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Grit & Grain Podcast

Matthew, Bethany, and Ron
Craft Beer
Tacoma
Tacoma Beer Week
Tacoma, Washington
Pacific Northwest
Local Breweries
Craft Beer Industry
Great American Beer Festival
Pumpkin Beer
Beer Distribution
Mexican Lager
Tacoma, United States
Cinco De Mayo
Fresh Hop Beer
Lagers
Craft Beer Community
Browns Point Homebrew Club
Beer Culture
Home Brewing
Oktoberfest

Craft beer sales and brand manager — Matt McLaren, professional brewer and line cleaner — Bethany Carlsen, and bottle shop owner and operator — Ron Swarner explore and celebrate the craft beer industry, community, and history in Tacoma, Washington, and surrounding Pacific Northwest region.

PublishesWeeklyEpisodes100Founded4 years ago
Number of ListenersCategories
FoodArtsLeisure

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Artwork for Grit & Grain Podcast

Latest Episodes

We are just over a week away from Halloween! With everyone prepping their costumes, candy shopping, and hanging SO MUCH FAKE SPIDER WEBBING all over their houses, we thought this would be a perfect time to crack a few of our favorite spooky season be... more

YouTube

Here comes a special one! This week we are joined by prolific beer journalist, author, beer sales rep, and former editor of Beer Advocate Magazine, Ben Keene.

After spending the beginning of his beer career on the East Coast writing about breweries... more

It’s time for homebrewing world update! There are some rumors going around that a few local homebrew supply shops may be nearing their respective finish lines (unless any listeners with a little investment capital and an eagerness to answer beer nerd... more

YouTube

We are rounding the corner to the fresh hop finale of 2026. Some of the year’s best and most anticipated releases are hitting shelves, and Ron just got back from making his own collab fresh hop beers — the perfect time to crack a few cans of our favo... more

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Recent Guests

Ben Keene
Beer journalist, author, sales representative and former editor of Beer Advocate Magazine
Reuben's Brews
Episode: Episode 210: Author and Longtime Advocate of Beer Ben Keene
Tristan McCoy
Member of Brown's Point Homebrew Club
Brown's Point Homebrew Club
Episode: Episode 209: Who Needs a Ladder When You have Hops? with Tristan McCoy
Cecelia Grogan
Industry figure known as Pages and Pints
Pages and Pints / Instagram personality
Episode: Episode 207: Grit and Grain and Pages and Pints
Bethany Carlsen
Founder and CEO of Funkbusters Draft Wine Cleaning Services
Funkbusters Draft Wine Cleaning Services
Episode: Episode 206: Food Prep to Beer Rep with Max Beckstrom
Max Beckstrom
Sales/Marketing lead at Odd Otter
Odd Otter
Episode: Episode 206: Food Prep to Beer Rep with Max Beckstrom
Grace Zigweed
Longtime industry figure and employee at E9
E9
Episode: Episode 205: Let’s Talk About E9
Kyle Larsen
Brewery owner at Kings & Daughters
Kings & Daughters Brewery
Episode: Grit & Grain Podcast Episode 203: Kyle Larsen Takes the Long Way Home
Chris Chappell
Director of the Brewshed Alliance at Washington Wild
Washington Wild
Episode: Episode 202: WA Wild Brewshed Alliance Director Chris Chappell
Brian Estes
From LINC Malt
LINC Malt
Episode: Grit & Grain Episode 201: Grainmaker 2026

Hosts

Matt McLaren
Host of The Grit & Grain Podcast
Ron Swarner
Co-host of The Grit & Grain Podcast

Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars from 86 ratings
  • Craft beer 👍

    Fun podcast- talk some north sound (Snohomish County) brews team!

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    Jack.Hartsock
    United Statesa year ago
  • Wow! This podcast keeps evolving

    The consistency in which they keep improving the craft of podcasting about craft beer is astonishing, episodes always feel relevant even if they are discussing beer history or beer in Tacoma a town I only know from their trucks. Could use more Sean episodes but the entire crew is 10/10

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    Disappointed wary adopter
    United Statesa year ago
  • Your 2 Nashville Listeners

    If your like beer, the Pacific Northwest and history…you need to listen. 10/10 for the outros, #beernudes and VISIT TACOMA (see ya soon PW)!

