Rephonic
Artwork for Crafty Brewers: Tales Behind Craft Beer

Crafty Brewers: Tales Behind Craft Beer

Quantum Podcasts
Craft Beer
Chicago
Illinois
Brewing Techniques
Sketchbook Brewing
Illuminated Brew Works
Sustainability
Cider Making
Goose Island
Hazy Ipas
Beer Myths
Mikerphone Brewing
Hop District Community Brewing Co
1840 Brewing
Grodziskia
Old Irving Brewing Co
Evanston
Skokie
Eris Brewery and Cider House
Extra Special Bitter

Increase your enjoyment of craft beer by learning about the stories, techniques, and inspiration behind the best craft breweries. In every episode, we visit a different brewery to showcase its unique atmosphere and hear brewers share how they got started, what they’ve learned, and what keeps them brewing. Crafty Brewers is perfect for beer lovers who want to discover new beer styles, explore brewi... more

PublishesMonthlyEpisodes64Founded3 years ago
Number of ListenersCategories
LeisureHobbies

Listen to this Podcast

Artwork for Crafty Brewers: Tales Behind Craft Beer

Latest Episodes

A mission-driven brewer explains why "beer alone isn't enough" — and how a 45-year-old wedding invite, an accidental World Beer Cup medal, and a legendary Czech dark lager came together in Batavia, Illinois.

Sturdy Shelter Brewing Owner and Head Bre... more

YouTube

How do you build a 3-time GABF-medal winning craft brewery from scratch in 10 years with no investors, and one brewer with no sense of smell?

Brandon and Amanda Wright, co-owners of Werk Force Brewing Company in Plainfield, Illinois, trace the 10-ye... more

YouTube

Learn what happens when a homebrewer starts with barrel-aged barleywines, defies style rules, and stocks up on high-end bourbon.

Ricky Cervantes, Founder and Director of Brewing Operations at Foreign Exchange Brewing Company in Aurora, Illinois, exp... more

YouTube

A young master brewer of craft beer shares the science behind fresh, shelf-stable beer, cake batter cream ales, coffee beer off-flavors, and more.

93 Octane Head Brewer Alex Makowski details his journey from becoming one of the youngest certified Ci... more

YouTube

Key Facts

Accepts Guests
Contact Information
Podcast Host
Number of Listeners
Find out how many people listen to this podcast per episode and each month.

Similar Podcasts

People also subscribe to these shows.

All About Beer
All About BeerAll About Beer
Craft Beer & Brewing Magazine Podcast
Craft Beer & Brewing Magazine PodcastCraft Beer & Brewing Magazine
Hop In, We're Drinking!
Hop In, We're Drinking!Hop In, We're Drinking!

Recent Guests

Frank Mercadante
Owner and head brewer, Sturdy Shelter Brewing
Sturdy Shelter Brewing
Episode: This Award-Winning Brewer Says Beer Alone Isn't Enough — Here’s What He Built Instead (Sturdy Shelter Brewing)
Diane Mercadante
Co-owner and spouse involved in youth ministry and community work
Sturdy Shelter Brewing
Episode: This Award-Winning Brewer Says Beer Alone Isn't Enough — Here’s What He Built Instead (Sturdy Shelter Brewing)
Brandon Wright
Co-owner and brewer at Werk Force Brewing Company
Werk Force Brewing Company
Episode: Chicago's Best Brewers Cut Their Teeth in His Homebrew Shop — Now He Wins GABF Medals (Werk Force Brewing Co.)
Amanda Wright
Co-owner and director of marketing and special events at Werk Force Brewing Company
Werk Force Brewing Company
Episode: Chicago's Best Brewers Cut Their Teeth in His Homebrew Shop — Now He Wins GABF Medals (Werk Force Brewing Co.)
Ricky Cervantes
Founder and head of brewing operations at Foreign Exchange Brewing Company
Foreign Exchange Brewing Company
Episode: From Brewing Barleywines and Stouts in a Closet to Winning Best New Brewery in Illinois (Foreign Exchange Brewing Company)
Alex Makowski
Head brewer at 93 Octane Brewery
93 Octane Brewery
Episode: One of The Youngest Cicerones Ever Shares His Insane Flavor Combos (93 Octane Brewery)
Clint Bautz
Owner and brewer at Lake Effect Brewing Company
Lake Effect Brewing Company
Episode: The Secret Ingredient Behind Great Belgian White Beer (Lake Effect Brewing)
Joe Condon
Marketing and creative director, Noon Whistle Brewing
Noon Whistle Brewing
Episode: Even IPA Haters Can't Resist These Beers — Here's What Goes Into Them (Noon Whistle Brewing)
Lane Fearing
Co-owner and head brewer at Roaring Table Brewing
Roaring Table Brewing
Episode: Why Beer Tastes Better on Cask, LUKR, and Sharp-Pour Taps with Roaring Table Brewing's Lane Fearing

