The Chronicle
Latest dispatches
15 results across all types
video476: Matt Topping of COVA Finds Fruit Beer Gold With a Focus on Fresh Flavor and Drinkability
Matt Topping of Norfolk, VA’s COVA Brewing (https://covabrewco.com) has a knack for winning medals with his fruit beer, but they aren’t what you think—from the full fruit refermentation to the light herbal spicing, he’s found an equation that’s equally successful on draft in the taproom and on the final table at World Beer Cup. From slightly higher pH to low mash temps for fermentable wort to frozen purée to Ebbegarden kveik for the primary fermentation, he’s built a systemic approach to both th
video469: How Indeed Uses Data to Make Better Brewery Decisions, in Partnership With Encompass
This special episode of the podcast is brought to you in partnership with Encompass Technologies (https://www.encompasstech.com) , and explores how breweries are using data to create savvier approaches to distribution and growth. It’s no secret that it’s become harder to sell beer over the past few years, with two consecutive years where brewery closures have outpaced openings. Distributors are far less bullish on craft beer than they once were. Broader economic pressure has led to more price se
video467: Adjusting the Thiol Dial with ISM, Ology, and Berkeley Yeast
This special episode of the podcast focuses on adjusting the thiol dial and is brought to you in partnership with the innovative and industry-leading team at Berkeley Yeast. (https://berkeleyyeast.com) They’ve been on the forefront of fermentation-related science since their inception, and whether it’s Fresh strains that keep diacetyl ultra-low, NA strains that make nonalcoholic beer that actually tastes like beer, Flavor-series strains that target specific profiles, or Tropics strains that deli
video466: Ryan McCay of Living Waters Finds His Flow in Barrel-Aged Stout and Barleywine
Living Waters (https://livingwatersbrewing.com) in Nashville, Tennessee, is a full-service coffee house as well as brewery, and its affinity for strong, well-articulated flavor runs through all the beverages they produce and serve. Recently, the brewery’s Barrel-Aged Dyson Sphere (Construct IV) scored a 97 (https://www.beerandbrewing.com/review/living-waters-brewing-barrel-aged-dyson-sphere-construct-iv-1764744910) in Craft Beer & Brewing Magazine®—garnering the highest score in the category—so,
video474: Brian Hink of Wander Back Beerworks Breaks Down Their WBC Gold Medal-Winning Helles
The founders of South New Jersey’s Wander Back Beerworks (https://wanderbackbeer.com) are no strangers to the beer world, but the industry veterans had modest expectations for the young project—barely two years old—when they submitted entries to the 2026 World Beer Cup. Winning a medal in one of the top-five categories, Munich-Style Helles, with over 150 entries, would be an uphill battle. But as the awards were announced, they found themselves on stage accepting a gold sash for the core beer na
video475: CB&B Podcast Live from Philadelphia!
The IPA gang is back together with some special guests for this star-studded episode recorded in front of a live audience of brewers at Union Transfer in Philadelphia. Vinnie Cilurzo of Russian River (https://www.russianriverbrewing.com) , Kelsey McNair of North Park (https://www.northparkbeerco.com) , and Evan Price of Green Cheek (https://www.greencheekbeer.com) are joined by Ben Edmunds of Breakside (https://breakside.com) and Oregon State University’s Tom Shellhammer (https://foodsci.oregons
video470: Ryan Allen of Soul & Spirits Summons Unusual Flavors with Traditional Methods
Ryan Allen of Soul & Spirits (https://soulandspiritsbrew.com) in Memphis loves brewing traditional lager—but when it comes to turning heads at big events like the Great American Beer Festival, he’s not afraid of putting that methodical approach to work on projects that other brewers might view as crazy. Barbecue sauce–flavored beer? Yes. Beer with the taste and consistency of Southern gravy? Check. Barrel-aged stout that tastes like cola (with a spike of something harder)? Of course. In this epi
video472: XPA Sensei Scotty Hargrave and Medal-Winning Grasshopper Blake Masoner Go Extra Deep on Extr...
Scotty Hargrave didn’t invent extra-pale ale—he reinvented it, giving the style the definition it had lacked before. Tinkering away on his homebrew kit in New South Wales, he developed the recipe for what would become Balter XPA—a beer that took off and popularized what has arguably become Australia’s signature beer style. It’s also a beer that also has inspired certain American brewers, including Craft Coast cofounder Blake Masoner. Craft Coast XPA medaled at the 2024 and 2025 World Beer Cups a
videoEpisode 473: Source Material with Firestone Walker: Deep Roots and Twisting Bines
When you look at the top restaurants around the world, no matter what cuisine they may focus on, there’s one commonality they all share, and that’s deep relationships with those who grow and raise the very best ingredients. It’s the same in beer—you can’t be the best at what you do without the meaningful, personal, financial, and long-standing relationships that ensure the brewery has access to the very best quality ingredients. These relationships don’t materialize overnight, but for Firestone
videoHow Horus Handles Hazelnuts for Decadent Dessert Stouts
It takes a lot of house-toasted hazelnuts to get the flavor that Horus Aged Ales founder Kyle Harrop wants in a special subset of his barrel-aged beers. “It gets real expensive, real quick,” he says. In this clip from his video course, he explains the process in detail. Watch the full course: https://www.beerandbrewing.com/course/blending-big-barrel-aged-beers
videoHow Fermentation Influences Whiskey Flavor
There’s more to whiskey than grain alcohol and a barrel. Fermentation can do more than create ethanol—it also creates flavors that will be further developed by the still and the wood. Sydney Jones, supervisor and lead distillery technician at Heaven Hill in Bardstown, Kentucky, explains the process and the wider potential. Watch the full course: https://www.spiritsanddistilling.com/course/sources-of-flavor-within-whiskey
video471: Source Material with Firestone Walker: Quality is a Verb
When you look at the top restaurants around the world, no matter what cuisine they may focus on, there’s one commonality they all share, and that’s deep relationships with those who grow and raise the very best ingredients. It’s the same in beer—you can’t be the best at what you do without the meaningful, personal, financial, and long-standing relationships that ensure the brewery has access to the very best quality ingredients. These relationships don’t materialize overnight, but for Firestone
videoGoing Cuckoo for Coconut as a Flavor Adjunct
Among brewers who use it, coconut is notorious for soaking up liquid, destroying yield, and leaving behind an oily sheen... but people sure do seem to love the flavor. In this clip from his video course, Horus Aged Ales founder Kyle Harrop describes how he deploys this wonderfully flavorful but expensive and inefficient adjunct. Watch the full course: https://www.beerandbrewing.com/course/blending-big-barrel-aged-beers
videoThe Secret Ingredient: How Smart Maintenance Brews Sustained Operational Control
Ever wonder how top breweries consistently produce exceptional beer while maintaining peak efficiency? Join us for an exclusive look at Highland Brewing Company, one of the United States’ most respected craft breweries. Discover the strategies, their people, and tools they use to optimize their operations, from the brewhouse to the packaging line, ensuring quality and maximizing uptime. Join us Tuesday, March 24, at 4 p.m. ET as Highland Brewing Company takes you behind the scenes with its day-t
video468: Chris O’Connor of Prost and the Quest for Undeniable Helles and Pils
Chris O’Connor, VP of brewing operations at Prost (https://www.prostbrewing.com) in Northglenn, Colorado, has built a career on being a process nerd. He spent a decade in engineering for the pharmaceutical industry before switching gears and following his passion for brewing. His analytical approach to colllecting data, testing, and questioning conventional logic is a big part of what drives quality at Prost’s award-winning lager program. The success spans three Great American Beer Festival meda