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The Breaking Brews Podcast is gearing up for Season III and it's time to get excited! But, before we do, let's you and me sit down and catch up...in between seasons.On this In Between Session, I drop some teasers on what you'll be hearing in Season III of the show. Also, I encourage you to pick up a new Breaking Brews hoodie or t-shirt, courtesy of our friends at Drunk Swag Source! And, I share with you the best ways to communicate with me via social media going forward.Also part of this In Between Session are recent podcast appearances I've made.First, I joined my friends at WordWrite Communications on the P100 Podcast to discuss the beer industry. You can check out the full episode, as well as the other episodes in their archives wherever you download your podcasts and by visiting p100podcast.com.Next, check out the full episode of Behind The Hops with Ryan Galiotto. We talked about, you guessed it, the beer industry - podcasts, current trends (good and bad), the story behind Breaking Brews, and much more. You can check out the Fueled by Hops Community on Facebook AND, last but certainly not least - check out the first-ever 412FueledFest on Saturday, March 14th! Info and tickets can be found by clicking here.MUSIC CREDIT: Theme music and music clips for the Breaking Brews Podcast - Hellfire by Adam Drake and Tom Jenkins, licensed via www.audionetwork.com

SESSION SUMMARY: When is the right time to grow your brand? Can ego get in the way of smart decision-making when it comes to expanding your operations? When is the right time to take your brand "on a world tour?"All this and MUCH more unfold in the Season II finale of the Breaking Brews Podcast.Session 45 features some very candid conversation between host Jason Cercone and Erik Budrakey, a beer industry veteran whose years of experience have helped him establish True Brew Magazine, a publication with readership across the globe. Erik has helped many brands increase their distribution footprint by wisely focusing on all aspects that will impact their plans. He has also helped breweries project adequate sales forecasts and execute those plans to precision. True Brew Magazine is a beer lifestyle publication that covers a wide variety of topics in the beer universe. You can click here to check it out for yourself!Erik's passion for the beer industry spills into the conversation that unfolds in this podcast. His years of experience will help you get a better grasp on what you need to focus on within your business: growing your distribution footprint methodically and not overextending yourself, emphasizing quality product at every juncture, accurately planning and forecasting sales and not settling for "almost" getting there, the importance of self-awareness and getting help when needed, and much more. As we wind down Season II of the Breaking Brews Podcast, THANK YOU for listening to the show! Please let me know what you think of the podcast by dropping a rating and review on your podcast platform of choice. I'll see you for some smaller episodes in the upcoming weeks and stay tuned for news and updates about Season III of the Breaking Brews Podcast coming soon.MUSIC CREDIT: Theme music and music clips for the Breaking Brews Podcast - Hellfire by Adam Drake and Tom Jenkins, licensed via www.audionetwork.comSEASON II SPONSOR: Season II of the Breaking Brews Podcast is brought to you by Drunk Swag Source. You can get all your merch needs covered by visiting www.drunkswagsource.com. Use promo code BREAKINGBREWS at checkout and save 10% on any order of $200 or more!

SESSION SUMMARY: We live in a world where the beer supply is seemingly endless. Over 8,000 breweries in the United States alone are producing good beer for us to enjoy...with plenty more in planning who will be joining the fray soon. This abundance of beer selection has made many people ask if beer has reached a saturation point. Is the bubble going to burst? Is there too much beer out there?The answer is no. And on this session, we are going to discuss why.On Session 44 of the Breaking Brews Podcast, host Jason Cercone is joined by David Sheets, partner at Sixty Four West Brewery Consultants. David has years of experience in the beer industry and has built AND sold five different successful operations. Through Sixty Four West, he and his partners help breweries plan smarter, execute their plans, and operate a more efficient, profitable business.David's expertise regarding the beer bubble goes well beneath the surface of what many feel is too much liquid in the market. There is a lot to consider: How tightly are you running your operation? Are you producing quality product? What sort of experience are you delivering consumers? Is education a major part of your operations? How do you market your product? Have you exhausted your outside sales efforts?This is just the tip of the iceberg. Throughout this session, David will be dropping a series of knowledge bombs that all brewery personnel, from ownership to servers to brewers to sales staff, need to hear. If you'd like to learn more about how David and his company can help your brand, you can connect with him here:Website | Facebook | EmailMUSIC CREDIT: Theme music and music clips for the Breaking Brews Podcast - Hellfire by Adam Drake and Tom Jenkins, licensed via www.audionetwork.comSEASON II SPONSOR: Season II of the Breaking Brews Podcast is brought to you by Drunk Swag Source. You can get all your merch needs covered by visiting www.drunkswagsource.com. Use promo code BREAKINGBREWS at checkout and save 10% on any order of $200 or more!

