This is Beer in Front, part of the Odd Pods Media Network. Sometimes
the beer in front of you is the best one yet. I'll talk about
some old school beers that maybe you've forgotten about, some new classics, and
I'll also talk to people around the beer world, getting their stories all about
beer. That's Beer in Front and it's coming up now. Welcome to the
November twenty eighth edition, episode one hundred and eighty eight of Beer in Front.
I'm your host, Dave's Alatoris and Beer in Front is a proud Odd
Pods Media Network member. Today I'll be talking to Corey Smayo from Garage Beer.
They just started to hit the Chicago market recently, and Corey and I
will speak about garage Beer. My friend Ray Ray sent over a carrier pigeon
full of beer from the Nashville area, and I'll have one from Southern Grist
later in the show. How is Everyone's Thanksgiving? Was your stuffing nice and
moist? If you heard the show last week, I once again told the
story about my grandmother and her stuffing. She would have been one hundred on
Sunday, and I have another story about my grandmother. I'm half Sicilian and
I'll admit I was a goofy kid. I'm goofy now, but I was
a goofy kid. I wouldn't neat tomate a sauce on my pasta until I
had to be twelve or thirteen years old. I only had to have butter
on it. I was goofy. But once I had it, oh,
I'm all in. So long before my grandmother died, I asked her for
the recipe for her sauce. Now, if you've ever asked a relative for
a family recipe, you're not getting precise measurements. It's always a little of
this, you get a pinch of that. But I wrote it down an
index card. Where that index card is it's long gone. That's thirty years
ago. But after she passed, my uncle Jimmy said he had her recipe
perfect email it to me. Once he did, it was different. I
will bet my life I'm one hundred percent positive that the recipe she gave me
and I made a few times, had cans of I think the brand name
was Contadina. The tomato paste which the recipe my uncle had didn't use.
And I vaguely remember watching her make it, and I'm almost positive she used
the cans of that contadina. So long story short, she took a recipe
to the grave and she left us hanging. You told your only son and
your grandson something entirely different. That's the perfect Italian grandmother story right up until
I at the last year or sore of her life. She was sharp as
attack, so she knew the damn recipe. She was busting our balls.
So Nana, wherever you are, happy one hundredth I'll have a rob roy
in your honor. And I just wish I kept that index card. My
back is still fried. I'm supposed to have some injections there next Monday,
but like you know, here in Chicago, the last ever since like Friday,
the cold weather's kicked in. That's making it worse. Nothing's comfortable.
I can't stand, sit, or walk for any period of time without being
in pain. Forget bending over carrying something heavier than a twelve pack. I
might need Ruby to rub some like malurt into my back or something to see
if that helps. There was not a lot of beer news with the holiday
and all. I first heard it on Rod Jay's show the other week that
Fauberg, formerly known as Dixie Brewing, is going to shut down the brewery
in Orleans. They've been around since nineteen oh seven. The holding company that
owns them will continue with the name, but contract brew the beer in Georgia
and Virginia. But what I wouldn't do for a black and Voodoo right now?
And speaking to Roja, my brother in beer. He tagged me in
the most vile video the other day. He puts out this video and he
tagged me in Afro Beer Check about some dude and he had to be in
the suburbs. He was as Portillo's with a bottle of alort and he poured
the whole bottle in like the cup that you would get a soft drink or
soda pop in and was dunk in the beer sandwich in the milort in eating
this dude. I don't know who you find this shit, but that was
disgusting. He had to be in the suburbs. Heineken's gonna pump another one
hundred million dollars into their silver brand or their non alcoholic brand in twenty twenty
four. Now I haven't had it yet, is it any good? Let
me know. Ballast Point is bringing back their pineapple sculpin ipa one day,
I'm going to have to do a whole show on Ballast Point and their story.
Sierra Nevada is adding to their Little Things line with Dank Little Thing.
It's a hazy IPA. It should come out in February. And finally,
Shiner is coming out with a non alcoholic line next year called Shiner Rodeo.
Welcome Back. Garage Beer is the fastest growing beer in the country. This
Midwest independent craft lagger is now available in the Chicago, Nashville, and Philadelphia
areas after taking Ohio, Indiana, and Kentucky by storm. Joining me now
is Corey Smaohs, the VP of Marketing over at Garage Beer. Corey,
thanks for talking today. Hey, thanks for having me. Dave appreciate you.
