greg Washington:about Quiet World and, uh, New London, Wisconsin.
Greg Washington:So we work pretty much around the hour, but we're just geek, y'all, and we just love it.
Greg Washington:We're just fans and this is a passion.
Greg Washington:We don't, we haven't monetized yet.
Greg Washington:We're working on that, but, so we're not even getting paid, we're just doing this for the love of the game, so.
Greg Washington:McFleshman's: So you wanna, you wanna drop some of that, uh, info on us?
Greg Washington:The Quiet World story?
Greg Washington:All I know is there's a barn in New London.
Greg Washington:That's about all I know.
Greg Washington:Yeah.
Greg Washington:Quiet World.
Greg Washington:This is going to, this is an interesting one.
Greg Washington:It seems like they've been, um, uh, they've been working on this for, well, you know, Bobby, like, you know, like it takes what you, you gotta think what you're thinking three years ahead before the brewery even opens.
Greg Washington:So they're talking about opening New London in 2027, but they've, it seems like they've been working on it for a couple years now.
Greg Washington:They bought a 17 barrel system, Bobby, so that's kind of.
Greg Washington:McFleshman's: Wait, wait, wait.
Greg Washington:20. That's a, that's a, that's a 20 HEC system.
Greg Washington:No, I
Greg Washington:did that math in, there's a British system mean a German system.
Greg Washington:Oh, oh, wow.
Greg Washington:Yeah, they, they posted on their, um, their social media about, it was about this summer or this spring that they that they acquired a 17 barrel system.
Greg Washington:So that, and they're going to have an event barn.
Greg Washington:And apparently the owner is, um, he's in that space, he's a producer.
Greg Washington:So he produces events and it looks like he produces music events.
Greg Washington:So I think we can deduce that they're going to have music events at the barn.
Greg Washington:I could be wrong, but you know, that's just what I'm joking in.
Greg Washington:I'm jumping in and they're gonna build a new tap room night next to it and it just sounds really, um, I don't know.
Greg Washington:I get a farm to table vibe coming from them, Bobby, if that makes sense.
Greg Washington:Um, it looks like he has some culinary background, so I don't know, this could be a really, um, they posted today, uh, uh, the 1st of December y'all, um, they posted today that, uh, this big drone video.
Greg Washington:On the out there in the middle, so.
Greg Washington:McFleshman's: Mm-hmm.
Greg Washington:That's exciting.
Greg Washington:You know, the, the Fox Valley itself, we've talked about a lot of the breweries opening.
Greg Washington:We have, uh, Vault 2 0 2 open down the street, and I know Ope is opening their second location next year here.
Greg Washington:And I, I consider New London as, as part of the Greater Fox Valley.
Greg Washington:So there's gonna be a lot of energy in the, in the community, the beer community here.
Greg Washington:I'm excited about it.
Greg Washington:I mean, y'all already got great energy, so that's just another, you know, I mean, vault coming.
Greg Washington:In as strong and hard as they did this year.
Greg Washington:It's like, wow,
Greg Washington:McFleshman's: Oh yeah.
Greg Washington:Chris is bringing it.
Greg Washington:Yeah.
Greg Washington:Chris does collaborations with everybody across the, you name it, and I think Scott is the GM over there.
Greg Washington:They're bringing in some good stuff.
Greg Washington:Yeah, they are.
Greg Washington:Yeah, they are.
Greg Washington:They came out hard and strong,
Greg Washington:McFleshman's: Uh, what are some other new breweries that are opening up in the state
Greg Washington:Okay.
Greg Washington:So, um.
Greg Washington:McFleshman's: New.
Greg Washington:Yeah.
Greg Washington:Yeah.
Greg Washington:So the one we're actually looking for to come in here soon, at the end of the year is Boulder Junction, up in Boulder Junction.
Greg Washington:They have been building their brewery for about two years now.
Greg Washington:And one of the things to look for there, I believe, is that like.
Greg Washington:This is a high tech brewery.
Greg Washington:Uh, there's a lot of state-of-the-art.
Greg Washington:There's a lot of recycling of water, and I believe that just plans for, um, you know, solar.
Greg Washington:And they're just really, it seems like the build they were trying to open early.
Greg Washington:I'm sorry.
Greg Washington:They're trying to, uh, open late summer and we're still here in December and they're still trying to get going and there's just been a lot of different setbacks, but it's also been a, it feels like Bobby, it also feels like one of those builds that they just have high standards of what they want.
Greg Washington:So there's going to be a level of delays and things that need to be done in order to have it come out like they want it to.
Greg Washington:So Boulder Junction was, is a fun one.
Greg Washington:Um, Fond Du Lac Brewing right down the street from y'all.
Greg Washington:Came out strong.
Greg Washington:, Fond Du Lac Brewing right up the street from y'all, uh, doing great things.
Greg Washington:They're young, uh, Hoya Hop House, not too far away from you doing great things and they're young.
