Flying Dog Brewing was in NYC to celebrate their 25th Anniversary, so we helped them put together a little event at the Hidden Bar at L'Amico NYC. Great Brewery? Check. Genius Brewer? Check. Tasting a whole series of special release #CraftBeers? Check, check, CHECK!
Special thanks to Bev Director Percy Rodriguez at L'Amico, Mary Beth Wood of Harvey PR, and Erin Weston and the whole Flying Dog fam, (along with Squigs and Dane on the lenses!)
Thank Goodness they got our good sides.
Let's get back to focusing on INGREDIENTS, shall we? If you've heard anything about beer, (especially #CraftBeer) you've undoubtedly heard the word "HOPS" tossed around and around, ad infinitum. Wondering what all the fuss is about? It's time we cleared that up for you - and with the help of the good folks at Glacier Hops Ranch just outside of Whitefish, MT, that is what we're about to do. Press play, and let's see (in the words of the immortal Squigs) 'What's Hoppenin'!'
Things have gone all topsy turvy in the Craft Beer world in the past year or so. Big Money has gotten involved, and with the purchase of Ballast Point last year by Constellation Brands for ONE BILLION DOLLARS, it seems that all of a sudden many people are only seeing dollar signs. So there are little guys (small/new craft brewers) out there now who want nothing more than to be big guys. On the other side of that, now there are big guys (regional craft brewers) who are working very hard to maintain their 'Little Guy' worldview and 'cred'. And sometimes you run into a brewer that's very happy to simply make great beer on a small scale and do it in the best way possible.
Enter Bonsai, where that ethos is built into everything they are, from the name forward. Graham Hart is the Owner and Brewer at this Whitefish, MT house party/brewery, and he's very happy to run his business exactly as it is. Will he get bigger? Most likely. Does he care? What's in store for him, and for Montana? Press play and see, and many thanks to the Happy Hour Gal for camera duty. Enjoy!
As you all know, the 'hook' of our show is that Mark and I are Broadway Actors based in NYC. So we've teamed up with the Folio Group, network of independent, theatrically-minded new media creators who are making digital media of all sorts, and we are going to hold up the boozy end of that spectrum.
Check out the website to link to all of the incredibly cool work that these people are doing! We're very proud and excited to be included. Full press release is below:
February 9, 2016
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Announcing The Launch of FOLIO GROUP
A network of independent, theatrically-minded new media creators
Folio Group, founded in 2015, is a collective of 13 independent podcasts, web series, and other new media ventures grown out of our shared dedication to theater. Whether narrative or editorial, directly about the performing arts or offering a peek into the off-stage lives and passions of theater artists, Folio Group members make a welcoming space for all who share a passion for what it means to tell stories onstage.
The Folio Group charter members are BroadwayGirlNYC, The Ensemblist, The Happy Hour Guys, Hot Pepper Theater, The Lights of Broadway Show Cards, Maxamoo Theater & Performance Podcast, Off & On: A New York Theatre Podcast, Off Book: The Theatre Podcast, Patty & Emily, Playball Podcast, The Set List, Something New, and Theater People Podcast.
Folio Group embraces the theater’s collaborative spirit, envisioning a field strengthened by members’ engagement with one another. The network will keep audiences informed of new episodes and special events, while creating opportunities for cross-pollination among the members. Look for cross-over episodes, co-produced events, and more as Folio Group moves forward. Folio Group’s monthly newsletter launches mid-February. Subscribe at www.FolioGroup.net/newsletter.
About the Folio Group Members
BroadwayGirlNYC (Laura Heywood) - @BroadwayGirlNYC
Laura Heywood is described by Forbes as “the most vocal and visible supporter in the business” of Broadway. Best known for her formerly-anonymous online persona @BroadwayGirlNYC, Laura has lengthy experience as a national radio host (Sirius XM), commercial actor (Dove’s Campaign for Real Beauty), interviewer (AOL Build), writer (Playbill, BroadwayWorld), and social media consultant. She is dedicated to positivity, enthusiasm, and sincerity, and is widely regarded as a leading advocate, ambassador, and best friend to Broadway. www.LauraHeywoodMedia.com
The Ensemblist - @TheEnsemblist
The Ensemblist is an inside look at the experience of being a Broadway performer, from the first rehearsal through performing eight shows a week and beyond. Giving listeners the opportunity to get to know new performers and the great work they do onstage, The Ensemblist also sheds light on some of the hidden inner workings of Broadway. By focusing on the unsung heroes of the theater world, The Ensemblist uncovers how the ensemble members make each show tick. Created and hosted by Mo Brady (The Addams Family, Smash) and Nikka Graff Lanzarone (Chicago, Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown), The Ensemblist is the only podcast that shows you Broadway from the inside out. www.TheEnsemblist.com
The Happy Hour Guys - @HappyHourGuys
Mark Aldrich and Jimmy Ludwig are two Broadway actors who travel the world in search of great craft beverages and amazing locations in which to drink them. They’ve quaffed on the summits of mountains, in bars so historic the stories are falling off the walls, on brewery/winery/meadery/distillery floors around the world, and all this just minutes after the high note and step-ball-change that funded it all. Actors and drinking may be cliche’, but The Happy Hour Guys make it unforgettable. Cheers! www.TheHappyHourGuys.com
Hot Pepper Theater - @butthurtreviews
Since August 2014, Todd Brian Backus and Ben Ferber (artistic producers of PowerOut Theatre) have been endeavoring to make theater reviews both informative and entertaining by spicing them up. Borrowing the format from the popular YouTube video game review show Hot Pepper Gaming, each episode of Hot Pepper Theater begins when a review eats something really spicy, and they aren’t allowed the spice-taming relief of milk until they’ve shared their honest opinions about Broadway, Off-Broadway, Off-Off ventures, and more. New episodes released bi-weekly with brief breaks when PowerOut is in production mode. www.PowerOutNYC.com/hot-pepper-theater/
The Lights of Broadway Show Cards - @LightsofBway
The Lights of Broadway Show Cards™ are trading cards that celebrate Broadway theater: the stories and the storytellers, the art and the artisans, those who make it all possible and the community embracing it. Shows, actors, directors, writers, designers, and all else in the spotlight or behind the scenes who make this vital, collaborative, and exciting art form thrive. The team behind The Lights of Broadway Show Cards is artist Justin “Squigs” Robertson and producer Dori Bernstein. www.TheLightsOfBroadway.nyc
Maxamoo Theater & Performance Podcast - @Maxamoo
Maxamoo is the premier podcast covering the diverse world of theater and performance beyond Broadway. Weekly an alternating cast of contributors host interviews and roundtable discussions on the latest in Off Broadway, indie theater, comedy, performance art, and multi-disciplinary theater in New York City. www.Maxamoo.com
Off & On: A New York Theatre Podcast - @BernardoCubria
Each week, actor/playwright Bernardo Cubria sits down for an in-depth conversation with a fellow theater artist to figure out why the hell they do this for a living. Together they explore both the work itself and what it takes to make the work in a complicated, challenging, yet still often rewarding industry.
