Updates from the Republic
The Brewers Win It All, Hop Butcher Hyper Pils and a Pile of Puke Stories in "Best IPAs Nobody's Heard Of"
In Batch 537 of Craft Beer Republic, Flex is still crying after the Milwaukee Brewers' first World Series win, and one player promises to drink 100,000 beers. Mr. Davis calls in with a theory about why Heady Topper wants you to drink from the can. The spirits company behind Buffalo Trace buys Full Sail Brewing and plans to stop making the beer. And Greg throws up on a Cards Against Humanity game four months into dating his now wife. The Brewers Win the World SeriesFlex was so nervous for game...
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Heady Topper Beer Science, Weezer at Staples Center and Cheesecake Gate in "Crappy Concert Beer"
In Batch 536 of Craft Beer Republic, a listener hand delivers Heady Topper to Flex, and Flex runs some beer science on whether you really have to drink it from the can. Greg goes to a Weezer show where the only beers are Michelob Ultra, Bud Light and a hazy that is anything but hazy. Plus Poop Beer Gate gets a strawberry cheesecake sour, and Goose Island goes three barrels deep. Heady Topper: Can or Glass? Listener Davis was in town for a Chicago beer trip and a Packers game, met Flex in...
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Stone's Founders Reclaim Escondido, Hardywood Buys Starr Hill and a Flamingo Heist in "40 Beers and a Flamingo"
Stone Brewing's founders are taking back the famous Escondido bistro, Hardywood Park Craft Brewery has acquired Starr Hill, and a Canadian man's 30 to 40 beers in Las Vegas end with a stolen flamingo. The new Craft Beer Republic episode, "40 Beers and a Flamingo," also finds Flex the best vacation beer of his life in Fort Myers and Greg letting a Giants fan trash the Dodgers for over an hour before telling her where he's from. Stone Brewing's Founders Take Back the Escondido Bistro Stone...
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GABF 2026 Winners, Admiral Maltings Closes and Constellation's $75 Million Vodka Sports Drink in "Zombie Shark Fight"
The 2026 Great American Beer Festival went outdoors for the first time, craft maltster Admiral Maltings has shut down, and Constellation Brands paid $75 million for a vodka sports drink. The new Craft Beer Republic episode, "Zombie Shark Fight," welcomes back Erica of Neck Nosh for a GABF winners quiz, a Bourbon County Stout confession, an Eagle Park French fry scandal, and one very misspelled tattoo. GABF 2026 Goes Outdoors The Great American Beer Festival handed out its 2026 medals after...
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Shock Top's Candy Corn Beer, Sapporo Layoffs at Stone Escondido and "Chuck Ducking Knows How to Party"
Shock Top teams up with Spirit Halloween on a candy corn beer, Sam Adams front-of-house staff vote to unionize, and Sapporo layoffs at the former Stone Brewing facility in Escondido will reach 272 workers. The new Craft Beer Republic episode, "Chuck Ducking Knows How to Party," also brings back Poop Beer Gate and introduces a 76-year-old Florida man with a silver cup full of rum. Shock Top and Spirit Halloween Make a Candy Corn Beer Tilray's Shock Top is partnering with Spirit Halloween on a...
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The Bruery Group, Alaskan Brewing's 40th and a $2.82 Million Rogue Ales Sale in "A Bar in Every Park"
Bottle Logic and The Bruery join forces as The Bruery Group, Alaskan Brewing turns 40 with a 40-pack, and a fitness company wins the Rogue Ales auction for $2.82 million. The new Craft Beer Republic episode, "A Bar in Every Park," also covers Lost Coast Brewery going up for sale, Greg's surprise trip to Portugal, and the craft beer habits listeners miss most. Bottle Logic and The Bruery Form The Bruery Group Anaheim's Bottle Logic Brewing is partnering with The Bruery and its sibling brand...
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Beer Trading, Growlers and Black IPAs: Which Old Craft Beer Habits Do We Miss?
