LBK Brewery: Top 15 Brewpub in the US
Craft beer accounts for over 25% of the $116 billion dollar U.S. beer market. But what’s it like for the people running these breweries? How do they make these beers and what makes them so good?
Today, I’m joined by the owner of LBK Brewery Mike Ngheim and his master brewer Sally Taylor. We delve straight into the world of craft breweries. They tell me how they started their own brewery and share some tips for anyone thinking of doing something similar.
They explain how each process affects the taste of the finished product, even down to whether you choose to store it in a can or bottle. As Mike explains, LBK's success is partly due to them brewing high quality craft beers and partly due to the environment they’ve created.
Visiting his brew pub is an intimate experience where you can get to know the bartender, meet the brewers and learn a thing or two as well.
Finally, they explain what makes a beer ‘good’ and tell me what they think of some of the popular mass produced beers that are out there...
”Beer is like a beauty pageant, it’s subjective. Does it taste good, does it make you happy? Then that’s a great beer regardless of who made it.” - Sally Taylor
Time Stamps:
02:57 - Who LBK Brewery are and what we’ll be talking about.
05:30 - Today’s obscure food facts looking at dairy cows, pistachios, watermelon and pizza.
08:13 - My recommended recipe for the holidays.
11:31 - Where the name ‘LBK’ comes from.
12:43 - A brief introduction to our guests Mike and Sally.
14:27 - The differences between a brew pub and a brewery.
17:11 - Why craft beers have been getting so much more popular over the last decade.
23:09 - What makes a beer ‘good’.
24:30 - How storing beer in glass or cans can change the taste.
27:05 - How the craft beer world is predicted to grow over the years.
28:20 - What makes something a ‘craft beer’ rather than a regular lager.
31:13 - Tips for anyone thinking of opening up a brew pub.
33:51 - Some common questions Sally gets about the beer making process.
36:46 - The 14.5% Belgian beer they just finished producing.
38:29 - Mike and Sally’s views on some popular mass produced beers.
47:51 - The different responses they get from customers about their craft beers.
51:01 - How to connect with the brewery online.
Resources:
LBK Brewery
Untapped
Texas Real Food
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