Where can I listen to this podcast?

This podcast is available on 9 platforms including Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and more. You can also use the RSS feed directly.

Does this podcast accept guests?

Yes, this podcast regularly features guests.

Crafty Brewers: Tales Behind Craft Beer

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by Quantum Podcasts

4.9(66 reviews)

65 episodes

Updated Weekly

Accepts GuestsHas SponsorsLocation 🇺🇸

Podcast Authority

Beta

GoodBased on show quality, social media presence, reviews, charts, and more

Quality84

Social0

YouTube76

Engagement77

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Podcast Overview

Increase your enjoyment of craft beer by learning about the stories, techniques, and inspiration behind the best craft breweries. In every episode, we visit a different brewery to showcase its unique atmosphere and hear brewers share how they got started, what they’ve learned, and what keeps them brewing. Crafty Brewers is perfect for beer lovers who want to discover new beer styles, explore brewing techniques, and get to know the people behind the pints. Hosted by beer enthusiast Brian Noonan and award-winning producer Cody Gough, this is the best craft beer podcast on tap. Cheers! 🍻

Language

🇺🇲

Publishing Since

9/7/2023

Visit Website View on Apple Podcasts RSS Feed

🇺🇸 Charts #3

Outreach generated

Apple 142

Spotify 827

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Podcast Authority

Beta

GoodBased on show quality, social media presence, reviews, charts, and more

Quality84

Social0

YouTube76

Engagement77

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excellent

Episode Length

55 minutes

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Every 14 days

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Recent Episodes

May 28, 2026

This Award-Winning Brewer Says Beer Alone Isn't Enough — Here’s What He Built Instead (Sturdy Shelter Brewing)

Host Frank Mercadante, owner and head brewer of Sturdy Shelter Brewing, shares how his community-first mission and unexpected award shaped his unique brewery.

May 8, 2026

Chicago's Best Brewers Cut Their Teeth in His Homebrew Shop — Now He Wins GABF Medals (Werk Force Brewing Co.)

