June 17, 2025 • 32 mins
Today on Brewsers, we talk to Stephen with Bear Chase Brewing in Bluemont ,Virginia. We talk about how they got started, the beautiful grounds they’re on, and so much more. Follow us on instagram and twitter at Brewserspod. Like, share, review, enjoy and cheers. #brewsers #brewserspod #Enjoylife #DrinkLocal #Cheers
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Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:19):
We welcome to the Bruisers podcasts about beer, coffee, booze
and Bruisers. I am your host, Troy John and today
we talked to Steven with Bear Chase Brewing in Bluemont, Virginia.
We talk about how they got started, their beautiful grounds
they're on, and so much more. This is such a
fun conversation and I cannot wait to get back to
the Virginia DZ area because this place is absolutely beautiful.
Throat in your Google machine you will be blown away
(00:41):
by the scenery and their beer is fantastic as well. So,
without further ado, here is Stephen with a Bear Chase
Brewing in Bluemont, Virginia. I would like to welcome to
(01:03):
the show Steven with bear Chase Brewing. How are you
doing today, sir?
Speaker 2 (01:06):
I'm being excellent, Thanks for having.
Speaker 3 (01:07):
Me, Thanks for being on here. So for those of
listing kind of paintings the word picture, where are you at?
What's going on around you?
Speaker 2 (01:13):
Bear Chase Brewing Company is a farm brewery.
Speaker 4 (01:16):
We are located on about thirty acres in western London
County in Virginia. We are about the side almost the
top of a mountain. We have gorgeous views, award winning beer,
and some great food as well.
Speaker 3 (01:30):
Very nice. So let's go all the way back in time.
What is your earliest memory of beer?
Speaker 4 (01:34):
I think my reliest memory of beer will probably be
getting my dad his beers.
Speaker 2 (01:39):
I think my dad is victorious for sending me to
the fridge. Back then. My dad drank both types of beers,
both Cores and Coors Light. M h. But I think that,
as I reflected in my years of drinking, in my
early phases, beer was always connected with celebration.
Speaker 4 (01:59):
I was always to friends and family and being around moments,
and it was just the.
Speaker 2 (02:07):
Icing on the cake, if you will.
Speaker 4 (02:08):
They have a great beers as you're hanging out, and
whether it be in the backyard or the beach, or
the mountains or anywhere you were right.
Speaker 3 (02:15):
Or even like you know, like you said, as you
get older and you actually start genuinely enjoying the beers,
you just want to be like, Hey, I got this
new beer. I want you guys to try it.
Speaker 4 (02:23):
Also, oh very much so we would, and and I'm
going to be honest, it's not always just a bear
chase beers.
Speaker 2 (02:29):
I like it. I loved it. I love our beer.
Our brewer makes some amazing beer.
Speaker 4 (02:33):
But sometimes it's just something that comes across and you're
just like, you know, whether it's one of my friends
breweries around the area or something that like can my
brewer is sometimes he comes off more as a mad
scientist and a brewer and he'll bring me something and.
Speaker 2 (02:47):
Like I'll be like, what is this?
Speaker 4 (02:49):
And yeah, he made a last spring, he made a
pineapple hobinaro logger that I just I just couldn't even
explain how it started with pineapples and it was Jillopenos.
Speaker 2 (03:00):
I don't know how someone can can find such creativity
in your palette. Didn't even know. There's not enough room.
So there's always something fun, there's always something great.
Speaker 4 (03:09):
But you know, when in doubt, I always, you know,
just refer back to a nice, nice logger, usually a
German logger, and just call.
Speaker 2 (03:15):
It a day.
Speaker 3 (03:16):
Very true. I have heard from so many different breweries
or just people who go to breweries on a regular basis.
It's they say, always say, it's like going to a
donut shop. If you go to the donut shop, get
that glazed donuts. If they messed that one up, the
rest of you don't want to try it exactly. If
you go to a brewery, try their logger or whatever
their lightest one is. If they fuck that up, maybe
maybe don't try the rest of them exactly.
Speaker 2 (03:37):
Now I don't.
