Latest / The Brewery Underground Podcast | Craft Beer Interviews, Reviews and Beer Travel / Common John Beer Fest: Broadcast Brewing & Hop Passport | Part 2 | Episode 95

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Common John Beer Fest: Broadcast Brewing & Hop Passport | Part 2 | Episode 95 · The Brewery Underground Podcast | Craft Beer Interviews, Reviews and Beer Travel

0:34
That or not. Did it start it?
0:35
Just start? Yeah.
0:36
Now. Yeah.
0:37
We got a countdown. Do you like, do you like the
0:38
5432 way you like it? I lived with it, man.
0:42
Come on now, Mike. Is Mike a radio guy like?
0:45
I was a radio guy, and then I did video and then I did
0:47
podcast. Yeah.
0:48
There we go. I know your secrets.
0:51
Yeah, we can't. I don't know your secrets.
0:54
We can't believe that this guy's got.
0:56
Some Oh, he's saving him. This is broadcast brewing.
1:00
Broadcast, right? Exactly.
1:01
I know I might show you shirts. It's.
1:03
Hey, what kind of secrets you know?
1:05
What kind of secrets are you looking for now?
1:06
No, I'm not going there. That's your.
1:08
That's your, like your. That's the next.
1:11
That's the next one, the. Whole other deal.
1:14
For sure the broadcasting secrets are 321.
1:19
Talk. And that's how it works.
1:22
You're supposed to skip the one though.
1:23
You got 3 two. Yeah, nice to be OK now learn it
1:27
already. Anyway, we've got Mike from Mike
1:32
is on the Mic. I know.
1:33
Mike on the mic, finally. Finally, I've heard that joke
1:36
before. Mike, it's we've been trying to
1:40
get you for a minute. And we're happy and oh,
1:42
absolutely, absolutely. We want to get you down to the
1:44
brewery and. Everything too.
1:45
We love you. We love broadcast brewing.
1:47
This is Mike. Broadcast brewing.
1:49
Y'all are doing what I love to do.
1:50
Oh man. You know what I want to do?
1:52
I want to broadcast from that. We're going to do it, we're
1:55
going to do it, and we're going to do it with these.
1:56
Guys like Inception. I mean, it's only been a year
1:58
I've been. It's OK.
1:59
He's been. To be fair, you've been trying
2:02
to do. It I've been trying to get.
2:03
Out of the gate. But I'm like, I don't know yet.
2:05
I don't know. We're going to get it nowhere.
2:07
This is the first step that we got you.
2:10
Baby steps, we got you. Got him on the mics now and now
2:13
you just got to like corner him and you show him the bird next
2:15
time. Mike was here.
2:16
You were here last year. Yes, Sir.
2:18
You were at the Common John Brew Fest Beer Fest last year.
2:20
Was last year your first time? I was actually talking to, you
2:25
know, one of my a couple of guys helping me out with driving down
2:27
here and I was like, I think this is the very first beer fest
2:30
I did it. This version of broadcast.
2:32
I can kind of go in the story and the back story, but I'd say
2:36
this is broadcast 2 point O all right, you know the version of
2:38
but this is the first beer fest I did and it's been a blast.
2:41
No shit. Yeah, we love seeing.
2:43
We saw you at Press Beer Fest. We were all there.
2:45
Oh yeah, we saw you there. Which I which I didn't pour at.
2:48
But we saw you there. I participated.
2:51
It's awesome. I love the press.
2:52
We love seeing you. We love.
2:53
We love where you are. We love your beer.
2:56
Yeah. We love you.
3:01
Where are you by the way, Mike? Where where are you at?
3:03
Are you on the back row? I'm on the back row, you know,
3:06
as far as you could be from here.
3:07
That's why it took a while. To get here last year, last
3:11
year, when you're here, you're on the you're I was in back.
3:12
You're all in the corner, yeah. Up a little bit.
3:15
OK, I'm I'm a little closer into the where I can unload in a lot
3:18
easier. OK, about that.
3:20
Hey, talk about your brewery and where it is 'cause you're really
3:22
close to Giotis. Really good selling, yeah.
3:25
We're over in Berryhill, which is a nice little square mile
3:29
part of Nashville. It's a lone little city, which
3:31
is awesome. We've got kind of like a
3:32
Mayberry thing happening with a community year and which is
3:35
great. But then again, you got the city
3:37
there, Berryhill, but we're right next to Giotas, which has
3:41
been a benefit to us in the sense that we're next to the
3:43
soccer stadium and all the events that go on the
3:45
fairgrounds. So we have a lot of pregame
3:48
crowd with the, you know, soccer games and things like that.
3:51
But it we're just we're close to Ash too.
3:53
And so we're kind of like, you know, for the since we're in a
3:56
brewery podcast here, we're kind of in between the middle line
4:00
between Black Abbey and Fait La Forest.
4:02
So we get a lot of people travelling and they won't hit a
4:04
different breweries. They'll hit like Abby, they'll
4:07
hit us and they'll head up to fate, divorce and check them all
4:10
out. But I think I always say to
4:11
people, and I don't know this is true.
4:13
This is what you know, sales is about I guess is I think we're
4:17
the smallest brewery in Middle Tennessee right now.
4:20
That could change and that might not be true, so.
4:24
You, you have a. You're really.
4:26
Good. Rapport in this town, like
4:29
people know you have good beer, right?
4:31
No, we all know this, everybody. Knows this no.
4:34
I do like you have a really good, I care about it well.
4:37
And it's, and it's not just that it's like you've been like on
4:40
your socials and on your Instagram stuff.
4:42
It's like the whole time we've been following the story from
4:44
like, yeah, when you just started out here and then you
4:47
open here and then it's like, I remember a post.
4:49
You're like our ACS backup. Oh, I mean we live, we live on
4:52
the edge a little bit. I mean, it's a one man
4:55
operation. I've got a lot of good friends
4:56
that help me out. So I won't, I lean on that one.
4:59
I don't lean on it too hard because never anything is never
5:02
a one man operation. But I'm there all the time
5:05
pretty much. We've dealt with a lot of
5:07
challenges. Like you're talking about AC
5:09
going out. We lost our main water line for
5:10
the building. That kind of set me back.
5:12
It's a little things like that. I probably should actually get a
5:15
lot of luck to go in more about that and like tell people the
5:18
challenges you run into opening up small brewery and one man
5:22
operation in town, hopefully growing it from there and
5:25
creating a creating a good community because that's that's
5:27
what I really want to focus on is beer to be is about community
5:31
and I love it. I mean I always tell people in
5:33
the tap room when I come in is brewing's always been my
5:36
favorite. I've brewed for 25 years is home
5:38
Brewer almost opened up in 2012, which is another story.
5:43
But open this up now and brew days are always my favorite
5:47
days. I always love, love the whole
5:49
hands on the smells, the whole thing.
5:51
I mean, it's, it's kind of my in my DNA now, I think.
5:54
But since I've had a tap room that's almost taking over the
5:58
enjoyment because I get to meet people such as yourself coming
6:01
in and then everybody in the community and the different
6:03
stories. I mean, we've had people from
6:05
I've had people from New Zealand come in and my little brewery.
6:08
I mean they're like they get off the plane and then Google up
6:12
nearest brewery. I did not realize this.
6:13
I was the closest brewery to the airport.
6:15
Are you really? Yeah.
6:16
I didn't know. I mean, wow.
6:17
Closest brewery to the airport. Again, I don't know if that's
6:21
true or not, but I'm not going to go.
6:22
Fast. Well, you're getting people from
6:23
New Zealand. In so I mean, they literally get
6:25
off, they get off the plane and they, they it's like, yeah, we
6:27
just got off the plane. Our hotel wasn't ready.
6:29
We're going to we stopped by the nearest brewery and they came
6:31
over and showed up. I'm like, and it's great.
6:33
We have a blast. And that's what I enjoyed, just
6:35
meeting people from all different walks of life.
6:37
And then I really we, my focus is everybody just to kind of
6:40
hang out and meet people and enjoy, enjoy having a beer.
6:43
I mean, that's what beer is about to me is enjoying a good
6:45
beverage, socializing, meeting people you don't really don't
6:49
meet. It's it's like a common
6:51
Community Center and we need more of that.
6:53
Is there a specific beer that you really love the brew?
6:56
That I love the brew, I would say.
6:59
I mean, I've always brewed my, I've got a beer, the honey ale
7:01
that I do the FM that's kind of my baby.
7:04
I've done that for 25 years. So, and we've really dialed that
7:08
in. So I, I enjoyed that one.
7:09
It's an easy drinking beer, but then I've got, I've got a
7:12
holiday beer that I really enjoyed just because it gets me
7:14
in the season. I mean, it kind of sucks you
7:16
have to brew it right now. I mean, and so I'm like, you
7:20
know, I feel like Costco now. I got my Christmas decorations
7:23
out because I brew it, you know, spices and all that, you smell
7:25
it. Those are fun.
