This Beer Lover Visited Over 1500 Breweries (and Wrote a Book About It)

Speaker: 00:00:05

McFleshman's: Hello everyone, and welcome to another episode of Respecting the Beer.

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My name is Gary Arndt.

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With me again are the good doctors, the usual suspects, Bobby f Fleshman, Alison McCoy, owners, operators of mc Fleshman Brewery here in Appleton, Wisconsin on State Street.

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Makers of fine lagers, stouts, porters.

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Is this a commercial or an a podcast?

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Just try and do something different.

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The tourism.

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Now we've talked a lot about visiting other breweries.

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We've had people on the show that have, uh, done a lot of brewery tourism, but I think our guest today kind of takes the cake.

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He is the author of Flights Across America.

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He has been to, would you say the, the thing on the book says A thousand breweries.

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Do you think you've been to a thousand?

Joel Geier: 00:00:51

So I've been to almost 1500 now.

Joel Geier: 00:00:54

McFleshman's: That's over a thousand.

Joel Geier: 00:00:55

Yep.

Joel Geier: 00:00:56

McFleshman's: Joel.

Joel Geier: 00:00:58

Now if I, I gotta admit, uh, I used to work in the travel space when I saw Flights Across America that just as easily could have been a book about aviation, but it's actually a book about your travels to breweries across the country and I guess getting flights.

Joel Geier: 00:01:12

So how'd you get started doing that?

Joel Geier: 00:01:14

Yeah, absolutely.

Joel Geier: 00:01:15

Well, first of all, thank you guys for having me on.

Joel Geier: 00:01:17

Uh, really appreciate the opportunity to come on and chat with everybody.

Joel Geier: 00:01:21

Uh, and yeah, so I guess.

Joel Geier: 00:01:24

I write about in the book, it, it, my, my passion with craft beer initially started with my dad.

Joel Geier: 00:01:30

Growing up in rural Wisconsin, rural Iowa, you know, most everybody had cases, you know, Miller Light, Bush Light, et cetera, in their fridges.

Joel Geier: 00:01:38

And my dad always had Leinenkugel's Creamy Dark, and Sierra Nevada Pale Ale.

Joel Geier: 00:01:42

This would've been, you know, nineties, early aughts.

Joel Geier: 00:01:45

And he always kind of told me that.

Joel Geier: 00:01:47

If he was gonna drink a beer, he wanted to enjoy it.

Joel Geier: 00:01:50

And I kind of, you know, took that with me.

Joel Geier: 00:01:53

When it was my turn to start being able to buy my own beer, my college roommates would go, we would go to the grocery store and they would buy a 30 rack of whatever.

Joel Geier: 00:02:03

Sheet beer was on sale that week.

Joel Geier: 00:02:05

And I would go over to the craft section and I would do a pick six, or I would get a variety pack from some national or regional brewery.

Joel Geier: 00:02:14

Uh, and I just, I tried tons of, tons of beer, tons and tons of beer.

Joel Geier: 00:02:18

And, uh, from there I just kind of continued enjoying trying beer and, and it got to a point.

Joel Geier: 00:02:24

I did visit a handful of breweries.

Joel Geier: 00:02:26

My wife and I got married right outta college and we moved to Oregon.

Joel Geier: 00:02:29

Lived in Eugene, visited some breweries.

Joel Geier: 00:02:31

Then we moved back here to Milwaukee and it was probably a few months after that that I kind of realized I'd gone to some breweries here and it was like, okay, well I've been to, you know.

Joel Geier: 00:02:42

I know at that point, maybe a couple dozen, you know, 20 or so, I was like, this is kind of, you know, I enjoy collecting things and to me it kind of felt like, oh, I'm almost collect, collecting these breweries.

Joel Geier: 00:02:50

And I started a list and that quickly became a spreadsheet.

Joel Geier: 00:02:54

And it very rapidly went from, I always, I, the way I, the way I say it is it went from, you know, a passionate hobby to a borderline unhealthy obsession with.

Joel Geier: 00:03:05

Doing research, finding every single brewery that I could.

Joel Geier: 00:03:08

And yeah, so, and I, and I guess not to bury the lead, but.

Joel Geier: 00:03:12

The, the reason I was able to do this was 'cause of my wife's profession.

Joel Geier: 00:03:16

She was a travel nurse on two different stints, one before kids, and then we started traveling again after kids.

Joel Geier: 00:03:21

Uh, and then for the last three years, she also worked for four years now.

Joel Geier: 00:03:25

She worked as a psychiatric nurse practitioner, fully remote, and so that enabled us to continue to travel until we've we're, we've been home now.

Joel Geier: 00:03:32

A little over two years, uh, here in the Milwaukee area now that my, my oldest, you know, started school.

Joel Geier: 00:03:39

But yeah, so we, we lived in 14 states before our ninth wedding anniversary.

Joel Geier: 00:03:43

And so that life that we kind of lived for for several years was what enabled me to do this.

Joel Geier: 00:03:50

'cause o obviously, you know, at the time of the book, it was a little under 1400.

Joel Geier: 00:03:54

Now it's, you know, been to almost a hundred more.

Joel Geier: 00:03:56

But getting to, at the time of the book, 1400 breweries across all 50 states is not something that you can just stumble into doing.

Joel Geier: 00:04:04

I was very lucky and blessed that, uh, a career path that my wife chose is, is what enabled me to, to do that.

Joel Geier: 00:04:11

So, so, yeah, and she hates beer, which is the best part.

Joel Geier: 00:04:14

McFleshman's: There is a word for people that have an obsession about beer, and in fact, there are organizations you can join and groups you can attend in church basements.

Joel Geier: 00:04:22

So

Joel Geier: 00:04:22

Yeah.

Joel Geier: 00:04:23

Well, yeah.

Joel Geier: 00:04:24

And then, uh, to go, to go back.

Joel Geier: 00:04:27

Also the, the flight question though, too when it to flights, that was something that I. If I go to a brewery for the first time, as long, if they offer a flight, that's what I will be getting for my first time.

Joel Geier: 00:04:38

I'm sure you guys have probably had the discussion on here, and I actually have the discussion in my book about the pros and cons of all the different types of pours when you're visiting a brewery.

Joel Geier: 00:04:50

Especially if you're visiting a brewery for the first time.

Joel Geier: 00:04:52

And in my, in, in a lot of cases, maybe the only time the pros of just getting one, you know, a pint, getting a flight.

Joel Geier: 00:04:59

Getting half tours, et cetera, et cetera.

Joel Geier: 00:05:01

But that was just the way that I found the most joy in doing it, was doing the flights.

Joel Geier: 00:05:05

And it just felt that, you know, I and I, I included a little subheading of Brewery lover's journey to make sure to clarify it, but just wanted to have a fun play on words.

Joel Geier: 00:05:13

I had the, I had the title for the book well, before I even really had the firm idea that I was gonna be doing the book.

Joel Geier: 00:05:19

But, uh, yeah, that, that's how we kind of got got to that point.