Speaker 4 (03:37):
I try not to get too crazy down some of
these unique flavors. Kind of brewer is very traditional here,
so we do make a lot of great loggers.
Speaker 2 (03:45):
He gets he has a little bit of fun.
Speaker 4 (03:47):
We have a sour beer line that's is a seasonal
sour and he changes it up and it's so fruited sometimes.
I think with last strawberry harvests, we bought four hundred
pounds of strawberries for it, so.
Speaker 2 (03:58):
They're really cool.
Speaker 4 (03:59):
There isn't not to me to have a little bit
of fun. But went in doubt, I agree with you.
A nice good logger puts puts a smile on my
face every time.
Speaker 3 (04:07):
Well, I do think when it comes to the trends
and where we are beer wise, like we've hit tilt
where you've put sixteen different cheesecakes in a stout and
you've hit all six vanillas, and then now we're I mean,
you could hide so much stuff in that or an
ipa or anything like that, or even like a fruited sour.
But once you hit the other way and you hit
the loggers, you can't hide anything in those and they
(04:29):
have to be mean and perfect and really shress off
what you're brewing, you know, is very.
Speaker 4 (04:34):
Much So one hundred percent agree with that statement. I mean,
and there's room for both. I think that there's such
a diversified group of people that are actively drinking and
drinking at breweries that I think it's similar to your
donut shot metaphor. There's there's when there's a flavor for everyone,
there's always something that will appeal and uh yeah. So
my wife's one of those sour fans. Don't particularly drink
(04:54):
them that frequently, but she gets some crazy sour and
I'll be like, all right, I'll have a coach, please,
and I could both be very happy with what we're
drinking at the same time.
Speaker 3 (05:03):
Well, what was your gateway craft beer?
Speaker 2 (05:06):
You know? As I reflect on that, I think it
was Sierra Nevada Pallel.
Speaker 3 (05:10):
You are not the only one, a guy.
Speaker 2 (05:11):
I am not the only one. I'm sure Chico, Chico, California,
for a lot of people on the right path.
Speaker 4 (05:16):
I remember I went to a festival in college and
I remember everybuddy Dan was in charge of the beer.
Speaker 2 (05:21):
I was in charge of something else.
Speaker 4 (05:23):
And when we got there and he opened up the
cooler and he handed me my first Sierra Nevada palel
and I kind of gave it a look, I gave
it a sip, and I just remember like the first
couple of them, and then I remember just really enjoying that,
and then I remember that.
Speaker 2 (05:36):
That was definitely the gateway.
Speaker 4 (05:37):
I think that pushed it into because this is I'm
definitely dating myself. But back that many meets ago, the
craft beer isle wasn't what it is nowadays. So I
think I went from the Serra right to Sammy Smith's
and I think I remember hit some oatmeal stouts and
some Taddy Porters and so, but I really, I really
think I credit my friend Dan and that one festival.
Speaker 3 (05:59):
Yeah, I was. Actually so, I have a weird skill
gift where people will just come up to me and
start talking to me. Never met him. They just all
of a sudden their life story is being cold, as
I'm just almost being held hostage. But there's so many
different morsels I get to pick up from random people
just coming and talk to me. So I had this
guy talk to me today and about how he was
stationed over in Germany. And of course every little town
(06:22):
has their own little brewery that you can only get there.
You can go to a grocery store literally a mile
up the road, you're not getting that beer. But again,
there's so many fantastic beers. And you mentioned the craft
aisle is getting so much bigger and now we're unfortunately.
I mean, it's a good thing and bad thing that
there's so many breweries. I mean, especially here in the
metroplex here in DFW, Texas, there is at least eighty,
(06:42):
so trying to fit. Let's say everyone got distributed to
every single grocery store, you wouldn't have the room for
the miller light, the cores light, the coronas the medella
is like, it's just not a thing when it comes
to that. I mean, what does the brewery seem like
where you guys are at in Virginia.
Speaker 4 (06:57):
Well, we we're thriving pretty comfortably here in Loudon County, Virginia,
which is say about fifty squaremalt County.
