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. APR 24

    Episode 187: Berlin, Ron’s Road Trip, and American Beer Economics

    Matt’s back from Berlin!  He was gone so long and missed so much that we figured we might as well just crack a few beers and catch up a bit. Ron’s been busy traveling all over the PNW trying to hire as many breweries as he possibly can to wrap up his 10th year of the Tournament of Beers. Matt fills us in on his Berlin trip. And Bethany and The Funk Busters have some updates of their own! Plus, we get into the recent Brewer’s Association Annual Craft Beer Production report and what it says about where things might be headed in the industry. Tune in for all the updates, some of Matt’s Germany stories, and to get a few highlights and early upsets in the Tournament of Beer! Tap, tap, tap Alright, Grit & Grainers! Please email us at cheers@gritandgrainpodcast.com with your comments, opinions, and favorite Pacific Northwest brewery. 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 187: Berlin, Ron’s Road Trip, and American Beer Economics appeared first on Grit & Grain Podcast.

    1 hr

  2. APR 17

    Episode 186: Dan Cady and Meghan Michels from Holy Mountain Brewing

    Matt’s still in Germany, and Ron, Bethany, Phaedra, and Doug held down the fort beautifully for this week’s super special episode. We are joined this week by one of the strongest brewing duos working the state right now — Dan Cady and Meghan Michels of Holy Mountain Brewing.  Dan, having recently moved back up to Washington after years of brewing some of San Diego’s best beer, got rolling at Holy Mountain just a few months ago, where Meghan has been holding down the fort for the last few years, producing some of Seattle’s best beer. Tune in to find out a little about Dan’s unexpected hometown, his work down in California, which Seattle brewery Meghan cut her teeth at before Holy Mountain, and what it takes to become a certified LUKR tapster. Tap, tap, tap Alright, Grit & Grainers! Please email us at cheers@gritandgrainpodcast.com with your comments, opinions, and favorite Danish 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 186: Dan Cady and Meghan Michels from Holy Mountain Brewing appeared first on Grit & Grain Podcast.

    1h 1m

  3. APR 10

    Episode 185: Trails, Tanks, and the Long Game — Wes Finger of Kulshan Brewing

    There are brewers who arrive with a résumé, and then there are brewers who arrive with a landscape. Kulshan Brewing Head Brewer Wes Finger brings the latter — a stretch of Bellingham terrain shaping how he brews and how he thinks. In this episode of the Grit & Grain Podcast, Wes traces his roots to the Nooksack River Valley and a life built around weather, water, and patience. That ethos shows up clearly in his love for Helles lager — a style that demands precision, restraint, and a willingness to let the process speak without shouting. Kulshan reflects that same grounded approach — community-first, quietly confident, and growing without losing its center, from its early days to the open, trail-connected energy of Trackside. The conversation also touches on today’s realities, including distribution shifts and the move from NW Beverages/Odom to Columbia, all handled with steady pragmatism. At its core, this is a conversation about beer as a reflection of place — honest, patient, and built to last. Tap, tap, tap Alright, Grit & Grainers! Please email us at cheers@gritandgrainpodcast.com with your comments, opinions, and favorite Bellingham bike trails. 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 185: Trails, Tanks, and the Long Game — Wes Finger of Kulshan Brewing appeared first on Grit & Grain Podcast.

    56 min

  4. APR 3

    Episode 184: The Unstoppable Grit of Robyn Schumacher

    This week, we are joined by Stoup Brewing co-founder, board president of the Washington Brewers Guild, and all-around industry powerhouse, Robyn Schumacher! After spending her early career teaching high school biology for over a decade, Schumacher made the jump into the beer world and has been running at full speed ever since — being one of the earliest recipients of the Cicerone Certification in Washington, a regular in the famous Drunk Herstory lineup, and now using her platform and leadership in the Brewer’s Guild to establish a tighter knit Washington brewer community. Tune in to learn all about her Spokane roots, her early beer influences, and her vision for the future of the craft beer industry in Washington. Tap, tap, tap Alright, Grit & Grainers! Please email us at cheers@gritandgrainpodcast.com with your comments and opinions. 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 184: The Unstoppable Grit of Robyn Schumacher appeared first on Grit & Grain Podcast.