Joel Geier: 00:05:23

McFleshman's: So, not to derail this conversation, but uh, when we're talking about flights, it feels like a very American invention.

Joel Geier: 00:05:31

I'm thinking about going to an English pub.

Joel Geier: 00:05:33

I don't think that's a. And I don't think it's a thing when you go to, uh, on Decker in Germany or when you go to any Irish pub, it, it, it's a very American, uh, way of approaching and interacting with beer, I think.

Joel Geier: 00:05:46

Do you agree with that?

Joel Geier: 00:05:48

Yeah, I do wanna, and, and I think, I mean, part of it is, is that in some ways, you know.

Joel Geier: 00:05:54

Is, I don't know if gluttony is like the right term for it, but essentially you're trying to get more beard, you know, it's more glassware, it's more time, it's more work you're trying to get, you know, more and more out of it.

Joel Geier: 00:06:05

Whereas, you know, when you're talking about in Europe, European, you know, you're talking about the more traditional styles.

Joel Geier: 00:06:10

Like when you go to colon, you're getting the Ks glassware, you're getting a full pour of that.

Joel Geier: 00:06:15

You're sitting there and you're having cold service.

Joel Geier: 00:06:17

Service.

Joel Geier: 00:06:18

In check, you have the dipple, like there are specific, you know, styles of glassware for these specific types of beers.

Joel Geier: 00:06:24

And you know, with Czech, I love Czech lagers and you know, there's that they have the three different pour styles that they can do.

Joel Geier: 00:06:30

So it's just a very different way, like doing the flights where I think part of that did come outta craft also because craft breweries are producing so many different types of beer.

Joel Geier: 00:06:41

And a lot of these more traditional places, like I talked about, like kch, you're gonna a brewery, you're drinking the kch.

Joel Geier: 00:06:47

You know, over

Joel Geier: 00:06:48

McFleshman's: I've been there.

Joel Geier: 00:06:48

I've done that.

Joel Geier: 00:06:49

I know exactly what you mean.

Joel Geier: 00:06:51

yeah, exactly.

Joel Geier: 00:06:51

And, and you know, and some of these check brewers, they may have a handful of beers, but they're not doing what a lot of craft brewers are doing, where you may have anywhere from eight to 12 upwards of, you know, 20, 30 plus beers on tap.

Joel Geier: 00:07:05

And

Joel Geier: 00:07:06

McFleshman's: We're getting photo bombed in real time right now.

Joel Geier: 00:07:09

Oh.

Joel Geier: 00:07:09

I had him pop in and say hi.

Joel Geier: 00:07:11

Since we met on Saturday, this is Cari popping in.

Joel Geier: 00:07:14

I know.

Joel Geier: 00:07:15

Yeah, I, I talked with Cari uh, this past Saturday

Joel Geier: 00:07:17

McFleshman's: yeah, yeah, yeah.

Joel Geier: 00:07:18

fond Lac Brewfest.

Joel Geier: 00:07:20

McFleshman's: Mm-hmm.

Joel Geier: 00:07:21

Well, she's here for a guest appearance.

Joel Geier: 00:07:23

She, I was about, this was listen music, so I, I said I,

Joel Geier: 00:07:26

had to pop and

Joel Geier: 00:07:27

yeah, absolutely.

Joel Geier: 00:07:27

Well, we were just, we were talking about how flights are kind of an American thing.

Joel Geier: 00:07:31

And uh, yeah, and, and I think that's because like I said, there's so many different styles, and so when someone's coming in for the first time.

Joel Geier: 00:07:38

If they're like someone that's going to be having more than one drink, especially, they may be like, there's 20 choices here.

Joel Geier: 00:07:44

I can hardly narrow it down to four, much less one on my first go round.

Joel Geier: 00:07:47

So they wanna try four different things before committing to a full pint.

Joel Geier: 00:07:51

And I think, I think flights in a way may have started off as just a way to essentially try to just provide a sample and it, it did take off and became more popular, I think, than what it maybe initially was designed for.

Joel Geier: 00:08:05

But like I said, it is more work, but you know, the profit margins are, you know, at least higher for, for the beer.

Joel Geier: 00:08:10

And I'm, I'm willing to pay that 'cause I do know that it is more work.

Joel Geier: 00:08:14

Uh, but yeah, that's just been my, my personal take was, is that I wanted to try several beers at these breweries and.

Joel Geier: 00:08:21

I was visiting multiple breweries in a night, sometimes when we were traveling.

Joel Geier: 00:08:24

And so I didn't have the opportunity to sit down for three hours at every single brewery and have multiple pints of beer.

Joel Geier: 00:08:31

That just was not in the cards for me.

Joel Geier: 00:08:32

And so for my purposes, uh, flights were, you know, my approach to it.

Joel Geier: 00:08:37

Obviously now when I'm, you know, here in Milwaukee visiting breweries, or if I'm visiting breweries here in Wisconsin, I've been to, I'm for the most part getting.

Joel Geier: 00:08:47

Full por beer though.

Joel Geier: 00:08:49

Because that's just my preference when, when I'm visiting a brew.

Joel Geier: 00:08:51

I already know.

Joel Geier: 00:08:52

'cause at that point I kind of like, you know, I know what I want to get here.

Joel Geier: 00:08:55

But yeah, flights were just something that I've always enjoyed.

Joel Geier: 00:08:57

And I actually have a big section at the end of my book.

Joel Geier: 00:09:01

I have a color photographs of all the unique and fun flight boards from around the country that I was able to enjoy.

Joel Geier: 00:09:09

McFleshman's: Ever made it to Santa Rosa to see Russian River with their 18 or

Joel Geier: 00:09:13

Yeah, I did not have the 18, but I did have like, I had a big flight there because I was with my father.

Joel Geier: 00:09:19

I don't think we did the 18, but we may have done 10 or twelves.

Joel Geier: 00:09:23

I'd have to go back.

Joel Geier: 00:09:24

I, I, I have the picture somewhere.

Joel Geier: 00:09:26

But yeah, the book

Joel Geier: 00:09:27

McFleshman's: Talking about flight

Joel Geier: 00:09:27

it's fun to see how breweries have, because there are breweries that have taken this idea of a flight and completely made it their own thing.

Joel Geier: 00:09:34

You know, with the fun flight boards that play into a theme or the brewery's name or the state that they're in.

Joel Geier: 00:09:39

'Cause I've had a, you know, there's a couple different breweries in Wisconsin even that have a, a flight board that's shaped like the state of Wisconsin.

Joel Geier: 00:09:45

So, you know, I, I, I enjoy the creativity behind those.

Joel Geier: 00:09:48

McFleshman's: What's the wildest flight board you've seen or as size wise or shape wise or

Joel Geier: 00:09:52

I've had, and it was actually technically different places, but I've had, uh, that used miniature skateboards, like real skateboards.

Joel Geier: 00:09:59

McFleshman's: That's fine

Joel Geier: 00:10:00

And I think they, they had, I don't know if they were, I don't know how they did, but they obviously, the wheels no longer spun.