Greg Washington:So yeah, there's this, there's a lot of really good things going on in Wisconsin,
Greg Washington:McFleshman's: So I, I, I think that.
Greg Washington:We're all kind of dancing around the subject.
Greg Washington:The beer industry is having its challenges, a lot of closings, and I always say that it's a, a maturing industry because we're, we have as many openings as we do closings.
Greg Washington:It's a competitive market, but that's good for the consumer and I think it's good for beer.
Greg Washington:And it sounds like you're saying that Wisconsin is doing as well as.
Greg Washington:Anyone in the nation as far as, uh, uh, keeping, uh, the quality up there and the openings are, are battling those closings, maybe vetting out, you know, the, the what, the, what the market wants at the end of the day.
Greg Washington:Yeah, the Economist for the Brews Association said that basically he boiled down to say that, uh, Wisconsin is their um, you know, beer sales.
Greg Washington:Bobby, as you know, across the border, down.
Greg Washington:But Wisconsin is not as down as the rest of the country, if that makes sense.
Greg Washington:So I think he was talking like 4% crappier or something like that down, and Wisconsin's only like two or something like that, you know?
Greg Washington:So there's a level of,, us.
Greg Washington:Doing better, but still having a point to where, you know, there's a struggle.
Greg Washington:Bobby I thought it was really interesting when I went to door county and I was talking to two brewers that I, I, I'll keep.
Greg Washington:I'll say, I'll remain nameless, but y'all can figure it out by going to Bradbury report social media.
Greg Washington:But they told me that they were doing very well, Bobby, as far as, um, the summer was great for them, is what the words were basically.
Greg Washington:And I was just like, wow, that's really interesting because the reports that we get here from mainland Wisconsin aren't so, you know, happy.
Greg Washington:We hear a lot of, you know, we're getting by, we're doing well, it's fine.
Greg Washington:Um, you know, those kind of comments.
Greg Washington:Whereas out in Door County this summer, you know, things were well.
Greg Washington:So I don't, we're really regional that way and I don't think people understand that aspect.
Greg Washington:And I'm learning that aspect right now.
Greg Washington:Bobby, I'm, I'm
Greg Washington:McFleshman's: I would expect Door County to do well in the summer.
Greg Washington:The
Greg Washington:winter is when I think they would be really slow.
Greg Washington:Right, but they're not,
Greg Washington:they say when you sell beer to Door County, you don't do it in the summer.
Greg Washington:You've gotta, you gotta earn it as a salesperson, you gotta go now and you gotta sell for the next four months so you can get your, your beer on tap there, because yeah, you're right, there's not much happening in the winter, but summer
Greg Washington:it's go
Greg Washington:they, made it.
Greg Washington:McFleshman's: there.
Greg Washington:Yeah, but they made it seem like this summer was better than normal summers, if that makes sense.
Greg Washington:Like, so there's a level of it.
Greg Washington:It, it's interesting because it's interest, it should be interesting because I know the one brewer up there is, you know, I think, I think the, the, the cheapest pin at $7.
Greg Washington:So there's a level that people go on vacation y'all and have that extra money, I feel.
Greg Washington:But at home, Bobby, I'm not sure.
Greg Washington:People feel they have that extra money now, if that makes sense.
Greg Washington:McFleshman's: And I think we're all painting with one big brush, right?
Greg Washington:We're all trying to broad stroke this whole thing.
Greg Washington:Uh, and I don't think that it's as simple as that.
Greg Washington:I think that the, the small breweries have found their niche, you know, their regions and, and their market.
Greg Washington:Uh, I, I'm, I'm saying that as a little bit to coach myself and to boast myself and make myself feel optimistic, but I'm also being realistic.
Greg Washington:I think that the industry is not.
Greg Washington:Uh, black and white anymore.
Greg Washington:It maybe never was, but
Greg Washington:there's just so much happening out there.
Greg Washington:Some of us are offering music, some of us are going all in on food and all the inbetweens, uh, people want experience and I think if you nail that, you're gonna be fine.
Greg Washington:We're a beverage industry and we need to offer more than beer.
Greg Washington:At this point, I think that in summary is where we are.
Greg Washington:I, I think people are still spending money and they still want to come out.
Greg Washington:You can't buy soc, you can't socialize on Amazon.
Greg Washington:You still have to spend money in a pub if you want to hang out with people.
Greg Washington:Mm-hmm.
Greg Washington:my whole philosophy right there.
Greg Washington:Mm-hmm.
Greg Washington:Mm-hmm.
Greg Washington:Yeah, I think I, I, the ones that I feel we're finding are doing well are the breweries that are keeping it small.
Greg Washington:Um, and that's the kind of model that I like to see personally.
Greg Washington:When I see a brewery come out, it's not this, you know, is that community, Hey, we're gonna keep it tight and see where we can build from there, um, as opposed to trying to distribute.