Hey, ma, I love this concept. It's a whitelogger. It's
only four percent alcohol, ninety five calories, not going to get you like
hammered or bloated after work. What made you guys decide out, let's get
into the beer business here and try this. You know, there's just like
like a lot of us like we went through a craft beer phase, maybe
like a decade ago, loving the quality, loving all the cool varieties and
flavors, everything, but at the same time, getting older, metapolism,
getting slower, just wanted to kind of come back to something that was light
refreshing but still of that craft quality, you know what I mean. There's
something approachable that's like familiar about like what we love about beer, but uh
still like kind of paying you know, close attention to the ingredients and the
way that goes into it and just the care that that comes on that.
And so kind of saw an opportunity I think there and uh yeah, just
leaned into it. Did you know, either you or anyone else at Garage
Beer, did you have a beer background before this? Yeah? Yeah,
yeah I used to. Before this, I was a brand director at perhaps
Blue Ribbon, okay, and before that, I like I ran a regional
brand called Stag Beer, which is like a Midway. Yeah, so I
worked with beer for maybe half a decade at this point. Andy Sour the
owner of the brand. He has a background really like CpG packaged goods,
I think, just Dragle out of beer. Uh. He worked at Jim
Bean before this, So all right, some of that alcohol experience for sure,
and then just kind of understanding marketplace and audience and all that when you
guys were going over like the initial business plan was this a style you always
wanted to make? And you hit the nail on the head, you know,
you talked before your background with PBR and he's like that hams are having
a resurgence and newer brands like MONTUCKI are doing well. As much as I
love a barrel age, a well crafted blogger is never going out of stonech
I would think. So, yeah, no, I think from the joke,
we just kind of went in to make light, refreshing beer you could
enjoy with friends. The bread really kind of like came out of the pandemic
in a lot of ways where like the garage was sort of serving us like,
h that was the bar, you know what I mean, Yeah exactly,
or in these places where you could get together with your neighbors and your
friends and your community and just sort of like enjoy each other's time and presence.
And so that's kind of like was a big inspiring part of the brand
in itself. So yeah, from the job, just like really easy to
enjoy crushable beer. So that's what we're the business to do it for sure.
How many batches did the team you have to go through before you nailed
this recipe. That's a good question, Andy, Like, maybe it's more
like like in the developmental process, but there the beer itself have been developed
by a brewerian in Kentucky called Braxton. Okay, Andy had tried that and
just loved it and was like, yo, like I want to take this
and do more with it. You know. I think there's been some light
tweaks to that original recipe, but nothing too crazy, you know. Yeah.
I mean what I like about it too, is like it's a great
price point. It's not fourteen dollars of four pack. How important was that
price point to you guys when coming out with this. I think if you're
going to get in the mindset of people, like we're trying to get across
beer, flavored beer, live beer the way it should be, Like,
I think, not only does that evoke in my mind, like uh,
quality assertations, but also price you know what I mean. Like I hear
that, I'm like, oh, I'm not expecting to pay like you said,
fifty lucks for form or something. So I think sort of an understanding
of good price point where we can say, hey, this isn't exactly like
a craft beer, but it's a much higher quality than like the average you
know, domestic life beer. So like something that's somewhere in between. There
is where the quality falls, is where the brand falls, is where the
price falls. Yeah, like here, I'm not sure about other markets.
What when I'm looking around, I see it at around sixteen bucks a twelve
pack, you know, give or take. So I mean I think that's
a reasonable price point. Yeah, yeah, yeah, we put about at
six packs. That's allways. We have fifteen packs for the four long All
right, cool? Too bad? Well, you have the original one here
and the line. I'm going to bust open the original first time having it,
so I'm looking forward to it. Okay, as I'm busting this open,
what can you tell people about you know this beer? Well sounds good?
Yeah, great opening can? Uh? I mean, honestly, this
is just what it's about. This is what it's It says, beer flavored
beer. The can great, poor, looks pretty, taste good? Yeah,
no, it looks great. Nice Aroma. Here is this in all
walt beer to use? Good? Miss Midwestern corn as well? We got
both. I think how's it taste? Taste? Really good? Nice?