7:27
I really enjoy those type beers, but overall, I mean those are
7:31
the two big ones. And then I just reached the
7:34
waveform I just created for this brewery and you know, opening up
7:38
now and it really took off. So I really enjoyed that.
7:41
So those are the kind of the three.
7:43
I would say that really just kind of, I really enjoy right
7:46
now. But the beauty of being small, I
7:48
can kind of move and flex. So whatever I'm interested in
7:52
it, I can kind of adjust to that and make a beer like, oh, that
7:55
sounds good, let's go ahead and do that.
7:56
I'm not tied in. I mean, maybe there'll be a
7:58
point where I'm tied into like, oh, I've got to lock this beer
8:01
in and brew this all the time. But I can really kind of go
8:04
after what I want. And it's what people want.
8:06
You know, like customers come up and say, yeah, we like to have,
8:09
you know, what about this? I'm like, yeah, that sounds
8:11
good. And take those suggestions on.
8:13
That's kind of so I kind of enjoy.
8:16
I mean, I'm not trying to give a vague answer, but there's like
8:19
two or three beers I really enjoy.
8:20
Yeah, you are very welcoming when someone walks into the
8:24
Tapper. I hope so.
8:25
I'm, I'm telling you, I'm telling you, I walked in the
8:27
first time and it's him. I meet the first time and like
8:30
he owns the place and he's welcoming and I've been in
8:33
multiple times. I'm just happy you showed up.
8:35
I mean, I mean really that and that's what it comes down to.
8:38
But you. Yeah, but.
8:38
You you're spending time with us?
8:40
Yeah. But we loved.
8:41
It and we walked in. You were.
8:42
Playing. There was one time I came in and
8:44
you guys were playing Singo. Oh yeah, yeah.
8:46
And he goes and he gives us a card.
8:47
They were the half like halfway through the Singo thing, and he
8:50
gives me and Stokes a card. He goes, played that one.
8:53
We played that one play like we might win this fucking.
8:55
Thing don't don't tell people that cheat help the job.
8:57
That's well, he doesn't say y'all who stood there for y'all.
9:01
Don't do that. Yeah, I was in there like a
9:02
month ago or so. We almost won.
9:04
I know my regulars are going to be like what?
9:06
What? I don't know about that.
9:09
No, but it was awesome. Yeah, I like that talk.
9:12
Yeah. Were I in something here?
9:15
Yeah, because we got my table. And like you were very welcoming
9:19
for them. Not even just the single thing.
9:20
I'm just saying that you walking.
9:21
Hey, come in. Here's what I have.
9:23
Let me talk to you about the beat.
9:25
Like you're the owner, like you're that involved.
9:29
Really special, right? I thought that was really cool.
9:31
I think it's, I think it's a testament.
9:32
Too Well, this is my baby and this is what I want to create an
9:35
environment where everybody feels like.
9:36
And that's key to me. I mean, you got to come in and I
9:39
don't want you to go in. I travel around a lot.
9:42
I've been to a lot of breweries. I'm getting older now, but I
9:45
like breweries they can go into and you kind of feel a part of
9:47
it. You know, you're not going in
9:49
and just having a transactional situation where you like, oh, I
9:52
get a beer, let's have that and I sit down by myself or
9:55
whatever. And that's not what I want in
9:57
the environment. I want you to come in for a
9:58
welcome, tell me your story. I want to hear about you.
10:00
That's, that's kind of my, I mean, I'm stuck in a brewery all
10:03
day. I want to hear about what people
10:05
are doing in their their stories and their excitements.
10:07
I mean. Well, we've, we've, we've got
10:09
something we want to share with. You.
10:10
Oh yeah, I know what that is. Scott, Scott been like, we've
10:13
been trying to get Mike and I'm like, I know I get it.
10:16
Like especially to get on. We're going to get you the
10:18
Burry. Pop open for you.
10:20
We're going to get you the. Burry, we're going to get.
10:22
Do you have an empty glass mic like are?
10:24
You get 1. Are you at?
10:25
The point give me a you can have that one if you want little
10:27
paper because it's going to make there it's going.
10:28
To make one right now, there we. Go finish it off.
10:30
There we go. These are this.
10:32
Now where's when you read that one, look at the side of it too,
10:34
because that's perpetual. Is is a.
10:37
It's a common name but there's it's different variants of it.
10:39
Perpetual composition. This is Mitch's beer.
10:42
Actually, I don't. Have that one of myself.
10:44
I've got some of the perpetual. Blend is number 2.
10:47
Oh, I don't. OK, that's Mitch's.
10:48
I brought one that's a gin barrel.
10:49
So you that's a different. 100 OK, that's.
10:52
Badass. And see that's it sounds good.
10:55
It sounds good. That's good.
10:56
Let me. Pour this for Mike and then I'm
10:58
going to let I'm going to let Mitch talk about it real quick.
11:00
Yeah, there you go Mitch, give us a little bit of walk out.
11:02
That's gonna be. That's gonna be a rare shot.
11:05
Let me see what's going on here. Here we go, Solaris style photo
11:08
beer, age 6 months in a French bird.
11:13
Birdeau fodder with oat. Mixed culture.
11:17
Oh. That's a special thing right
11:19
there. Man, yes it is.
11:20
It's aged on top of a BlackBerry and vanilla caviar for four
11:25
months. I'm done before packaging What?
11:28
Caviar. Perfect.
11:29
No fish allergies. Right.
11:31
This is going to be, I'm not going to lie, I don't think.
11:34
Is that in your glass? Do you have?
11:35
This. Yeah, He's got it.
11:36
Somebody. Got 1.
11:37
I don't. Think I'm going to.
11:39
Enjoy. You're not going to taste any
11:40
fish in this. You're fine.
11:42
Yeah, Rich, you hate sours. I don't like sours.
11:45
It's not my thing. They're not going to be happy.
11:48
I'm not this one. This one smells.
11:51
Extremely funky. How did y'all know this?
11:53
It doesn't hurt anticipating. That's awesome.
12:00
Little bit Mitch is saying it's a little bit funky, but not over
12:03
the time. It's going to be sour.
12:05
Bring the funk, I it's so or we say, embrace the funk.
12:09
It's not an embrace, it's. Not like on say that it's not
12:12
the. Funky level of embrace the funk.
12:14
That's. A No, no, you can say that.
12:17
That's a shout out to Brandon. This is good work.
12:19
This is a Southern grin. So it's Southern grin.
12:21
But we'd be remiss if we didn't talk about Brandon, because
12:24
Embrace the Funk is a great program and like, like, oh,
12:26
let's be honest, it's. One of the.
12:28
Best sour breweries here in Nashville?
12:30
Right. It's a gentle.
12:32
This is dead on. This is a.
12:34
Gentle embrace. On your gum.
12:36
It's a gentle embrace. It's a bland 2.
12:38
So I was at Main Street and everything they had was volume
12:41
4. Bland 4.
12:42
This is a 2. How long have you been sitting
12:44
on this one? I mean, Mitch doesn't remember
12:47
when he bought the beer. I didn't bring it.
12:51
Oh, that was yours? I'm just impressed Mitch is
12:53
doing this without headphones, yeah.
12:55
These are great, it's just picking up every like.
12:57
Fourth word, These guys are pros over here.
13:01
That's that's pretty good, yeah. Mike, what is your favorite
13:04
beer? Style.
13:05
Sours, I mean, this is it a sour sitting on in this can Asian
13:09
wine barrels? Yeah, that's fine.
13:11
Any I mean, I, I guess I kind of came up with the Russian River.
13:14
Yeah, that, I mean, I, I had that from way back.
13:16
I think I went to the the Craft Brewers Conference back in 2000,
13:20
let's say 3 or 4. And then he brought out some
13:24
sours that he had and also the Cantheon.
13:27
They brought that out and I was like, at that point, the sours
13:29
weren't here yet. And that's where my world is.
13:32
That's what I like the best. I don't brew any because it it's
13:36
just so intimidating. For one, I think I appreciate
13:38
what Brandon's doing. I mean, it's a Nashville sure.
13:41
And and what Southern gross has done here.
13:43
But back then it was and that, you know, my, my facility.
13:46
I can't brew it because I I'm traditional sours.
13:48
I don't, I'm not AI like kettle sours.
13:50
There have been some great ones out there, but that's not the
13:52
style I really go for. I go for the traditional been
13:55
aged for a while in wine barrels.
13:57
That's that's that would be my favorite.
13:59
You know what kind of blows me real quick just about this?
14:01
It's only 6%, which kind of fucking blows me.
14:04
That's a barrel age, and it's still only 6%.
14:06
Yeah, which is really fucking lovely.
14:09
I mean it could be 15 if you want it to be I guess.
14:12
We can drink a lot more if you're saying.
14:14
I don't. I don't know if I would enjoy a
14:15
15% barrel aged salary. I don't know.
14:19
You would in the moment. You'd probably see that in like.
14:21
A. Are you talking about dark?
14:22
What? Moment would that be?