    59 min

  5. MAR 27

    Episode 183: Double Mountain’s 19th Anniversary Party

    The Grit and Grain team was lucky enough to be invited to the famous yearly celebration of Double Mountain’s legendary inception, so we packed up the cars and took a field trip to beautiful Hood River. Nestled in the Brewer’s Lounge couches, the entire Double Mountain team sat with us for a glorious hour of brewery history, shenanigans, and fond memories of the early days of Hood River craft beer.  From award-winning beer to award-winning cider, airplanes, early influences, and future plans, we get the full scoop on the brewery that has spent nearly two decades helping to shape Hood River’s incredibly tight craft beer scene. Do not miss this one! Tap, tap, tap Alright, Grit & Grainers! Please email us at cheers@gritandgrainpodcast.com with your comments, opinions, and favorite Double Mountain pizza. 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 183: Double Mountain’s 19th Anniversary Party appeared first on Grit & Grain Podcast.

    1h 2m

  6. MAR 20

    Episode 182: Orval Day and Trappist History with Aaron Cohn

    Happy Orval Day Eve! Saturday, March 21st, marks this year’s international celebration of one of the most unique and highly regarded beers ever made, Orval. A 1000-year-old Belgian ale brewed by Trappist Monks and bottle conditioned with Brettanomyces. We thought it was the perfect time to bring back Aaron Cohn, regional sales manager at Merchant du Vin and lover of all things monastically produced (including cheese!). We dive into the 1500-year history of Trappist beer, starting with the original Benedictine monks, the technology developed by the Order of Cistercians, and eventually the reform movement that would create Trappist monks, and lead to the rules that all 10 current Trappist breweries must follow to maintain the revered title. Tune in to hear some of the often-untold history of these beers, the new distinctions in the BJCP guidelines for Monastic beer, and find out why Matt has so much trouble pouring bottle-conditioned beer. Tap, tap, tap Alright, Grit & Grainers! Please email us at cheers@gritandgrainpodcast.com with your comments, opinions, and favorite Traps. 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 182: Orval Day and Trappist History with Aaron Cohn appeared first on Grit & Grain Podcast.

    56 min

  7. MAR 13

    Episode 181: A News Worthy Tacoma Beer Week Special, Part 2

    We’re back for the second half of our Tacoma Beer Week double header.  Hopefully you tuned in last week for the stellar hour we spent with Ezra Johnson-Greenough of New School Beer + Cider — he’s back again for another episode and joined this week by an extra special guest. Founder, publisher, and CEO  of SIP Magazine, Kristin Ackerman Bacon joins us this week alongside Ezra to talk all things beer and cider journalism, publishing, and collaboration. Just this week, Kristin and Ezra dropped the news that The New School and SIP Magazine will join forces in a what is sure to be a powerhouse of adult beverage media. Tune in to get the scoop on how this partnership came about and how these two titans plan to provide complementary coverage of the PNW beer, wine, and cider world.  Tap, tap, tap Alright, Grit & Grainers! Please email us at cheers@gritandgrainpodcast.com with your comments, opinions, and your favorite seasonal fluorescent mint dairy drink. 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 181: A News Worthy Tacoma Beer Week Special, Part 2 appeared first on Grit & Grain Podcast.

    56 min

  8. MAR 6

    Episode 180: A News-Worthy Tacoma Beer Week Special

    Happy Tacoma Beer Week! A whole week dedicated to fun events and just about everything craft beer around Tacoma and the Pacific Northwest.  No better time to bring on one of the busiest beer writers and event organizers in the industry. We are joined this week by the founder of New School Beer + Cider, Fuji to Hood Beer Festival, and the Oregon Beer Awards — Ezra Johnson-Greenough!  From his beginnings at a beloved Portland taproom to his conquest of the beer media landscape, Ezra gives us a crash course on everything he’s done in the beer world. Tune in this week to hear about Ezra’s fellow Belmont Station alumni going on to create their own beer legacies, his work as an ambassador for the craft beer scenes of Mexico and Japan, and how his unflinching beer journalism has helped to shape the Oregon beer world. The post Episode 180: A News-Worthy Tacoma Beer Week Special appeared first on Grit & Grain Podcast.

    1 hr
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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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