Greg Washington:But, you know, whatever works, I mean, I, but I, I'm just, I'm, I'm a, I'm afraid of the distribution lanes, Bobby, a little bit, if that makes sense.
Greg Washington:McFleshman's: Yeah,
Greg Washington:I have to bring it up because of the timing and the interview is right.
Greg Washington:I have to ask you about Dan Carey.
Greg Washington:I have to ask you, aboutis, I have to ask you about what you think about what's going on right now, uh, with their expansion and, uh, what your thoughts are on it.
Greg Washington:Uh, well, I, I, I wanna, I wanna shout out new glares real quick because this morning, um, Joel and I were talking about it last week and they shouted us out on social media, which is always great for us.
Greg Washington:So thanks for that.
Greg Washington:But, um, that being said the clip that they.
Greg Washington:The clip that they shared that we were talking about, Joel, um, my co-host and, uh, one of my best friends professionally for sure, uh, with the badge of beer report was basically saying that he feels, and he's been to 1500 brewery y'all in America, so, um, in 50 states.
Greg Washington:And he says that he thinks that this may propel.
Greg Washington:You know, new to be literally one of the better beer experiences.
Greg Washington:'Cause he thought it was already one of the better ones that he's been to and 1500 breweries.
Greg Washington:And they're putting in how much Bobby?
Greg Washington:30 million or something in there.
Greg Washington:So 55 and yeah.
Greg Washington:So I just don't, I, I just see it being a real this them cementing their.
Greg Washington:Legacy here in Wisconsin, which I don't even know that they even need to do that.
Greg Washington:And I, but I don't think they're doing it for that.
Greg Washington:I just think that the expansion is gonna be amazing for us, amazing for beer, uh, community.
Greg Washington:And it's just gonna be great.
Greg Washington:Um, I just can't wait.
Greg Washington:But we have to wait.
Greg Washington:Another, what, you know, sort of 2027 for this.
Greg Washington:I.
Greg Washington:McFleshman's: Yeah, I think, I think there'll be the, the construction will be done in 12 months and then another six months to get the equipment installed and online.
Greg Washington:So summer of 2027,
Greg Washington:Mm-hmm.
Greg Washington:McFleshman's: And.
Greg Washington:I think you're right.
Greg Washington:I. Yeah.
Greg Washington:Yeah.
Greg Washington:It's gonna be super exciting and it's something for Wisconsin to be proud of.
Greg Washington:I think New Glarus is gonna do well as a community.
Greg Washington:I think that the company's gonna do great.
Greg Washington:Uh, anyway, I just wanna hear your take on that.
Greg Washington:I think that I, I'm excited for where they are.
Greg Washington:I need to get Dan Carey on the Stand podcast before he retires entirely.
Greg Washington:He's, uh,
Greg Washington:he's, he's elusive, but,
Greg Washington:me about it.
Greg Washington:Tell me
Greg Washington:McFleshman's: but what he's got going on, man, between him and Deb.
Greg Washington:And their daughter, Samantha, I forget, is it Sam?
Greg Washington:I forget her name, but she's the construction manager.
Greg Washington:She's the, she's,
Greg Washington:she's building that entire facility,
Greg Washington:so there's a lot going on there.
Greg Washington:We'll, we'll get, we'll cover that later.
Greg Washington:But anyway, I think that's gonna help Wisconsin as a beer community, that that opens the next couple of years and gives us something to look forward to.
Greg Washington:Till then.
Greg Washington:Amen.
Greg Washington:Before we move on, we have to, or, or at least I feel I have to mention their wonderful podcasts that they do, um,
Greg Washington:McFleshman's: Oh, let's do it like every week.
Greg Washington:Yeah, that's, it's just a great, if y'all don't know about it now, y'all do.
Greg Washington:Um, they talk, they get into the be
Greg Washington:just a wonderful thing.
Greg Washington:Um, it's a lot like this one.
Greg Washington:McFleshman's: I think, I think David drops this podcast within minutes of theirs.
Greg Washington:It always lands in my feed, like right next to it on Monday morning.
Greg Washington:Nice.
Greg Washington:Nice.
Greg Washington:I mean, both are just great.
Greg Washington:Both of y'all are just both nailing this.
Greg Washington:Uh, and I, I just love to see it from our breweries.
Greg Washington:And we have ano, we have, um, Kanuth Brewing does one, I don't know.
Greg Washington:David is, um, busy opening bookstores and all that different
Greg Washington:things going on, so I think, yeah, he's busy, but I know that's still going because we talked recently and, um, you know, with you and, uh.
Greg Washington:And I think Moon Ridge just started one.
Greg Washington:Y'all.
Greg Washington:Um, a, a podcast.
Greg Washington:So, uh, they had the half fast, uh, brewery on their podcast, so that's a new one.
Greg Washington:But yeah, um, shout out.