14:24
Dark Lord. Like the right now.
14:26
We went to yeah, so Mitch brought up, we went to Dark Lord
14:29
Day a couple years ago. Shout out the three Floyds
14:31
Monster. Indiana went to Dark Lord Day
14:34
and people are like, it's the biggest beer share.
14:38
I was like, it's insane. And we and we met up with a
14:41
group of people. There was a, there was a group
14:43
from Canada that came down and they brought a 2.
14:47
This was in 2023 or 2022. They brought a 2009 dark Lord
14:55
and Dark Lord's really good beard, don't get me wrong.
14:57
But like dark Lord beard doesn't age after a few years.
15:01
It's just like it's not worth it.
15:03
Like it's good for a few years, don't keep it after.
15:05
That a lot of beers that way. Too, That's true.
15:08
You want to knock them out? You drink beer you don't ate.
15:10
That's true. This one was definitely a 20, a
15:13
2009 variant. We were scooping it out with a
15:16
spoon. It was a.
15:18
Sludge I have. I have never taken a sip of beer
15:22
and literally like. It was, it was not working.
15:25
Yeah, that's. Not working it down.
15:26
It just never had that in. A I'm just still upset they
15:30
close the tap room down out there.
15:32
Yeah. And I when I passed through that
15:33
area, I'm like, yeah, I love to stop by.
15:36
But I mean, I get it. Mike, give us your thoughts
15:38
about this event today that you're round her out.
15:40
I like he's keeping us on track here.
15:42
That's pretty good, yeah. He's good at that.
15:43
He's the anchor we get. We start drinking beer, we get
15:45
off on track or whatever. This seems like brings us back,
15:48
right? We're starting Dark Dark Dark
15:50
Lord. Day and all this the common John
15:52
Beer Fest. Common John Beer Fest.
15:54
Answer your question. Yeah, getting us back on track.
15:56
I love it. I love what Lebron's doing here.
15:59
This is This place is great. The he's creating the kind of
16:02
vibe that I like to create. You know, it's all about
16:05
community. He's building a great community
16:07
here from Manchester. Top it off, a great beer.
16:11
And even though he's it's the last beer fest ever, maybe we're
16:16
trying to we're trying to talk him into coming back, doing it
16:18
again. But I like the fact that all the
16:20
Brewers are here. We can talk to everybody and
16:22
meet everybody. And that's what I like about
16:24
this sponsor. Yeah, always.
16:25
If I if they keep inviting me, I'll always be here.
16:28
It's cool to see you coming back again.
16:30
Oh, after next year? Absolutely, yeah.
16:32
See, they make fun of me for my broadcasting background, but
16:35
then we get a quote from you to say.
16:37
Nobody's making. Fun.
16:38
No. Who's not making?
16:39
Fun. Who's making, not making?
16:40
We're making, we're making fun when he lost his phone earlier.
16:45
But then. But then you say hey.
16:46
But I would always come back here exactly.
16:48
That's the $1,000,000 quote, right?
16:49
There, I'd always come back here.
16:51
I mean, it's like a family. I mean, he calls us the family
16:54
union for a reason. He picks it up.
16:56
It's a family reunion. LeBron was one of the first
16:58
Brewers that came into the tap ring.
17:00
I've got and I, you know, always appreciate that.
17:02
He's like, as you're starting out, you're like, what the heck
17:04
am I doing? And, you know, is it going to
17:06
work? Is it going to happen?
17:07
He's like, you just keep going and they just keep making beer.
17:10
You're going to be all right. You're making good beer.
17:12
Yep. I appreciated that from him.
17:14
So that those little things, the little things in life, and as
17:17
you all know, it just makes it a little bit better.
17:20
Parker said the same thing early.
17:22
He's just like, man, they show. They kept showing up at my.
17:24
Place. And then we couldn't get rid of
17:26
them. LeBron.
17:28
He's like, I'm going to concert tonight.
17:30
You go to the closest place to drink.
17:31
Oh my God. So.
17:33
So what's LeBron? You can hear him.
17:36
What beers did you bring to the festival today?
17:38
We brought our. I know you got at least two.
17:40
Yeah, we brought two. OK, We.
17:42
Brought two, We brought the waveform, which my vanilla cream
17:44
ale, uh huh. And we brought the dark signal,
17:47
which is incredibly new, a dark red L, which is a different kind
17:51
of a different style. You don't see as much.
17:54
But what I did is I took my red L base that I've got it and like
17:59
I just added some, added some chocolate malt and a few other
18:02
ingredients to kind of give it a little bit more fall flavor, a
18:05
little bit more sweetness and brought out it brought it out
18:07
for it kind of makes you feel like fall and it turned out
18:10
really well. So we're kind of happy about it.
18:12
It was real. I had it early, it was dark and
18:14
it was fucking. Awesome, but is it?
18:16
You put chocolate in beer, it'll dark.
18:18
It'll darken up pretty dark on quick.
18:20
I I came to your brewery, I had waveform.
18:22
Yes, now you did. Yeah, waveform.
18:24
Thank you. Is the waveform is probably the,
18:26
is the FM waveform. My 2 top main lines that we sell
18:30
and everything and we try to keep the waveform.
18:33
It's a vanilla cream ale. But I'm, I'm, I'm, I don't like
18:36
it when it gets too sweet and too pouring and all that.
18:38
I want to keep the end of the vanilla.
18:40
You can drink it, enjoy it, but it's not like, oh, I just had a
18:43
sugar mom, you know, and that kind of thing.
18:45
I'm, you know, like a better term, beer flavored beer.
18:48
I want to make something you can drink and enjoy.
18:50
We've, I've mentioned that we did, we did a podcast episode.
18:53
We were talking about breweries we've been to and I mentioned
18:56
that when I said you don't see a ton of breweries.
19:00
The two cream ales. Right.
19:01
And I kind of like them. And I guess there's another
19:04
little not many people know about.
19:06
I give this little secret to y'all because y'all are cool
19:09
podcasts. That's right.
19:10
I mean, we're giving you exclusives.
19:11
Yeah, we're exclusives. We're giving exclusive even the
19:13
guy that can't hear us over here without headphones.
19:18
Mitch can't hear shit. Just like I wanted.
19:21
To give these to him, a couple, it's not like right next to him
19:23
well. Mitch is like he pointed it.
19:25
Like you could cover most. Like I can't.
19:27
I can hear Mike right next. He's like, I don't care about
19:29
talking about, I don't want to hear.
19:30
What he says. There he goes.
19:31
Now I can. Hear Hey, what's up?
19:33
You talk your shit, Mike. There you go.
19:35
Well, Mitch was crazy and. I don't know what he's talking
19:38
about. I.
19:38
Mean, I know he's like Dan you drinking in beers with pour
19:41
beers in front of him and there's like a full beer in
19:43
front of me. He's not drinking.
19:45
Taking a slow approach. To be fair, it's the end of the
19:49
day, so it's probably a smart. Move.
19:50
Hey man, I got more sight wars there.
19:54
You go. Oh.
19:54
My we need to hang out more. Because yeah, yeah.
19:57
No, but go back to the story is I kind of give a nod back to
20:02
I've been in Nashville for like 35 years, I'm aging myself here
20:06
so but. We went down even I went down
20:09
and started out at Market Street downtown on 2nd Ave.
20:12
Market Street Brewery, Bohannon Brewery.
20:14
And this is before I was even into craft beer really.
20:17
And I was kind of getting into it.
20:19
We go down there and they, they, they had a style of vanilla
20:21
cream. And I've always kind of, it's
20:23
like, you know what, That was pretty cool.
20:25
And I thought about it from when I opened.
20:27
I was like, I'm going to kind of throw back to that and make my
20:29
version of that something I like.
20:31
And that's where it came from. This little nod back to the, I
20:34
mean, this is probably back in 90, 293, something like that.
20:38
So, and it was the second Ave. was the downtown was a lot
20:42
different. Let me tell you.
20:43
We didn't go to probably you stayed on 2nd Ave. right?
20:46
So, but we'd go down there and have all that.
20:48
So that was kind of the the genesis of my knowledge of craft
20:51
beer. And then it came from them.
20:54
Flying sauce were opened up and flying sauce were opened up and
20:58
I've got the plate up on my wall because that's where I did the
21:01
at that point, the only thing you'd get in Nashville is Sierra
21:04
Nevada, Anchor Steam, that kind of stuff.
21:06
And then thankfully Linus opened up Yazoo and that was the kind
21:10
of a another injection for local.
21:13
But flying saucer allowed me to go and try all the ones around
21:17
the world. I mean, we did the, you know,
21:19
it's 200 beers got. 200 beers on tap.
21:21
Right. And I mean, I drank them all.
21:23
I've got the plate. I mean, basically, you know,
21:25
I've been here in 98. Basically, in those days you had
21:28
lying saucer Bosco's. Yeah, Bosco's are great.
21:32
The tap. Yeah, the black.
21:33
So that's about it. Yeah, they're killing.
