One Iconic Beer

One Iconic Beer: Behind the Scenes

All About Beer — Mon, 19 Oct 2026 11:04:20 -0400

In this episode, we’re doing something different. John Holl, the editor of All About Beer and the producer of this show, is going to join Jeff to discuss iconic beers. Now that we've recorded 7 episodes of the show, it's worth taking a step back and considering the concept of a classic or iconic.

We're also going to discuss storytelling and the way a good iconic beer has something to say. With history, agriculture, brewing processes, wars, laws, and even marketing, iconic beers have rich stories. It's the job of the brewery to make a great beer, but we're tasked with finding the reason that beer matters.

You'll get a demonstration of this process midway through the show as John makes the case for an unlikely icon, so listen for that. And looking forward, we're in the process of lining up a slate of future shows, so expect the story of another iconic beer next month.

Visit AllAboutBeer.com for more podcasts, to read original articles, and to get info on upcoming events.

Click here to support independent journalism covering the beer industry.

This episode is sponsored by:

RahrBSG
This episode of the One Iconic Beer podcast is supported by RahrBSG – trusted supplier to brewers, distillers, and beverage makers across North America. From the barley field to your brewhouse, we’re proud to support the people behind great beer with the ingredients, expertise, and service they depend on. Whether you’re brewing the next great American Double IPA or crafting an award-winning continental lager, RahrbSG provides the industry’s finest quality, selection, and support. Behind every great – or even iconic – pint, there is a partner who knows what it takes to make it happen. RahrBSG is proud to keep the beer flowing with you.

All About Beer
At All About Beer, we’re honored to share the stories that define the beer community, and we couldn’t do it without the generous support of our underwriting sponsors. Their commitment helps sustain independent beer journalism, allowing us to highlight the people, places, and passion behind every pint. Their partnership ensures these stories continue to inspire, connect, and celebrate the craft we all love. Join our underwriters today and help make an impact on independent journalism covering the beer industry.

Escarpment Labs
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Host: Jeff Alworth
Guest: John Holl
Sponsor: Escarpment Labratories, RahrBSG, All About Beer
Tags: Michelob Ultra, Orval, History, Sales
Logo Design: Jeff Quinn

The following music was used for this media project:

Lounge R&B Piano
By Music_for_videos

https://pixabay.com/music/rnb-lounge-rampb-piano-166431/

One Iconic Beer: Pliny the Elder

All About Beer — Sun, 18 Oct 2026 19:56:34 -0400

American IPAs have been brewed up and down the West Coast for over 45 years. In that time, they changed a lot. One of the most important moments for the style's evolution came in 1999, when Russian River released an early example of a double IPA. Pliny the Elder used techniques we now consider completely standard, but which were uncommon and even controversial then. In today's episode of One Iconic Beer, we hear from the beer's creator, Russian River co-founder Vinnie Cilurzo, and another West Coast legend, former Stone brewmaster and author of the book IPA, Mitch Steele. They tell the story of Pliny the Elder and the development of IPAs in the United States.

Visit AllAboutBeer.com for more podcasts, to read original articles, and to get info on upcoming events.

Click here to support independent journalism covering the beer industry.

This episode is sponsored by:

Host: Jeff Alworth
Guests: Vinnie Cilurzo, Mitch Steele
Sponsor: Escarpment Labratories, RahrBSG, All About Beer
Tags: Russian River Brewing Co. Pliny the Elder, IPA
Logo Design: Jeff Quinn

The following music was used for this media project:

Lounge R&B Piano
By Music_for_videos

https://pixabay.com/music/rnb-lounge-rampb-piano-166431/

One Iconic Beer: Pilsner Urquell

All About Beer — Sun, 18 Oct 2026 19:54:49 -0400

One beer “gave us a vocabulary that includes the word pilsner for a style of beer, the word pilsner for a type of malt, and the word pilsner for a type of glassware,” observes the Prague-based writer Evan Rail. “No other brewery has had that type of impact,” he concludes.

He isn’t exaggerating. It’s hard to argue that any other brewery or beer has had a greater impact on the world than Pilsner Urquell, the subject of this episode of One Iconic Beer. Among the first golden lagers ever made, it would soon spark a wave of imitators that would spread around the world, a legacy we can see in every pub and store that servers beer.

How did a brand-new brewery located in a small Bohemian town with no history of making lagers pull off this trick? And what was so special about the original pilsner that has allowed it to flourish for nearly two centuries?

We’ll hear from Rail, who has written more extensively about Czech beer than any English-language writer, about the breweries origins and its development over decades filled with revolution, war, and turmoil. We also hear from Kamil Ruzek, a brewer who has spent the past 24 years at the brewery. He takes us into the brewery and shows us how things work.

Join us for the remarkable story of the world’s most influential beer on this episode of One Iconic Beer.

Visit AllAboutBeer.com for more podcasts, to read original articles, and to get info on upcoming events.