Joel Geier: 00:10:07

Because I'm like, yeah, that would be smart.

Joel Geier: 00:10:08

Because if someone comes in and they have more than one, you know, they have a couple beers and they have one of these, those things they're gonna send up sliding across the table and creating a whole mess.

Joel Geier: 00:10:15

But yeah, so, you know, that was a fun one.

Joel Geier: 00:10:18

There's also one called, uh, jailbreak in Maryland that I really liked.

Joel Geier: 00:10:22

That was, it was shaped like a gigantic key and you had to be very, like, they really only served with the bar because the part where the glasses were was part of like where like the long part of the key was, and it was very thin.

Joel Geier: 00:10:34

So it was a very interesting flight board design.

Joel Geier: 00:10:37

And I'm also a sucker for ones, like I said, I, I like ones that are shaped like the state.

Joel Geier: 00:10:41

McFleshman's: Yeah, so I gotta ask you the big question.

Joel Geier: 00:10:45

How many beers do you guys have on tap?

Joel Geier: 00:10:46

Is it 24?

Joel Geier: 00:10:49

It's more than that.

Joel Geier: 00:10:50

I think it 28, maybe 20.

Joel Geier: 00:10:53

I say 26 maybe.

Joel Geier: 00:10:54

26? Okay.

Joel Geier: 00:10:55

Yeah.

Joel Geier: 00:10:55

Okay.

Joel Geier: 00:10:56

A lot.

Joel Geier: 00:10:56

Maybe 24.

Joel Geier: 00:10:57

And then

Joel Geier: 00:10:57

Mm-hmm.

Joel Geier: 00:10:57

McFleshman's: I'm not sure you come into a place like this,

Joel Geier: 00:10:59

how do you choose your flight?

Joel Geier: 00:11:02

Yeah,

Joel Geier: 00:11:02

McFleshman's: do you let them

Joel Geier: 00:11:03

Great question.

Joel Geier: 00:11:04

That's a great question.

Joel Geier: 00:11:05

And yeah, and I, and I do, and I talk about that in my, in my book because that was something that I kind of grew and adapted over time.

Joel Geier: 00:11:13

Because I did for, for the longest time I did always getting a variety was important.

Joel Geier: 00:11:19

And my palette grew a lot over these travels, obviously, you know, shifting what styles I preferred and what I liked.

Joel Geier: 00:11:24

And for the most part, I drink and enjoy basically everything.

Joel Geier: 00:11:28

But they're obviously, no matter who you are, you're gonna have.

Joel Geier: 00:11:31

Certain styles and beers that you prefer.

Joel Geier: 00:11:34

But my, my rule of thumb is if you're going in fully blind to like a random brewery, uh, I always, if it was just a brewery that kind of ran the gauntlet of styles.

Joel Geier: 00:11:43

'cause obviously there are places you don't make Fleshman makes a lot of lagers.

Joel Geier: 00:11:46

There are breweries that specialize in IPAs.

Joel Geier: 00:11:48

But if you're just going to your average run of the mill brewery, my rule was kind of getting something light.

Joel Geier: 00:11:53

Something dark, something hoppy, IPA and then you, and then one wild card, assuming that it's a traditional flight of

Joel Geier: 00:12:02

McFleshman's: Something borrowed, something blue.

Joel Geier: 00:12:04

yeah.

Joel Geier: 00:12:04

Well, and I, and I, I'm a big fan of sours and so if there was a sour on tap, that would often be my wild card.

Joel Geier: 00:12:09

Or if there were multiple Belgians and you know, I would get a Belgian.

Joel Geier: 00:12:13

But I would do a lot of research ahead of time.

Joel Geier: 00:12:15

I did the, the further I went along in this, the more research I was doing and.

Joel Geier: 00:12:20

If I didn't already know it ahead of time, I would go in and I would ask them to make sure.

Joel Geier: 00:12:24

I would always say like, okay, do you have any flagships or any beers that I need to make sure that I try, because I don't necessarily go into a brewery and just wanna do the flagships because I do want to, you know, I, I wanna see, depending on what they all are offering, there's beers that I wanna try too, but.

Joel Geier: 00:12:40

If you are getting a flight, I do think it's important to get at least one or two of the beers that a brewery is best known for because in theory, those flagships are, are beers that hopefully are the most, you know, the most dialed in.

Joel Geier: 00:12:51

They're the most popular, et cetera, et cetera.

Joel Geier: 00:12:54

And you'll get places that have a style of beer that you would not expect to be a flagship.

Joel Geier: 00:12:59

And the story I always tell with this, and why I always ask this question is that, uh, early in my travels, I'd been to less than 200 at this point, or no, just over 200.

Joel Geier: 00:13:08

So less than 300.

Joel Geier: 00:13:09

I stopped in Dallas at a brewery called Peticolas Brewing Company.

Joel Geier: 00:13:13

And they had a ton of beers.

Joel Geier: 00:13:15

I didn't really know a whole whole lot about 'em and I was kind of picking, going through my list, you know, I got pretty sure I did, you know, a lighter lager I got, you know, some sort of IPA and then had some stout or whatever, and I asked the bartender, it was pretty busy.

Joel Geier: 00:13:27

I was like, Hey, like I, I have one more beer and you guys have a lot up there, like, what should I get?

Joel Geier: 00:13:31

He's like, oh, well you don't have our, our flagship, our imperial red ale, and you know, so this would've been, you know, also 20.

Joel Geier: 00:13:39

17 or 2018 and like having a flagship Imperial Red Ale at like, I think I forget it was like 9% or

Joel Geier: 00:13:47

McFleshman's: Have you ever listened to this podcast before?

Joel Geier: 00:13:49

So we have 5 47, which is our, our double West Coast IPA.

Joel Geier: 00:13:53

It's 9% and it's arguably our flagship, depending on who you talk to.

Joel Geier: 00:13:58

And for that, yeah.

Joel Geier: 00:13:59

To match with that story.

Joel Geier: 00:14:00

Yeah, absolutely.

Joel Geier: 00:14:01

Well, I mean it wasn't just ABV two, it's like having a red a, like it was a style that you don't often, especially at that time, like it was like, it was, you were expecting to hear a hazy IPA for a flagship or a lager or a BLO ale.

Joel Geier: 00:14:15

You know, and so having an imperial red a I was really interesting.

Joel Geier: 00:14:17

And that's also not a style that I was typically would've ordered at that time either.

Joel Geier: 00:14:21

McFleshman's: Right.

Joel Geier: 00:14:22

And it was my favorite beer of that whole night.

Joel Geier: 00:14:24

It was amazing.

Joel Geier: 00:14:26

And so that was one of the first times that I can remember asking that question and having that kind of, you know, dialogue.

Joel Geier: 00:14:33

And that now is like the first que if, if I'm only gonna get one question, and if it's kind of busier, I'm gonna ask them quickly, like one or two beers, what do I need to make sure I include?