Off-Book: The Theatre Podcast - @OffBookPodcast
Off-Book: The Theatre Podcast covers the happenings, interests, and issues in the theatre world. As an extension of Broadway Black, a platform dedicated to highlighting the achievements and success of African Americans on and off the Broadway stage, Off-Book: The Theatre Podcast presents the point-of-view of a theatre journalist, an actress, and a playwright. They balance each other, feed off of each other, but more importantly, bring different perspectives and full commentary on theatre news and events every week. It's all in an effort to create an opportunity to dialogue the issues others may be more prone to tiptoe around. Hosted by Broadway Black founder Andrew Shade, Broadway actress Amber Iman, and playwright/director Donja Love. www.broadwayblack.com/off-book-theatre-podcast/
Patty & Emily - @PattynEmily
Patty Devery & Emily Faye Oakley are Broadway fans and comedians who bonded over a love of Patti LuPone. In 2009, they began making videos of reviews and sketches. The have since expanded into live shows and a weekly podcast, Listen with Patty & Emily, where they talk about shows, theater news, casting, and interview “shmazing” guests! www.PattyAndEmily.com
Playball Podcast - @PlayballPodcast
Each week, actors Garth Kravits and Sean Dougherty argue about sports with the casts and crews of your favorite Broadway and Off-Broadway shows. www.PlayballPodcast.com
The Set List - @setlistpod
The Set List is a collection of the best cabaret performances in New York City—including the works of musical theater composers, classical favorites, and new musical readings. Produced and hosted by Victor Legrá, The Set List features live recordings of Off-Broadway concerts as well as behind the scenes interviews and conversations with select artists, providing an inside look into the creation of brand-new musicals within the New York cabaret circuit. www.foliogroup.net/the-set-list
Something New - @joelbnew
In each episode of Something New, award-winning musical-theater writer Joel B. New interviews the savviest singers he knows. Something New dissects what it means to be a working, multifaceted artist in America. Each guest brings multiple talents to the theater industry—from photography to dialect coaching to massage therapy—and their careers as performers have only been enriched by them. Every episode concludes with a song premiere from one of Joel B. New's latest musical projects. For a limited time, the featured song is then available for free download on SoundCloud (demo) and Repertwa (sheet music). www.JoelBNew.com
Theater People Podcast - @theaterppl
Theater People is a podcast featuring full length interviews with Tony winners, Broadway legends, and today's hottest theater stars, from Laura Benanti to LaChanze to Laura Osnes to Lin-Manuel Miranda. In each 45-minutes episode, host Patrick Hinds offers a fun and informative interview packed full of music, laughs, and the occasional heartfelt and inspiring tear. Theater People was recently selected for inclusion on earbud.fm—NPR's list of the best 200 podcasts on the internet—and was included on Buzzfeed.com's list of the top pop culture podcasts. www.TheaterPpl.com
Contact Information
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First came the beer: Two home-brewing pals that made terrific beers in Michigan's Upper Peninsula.
Next came the Nano: The Happy Hour Guys first started following Blackrocks Brewery in Marquette, MI in late 2010, when Andy and Dave had taken the leap of faith and had a tiny 1 barrel Brewery, just out of the gate, impressing their community and regularly selling out of beer each week.
Then came the growth: Just 5 short years later, Blackrocks has changed incredibly: Join us at their production facility where they let us in on their personal (and highly specific) manifesto for Success in the Brewing Industry. Enjoy!
This is the 2015 version (and the 8th installment) of our Year End tradition, a look back at all of the places we've visited over the course of a sudsy / boozy year.
2015 was a coast to coast extravaganza, featuring stops from Maine to Northern California, with Texas, Montana, Colorado, New York Missouri and more in between.
Also, (no big deal here) we officially released and celebrated our 300th video episode this year!
So...now what? Click play for a look at a remarkable year.
If awards can be any indication of how innovative and interesting a brewer is, just before we shot at Perennial they won yet another gold medal at the 2015 Great American Beer Festival. At this 'yeast forward' brewery they do things their own way, and with a sense of style unlike anyone else we've ever met. Press play to meet the staff and have a close encounter with... ABRAXAS. Also a huge thank you to Lindsay Van Winkle for handling main camera op duties. Enjoy!
