209: Kelvin Kolheim of Beale Street Connects Through Flavor

Beale Street Brewing founder Kelvin Kolheim has always been a flavor enthusiast. From coffee and tea to different culinary traditions, he’s spent his life sampling and filing away those memories of flavor. Today, with his small beer brand—soon to have a brewery home of its own—Kolheim pulls from that vast mental library as he designs beers to connect with a variety of people, from adventurous drinkers to those who might not consider themselves craft beer fans at all. The common thread, of course, is flavor.

In this episode, Kolheim discusses:

• his process of reverse-engineering flavors
• the creative process from start to finish—or finish to start, in some cases
• lowering bitterness and warming up the tone with elements such as honey malt
• brewing hazy IPAs with modern hop products on the hot side and traditional dry hopping
• building acid-forward fruit beers without a Lacto souring process
• the additive method for finding the right balance of ingredients

Among other topics, he also dives into the ways in which the brewery connects with the community by honoring influential public figures—such as musicians, sports stars, and more—but always respectfully and with permission. From soul to blues to hip hop, Beale Street Brewing connects legendary music to great beer.

*This episode is brought to you by: *

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