SESSION SUMMARY: Building a craft beer destination has many facets. Clearly, good beer is at the top of the list. But not just good beer...a wide selection of good beer to ensure there's something for everyone. What's the food strategy? Statistics have shown that people who order food tend to order 1-2 more drinks, thus increasing their length of stay and driving their tab higher. So giving some options for grub is always a good play.What kind of experience is your staff delivering? Are they friendly and knowledgeable? Are they making consumers feel welcome? Are they offering every guest beer to go in the form of a crowler, growler, 4-pack, and/or 6-pack? They should be...because customers are more prone to take something to go when prompted.Across the world, many people have built craft beer destinations. All have their own unique dynamics, all seek to deliver a great experience. For this session of the Breaking Brews Podcast, we are going to the birthplace of Breaking Brews to take a deep dive into what it takes to build a kick-ass craft beer bar!In Session 43 of the Breaking Brews Podcast, host Jason Cercone is joined by Mike Sukitch and Cassie Cormack of Mike's Beer Bar in the North Shore of Pittsburgh. Mike's is located right across the street from PNC Park and is in the heart of the highly-visited area of town that features sports (PNC and Heinz Field), concerts (Stage AE), hotels, dining, and more. Mike purchased the bar formerly known as Beerhead...and formerly known as The Beer Market before that...at the close of 2018 and has transformed the bar from a hot pre-event destination to a 7-days-a-week destination that everyone needs to check out.Mike's upped their tap count from 50 to 80. Those beers + what's in the cooler = over 500 beers in the house at any given time! They've added pre-mixed cocktails to their menu. Local ciders and meads are also available. They recently installed a kitchen (up until September of 2019, they did not serve food) that allows them to provide grub for their patrons. They have live music on the weekends. In brief, they've taken major strides to create a killer destination that emphasizes great beer, great people, and great times.Throughout this session, you'll learn how Mike and Cassie train their staff to deliver exceptional experiences, how they manage the large volume of beer under their roof, how they've established great relationships with local breweries and brewery representatives, and much, much more.Check out Mike's online and, of course, in person whenever a trip to the North Shore is in your plans.Website | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram MUSIC CREDIT: Theme music and music clips for the Breaking Brews Podcast - Hellfire by Adam Drake and Tom Jenkins, licensed via www.audionetwork.comSEASON II SPONSOR: Season II of the Breaking Brews Podcast is brought to you by Drunk Swag Source. You can get all your merch needs covered by visiting www.drunkswagsource.com. Use promo code BREAKINGBREWS at checkout and save 10% on any order of $200 or more!

SESSION SUMMARY: Cask ale or cask-conditioned beer is unfiltered and unpasteurized beer which is conditioned and served from a cask without additional nitrogen or carbon dioxide pressure. In the United States, it is most commonly seen sitting on a bar top in a gravity rack with brewers adding additional ingredients to a base beer to give it some extra flavor. Some bars and breweries have hand pump engines that pour cask ale the way it was meant to be served, just like they do in the English-style pubs you'd encounter on the other side of the pond.Sadly, cask ale (also known as real ale) is labeled as "warm" and "flat" by many beer consumers. However, it's important to understand that a beer's true flavors and aromas can stand out even more prevalent fashion in a well-done cask beer. In this session, we are going to put to rest many of the misconceptions surrounding cask ales in today's beer world.In Session 42 of the Breaking Brews Podcast, host Jason Cercone is joined by Josh and Stephanie Lepke, Founders of The Leaning Cask Brewing Company in Springdale, PA - about 15 minutes outside of the city of Pittsburgh. Josh and Stephanie bring all of the nuances of an English pub to their destination and brew beer with plenty of old world inspiration. Josh has also dialed in his skill set for modern brews, delivering strong in the American IPA category and beyond. Their taproom features a hand pump engine that allows customers to experience cask ale the way God intended. At the same time, Josh, Stephanie, and their staff provide as much information and education as they can to help consumers understand why cask ales deliver a different drinking experience and help enthusiasts gain a new appreciation for the liquid in their glass.This session features some great conversation about what inspired Josh and Stephanie to take the direction they have with their brand, how they've grown The Leaning Cask throughout the Pittsburgh market, some ins and outs of cask ale and cask conditioning you may not be aware of, where they see cask ales going as the beer world continues to evolve, and much more.You can catch up with The Leaning Cask Brewing Company on your favorite World Wide Web destination of choice:Website | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram MUSIC CREDIT: Theme music and music clips for the Breaking Brews Podcast - Hellfire by Adam Drake and Tom Jenkins, licensed via www.audionetwork.comSEASON II SPONSOR: Season II of the Breaking Brews Podcast is brought to you by Drunk Swag Source. You can get all your merch needs covered by visiting www.drunkswagsource.com. Use promo code BREAKINGBREWS at checkout and save 10% on any order of $200 or more!