How do you build a 3-time GABF-medal winning craft brewery from scratch in 10 years with no investors, and one brewer with no sense of smell?Brandon and Amanda Wright, co-owners of Werk Force Brewing Company in Plainfield, Illinois, trace the 10-year arc of how Chicago Brew Works — the homebrew supply shop they opened in 2012 — evolved into one of Chicagoland's most influential breweries, with multiple GABF medals to show for it. They cover what it's like to build a brewery as a married couple, the next big beer trend, the whole-bean coffee technique behind their stout series, and how Brandon brews award-winning beer without a sense of smell. 0:00 Intro0:45 Welcome to Werk Force Brewing in Plainfield, Illinois2:53 How Werk Force Started as a Homebrew Supply Store in 20123:27 From OfficeMax to a Winery to Homebrewing Full-Time4:45 Brando's House of Awesomeness (And Why Amanda Said No)5:32 How They Started Chicago Brew Works on a Kitchen Table5:59 Building Chicagoland's Biggest Homebrew Supply Store8:37 Why Werk Force Never Took an Investor9:06 Where the Name Werk Force Comes From11:16 What's It Like to Run a Brewery With Your Spouse?15:28 Designing the Taproom (No TVs, Communal Tables)17:07 The Six Degrees of Werk Force Brewing19:15 What Was Werk Force's First Beer?19:55 Why You Can't Call This West Coast IPA Pineapple Express21:57 How West Coast IPAs Have Changed in 12 Years24:10 The Next Big Beer Trend: Under 4.5% ABV25:42 Really Decent: A 3.9% All-Malt Lager27:04 Beer Break27:47 Welcome Back: Meet Brandon's Brewing Team29:36 How Werk Force Won 3 GABF Medals in 2 Years32:38 What Are the Best Bourbon Barrels for Aging Beer?34:44 Where Sleepy Bear Got Its Name35:39 Polar Bear: A Two-Year Bourbon-Barrel Coffee Stout36:24 How Werk Force Designs Sleepy Bear Labels39:16 The Whole-Bean Coffee Trick That Avoids Off-Flavors40:57 How to Decide on Sleepy Bear Variants Each Year44:15 Brian Doesn't Have a Sense of Smell45:37 How Brandon Brews Award-Winning Beer Without Smelling It48:24 What's the Hardest Part of Brewing Without a Sense of Smell?50:18 Does Werk Force Use AI to Design Recipes?53:26 What Makes a Great Oktoberfest Beer?56:08 Marzen vs. Fest Beer: What's the Difference?56:52 Inside the Barrel Den: Werk Force's Event Space58:09 What's Next for Werk Force Brewing?59:43 Final Four: The Beer They'll Never Brew Again62:00 Brandon and Amanda's Off-the-Clock Beer Picks62:33 Final Four: Best Food and Beer Pairing65:11 Final Toast: Calm Down, Have a Beer, Hit the RoadAbout Werk Force Brewing Company: A three-time GABF medal winning craft brewery in Plainfield, Illinois, known for the Sleepy Bear barrel-aged imperial stout series, classic West Coast IPAs, and lower-ABV lagers. Learn more on their website at <a href="https://www.werkforcebrewing.com/" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://www.werkforcebrewing.com/</a> —Learn more about Crafty Brewers at <a href="https://craftybrewerspod.com" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://craftybrewerspod.com</a> Support Crafty Brewers on Patreon! <a href="https://www.patreon.com/c/craftybrewers" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://www.patreon.com/c/craftybrewers</a> Crafty Brewers is a production of Quantum Podcasts, LLC, an enterprise podcast growth consultancy. If your brand would like to capture a loyal audience to drive business results with the power of podcasting, then visit <a href="https://quantum-podcasts.com/" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://quantum-podcasts.com/</a>Our executive producer and editor is award-winning podcaster <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/codygough/" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Cody Gough</a>. He insists that we tell you that in this episode, you’ll learn about: Werktoberfest, Buffalo Trace bourbon barrels for beer, Blanton's barrel-aged stout, Weller bourbon barrels, 10 Drops Coffee Roasters Outsiders Blend, Vireman malt, Rocky Reef Brewing collaboration, Metal Monkey Brewing, Goose Island barrel aging legacy, Bell's Two Hearted Ale, Pineapple Express TTB label rejection, DDH double dry hop IPA, Madagascar vanilla and cacao nibs in stout, diacetyl off-flavor detection, wax-dipped 375ml limited release bottles, and U.S. Open Beer Championship gold.

Episode thumbnail for From Brewing Barleywines and Stouts in a Closet to Winning Best New Brewery in Illinois (Foreign Exchange Brewing Company)

April 23, 2026

From Brewing Barleywines and Stouts in a Closet to Winning Best New Brewery in Illinois (Foreign Exchange Brewing Company)

