Fireside Chat: How Popular is Craft Lager, *Really?*
I am reposting this notice about tomorrow’s Fireside Chat. I hope you can all join us. I’ll open the doors—er, Zoom—five minutes early and we’ll start at 4pm PT sharp. I encourage anyone who is free to tune in live, but I will record the session and we’ll post it here and Breakside will also post it. See you tomorrow—
I am pleased to announce that two weeks from today on March 15th—the Ides of March—Breakside and Beervana will jointly host the first of what we’re calling “Fireside Chats.” It is absolutely free and open to the public, and we’ll present it on Zoom. Given that this is the first of our events, I hope you tune in and make it a big success. The goal is to have a fun discussion that gets into the culture of beer. It won’t be too nerdy or technical, but it will be smart, fun, and thought-provoking. Everyone is welcome!
Date: March 15, 2023
Time: 4pm Pacific | 5pm MT | 6pm CT | 7pm ET We'll start letting folks in about five minutes before the hour.
Location: Online at this Zoom link.
We delve into a meaty topic for our first outing, along with four headline guests from around the country who know a thing or two about the subject. For the past, oh, ten years or so, people have projected lager beer to be the “next thing” in craft brewing. As our guests attest, there is room out there for breweries focused on pilsners, bocks, and marzens. But over those ten years, lagers have grown only incrementally. We will take a hard, if not entirely dispassionate, look at this question, digging into how regional differences play a role, how consumers are becoming more educated about this category, and where lagers fit in a country firmly committed to hoppy ales. All our guests have lived this question, and I’m really looking forward to hearing from them:
Lisa Allen. The Head Brewer and second generation of Allens to lead this pioneering lager brewery, Lisa joined her father Rick in 2009. Heater Allen helped pave the way for lager’s success in Oregon, and Lisa has become one of its most visible and respected advocates.
Ashleigh Carter. As the co-founder and Head Brewer of Denver’s Bierstadt, Ashleigh has built one of the most respected lager breweries in the United States, famed in Colorado and beyond for popularizing slow-poured pilsner.
Jack Hendler. With his two brothers, Head Brewer Jack Hendler founded the lager brewery Jack’s Abby in IPA-happy New England. Like Lisa and Ashleigh, he’s a national spokesman for lager beer, and is working on a book about lager for Brewers Publications.
[New!] Will Jaquiss. Our last guest, Austin-based Meanwhile’s brewmaster and founder Will Jaquiss, will bring a perspective that straddles the line between promoting his award-winning lagers and popular hoppy ales.
Of course, Ben Edmunds is the brewmaster at Breakside, a brewery known for its IPAs—but one that has had a pilsner in its core lineup since the beginning. He will bring a brewer’s perspective to his questions. I’m going to help MC things but mostly let the guests talk. It’s going to be a great conversation with some of the most eminent lager brewers in the country, and you’ll want to make sure you see this. Zoom allows for 200 people, so you may want to be there a bit early to make sure you get in. I hope to see you there!