Joel Geier: 00:14:42

And that's why I prefer visiting breweries, you know, on weekdays.

Joel Geier: 00:14:46

You know, or during slow times because then I can have conversations with people and I've taken handwritten notes.

Joel Geier: 00:14:52

So I have a little portfolio like leather that I have, notepads that I swap, swap in and out.

Joel Geier: 00:14:57

I have taken handwritten notes at every single brewery visit since number 56.

Joel Geier: 00:15:01

So I have a massive stack of notepads and believe it or not, sitting by yourself.

Joel Geier: 00:15:06

Writing in a notebook at a brewery will, especially if it's slow, people will come up and be like, who's this, you know, loser.

Joel Geier: 00:15:12

Uh, but anyway, it was a great way for me to start these conversations when it, when it wasn't busy.

Joel Geier: 00:15:18

And that gives you the opportunity to ask more questions about the brewery, the history, the building, and obviously about the beer.

Joel Geier: 00:15:23

And to learn more about the beer, you know, what, what they're known for, to make sure that you're trying, you know.

Joel Geier: 00:15:29

Really good beer.

Joel Geier: 00:15:30

'cause yes, obviously I like to get a variety.

Joel Geier: 00:15:32

But again, if you're going to a place that is really well known for their Belgian styles, you don't wanna get just one Belgian and then stagger some other styles.

Joel Geier: 00:15:41

You wanna make sure that you get at least two, if not three, of that style of they're best known for.

Joel Geier: 00:15:45

Because otherwise you're not really giving that brewery.

Joel Geier: 00:15:47

I don't wanna say a fair shot, but you're not getting the proper experience at that brewery, essentially.

Joel Geier: 00:15:53

So that's kind of been my approach It, it obviously has grown and changed, but that's been my typical rule of thumb for an average brewery visit, as well as kind of how I approach it when I am going to a brewery that I may not have as much knowledge about.

Joel Geier: 00:16:06

McFleshman's: Yeah, we see people in here with their books and their journals writing, and I don't think about that enough.

Joel Geier: 00:16:12

It would be an opportunity to, to, uh, to slide over and ask what the hell they're doing.

Joel Geier: 00:16:17

If not, if not to, yeah.

Joel Geier: 00:16:19

I don't wanna creep them out, but the, what the hell are you doing?

Joel Geier: 00:16:25

Beer tender side, I'll say, I always appreciate that question,

Joel Geier: 00:16:29

like, what should I drink?

Joel Geier: 00:16:30

Because here we've got the cask beers and the Luker faucet, and a lot of people have no idea what that is, especially the cask beers, where

Joel Geier: 00:16:39

that's something that we do really, really well.

Joel Geier: 00:16:43

And that is my question back is like, have you ever experienced the cask beer?

Joel Geier: 00:16:48

Okay, you've gotta pick one of these then.

Joel Geier: 00:16:50

Mm-hmm.

Joel Geier: 00:16:52

absolutely.

Joel Geier: 00:16:52

Well, and I remember having the cask, I remember during that my first, uh, visit discussions, I, I did have, uh, one of the cask beers and whenever there was, there's only been, I think, ies and one in particular, and I think they may have just announced closure.

Joel Geier: 00:17:08

Hogs Head in Denver, they

Joel Geier: 00:17:10

McFleshman's: Oh no.

Joel Geier: 00:17:11

beer.

Joel Geier: 00:17:12

McFleshman's: I know those people.

Joel Geier: 00:17:13

We were planning a collaboration.

Joel Geier: 00:17:14

Yeah, let me.

Joel Geier: 00:17:17

I thought I saw something about that.

Joel Geier: 00:17:18

Maybe it was one of the other ones out that direction.

Joel Geier: 00:17:21

McFleshman's: Yeah.

Joel Geier: 00:17:22

Maybe.

Joel Geier: 00:17:22

Maybe they haven't announced it.

Joel Geier: 00:17:23

Maybe.

Joel Geier: 00:17:23

Maybe they are, but I'll, I'll

Joel Geier: 00:17:25

McFleshman's: I walked, I walked in there.

Joel Geier: 00:17:27

I, I was

Joel Geier: 00:17:28

one that was similar.

Joel Geier: 00:17:29

And there's a lot of breweries like that.

Joel Geier: 00:17:30

And then in Denver too, I mentioned the different Czech pours.

Joel Geier: 00:17:33

There's a brewery called cohesion

Joel Geier: 00:17:35

McFleshman's: Oh yeah.

Joel Geier: 00:17:36

I was in premed.

Joel Geier: 00:17:36

I've heard that one.

Joel Geier: 00:17:37

When you're talking about the options, they don't offer a lot.

Joel Geier: 00:17:40

You take what you get there.

Joel Geier: 00:17:41

Yeah.

Joel Geier: 00:17:41

Well, and you could, but you can, you can also do a flight of the Czech style pours then.

Joel Geier: 00:17:46

McFleshman's: You really?

Joel Geier: 00:17:47

Oh,

Joel Geier: 00:17:48

You can pick, and you can either do it,

Joel Geier: 00:17:50

McFleshman's: a good idea.

Joel Geier: 00:17:50

you can either do it with the three, with the same beer or you know, you can do it with different beers, but they give you a card.

Joel Geier: 00:17:57

Yep.

Joel Geier: 00:17:57

Hoka is neat.

Joel Geier: 00:17:58

And, and KO pour.

Joel Geier: 00:18:00

Yep.

Joel Geier: 00:18:00

And so you can do all three pour styles as a flight.

Joel Geier: 00:18:04

McFleshman's: That's kind of a fun idea by, you've never been there, right?

Joel Geier: 00:18:06

No, I haven't.

Joel Geier: 00:18:06

Cohesion.

Joel Geier: 00:18:07

That is a really fun idea.

Joel Geier: 00:18:08

Co cohesion is worth, its

Joel Geier: 00:18:09

just itself, a destination.

Joel Geier: 00:18:11

Just go to Cohesion and then Denver happens around you.

Joel Geier: 00:18:14

But that and Beerstadt

Joel Geier: 00:18:16

Yep.

Joel Geier: 00:18:17

McFleshman's: those are

Joel Geier: 00:18:17

Beerstadt was my, uh, I made it special.

Joel Geier: 00:18:20

Beer was my 1000th brewery visit.

Joel Geier: 00:18:22

I got the, the personal tour and everything.

Joel Geier: 00:18:24

I, I, we were living in Denver.

Joel Geier: 00:18:26

That was one of our stints where we were living in Denver, and I knew right away that that was the, I, I knew before we got there that I was gonna be hitting my one number 1000.

Joel Geier: 00:18:34

And so I made sure that it lined up so that way I planned ahead and got, got to do it.

Joel Geier: 00:18:39

Beer stock, got the whole tour, the whole history and everything.

Joel Geier: 00:18:41

And of course.

Joel Geier: 00:18:42

Started off with, uh, and then waited for my slow pour.