21:35
It they've always killed it. I mean the most underrated
21:37
brewery in Nashville I would say.
21:39
Big time. Love those guys and I shout out
21:42
to them. They've helped me a lot out and
21:44
opening up. I call up and say, hey, what's
21:45
what? My equipment's doing this.
21:47
He goes do this, check that. And he's like, like, all of a
21:50
sudden that is the answer. They've been great to me and
21:55
they're awesome over there. But so you're right.
21:58
You're exactly right. That's what Nashville Beer
22:00
Brewery wasn't beer, craft beer at that time was.
22:04
And so I've been to many of those cast opening, cask
22:08
opening, you know, tap the task, the whole deal at Bosco's, the
22:11
whole deal. So we've had fun with that.
22:14
So I mean, that's kind of the genesis where I got my knowledge
22:17
and then it kind of grew from there.
22:19
And that's what I mean. And now it took only 25 years to
22:23
after that to open the brew. Hell yeah, I'm getting old.
22:28
We all are. It happens.
22:31
It sucks. Yeah, it does suck getting up in
22:35
the morning. You're like, oh man, I'm feeling
22:36
stuff I hadn't felt. It was like sore.
22:38
Yeah. Usually in the brewery business,
22:40
you. Mentioned you mentioned brew
22:42
days are your favorite day. You know, like brew day probably
22:44
turns in hands down, but it turns into like you still work
22:48
later on in the day too, right? The tap room opens up kind of
22:51
thing. But brew day, is it because
22:54
you're by yourself? You're just doing your thing and
22:57
nobody's bought? No phone calls, no bingo, just
23:00
just knocking. That's good.
23:01
Great. No, you can bother me.
23:03
I might be bumping some music. Right, that's it.
23:06
I'm alone in this world and it's exactly where I want it.
23:08
To be yeah, exactly right now it's getting harder when
23:11
deliveries come and all this kind of stuff to manage that
23:13
out, but I usually started earlier because of that.
23:16
Yeah, it's definitely. You're exactly right.
23:18
Is is where you can kind. Of it's my.
23:20
Time. But that's kind of what's fun
23:22
about brewing is you're putting that into the beer.
23:25
You know, I'm putting that time into the beer and it's like, I
23:29
don't know, it's it gets all metal and that kind of stuff,
23:31
right? Talking to you, I was like, I
23:34
just enjoy. It but you're creating.
23:35
You're back there creating. Yeah, you're.
23:37
Creating you're making the I'm lifting heavy bags of grain too,
23:41
right? And I go, oh gosh, I don't know,
23:43
I can lift this. Are you doing it mostly by
23:46
yourself? Mostly depending on the bruise,
23:48
some bruise heavy bruise, I'll bring in somebody to help me.
23:50
OK, And we're having to do that. And then, and you mentioned now
23:52
it's like I've got, I've got a guy working in the bar for me
23:55
now and he's been killer and he's kind of keeps me sane now
23:59
because those brew days when I'm brewing, like, you know, I get
24:02
in there, I get in there usually pretty early and then I'm like,
24:05
there's no way I'd make it till closing time.
24:08
And now we've, we've determined that the breweries, it's kind of
24:11
weird. I mean, my brewery hours, I
24:14
guess where my location is, they're pushing later.
24:16
I've got a lighter crowd. So we really enjoyed that.
24:19
And but he keeps me sane because he can keep it open a little
24:22
later. I mean, my line is so you know,
24:24
I don't close until the fun stops, you know?
24:27
You've got a lot of buildings around you.
24:29
When I first met you, those buildings hadn't opened up yet.
24:32
As far as like people being. In there, Yeah.
24:34
When I first got the space, that building wasn't even there.
24:37
Wow. I mean, so I mean, I could see,
24:39
I don't for people to come down. I could see downtown from where
24:42
I was on my loading dock. Just through the.
24:44
But now there's like a, you know, 5 story, 6 story building
24:47
there, which department condos and which is great.
24:50
I mean, that's the thing I enjoy is the people from the condos
24:53
come down and they visit and they're, you know, usually
24:58
younger, you know, I I say younger, everything's younger
25:00
for me a lot. I get it.
25:02
And so they're coming in. But they were like, I've met
25:05
more people here in an hour in my condo that live in that condo
25:09
than I have been there for a year.
25:10
Wow. You know, and that's what I
25:12
like. Yeah, that's the that's what
25:13
it's about. And again, it goes back to
25:16
what's fear is about for me for sure.
25:18
I mean, we're creating an environment where you can have a
25:19
nice drink and enjoy and meet people and it's been a blast.
25:23
I mean, we've got a crew that come in and they've been there
25:26
and they've, it's fun. This is where I get all weirdly
25:30
sentimental. Sentimental as an old dude.
25:32
I look back and I see, I look at the table and I'm like, none of
25:36
those people knew each other. I remember when each of them
25:38
came in. Yeah.
25:39
And they're all best friends now.
25:40
Yeah, that's. Awesome.
25:41
And that's what it's about for me.
25:43
I mean really happy for your success.
25:45
And I love that. I mean, that's what it's that's
25:47
what I'm doing what I'm doing, You know, it's like, because I
25:50
think, you know, again, the golden medal and that's what
25:52
it's the the current culture is internet's great, but it also
25:57
separates a lot of time because people sit in there a little.
26:00
Yeah. But when you get down and talk
26:02
face to face, it's a different story, right?
26:04
I mean, there. And that's what.
26:06
People, that's, that's a good point because you talk about we
26:09
I used to work at a cigar lounge and like, I would sit down next
26:12
to people that I would I mean, firefighters, millionaires,
26:15
police officers. I'm an IT guy yeah.
26:18
I would never talk to these people just because our lives
26:20
don't intersect. But the minute you sit down with
26:23
a beer, when you sit at the bar, cigar or a cigar, and you notice
26:27
the guy next to you is having something that you think you
26:30
would enjoy or you've had before you, oh, what is it you drink?
26:32
Beer is an equalizer across all walks of life.
26:36
I could, I mean, like if, if we weren't in this industry, we
26:40
would not be sitting down with. I mean, maybe we would because
26:42
Mike is a personal guy, a personal guy.
26:44
But like Mike spends his time brewing beer and he spends his
26:47
time talking with people. If because we're in this
26:50
industry, we get the opportunity to sit down and talk to people
26:54
like Mike, I wanna ask a question because I, I actually
26:58
haven't asked this question today, but you kind of hinted on
27:01
it. You're talking about your brew
27:02
days and right and process what's in the tank right now at
27:05
broadcast. Like what?
27:06
What's what's? What hasn't come out yet that
27:10
that we're looking for? No, I don't have.
27:11
I don't have any type of set up on this.
27:13
So if they know something, then it will.
27:15
Hasn't I'm saying exclusive? Investigative reporter Rich
27:18
over. Here, I mean, he's like, I've
27:19
already gave him exclusive and you know and all that.
27:22
He's like, what more? I just want to know what I can,
27:24
what else I can drink. There's a, there's a good one
27:26
coming out that we're brewing out and it's going to be fun.
27:29
I'm not going to go into, I'm not going to give it to you.
27:31
It's something, but it's. Something coming out apparently.
27:34
Something's coming out. It's going to be a fall beer.
27:36
It's going to have a lot of different flavors.
27:38
Does have an adjunct in it. So that's going to be a little
27:41
bit more fun, little sweet and something you all everybody
27:44
knows and they enjoy this and so we're going to have fun with it.
27:48
I mean, I'll leave it at that. What we're getting?
27:51
All right then. Then a lot of the others, I mean
27:53
the rest of the tanks wave form because I can't keep up with
27:56
that. And so we'll have that.
27:57
Not a bad problem to have by the way.
27:59
And then we'll probably have a brown nail coming out.
28:00
I don't have that one brewed yet.
28:02
OK, We're going to go back to my Echo, which is my PLL, which is
28:06
probably most straightforward, not say pedestrian in a not a
28:10
bad way, but it it's a straight up hell.
28:13
It's not trying to be too much, not trying to be too little.
28:15
It's just hitting right down the middle.
28:17
And that's what I want to focus on so somebody can really enjoy.
28:19
Nice. The the one that we can't talk
28:21
about necessarily. When is that it's?
28:23
What does that give? Me, give me about 3 to 4 weeks
28:26
and that'll come. Out there you go.
28:27
I assume there'll be it by the way.
28:29
There'll be, I mean, there'll be.
28:31
Your social media, by the way, in the last week, it's been
28:34
honest. Fun and we're having fun.
28:35
We're having fun, we're being crazy.
28:38
I mean, the worst was like I drove my kids crazy when I did
28:41
that 6 seven thing. I don't know if you ever got
28:43
kids if you know what 6-7 is. I OK I don't.
28:46
My 5 year old came home the other day saying that we were
28:49
Googling it. It doesn't mean anything.
28:50
Doesn't mean anything. OK, so I was right.
28:52
Yeah, Gavin came home the other day going 6-7.