SESSION SUMMARY: On many sessions of the Breaking Brews Podcast, we've discussed creating the ultimate customer experience - something that's going to make someone's visit memorable, noteworthy, and have them leaving wanting to shout from the rooftops how much they can't wait to come back and bring 10 friends with them.This is where the power lays these days. Great beer and food are simply table stakes because people have so many options to choose from. In order to captivate consumers, you need to build a destination. A locale that offers so much, people will travel great distances to experience what you're offering without thinking twice. In Session 41, host Jason Cercone is joined by Jim Stutzman, Co-Founder of Lazy Horse Brewery and Winery in Ohiowa, Nebraska. Lazy Horse is a destination that is 45 minutes removed from the nearest restaurant...and neighboring town, for that matter. People travel 2-3 hours to experience Lazy Horse because they've built themselves into the type of place that not only serve quality beer, great wine, and wood-fired oven pizzas, but also has friendly, knowledgeable staff, an ambiance that makes customers feel welcome, and an overall positive vibe throughout the entire venue, inside and out.Your brewery, restaurant, bar, etc. doesn't need to sit by itself 45 minutes away from your nearest competitor to be a destination. Chances are, there's about 100 yards between you and a consumers' alternative choice. What are you going to do to ensure they choose you first? Your mindset needs to be thinking customer experience and treating your venue like a true destination at all times.This session covers how you can make your staff feel valued so they continue to produce the best experiences possible, how everyone on your team can learn from their own experiences, simple ways to market your brand throughout you region that will help you stand out, and much more.Here are the best ways to connect with Lazy Horse Brewing:Website | Facebook | Instagram | Twitter MUSIC CREDIT: Theme music and music clips for the Breaking Brews Podcast - Hellfire by Adam Drake and Tom Jenkins, licensed via www.audionetwork.comSEASON II SPONSOR: Season II of the Breaking Brews Podcast is brought to you by Drunk Swag Source. You can get all your merch needs covered by visiting www.drunkswagsource.com. Use promo code BREAKINGBREWS at checkout and save 10% on any order of $200 or more!

SESSION SUMMARY: When it comes to the social media triumvirate (Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram), Twitter has fallen to #3 on most people's priority lists these days. That's not a blanket statement, of course, but many people and brands prefer Facebook and Instagram over Twitter. That's OK...build your brand the way you like. That said, there's still a lot of value in Twitter and today we are going to dive into how you can get the most from this platform.In Session 40 of the Breaking Brews Podcast, host Jason Cercone goes one on one with you in an effort to bring Twitter back to prominence. While it may not be as popular as Facebook and Instagram or have as many users, there are still enough people on the network to make it valuable. Like all social media, the best returns come when you develop a strategy that helps you attack with excellence. This session of the podcast provides some tips and strategies to help you do just that.Throughout this session, Jason covers: How many daily users are on Twitter How Twitter has evolved over the years Common mistakes brands make with Twitter Should you tag multiple accounts on your posts? How to not use hashtags obnoxiously The biggest Twitter no-no you should adhere to always Where does the power lay in Twitter? And more You can connect with Breaking Brews on Twitter @breakingbrewsco and with Jason directly @jasoncercone.PAID TWITTER RESOURCESHow to Use Twitter Ads: A Complete Guide For MarketersTwitter Ads Campaigns: A Simple Setup Guide MUSIC CREDIT: Theme music and music clips for the Breaking Brews Podcast - Hellfire by Adam Drake and Tom Jenkins, licensed via www.audionetwork.comSEASON II SPONSOR: Season II of the Breaking Brews Podcast is brought to you by Drunk Swag Source. You can get all your merch needs covered by visiting www.drunkswagsource.com. Use promo code BREAKINGBREWS at checkout and save 10% on any order of $200 or more!

SESSION SUMMARY: Beer and cheese. On their own, they're both awesome. Paired together? They're even more awesome. Cheese has gained worldwide acceptance as one of the best items to pair with adult beverages. Beer, wine, whiskey...it all works and it's all spectacular.And because of that fact, it made perfect sense to keep the beer and food pairing sessions of the Breaking Brews Podcast rolling with a deep dive into the world of beer and cheese pairings!If you listened to Season I, you most likely stumbled across Session 9 where Jason Cercone and Master Cicerone Brian Reed provided a broad commentary on food and beer pairings. Brian shared some exceptional insight on how beer enhances certain flavor profiles (and vice versa), why contrasts in flavor between the beer and food items makes for a better experience than having two flavor profiles that matchup, and much more. You can jump back in the archives and take in Session 9 at your leisure.In Session 39, Jason and Brian are joined by Anais Saint-Andre Loughran, Co-Founder of Chantal's Cheese Shop in Pittsburgh's Bloomfield neighborhood. Anais is a cheese monger extraordinaire and knows cheese front to back, top to bottom, inside and out. She and Brian put their heads together to pair seven beer styles with seven cheese styles and all were consumed and discussed in great detail on this wildly informative, incredibly fun podcast that originated from Chantal's. For all of our Pittsburgh listeners, Chantal's gets a 16/10, 102% on Rotten Tomatoes, would highly recommend score from the Breaking Brews Podcast. If your occasion calls for specialty cheeses, check out Chantal's. And, pro tip: DO NOT leave without some of the Saint Angel cheese. It's covered on the show. You can thank me later. Here is how you can connect with Brian and Anais on the World Wide Web:BRIAN: Instagram | TwitterCHANTAL'S CHEESE SHOP: Website | Facebook | Instagram | TwitterMUSIC CREDIT: Theme music and music clips for the Breaking Brews Podcast - Hellfire by Adam Drake and Tom Jenkins, licensed via www.audionetwork.comSEASON II SPONSOR: Season II of the Breaking Brews Podcast is brought to you by Drunk Swag Source. You can get all your merch needs covered by visiting www.drunkswagsource.com. Use promo code BREAKINGBREWS at checkout and save 10% on any order of $200 or more!