Greg Washington:Shout out to, yeah, shout out to all the breweries that take time to produce content for us on top of everything else y'all do.
Greg Washington:And it, this gives us a nice insight to y'all's breweries and, I mean, y'all do history too.
Greg Washington:You know, New Glarus goes into history a little bit.
Greg Washington:I'm just, I, you know, just for content wise, I just love it.
Greg Washington:And, um, I would, you know, I wouldn't know everything I know about McFleshman's if it wasn't for the podcast that we're on right now.
Greg Washington:So, um, again, shout out to y'all for
Greg Washington:McFleshman's: Takes the team.
Greg Washington:Takes the team.
Greg Washington:yeah.
Greg Washington:Y'all doing great?
Greg Washington:McFleshman's: David sitting here, but
Greg Washington:also you got Allison and Joel and all these, these ass hats that participate on the mic.
Greg Washington:Professor Allison is the rock on this show.
Greg Washington:What are y'all talking about?
Greg Washington:McFleshman's: They're dead to us.
Greg Washington:They're dead to us.
Greg Washington:You, you go to a lot of, uh, breweries in the state.
Greg Washington:You go to a new place.
Greg Washington:What are you gonna order to get a feel for how good the brewery is and what it's like.
Greg Washington:Great question.
Greg Washington:Pilsner
Greg Washington:McFleshman's: That's why I.
Greg Washington:Pilsner , Kolch
Greg Washington:McFleshman's: you why.
Greg Washington:Why a pilsner?
Greg Washington:I think Bobby can back up what I'm about to say.
Greg Washington:A pilsner, I am told by many brewers it's really hard to hide flaws in that one.
Greg Washington:And so I feel that the most complex beers are the ones that at least I need to have a flight of.
Greg Washington:And everybody's kind of doing them now.
Greg Washington:There's this low a BV push that's been going on for years now.
Greg Washington:And now it's, you know, turned into, I think, an official lagger push.
Greg Washington:So, um, I really need
Greg Washington:McFleshman's: We're finally in the year of the lag.
Greg Washington:It's
Greg Washington:finally.
Greg Washington:happening lag.
Greg Washington:Right.
Greg Washington:Maybe a session IPA, um, I feel that those are a little bit more nuanced.
Greg Washington:and of course probably a hazy.
Greg Washington:And then, yeah, like I said, I look for, um, nitros.
Greg Washington:I look for, uh, cast irons.
Greg Washington:I look for milkco pores, I milk.
Greg Washington:I look for all those little special things too.
Greg Washington:If a brewery's able or wanting to do those, um, because you know, Bobby, there's entrances to all that.
Greg Washington:So those are the ones I look for.
Greg Washington:Um, and I don't know, there's always an odd ball one, you know, like a sour or something, you know, if they're trying to do something, crazy or silly or like to say, or, you know, they playing is what I like to say, when you see like a beer with, you know, some funky adjuncts or something, uh, those are
Greg Washington:McFleshman's: Glitter.
Greg Washington:fun
Greg Washington:McFleshman's: glitter
Greg Washington:yeah, I dunno if y'all see it.
Greg Washington:I've been, um, I've been enamored with the milk tubes this year.
Greg Washington:It's, I, I'll,
Greg Washington:McFleshman's: we, we first.
Greg Washington:Yes, you did.
Greg Washington:Absolutely.
Greg Washington:Absolutely.
Greg Washington:So I've been, those have been fun, but those aren't everywhere.
Greg Washington:And you know, you gotta have that special faucet for those, uh, you know, the special, uh, pull, uh, you know, I'm sorry, Bobby, I'm missing the terminology for that at the moment.
Greg Washington:McFleshman's: Oh, the Luker Faucet?
Greg Washington:yeah.
Greg Washington:yeah.
Greg Washington:Oh, I got it right.
Greg Washington:Okay.
Greg Washington:It's a faucet, right.
Greg Washington:McFleshman's: yeah.
Greg Washington:Yep.
Greg Washington:Yeah, yeah.
Greg Washington:Um, you know, there's an interest to that.
Greg Washington:You know, you can't buy those.
Greg Washington:I don't know if you wanna talk about it, Bobby, but you know, you.
Greg Washington:McFleshman's: Only in the Czech Republic there.
Greg Washington:As far as I know, there's not even an, like a, a, a knockoff, like everything made seemed like there's a knockoff No.
Greg Washington:Who, who made one who.
Greg Washington:Uh, down the street.
Greg Washington:Oh, no, no, no, no.
Greg Washington:I mean, like the, the hardware.
Greg Washington:Everyone's buying that hardware from one, uh, manufacturer.
Greg Washington:Yeah.
Greg Washington:They made their own what?
Greg Washington:2 0 2 made their own.
Greg Washington:You haven't seen it?
Greg Washington:No.
Greg Washington:Yeah, it's just like a, a stainless steel thing that they, okay.