Hosts

Brian Noonan
Host of Crafty Brewers Tales Behind Craft Beer
Cody Gough
Executive Producer and co-host; production lead

Reviews

4.9 out of 5 stars from 69 ratings
  • Devastating necessity

    Brian Noonan works the mic with love

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    Jp from Peoria
    United Statesa year ago
  • This podcast does not disappoint. :-)

    It’s informative, fun, and silly. The back and forth between Katherine and Brian and Cody makes me chuckle every time.

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    Matt the Engibeer
    United States2 years ago
  • Did not disappoint.

    Just kidding.

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    Unkle Bubba
    United States2 years ago
  • About as good at podcasting as they were brewing

    Maybe if they focused more on actually brewing good beer instead of podcasting and complaining about customers their brewery would still be open. RIP ESBC.

    Apple Podcasts
    1
    BS17264958265
    United States3 years ago
  • Beer, Beer, and more Beer

    This podcast is so fun. I love learning about the different breweries. Brian and Katherine bring entertaining commentary to the show. Subscribe for some lighthearted entertainment.

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    judyjudeejudi
    United States3 years ago

Listeners Say

Key themes from listener reviews, highlighting what works and what could be improved about the show.

A reviewer notes occasional focus on brewing politics within customer interactions, which some found less appealing.
Content is informative, offering practical brewing and business insights.
Hosts are engaging and keep conversations lively.
Some episodes balance humor with deep-dive tech details, which listeners love.

Chart Rankings

How this podcast ranks in the Apple Podcasts, Spotify and YouTube charts.

Talking Points

Recent interactions between the hosts and their guests.

Rye Lagers, No Kegs, and Beers That Don’t Leave Humboldt Park at Suncatcher Brewing
Q: What makes Suncatcher's rye lager different from other rye beers?
It's designed to be approachable and deeply flavored by the local rye malt, while keeping ABV lower and emphasizing freshness through serving tanks to minimize exposure to oxygen and time on shelves.
This Award-Winning Brewer Says Beer Alone Isn't Enough — Here’s What He Built Instead (Sturdy Shelter Brewing)
Q: What challenges have you faced in brewing, and what keeps you motivated?
Frank discusses the technical challenges of difficult beer styles like Hefeweizen and Dunkel, the joy of mastering them through experimentation, and the reward of seeing the community respond positively to both beer and hospitality.
This Award-Winning Brewer Says Beer Alone Isn't Enough — Here’s What He Built Instead (Sturdy Shelter Brewing)
Q: Why Batavia, and what makes this community special for your brewery?
He describes Batavia as an unpretentious, loyal community, with a strong sense of belonging; the brewery's location helped build a deep connection with locals and foster a supportive, mission-driven atmosphere.
Even IPA Haters Can't Resist These Beers — Here's What Goes Into Them (Noon Whistle Brewing)
Q: What is the story behind Noon Whistle's name?
The name stems from the noon whistle historically used in their Wisconsin town as a time cue for drinking; the founders carry that tradition into their brand storytelling and continue to honor it with a nod to tradition in every beer they craft.
Why Beer Tastes Better on Cask, LUKR, and Sharp-Pour Taps with Roaring Table Brewing's Lane Fearing
Q: What does the future look like for Roaring Table in terms of capacity and distribution?
They plan to install a larger 15-barrel system to increase production and distribution in the Chicagoland area, while easing the physical burden on the brewers with more scalable equipment.

Audience Metrics

Listeners, social reach, demographics and more for this podcast.

Listeners per Episode
Gender Skew
Location
Interests
Professions
Age Range
Household Income
Social Media Reach

Frequently Asked Questions About Crafty Brewers: Tales Behind Craft Beer

What is Crafty Brewers: Tales Behind Craft Beer about and what kind of topics does it cover?

