Beer Stories: Craft Beer Industry Insights

In this Bonus Episode, Alex & Mischa interview Producer Niall about HIS craft beer journey! They discuss Niall's favourite thing about beer, that time he quit drinking for a year and a half, his first memory of discovering craft beers, the Australian craft beer scene (from back in the day), visiting St. James's Gate, the sanctity of the bar area, drinking beer in The UK vs. drinking beer in The USA, big breweries acquiring craft breweries, the 1%, the problem with gendering beer styles, whether or not it's appropriate to try to pick up women at a Taproom, beer snobs, and draft vs. package! They also engage in a pre-Hangover Check Hangover Check segment that was then called "How Hungover Are You" and wrap it up with a lively round of Fact or Fiction! Enjoy. Learn more about Pasteur Street Brewing Co. Follow us on Facebook.

Learn more about Pasteur Street Brewing Co. Follow us on Facebook.

Alex & Mischa wrap up Season 1 of Beer Stories by talking with Wayne Su, Founder & Owner of Steersman Brewery, another craft brewery based right here in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam! They talk about Wayne's discovery of craft beer here in Vietnam after growing up in Taiwan, his homebrewing start leading to opening his own brewery in Saigon, winning international awards and what that means for a young brewery, Alex's favourite subject: Brown Ales (!!), how Wayne's family supported and encouraged him with his first business start-up, Wayne's new business partner Ben and what he brings to the table at Steersman, the possibilities of a good Pho Beer, Steersman's recent foray into making hard sodas, how there are no laws while drinking White Claws, and building up craft beer neighbourhoods by working together! They also have a fairly tame Hangover Check and another spirited round of Fact or Fiction. Cheers! Learn more about Pasteur Street Brewing Co. Follow us on Facebook.

Please enjoy this sneak peek at the final episode of Beer Stories Season 1, where Alex & Mischa welcome the Founder of Steersman Brewery, Wayne Su into the studio! They discuss starting a brewery in Vietnam and all of the ups and downs of that fun process! Full episode coming on Monday - cheers! Learn more about Pasteur Street Brewing Co. Follow us on Facebook.

Welcome to Beer Stories Episode 8! Alex & Mischa welcome their former colleague and current HiWine Sales Rep Kat Marshall into the studio to discuss the Vietnamese Craft Beer Industry from an insider's look! Kat talks about how she got into the craft beer scene with the guys at BiaCraft & Quan Ut Ut, and then joined Pasteur Street Brewing Company as a Sales Rep before eventually moving on to the wine sales game. They also discuss the sensation of trying an IPA for the first time after a lifetime of light local lagers, the personality you need to be an effective sales rep, Vietnam's place in the larger craft beer community, why people like craft beer, the very beginnings of the Vietnamese Craft Beer Industry, the difference between selling wine and selling beer, and becoming a TikTok sensation! They also search deep inside Kat's heart in a very personal round of Fact or Fiction. Cheers! Learn more about Pasteur Street Brewing Co. Follow us on Facebook.

Sneak peek of Beer Stories Season 1 Episode 8!! The guys welcome Kat Marshall into the studio to talk about the Vietnamese Craft Beer Industry from the Vietnamese perspective! Kat has been an important figure in the evolution of craft in Saigon, working first as a server and then supervisor at BiaCraft before joining Pasteur Street Brewing Company as the Key Sales Representative for Southern Vietnam! They discus her journey and all things Vietnam Craft Beer. Cheers! Learn more about Pasteur Street Brewing Co. Follow us on Facebook.

Welcome to Episode 7 of Beer Stories! Enter The Darkness with Alex & Mischa as they sit down with the man behind Heart of Darkness Craft Brewery in Saigon, Vietnam! The boys discuss the joys of starting a brewery from scratch in a foreign country, how John first discovered craft beer, HOPS!, building a brand, Joseph Conrad, Wholesale vs. Retail, why quality is the most important thing to any good craft brewery, thoughts on lo/no alcohol beers, John's favourite beer, how craft beer can help sustain a healthy marriage, and Contract Brewing vs. Export. We also get a wide range out of The Hangover Check and a spirited round of Fact or Fiction! Cheers! Learn more about Pasteur Street Brewing Co. Follow us on Facebook.