Joel Geier: 00:18:46

Got the Instagram shots as everyone does before GABF.

Joel Geier: 00:18:51

That's what we actually out there, which is really cool.

Joel Geier: 00:18:53

Yeah, Beerstadt and Cohesion I could just hang out at those two

Joel Geier: 00:18:58

McFleshman's: Uh, you and me both.

Joel Geier: 00:18:59

Yeah.

Joel Geier: 00:19:01

Oh, McFleshman's field trip.

Joel Geier: 00:19:02

Uh, yeah.

Joel Geier: 00:19:04

Company expense.

Joel Geier: 00:19:05

Hey, I noticed you have a cool city hat on.

Joel Geier: 00:19:07

I, I actually worked those guys when, when they were designing their brewery back in the day.

Joel Geier: 00:19:12

You wanna talk about

Joel Geier: 00:19:13

McFleshman's: the road.

Joel Geier: 00:19:14

Oh my God.

Joel Geier: 00:19:15

They are all about flights.

Joel Geier: 00:19:16

That's the connection.

Joel Geier: 00:19:17

I got you.

Joel Geier: 00:19:18

Everything they do is flights, whether it's bourbon or beer or nachos.

Joel Geier: 00:19:23

It doesn't matter.

Joel Geier: 00:19:24

Oh, yeah,

Joel Geier: 00:19:24

Burgers and we went, because my wife doesn't, like I said, my wife doesn't drink beer or any alcohol, but she had a cappuccino flight and then I had a burger slider flight and I think, or we split a burger flight and a wing flight.

Joel Geier: 00:19:37

And I had a, and then I had my beer flight, of course.

Joel Geier: 00:19:40

But yeah, they had the ice cream flights.

Joel Geier: 00:19:41

They got all sorts of the different, uh, like like you said, the liquor, liquor flights

Joel Geier: 00:19:45

and yeah, they got it.

Joel Geier: 00:19:47

They got it all.

Joel Geier: 00:19:48

It's, it's crazy.

Joel Geier: 00:19:49

McFleshman's: Flights of flights.

Joel Geier: 00:19:50

Have you ever had a flight on a flight?

Joel Geier: 00:19:54

No,

Joel Geier: 00:19:55

McFleshman's: Ooh.

Joel Geier: 00:19:55

Oh, there's your next

Joel Geier: 00:19:56

challenge.

Joel Geier: 00:19:57

at, I've had flights.

Joel Geier: 00:20:00

Yeah, I've had flights at air, at airplane themed breweries.

Joel Geier: 00:20:03

And I did actually have a flight inside of an old fusel lodge because there's an airplane themed brewery also in Denver that we're just talking about.

Joel Geier: 00:20:10

Denver that had an old fu lodge that you could sit in.

Joel Geier: 00:20:13

So it was like you were sitting in an airplane, but not, it's obviously not, you know.

Joel Geier: 00:20:17

McFleshman's: the name of that brewery?

Joel Geier: 00:20:19

Oh, don't worry about it.

Joel Geier: 00:20:19

If you, I didn't know if it was like a one.

Joel Geier: 00:20:21

I should know.

Joel Geier: 00:20:22

I lived in Boulder

Joel Geier: 00:20:23

It's Flight Co. Flight Co.

Joel Geier: 00:20:25

McFleshman's: Okay.

Joel Geier: 00:20:25

I don't know that.

Joel Geier: 00:20:26

Oh, wait, no,

Joel Geier: 00:20:27

I

Joel Geier: 00:20:27

they moved, they moved from that location to like, they're at like the old traffic control tower of an old airport

Joel Geier: 00:20:35

McFleshman's: And they've got like a million pinball

Joel Geier: 00:20:37

machines and shit inside.

Joel Geier: 00:20:39

Yeah.

Joel Geier: 00:20:39

They went all in with the entertainment

Joel Geier: 00:20:41

factor.

Joel Geier: 00:20:42

Yeah, I know what you're talking about.

Joel Geier: 00:20:44

Cool.

Joel Geier: 00:20:45

That's my old stomping grounds.

Joel Geier: 00:20:46

So now I have to ask you another big question, if you could, of, of the 1500 breweries you've been to, I'm assuming the average flight is four beers.

Joel Geier: 00:20:57

Mm-hmm.

Joel Geier: 00:20:58

McFleshman's: That that's what a,

Joel Geier: 00:21:00

so if you were to assemble.

Joel Geier: 00:21:02

The Uber flight of all the beers you've tasted.

Joel Geier: 00:21:06

Oh, you're asking them out Rushmore questions?

Joel Geier: 00:21:08

Yes.

Joel Geier: 00:21:09

Yeah.

Joel Geier: 00:21:09

McFleshman's: This is the

Joel Geier: 00:21:11

So, okay, this, this is gonna be very tricky, but luckily, so for those that follow me on social media, so the whole time that I traveled, I did what I called an annual review, which at the end of each year, I gave out 20 awards for lots of different things from Best Tap Room, location and view to Best Flight board, best logo, best tap handles, but then also obviously best light beer, best sour, best dark beer, et cetera, et cetera.

Joel Geier: 00:21:41

So I have all the winners listed in the book from that.

Joel Geier: 00:21:45

And I can, let me think, because it is tough.

Joel Geier: 00:21:47

'cause essentially you are trying to pick my favorite, like my favorite lager, my favorite IPA 'cause that is.

Joel Geier: 00:21:54

McFleshman's: Like aliens come to earth and they

Joel Geier: 00:21:56

wanna order a flight

Joel Geier: 00:21:58

Mm-hmm.

Joel Geier: 00:21:58

McFleshman's: need to show the best of brewing on the planet earth.

Joel Geier: 00:22:03

One opportunity.

Joel Geier: 00:22:05

I think so.

Joel Geier: 00:22:08

McFleshman's: We should have preempted him with this.

Joel Geier: 00:22:10

I know.

Joel Geier: 00:22:10

Well, I've got 'em all here and I, and I am just trying to decide.

Joel Geier: 00:22:13

I think So I'll start because I feel pretty good about my IPA choice for my something hoppy, and that would be the Crusher from the Alchemist.

Joel Geier: 00:22:22

McFleshman's: Okay.

Joel Geier: 00:22:22

Okay,

Joel Geier: 00:22:23

Because the, it's obviously the slightly bigger brother to the famous heady topper.

Joel Geier: 00:22:28

McFleshman's: so we're talking hazy now?

Joel Geier: 00:22:29

Yep.

Joel Geier: 00:22:29

But that, that having those beers on tap in Vermont was the first, because I was always kind of semi indifferent to IPAs and I had had some that were pretty good.

Joel Geier: 00:22:43

That was the first time that I had one that truly blew me away.

Joel Geier: 00:22:49

Like, this is one of the best beers I've ever had.

Joel Geier: 00:22:52

Because IPAs are still not my number one choice.

Joel Geier: 00:22:54

That was just incredible.

Joel Geier: 00:22:56

McFleshman's: It stood up.