Click here to support independent journalism covering the beer industry.

This episode is sponsored by:

Host: Jeff Alworth
Guests: Kamil Ruzek and Evan Rail
Sponsor: Escarpment Labratories, RahrBSG, All About Beer
Tags: Pilsner Urquell
Logo Design: Jeff Quinn

The following music was used for this media project:

Lounge R&B Piano
By Music_for_videos

https://pixabay.com/music/rnb-lounge-rampb-piano-166431/

One Iconic Beer: New Glarus Wisconsin Belgian Red

All About Beer — Sat, 17 Oct 2026 08:50:14 -0400

In 1993, Deb and Dan Carey released Wisconsin Belgian Red, the third beer they made at their new Wisconsin brewery, New Glarus. It was one of the country’s first “sour” ales, and it created quite a stir, and not just because it was so unusual. The Careys weren’t on a momentary flight of fancy. Rather, Dan Carey, the brewer, had been experimenting with wild ales for six years, and they intended Wisconsin Belgian Red to be a key part of their portfolio. Thirty three years later, it still is. On this episode, we’re going to hear from Jeff Sparrow and Dan Carey about how these old, almost extinct methods jumped the ocean to the United States to become an enduring part of craft brewing. No beer was more critical in developing interest in wild ales than New Glarus Wisconsin Belgian Red, and this is its story.

Visit AllAboutBeer.com for more podcasts, to read original articles, and to get info on upcoming events.

Click here to support independent journalism covering the beer industry.

This episode is sponsored by:

Host: Jeff Alworth
Guests: Dan Carey, Jeff Sparrow
Sponsor: Escarpment Labratories, RahrBSG, All About Beer
Tags: New Glarus
Logo Design: Jeff Quinn

The following music was used for this media project:

Lounge R&B Piano
By Music_for_videos

https://pixabay.com/music/rnb-lounge-rampb-piano-166431/

One Iconic Beer: Bass Ale

All About Beer — Sat, 17 Oct 2026 08:48:41 -0400

On this episode, you'll hear the remarkable story of Bass Pale Ale. This story begins at the dawn of the industrial age, and charts Bass’s rise as one of the first global brewing brands. Over the course of two centuries, its pale ales evolved to meet the times, and today we know Bass as one of Britain’s classic cask ales—a beer enjoying a current renaissance among the country’s pubs.

In many ways, in telling the story of Bass, we’re recounting the history of brewing in Britain over the past two centuries: its technological and industrial rise, the collapse that befell the giants over the past generation, and, perhaps, an encouraging revival.

You'll hear from Harry White, who started at Bass in the research and development department in 1977. He would become Director of Quality Assurance in 1989, and stayed with the company until 2007. Today he is the chairman of the National Brewery Heritage Trust in Burton Upon Trent. You'll also hear from Pete Brown, one of the most celebrated beer writers in the world and the author of over a dozen books, including his most recent, Tasting Notes – The Art and Science of Pairing Beer and Music.

It’s an amazing brewery and an amazing story, all befitting one of the world’s most iconic beers.

Visit AllAboutBeer.com for more podcasts, to read original articles, and to get info on upcoming events.

Click here to support independent journalism covering the beer industry.

This episode is sponsored by:

Host: Jeff Alworth
Guests: Harry White, Pete Brown
Sponsor: Escarpment Labratories, RahrBSG, All About Beer
Tags: Bass Ale
Logo Design: Jeff Quinn

The following music was used for this media project:

Lounge R&B Piano
By Music_for_videos

https://pixabay.com/music/rnb-lounge-rampb-piano-166431/

One Iconic Beer: The Alchemist's Heady Topper

All About Beer — Fri, 16 Oct 2026 08:52:44 -0400

If you stop into most breweries and nearly any bar or restaurant in New England today, you’re going to see an IPA on the menu, and it will almost certainly be hazy. New England has one of the most distinctive beer cultures in the US. It wasn’t always like this, however. In fact, until about fifteen years ago, most New Englanders had never really encountered a hop.

The Alchemist’s Heady Topper, the subject of today's episode of One Iconic Beer. John Kimmich started The Alchemist in 2003 with his wife Jen, and within months was making a beer that many people credit as the first hazy New England IPA. It’s a funny thing about firsts, though. As we’ll hear in the interview, Kimmich is uneasy with this description. Heady Topper may have sparked a region-wide culture shift, but it doesn’t really resemble the beers that follow. Today we’ll hear the story of Heady Topper, why its fans think it’s so good, why it was the right beer at the right time, and how serendipity played a starring role in the form of a hurricane, a flood, and a new canning line.

In addition to John Kimmich, we’ll hear from Jason Alstrom, one of the co-founders of Boston-based BeerAdvocate. In the early days of the internet, the site became a nexus of discussion and organization and helped create the excitement that led to, among other things, the haze craze that would engulf New England. We’ll also hear from Andy Crouch, publisher of All About Beer magazine, and a writer who has covered the New England beer scene since moving there in the early 2000s.

