Grit & Grain Podcast

Matthew, Bethany, and Ron
  • 4.9 (41)
  • Food
  • Updated Weekly

Craft beer sales and brand manager — Matt McLaren, professional brewer and line cleaner — Bethany Carlsen, and bottle shop owner and operator — Ron Swarner explore and celebrate the craft beer industry, community, and history in Tacoma, Washington, and surrounding Pacific Northwest region.

  1. 4d ago

    Grit & Grain Episode 201: Grainmaker 2026

    Last weekend, we packed up the cars and made the trek over to Spokane for the amazing Grainmaker Fest — the annual celebration of specialty malt with more than 50 participating breweries and 25 special collaboration beers on tap. We were lucky to be joined by our best buddies Brian Estes from LINC Malt and Leslie Shore from Cold Stream Malt & Grain for a tag team episode where we talked about everything from festival planning, collab curation, and of course the last-minute adaptations to the wildfires that broke out in the beginning of the week. Tune for all the details on the festival, some beer highlights, and to hear how the beer industry came together to help the community in Spokane as much as possible during a very difficult time. Drink good beer and, if you can, drink it for a good cause. Tap, tap, tap Alright, Grit & Grainers! Please email us at cheers@gritandgrainpodcast.com with your comments, opinions, and favorite milling style. You can subscribe to GGP on YouTube, Amazon, Apple Music, Spotify, Google Play, and iHeartRadio, and please leave us a review. Be sure to also follow us on Facebook and Instagram. If this podcast is not what you expected, please alter your expectations. No such thing as a bad time to visit Tacoma. No such thing as too much barleywine. Tune in next Friday for more sweet chatter. Cheers! The post Grit & Grain Episode 201: Grainmaker 2026 appeared first on Grit & Grain Podcast.

  2. Aug 7

    Grit & Grain Episode 200 Special Edition: Matt and Roger from Georgetown

    We made it fam! Two-hundred episodes officially in the book.  We continue our special double-header with Georgetown Brewing Research & Development Brewer Matt Edwards and tagging in for Part 2 is co-founder, Roger Bialous. Georgetown has been in the news lately with the announcement of their brand-new production, packaging, and storage space across from their current state-of-the-art-facility. Roger updated us and the plans for the future of the ever-evolving brewery, which include Matt’s attempts to push their low ABV IPA to its limits with full flavored sub 3% hoppy bangers. Tune in for brewery updates and details on secret new beers. And make sure to go all the way back to Episode 9 and 10 to catch Georgetown’s first appearance on the Grit & Grain Podcast. To this day, they are still some of our favorite conversations. Cheers to 200 and here’s to 200 more! Tap, tap, tap Alright, Grit & Grainers! Please email us at cheers@gritandgrainpodcast.com with your comments, opinions, and favorite Georgetown beer. You can subscribe to GGP on YouTube, Amazon, Apple Music, Spotify, Google Play, and iHeartRadio, and please leave us a review. Be sure to also follow us on Facebook and Instagram. If this podcast is not what you expected, please alter your expectations. No such thing as a bad time to visit Tacoma. No such thing as too much barleywine. Tune in next Friday for more sweet chatter. Cheers! The post Grit & Grain Episode 200 Special Edition: Matt and Roger from Georgetown appeared first on Grit & Grain Podcast.