Joel Geier: 00:22:57

Okay.

Joel Geier: 00:22:57

A 99 rating on beer advocate.

Joel Geier: 00:23:00

yeah.

Joel Geier: 00:23:00

McFleshman's: Yeah, you looked it up.

Joel Geier: 00:23:01

because, well, and it's such a hipster answer 'cause PE-people will tell you, there's a lot of people that will say, they say the same thing I just did.

Joel Geier: 00:23:08

Like, oh, the crusher people that actually know beard, you know, heady toppers the famous one.

Joel Geier: 00:23:12

But if you actually know beard be the

Joel Geier: 00:23:14

McFleshman's: Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.

Joel Geier: 00:23:15

not to get all you know

Joel Geier: 00:23:17

McFleshman's: As an aside, any beer named The Crusher really should have been in Milwaukee.

Joel Geier: 00:23:21

Yeah.

Joel Geier: 00:23:22

McFleshman's: Ooh.

Joel Geier: 00:23:22

See what you did there.

Joel Geier: 00:23:23

You know what I did there about the crusher

Joel Geier: 00:23:27

The, the,

Joel Geier: 00:23:28

McFleshman's: famous?

Joel Geier: 00:23:28

my, my Something Light is gonna be the Kolsch from Chucka Nut Brewing, uh, based out in Washington

Joel Geier: 00:23:34

McFleshman's: Yep.

Joel Geier: 00:23:35

that if you were to ask me one beer and the clo like the, the most perfect beer in terms of style.

Joel Geier: 00:23:44

Quality.

Joel Geier: 00:23:45

That would probably be my answer.

Joel Geier: 00:23:47

McFleshman's: I watched, I watched the owner of Chuck and Nut give, uh, an hour presentation on how to make lager beer.

Joel Geier: 00:23:53

And at the end of the day, everyone said, so what's the secret?

Joel Geier: 00:23:56

Because he just gave this, this hour long presentation, and he says, every little thing that I said, and it's every little thing I didn't

Joel Geier: 00:24:02

say is that everything about lager Brewing is, it's not going to be loud, it's just everything done right in the in the middle.

Joel Geier: 00:24:12

Yeah, I mean, well, and they have, 'cause they obviously, and they have, I, you go into their tap room and, and they have like these signs for all their beers and it's like in like small fun.

Joel Geier: 00:24:21

It just shows like, oh yeah, this beer's won six medals at GBF.

Joel Geier: 00:24:24

This one's won four, this one's won five.

Joel Geier: 00:24:26

McFleshman's: they enter.

Joel Geier: 00:24:27

Yeah.

Joel Geier: 00:24:27

It's just cra I mean they, I don't even know, I don't think they do anymore, but like, it's just like.

Joel Geier: 00:24:32

That whole flight was amazing, but the cult is what I have.

Joel Geier: 00:24:35

I rate the beers and I, I don't give out, I think I've given out like two or three tens, like per like, because I just, I don't know.

Joel Geier: 00:24:41

I shouldn't do more.

Joel Geier: 00:24:42

But that was the first time that I ever drank it.

Joel Geier: 00:24:45

I was like, this is perfect.

Joel Geier: 00:24:47

McFleshman's: What's the other lagger brewery down in.

Joel Geier: 00:24:48

Is it Austin or Fort Worth?

Joel Geier: 00:24:50

Can't recall, but it's a lager brewery and it's something oak.

Joel Geier: 00:24:54

Does that ring a Bellevue?

Joel Geier: 00:24:55

Yes.

Joel Geier: 00:24:55

make really good.

Joel Geier: 00:24:56

Yep, they're my favorite down there in Texas.

Joel Geier: 00:24:58

McFleshman's: So, so Chuck and Nut and Live Oak, I feel like are, are right there.

Joel Geier: 00:25:02

And it's beer, sto, those are all the big

Joel Geier: 00:25:04

Beerstadt.

Joel Geier: 00:25:04

Yep.

Joel Geier: 00:25:04

Mm-hmm.

Joel Geier: 00:25:05

Well, and, and I mean, and also close by, I mean, Dovetail makes really great

Joel Geier: 00:25:08

McFleshman's: Oh my god.

Joel Geier: 00:25:09

Dovetail!

Joel Geier: 00:25:10

So yeah.

Joel Geier: 00:25:11

Mean, they, we do have, there are a lot of really great lager breweries in the US and those happen to be also some of my personal favorite breweries.

Joel Geier: 00:25:18

Weird coincidence.

Joel Geier: 00:25:19

But yeah, it is, it's fun when you run into those kind of breweries.

Joel Geier: 00:25:23

McFleshman's: Continue.

Joel Geier: 00:25:23

yes, so now I'm, I'm.

Joel Geier: 00:25:25

My dark beer, I'm debating if I try to go with something really big and bold that like more people would like afraid if I'm being true to myself, I'm gonna go with Bear Cookie from Bear Roots Brewing, which is in Vista, California, just north of San Diego.

Joel Geier: 00:25:42

I admittedly, like I said, if I'm being true to what my personal favorite was, I am a big, if I have to pick an adjunct for a dark beer, it's peanut butter, and that was the best.

Joel Geier: 00:25:52

Peanut butter stout I, I've ever had.

Joel Geier: 00:25:54

And there's obviously a more famous one in San Diego, the peanut buttermilk stout from belching Beaver that gets distributed all over the place and that is also very good.

Joel Geier: 00:26:03

But peanut butter has consistently been the adjunct that I have enjoyed the most.

Joel Geier: 00:26:08

But I mean, yeah, it's.

Joel Geier: 00:26:11

you wanna go more big basic in terms of like no adjuncts, it'd be the big kalo porter from mountains walking in Bozeman, Montana, barrel aged.

Joel Geier: 00:26:20

I'd pick one from either Angry Chair or Firestone Walker.

Joel Geier: 00:26:25

But like I said, I'm going, if I'm gonna be true to myself, I bear cookie the peanut butter from, uh, bear Roots brewing.

Joel Geier: 00:26:32

Um, and then my wild card

Joel Geier: 00:26:36

McFleshman's: be a, sour.

Joel Geier: 00:26:37

Gotta be a

Joel Geier: 00:26:37

gonna be, yep.

Joel Geier: 00:26:38

Is gonna be a sour.

Joel Geier: 00:26:40

It is going to be one of the other beer besides the Kolsch that I would say to me was like pure perfection.

Joel Geier: 00:26:48

And that was all seen and it was a Blueberry Sour by Anchorage Brewing Company in Anchorage, Alaska.

Joel Geier: 00:26:56

That was all handpicked blueberries, all done, you know, just the beers at Anchorage Brewing won my

Joel Geier: 00:27:04

McFleshman's: Are they still around?

Joel Geier: 00:27:04

brewery of the year there.

Joel Geier: 00:27:06

And they just make.

Joel Geier: 00:27:09

Just insanely good beer.

Joel Geier: 00:27:10

Anchorage is brewing as a whole is really, really good.

