Ever wondered if your website is working well for you? There are specific things that the bar and restaurant industry need to make sure their online presence in their website is doing the best that it can to help their business. Kelsey Gilbert-Kreiling has built a community and a business around designing amazing websites and teaching others to do so with the Week of the Website. She joins me to share her story as she moved through the male-dominated tech space and grew a small business that was woman-led and a force to be reckoned with. Important Links Week of the Website Squarespace from S ..read more

Born with strong German roots, Anna and Wendelin came up through the entertainment industry in the US, following their passions for film and music. But over the years on the road they fell in love with whiskey. In 2023 they set their sights on building a new brand and a new beverage that builds a community around whiskey and is open and accessible to all. Lodestar Whiskey was born and these ladies are full steam ahead! lodestar (noun) : a star that leads or guides; one that serves as an inspiration, model, or guide Lodestar Whiskey Instagram: lodestarwhiskey Special Mentions: Distill Ventur ..read more

Born with strong German roots, Anna and Wendelin came up through the entertainment industry in the US, following their passions for film and music. But over the years on the road they fell in love with whiskey. In 2023 they set their sights on building a new brand and a new beverage that builds a community around whiskey and is open and accessible to all. Lodestar Whiskey was born and these ladies are full steam ahead! lodestar (noun) : a star that leads or guides; one that serves as an inspiration, model, or guide Lodestar Whiskey Instagram: lodestarwhiskey Special Mentions: Distill Ventur ..read more

Today I have some news to share - that South City Ciderworks is closing its doors and shutting down production permanently. This has been a painful journey over the last month and I know that it is not over yet. But through it all I have had this podcast, and I have more yet to share, assuming I don’t start feeling like a total imposter. Thank you to Tony Stuck for the awesome intro/outro music and to Mary Ann King for the amazing pod art that you see for every episode. If you’ve enjoyed this episode, please subscribe, rate, and review to help out this podcast! 5 stars goes a long long way an ..read more

DC Brau has been a gold standard in craft beer in DC for more than a decade. During that time Paulette Palacios has moved up through the beer scene, learning all the ins and outs of beer buying and building a network within the industry. Today they head up the taproom for the DC Brau Brewery and are instrumental in supporting diversity and equality initiatives in the beer industry across the region. Paulette sits down with me to share how they got here, walk me through a day in the life, and announce what’s on the horizon. Notes: DMV = The Washington metropolitan region that encompasses the D ..read more

Amberlee and her husband landed in the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia for college and have now made their mark by launching the first cidery in town. Together they built a local network, organically grew a business during a pandemic, and now have a thriving space for cidermaking, the arts, and the community. She has built the vision that is Sage Bird Ciderworks and they are crushing it. Literally and figuratively. Special Mentions: Sage Bird Ciderworks CIDER STORE! BOTTLE CLUB! Glaize Orchards Virginia Cider Association The Apple House (Linden, VA) - GO VISIT! Thank you to Tony Stuck for the ..read more

I talk a lot about the village in the cider world, and in beer, and in spirits. Michelle Mandro is building a network and a community within the wine world to support and highlight the work and successes of women across the wine industry. Wine Country Women has built a network, printed beautiful books featuring women in wine and spearheads scholarships and mentorships to support members at every level. We talk about what it’s like to be the first to build a network like this and what it takes and why it’s important to bring women together. Wine Country Women Special Mentions: American Insti ..read more

Sarah Real is a self-taught home brewer out of Brooklyn who, along with her husband, took the giant leap and founded a commercial brewery in the Berkshires in Massachusetts. She loves fermenting traditional beers but also highlighting the ingredients and pushing the flavor profile to construct new and interesting brews. She joins me to share her brewing journey and what it took to set up a taproom for Hot Plate Brewing Company and a community of their own.   Hot Plate Brewing @hotplatebeer Special Mentions: Northeast Grainshed Alliance Turner Hill Malting Co. Valley Malt Four Star Ho ..read more

In 2017 when we were a couple years into South City Ciderworks we launched an effort to find a new location for a taproom/tasting room. We looked up the peninsula and down the peninsula. We looked at our own location and down in South Bay. So many places and so many letdowns. I’m stepping back in time to share our tale of shopping around for a taproom for our cidery and all the reasons it never worked out. I’d like to think it shines some light on where we were going with the brand. And in the end with COVID, it all might have been a blessing in disguise. But we’ll never know! Thank you to Ton ..read more

It’s all about the Power of One! Katy Dang of Cider Sister’s Cider in Idaho has stayed true to the traditional cidermaking processes of old and as a one woman business has built a brand and a following around her cider. Her path took her from one coast to another and across the pond and back. Join us as she shares what she has learned along the way and how she keeps it real and keeps it simple with her aged dry cider. Cider Sister's Cider Resources: Washington State University Extension - Cider Research and Education Oregon State University - Wine, Beer, Cider and Spirits Thank you to Tony ..read more