SESSION SUMMARY: Education is something that's been instilled in us from the earliest of ages. From elementary school right up through high school and beyond, the importance of education in one's particular field, or fields, of interest is never something to take lightly. It's what gives us a more well-rounded perspective, helps us create and participate in meaningful conversations on various topics, and drives home the appreciate we have for the things we love.When it comes to craft beer, education is critical to the growth and evolution of our culture. Why? You're about to find out on Session 38 of the Breaking Brews Podcast.Host Jason Cercone is joined by Certified Cicerone David Nilsen to discuss beer education from top to bottom. David is a cicerone, beer writer, and presenter and brings a wealth of knowledge to the podcast. Jason and David dive into David's favorite beer presentation, why education often times gets labeled as snobbery, why it is up to industry professionals to continue driving education forward, and much more.Also, Jason and David talk about one of his favorite published features. You can click here to check out that feature for yourself.  David is very active on social media and you are encouraged to follow him and join him in his beer-fueled plight. A link to his website where all his published works, as well as his social media platforms, can be found below:Website | Facebook | Twitter | InstagramMUSIC CREDIT: Theme music and music clips for the Breaking Brews Podcast - Hellfire by Adam Drake and Tom Jenkins, licensed via www.audionetwork.comSEASON II SPONSOR: Season II of the Breaking Brews Podcast is brought to you by Drunk Swag Source. You can get all your merch needs covered by visiting www.drunkswagsource.com. Use promo code BREAKINGBREWS at checkout and save 10% on any order of $200 or more!

SESSION SUMMARY: While beer traveling all over the world isn't always a possibility, t-shirts, hats, sweatshirts, and other pieces of merch adorning your logo certainly is. Many times, I've seen someone on vacation halfway around the world from home proudly donning the t-shirt of their favorite brewery, thus taking their brand recognition from their own little corner of the world to parts never thought imagined.Solid merchandise can be a big coup for your brand and having the right items with a quality aesthetic appeal will make fans of your company happy to wear them when they're out and about, giving you a piece of advertising that costs little and speaks volumes. In Session 37 of the Breaking Brews Podcast, host Jason Cercone is joined by Leslie Tate, Co-Founder of Drunk Swag Source - a company she and her husband Stephen, the Head Brewer at Crosstown Brewing Company, run to help all businesses in the libations industry get set up with proper swag for their customers.In this session, Leslie shares why having a sound merchandise strategy is so important to your brand. In addition, she talks about effective logo design and ensuring the logo you land on (or secondary logo in some cases) looks good when shrunken down for print on a piece of merchandise. Leslie also shares why it's beneficial to have giveaways with your logo at events and festivals.If you've listened to any of the other sessions in Season II of the Breaking Brews Podcast, you've learned that Drunk Swag Source is this season's sponsor. In this episode, Leslie tells you how she can help you and your company get set up with anything you need from a merchandise perspective - hats, t-shirts, scarves, socks, keg rings, tents - pretty much anything you can think of! Everything can be found at www.drunkswagsource.com. AND, use promo code BREAKINGBREWS at checkout and save 10% on any order of $200 or more! If you have any questions or need further assistance, please do not hesitate to reach out to Leslie and Stephen at info@drunkswagsource.com.MUSIC CREDIT: Theme music and music clips for the Breaking Brews Podcast - Hellfire by Adam Drake and Tom Jenkins, licensed via www.audionetwork.com

SESSION SUMMARY: No matter how the size of your taproom, managing it effectively can make or break you when it comes to delivering a quality customer experience designed to bring people back for repeat visits. There are several factors to consider - cleanliness, ambiance, ancillary offerings such as board games or TVs, food, friendly staff - plus a lot more that many owners and managers overlook.In Session 36 of the Breaking Brews Podcast, host Jason Cercone is joined by Jackie Carlson, co-founder of Natural 20 Brewing in Spokane Valley, Washington via Skype to discuss how Jackie has maximized her taproom space to ensure customers are walking away feeling like part of the family. Jackie and her husband are going through a rebrand at their brewery coupled with construction. But through all of the craziness and unpredictability a rebrand can bring, they've pressed on and still focus on delivering a quality experience each and every visit.A major theme at Natural 20 is gaming and guests are invited to partake in a large variety of board games while they enjoy their favorite beers. This is not uncommon at breweries across the country, but Natural 20 takes things to another level and you'll hear all about it on this podcast. Plus, Jackie shares some insight on Natural 20's rebrand, how they manage to get beer in select outside accounts to increase the visibility of their product, why it's important for breweries to distribute to beer destinations that take care of their lines so product remains consistent and well-represented, and much more.If you'd like to catch up with Natural 20 online and see what they're all about, the links are below. PLUS, rumor has it Natural 20 has a killer beer cheese and Jackie is willing to share the recipe with you! Stay tuned til the end to hear how you can connect.Website | Facebook | InstagramMUSIC CREDIT: Theme music and music clips for the Breaking Brews Podcast - Hellfire by Adam Drake and Tom Jenkins, licensed via www.audionetwork.comSEASON II SPONSOR: Season II of the Breaking Brews Podcast is brought to you by Drunk Swag Source. You can get all your merch needs covered by visiting www.drunkswagsource.com. Use promo code BREAKINGBREWS at checkout and save 10% on any order of $200 or more!