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    madeleine in washington state
    United States4 years ago
  • Portable Tavern Banter

    Have fun; learn about beer. Are you looking for very fun discussions on beer, brewing, and the business of beer? Even if you don’t live in the South Sound/Tacoma area, if you are interested in everything that goes into a beer scene, its history, its networks, its personalities, this podcast brings it. Co-host Matt McLaren, an Advanced Cicerone, really knows his beer and is fantastic interviewer and conversationalist. His foils are two tavern owners, one who interjects colorfully off-color remark... more

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    Catanistan
    United States4 years ago
  • PNW Beer History, Industry Stories, and so much more.

    Hear stories from inside the the beer industry, with a focus on PNW and especially (but not exclusively) the Tacoma beer and brewing scene. Presented by 3 of Tacoma’s finest in the biz, you’ll hear history and wonderful stories, interviews with some of the area’s pillars, titans even, of the craft beer industry. Not just for beer and brewing geeks, there lots of local history and inside stories about the whole industry.

    You’ll laugh ! You’ll cry ! Like a delicious brew, you’ll clamor for ... more

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    ALVEENUS
    United States4 years ago

Listeners Say

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

Listeners praise the show for accessible, story-driven discussions of the Pacific Northwest beer scene.
Some reviews warn that episodes skew heavily toward Tacoma/PNW immediacy and may feel local to outsiders.
Guests and topics are seen as practical and industry-focused, with upbeat banter that keeps conversations lively.
Fans note strong community vibes and chemistry among hosts.

Chart Rankings

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

Apple Podcasts
#55
New Zealand/Arts/Food

Talking Points

Recent interactions between the hosts and their guests.

Episode 210: Author and Longtime Advocate of Beer Ben Keene
Q: What brought you to Washington?
Keene and his wife considered several cities after she finished business school, and Seattle was among them. She got a job interview, they visited in December, liked the area and moved in 2016.
Episode 210: Author and Longtime Advocate of Beer Ben Keene
Q: What did Beer Advocate do right at the beginning?
Keene says it built an online community where beer fans could discuss, rate and review beers, then expanded into festivals and a magazine. That community helped emerging breweries build awareness and find customers.
Episode 207: Grit and Grain and Pages and Pints
Q: When did Pages and Pints start getting involved in the Pages and Pints project?
Cecelia explains that Pages and Pints emerged during the COVID period as she shifted from pure beer content to include books, leveraging her existing audience and passion to create a cross-disciplinary brand.
Episode 202: WA Wild Brewshed Alliance Director Chris Chappell
Q: How did you get into beer and conservation work?
Chris explains his start in Phoenix with Arizona Wilderness Brewing, a project that connected local farming and water-saving techniques to beer, and how that conservation-born passion grew into a broader mission with Washington Wild and the Brewshed Alliance.
Episode 193: Checking In with Logan Brewing
Q: Is there a standard for how many yeast generations you should reuse before flavor issues show up?
Eight to ten generations is a common range for many beers, with fewer generations advisable for hazy or lagers due to yeast performance, though exact numbers depend on strain and fermentation conditions.

Audience Metrics

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

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Frequently Asked Questions About Grit & Grain Podcast

What is Grit & Grain Podcast about and what kind of topics does it cover?

A fast-moving, community-focused show spotlighting the Pacific Northwest craft beer scene through candid conversations with brewers, shop owners, and industry veterans. Episodes frequently cover brewery growth, collaborations, festival culture, line maintenance, and sensory education, all tempered by engaging banter and stories from the broader beer ecosystem. Notable throughlines include regional brewing history, hands-on brewing and quality topics, and a strong emphasis on mentorship, collaboration, and local community building. The mix of technical brewing discussion, business insights, and colorful personalities makes it a go-to for listeners who want practical industry knowledge served with authentic Northwest flavor.

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How many listeners does Grit & Grain Podcast get?

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Which podcasts are similar to Grit & Grain Podcast?

These podcasts share a similar audience with Grit & Grain Podcast:

1. Ologies with Alie Ward
2. Pod Save America
3. Jeselnik Book Club
4. The Sporkful
5. Craft Beer & Brewing Magazine Podcast

How many episodes of Grit & Grain Podcast are there?

Grit & Grain Podcast launched 4 years ago and published 100 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 Grit & Grain Podcast?

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What guests have appeared on Grit & Grain Podcast?

Recent guests on Grit & Grain Podcast include:

1. Ben Keene
2. Tristan McCoy
3. Cecelia Grogan
4. Bethany Carlsen
5. Max Beckstrom
6. Grace Zigweed
7. Kyle Larsen
8. Chris Chappell

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.

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