Definitely, that's classes put it in it last most of the industry. Yeah,
usually like, yeah, this is definitely a lot better than your macro,
you know, four dollars a six pack beer, and then you get
in the gas to you so this is much better. I get the nice
walt taste, the hops are good here. It's not you know, overpowering
over bitterer. This is something you can definitely crush a couple of out in
the backyard, throwing some stuff on the grill, shit like that. This
is just a rock solid beer, Thank you very much. Day. That's
what we're trying to do. We're not trying to reinvent the wheel, just
make a little bit better version of our own, you know. Yeah,
I mean I know last year I did a Father's Day show where I had
a bunch of my friends come on and they were talking about, you know,
the beer their dad's head back in the day, like yeah, and
strolls. I mean, I could see garage beer being that beer for current
dads or moms for that metal No. I love that idea. When I
work on Stagger, i'd be like, oh, my grandpa used to drink
stag, you know what I mean? And I was like, man,
that'd be cool if we could create a beer that yeah, exactly like you're
saying, many in like sixty years, people like all my grandboys to drink
that, you know, Rush Year, No, i'd be I mean some
of those brands are like American icons, some of those names you just mentioned,
you know what I mean? So oh yeah, absolutely, like in
the same breadth, you know as the real honor, and we got pair
respect to the sad the brand. So we just try to do it right
like that, you know. Yeah. Now you also have a line.
Is it just the base garage beer recipe with the added line or is that
any different? No, it's just got line in it. That's for Jimmy
Buffett fans, you know. Yeah. Do you have any other styles in
the works or y'll you know any other beers? It's just these two for
now, just these two forever, all right? Very good. What I
want to know is how did I miss what a palooza? You guys had
a golf outing in Chicago and someone want fifty two cases of beer? Right
Johnny Garage Kitty Cap in the suburbs just nailed. But dude, you know,
like fifteen pitters. I want to see it again. Beer for life,
but it was like a hundred fat but you couldn't make it. Yeah,
I woult to see garage fridge that has a huh I would I want
to see his garage fridge. Oh yeah, he had to have like a
he had like a beer Olympics at his house so his friends could come over.
So, oh sweet. We're gonna do it again though. That was
with our page Spirriax. She's the professional golf sort of celebrity. She's an
ambassador of the brand Legit pro Golfer. Just a friend and so we got
to use her to oest that event. We had another Fred Trey Wingo.
He came out of the commentary. It all came together real nice. We
get to eat steaks at the end of the night. Oh there you are.
Yeah, we had a good time. We're gonna do more of those.
H four Golf is kind of like an indoor game now with these simulator
splats because it's cold. Yeah. Do you try to do events like this
in all of your markets? Yeah, we're trying to get kind of the
signature of it in each market as we expand right now, so like we
just we're in Cleveland yesterday. We had a big tailgate party with Dick Play.
They're kind of a sports partner out there for the Steelers Browns game.
That was super fun. Working on some stuff in Nashville with Richard Rawlings,
who's like gas some lookye garage. She's another ambassador at the brand. So
yeah, we're trying to like make an impact in each market, not only
with the beer but also like with these tour events. That's sort of to
say, he like, Yo, this is what we're about, you know
what I mean, not taking things too seriously, taking the beer seriously and
like and nothing else is when I say, you know, yeah, Now
you guys are based out of Columbus, Columbus, Ohio. Oh yeah,
yeah, is that you know that's where you got to start. Do you
guys have like a tamp room there or is there anything like that in the
works. No, I don't think. So. We got a place inside
of a it's called Leisure Clubs in Columbus. It's like, okay, the
worship group you can be a part of. It's super chill. You can
come in there. They have free garage beers. If you're in the area,
sixteen ten Oak Street, come through slit. Yeah, we're not going
to have like a I don't think we'll have like a of the top place
or anything like that. We just try to get as MANI you just want
to be in your garage and your fridge, you know what I mean?
Or in the fridge and the garage. Well, you know, if you
open a tamp room, you're the marketing guy. Have a nice big garage
door open, let's eaggs out back, a grill, Gojoe soap in the
bathrooms. I think that be all right on that? All right, I'm
with that. I'll call you along the whole way there got that? I
mean you guys. In addition to this beer, which is rock solid,
you've got some sweet looking merch too. I ordered the trucker hat and that's
actually out for delivery, so I wish I had the checker hand in time.