Speaker 2 (07:04):
I don't have exact measurement on the county, but we
have Our.
Speaker 4 (07:07):
Birds Association has thirty eight members nice, and that varies
from we have it. Like I said, we're a spacious
farm out here at farm we have we have an acres,
spacious land, and we have some there in cities and
strip malls, you know. So it has a diversity in
location and product and quality, but it is Virginia is
(07:29):
starting to put its way out where we are in
Long County, we call it DC's wine Country. About fifteen
twenty years ago it was a lot of wineries and
the brewery and the brewery industry is starting to really
innundate the different gaps between and you know, there's there's
a lot of there's a lot of really good people
making some really good beer. Some award winning beer is
starting to really come out of Virginia. You know, we're
(07:51):
starting to compete, you know with on the national international level.
Speaker 2 (07:55):
You're seeing some people really putting some cool stuff out here.
Speaker 3 (07:57):
Right Yeah, I'm looking at the map right now. You
guys are just you know, a north west of the
DC and Alexanders right over there too. So yeah, that's
very okay, very interesting. Now, how did you guys begin
when it comes to the craft scene and actually realize
you know, I think we could do this.
Speaker 2 (08:16):
The Uh, there's several of the owners or friends and
one of.
Speaker 4 (08:19):
The guys was actually looking to just do a real
estate investment and kind of looked around and thought maybe
he could open up a wedding venue or bed and breakfast,
and so he was exploring. He found the property. Like
I said, we're thirty three acres perched on the top
of the mountain. And so he brought a couple of
his friends in and they were all sitting sitting on
the property because there is an old estate house, the
manor houses was original to the property, and they were
(08:42):
sitting there like, oh, it would be a great place
to get married. And they started talking and one of
the guys just naturally in the conversation was this would
be a better place to drink beer. It was just
like this aha moment where they decided like, no, we
don't want to do a wedding venue.
Speaker 2 (08:55):
We don't need that kind of headache. Let's open up
a great brewery.
Speaker 4 (08:58):
So they interviewed, they hired our first brewer, Charles mole
On his first employee, and uh, he he kind.
Speaker 2 (09:05):
Of brought it the direction.
Speaker 4 (09:06):
He has a lot of He had a lot of
experience and kind of brought us up through the ranks,
and he puts together some really great beers and we
help with the culture here on the side of the mountain.
Speaker 2 (09:15):
That's awesome.
Speaker 3 (09:16):
Yeah, because the pictures from your website are absolutely beautiful,
which I imagine they're so much better in person. I
was going to ask how y'all find the location, but
it seemed like the location found y'all first. And afterwards.
Speaker 4 (09:27):
Yeah, it was just like I said, they were there
were some really good friends and they were they were
sitting there and they really came to the realization that
it would just be a great spot to to be
and to to enjoy each other and their friends and
their circle.
Speaker 2 (09:41):
Then they realized, no, like this is bigger.
Speaker 4 (09:43):
This it it is so unique, and it's it's so
inclusive with who comes here, Like like we say, everyone's welcome.
Speaker 2 (09:51):
We're we're the Switzerland and Brews.
Speaker 4 (09:52):
We we can appeal to the beginner drinker, we can
be appear to someone that has an established palette and
very critical we can we have we're very kid and
pat friendly. There's dogs everywhere and just as many kids
as well. So we try to do fun events throughout
the week and the weekends that would incorporate the community,
the family. We've connected with a lot of different organizations
(10:13):
and we do a lot of fundraising for a couple
of firehouses around us. So really we've ingrained ourselves in
the community, and I think the community is responded in kind.
So when you come to baritase, it's not like one
specific experience. It's adaptable for everyone and everyone's experience. It's
actually a really unique place. It's really really special.
Speaker 2 (10:31):
I think.