Enter The Darkness with Alex, Mischa, and Heart of Darkness Craft Brewery CEO John Pemberton! In Episode 7 of Beer Stories, the lads discuss all things Craft Beer Vietnam and do a deep dive on a few certain styles that they love. Full episode coming on Monday - enjoy this preview for now. Cheers! Learn more about Pasteur Street Brewing Co. Follow us on Facebook.

In Episode 6 of Beer Stories, Mischa & Alex welcome Hannah Jefferys, Founder and Brewmistress of Saigon Cider, into studio. The episode is bookended, as always, by The Hangover Check and Fact or Fiction. In between they discuss a range of topics, including differentiating craft cider from craft beer, Cider's specific appeal to Vietnamese drinkers, the Cider making process, some of her favourite Ciders from back home, walking the line between commercial viability and being a taste leader, utilizing local ingredients, low/no alcohol craft beverages, the Vietnam Cider Community and how everyone gets along within it, and where to source the best organic apples! Cheers! Learn more about Pasteur Street Brewing Co. Follow us on Facebook.

For Episode 6, Alex & Mischa welcome Vietnam's first Cider Maker, Hannah Jefferys of Saigon Cider! They discuss a range of topics, including the difference between Craft Beer and Craft Cider, as well as her unlikely path to starting her own company on the back of following her passion. Please enjoy this sneak peek at the next episode of Beer Stories. Cheers! Learn more about Pasteur Street Brewing Co. Follow us on Facebook.

In Episode 5 of Beer Stories, Alex & Mischa talk to Charles Guerrier of Brew Asia about a range of topics, including how he started the South East Asian Brewer's Conference (recently renamed Brew Asia for 2023), why he loves visiting Saigon so much, how much and how quickly Brew Asia has grown, the Vietnamese Craft Beer Industry, how you deal with armed guards storming your conference in a foreign country, getting started on Belgian beers, the fluidity of beer styles in the modern craft beer market, off-flavours vs. on-flavours, the spirit of community that arises around craft beer in different countries, and the importance of winning awards. They also run the spectrum on The Hangover Check and Charles comes clean in the latest installment of Fact or Fiction. Cheers! Learn more about Pasteur Street Brewing Co. Follow us on Facebook.

Please enjoy this preview of Episode 5 of Beer Stories - Alex & Mischa welcome Charles Guerrier of Brew Asia (formerly SEA Brew) to the studio to talk about the conference he created that unites brewers from across Asia for an annual conference, trade-show, and shenanigans! They also discuss how the industry has evolved in this part of the world, over the years and get into some funny stories that have come out of the shows, from Singapore to Saigon to Bangkok to Manilla. Charles also submits to The Hangover Check and opens up for Fact or Fiction. Cheers! Learn more about Pasteur Street Brewing Co. Follow us on Facebook.

In Episode 4 of Beer Stories, Alex & Mischa talk with the Founder of Turtle Lake Brewing Company (Hanoi, Vietnam), Lamont Wynn, about Opening a Craft Brewery in Vietnam. Over the course of the conversation they touch on stories about what Lamont was doing when he decided to start Turtle Lake, the logistics of starting any company up in Vietnam as foreigners, the particulars of starting a brewery from scratch, the first beers they brewed, the similiarities and differences that Alex and Lamont faced - starting breweries up a few years apart in the same part of the world, the importance of good food and fun events at Taprooms for the guest experience, actual turtles, music, running and attending craft beer festivals, a brand new segment for the pod - Story Time With Lamont (!!), Haunted Houses, distribution vs. Taprooms, winning international beer awards, and the secrets to all of our success! We also have a brisk edition of The Hangover Check and a lively round of Fact or Fiction. Cheers! Learn more about Pasteur Street Brewing Co. Follow us on Facebook.

