Herlinda Heras is traveling again, this time she is calling in from Coimbra, Portugal. It is located in central Portugal, north of Lisbon and south of Porto. It has been a university town since the Middle Ages and it still is. Its university is one of the oldest in Europe.  Herlinda is in Coimbra to judge in the Brew Coimbra Festival all weekend. She has noticed that there are a lot of Americans in Portugal right now, on the streets and in public locales. Home prices have doubled since 2019, and Portugal is a new hot spot for Americans (and also lots of Europeans) to retire or to have a vacation home. The Portuguese brewing industry is well developed. Also, they are known for wine and especially for Port wine. They also make Portuguese Grape Ale. One of them is the winner of the […]

Anderson Valley’s new Pilsner is the subject as Kevin McGhee and Fal Allen from Anderson Valley Brewing join Harry Duke on Brew Ha Ha today. Also in the studio for the conversation is cognac expert Frank Jacuba. This episode is all about Anderson Valley Brewing. Visit this other podcast episode to hear their conversation about cognac, from the same live show. Anderson Valley Brewing has just launched a new Pilsner beer, which is now in national distribution for the first time in their 35-year history. Fal Allen tells about how they wanted this to be a traditional Pils, with a strong malt backbone and not too hoppy. Anderson Valley started in 1987, so it celebrates 35 years this December. They focus on classic West Coast style IPA. They distribute nationally and internationally. Kevin’s family purchased the brewery in December of 2019, just before the […]

Frank Jacuba joins Harry Duke in the studio today on Brew Ha Ha, he is a cognac expert who is in today while Herlinda Heras is in France visiting the Cognac region. Also in the studio today are Kevin McGhee and Fal Allen from Anderson Valley Brewing. They have just launched a new Pilsner beer, which is now in national distribution or the first time in their 35 year history. Turn to this other podcast episode for their entire conversation with Harry Duke about the new Anderson Valley Brewing Pilsner. Frank Jacuba presents two samples of D’Usse cognac, a VSOP and an XO. He begins by describing the first cognac, the Vsop, and discusses its history and style. He describes one of his favorite ways of enjoying cognac, which is with thin slices of Parmigiano Reggiano cheese and a bit of honey. You can […]

Herlinda Heras calls from Belgium to talk to Harry Duke about her travels in France and Belgium on Brew Ha Ha today. Herlinda is calling in live from Halle, Belgium, where it is 2 am. It’s near the capital, Bruxelles. Drie Fontanen brewery is located there, and Pete Slosberg is celebrating his birthday there tomorrow. Pete Slosberg has been on Brew Ha Ha before. He was a ground-breaking brewer and marketer in the 1980s before craft beer was a thing. Pete’s Wicked Ale was an early craft beer from before it was called that. They were known as micro-brewers back then. There are people from all over the world who have gathered there for Pete Slosberg’s birthday party. They had a dinner for 24 people that evening with lots of local craft beers on the menu and a special birthday brew. Herlinda also visited […]

Fogbelt Brewing co-founders Paul Hawley and Remy Martin are our guests on Brew Ha Ha with Harry Duke and Herlinda Heras. Remy starts with the history of Fogbelt. They both grew up in Healdsburg and their fathers were winemakers. They worked a southern hemisphere harvest where they started home brewing on the side. He took the Master Brewer degree at UC Davis while Paul went to work at his family’s winery. 10 years later they opened in 2014. Their taproom on Cleveland Avenue in Healdsburg is not in a part of town with a lot of foot traffic, so people who come there have made the trip to get good beer, they don’t wander in off the street. They have really grown in the kitchen with a new chef and new recipes. Having begun thinking that they should make lighter lagers but they have […]

Jeffery House, founder of Ace Cider and Becky Bartling, CEO of the Sonoma County Fair join Harry Duke and Herlinda Heras on Brew Ha Ha today. Jeffery was on Brew Ha Ha two years ago on this episode of July 9, 2020 along with his partner Ed McGrath. He was the first to bring British style cider to California. Before that he was importing British beers. He sold to Vintage Wine Estates of Santa Rosa. They have also bought another facility in Ohio where they will be making cider. They have installed a high-speed canning line which allows them to do 4000 cases of cans per day. The Nor-Cal Brew Fest is back this year and so is the Gravenstein Apple Fair. Ace Cider is approaching its 30th anniversary with a special bottling in champagne bottles. They have just added 15,000 square feet and […]

Easy Rider in Petaluma is the subject of this repeat podcast episode, as The Brew Crew is taking a break this first week of August and there is no new show today. This repeat show from Nov. 4, 2021 is in two parts. This part focusses exclusively on Dustin Sullivan’s news about his plans to open a new restaurant in Petaluma called Easy Rider. This other part reproduces the whole conversation with the other guests.  Erin Hinze, Mike Barber and Dustin Sullivan all join Harry Duke and Herlinda Heras on Brew Ha Ha. Erin is the founder of Bitter Girl Bitters. Mike Barber is a partner in Barber Lee Spirits distillery in Petaluma. Dustin Sullivan is here to announce his second restaurant to open soon in Petaluma. He also owns and operates Guesthouse in Larkspur, which the website describes as, “…local ingredients / wood […]

The Brew Crew is taking a break this week and there is no new show, so for the podcast here is a show that was first aired and recorded on Nov. 4, 2021. Erin Hinze from Bitter Girl Bitters and Mike Barber from Barber Lee Spirits distillery in Petaluma join Harry Duke and Herlinda Heras today on Brew Ha Ha. Also, Dustin Sullivan is in, to announce the opening of his second restaurant. Erin was on Brew Ha Ha three and a half years ago, on this episode of May 17, 2018. Mike Barber’s wife organizes the Petaluma Holiday Food Fair. There are lots of vendors including Bitter Girl Bitters, The Spice Queen and many others. You can do Christmas shopping at the Petaluma Hotel and have a cocktail too. (The 2021 edition took place on Nov. 23; look for the 2022 edition at […]

The Wine Country Distillery Festival takes center stage on Brew Ha Ha with Harry Duke and Herlinda Heras today, with Lindsay Musco and Doralice Handal. Lindsay Musco is the founder of the Wine Country Distillery Festival and Doralice Handal is representing Les Dames d’Escoffier today. Together they are hosting the VIP section at the Wine Country Distillery Festival. Chris Matthise, from Sonoma Brothers Distilling is also in, with beverages. The Wine Country Distillery Festival is August 13 at the Luther Burbank Center for the Arts, on the East Lawn. This time it is an outdoor summertime event and this is a new location for them. They will have more vendors, a stage with live music, a cocktail competition and a silent auction to benefit the Robert Ferguson Observatory. Tickets for the VIP Oasis section are $123 and regular admission is $88. They also offer […]

Keita Tominaga from the renowned Japanese restaurant Hana, in Rhonert Park is our guest on Brew Ha Ha today. Steve Jaxon is in the studio for the interview, as are Harry Duke and Herlinda Heras. Keita is the oldest son of Ken Tominaga, who founded Hana. He has been cooking since he was 19 and has been the executive chef at Hana for over a year. His father passed away last May and everyone mourns his loss and misses him very much. Ken Tominaga opened Hana before Keita was born. Originally the place was very small, and was based on traditional Japanese menu. Gradually it became so well known that it is considered perhaps the best Japanese restaurant in northern California. The Hana Sake Bar Hana has a Sake bar, which is a newer part of the restaurant. Long after opening, when they remodeled […]