Speaker 3 (10:31):
Yeah. I mean with the there are so many people
that have that old mindset of breweries are so much
a place where people to just go get drunk. It's
like it's a bar or whatever. And I love that
you guys are saying, well, no, this is actually a
communal space where everybody can come and you don't just
have to drink beer there. You can come to fun events,
you guys can eat there, your kids can play, your dogs,
(10:53):
your pets can play like I think that's at the
end of the day, what more of these people need
to think about when it comes to the breweries. It
makes a coffee shop, but for adults that need, you know,
just to unwine or again.
Speaker 2 (11:04):
I saw lattes to do, or I got plenty of
coffee as well.
Speaker 3 (11:06):
Oh there you go. But it is interesting that we
still have these people that have this mindset of no,
that's where you know, the drunkers go.
Speaker 2 (11:16):
And some of those things are they're good fun places too.
Speaker 4 (11:20):
Yeah, not just crediting someone that that that is the culture,
that's the focus of their business, if that's what they want.
Speaker 3 (11:25):
I have.
Speaker 2 (11:26):
I go to some of them sometimes. I mean there's
some really cool crafted barrel age.
Speaker 4 (11:31):
You can find some really unique things in some of those.
I go to a Belgian beer house.
Speaker 2 (11:35):
Sometimes, So I get that there there's no significance there.
But at this phase in my.
Speaker 4 (11:40):
Life with you know, I have I'm married with several
children myself, so I when I do have free time,
I typically look for someplace that's a little more inclusive
and looking, you know, where my kids can figure out
something to do.
Speaker 2 (11:50):
And my one son's pretty good at cornhole. So if
there's a couple of corn hole where I usually I
can either get through a couple of couple of hours
at least.
Speaker 3 (11:59):
Yeah, I saw cornhole on ESPN the other day. So
it's just which is so amazing to think about, Like
in twenty twenty five. Cornhole is something I could see
on ESPN on a regular basis.
Speaker 2 (12:09):
I couldn't imagine playing without at least one or two
beers in my system. So I don't know. On ESPN, I.
Speaker 3 (12:15):
Do wonder how they get so focused. I'll imagine some
of them might have some other.
Speaker 2 (12:20):
Enhanceres is higher than mine.
Speaker 3 (12:21):
My friend, Maybe maybe I'll reach out to the cornhole
community and see see how they actually do it without drinking. Well,
what are some of the It's like, tell us about
some of the food you guys have, and like you said,
you guys do lattes as well. So what we.
Speaker 4 (12:34):
Have a service coffee house, we have we can we
serve you know, hop averages. We were open all ye round,
so we have to make sure we do have winter
up here. And know in Florida or Texas fether you
guys don't have tons of winter, but up here, so
we we we'd apeel that we uh, we operate a
couple of food trucks with a few pretty good menus.
We'd also have a pizza kitchen. We support a local
(12:56):
pizza ria, so we serve their pizza up here and
it's one of the things we do to connect to
the community. We're always looking to bring in as close
as we can, whether as agriculturally as far as We
even do a beer called Meat Virginia all love. The
ingredients of Meat Virginia are produced in the state of Virginia,
mold hops, everything comes from Virginia. So we do feature
(13:18):
as much as we can locally. But we have we
have a it's like a pizza kitchen. We service a
small station that has hot dogs. We do full on
grill menu, burgers, chicking all that, and then we were
featuring another another truck as well, so it's and we
bring in visiting. We bring in some visiting vendors, a
local barbecue joint comms. We bring in an oyster house
(13:40):
that comes and they crack oysters open for a day.
So we try to bring in for our special events.
We always bring in visiting food trucks as well.
Speaker 3 (13:47):
Yeah. Yeah, for people who've not been in the Northeast
and had their seafood, it is phenomenal and definitely get
get up there to obviously try the beer, but then
also try seafood as well.
Speaker 2 (13:55):
Nice.
Speaker 3 (13:56):
Yeah, Well, so who are some who are some of
the breweries around y'all that that really kind of helped
you guys along the way, and that now that you
guys are a little more established, that you guys are
helping out the next generation.
Speaker 2 (14:07):
Yeah.
Speaker 4 (14:08):
I think one of the people I refer to a
lot back in the day was an old Ox brewery.