Learn what happens when a homebrewer starts with barrel-aged barleywines, defies style rules, and stocks up on high-end bourbon.Ricky Cervantes, Founder and Director of Brewing Operations at Foreign Exchange Brewing Company in Aurora, Illinois, explains how he went from aging barrels in a climate-controlled apartment closet to building a homebrewing reputation that led to 400 people lining up for his first commercial batch. He explains how Foreign Exchange’s beers deliberately float between styles, and breaks down barleywine for newcomers.After the break, Ricky covers the brewery's full range from 4% lagers to a 17% ABV imperial stout, the fermentation-science origin of the name "Foreign Exchange," cocktails on tap, a serious bourbon program, and the story behind Aurora Beer, a German-style golden ale honoring a pre-Prohibition Aurora brewing giant, hand-bottled with a paper label for historical accuracy. Plus: Foreign Exchange’s unique Indian-Mexican fusion food menu and future plans, including wild ale experiments and a homebrew side project.0:00 Intro1:07 Welcome to Foreign Exchange Brewing Company in Aurora, Illinois2:08 What Makes Foreign Exchange Different From Other Breweries?3:31 Aurora Beer: A German-Style Tribute That Floats Between Styles5:53 The Pre-Prohibition Brewery That Inspired Aurora Beer7:33 Why Ricky Cervantes Built His Brewery in Downtown Aurora8:22 How Ricky Got Into Contract Brewing Without a Professional Background10:17 The Home Brewer Whose Beer Drew 400 People to a Release11:52 What Black Tuesday Taught Ricky About Barrel Aging12:28 How to Build a Barrel Room Inside an Apartment Closet15:00 Finding the Right Imperial Stout Recipe (With Help From Energy City Brewing)16:27 What Is a Barleywine, Exactly?17:52 How Word of Mouth Built Ricky’s Homebrewing Reputation22:35 Beer Break23:28 Brewer’s Choice: Clockwork English-Style Barleywine25:07 English vs. American Barleywines: What’s the Difference?26:15 Running a Beer Program From 4% to 17% ABV28:17 How Kittywampus Converts Dark Beer Skeptics30:04 Why Foreign Exchange Added a Kitchen to the Taproom32:04 Cheese Curds, Tacos, and Indian-Mexican Fusion at a Brewery?38:18 How Indian Business Partners Inspired the Food Menu41:29 The Nerdy Fermentation Reason the Brewery Is Called Foreign Exchange42:08 How Cocktails Work on Draft (And Why the Old-Fashioned Separates)43:10 Why a Craft Brewery Has an Entire Bourbon Program44:13 What’s Next for Foreign Exchange Brewing?45:23 Slow Magic, Wild Ales, and a Barrel-Aged THC Barleywine46:38 Ricky’s Next Barrel Aging Goal: A Library for Blending47:46 Final Four: Barleywine Is Life, and Kettle Sours Can Wait49:11 The Beer With a Cursed Origin Story Ricky Will Never Brew Again50:53 Ricky’s Go-To Beer When He’s Off the Clock52:37 The 100-Year-Old Bottle That Changed Aurora Beer’s Packaging56:14 Favorite Beer and Food Pairings60:20 Final Toast: Good Beer and Being True to Yourself About Foreign Exchange Brewing Company: A microbrewery specializing in innovative small-batch and oak-aged ales, this Aurora, Illinois brewery was named 2020’s Best New Brewery in Illinois by PorchDrinking.com. Learn more at <a href="https://www.foreignexchangebrewing.com/" target="_blank" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer">https://www.foreignexchangebrewing.com/</a> —Learn more about Crafty Brewers at <a href="https://craftybrewerspod.com" target="_blank" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer">https://craftybrewerspod.com</a> Support Crafty Brewers on Patreon! <a href="https://www.patreon.com/c/craftybrewers" target="_blank" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer">https://www.patreon.com/c/craftybrewers</a> Crafty Brewers is a production of Quantum Podcasts, LLC, an enterprise podcast growth consultancy. If your brand would like to capture a loyal audience to drive business results with the power of podcasting, then visit <a href="https://quantum-podcasts.com/" target="_blank" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer">https://quantum-podcasts.com/</a>Our executive producer and editor is award-winning podcaster <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/codygough/" target="_blank" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer">Cody Gough</a>. He says that in this episode, you’ll learn about: Kittywampus coffee milk stout, Primo Pils jalapeño lime pilsner, triple IPA, Sweater Weather old-fashioned on tap, habanero lime Chicago-ish, Church Street Brewing, Energy City Brewing, foeder mixed culture fermentation, Riverlands Brewing.

65 total episodes available with 4 transcripts

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What is Crafty Brewers: Tales Behind Craft Beer?: Increase your enjoyment of craft beer by learning about the stories, techniques, and inspiration behind the best craft breweries. In every episode, we visit a different brewery to showcase its unique atmosphere and hear brewers share how they got started, what they’ve learned, and what keeps them brewing. Crafty Brewers is perfect for beer lovers who want to discover new beer styles, explore brewing techniques, and get to know the people behind the pints.

Hosted by beer enthusiast Brian Noonan and award-winning producer Cody Gough, this is the best craft beer podcast on tap. Cheers! 🍻
How often does this podcast release new episodes?: This podcast updates weekly.
Where can I listen to this podcast?: This podcast is available on 9 platforms including Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and more. You can also use the RSS feed directly.
Does this podcast accept guests?: Yes, this podcast regularly features guests.

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