28:55
And I go. What the hell does that mean?
28:57
And he was like, I don't know. I'm like Googling.
28:59
We don't know either. Like it doesn't mean.
29:02
Anything I've got, I've got, I've got twin girls.
29:05
And yeah, I got one son who just went to college and I got twin
29:07
girls at 15. OK.
29:08
And they, they keep me. They keep me in tabs of what's
29:11
going on inside. And I wanted to do it just to
29:13
mess with them more than anything.
29:15
I bet it's working. Oh, yeah, it is.
29:17
My daughters are just going bad. So you're gonna name that?
29:19
Don't do. That don't do that I'm.
29:20
Gonna name the beer that or you're just gonna No, there's
29:22
just. Don't.
29:23
No surprises in my beer. They're 6/7, I mean $6 on my
29:27
beer, then a little bit nicer ones.
29:28
I'm 7 that's. The way he goes, because he
29:30
goes, he goes. Hey, much?
29:32
How much of the beer? The yeah, six or seven.
29:35
I mean, I do. Recall seeing that on my feed,
29:39
yeah. That's what I.
29:40
Want I had? No, I didn't.
29:42
And that was just me harassing. My look at us trying to keep up
29:44
with the young. Folk.
29:46
Oh, I tried to. That's what tried.
29:47
Well, that's what keeps me young Is the tap on people young.
29:50
True, you know, Yeah. I mean, it's so funny.
29:52
I've got parents are with me and they don't they're not in the
29:55
beer industry, don't have, but I mean, they're like, what's the
29:58
latest that they asked me what's going on.
29:59
I'm like, well, you know, this is the app they use.
30:01
This is what could I see what's happening?
30:03
It's all we have a blast. But yeah, we're having fun with
30:06
it was fun. Such many.
30:07
That's the key for us. I mean, I just want to let's get
30:11
silly. I mean, I don't know how silly I
30:13
am, but I've got people helping me out on that, so it's kind of
30:17
making. It they're really good.
30:17
I've seen a couple in the last few days and they're they're
30:19
really good. The big one, we just opened up a
30:21
food truck here at the brewery. So we have a permanent, we have
30:24
a permanent food truck now that's going to be there doing
30:26
smash burgers, Austin's food trucks.
30:29
Give out the name of it. Austin's Austin.
30:33
Austin's hand press burgers. You can't say Austin.
30:35
'S Burgers is that trademark? Yes, it is the term trademark.
30:41
The term smash burger is trademarked, right?
30:43
You can't say smash burger. No, I'm saying smash burger.
30:47
Well, you can say it, but I mean you can't run business.
30:49
We can say it. I feel like we could say smash
30:52
burger. I think Mitch is going to say it
30:53
a lot right now. Crushed burger.
30:57
Push those pressed burgers. Pressed burger.
31:02
Pressed Burger. It's not.
31:07
Putting a Joel in the market. Stove on the ground and we just.
31:10
Flat. Flatly pressed.
31:11
Burgers but he actually has they had the grand opening today so.
31:15
Good for you man, and. He'll be open, like permanently.
31:18
When I'm open, he's open. That's awesome.
31:21
That that's one of the missing pieces of breweries is not
31:23
something to eat while you you have to.
31:26
It's critical. Yeah, for real.
31:27
Yeah. I mean, because the brewery
31:29
situation's changing situation, but the the model's changing,
31:32
Yeah. I mean, people are somewhere
31:34
they can hang out, where they can spend some time and all
31:36
that. It's not just go into a brewery,
31:38
have one beer or two beers and leave.
31:40
I mean, that's what everybody wants to just kind of hang out.
31:42
I've got our customers that hang in a long time, so we have a
31:45
good time with it and that's why we have that in place.
31:47
That does that does come into the decision factor for me if
31:49
I'm, if I'm going to go somewhere and have beer, like
31:52
ideally there would be a place where I could go and have food
31:55
also. And if, if I know the brewery
31:57
there is going to have food, then for me it's an easier sell.
32:00
Yeah, I can. I just know I can sit there and
32:02
I can have beer, so. I'm good to go and I worked.
32:05
I've worked it got all the food trucks call me all the time, but
32:07
this is one I've had is burgers and then like the bomb and he
32:10
just cheese curds as well. You don't see that often and the
32:13
cheese curds and a beer. I'm telling you, yes, all day
32:17
long. So this is it's hopefully it's
32:19
going to be good workout Wells did well today.
32:22
So we're going to kind of keep on rocking and rolling.
32:24
We're shooting for the best burger in Nashville.
32:26
That's awesome. Mike, I feel you found the
32:28
perfect spot for your brewery, too.
32:33
The space, Yeah. What you want to do, you found.
32:35
I don't want too much I don't like.
32:37
I found the exact perfect spots. Which is kind of funny because
32:41
when I first moved in there, the building was, the apartments
32:43
weren't there. And people look at me and my
32:45
friends like, what the heck are you doing?
32:46
Where's this building? This is like, are you serious?
32:49
And then now within the past year, I get that comment every
32:52
time. And you're right, I agree with
32:54
you. It is the perfect spot.
32:56
We're in a small little community.
32:57
We could be a community brewery, but we can still expand out and
33:00
bring people from all over the world.
33:01
Yep, and it's weird to say all over the world that it is.
33:04
Actually happening. It's it's really great spot.
33:07
It's like it's, it's like it's just enough.
33:09
It's really great. It's perfect.
33:10
It's like it's, I feel like it's exactly what you want, yeah.
33:13
Yeah. I mean, we're starting small.
33:14
I mean, I am what I am. I don't know what I am.
33:16
I'm a, it's a one man operation. It's probably going to have to
33:19
change that some point because she told me to keep up with it,
33:23
but I want to keep it as that vibe and that personality
33:26
throughout its growth and everything for sure.
33:29
You got to walk in and see you is a great.
33:31
Thing and that I'll always be around.
33:33
My wife knows that she's like you just that's that's what you
33:35
do. You know, I'll always be at the
33:38
brewery hanging out. I'll I'll be thrilled to talk to
33:40
anybody coming in that door. I love it.
33:43
It's awesome. We have a blast.
33:44
So this has been awesome. Well, we love you.
33:47
Yeah, man, we, we, we locked you down, son.
33:50
We're. Going to get you out of the
33:51
brewery. We're all going to do it.
33:54
We'll set it. If he said he's got a little
33:56
room, we could do. It that room might turn into
33:59
something else, I don't. Know we'll bring the equipment,
34:01
then we'll. Bring the equipment sets up.
34:04
We've got some equipment there. So I've I've done podcasts, the
34:07
patio. That's what I'm saying don't
34:09
matter. Look at this setup I've got
34:11
here. It's great.
34:12
It's like this is a lot better than anything I've ever.
34:14
Done thanks to these guys. These guys are smart.
34:17
These are smart guys. He didn't have headphones open.
34:19
He doesn't need them, he's that good.
34:22
What? What?
34:24
What? Mike with broadcast brewing out
34:26
here at the Comedy John Beer Festival.
34:27
Mike, thanks a lot to. Thank you very much, Mike.
34:29
It's a real. Pleasure to have you.
34:30
On y'all been awesome. It's an honor.
34:32
I love you guys. I love the podcast and I love
34:34
your support. Thank you.
34:35
I mean, I really appreciate this is what the community needs is
34:38
to, you know, get to know people, get to know the
34:41
community. So I'm really enjoying.
34:42
And that's all we want to do we. I love it.
34:44
We are ultimately consumers. I mean, I'm not going to say
34:46
there, Pat, everybody blow smoke, but this is for real.
34:49
Yeah. I mean, y'all are great for me
34:50
and we love y'all guys. Thank you so much.
34:51
Well, thank you. Appreciate it.
34:53
Cheers to you. Mike, don't stop doing what
34:54
you're doing because we. Need you.
34:55
I'll make. There we go.
34:57
No problem with that. I'll make the beer.
34:59
Yeah, I'll just keep. Coming out, it will keep
35:00
drinking it. That'll work.
35:02
Mike was broadcast brewing, hanging out the Cotton John Beer
35:04
Festival 2025. Yeah, Mike, we got, we got a hot
35:09
passport in the building. Mike, appreciate it.
35:14
You all tuck all the tuck off. What's up bro?
35:18
How's it going? Good man, put the cans on.
35:24
Well, we've not met. No, I've Scott.
35:27
I don't. I don't think so.
35:28
I'm Scott. Matt just Matt just walked up
35:31
and was like he just sat down. We've been.
35:35
We've been working. I love it, man.
35:36
Yeah, that's what I'm here for. So you must know these guys.
35:39
Nope. We haven't met in person, but I
35:41
think a few years ago. I think a few years.
35:44
Ago we did a, there's been a couple of, there's no, there's
35:46
been a couple of like that's possible.
35:50
Maybe 3 or 4 years ago. Yeah, yeah.
35:52
That's possible. There's definitely been like
35:54
messages passed back and forth, like way back in the day.
