Alex Wallash - Founder The Rare Barrel

The Rare Barrel has become one of the country's foremost producers of sour beer.  That's no surprise if you've had the opportunity to try their beer - it's clean but just funky enough, it's purposeful, and the fruited offerings beautifully display all of the best in the fruits they use.  Batch after batch, The Rare Barrel is consistently impressing thanks to their willingness to dump bad beer and only use the best their massive barrel collection has to offer.  Just last year, the brewery dumped 25% of its stock because of a fluke off flavor that just wouldn't go away.  Rather than attempt to blend away this imperfection, the guys decided that to live up to their standard the only viable option was to dump.  And dump they did.  Hundreds of gallons of beer were poured down the drain.  Doing things like this ensures that when anyone walks in to the brewery they are going to love what is poured in to their glass or is in the bottle they are taking home.  Even more importantly, it protects and furthers the cause which is sour beer by providing quality and consistency with a style that is only now in its infancy here in the states.  Please enjoy our chat (even the "interlude") and grab some Rare Barrel to drink while you do!

Cheers,

Craft Commander

Michael Tonsmeire - The Mad Fermentationist

Author. Consultant. Homebrewer. Economist!  Mike has made a name for himself as one of the country's most respected experts on the production of sour beer.  His book "American Sour Beers" and his blog www.themadfermentationist.com are invaluable resources for brewers looking to improve on their craft.  He's also consulted with breweries like Modern Times to develop recipes that we've all come to enjoy on the commercial level.  Point is, he's a wealth of knowledge for homebrewers and professional brewers alike.  We're lucky to have had the opportunity to bring you some of that knowledge and experience in this conversation.  We geared the conversation towards providing homebrewers (and those thinking about starting) with a base knowledge of yeast and bacteria treatment in these wonderfully complex beers, as well as some insight into how to think about recipe creation.  Sit back, relax, and learn something! 

Cheers,

Craft Commander