"Bitter" Truths, Big Beers, and Bold Moves

"Bitter" Truths, Big Beers, and Bold Moves

This week, we crack open a triple dose of hop-fueled commentary, brewery gossip, and World Beer Cup bombshells. We even got a little salty—literally.

In Beers of the Week we pay tribute to a fallen Georgia brewer with Jekyll Brewing’s Big Creek Kölsch. Jekyll, a longtime staple with both supporters and haters, is set to shut down all locations on Mother’s Day. We dove deep into their history, rise, Kickstarter roots, and the harsh economics of brewery expansion in a post-industrial park taproom era.

Then came the ESB talk. What the heck is an ESB anyway? Brian broke down the style—medium malt, medium hop, and no, it’s not actually that bitter. We dug into the surprising World Beer Cup win: Sierra Nevada Pale Ale taking gold in the American ESB category. Wait, what? Pale Ale is an ESB now? According to the new guidelines, apparently so. The lines blur, styles evolve, and Brian drops knowledge.

Speaking of the World Beer Cup, Georgia showed up big: 6 breweries, 9 medals. New Realm, Bold Monk, Wild Heaven, and others brought home serious hardware. We raised a glass to our local heroes and called out a few surprise absences (no Creature Comforts?).

Economic chatter followed, and for once, the news wasn’t all doom and gloom. The U.S. beer industry contributed over $470 billion in 2024, thanks to jobs, taxes, and of course, your favorite six-packs. But challenges remain—Tilray teeters on delisting, and even success stories sometimes mask hard decisions behind closed taproom doors.

And finally, Tecate went weird: a salty light lager made with Gulf of Mexico water, available only on a floating bar off the Yucatan. No, really.

So whether you're crushing cream ales with bourbon chasers, debating beer style semantics, or lamenting your favorite brewery’s closure, this week’s episode has you covered.

Thanks for listening to Beer Guys Radio! Your hosts are Tim Dennis and Brian Hewitt with producer Nate "Mo' Mic Nate" Ellingson and occasional appearances from Becky Smalls.

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