Enjoy this sneak peek to Episode 4 of Beer Stories, where Alex & Mischa chat with Lamont Wynn, Founder & CEO of Turtle Lake Brewing Company, out of Hanoi. They discuss the joys and hardships of starting a craft brewery in Vietnam and a variety of other topics. They also bring back The Hangover Check and Fact or Fiction, as well as debuting a new segment - for one pod only - Story Time With Lamont Wynn. Cheers! Learn more about Pasteur Street Brewing Co. Follow us on Facebook.

In Episode 3 of Beer Stories, Alex & Mischa talk to the Founder & CEO of MixTape Drinks, Chad Mitchell, about Beer Styles! Do they even matter anymore?! They discuss the importance of learning the fundamentals of brewing before you can start playing around with style guidelines, inventing new styles of beer, the ubiquity of IPAs in the current craft beer market, style guidelines, the importance of beer styles for marketing purposes, category confusion at beer competitions, Pickle beers, the importance of pushing boundaries & challenging yourself, the beer naming process at MixTape, Sour Beers, Hazy IPAs, and whether Brewers prefer drinking their own beers or other people's. We also have new installments of our weekly segments, The Hangover Check and Fact or Fiction. Cheers! Learn more about Pasteur Street Brewing Co. Follow us on Facebook.

This week, Chad Mitchell of MixTape Drinks joins Alex & Mischa to discuss Beer Styles and why differentiating between them matters or not, in the current state of the industry. They cover a multitude of other craft beer topics, as well, including the idea of playing music to your beers! Please enjoy this preview of Episode 3 of Beer Stories. Cheers! Learn more about Pasteur Street Brewing Co. Follow us on Facebook.

In Episode 2 of Beer Stories, Mischa & Alex talk with Craft Beer Enthusiast and self-proclaimed "Mayor of Pasteur Street" about what makes a great Guest Experience at a Craft Beer Bar. We discuss what type of personality it takes to lead a group of friends on a night out, forming relationships between guests and service staff at bars & restaurants, being demanding in a positive way, the differences between bars back home and bars in Vietnam, the power of having good regular customers, Norm from Cheers, the importance of having good music at your bar, our friend Kurt Kaiser, and we try to order a tower of draft beer for home delivery. We also debut a brand new running segment for the show - The Hangover Check. And we do a round of Fact or Fiction with Beth, where she confirms or denies some statements about her and/or beer. Cheers! Learn more about Pasteur Street Brewing Co. Follow us on Facebook.

For Episode 2 of Beer Stories, Mischa & Alex talk with Craft Beer Enthusiast and self-proclaimed "Mayor of Pasteur Street" about what makes a great Guest Experience at a Craft Beer Bar. We discuss a range of topics related to drinking beers out at bars and we try to order a tower of draft beer for home delivery. We also debut a brand new running segment for the show - The Hangover Check. And we do a round of Fact or Fiction with Beth, where she confirms or denies some statements about her and/or beer. Please enjoy this preview to Episode 2 - cheers! Learn more about Pasteur Street Brewing Co. Follow us on Facebook.

In Episode 1 of Beer Stories, Mischa talks to Alex about his craft beer journey, where it all started, Brown Ales, Walter White, favourite beer styles, his Mount Rushmore of beers, the Vietnamese Craft Beer Industry, legacies, and his decision to bring his family back to Vietnam after two years back home in the USA. We also debut our first running segment of the podcast - Fact or Fiction, where Mischa makes some statements about Alex's life, or beers in general, and he confirms or denies. Cheers! Learn more about Pasteur Street Brewing Co. Follow us on Facebook.

Join Mischa Smith and Alex Violette as they share their passion and knowledge of the craft beer industry. Each week, they will be joined by a different guest to discuss the world of beer and share their stories. Whether you're a seasoned craft beer enthusiast or just getting started, there's something for everyone on Beer Stories. Tune in and join the conversation. Welcome to Beer Stories! Learn more about Pasteur Street Brewing Co. Follow us on Facebook.