SESSION SUMMARY: Instagram is one of the most popular social media platforms on the planet. Owned by Facebook, this photo-sharing network contains much of the functionality that Facebook has and presents a tremendous opportunity for brands to showcase their wares and connect with consumers by sharing dynamic imagery and videos.Much like any social media network, a strategy is necessary to maximize your time spent on Instagram. And in Session 35 of the Breaking Brews Podcast, we are diving deep into the various aspects and approaches you should utilize as you use Instagram to build your brand.Returning to the podcast is Aaron Williams, Marketing Manager of Monday Night Brewing. In Season I, Jason and Aaron recorded a similar episode dissecting the many areas of Facebook that are crucial for brands looking to advertise on that space. This session takes similar principles and applies them to Instagram. If you'd like to learn more about utilizing paid Facebook initiatives, you can jump back in the archives to Session 26 and consume what's been called one of the most actionable podcasts in the Breaking Brews portfolio.In this session, Jason and Aaron discuss good content to post on Instagram, how to best utilize hashtags to your advantage, how to implement Instagram Stories, some common mistakes brands make on Instagram, the one thing you should NEVER do on Instagram, and much, much more. You can catch up with Aaron and the Monday Night Brewing brand by clicking the links below:Website | Facebook | Instagram | TwitterRESOURCE: I mentioned a video from Sunny Lenarduzzi demonstrating why you shouldn't purchase IG followers and likes. Here's the link to said video: https://youtu.be/EaLh8mbpsPIMUSIC CREDIT: Theme music and music clips for the Breaking Brews Podcast - Hellfire by Adam Drake and Tom Jenkins, licensed via www.audionetwork.comSEASON II SPONSOR: Season II of the Breaking Brews Podcast is brought to you by Drunk Swag Source. You can get all your merch needs covered by visiting www.drunkswagsource.com. Use promo code BREAKINGBREWS at checkout and save 10% on any order of $200 or more!

SESSION SUMMARY: Is it better for your brand to grab on to an existing trend and ride the wave or set out to blaze trails and start a new trend? Or, is it a combination of the two? There's no right or wrong answer here, but it's important to understand how you want to loop trends in the industry into you everyday initiatives.In Session 34 of the Breaking Brews Podcast, host Jason Cercone is joined by beer industry professional Katrina Matthews to discuss various trends in the beer industry. How can a brewery stand out if they choose to not partake in an existing trend...such as, brewing New England IPAs? Additionally, how can breweries continue to grow their brand presence in a world dominated by Untappd check-ins, influencers, and A LOT of noise in front of consumers each and every day?Katrina joins the show all the way from Dublin, Ireland where she is studying for her Masters Degree in Marketing. She plans to put her education to good use in the beer industry once she graduates and returns to the United States. In the meantime, she is able to give us some insight into the beer scene in Ireland and how much room there is for potential in that corner of the world.MUSIC CREDIT: Theme music and music clips for the Breaking Brews Podcast - Hellfire by Adam Drake and Tom Jenkins, licensed via www.audionetwork.comSEASON II SPONSOR: Season II of the Breaking Brews Podcast is brought to you by Drunk Swag Source. You can get all your merch needs covered by visiting www.drunkswagsource.com. Use promo code BREAKINGBREWS at checkout and save 10% on any order of $200 or more!