Greg Washington:I mean, I assume it is
Greg Washington:'cause it doesn't look like anything like the one you have.
Greg Washington:Oh, right.
Greg Washington:Well maybe there's a hack out there.
Greg Washington:It looks, it looks like a, a hose with a ball valve on it that they made.
Greg Washington:Oh my gosh.
Greg Washington:Themselves.
Greg Washington:Alright, so the technology's out there.
Greg Washington:People are decon, they're, I
Greg Washington:might be wrong.
Greg Washington:Reverse engineering.
Greg Washington:But you know, when it comes down to it, the, the checks revere the, the poor, like none other.
Greg Washington:And they, they put all of the, the performance on the, the person pouring the beer and the equipment and the glassware in a way that no one else in the world does.
Greg Washington:And so I worked backwards from how the checks revere their beer.
Greg Washington:I mean, they, they live beer.
Greg Washington:We talk about how Germans do and the English do, and the, and the Belgians, and they all cer, they certainly do, but by volume, no one drinks more than the checks.
Greg Washington:And they, and they look, they look for beers that are more drinkable and lower a BV and they just look just so pristine when they're presented.
Greg Washington:They just, they just revere beer in a way that even the Belgians have a hard time keeping up with.
Greg Washington:I think.
Greg Washington:Hm.
Greg Washington:This having this coming from someone who has yet to make that trip.
Greg Washington:I haven't been there, but it's on my, my list and it's number one to make.
Greg Washington:Uh, yeah, me
Greg Washington:McFleshman's: Anyway, I feel like I made you pause there.
Greg Washington:Yeah.
Greg Washington:P Prague.
Greg Washington:Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.
Greg Washington:No.
Greg Washington:So yeah, those are the you know, those are the initial things that I look for.
Greg Washington:Uh, you know, when I jump in a brewery, I'm looking for small pores.
Greg Washington:Always I'm looking for, because the smaller the pores, I can get more in, more tasting in.
Greg Washington:Uh, I could taste kind of more because again, I'm not sure when I'll be back at that brewery, depending on who it is.
Greg Washington:So it's really always nice to be able to have at least short pours, um, not necessarily flight.
Greg Washington:Sometimes it's just three short pours or something.
Greg Washington:Just a range to see what the brewer's trying to do and maybe get an idea about the philosophy of the brewer.
Greg Washington:But, um, you know, it's gonna take more than that, not take more than that, but, you know, the ambiance and the atmosphere of the place also plays, you know, a factor and all that.
Greg Washington:McFleshman's: Do you have a regular place that you visit Madison?
Greg Washington:Yes.
Greg Washington:Like you'd walk in and everyone was like, Greg, like cheers or something.
Greg Washington:kinda Giant Jones is kind of like that for me.
Greg Washington:Giant Jones is kind of like my third place.
Greg Washington:Yeah.
Greg Washington:I know everybody that works in there.
Greg Washington:And usually there's a front or two in there that I like.
Greg Washington:So yeah, Giant Jones, I would say is my third place, and I haven't been there in a while.
Greg Washington:That means calling me.
Greg Washington:But I've been out of town, uh, this whole month, so, uh, Giant Jones.
Greg Washington:. And, um, my second favorite is, uh, Working Draft and Delta.
Greg Washington:Those would be my, that, those would be my three, um, that I'm always at.
Greg Washington:If I'm, I'm probably usually at one of them, but I mean, we have a lot of good ones here.
Greg Washington:We're, we're kind of like Appleton, we, we got, we're good here,
Greg Washington:McFleshman's: Mm-hmm.
Greg Washington:Giant Jones keeps coming up in conversation lately, so eventually we're gonna have to connect with those guys, uh, gals, as it were, Erica, and, uh, I forget their, her partner's name, but.
Greg Washington:There you go.
Greg Washington:Yeah.
Greg Washington:Mm-hmm.
Greg Washington:gotta connect at some point and brew a big barley wine or a Belgian quad or something fun.
Greg Washington:We were gonna have them on the
Greg Washington:show at Lager Fest.
Greg Washington:Yeah.
Greg Washington:We're we're gonna connect.
Greg Washington:They're gonna be on the show.
Greg Washington:Yeah.
Greg Washington:We're gonna do a collab.
Greg Washington:oh.
Greg Washington:McFleshman's: No, I mean, they don't even know this is happening yet, but I'm gonna convince them that this is gonna happen.
Greg Washington:My, my staff is pushing me hard to make this happen.
Greg Washington:Yes.
Greg Washington:That's
Greg Washington:amazing.
Greg Washington:McFleshman's: Jones.
Greg Washington:That's great.
Greg Washington:And I'll be able to get, not that, I mean, I know I can, I usually can get Mc Fleshman over at the malt house down here, but
Greg Washington:McFleshman's: Oh
Greg Washington:able to get MCs at Giant Jones is gonna, you know,
Greg Washington:I'm going, I'll be
Greg Washington:McFleshman's: there you go.