35:56
But Matt just came up and like started talking to Mitch and
35:59
then he sat. Steve was like, Steve had gotten
36:01
up and gone somewhere and Matt just sat down.
36:04
Steve put his headphones on. He put the microphone on.
36:06
Steve came back. He was like.
36:07
We are malleable. Here, that's right.
36:10
That's what we do. It's all good.
36:13
Yeah. Well, thanks for sitting down
36:14
with us today. Yeah, I'm glad to be here in
36:16
Manchester. It's one of the I talk about
36:19
this brewery all the time as I travel to the country for sure.
36:21
Yeah, well, tell us about your like what you do and let's talk
36:25
about. Yeah, So started a hot passport
36:28
just about nine years ago when I lived in Minnesota, originally
36:31
from East Tennessee and just fell in love with the craft beer
36:34
culture and with hot pass where we just get people to, we
36:40
incentivize people to travel different breweries, what we've
36:43
expanded to distilleries, meatery, cideries and now
36:47
wineries. So this past year, 2025, we're
36:52
part with over 1500 locations and we're building up for next
36:57
year and we should be hitting the same number.
37:01
Unfortunately, it's very, it's very interesting.
37:03
We hit CBC in the past three years.
37:05
We go to GABF every year. We'll be there in a couple
37:07
weeks. Oh hell yeah.
37:08
And we have lost 100 of those 1500 breweries.
37:14
There's a lot of it's, it's, it's very interesting seeing
37:18
the, the market around the country.
37:20
So, but, you know, the, you know, people who are innovative,
37:25
they survive. And sometimes it's everyone's in
37:30
a different stage of their business and sometimes it's good
37:32
for them to retire. A lot of breweries are in a
37:36
building they're leasing or renting and the landlord's like,
37:39
we're going to double your rent. Yeah, I've seen that.
37:42
I mean, look at Cherry Creek in Chattanooga.
37:45
Yep. You know, unfortunately I had to
37:47
pack up and a few others, but we see it all around.
37:51
But, you know, we just want to, we just want to help the, the
37:54
community any way we can. And we did that with a hot
37:57
passport. And this is this is one of the
38:00
best breweries in the country. I talk about all the time.
38:02
I mean, they're open what, like 12-14 hours a day?
38:07
They're they're not a sub brewery.
38:08
They're a coffee shop too, with amazing breakfast.
38:11
Yeah, you can get a. Biscuit and a beer.
38:13
Yeah, that's what I call. My B&B whenever I.
38:17
Come to a Southern a Southern charm with a gravy and biscuit.
38:20
Exactly. Gravy.
38:21
Biscuit with a beer. When Mitch comes to Nashville,
38:23
this is his stop. Right.
38:25
Yep, Yep, Yep. 100. Percent.
38:27
It's a good halfway there. We got some frequency hits here.
38:31
Yep. Which is like, I can, I can
38:33
rest, I can get a little belly full.
38:35
Yep, get a beer and then continue on to Nashville and
38:39
Murfreesboro, whatever it is. It's a good.
38:41
Rest stop. Yeah.
38:43
And what's cool too, you know the local winery.
38:46
So I think that's going to help a lot with Common John, because
38:49
what's interesting with our business, Midwesterners crappier
38:53
culture is another it's, it's like Germany of of Europe.
38:58
And so 2/3 of our business is Michigan, Minnesota and we're
39:04
trying to overtake Wisconsin. They are the drunkest state in
39:08
the country. But we have a competitor, I
39:11
won't mention their name, but we are trying to, we're trying to
39:14
take them back over. Yeah, we, they don't have the
39:18
app. We have an app and a book and
39:20
what's funny, OK, we know who the book is the staple.
39:23
The book is the staple. We still do 60% books, 2040%
39:27
app. And but a lot of those people,
39:32
it's a, it's a very northern term of a snowbird.
39:35
So in the, in the winter months, they're like, we love the snow,
39:38
but it's time to escape to Florida, Arizona and they drive
39:42
right through Nashville and this area.
39:45
So I think adding the winery here in town is going to be
39:47
phenomenal for not only common job, but them too.
39:50
So it's, it's very interesting. We, we don't, you know, we don't
39:54
care to, you know, we don't partake to every single crappier
39:58
drinker, but it's kind of those ones that like travel, like to
40:01
get out, get out of the norm. You know, we got, you know, if
40:04
you're the, you know, you're a local at that brewery all the
40:08
time. We're trying to get you not only
40:09
go there, but go to at least three or four other breweries
40:12
throughout the year. And yeah.
40:13
You know, maybe found that new favorite brewery, but you may
40:16
have not frequent you got to you got to be loyal to your one.
40:20
But try some others too. What's the process you have for
40:23
reaching out to breweries to get them on board?
40:27
Is it like Instagram emailing all those things like it's every
40:31
means possible? Yeah, so it's everything.
40:34
Impossible. Email's a dinosaur now.
40:36
I mean, it's kind of funny. I was telling someone else and I
40:38
heard this a couple years ago. It's like, you know, in the in
40:41
the early 90s or even late 90s, you're like, I got an e-mail.
40:46
No way. Like you've got mail.
40:49
There's even a movie. About it, right?
40:51
Tom Hanks and your mailbox would be full of crap.
40:55
But now it's the complete opposite.
40:57
Your e-mail, you're just like, you got that one junk e-mail,
40:59
youknowyourelikeoblivious@gmail.com or whatever.
41:04
And if you got a handwritten note to your mail, your, your
41:08
mailbox at home, you're like, Oh my God, what it?
41:10
No way. I'm going to put this on the
41:11
fridge. This is amazing.
41:13
It's a little bit little bit flipped.
41:15
Yeah. So it's been flipped nowadays.
41:17
And so the new thing that we're not finding success to breweries
41:22
but customers is SMS. So it's straight text.
41:26
Yeah, because a few years ago we used to get 60% open rate on
41:30
emails and now it's like 25. So it's you got to be
41:33
innovative. And that's the thing, especially
41:36
with AI and all these things like we're, we're do you, we're
41:38
using every tool possible to make things better for both
41:42
ends, not only breweries, but also with the drinkers.
41:45
But yeah, so we're, I would say social media is big, text is
41:51
big, but reaching out to breweries, social media.
41:56
Yeah, it's us. Like when we're trying to get
41:57
people on, it's usually Adm first, right?
41:59
And if they reply, hey, give us your e-mail address and we'll
42:02
send you more information. Yeah, thing that's like not the
42:05
e-mail first, because you go to a website and there's a general
42:08
e-mail address. Who knows?
42:09
Oh, sorry, here's my advice to you guys.
42:12
Don't be bashful. Yeah, don't think you're ever
42:15
we're now we're so the deadline to join the hot password for
42:19
next year we printed the books is October 1st.
42:21
OK, we always say every single year it's fun.
42:24
Deadline joins September 15th. Then after on the 17th, deadline
42:29
extended. You know, it's like, oh, whoa,
42:32
you know, right. Yeah.
42:33
But here's the thing. We've messaged those breweries
42:38
over 8 times. Their Instagram.
42:41
Yeah. And they read it.
42:42
They read it. Whoever's in charge of it's
42:44
their niece who's in college at MTSU, Vaynerbilt, whatever.
42:49
And they might be pissed, but it's like, well, respond, I'm
42:53
sorry. Respond.
42:55
Yeah. We just want to give us.
42:56
No, just tell me no. Well, at least I know what a no
43:00
is, yeah? But it's OK, this is like just
43:02
the big thing for you guys too. Just like we want to interview
43:05
that brewery. Just be persistent because it
43:07
shows that you you care you. Know we've and we've done that
43:11
and it's like the ones that don't respond, you're going to
43:14
get hit again. Yeah, we're going to get sick.
43:16
Because no means if they don't answer.
43:18
No means not right now. Yeah.
43:20
It doesn't mean no forever. This is not right now correct.
43:23
You know, and if they don't respond, I'm like, well, I'm not
43:25
going to do it tomorrow, but I'm going to give a little time and
43:27
I'm coming back at you. Because it's so funny, like
43:29
we've had breweries, I mean, do it.
43:31
We're going to year 9. So like we've seen breweries be
43:34
in it out of hot passport, back in hot passport.
43:38
I've had distilleries that we would never do that.
43:41
We'd never discount our alcohol. Two years later, oh, they
43:45
joined. Yep, Yep, you never knew.
43:47
But the thing like it's not it's not lowering their standards.
43:50
It's like, you know, it's that belief.
43:52
You know, someone came in, whatever.
43:54
But obviously like we have so many like this amazing brewery
43:58
here in Manchester, some Minnesota issues, Manchester,
44:03
TN, but like yes, this place is mainly known for Bonnaroo, but
44:08
isn't it needs to be known for common John And what's the
44:11
winner again? Give me the name, give me the
44:13
name. What's the winner here?
44:14
I'm from Chattanooga, so I don't.