SESSION SUMMARY: Home delivery is all the rage. Thanks to Amazon, pretty much anything you can imagine can land on your doorstep in 1-2 days of pressing a button. Grocery stores and major convenience stores have also entered the home delivery realm, giving customers an opportunity to place their orders via the World Wide Web and get everything brought right to the house, no questions asked. Food services and subscription boxes like First Sip Brew Box bring everything to your front porch, too.In other words, you don't even need to put on your bathrobe to get everything you need anymore. But...you know...we wish you would.With seemingly everything now available via delivery, the question must be asked: What about beer? Can I get my favorite beers brought right to the house without having to visit my local bottle shop or distributor?The answer is yes.In Session 33 of the Breaking Brews Podcast, host Jason Cercone is joined by Michelle Arnoni, Founder of Beverages2U, a new service that delivers beer to your home for all residents of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. Michelle is 4th generation in the beer business and has applied her years of experience to this new venture which is set up to be a groundbreaking platform in the world of home beverage delivery.While beer delivery can only be utilized within the borders of Pennsylvania (for now), beer enthusiasts nationwide can get their hands on the new beer swag that Michelle is offering through Beverages2U. And, as a special bonus to the loyal listeners of the Breaking Brews Podcast, you can use the promo code BREAKINGBREWS at checkout and save 5% on your order of beer and/or swag!With home delivery solidifying itself as the most convenient way for consumers to shop, will delivery of beer be something that takes off nationwide? Michelle discusses this, as well as how delivering beer direct to consumers is bringing back a personal touch to the sales process that hasn't been seen for decades. All this and much more in Session 33 of the Breaking Brews Podcast!You can catch up with Michelle online at Beverages2U AND her other business, Brewed2Burn Candles. All the links can be found below.BEVERAGES2U: Website | Facebook | InstagramBREWED 2 BURN CANDLES: Website | Facebook | InstagramMUSIC CREDIT: Theme music and music clips for the Breaking Brews Podcast - Hellfire by Adam Drake and Tom Jenkins, licensed via www.audionetwork.comSEASON II SPONSOR: Season II of the Breaking Brews Podcast is brought to you by Drunk Swag Source. You can get all your merch needs covered by visiting www.drunkswagsource.com. Use promo code BREAKINGBREWS at checkout and save 10% on any order of $200 or more!

SESSION SUMMARY: Hops are a critical ingredient in the creation of beer. Without them, beer would simply not be beer. The flavors and aromas they deliver in various styles of IPAs, Pale Ales, etc. are typically what stand out in those styles. And, for beers where they aren't as prevalent, such as stouts and porters, hops are still a critical part of the brewing process and a necessity for brewers to deliver a high-quality finished product.In Session 32 of the Breaking Brews Podcast, host Jason Cercone and Brian Tennis, Owner of the Michigan Hop Alliance, take an in-depth look at the world of hops and discuss many important aspects you may not know about this wonderfully diverse flower.Hops are the flowers of the hop plant Humulus Lupulus. They are used primarily as a bittering, flavoring, and stability agent in beer, to which, in addition to bitterness, they impart floral, fruity, or citrus flavors and aromas. Hops are also used for various purposes in other beverages and herbal medicine.In this episode, Brian drops plenty of knowledge about hops - including how many varieties are currently in commercial use, how breweries obtain these vital ingredients and how difficult some of them can be to get your hands on, how his business works with customers nationwide to deliver high-quality hops, best hop harvesting practices, how single hop beers can give you a true indication of the flavors and aromas each featured hop delivers, and much more.If you are looking for a source of hops, Michigan Hop Alliance can help you out. You can learn more about the Michigan Hop Alliance by catching up with Brian and his crew online:Website | Facebook | Instagram | TwitterMUSIC CREDIT: Theme music and music clips for the Breaking Brews Podcast - Hellfire by Adam Drake and Tom Jenkins, licensed via www.audionetwork.comSEASON II SPONSOR: Season II of the Breaking Brews Podcast is brought to you by Drunk Swag Source. You can get all your merch needs covered by visiting www.drunkswagsource.com. Use promo code BREAKINGBREWS at checkout and save 10% on any order of $200 or more!

SESSION SUMMARY: Untappd is a smartphone application that allows beer enthusiasts to "check-in" beers they consume, as well as apply their own rating of 1-5 stars. Untappd has 3-million+ users and is responsible for connecting beer drinkers from around the world. In addition, they have a business membership that bars, restaurants, and breweries can join that gives these destinations access to digital beer menus, as well as lets them update their available beers and notify users of what's on tap.While all this does have its positives for the beer community, it is not without its negatives. And in the premiere of second season of the Breaking Brew Podcast, we look at some of the mistakes that Untappd is making and share ways they can improve the platform.Host Jason Cercone is joined by Keana McMahon, co-founder and Chief Operating Officer of Eleventh Hour Brewing Company in Lawrenceville, PA - just outside the city of Pittsburgh - for over an hour of back and forth conversation about one of the beer industry's most polarizing topics. Is Untappd helping or hurting the growth of craft beer? Are consumers delivering accurate scores for the AMOUNT of beer they consume (checking in a beer and giving it a 1-star score after only tasting an ounce or two at a festival is not a true sample of that beer's quality and characteristics)? Do consumers realize their negative scores hurt the overall business operations of breweries? And is Untappd prepared to make changes to their platform to keep consumers AND the breweries and bars that support them happy?In addition to this episode, you can check out these referenced resources on Breaking Brews:How Untappd Culture is Negatively Impacting Craft BeerHow To Effectively Use UntappdYou can connect with Keana and Eleventh Hour Brewing below:Website | Facebook | Instagram | TwitterMUSIC CREDIT: Theme music and music clips for the Breaking Brews Podcast - Hellfire by Adam Drake and Tom Jenkins, licensed via www.audionetwork.com