Greg Washington:Right?
Greg Washington:Yeah.
Greg Washington:Yeah.
Greg Washington:It's gonna happen.
Greg Washington:Let's
Greg Washington:McFleshman's: get 'em here.
Greg Washington:We're gonna do a few recordings with them because they have so much to talk about.
Greg Washington:You know, they're, they're the, apparently she's like a genius, like a savant when it comes to beer.
Greg Washington:So we're, we're,
Greg Washington:gonna grab our, sharpen our pencils, and we're gonna
Greg Washington:just sit back and let her record.
Greg Washington:Yeah.
Greg Washington:Having y'all two in the same room is, man, that's, uh, that's, that's some, uh,
Greg Washington:McFleshman's: It'll be like having Rain Man and his twin in the room.
Greg Washington:I don't count matches, like,
Greg Washington:come on.
Greg Washington:yes, yes, yes.
Greg Washington:As I love to say, Bobby is extra in all the great ways.
Greg Washington:Um, and I Jessica's that way too.
Greg Washington:Jessica has this extra, you know, you know, 'cause, you know, they're all organic.
Greg Washington:on the record they're doing okay.
Greg Washington:They're not, you know.
Greg Washington:You know, and they're doing okay in this, you know, push to do lower A BV and lagers and all that.
Greg Washington:McFleshman's: Yep.
Greg Washington:Johnny Jones is still hanging out with the ales for the most part and the bigger ones, and people are still enjoying that.
Greg Washington:Um, and I, this rare time I go to the brewery that it's just not, you know, I, I always kind of struggled to get a seat.
Greg Washington:And people are just really friendly there, so that's great.
Greg Washington:But at the same time.
Greg Washington:I don't know.
Greg Washington:It seems like they're always busy and people are still drinking them high a bv, so I mean, good on them if that dish is working.
Greg Washington:McFleshman's: Mm-hmm.
Greg Washington:Love it.
Greg Washington:Love it.
Greg Washington:Not traditional though, in a lot of ways.
Greg Washington:McFleshman's: You're a porter guy who makes the best porter in the state.
Greg Washington:I'm gonna put you on the spot
Greg Washington:just off the top of my head, it's the Mud Puppy.
Greg Washington:It's the OG.
Greg Washington:My second favorite will be the Port Perky Porter at Stillmank.
Greg Washington:Um,
Greg Washington:McFleshman's: Oh yeah.
Greg Washington:. Greg Washington: So, yeah, it's, it, it would have to be the Mud Puppy.
Greg Washington:And then, yeah, the Perky Porter was one my first coffee beer.
Greg Washington:My first coffee porter actually, if I remember.
Greg Washington:Um, not coffee beer though, but Coffee Porter.
Greg Washington:Yeah, those are my
Greg Washington:McFleshman's: breweries make those?
Greg Washington:Uh, Central is Muddy.
Greg Washington:A Mud Puppy,
Greg Washington:right?
Greg Washington:Central Waters is my Puppy.
Greg Washington:And um, wonderful fact about that one is that my puppy porter is their still Bobby, they're still their flagship, which I find fascinating.
Greg Washington:Yeah, that's what an said last year.
Greg Washington:So he said, it's still our flagship.
Greg Washington:And I was like, and it kind of makes sense though because they do so many other different wonderful beers, essential waters.
Greg Washington:It kind of, it, it kind of is interesting that.
Greg Washington:The port is the one that got rises to the top because I just think everything else is so great that like it's hard for something to rise up, if that makes sense.
Greg Washington:McFleshman's: I feel like it's the, it's the librarian, right?
Greg Washington:It's the one that's understated and it's
Greg Washington:everybody.
Greg Washington:yes.
Greg Washington:McFleshman's: a sleeper.
Greg Washington:Yes.
Greg Washington:And then the perky porters still in Green Bay oh, I have a third one here is actually, I don't know if it's one of my favorites in the state, but it was one recently I really liked out of Fond Du Lac.
Greg Washington:Um, they had a vanilla porter, and you all know Fond Du Lac's been around for like two hours it feels like.
Greg Washington:McFleshman's: Two hours.
Greg Washington:Yeah.
Greg Washington:Vault's been around three hours.
Greg Washington:Fond Du Lac's been around two hours.
Greg Washington:That's how it feels like.
Greg Washington:But, um, but no, um, that one's really nice and crisp and I, I, again, I've been, you know, really impressed about how.
Greg Washington:Those two came out.
Greg Washington:Vault and Fond Lock, they just came out really strong, especially beer wise.
Greg Washington:Um, and that's great
Greg Washington:because, you know, Bobby, how hard it's to come out strong beer wise early, you know
Greg Washington:McFleshman's: Oh yeah.
Greg Washington:Oh yeah.
