Episode 7: Carl Setzer of Great Leap Brewing

Carl Setzer is the brewmaster and co-founder with his wife of the Great Leap Brewing Company in Beijing, China. Born in the United States but now a longtime China resident, Carl and his wife operate a series of brewpubs and production facilities throughout China.

When COVID-19 broke out, Carl had some tough decisions to make. While he ran a sizable and growing brewery operation, his wife was also entering her third trimester and the couple learned they would have trouble accessing prenatal care. Accustomed to working remotely, they decided to return to his native Ohio to wait things out. Soon thereafter, the virus came to the states, China closed its borders to non-citizens, and he finds himself in Ohio until that policy is lifted. All the while, he and his wife are running a massive brewing operation from thousands of miles away.

Having seen the virus for a few months more than American brewers have, Carl has some timely perspective that could help many American craft brewers deal with the current crisis. He also has some pretty engaging stories to tell about doing business in China.

Carl Setzer

GREAT LEAP BREWING COMPANY

About The Beer Edge Podcast

Every week, co-hosts Andy Crouch and John Holl take a look at the state of the beer industry, with a focus on the business and culture of beer. The Beer Edge podcast provides listeners with unparalleled insights into the beer industry. Our mission is to provide consumers and industry players alike with a fresh and unfiltered look at the world of better, flavorful beer. We seek to capture the essence and passion of brewers, both big and small, foreign and domestic, each of whom has a distinctive and colorful story to go along with the beautiful beers they produce.

The Beer Edge podcast releases new episodes every Friday and it is available on all major podcast platforms.

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