Appreciating the Art and Science of Beer w/ Black Horizon Brewing (Plus: Is Dark Beer Always Heavy?)

Alex Stankus of Black Horizon Brewing discusses his brewing process and how science can help you enjoy your beer more.

02:54 Beer Myth: When it comes to dark beers like stouts, are they always heavier and do they always have more alcohol? Brian, Katherine, and Alex reveal the truth behind this myth, explain what makes dark beers dark, and make dark beers more approachable than ever.

08:49 Black Horizon Brewing: Before talking about beer, Alex talks about his tattoos and speculates on why so many brewers seem to have them. He then discusses his journey from gourmet foods to craft beers, including the first beer that got him interested in homebrewing. He shares tips for homebrewers and a detailed look at what it means to be one, as well as the challenges he faced when scaling from homebrewing to running an actual brewery. Plus: what are beer slushies and why does a strawberry pineapple lager flavored slushy sound so irresistibly delicious right now? Alex also shares some “Oktoberfarce” beers with Brian and Katherine and explains how it gets its unique flavor profile.

44:34 This Week in Bad Customer Behavior: Katherine shares a story from her early days as a brewery co-owner, when a customer didn’t recognize that she was in management… or, indeed, in a position the customer had any respect for whatsoever. She and Alex then chat about the ups and downs of having conversations with customers who don’t know how important they are when it comes to running the business they’re visiting.

About Black Horizon Brewing Company: Black-owned brewery and taproom in Willowbrook, Illinois. Learn more on their website at https://www.blackhorizonbrewing.com/

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In this episode, you’ll hear about: dark beers, beer myths, milkshake IPAs, the craft beer industry, tattoo collecting, the brewing process, scaling a brewery, beer slushies, strawberry pineapple lager beer slushy, high gravity brewing, beer styles, brewing preferences, sexism in the bar, bad customer behavior, brewery recommendations, beer brewing techniques, craft brewing, black-owned breweries, beer collaborations, and the craft beer industry.