  3. Jul 31

    Episode 199: A Georgetown Brewing and Pinks Boots Special

    It’s crazy to think we are one episode away from 200! To celebrate the occasion, we got together with The Pink Boots Society and Georgetown Brewing, put together a special collab beer, and released it for this special doubleheader episode. Long-time Georgetown brewer and Research and Development Brewer Matt Edwards and Pink Boots Society Seattle Chapter Leader Ali Himmel-Smith came to hang on the mic and drink a few pints of our beer, “More Me, Less You.” Tune in to hear about Matt’s origin story in the beer world, Ali’s move over to draft line cleaning and her venture into the wine world, and the dangers of being a farm hand. Tap, tap, tap Alright, Grit & Grainers! Please email us at cheers@gritandgrainpodcast.com with your comments, opinions, and favorite Georgetown beer. You can subscribe to GGP on YouTube, Amazon, Apple Music, Spotify, Google Play, and iHeartRadio, and please leave us a review. Be sure to also follow us on Facebook and Instagram. If this podcast is not what you expected, please alter your expectations. No such thing as a bad time to visit Tacoma. No such thing as too much barleywine. Tune in next Friday for more sweet chatter. Cheers! The post Episode 199: A Georgetown Brewing and Pinks Boots Special appeared first on Grit & Grain Podcast.

  4. Jul 24

    Episode 198: Secret Sunday Episode with Sean Jackson

    We are rounding the corner to Episode 200, which is insane! We definitely didn’t want to hit the next milestone without spending a Sunday morning goofing around with our previous co-host and best buddy, Sean Jackson.  We pulled him out of bed, shoved barleywine and lambic in his face for breakfast, and caught up on everything we could squeeze into an episode. Tune in to find out why Sean and Ron were fashionably late, some highlights of the past 100 or so episodes, and for further proof that Sean Jackson is a long, lost Looney Tunes character. Tap, tap, tap Alright, Grit & Grainers! Please email us at cheers@gritandgrainpodcast.com with your comments, opinions, and favorite missing tooth. You can subscribe to GGP on YouTube, Amazon, Apple Music, Spotify, Google Play, and iHeartRadio, and please leave us a review. Be sure to also follow us on Facebook and Instagram. If this podcast is not what you expected, please alter your expectations. No such thing as a bad time to visit Tacoma. No such thing as too much barleywine. Tune in next Friday for more sweet chatter. Cheers! The post Episode 198: Secret Sunday Episode with Sean Jackson appeared first on Grit & Grain Podcast.

  5. Jul 17

    Episode 197: It’s Lagerhead Weekend! 

    This weekend has some of the best annual events we know of — all happening at once! On that list is the insanely popular Lagerhead Festival at No Boat Brewing in Snoqualmie. The 3rd annual celebration of all things cold-crashed has seen the number of attending breweries triple since it started, including many you might not be as familiar with. This week, our best buddy, fellow lager lover, and Rainier Growlers bar manager, Ben Chase, took a break from planning their own 12th annual Christmas in July Barrel Aged tap takeover event to hang with us to go over a few of the attending breweries, talk about a few favorite lager makers, and tell you all who to look for at Lagerhead. Hey, speaking of festivals…  Don’t forget to grab your tickets to Grainmaker in Spokane on Aug. 7. Tap, tap, tap Alright, Grit & Grainers! Please email us at cheers@gritandgrainpodcast.com with your comments, opinions, and favorite lagers. You can subscribe to GGP on YouTube, Amazon, Apple Music, Spotify, Google Play, and iHeartRadio, and please leave us a review. Be sure to also follow us on Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube. If this podcast is not what you expected, please alter your expectations. No such thing as a bad time to visit Tacoma. No such thing as too much barleywine. Tune in next Friday for more sweet chatter. Cheers! The post Episode 197: It’s Lagerhead Weekend!  appeared first on Grit & Grain Podcast.

  6. Jul 10

    Episode 196: All Around the World for the 4th

    We’re back, baby! The team took a week off for the holiday and some travel, and we’re pumped to be back on the mic to catch up on what everyone has been doing. Bethany was off in France fantasizing about how French brasseries clean their draft lines. Doug was crushing every cask ale he could get his hands on in England and Wales. Phaedra bounced around Hood River, reconnecting with old beertender friends. Matt was galivanting in New York and New Jersey. And Ron held down the fort in Tacoma. Tune in to hear about everyone’s trips, pizza-eating challenges, fossils, Belgian blondes, speakeasies, and more! Tap, tap, tap Alright, Grit & Grainers! Please email us at cheers@gritandgrainpodcast.com with your comments, opinions, and where you spent the Fourth. You can subscribe to GGP on YouTube, Amazon, Apple Music, Spotify, Google Play, and iHeartRadio, and please leave us a review. Be sure to follow us on Facebook and Instagram as well. If this podcast is not what you expected, please alter your expectations. No such thing as a bad time to visit Tacoma. No such thing as too much barleywine. Tune in next Friday for more sweet chatter. Cheers! The post Episode 196: All Around the World for the 4th appeared first on Grit & Grain Podcast.

