You’ve heard of Hope for the Day on this show before, notably when Drew Fox of 18th Street Brewing was on the show a few months ago.
Max Borgardt is the guest this week. He and his brothers had a choice, he says, either become musicians or brewers. They choose wisely, even if they are still heavily involved in music. As the brewery has grown in the last few years they’ve played to their strengths, IPA, a light beer aimed at non-craft drinkers, and hard seltzer smoothies. It has helped the brewery gain recognition, not only in their state but beyond its borders.
It seems like every conversation is going to be about COVID-19 at some point, because it’s just ever present on the mind.
When we recorded this in July the CDC had not yet updated guidance, and so host John Holl started off by talking about how things were opening up and how the brewery was getting back into the swing of things with sales and planning for the grand re-opening of their new taproom, which barely had time for a proper first grand opening.
Max spoke to the show over Zoom from the brewery in Muskego.
This episode is sponsored by:
NZ Hops, the co-operative of Master Hop Growers are a passionate collective of farms dedicated to innovation and sustainability. Leading the charge in sustainable farm practices, some NZ Hops farms have over five generations of knowledge that inform their composting program, used by growers to promote healthy regenerative growth of hops year upon year. This creates high quality soil, a critical component of healthy growing conditions. At NZ Hops, they feel that sustainability is not only being a steward for the land, but for our future. We’re in it together.
Briess is the leading supplier of specialty malt to craft brewers. They offer the broadest product line in the industry, including a wide range of roasted malts that add flavor, color, and character to beer. Their experienced operators handcraft every batch of roasted malt to ensure the product you get is consistent. Check out BrewingwithBriess.com for beer recipes using roasted malt.
The brewery is guided by five pillars – Excellence, Authenticity, Fun, Community and Innovation. These values are represented in their product quality, work culture, guest experience and charitable giving. The SIP, their Social Impact Program, is the Lawson’s Finest way of building impactful connections and strengthening our communities while creating memorable experiences.
About Drink Beer, Think Beer With John Holl
Drink Beer, Think Beer is a weekly podcast gets to the bottom of every pint with brewers, growers, and industry leaders on all aspects of the brewing industry. From ingredients and process, to philosophy and the art in each beer, the podcast is hosted by long-time journalist John Holl and is available on all the major podcast platforms.
Beer Edge releases new episodes of Drink Beer, Think Beer with John Holl every Wednesday.
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