Greg Washington:Yeah.
Greg Washington:not an easy task.
Greg Washington:McFleshman's: We took our punches at the very beginning.
Greg Washington:We opened with four beers with like 16 taps just to get the doors open and
Greg Washington:there was a lot of disappointment that we had a lot of guest taps when we opened.
Greg Washington:That's the way it goes though.
Greg Washington:? Uh, if Joel were on the podcast, he would, he would be asking some questions right about now.
Greg Washington:Right.
Greg Washington:So
Greg Washington:Does Joel.
Greg Washington:McFleshman's: you met Joel, right?
Greg Washington:Yeah.
Greg Washington:Yeah.
Greg Washington:He would be asking something about 5 47, but also he'd be asking about the Mount Rushmore of, he would ask it a couple ways and, and the ways he would ask it would be either of of beer or our brewers.
Greg Washington:So I would like to ask both of those questions to you, but I wanna keep it within the boundaries of Wisconsin.
Greg Washington:Who are the best?
Greg Washington:Four beers in the state of Wisconsin.
Greg Washington:If you don't want to do that, uh, that speech
Greg Washington:at the Grammys or whatever where you exclude, that's fine.
Greg Washington:Uh, maybe just mention the best styles we do or something cop out there, or just go for it.
Greg Washington:Who are your best beers in the state?
Greg Washington:Mm. Wow.
Greg Washington:McFleshman's: You
Greg Washington:can't, don't even feel bad about us because I'm not even gonna allow us to be in that mix.
Greg Washington:'cause it's
Greg Washington:not even fair.
Greg Washington:So pick
Greg Washington:no.
Greg Washington:Um, okay, so, uh, overall best beer, right?
Greg Washington:Is that what you're saying?
Greg Washington:I I, I, I have to say again, I, I, I really have to, or I can do, yeah.
Greg Washington:Okay.
Greg Washington:Okay.
Greg Washington:So how about the best beer I had in the past year?
Greg Washington:How about that?
Greg Washington:So this is good number one.
Greg Washington:He, he exempted himself, but he, I, I can't avoid that.
Greg Washington:ESB from McFleshman's and Fullers.
Greg Washington:I cannot.
Greg Washington:And the reason I can't is because it was seriously the best ESP, it.
Greg Washington:Listen, if y'all were just put that beer in front of me and not say who brewed it, I would be like, this is the best ESPF probably ever taste in my life.
Greg Washington:Then y'all would say, oh, it's Les and Fullers.
Greg Washington:And I would say, oh, that makes sense, right.
Greg Washington:So we'll do that one.
Greg Washington:That one's this.
Greg Washington:It was a superb Robbie.
Greg Washington:It was just great.
Greg Washington:Another one that was great was my favorite beer of last year was the, Black Friday Black IPA from Lakefront Brewing was amazing.
Greg Washington:I said on my Friday stream, if I could marry a beer, I would marry that one.
Greg Washington:It was malty, hoppy.
Greg Washington:It, it hit that balance.
Greg Washington:It was this lakefront just being Lakefront, if that makes sense.
Greg Washington:It was this excellent.
Greg Washington:And you know, they've been hitting that Black Friday, those Black Friday releases forever.
Greg Washington:So that's one.
Greg Washington:Man, it has to be, uh, you know what?
Greg Washington:Everything I taste out of working draft has just been great.
Greg Washington:It, it really has.
Greg Washington:Um, it has to be one of their Czech pills or one of their
Greg Washington:McFleshman's: I, was going there too when you said Working Draft.
Greg Washington:yeah.
Greg Washington:I It has to be one of them.
Greg Washington:Um, they have, they have a Czech fiest Bobby, that they have 13 Luko Luko
Greg Washington:McFleshman's: Yeah, our beer is on.
Greg Washington:They always put us on in one of those handles
Greg Washington:Yes.
Greg Washington:McFleshman's: who has
Greg Washington:13 Lucr faucets?
Greg Washington:Uh, Working Draft in
Greg Washington:Draft in, in Madison, Wisconsin.
Greg Washington:Yes.
Greg Washington:Yes.
Greg Washington:So it has to be one of Clint's lagers He's just, he just does really great things.
Greg Washington:Um, and
Greg Washington:McFleshman's: He made it up to our beer fest last year for the, or this year, for the first time, I think.
Greg Washington:yes, he did.
Greg Washington:And
Greg Washington:McFleshman's: he's gonna do it again.
Greg Washington:He's in.
Greg Washington:yeah, and I was talking to him and I was like, Hey, you know, I was talking about you and you know this, the whole thing.
Greg Washington:And he is like, yeah, I never met Bobby.
Greg Washington:And I was like, wait, what?
Greg Washington:So Bobby remembers, I was like, wait, I like, I didn't pull Clint, but I was like, let's go.
Greg Washington:And we walked over, found Bobby.