  7. Jun 26

    Episode 195: Turning the Off-Flavor Industry on Its Head

    We know many of our listeners have tried their hand off-flavor tasting.  Whether you’re studying for certification exams or just leveling up your brewing game, off-flavor identification is a must. But many of the options for isolated flavor compounds are prohibitively expensive for many of us.  So, what if there was a better way? This week, Matt sits the crew down for his own off-flavor experiment, testing a possible new method for training your palate to identify unwanted compounds in beer, using a secret ingredient that is much cheaper and more accessible than costly training kits. Tune in to find out if the G&G team can identify the off-flavors, how effective this new method is, and stay to the end to find out the secret ingredient! Tap, tap, tap Alright, Grit & Grainers! Please email us at cheers@gritandgrainpodcast.com with your comments, opinions, and buttery favorites. You can subscribe to GGP on YouTube, Amazon, Apple Music, Spotify, Google Play, and iHeartRadio, and please leave us a review. Be sure to also follow us on Facebook and Instagram. If this podcast is not what you expected, please alter your expectations. No such thing as a bad time to visit Tacoma. No such thing as too much barleywine. Tune in next Friday for more sweet chatter. Cheers! The post Episode 195: Turning the Off-Flavor Industry on Its Head appeared first on Grit & Grain Podcast.

  8. Jun 19

    Episode 194: Washington Brewers Fest 2026

    This week, we’re on location at Washington Brewers Fest. Held each year smack dab in the middle of Seattle Center, with dozens of Washington breweries and cideries, local food, and all the funk music you can handle.  We scoured the festival floor, found a few familiar faces, and made some new friends. The folks at Capitol Hill’s Outer Planet Brewing joined us for a few minutes to talk about ownership changes, unique recipes, and their brewer’s long history in the Washington beer scene.  Our best buddy Barry from Lucky Envelope hopped on to talk about their festival beers, including the amazing Karakuchi lager, currently taking Seattle by storm.  And finally, we were joined by Rob from Friends and Neighbors Brewing, who fills us in on all things Kingston and getting his start in Washington’s incredibly welcoming beer world. If you missed the festival this year, tune in for the highlights. And be sure to catch us on our next festival field trip to Grainmaker in Spokane in August. Tap, tap, tap Alright, Grit & Grainers! Please email us at cheers@gritandgrainpodcast.com with your comments, opinions, and favorite flavor from the 2026 Washington Brewers Fest. You can subscribe to GGP on YouTube, Amazon, Apple Music, Spotify, Google Play, and iHeartRadio, and please leave us a review. Be sure to also follow us on Facebook and Instagram. If this podcast is not what you expected, please alter your expectations. No such thing as a bad time to visit Tacoma. No such thing as too much barleywine. Tune in next Friday for more sweet chatter. Cheers! The post Episode 194: Washington Brewers Fest 2026 appeared first on Grit & Grain Podcast.

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4.9
out of 5
41 Ratings

About

Craft beer sales and brand manager — Matt McLaren, professional brewer and line cleaner — Bethany Carlsen, and bottle shop owner and operator — Ron Swarner explore and celebrate the craft beer industry, community, and history in Tacoma, Washington, and surrounding Pacific Northwest region.

Information

  • Creator
    Matthew, Bethany, and Ron
  • Years Active
    2022 - 2026
  • Episodes
    100
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © 2026
  • Show Website
    Grit & Grain Podcast

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