But what other kind of shaft do you have? We got sweaters right
now for Christmas. Some of them got sleeves. Some of them not have
sleeves, which is pretty cool. We got a Christmas shirt. We got
a honic a sure, we got tap eddles. We just added because we'll
be you know, a lot of people buy garage and cakes. They want
to have it in their own garage. So they're like, what are we
gonna get pedal? I got you, So we got stuff like that.
We got flags, who will pull it up in your garage, stickers,
We're about to have some sweat pads. It's a huge water ware garage.
All your you and your old outfits be garage. And we had cants soon.
So that's like our next next big break there. But we all I
just said, man, we just added to all the time. Really all
right? Cool? Yeah, you got to get like a nice worker sure
for guys working in the garage. That's a good shout for real. Yeah,
I like that. Maybe a pat something like that. Yeah, yeah,
Referendamus out here from Kentucky heart. Yeah, yeah, that was good.
We worked at PDR together. Oh okay, sweet Yeah, I mean,
I mean both beers are really good. It's a definite. You don't
want to drink something cheap. You want to drink a good graftlogger. You
don't want to go broke doing it. I mean, garage beer is perfect.
Man, I'm digging this. I mean it's the first one I've had.
I'll definitely be picking up more of this. We love it. Thank
you very much. Yeah, and it's only what ninety five calories? So
why Pallard's four percent? Add Yeah, three grands of cards. It's nothing.
Yeah, it's perfect. You could have a couple of those, no
problem, No problem, Yeah, Corey, I really appreciate it, brother,
thanks so much for coming on. I to love this beer definitely.
You know, if you're in a Chicago area listening to it, you could
pick it up everywhere I picked it up, had an actual bottle shop boss
and cans. But looking at the website, which is Garage Beer Drink Garage
Beer dot com, you could pick it up all over the Chicago land area.
You could just pump in your zip code and you can find out all
the spots near you that you could pick this up at. But if you
like a nice, light, easy drinkable, very good logger, garage beer
needs to go in your shopping cart and in the garage. Thanks Dave,
I appreciate that. All right, Corey, take care of yourself, sir,
have a good Thanksgiving. Hey you too, happy, Holladays turn up
this program to bring you a newsplash Michael Jackson's ghost scene at a Yankees game.
Cinnamon does crunch now with a shrimp in every bite. Lil Uziird's head
Diamond has been sold on the dark Web. Stories like this and more can
be found at the ever Trending Story, a podcast where we peruse the news
and write a fun fictional story for you. Find us wherever you download podcasts
and follow us on the socials at ever Trending Pod. And we are proud
members of the Odd Pods media network. All Right, the beard that's in
front of me right now is courtesy of my friend Ray Ray. He sent
me this from the Nashville area. This is from a brewery that I'm not
sure i I've had, but I've heard many good things about Southern grist.
This is in cahoots with Elgy Coffee. This is Honeybear coffee stout. Now,
according to the can, this is oh no, y Ray, it
has lactose. But besides lactose, it has local honey, Vermont maple syrup,
cinnamon, and Elgy coffee clocks in at seven percent alcohol. So let's
have this honey Bear coffee stout. Poor is really nice? Is a nice
color, good, nice dark foam? Here, No, it's carbonated.
Well, oh, you get that big big hit of coffee, right up
front out of the aroma. It smells really good. Oh yeah, that's
got everything going on there. I mean it's all married together. Well.
I get all of the coffee, that's the predominant taste, but I definitely
get the honey and the cinnamon in there, and like the maple syrup kind
of comes in at the end. I think this is phenomenal. Let me
have some artists and shut up. Yeah, that's so good. Like on
that sip, the cinnamon was what hit me up front, But no,
this is rock solid. Got to thank my brother Ray Ray for sending me
this from Southern christ This is really good. If you're in the Nashville area
or wherever they distribute and you see Honeybear coffee stout, you definitely need to
put this one in the cart. All right, that's gonna put a nice
shiny bow on this episode of Beer in Front. I thank you for listening.
I want to thank Corey Smail from Garage Brewing again for coming on and
talking about their beer. If you're looking for a nice logger and it won't
break the bank, check out Garage Beer. If you have any beer ideas
or comments, please email me. Dave atberinfront dot com, or you could
find me on all the social media channels at beer in Front. Have a
great week, I'll see you soon, and remember sometimes the beer in front
of you is the best one yet