Beer trading, bombers, bottle shares, black IPAs, growlers, beer festivals, Untappd, mug clubs and beer dinners all used to matter a lot more to craft beer people. In the second Craft Beer Republic Short Pour, "Do We Miss...?," Greg rapid-fires old-school beer habits and trends at Flex to figure out what they actually miss, what they definitely don't, and what deserves a comeback. The Old Craft Beer Habits on the List Beer trading, whales and 22-ounce bombers Standing in line for beer...
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Pliny, Heady Topper and Dark Lord: Craft Beer Republic's "Beer Time Machine" Revisits the Beer Whales of 2016
In the first Craft Beer Republic Short Pour, "Beer Time Machine," Greg and Flex jump back to 2016 to look at the beers that ruled craft beer, the whales everyone was chasing, and which once-impossible beers are much easier to find now. Along the way, Flex gets exactly what he loves most: lists. The #1 Beer From Every Year Since 2016 Greg runs through the top beer from every year since 2016, and two classics keep showing up: Bell's Two Hearted and Sierra Nevada Pale Ale. The list also brings...
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PBR Beer Soap, Victory Brewing's Taproom Shutdown and a $20,000 Reward for Stolen PBR in "Eau de Pabst"
Pabst Blue Ribbon now comes in soap form, Victory Brewing's Philadelphia taproom is temporarily closed after a health inspection, and PBR is offering a $20,000 reward for a stolen truckload of beer. The new Craft Beer Republic episode, "Eau de Pabst," also brings back Poop Beer Gate, a ChatGPT bottle shop hunt gone wrong, and Greg's pitch for making craft beer fun again. PBR and Dr. Squatch Make Beer Soap PBR teamed up with Dr. Squatch on the Blue Ribbon Breeze bar, a soap with a scent...
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Prohibition Brewery Closes, Rogue Ales Bids Climb and Sam Adams Sells Out of Inflatable Beer Halls in "Blow-Up Beerfest"
Prohibition Brewery in Vista is closing after nearly 15 years, Garage Beer jumps into the bidding for Rogue Ales, and Sam Adams sells out of a $199 inflatable Oktoberfest beer hall. The new Craft Beer Republic episode, "Blow-Up Beerfest," also gets into Malibu Brewing's new location, a $5 German pilsner from Aldi, and an alcohol safety class that went about as well as you'd expect. Prohibition Brewery in Vista Is Closing Prohibition Brewery in Vista, California, is closing after almost 15...
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NA Beer, Apple Beer Growth and Garage Beer Lead Craft Beer News in "Fish Tank Beer"
Non-alcoholic beer keeps taking up more space in the beer industry, apple-flavored beer sales are climbing, and Garage Beer is joining the apple beer trend. The new Craft Beer Republic episode, "Fish Tank Beer," also gets into Lawson's new NA IPA, a non-alcoholic Leinenkugel's Summer Shandy, an oyster stout that tastes suspiciously like pet-store fish water, and a Florida traffic stop involving 34 open White Claw cans. Non-Alcoholic Beer Keeps Expanding Molson Coors is preparing to launch a...
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Stone Brewing Escondido Closure, Rogue Ales Sale and $10 Million in Brewery Gold
Stone Brewing's production exit from Escondido, the ongoing sale of Rogue Ales intellectual property, a unionization effort at the Sam Adams Boston Brewery, and a $10 million gold discovery beneath a former brewery lead the latest Craft Beer Republic episode. Greg and Flex also get into changes at 14 Cannons, a particularly unusual beer origin story, and two IPA reviews. The new episode, "Bad Beer, Great Wi-Fi," pairs current craft beer industry news with a look at Bitrate Fluctuation from...
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Craft Beer News: Terrapin Brewing Changes, Samuel Adams Apple Spice Ale and Kegs in the Sun
Craft Beer Republic's new episode, "Kegs in the Sun," covers brewery news involving Terrapin Brewing Company and Tilray Brands, new fall beer releases from Boston Beer, and tasting room closures at JuneShine. Greg and Flex also get into fruited IPAs, questionable keg storage, and two very different 8% double IPAs. Tilray Brands to Move Brewing Out of Terrapin's Athens Facility Tilray Brands plans to shift brewing operations away from Terrapin Brewing Company's 100,000-square-foot brewery in...