44:16
Know shoot OK, they're here. Look them up the winery at with
44:21
the last beer fest on earth. Yeah, I saw it on the way here,
44:26
I believe. I got their info.
44:27
Sorry. He's gonna find it, but no.
44:31
Great, great spot between Nashville and Chattanooga.
44:34
There's amazing breweries in Chattanooga, too.
44:36
So you fly so many people. It's like I tell so many people,
44:40
especially live in Minnesota and Colorado.
44:42
They're like, where are you from?
44:43
I'm like Tennessee. Heck yeah.
44:45
And they're like, oh, I've been to Nashville.
44:47
I'm like, I'm from the beautiful part of Tennessee.
44:50
Oh yeah. Knoxville, Gatlinburg, you know.
44:54
Ball really blooms. Yes, but you mean Nashville.
44:57
But granted, Nashville's a new Vegas.
44:59
Yes, it's a Vegas, they said. Nashville said sorry, New
45:03
Orleans. We're taking your spot.
45:05
They're trying. No, they did, right.
45:07
I guarantee if you looked at the numbers.
45:09
Nashville. Sure, yeah.
45:11
But no, it's great. Great to be here.
45:14
Tom and John's making Lebron's amazing.
45:16
Yeah, you guys are amazing from doing this well.
45:19
Thank you. You know, we just, like we said,
45:22
we're just consumers and we fucking love it.
45:25
Yeah, we love to talk about it. And, you know, to make the
45:28
effort, these guys, you know, a big part of it, just to come out
45:31
here and and to be invited is awesome.
45:33
Yeah. Oh, and you guys are using
45:35
Riverside? I use that.
45:37
Guess what Right now, if anyone wants to download the hot
45:40
password app for free, yeah, shoot a text.
45:43
Sorry, nonsense. An e-mail to mad at Hot
45:46
Passport. I'll give anyone listening in
45:48
this podcast. All right, a free 2025 entire
45:52
country. There's 1500 from Hawaii to
45:55
Alaska to the Florida Keys all the way up to Maine, Portland,
45:58
ME, You can have access to 5000 breweries for the rest of the
46:01
year. Nice.
46:02
All right. For free.
46:03
Nice. Yeah.
46:04
Fuck it, pull up your e-mail. Yeah.
46:07
Man. Passport.
46:08
That's the Brewery Underground podcast as well as the Foamy
46:11
Heads podcast. Yes, boom.
46:13
When you say, there you go. You've got the card.
46:15
Right now. Awesome.
46:16
Yep. The good timing you got two of
46:18
us. There we go.
46:20
Yeah, shoot me a shoot me an e-mail final answer till
46:23
Wednesday, but it's very busy. This time we're.
46:25
Going to drink? Yeah, we're going to drink all
46:27
the fucking beer. We're drinking a lot.
46:31
Yeah, I know. We've got several things stamped
46:33
throughout the years on the hot passport.
46:35
I believe last year is what I had and I don't know.
46:38
Do you guys have the hot passport?
46:39
I think I've got one. Yeah, I've got 1.
46:40
In the car, Yep, I know we've been talking about it.
46:42
So it's just, it's just the attrition of getting out there
46:46
and doing it. Yeah.
46:47
And if you're a traveller, it's worth doing.
46:51
Having the app is huge, Yeah, and.
46:53
Especially seeing it episode yes, if you have the entire
46:56
country book it's I wish I brought one.
46:59
I have some new leather. I have a leather case.
47:01
It's a it's a sample one. It's pretty beautiful.
47:05
But yeah, yeah, we're printing those up here pretty soon and.
47:09
Maybe your favorite podcasters could get a couple.
47:11
Of those, yeah, well, we ran out 25, we sold out, We got to print
47:17
some more next. That's a.
47:18
Good problem that's. Kind of exclusive now.
47:21
It's so cool running into people those books.
47:25
I guarantee every book we print sells 20 more passports.
47:29
I get it, yeah. It's like, why?
47:30
Why do you have like a yearbook in here in the brewery?
47:33
It's so big. I mean, it's like, it's like the
47:35
book. You know for sure.
47:36
Most people listen to this might not even know what a phone book
47:38
is. Right.
47:39
That's true. That's true.
47:40
It's twofold, though, because if I have a passport, a physical
47:44
thing, sometime if I leave it in the car, kind of it's a thing,
47:46
right? Yeah.
47:47
It's in the car. Oh, I freaking, it's in the car.
47:50
I can go get it. Yeah.
47:52
Or you just sometimes you forget you've got the the app too
47:55
sometimes. Too.
47:55
It's always. Waste I'm guilty of.
47:57
Just forget it, really. Just so if you have the book and
48:01
it's in your car, you'll remember, but if you have an app
48:04
on your phone, you tend to forget.
48:05
Yeah, I mean, that made no sense what I just said.
48:08
So because I can understand that we all.
48:10
After a couple of years. We're all guilty.
48:12
We. Are only human here, I mean.
48:14
It's your point, Rich. Always on you.
48:16
So I totally understand that. I totally get it.
48:19
You have two ways of not forgetting.
48:20
That's true and I feel. That's fair.
48:22
I'll give that to you. I'll give it to you.
48:24
Have you guys been in the Midwest, Been in Minnesota,
48:26
Wisconsin? Michigan.
48:27
I want to, but I haven't been here man.
48:30
He's been to Michigan. Michigan I've.
48:31
Been to Michigan many times but with music in last year.
48:34
OK, where'd you go? Grand Rapids in Holland.
48:36
OK, where'd you go? Did you in New Holland Brewing?
48:39
I did. I went to New Holland.
48:42
I went to Minton. Minton OK, I.
48:44
Went to Perrin, I went to oh gosh, there were a few others.
48:48
Sounds like a tour. Oh dude, there's so many in all
48:52
those towns. Grand Rapids is ridiculous.
48:54
Yeah, there was. I did a Traverse City way up
48:58
north. I did a beer fest this year.
49:00
Yep. But I've been to, I've been a
49:02
new hall, I've been into like 3 New Holland locations.
49:04
They're they're on the hall passport.
49:05
Big Lake was another one I went. To.
49:07
OK. Yeah, I think that was, yeah.
49:09
Which one was the fire station? Oh, the mint, Minton, Minton, I
49:13
think Minton used to be in it, but and they have everything
49:17
right Distillery, winery, beer, right?
49:19
I don't. You know, I don't know.
49:21
So it's, it's wild Michigan. Like their wild, their walls are
49:25
like the Wild West. Like if you wanna, you wanna
49:27
make anything, just do it. Yeah.
49:29
Like Tennessee, you have like you have a permit for this.
49:32
You know, you want another parking spot, you need to pay
49:34
like half a million. I'm sorry.
49:37
Yeah, right, Michigan Brad's. Crazy.
49:38
Yeah, you certainly can't serve anything over 10.1, right?
49:42
10.1. And you?
49:44
Can't parts are less than $25. But now Michigan, Michigan's
49:48
great like 400 breweries, you know, big in a cideries, you've
49:54
been in shorts, brewing shorts. That's a big one.
49:57
Bells, bells. No, no, I didn't make it there.
50:00
I. Founders.
50:02
Well, you know what? There's a really funny story
50:04
that I'm not going to tell on this podcast why I didn't get
50:08
the Founders when I was up there.
50:09
But I when I was up there, I was actually up there visiting a
50:14
buddy of mine whose brother founded Founders.
50:18
Oh. Yeah.
50:19
Yeah, and we just didn't get there, but.
50:22
Because founder makes or no, I'm going back to New Holland.
50:25
So New Holland's known for Dragon's milk.
50:27
So you see that in every single total wine around the country.
50:31
But when you go to Michigan, what's really great and you
50:34
what's great about the hot passport?
50:36
Like I would not, you know, I knew about those places.
50:39
I've had it on tablet places and seen it.
50:41
You know, I love their OG, but they do like an Oreo, Dragon's
50:46
milk and whatnot. They do a caramel that's
50:48
phenomenal. When you go to those to the
50:51
brewery, it's a full on restaurant.
50:53
It's a distillery. It's even distillery.
50:56
So yeah, I'm good buddies with a goody.
50:58
You guys know Goody. Oh yeah, Richard, good one.
51:00
So whenever I travel, he's been over 700.
51:03
I think it's close to 800 breweries total.
51:05
I'm over 700. But I grabbed some bottles of
51:09
whiskey up there. So what's funny is like they do
51:13
whiskey aged in beer barrels. Usually it's the other way
51:17
around. You know, beer.
51:18
Beer rested in whiskey. Barrels and it was damn good the
51:22
one I had three years, four years ago.
51:25
I think I've had yeah. And it's hard to find for where
51:29
I'm at now, but. Yeah, yeah, but you know, it's
51:32
it's great as you travel around and you know, are you guys
51:35
mainly a national podcast? Yeah, OK.
51:37
So I mean, national too, like 1 tourism Bachelorette parties,
51:42
you know, all the things, you know, we got Titans are up and
51:46
coming receivers got to catch the ball.
