We admit to being rather old school production types: We’d rather shoot first and do edits later. But sometimes, on a cold day in early 2019, when the beer is ludicrously flavorful and your instagram account is filling, why not try to put things together and make an episode? Enjoy our boozy afternoon at Other Half NYC. Cheers!
This is our ELEVENTH look-back episode.
Let’s just ponder that for a minute. Since we started producing regularly in 2008, eleven Happy Hour Guys seasons. ELEVEN ‘year end’ episodes!
Two guys back then with a non-HD camera, some borrowed sound gear and a single light that made them look like they were at the dim end of a long tunnel had no idea they would or could come all this way.
And there’s much further to go: Stay tuned for a big announcement early in the New Year!
2018 saw us make some new friends around the country, saw us re-visit some old ones, and take the Broadway Brews Project to the two-thirds point: Four done, and only two beers left to complete the Broadway Six Pack. Links:
Also, we engaged you guys this year in a whole new way with our GoFundMe to help complete the Six Pack, and you responded: We raised over 15K to get us across the finish line.
Going into 2019, there’s some VERY BIG NEWS that will take the Broadway Brews Project (and us!) to a whole new level!
As always, thank you. We are nothing without our audience, friends and fans. These great stories need to be told, and we do it so that all of you can follow in our footsteps. Now go someplace new, try something different, and most importantly, buy someone a drink. CHEERS!
A whole year later, Jimmy landed AGAIN at the fantastic Geva Theatre in Rochester, NY. So WWTHHGD? (What would The Happy Hour Guys do)? Visit Genesee Brewing, of course, and see everything we didn't see the first time around! Turns out, because they were finishing a massive construction project last year, that's A LOT.
Plus, we get to hang out with “Never Trust a Skinny Brewmaster” Dean Jones again, which...BONUS!
And many thanks to the MDQ Capture Crew, 2018: Trent, Sarah, Sam, and Taylor!
What do Pythagoras, Charlie Parker, the Fun Tank, and Long Island City, NY have in common? Fifth Hammer Brewing, that's what. The NYC brewery landscape continues to grow with the addition of this gem. Join Mark and Jimmy as they spend some time with Chris Cuzme and Mary Izett at this can't-miss new brewery in Queens!
Oh what a fun night we had at the release party for Pint of No Return, our very own Broadway Brews Project brew number FOUR! Loads of great folk from Phantom, Hardywood Brewing, and Musicians on Call raised multiple glasses throughout the evening for a great cause. Under a beautiful Manhattan sunset, we toasted the journey that this beer will take, from Virginia to Broadway and beyond!
Every time we come to the end of a Brew journey, it's a real reckoning. These are not easy to pull off, but INCREDIBLY rewarding, every single time. Look for a video episode covering this amazing night very soon. And many thanks to the good folks at Beer Authority NYC, as well as our wonderful capture crew.
Still want to support the Broadway Brews Project? We're always looking for help.
And NYC'ers, find The Pint of No Return at a Trader Joe's in the NYC area, and give it a try. It's one of the coolest beers you'll taste this year. CHEERS!
Mark and I have captured a lot of episodes for The Happy Hour Guys; Over 350, in point of fact.
The "Brew Day" episode (embedded above) for The Pint of No Return, which is the beer created by the cast of The Phantom of the Opera and Hardywood Brewing for the Broadway Brews Project is one of our favorites of all time. No exaggeration; no joke. We LOVE this episode. We love these people. We love everything that the Broadway Brews Project is about.
Three cast members got up very early (on their day off no less) and traveled all the way to Richmond to create this beer. Everyone was on their game, the brewery was jumping; It was a perfect day.
Enjoy.
The Broadway Brews Project rolls on, as our FOURTH brew in the Broadway Six Pack is about to premiere in NYC! And now YOU CAN FOLLOW ALONG and see how we got it there.
In this episode, Mark and Jimmy introduce members of the Phantom of the Opera cast to the Hardywood Brewing (from Richmond, VA), and, using some unbelievably good beer as mental grease, we answer some very important questions: What will this beer be like? What will we name it? Which charity will it raise money for?
Phantom Cast: Ali Ewoldt (Christine Daee), Rodney Ingram (Raoul), Paul A. Schaefer (Marksman), Katharine Heaton (Page), Giselle O. Alvarez (Ballet Chorus), Maree Johnson (Madame Giry), Carlton Moe (Ubaldo Piangi), and Jacob Keith Watson (Swing):
Hardywood: Matt Shofner (Marketing), Brian Nelson (Head Brewer).
And the WONDERFUL charities under consideration: Vocal Ease, TDF Autism Theatre Initiative, Musicians On Call, and the National Endowment for the Arts.
Let's get started with our Phantom journey. This one's gonna be a great one, folks!
Special thanks to all out there who participated in the online naming contest, Mahaley and Marc at Bond Theatrical (you guys are wonderful), the good folk at Rattle N Hum West for hosting us, and to our capture team, Brad, Johnny, Squigs and Jennifer!