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Craft Beer News: Band-Aid Beer Science, 2026 Bourbon County Stout and a 160-Year-Old Guinness
Craft Beer Republic's new episode, "Band-Aid Beer Science," covers the 2026 Goose Island Bourbon County lineup, a 160-year-old stash of Guinness recovered from a shipwreck, and the arrival of a non-alcoholic Pumpkinhead. Greg and Flex also get into Jester King's smoky mushroom beer, while a questionable can from Brewery X turns into an impromptu beer experiment. Goose Island Bourbon County 2026 Goes to Dessert Goose Island's 2026 Bourbon County lineup is part of this week's craft beer news,...
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21st Amendment Tax Settlement, Gen Z Drinking Trends, and Ranch Beer on Craft Beer Republic
A new episode of the Craft Beer Republic podcast is available now, with Greg and Flex discussing the 21st Amendment tax settlement, Evil Genius Beer Company's acquisition of the brewery's brand rights, new Gen Z drinking data, and a ranch dressing cream ale headed to the Minnesota State Fair. The episode, titled The Hemporer's New Beer, also includes an aggressively skunky New Belgium beer story, an expired hazy IPA purchase, and an unexpected redemption for a WeldWerks Brewing Company sour....
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Ballast Point Ownership Dispute, BrewDog Buyback Bid, and The Lost Abbey Expansion Lead Craft Beer News
Ballast Point Brewing faces an ownership dispute that could affect brewery operations, while BrewDog co-founder James Watt has reportedly submitted another offer to buy back the company. The latest Craft Beer Republic episode also covers The Lost Abbey's fifth taproom, an unusual cicada beer, and new legal trouble for former NFL quarterback Tony Romo. Greg and Flex also review Lawson's Finest Liquids Sip of Sunshine and North Coast Brewing Scrimshaw Pilsner, two established craft beers with...
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Deschutes Ends Costco Kirkland Beer Partnership as Alaska Brewery Laws and Voodoo Ranger Tour Lead Craft Beer News
Major Craft Beer Stories This Week Several notable craft beer stories surfaced this week, including Deschutes Brewery ending production of Costco's Kirkland Signature beers, New Belgium bringing back its Voodoo Ranger Tanker Tour, and Denver's Copper Kettle Brewing asking customers for help covering the costs of closing its taproom. The latest episode of Craft Beer Republic also explores Alaska's unique brewery drinking laws while reviewing new beers from Tarantula Hill Brewing and Lion's...
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Ballast Point Takes Another Hit While Untitled Art Calls It Quits
Another difficult week for craft beer Ballast Point is closing another taproom, Untitled Art is ending operations after nearly a decade, and Anchor Brewing continues inching toward what could finally be a return. Those stories headline this week's craft beer news and set the stage for the latest episode of Craft Beer Republic. Greg and Flex also compare brewery road trips, review two collaboration IPAs, revisit one of the strangest beers ever brewed, and somehow end up talking about...
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Atwater Brewery Returns to Former Owner, Iowa State Expands Stadium Beer Sales in Latest Craft Beer Republic Episode
Craft Beer News: Brewery Acquisitions, Stadium Beer Sales, and Tilray's World Cup Promotion The latest episode of Craft Beer Republic covers several notable stories across the craft beer industry, including Atwater Brewery returning to its former owner, Iowa State expanding alcohol sales at athletic events, and Tilray launching a World Cup promotion centered around free beer. Greg and Flex also review beers from Fidens Brewing and Definitive Brewing while sharing stories from their own week....
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Lost Coast Brewing Up for Sale, Budweiser’s Fourth of July Beer Giveaway, and Alaska’s Strict Brewery Laws
Lost Coast Brewing Enters the Market After Nearly Four Decades One of California's longest-running craft breweries could soon have new ownership. During this week's Craft Beer Republic episode, Greg and Flex discuss news that Lost Coast Brewing founder Barbara Groom is seeking a buyer as she prepares for retirement after leading the Eureka brewery for 37 years. Lost Coast Brewing opened its original brewpub in 1989 before expanding into a 75,000-square-foot production brewery in 2014. The...
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