51:48
Cam Ward is the real deal, right?
51:50
We'll sleep. Please block for him.
51:52
But the beer scene is legit. Marble Fox.
51:56
They're they're legit. You got East Nashville, right?
52:02
E Nash works. Yep.
52:03
Yeah, E Nash beer works. Oh gosh, give me a couple.
52:07
You got Grist Blackstone. So many gold medals of GABF with
52:12
national brewing fatal. Force has been on here with us
52:16
today. Stoke House is brand new.
52:19
Big time. Couple cideries, disk insiders,
52:22
Another one I met today too. Yeah, I know.
52:25
Southern grist, you got so many options.
52:27
So yeah, so not only come comfort, come for the concert,
52:33
come from the yeah, making your lady happy, whatever, but beer
52:38
scene is legit. You don't have to go downtown.
52:41
No fun town. And if you want to save a little
52:44
money when you're driving around, buy a hot passport
52:47
that's three or four spots. Boom, BOGO beers.
52:50
Saves you money as you explore the Nashville 10, Yeah.
52:54
And you know, The thing is too, it's like save you money, you
52:56
know, tip the bartenders a little more, you know, give them
52:59
extra bug you're saving, you're saving $6.
53:02
Give them an extra dollar. You know exactly exactly they.
53:04
Deserve it. They deserve it, yeah.
53:07
It's you know, it's harder times, but just give that extra
53:09
buck. You saved six 7-8 dollars.
53:12
I went on, you ever go somewhere and it's 2 for one and like,
53:14
hey, I got out here for 20 bucks.
53:16
Well, you should tip on the $40 that yeah.
53:19
Yeah. Yeah, it's. 100% keeping in mind
53:21
the workforce behind it giving you a good time.
53:23
That's right. Yep, Yep, for sure.
53:26
Well, Matt, we appreciate you being here.
53:28
Holy shit. Yeah, great beer fest.
53:30
I'm going to go order flatbread inside, probably 5:00.
53:34
Tom and John. Tom and John makes great food
53:37
all. Day long.
53:38
Hit. Me up anytime I've got I've got
53:42
to set up at home too. So you need you need some
53:44
insights from around the country.
53:46
All right, it's my 20th beer fest this year.
53:49
Oh hell yeah. Give us your socials.
53:50
How do we find you? So at hot passport on Instagram,
53:55
at hot pass hop dot password at Facebook, we're currently doing
54:01
our pre-order sales. So we don't do any we don't do
54:04
any paid advertising for a pre-order sale.
54:06
It's for our loyal customers and whoever we meet at Beerfest.
54:11
You know, we're doing a buy 2 get one free passwords like
54:14
killer dealer merch, like 5 like $10 hats, $5 T-shirts.
54:19
That's awesome, $25 hoodies like we're yeah, I somehow make.
54:25
It's all about for that, for that stuff.
54:26
It's about branding. Like I want I want 5000 people
54:30
to get free hats next year. There you go.
54:32
Just so there so other people like what's what's hot password?
54:35
Yeah, yeah. Where do I get a beer there It's
54:37
like, oh, actually you get 2 four.
54:39
It's it's happy hour everywhere you go right that's right one
54:43
on. So it's just getting the brand
54:45
out and we have a podcast we're going to, we're going to hire
54:50
someone. We, we, we shot over 100 hours
54:53
of content. Oh yeah, we have 25 episodes out
54:56
for what's a brewing hot. We, we traveled the country,
54:59
interview breweries from Oregon to Florida Keys and it's already
55:04
up. It's just a little dated, but
55:06
we're going to get the rest of the content out.
55:08
So sweet. We shoot other stuff too.
55:10
But anyways, we've got a lot going on.
55:12
Put it out, man. It's like it doesn't it's.
55:14
Not what's a brewing hot passport.
55:16
We're talking about beer. It's great.
55:17
What's a brewing? Alright, that's awesome.
55:18
We're going to follow you. You follow us.
55:20
We'll. Follow.
55:20
Oh, we'll follow. I'll follow you on every.
55:23
Shoot. Cheers to you man.
55:24
Yeah, cheers for stopping by. Yeah.
55:27
Thanks for joining us. Thank you.
55:29
That was it. I'll take the cans right here.
55:31
Yeah, for sure. I'll shoot Gary one more time
55:32
just because, you know, why not? You need a pour.
55:35
We we have we have plenty. You need a pour.
55:38
Sure. We've got some.
55:40
Oh yeah, I get some. Yeah, man, guess.
55:42
What I've got the? See, let's see what's lesson
55:44
here? Well, get rid of that.
55:47
I'm surprised we probably got some more here.
55:49
What's that? With this one right here.
55:52
It'd be like a Chuck Chuck, like every cherry.
55:56
That's good, that. Was all right there.
55:57
There we go. Where's that from?
56:00
Oh man, this is some. Rich guy.
56:01
It's a new image collaboration with Lyrics Brewing Company.
56:04
Yeah, that's a big boy. 15 1/2, almost 16%.
56:08
New image is out of Colorado. I used to live about 5 miles.
56:11
From there and the golden, yeah, it's going to mix well.
56:13
Are you going to GBF by the way? Yeah, I'll be a GBF.
56:16
We'll be there. Yeah.
56:17
So what's funny, he probably won't listen to this.
56:20
Whatever he does new image will not join the hot password
56:23
because when I emailed him I said new imagine auto correct
56:27
got. Me.
56:27
That's awesome. New imagine auto correct got me.
56:30
Oh good Lord where I can they will not.
56:33
He got butt hurt about it. Dang, it's pretty funny.
56:35
Can't win them all. Well, but like, there's so many
56:37
funny brewery names. There's like old couch, old
56:39
stomp. Oh yeah, there's so many monks,
56:42
all the monks breweries. It's so funny.
56:45
Here, here's a dumb one. Read out there's.
56:48
Yeast infection brew works. Fucking.
56:51
That's yours. Fucking awesome.
56:54
Is this it's right here? That's us, right?
56:56
There I think there's a podcast work there was a pancake made
56:59
about that, right? Thanks to the girlfriend.
57:04
Because she's running the booth. Oh hell, you're in trouble
57:07
whenever you're in trouble. That's awesome.
57:10
It's been a good time today, too.
57:12
Holy. Shit, you guys interview LeBron.
57:14
Yeah, we got John. We didn't get LeBron.
57:16
He was running around. Doing Let me try to get him
57:18
over. Here he's over there, he's.
57:19
Let him do his thing. Yeah.
57:21
So yeah, that's right there, LeBron.
57:24
Is 530. Lebron's always good.
57:26
There you go. Perfect.
57:28
So we had it. We've had lots today.
57:31
Cheers to you man. Cheers, Appreciate that.
57:32
Thank you for stopping by. It's been fun it.
57:37
Has been fun. It's been a lot today.
57:40
I didn't think we'd get this much time on the mics, honestly.
57:42
Yeah, yeah, yeah. Which has been a fucking
57:45
treasure. It's been pull.
57:46
It's been amazing. When you plan for shit, it never
57:49
works out right? And then you just throw stuff
57:52
out into the ethers like, hey, we're going to be here.
57:54
And you just start putting feelings out like you were doing
57:56
right? And it's like, OK, like that
57:58
works. Like just letting people know
57:59
we're gonna be here. And all of a sudden you got you
58:01
guys are like, Matt just come and sitting, just sitting down.
58:04
It's like, well, OK, here we go. Let's we.
58:06
All did it. We all reached out, but we had
58:08
we got, we got 7 episodes here if we want, yeah.
58:11
True. There's a lot.
58:13
It was banger after banger after.
58:15
Banger. Yeah, the banger.
58:16
And it's gonna and it's, it'll keep going too.
58:18
I mean next year, hopefully if if as successful as the common
58:23
John beer fest is Mitch, let's hope they keep going.
58:26
But if they have something different like John mentioned at
58:29
the four hours ago, so 4 hours it's I mean like it whatever the
58:35
case is like it we'll see. Yeah, they could be something
58:38
different, but I think the I think the plan is to just kind
58:42
of tear down and and do our thing for a little bit.
58:45
Pee and drink. We, we actually, there's some,
58:47
we have some coolers back there. We've got some shit.
58:50
If nothing else, we'll, we'll just kind of hang out, yeah.
58:54
Distribute and enjoy, have fun. Cheers.
58:56
Till next time. So cheers to you guys.
58:58
Thank you for having us. Yeah.
59:00
Foamy Heads Brewery underground successful.
59:03
LeBron Common John John, thanks for having us.
59:07
This has been a pleasure. Didn't even seem like a hard day
59:10
at work. Nope, it was a very hard day.
59:13
It was. It was.
59:14
Enjoyed it? I'll be back next year, that's
59:18
right. Which was a hard day at work for
59:20
you a little bit. I suffered, but I made it.
59:24
We got through another fun begins.
59:26
That's right. Cheers guys.
59:27
Cheers fellas, Cheers.