Joel Geier: 00:27:13

And it's led by, by Anchorage Brewing itself.

Joel Geier: 00:27:15

And that that sour was one of those beers where it killed me that I couldn't just know that I could go and get more

Joel Geier: 00:27:24

McFleshman's: Yep.

Joel Geier: 00:27:25

like, 'cause that, that's the, like with traveling, that, that's one of the, the downsides when you're visiting these breweries, especially multiple breweries when you're out traveling, you're like, this is it.

Joel Geier: 00:27:33

Like this is my opportunity to drink these beers.

Joel Geier: 00:27:36

I'm drinking 'em small, like, you know, and, and then that's, that's gonna be it.

Joel Geier: 00:27:39

You know, there are very few opportunities otherwise that I may get to try it again.

Joel Geier: 00:27:45

But that, I've had so many amazing beers where it's like, man, I wish I could do this.

Joel Geier: 00:27:49

I could have this beer at my house.

Joel Geier: 00:27:51

And that just isn't what, how it happens, but I can appreciate it in the moment and, you know, understand that what I am, what I'm enjoying is, you know, just, just amazing.

Joel Geier: 00:28:01

McFleshman's: I confused them for a moment with Jolly Pumpkin, which made a lot of great sours in the

Joel Geier: 00:28:06

middle of their, their run

Joel Geier: 00:28:07

they do too.

Joel Geier: 00:28:08

McFleshman's: Uh, the, and a lot of them barrel age, so the, in a lot of ways, very similar breweries.

Joel Geier: 00:28:13

Yeah.

Joel Geier: 00:28:13

I, I paid a lot of money for Anchorage Beers, uh, in, uh, a place called.

Joel Geier: 00:28:19

What was it called?

Joel Geier: 00:28:20

City Beer in San Francisco.

Joel Geier: 00:28:21

He

Joel Geier: 00:28:21

used to go there to get all these great crap beers and that was one of their landing points on the West coast that they just ship to.

Joel Geier: 00:28:28

So yeah, I'm very familiar.

Joel Geier: 00:28:30

I paid a lot of money for those things.

Joel Geier: 00:28:32

Can mix in the mix in the middle.

Joel Geier: 00:28:34

the big, the big barrelage stouts are kind of their calling card, but visiting the tap room, I did, I also had an IPII had a light lager and they just, they nailed everything.

Joel Geier: 00:28:46

So it isn't just a, you know, barrelage Stout program, even though that is what they are best known for and what most people are seeking out.

Joel Geier: 00:28:53

But yeah, that, that Alaskan blueberry sour was so good.

Joel Geier: 00:28:58

Do you want me to throw, do you want me to throw one bonus one in

Joel Geier: 00:29:01

McFleshman's: can make a

Joel Geier: 00:29:01

beer I've ever had?

Joel Geier: 00:29:02

McFleshman's: make a five flight paddle.

Joel Geier: 00:29:04

That's fine.

Joel Geier: 00:29:04

Go.

Joel Geier: 00:29:05

in.

Joel Geier: 00:29:05

This one will just be this, this is the craft can be crazy.

Joel Geier: 00:29:10

Pick.

Joel Geier: 00:29:11

'cause it's not like the craft is good.

Joel Geier: 00:29:12

Like this is the what?

Joel Geier: 00:29:14

Yeah.

Joel Geier: 00:29:14

So I just wanna mentally prepare you like, so I said we, uh, most interesting beer was also one of my awards.

Joel Geier: 00:29:21

And so let me, let me find it here to make sure I. Include all the ingredients properly because it's a doozy.

Joel Geier: 00:29:31

It was from, uh, so it's, it's from a place that you would not imagine.

Joel Geier: 00:29:34

It's from Lincoln, Nebraska.

Joel Geier: 00:29:36

Uh, it's from a brewery there called Boiler Brewery, which is right downtown.

Joel Geier: 00:29:42

And it was a hot sauce barrel aged chili and cinnamon roll pastry, sour with a cinnamon sugar rim

Joel Geier: 00:29:53

too.

Joel Geier: 00:29:54

McFleshman's: How about that, Gary?

Joel Geier: 00:29:55

Enough buzzwords.

Joel Geier: 00:29:56

Oh, that'll go up there with like the Captain Crunch.

Joel Geier: 00:29:59

Lucky charm Stout.

Joel Geier: 00:30:00

Yeah.

Joel Geier: 00:30:01

So this, and do you wanna know the craziest part?

Joel Geier: 00:30:04

It was not terrible.

Joel Geier: 00:30:08

McFleshman's: That is high praise

Joel Geier: 00:30:10

Yeah, so it was actually like, it was fun.

Joel Geier: 00:30:14

It was obviously a beer that I would enjoy in the flight because it that, that's one of the other things when, when I see something so out there, 'cause at this point I've seen it all.

Joel Geier: 00:30:25

And so if I see something that I haven't really seen before, I usually wanna get it in my flight.

Joel Geier: 00:30:29

And something like that.

Joel Geier: 00:30:32

Somehow they were able to get those flavors because apparently out there.

Joel Geier: 00:30:37

Cinnamon rolls and chili is a thing.

Joel Geier: 00:30:39

Like that's a thing.

Joel Geier: 00:30:41

Like that's why they made this beer, was an homage to this regional delicacy.

Joel Geier: 00:30:45

Like if you look it up, chili and cinnamon rolls is a thing.

Joel Geier: 00:30:49

And somehow like that, you had the little bit of heat from the hot sauce.

Joel Geier: 00:30:52

You had some of the chili flavor, you had the sweetness from the cinnamon.

Joel Geier: 00:30:55

It had the cinnamon rim.

Joel Geier: 00:30:58

I just.

Joel Geier: 00:30:58

And so, and then it was still a sour.

Joel Geier: 00:31:00

Like I, I don't know how they did it, or I guess I, I would like to say I wanna know why they did it, but I know why they did it because it's a hype beer that I'm sure drew the attention of a lot of people.

Joel Geier: 00:31:11

And even if they,

Joel Geier: 00:31:12

McFleshman's: on it.

Joel Geier: 00:31:12

yeah, even if they only came in and ordered a half pour or flight glass worth of it, they were coming in to get other things too.

Joel Geier: 00:31:18

McFleshman's: because it's a thing does not mean God smiles upon it.

Joel Geier: 00:31:21

Yeah.

Joel Geier: 00:31:21

Oh, no.

Joel Geier: 00:31:22

No guy.

Joel Geier: 00:31:22

No, this was not one of those.

Joel Geier: 00:31:23

Like I said, I was talking about just a few minutes ago about the pure perfection of the Kolsch from Chuck and Nut.

Joel Geier: 00:31:29

This is

Joel Geier: 00:31:30

McFleshman's: I was gonna say, you bookended it well,

Joel Geier: 00:31:32

you know, I've had some really weird, crazy beers, but that one, that was always the one that I go to

Joel Geier: 00:31:38

if someone asked me for the weirdest

Joel Geier: 00:31:40

McFleshman's: that's a singularity of beer that that one

Joel Geier: 00:31:43

divides by zero.