The Breaking Brews Podcast is BACK! Season II is ready to bring you the best in beer business talk, education, and commentary with 15 fresh sessions all dropping on Monday, November 25th. The entire season will be available in true Netflix fashion. Binge away, friends!To get the ball rolling, here is a mashup featuring minute clips from each of the 15 sessions comprising the second season of the podcast. The list of sessions are as follows:SESSION 31: How Untappd is Negatively Impacting the Beer Industry w/ Keana McMahon of Eleventh Hour BrewingSESSION 32: The Wonderful World of Hops w/ Brian Tennis of Michigan Hop AllianceSESSION 33: Is Home Beer Delivery The Next Big Thing? w/ Michelle Arnoni of Beverages2USESSION 34: Tackling Trends in the Beer Industry w/ beer professional Katrina MatthewsSESSION 35: How to Use Instagram to Build Your Brand w/ Aaron Williams, Marketing Manager at Monday Night BrewingSESSION 36: How to Effectively Manage Your Taproom Space w/ Jackie Carlson, co-owner of Natural 20 BrewingSESSION 37: How Quality Merchandise Can Enhance Your Brand w/ Leslie Tate of Drunk Swag SourceSESSION 38: Why is Education Vital to the Beer Industry? w/ Certified Cicerone David NilsenSESSION 39: Beer and Cheese Pairings Exposed w/ Master Cicerone Brian Reed and Anais Saint-Andre Loughran, owner of Chantal's Cheese ShopSESSION 40: Twitter Marketing Best Practices w/ Jason Cercone, Founder and Chief Brand Officer of Breaking BrewsSESSION 41: How to Build a Destination Brewery w/ Jim Stutzman of Lazy Horse Brewing and WinerySESSION 42: Debunking the Myths and Misconceptions of Cask Ale w/ Josh and Stephanie Lepke of The Leaning Cask Brewing CompanySESSION 43: How to Build a Kick-Ass Craft Beer Bar w/ Mike Sukitch and Cassie Cormack of Mike's Beer BarSESSION 44: Has Beer Reached a Saturation Point? w/ David Sheets of Sixty Four West Brewery ConsultantsSESSION 45: Beer Industry Uncensored w/ Erik Budrakey of True Brew MagazineMUSIC CREDIT: Theme music and music clips for the Breaking Brews Podcast - Hellfire by Adam Drake and Tom Jenkins, licensed via www.audionetwork.com

SESSION SUMMARY: If you've been a loyal listener of the first 29 sessions of the Breaking Brews Podcast, you've stumbled upon rants and discussions about the importance of clean glassware and the utter grossness of dirty beer glassware on more than one occasion. This epidemic rears its ugly head at pubs, taverns, and tasting rooms far too often - with servers and bartenders presenting beer to customers in glasses with bubbles all over the glass (known as nucleation points), lipstick on the rim, greasiness, even old food particles. Furthermore, some brands have posted photos featuring dirty glassware when showcasing beers in their portfolio. This is no good. No good at all. It's gotten to the point that a hashtag category has been created for the purpose of sharing snaps of dirty glasses: #dgm (or Dirty Glass Mafia if you're not into the whole brevity thing). In the season finale of the Breaking Brews Podcast (Session 30), Jason Cercone is joined by Advanced Cicerone Dev Adams to discuss the dirty glassware epidemic and how all of us, as craft beer professionals and enthusiasts, can do our part to put said epidemic to rest. The conversation starts with Dev's journey through the first three levels of the Cicerone Certification Program ©. She shares the different components of the testing, why each level is important, and various aspects you should be cognizant of if you're preparing to take any level of the certification.Dev and Jason also discuss low service standards plaguing the beer industry today. From servers rolling their eyes at customers to a complete disregard for beer knowledge, many people do not realize how poorly this reflects on a brand's reputation and, subsequently, how much less money they're making because they're not engaging their customers and providing baseline information that will enhance a consumer's experience. Dev drops some tips to help servers and bartenders improve in this area as well.From there, it's all about dirty glassware. Why is it important to utilize beer clean glassware? How does dirty glassware impact the overall beer experience? Why is this epidemic so overlooked? Why are some brands going the extra mile in regards to distribution to ensure their beer will be enjoyed the same way at a bar that it is in their taproom? Why do so many people feel it's "no big deal" to drink from a dirty glass? You wouldn't want to eat your dinner off of an unwashed plate, so why would you want to consume your beer that isn't cleaned properly, right?Dev produced a great video that walks you through the proper steps of cleaning glassware from A to Z. Her method ensures the glassware will be as clean as possible, producing proper head retention, appealing lacing on the side of the glass as the beer is consumed, and a complete lack of nucleation points throughout the body of the glass. This creates a photogenic beer and, most importantly, a beer you can thoroughly enjoy from first sip to last.As brands, your mindset has to be that every beer you pass across your bar is going to end up photographed and on the Internet. Be sure your brand is always represented accordingly with the cleanest glassware around.You can check out Dev's video on her Facebook Page, Miss Lupulin. Also, you can find the video embedded on the show notes on Breaking Brews - breakingbrews.com/podsession30YOU MAY ALSO LIKE:How to Know Your Glassware is Beer Clean on Breaking BrewsMUSIC CREDIT: All music heard on this session of the Breaking Brews Podcast is courtesy of purple-planet.com.