Greg Washington:'cause Bobby is busy during Lager Fest, as y'all already know.
Greg Washington:The, he's up and down.
Greg Washington:He is releasing firkins.
Greg Washington:He's, I mean, it's just
Greg Washington:wild and, yeah.
Greg Washington:Yeah, yeah.
Greg Washington:And I was like, Bobby, hold on one second.
Greg Washington:And you know, I was like, Clint, this is Clint and you know, that's Bobby.
Greg Washington:And I was like, and I took a picture and I was like, wow, look at this.
Greg Washington:Two of the, two of my favorite lager brewers are sitting here.
Greg Washington:Um, and didn't know each other.
Greg Washington:So Yeah.
Greg Washington:Um.
Greg Washington:That was great that y'all were able to meet and that was fun.
Greg Washington:Yeah, that was, that was great.
Greg Washington:Lager Fest is great for that.
Greg Washington:Bobby, you could probably talk, in fact, you have talked on this podcast about it.
Greg Washington:Um, just the com camaraderie
Greg Washington:McFleshman's: fest for Brewers Man.
Greg Washington:A beer fest for brewers.
Greg Washington:Absolutely.
Greg Washington:So lastly that this is hard, but I'm gonna say, um, so I went to Sway Brewing on my last,
Greg Washington:McFleshman's: Yeah,
Greg Washington:Yeah, I went to Sway Brewing on my last trip here and I don't know what Matt gave me.
Greg Washington:Matt opened up Sway for me, which was wonderful, and I was very privileged to have that opportunity.
Greg Washington:He opened up Sway for me and he pulled something right from his fermentor.
Greg Washington:Um, and that was my favorite.
Greg Washington:That's one of my favorite pictures of this year.
Greg Washington:It'll probably be one of my favorite pictures ever because I love Matt.
Greg Washington:As a brewer, I love what Sway does and just to have him give me something off the fermentor and we were just cheers in it.
Greg Washington:It was great.
Greg Washington:McFleshman's: Now, when you say fermenter, was it, was it a barrel or was it stainless
Greg Washington:that he pull It out of?
Greg Washington:It was, I wish, oh, I wish I had the picture.
Greg Washington:It
Greg Washington:McFleshman's: But did he pull a nail out of a, of an
Greg Washington:No, no, no.
Greg Washington:It wasn't a barrel.
Greg Washington:It wasn't a
Greg Washington:barrel.
Greg Washington:It was
Greg Washington:McFleshman's: Okay.
Greg Washington:Yeah, yeah.
Greg Washington:was stainless, yeah.
Greg Washington:Yeah,
Greg Washington:McFleshman's: Gotcha.
Greg Washington:yeah.
Greg Washington:I think it was a folder, you know, because you know, he
Greg Washington:McFleshman's: Puter.
Greg Washington:Oh yeah.
Greg Washington:Oh yeah.
Greg Washington:it was a folder age that he moved from the folder to the tank and something.
Greg Washington:Yeah, yeah, yeah.
Greg Washington:I don't know.
Greg Washington:It was just Amber.
Greg Washington:It was just excellent.
Greg Washington:I don't even, it doesn't even matter what the beer was, Bobby.
Greg Washington:It was just
Greg Washington:that experience and it was that, you
Greg Washington:McFleshman's: taking their clothes off for Sway right now.
Greg Washington:They're
Greg Washington:sexy girl right now.
Greg Washington:Right!
Greg Washington:McFleshman's: They're collaborating with people from Florida to California.
Greg Washington:They're, they got it going on.
Greg Washington:They're just great.
Greg Washington:That was a good time.
Greg Washington:So yeah, those are my four favorites from last year.
Greg Washington:So yeah, we're good here in Wisconsin.
Greg Washington:When it comes to variety.
Greg Washington:McFleshman's: All right, before we log off, uh, Greg, where can people find you in the Badger Beer report online?
Greg Washington:Yeah, Badger Beer report.com is our website.
Greg Washington:Most of our content will, will be found on Spotify or YouTube.
Greg Washington:And once you put in Badger Beer report, those outlets should come up.
Greg Washington:Um, we are also very active on Facebook and Instagram.
Greg Washington:And I just wanted to thank y'all for the welcome and the invite and just keep trucking here.
Greg Washington:Y'all are doing a great thing for our community being the contact community, but also of course Bobby for the craft beer community and scene in Wisconsin.
Greg Washington:McFleshman's: All right.
Greg Washington:Well, that'll conclude this episode of Respecting the Beer.
Greg Washington:The producer of Respecting the Beer is David Kalsow.
Greg Washington:Without David, there would be no show.
Greg Washington:Please join the Facebook group to get updates and to support the show over on Patreon where you can listen to the bits that don't make it onto the show and get access to specially brewed beers available only to Patreon members and possibly even get invited to a party.
Greg Washington:Links to both of these are in the show notes, and until next time, please remember to respect the beer.