A conversational deep-dive into craft breweries, exploring founder origins, brand stories, and hands-on brewing practices. Across episodes, listeners hear how small teams grow from homebrew roots to regional operations, with emphasis on barrel-aging programs, beer style evolution, community building, and the challenges of scaling while staying true to a brewery's identity. The show frequently features owners and head brewers, plus marketing and taproom teams, delivering practical lessons on branding, operations, and product development in an accessible, warm, and often humorous format. Its unique angle lies in pairing intimate origin stories with technical brewing insights and a strong emphasis on community involvement and independence, mak... more

Where can I find podcast stats for Crafty Brewers: Tales Behind Craft Beer?

Rephonic provides a wide range of podcast stats for Crafty Brewers: Tales Behind Craft Beer. We scanned the web and collated all of the information that we could find in our comprehensive podcast database. See how many people listen to Crafty Brewers: Tales Behind Craft Beer and access YouTube viewership numbers, download stats, audience demographics, chart rankings, ratings, reviews and more.

How many listeners does Crafty Brewers: Tales Behind Craft Beer get?

Rephonic provides a full set of podcast information for three million podcasts, including the number of listeners. View further listenership figures for Crafty Brewers: Tales Behind Craft Beer, including podcast download numbers and subscriber numbers, so you can make better decisions about which podcasts to sponsor or be a guest on. You will need to upgrade your account to access this premium data.

What are the audience demographics for Crafty Brewers: Tales Behind Craft Beer?

Rephonic provides comprehensive predictive audience data for Crafty Brewers: Tales Behind Craft Beer, including gender skew, age, country, political leaning, income, professions, education level, and interests. You can access these listener demographics by upgrading your account.

How many subscribers and views does Crafty Brewers: Tales Behind Craft Beer have?

To see how many followers or subscribers Crafty Brewers: Tales Behind Craft Beer has on Spotify and other platforms such as Castbox and Podcast Addict, simply upgrade your account. You'll also find viewership figures for their YouTube channel if they have one.

Which podcasts are similar to Crafty Brewers: Tales Behind Craft Beer?

These podcasts share a similar audience with Crafty Brewers: Tales Behind Craft Beer:

1. The Beer Temple Podcast
2. All About Beer
3. Drink Beer, Think Beer With John Holl
4. Craft Beer & Brewing Magazine Podcast
5. Hop In, We're Drinking!

How many episodes of Crafty Brewers: Tales Behind Craft Beer are there?

Crafty Brewers: Tales Behind Craft Beer launched 3 years ago and published 64 episodes to date. You can find more information about this podcast including rankings, audience demographics and engagement in our podcast database.

How do I contact Crafty Brewers: Tales Behind Craft Beer?

Our systems regularly scour the web to find email addresses and social media links for this podcast. We scanned the web and collated all of the contact information that we could find in our podcast database. But in the unlikely event that you can't find what you're looking for, our concierge service lets you request our research team to source better contacts for you.

Where can I see ratings and reviews for Crafty Brewers: Tales Behind Craft Beer?

Rephonic pulls ratings and reviews for Crafty Brewers: Tales Behind Craft Beer from multiple sources, including Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Castbox, and Podcast Addict.

View all the reviews in one place instead of visiting each platform individually and use this information to decide if a show is worth pitching or not.

How do I access podcast episode transcripts for Crafty Brewers: Tales Behind Craft Beer?

Rephonic provides full transcripts for episodes of Crafty Brewers: Tales Behind Craft Beer. Search within each transcript for your keywords, whether they be topics, brands or people, and figure out if it's worth pitching as a guest or sponsor. You can even set-up alerts to get notified when your keywords are mentioned.

What guests have appeared on Crafty Brewers: Tales Behind Craft Beer?

Recent guests on Crafty Brewers: Tales Behind Craft Beer include:

1. Frank Mercadante
2. Diane Mercadante
3. Brandon Wright
4. Amanda Wright
5. Ricky Cervantes
6. Alex Makowski
7. Clint Bautz
8. Joe Condon

To view more recent guests and their details, simply upgrade your Rephonic account. You'll also get access to a typical guest profile to help you decide if the show is worth pitching.

Find and pitch the right podcasts

We help savvy brands, marketers and PR professionals to find the right podcasts for any topic or niche. Get the data and contacts you need to pitch podcasts at scale and turn listeners into customers.
Try it free for 7 days