SESSION SUMMARY: Sessions 25 and 26 were dedicated to Facebook Marketing - how to get the most from your efforts on an organic and paid front, as well as why it's important to establish your presence on the world's most popular and trafficked social media platform. Today, the conversation once again returns to the paid aspects of Facebook. Jason Cercone is joined by Jim Mitchell, a digital marketer who has worked with various breweries, bottle shops, and businesses of all shapes and sizes over the past decade+ to assist in establishing digital brand identity, setting up and executing strong Facebook campaigns, and, ultimately, helping brands get the most from their investments in building online visibility. Facebook, as well as other platforms like Instagram, are establishing algorithms and criteria that force you to invest money in order to gain traction. Like any other popular medium of its time, it's not uncommon, nor unethical, for said medium to demand compensation in return for providing reach to hundreds, sometimes thousands, of people in your niche. The good thing about paying Facebook are the analytics and data tied to your campaigns. All give you a clear, concise snapshot of the effectiveness of your ad and help you stay the course or make improvements for your next campaign.Continuing the initiatives laid out in Session 25 by Kayleigh Lohse of Presidential Brewing and Session 26 by Aaron Williams of Monday Night Brewing, Jason and Jim dive into various aspects of Facebook, including but not limited to:  How to get the most from Facebook and Instagram Why having a dynamic paid and organic strategy will pay dividends in the end How to create engaging content for your campaigns  How do relevancy scores impact your content and overall page engagement? Why using hashtags on Facebook is dead Utilizing user-generated organic content effectively Why it's important to provide clean glassware to consumers for their photos (you know, because we always talk about that) When is the best time to spend money on Facebook, Instagram, or a combination of the two? Facebook Live and Instagram Live - why people are failing with it and how you can make it work for you Critical points to always consider when constructing an ad campaign If you'd like to learn more from Jim, email him here.MUSIC CREDIT: All music heard in today's session of the Breaking Brews Podcast is courtesy of purple-planet.com.

SESSION SUMMARY: There's no denying the synergy and cohesiveness that exists in craft beer circles throughout the world. Brewers are constantly looking out for one another - helping solve technical issues whenever possible, providing guidance to new breweries as they get started, even lending ingredients on a brew day when a fellow brewer finds themselves short of what they need. It's a dynamic not seen in many other industries. If you go back to Session 13 of the podcast, Poured in PA's Nate Kresge commented, "If a pizza shop runs out of dough, they don't call the shop up the street to see if they can borrow some to get them by." That shop owner would laugh and hang up the phone before they even finish asking. It's quite the opposite in the beer industry. Everyone is in it together. Some may say it's a battle against big beer. Others look at it more internally - they had a passion, they understood what it took to start a business, they brew good beer, they ran with it. Whatever the case may be, the beer industry is still growing and more people are gravitating to artisanal beer options as the supply continues its uptick. In Session 28 of the Breaking Brews Podcast, Jason Cercone is joined by Dominic Cincotta, one half of Co-Star Brewing in Pittsburgh, to discuss synergy in the beer industry. This subject and the subsequent conversation that unfolds on today's show contains several layers and takes many different directions - all leading back to one universal truth: breweries working together within a region can create a nationwide destination in which people want to visit, thus spiking tourism at multiple junctures, including art, culinary, and, of course, beer itself.A few years back, Dom earned his doctoral degree from Robert Morris University. For his dissertation, he chose to focus his research and attention on beer brands in the Pittsburgh region and how they classified themselves within the community. The scene was drastically smaller as Dom's research came together, but it's interesting to see how brands established themselves prior to the enormous rise of social media we see today, as well as how many new brands have fit into the criteria Dom used to compile his thesis - even if they weren't trying to do so on purpose.With continued camaraderie and synergy in the Pittsburgh region, we've seen our area become a destination recognized by beer enthusiasts across the country. Allegheny County alone holds more brewery within its borders than any other county in Pennsylvania...and that doesn't include the wealth of incredible breweries outside of those borders, but still a critical part of the Pittsburgh region's beer appeal. The Pittsburgh Brewers Guild has worked together to create the Pittsburgh Brewery Guide, a roadmap that helps enthusiasts experience each brewery and helps them earn rewards for visiting them all. This is not unlike the rise and growth of destinations like Asheville, San Diego, Denver, and Portland...just to name a few.All in all, today's conversation provides positive reinforcement that brands working together in their communities can help establish wins for everyone. Working individually and not helping your fellow brewery can lead to unnecessary rifts throughout the region and, subsequently, less progress made towards establishing a destination that attracts beer enthusiasts near and far. MUSIC CREDIT: All music heard on today's session of the Breaking Brews Podcast is courtesy of purple-planet.com.RESOURCES MENTIONED: The Deeper Meaning of the Independent Craft Seal