Joel Geier: 00:31:45

Well, that's one of those ones that people are always like, well, can you even count it as beer?

Joel Geier: 00:31:49

And that's one of the ones where you kind of shrug your shoulders,

Joel Geier: 00:31:51

McFleshman's: Yeah.

Joel Geier: 00:31:52

Yeah.

Joel Geier: 00:31:52

Well, you enjoy it.

Joel Geier: 00:31:54

Call it what you want.

Joel Geier: 00:31:56

Malt beverage.

Joel Geier: 00:31:57

There's malt in it and there's hops in it, so we all decide what it is.

Joel Geier: 00:32:02

Oh man.

Joel Geier: 00:32:03

Well, Gary took my question.

Joel Geier: 00:32:04

That was my Mount Rushmore question, and you made it fire.

Joel Geier: 00:32:07

Well, uh, Now my, my big question for you, being the guy who's written this book, flights Across America, I have a philosophy that you don't get to know a beer unless you've had at least, at least half a pint, if not a full pint.

Joel Geier: 00:32:23

So I'm not taking away from what you've done 'cause you're on a mission to sample as many as from as many breweries as possible.

Joel Geier: 00:32:30

But would you, do you, how do you feel about the idea that there might be two different experiences here?

Joel Geier: 00:32:35

Oh, 100%.

Joel Geier: 00:32:36

And like I said, I, I write about that in my book.

Joel Geier: 00:32:38

I, I do break down the pros and cons of each.

Joel Geier: 00:32:41

You know, pour style because, and that's why, like I said, when I go out, like I just was out to the Bucks game earlier, uh, this past week and we went to Central Waters before the game and I was getting full pours of beer.

Joel Geier: 00:32:53

You know, I'm not, I'm not sitting there getting a flight.

Joel Geier: 00:32:55

'Cause it is, it is, it is very different when you're getting a full pour of a beer rather than a four, four or five ounce small pour of it.

Joel Geier: 00:33:03

Because one.

Joel Geier: 00:33:07

You're obviously getting more of it, like you're tasting more of it, you're getting more of it, you know, the temperature changes can affect also the flavoring, especially if you're talking about, you know, some of the big stouts, like those type of beers can definitely be drastically affected.

Joel Geier: 00:33:19

More so when you are talking about having a small pour versus getting a full, you know, 8, 8, 8 or 10 ounce pour of those beers.

Joel Geier: 00:33:26

So I do agree because I, I do think, and I write in the book that there is a lot to be said for it is if you are talking about getting a. A true experience for an individual beer.

Joel Geier: 00:33:40

It is, it is a hundred percent better.

Joel Geier: 00:33:42

I agree a hundred percent better to get a full pour, if not multiple four pours, as you said.

Joel Geier: 00:33:46

For my purposes, like I said, trying to get a feel for a brewery as a whole when you get one chance.

Joel Geier: 00:33:53

That's where I wanted to be able to try across different styles, different, you know, beers that they may have been known for and.

Joel Geier: 00:34:01

I didn't have the, the time, the liver, the money to sit there and drink, you know, especially 'cause there are nights that, you know, I was going to three or four breweries and so I obviously can't sit there and drink three pints at each one.

Joel Geier: 00:34:14

I would, my wife would no longer have been putting up with my, with my hobby if that was the case.

Joel Geier: 00:34:20

McFleshman's: Well, at that point, you're not able to really give them a good judgment on, on what it

Joel Geier: 00:34:25

Yeah.

Joel Geier: 00:34:26

And so it is like, so it is like.

Joel Geier: 00:34:29

I kind of equated to there is not a perfect, doing what I was doing there is not a perfect way.

Joel Geier: 00:34:35

'cause I know, I know I'm really good friends with another brewery travel who's been even more than me.

Joel Geier: 00:34:39

And he just does one full pour and that's just what he does.

Joel Geier: 00:34:44

And so I, I think that there is not a perfect way to go about it.

Joel Geier: 00:34:48

There is not a one size fits all.

Joel Geier: 00:34:49

So I think it really comes down to, like I said, I enjoyed doing the flights.

Joel Geier: 00:34:54

That I found a lot of fun picking out the beers, getting to try the different styles at each brewery.

Joel Geier: 00:35:00

That's something that I enjoyed.

Joel Geier: 00:35:02

McFleshman's: That's awesome.

Joel Geier: 00:35:03

Alright, uh, before we wrap things up, where can people find you online?

Joel Geier: 00:35:08

Yeah, so I have an Instagram and a Twitter account called Brewery Travels.

Joel Geier: 00:35:13

Uh, and that is where I posted all of my brewery visits, every single brewery I visit, I did a post for when we were traveling.

Joel Geier: 00:35:18

And whenever I do get to a new brewery, I still post about them.

Joel Geier: 00:35:22

Twitter, it's just brewery travels Instagram.

Joel Geier: 00:35:24

It's brewery underscore travels.

Joel Geier: 00:35:26

Uh, you can find the book, literally anywhere online.

Joel Geier: 00:35:30

Obviously most people are gonna know it for Amazon.

Joel Geier: 00:35:33

But it's pretty much anywhere online.

Joel Geier: 00:35:34

If you type in Flights Across America, a Brewery Lover's journey, you'll find it.

Joel Geier: 00:35:39

Uh, and then you can also find all of our stuff at Badger Bee Report.

Joel Geier: 00:35:42

Greg and I and the rest of the gang are really working hard at growing our promotion of the Wisconsin Craft beer scene.

Joel Geier: 00:35:49

You know, you can check us out on YouTube.

Joel Geier: 00:35:52

We have the podcast, and wherever you're listening to the podcast, Facebook, Instagram, all that kind of good stuff.

Joel Geier: 00:35:57

But yeah, feel free to reach out if people have questions about traveling.

Joel Geier: 00:36:00

I love talking about beer, travel, uh, visiting breweries, et cetera, et cetera.

Joel Geier: 00:36:05

And, uh, yeah, really, again, really appreciate you guys, uh, having me on to, to talk.

Joel Geier: 00:36:10

McFleshman's: I am sure our producer, David, will even put a link to Amazon in the

Joel Geier: 00:36:13

Oh, that, that would be so sweet.

Joel Geier: 00:36:17

McFleshman's: All right.

Joel Geier: 00:36:17

Well, that will conclude this episode of Respecting the Beer.

Joel Geier: 00:36:20

The producer of Respecting the Beer is David Kalsow.

Joel Geier: 00:36:22

Without David, the show wouldn't exist.

Joel Geier: 00:36:26

Join our Facebook group for updates and support the show over on Patreon.

Joel Geier: 00:36:29

As a Patreon or Pub Club member, you'll get access to exclusive content, including bonus show segments and special events posted here at Mc Fleshman.

Joel Geier: 00:36:37

Links to both of these are in the show notes, and until next time, please remember to respect the beer.