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Herlinda, Ron, Barry and Kim.
Barry Bicker, Moonlight Brewing co-owner and President, joins Herlinda Heras and her other guests on Brew Ha Ha. Also in the studio for today’s show are Ron Silberstein and Kim Sturdevant from Admiral Maltings. This is part two of their conversation. Part one is right here.
On September 19, Admiral Maltings is putting on a promotion called “It’s the Malt!” Moonlight Brewing will be one of the breweries at the party on September 19.
Moonlight Brewing Co. will be holding their 34th anniversary party, on Saturday, August 29. Brian Hunt founded Moonlight Brewing in 1992. They are releasing a new beer called Deep Cut Lager, with Deep Cut Cascade hops from Yakima Valley. They have DJs and live bands. It is family friendly and dog friendly.
Herlinda first met Barry Bicker when he was at Lagunitas. She remembers bringing Moonlight and Lagunitas to a beer festival in Lithuania. The Moonlight beer never got out of customs, but the Lagunitas got through and it was a hit. They were so excited to get Lagunitas which they had only heard of at that time. Sweden was Lagunitas’ first export market. Herlinda met Ron when he was doing Thirsty Bear Beer in San Francisco. Unfortunately, the pandemic got it.
Change Is the Only Constant
Herlinda has seen so many changes in the craft brewing business since she started doing this show over a decade ago. Firestone-Walker has taken over the brewing for Stong. She has seen Kim’s career progress too through several different breweries. Herlinda noticed a comment on Sayre Pietroski’s blog saying that things are going local. The guests agree.
Visit Russian River Brewing Co. in Santa Rosa on 4th St. and at their big Windsor location. Check out their website and socials for up-to-date hours, menus, beers and more.
As people drink lower ABV beers, lagers are more popular again. Hop farmers are also planting grain. Growing barley is a great rotator crop for farmers. Some people can make beer from hops and grain from the same farm.
As the great imaginary pendulum of changing tastes swings slowly back and forth, lagers and subtle flavors are more popular again.
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Herlinda notices how the careers of her three guests have progressed. Barry sees more consolidation happening, but not for Moonlight. They believe that local is important and there is more quality and good, fresh products. There is great beer being brewed in a lot of places now. But now that people are used to having craft beer, the bar is set higher for quality. Also, the personal touch of local people is priceless.
They taste a Moonlight beer called Working for Tips, which is flavored with the tips of redwood trees. Ron says it is the best non-hopped beer he has ever tasted. Brews have been flavored with spruce and juniper branches in Nordic countries.