We are rounding the corner to the fresh hop finale of 2026. Some of the year’s best and most anticipated releases are hitting shelves, and Ron just got back from making his own collab fresh hop beers — the perfect time to crack a few cans of our favorites and catch up!

While sipping on a few incredible beers from Grains of Wrath, Single Hill, Lumberbeard, and more, Ron fills us in on some of his Yakima adventures: morning coffee at Single Hill, farm tours, and getting lost with his doppelgänger and Astoria legend Dwayne Smallwood from the world-famous Bridge and Tunnel Bottleshop.

Tune in for fresh hop recommendations, some audience questions, and, of course, Matt’s tipsy speculations on the future of fresh hop season.

Tap, tap, tap

Alright, Grit & Grainers! Please email us at cheers@gritandgrainpodcast.com with your comments, opinions, and favorite 2026 fresh hop beers. You can subscribe to GGP on YouTube, Amazon, Apple Music, Spotify, Google Play, and iHeartRadio, and please leave us a review. Be sure to also follow us on Facebook and Instagram.

If this podcast is not what you expected, please alter your expectations. No such thing as a bad time to visit Tacoma. No such thing as too much barleywine. Tune in next Friday for more sweet chatter. Cheers!

The post Episode 208: Fresh Hop Check-In appeared first on Grit & Grain Podcast.

It’s time for homebrewing world update! There are some rumors going around that a few local homebrew supply shops may be nearing their respective finish lines (unless any listeners with a little investment capital and an eagerness to answer beer nerd questions all day have any to say about out it? Hmmm?). And it is, of course, fresh hop season! For which the Brown’s Point Homebrew Club tends to be especially well-known.

This week Tristan McCoy hopped on the mic to discuss the potential of these local shop closures. Where might an eager home brewer get their supplies and ingredients? How can a local homebrew club help connect home brewers with commercial brewers who might be able to help? And what might the discipline look like when we don’t have local business owners to shepherd the nerds. On top of that, we get to try some fantastic homebrewed fresh hop beers including Tristan’s award-winning Dolcita fresh hop, some Logan collabs, and more.

Tap, tap, tap

Alright, Grit & Grainers! Please email us at cheers@gritandgrainpodcast.com with your comments, opinions, and where to find a sparge pot. You can subscribe to GGP on YouTube, Amazon, Apple Music, Spotify, Google Play, and iHeartRadio, and please leave us a review. Be sure to also follow us on Facebook and Instagram.

If this podcast is not what you expected, please alter your expectations. No such thing as a bad time to visit Tacoma. No such thing as too much barleywine. Tune in next Friday for more sweet chatter. Cheers!

The post Episode 209: Who Needs a Ladder When You have Hops? with Tristan McCoy appeared first on Grit & Grain Podcast.

This week’s episode will be a little different than usual. As many of you may know, this has been a complicated few weeks for our friends at E9 Brewing. Since the reveal of some rather unsavory political contributions by members of the ownership team, we’ve heard quite a bit from local politicians, upset community members, and wealthy property owners. But, we haven’t had the opportunity to hear much from the actual employees — the people making the beer, pouring your pints, and delivering your kegs; people who are, undoubtedly, the most affected by this entire situation.

This week our best buddy and Grit & Grain co-founder Sean Jackson and long-time beer industry professional Grace Zigweid sat down for a beer and walked us through their experience these last few weeks as employees of E9. Tune in to get an extra perspective from inside E9’s walls from members of the team that have worked for years to make that space as welcoming and inclusive as possible, which begs the question: Who does a brewery really belong to?

This is a real conversation with folks still processing a heartbreaking incident that has turned their world’s upside down. Please keep comments respectful.

Vote with your wallets.

Support trans rights.

‘Stand with ALL community members who might be negatively affected by business owner’s actions.

The post Episode 205: Let’s Talk About E9 appeared first on Grit & Grain Podcast.