Pedals & Pints' Monica Potter on Lagers, Messy Hazy IPAs and the Anchor Brewing Closure

In Batch 366 of Craft Beer Republic, Monica Potter, head brewer at Pedals & Pints Brewing in Thousand Oaks, California, joined Greg and Flex to preview the brewery's Down the Rabbit Hole music and beer festival. Along the way, they get into why a lager is the best test of a new brewery, why Monica dreads brewing hazy IPAs, and the news that Anchor Brewing would close.

If You Can Lager, You're Probably Good at Everything

Over a German-style helles, the crew agrees on a move for any new brewery: order the helles first. A lager has nowhere to hide flaws, which makes it a good bar-setter for everything else on the menu. Hazy IPAs are the opposite, where a lot of hops and haze can cover things up.

Why Brewers Hate Making Hazy IPAs

Monica says hazy IPAs are the worst beers to clean up after. The hop matter is sticky and gets everywhere, and the last time she brewed one, it took 30 minutes to unclog the bottom of the fermenter. Dry hopping during active fermentation is just as messy. When she switched from kveik to a thiolized yeast, an open blow-off arm pushed hops right out, and keeping it closed the next time built the tank up to 15 PSI.

Down the Rabbit Hole at Pedals & Pints

Pedals & Pints' annual Down the Rabbit Hole festival on July 29 featured two stages and five acts, DJ Fresco, Singular Nature, The Vibe Setters, Joker's Hand, and headliner Not A Phase, plus a local artist and vendor market. Tarantula Hill Brewing, Naughty Pine Brewing and 14 Cannons poured alongside Pedals & Pints, whose lineup included Peaches in Wonderland, a peach sour, Go Ask Alice, a double IPA, and Vertigo Goggles, a new stone fruit and pineapple-forward hazy IPA. The group also has a name suggestion for the long-unnamed HBC 586 hop: Saturn.

Emo Fest Gets Shut Down

Greg tells the story of Naughty Pine Brewing's Emo Fest, where Not A Phase took the stage late and the police showed up after closing time. Their last song was "Welcome to the Black Parade," which Greg calls the world's longest song, and when they were told to stop, the band put down their instruments and the crowd sang it to the end.

Anchor Brewing Closure and a Co-op Bid

Sapporo announced that Anchor Brewing would cease operations and liquidate. The workers union asked Sapporo to let them buy the brewery and run it as a co-op, which would make Anchor craft again. Greg and Flex hope it works, and that the beloved Anchor Christmas Ale and its hand-drawn tree labels come back with it.

Charles Barkley Buys a Round of Bud Light

Charles Barkley offered to buy a crowd at a golf tournament a round of Bud Light and told anyone who objected to the brand exactly how he felt, adding that nobody can cancel him. Greg nominates him for Secretary of Suds.

More Craft Beer News

• Truly launches an orange slices flavor for its U.S. Women's National Team sponsorship.

• Bars in Hoboken, New Jersey, can open at 5 a.m. for Women's World Cup matches, but breweries can't.

• Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer signs a bill allowing alcohol sales at college sporting events.

• Chew Your Beer calls in to defend cricket beer and cricket snacks.

Beers We're Drinking

Greg and Monica: Four Fathers Brewing Guten Prank

Greg and Monica are drinking Guten Prank from Four Fathers Brewing, a 5% German-style helles lager sent by Zack in Indiana that's light and crisp with a nutty, nutshell-like dryness.

Flex: Parish Brewing Co. Extra Sauce

Flex is drinking Extra Sauce from Parish Brewing Co., a 7% imperial golden ale with Sicilian lemon puree that he calls lemony all the way through without being sour, and a steal at around $13 a four-pack.

Listen to Craft Beer Republic: If You Can Lager, You're Probably Good At Everything

Batch 366 of Craft Beer Republic features Pedals & Pints head brewer Monica Potter on lagers, hazy IPAs, the Down the Rabbit Hole festival, Anchor Brewing and Charles Barkley's round of Bud Light. Listen on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or your favorite podcast app!