Visit AllAboutBeer.com for more podcasts, to read original articles, and to get info on upcoming events.

Click here to support independent journalism covering the beer industry.

This episode is sponsored by:

Host: Jeff Alworth
Guests: John Kimmich, Jason Alström, Andy Crouch
Sponsor: Escarpment Labratories, RahrBSG, All About Beer
Tags: Heady Topper
Logo Design: Jeff Quinn
Photo: by John Holl

The following music was used for this media project:

Lounge R&B Piano
By Music_for_videos

https://pixabay.com/music/rnb-lounge-rampb-piano-166431/

One Iconic Beer: Tipopils

All About Beer — Fri, 16 Oct 2026 08:50:45 -0400

Walk into a taproom today, and you might see “Italian pilsner” listed on the menu. Have you ever wondered where Italian pilsners came from? Surely this isn’t a reference to Peroni or Moretti, those old 19th century Italian beers? No. The style is more recent—thirty years old in 2026—and it dates back to the earliest days of Italian craft brewing. In a small village ten miles south of Como, Italy, Agostino Arioli established Birrificio Italiano. It was the first Italian craft brewery, beating Baladin by three months.

On today’s podcast, we’re going to explore the story of Birrificio Italiano’s Tipopils. It is largely responsible for creating the template for what we now call “Italian pilsners.” We’re going to talk to Augostino Arioli, the founder of Italiano, and how he came to make his influential dry-hopped lager. We’ll also hear from Matt Brynildson, Brewmaster at Firestone Walker, and the man who did more than any other brewer to popularize Italian pilsners. In 2013, Firestone released Pivo Pils, one of the key beers that helped create an enduring market for what we sometimes call craft lagers. That beer was heavily influenced by Tipopils, and in turn helped bring it even more popularity.

Visit AllAboutBeer.com for more podcasts, to read original articles, and to get info on upcoming events.

Click here to support independent journalism covering the beer industry.

Host: Jeff Alworth
Guests: Augostino Arioli, Matt Brynildson
Sponsor: Escarpment Labratories, All About Beer
Tags: Tipopils
Logo Design: Jeff Quinn
Photo: Matt Brynildson

The following music was used for this media project:

Lounge R&B Piano
By Music_for_videos

https://pixabay.com/music/rnb-lounge-rampb-piano-166431/

One Iconic Beer: Allagash White

All About Beer — Thu, 15 Oct 2026 15:59:57 -0400

On this premiere episode we examine Allagash White, perhaps the world's most iconic interpretation of this classic Belgian style. Yet what we think of witbier today is a recent reinvention of an older, wilder style of beer brewed in the village of Hoegaarden.
In this episode, we'll hear from author Stan Hieronymus, whose Brewing With Wheat offers the definitive history of the style. Hieronymus situates the witbier style in Belgian's brewing history, and explains how it hopped the Atlantic to land in Portland, Maine.
We also hear from Rob Tod, the man who founded Allagash specifically to brew the famous style from Hoegaarden. Tod founded Allagash 31 years ago, and in that time, his flagship has become a Maine standard.
This is the story of witbier, the story of Allagash, and our first iconic beer.

Visit AllAboutBeer.com for more podcasts, to read original articles, and to get info on upcoming events.

Click here to support independent journalism covering the beer industry.

Host: Jeff Alworth
Guests: Stan Hieronymus, Rob Tod
Sponsor: Escarpment Labratories, All About Beer
Tags: Allagash White
Logo Design: Jeff Quinn

The following music was used for this media project:

Lounge R&B Piano
By Music_for_videos

https://pixabay.com/music/rnb-lounge-rampb-piano-166431/

Introducing One Iconic Beer with Jeff Alworth

All About Beer — Thu, 15 Oct 2026 15:52:32 -0400

A note from Jeff Alworth: "I am very excited to announce the launch of a new podcast: “One Iconic Beer.” The first episode will go live on Monday, and we’re busy putting together the second episode, which will follow in a month. Anyone familiar with my “Making of a Classic” series on this blog will gather the main idea. We’ll be looking at a single beer and unpacking why it has become an icon through its history, accomplishment, cultural impact, and influence.

The idea for the podcast came from All About Beer editor John Holl and, full disclosure, my friend. AAB will host the podcast and John has agreed to following me down a slightly more ambitious path than he might have bargained for. We’re going to interview a couple people to tell these stories; someone from the brewery who can give a personal account of the beer and describe how it’s made, and someone who can reflect on the broader story, providing historical background and the reason for the beer’s stature. I don’t know that he planned on an involved editing process when he pitched the idea, but he was game to give it a shot. I hope the result is richer story than any single person could provide."

Tune in starting for the first episode featuring Allagash White.