Unfortunately they recently had closed, but Chris Burns was one
of the owners there. He was great. This really helped
us at the beginning. A lot of the folks up
in lownd County are really just, like I said, really great.
Oce Lot is another local brewery. Adrian makes amazing IPAs
(14:29):
and he was very helpful.
Speaker 2 (14:32):
I mean pretty much.
Speaker 4 (14:33):
I don't think there's a person in Virginia that I
couldn't call in my area of Virginia and asking and
brainstorm and kind of go with I was just talking
with one of the owners.
Speaker 2 (14:43):
Of solid brewery by a specific issue.
Speaker 4 (14:45):
And we still collaborate, we still talk, we try to
even connect together a lot in the county Birds Association
does a charity brew every year. Oh and I think
fourteen brewers I think had their name on the brew
on the brew this year and we everyone gets a
few barrels of the beer and we all sell it
and get our money back into the kitty.
Speaker 2 (15:05):
I think we raise over ten thousand.
Speaker 4 (15:06):
Dollars for a local better and abuse shelter in Long County.
Speaker 2 (15:12):
So we try to try to.
Speaker 4 (15:14):
Stay together as a community, both socially and professionally, and
it's a good balance.
Speaker 2 (15:19):
I think it's a really good community up here.
Speaker 3 (15:21):
That's awesome. Yeah, I've always loved that because I've never
heard any breweries that. I mean, there are some that
we'll complain about one another, but it's always a everyone's
here for everybody else. It's not like a lobster pot
where I was trying to pull each other down.
Speaker 2 (15:33):
My needs lives for the crowder machine. You know they're coming.
Speaker 4 (15:36):
I'm gonna give them them this week, and you know
if they return them, they do, they don't, they don't.
Speaker 2 (15:39):
You know, it's it's a good.
Speaker 3 (15:40):
Balance, exactly. Well. We touched on it earlier about how
we're seeing more craft beer in the grocery stores and
you know, liquor stores and everything. But again, you can't
fit everybody on the shelves. What what do you kind
of see is something that's maybe working up where you
guys are, or we're just this looking at the scene
in general about what can we do to get more
(16:02):
people to try the craft beer that whether they're in
town or they even see it outside of that area,
but they you know, obviously the staples of Medello is
going to be number one for you know, as long
as it can. Right now, Bud coursed all the staples.
But then how do we switch over to all right, well,
let me try this new beer or oh this local,
let me let me try that.
Speaker 4 (16:22):
I you know, I have a really backwards philosophy on that,
So you might laugh at me. I'd say stay out
of the grocery store shelves that, yes you're that's kind
of where I am. When when you're talking about distribution
than the retail markup, it's very hard to be a
distrial house as far as producing beer. The majority of
(16:43):
the beer that we make is actually obviously with a
scenery and the beauty.
Speaker 2 (16:46):
We have a bear chase. We sell it in our
tasting room.
Speaker 4 (16:48):
So I would encourage people to market their tasting room,
market the concept that they have and try to have
been people through your front door. You're going to be
much in a better space profit wise if you can
sell pine of beer versus a can of beer at
a retail shelf.
Speaker 2 (17:04):
We do distribute through.
Speaker 4 (17:06):
A company locally to a lot of bars and restaurants,
and we kind of help hand pick those as marketing almost.
So you know, you go to your local watering hole,
it's all right, I have no problem being on tap there.
The cost of produce a keg is a lot different
than cost of producer can right. So I feel that
that's where I think the growth has to be is
(17:27):
is taking taking back the space not in the grocery store,
but in the local tavern, getting those tap lines back
to local folks, and then that being a gateway almost
to get you back out to the facility that where
it's produced, whether it's actually a remote tasting room or
the actual brew itself.
Speaker 3 (17:44):
I love that answer so much because you do need
to get the people in your place so that they
know this is this is where it comes from. You
can look right behind you or look behind the tap,
and that's where it's getting made. You know that you
can actually buy their t shirts if you really like
the beer, or their their hats or whatever the merch
they you know hopefully have. And you know, you need
(18:04):
people to know your story of like oh wow, I
went there. The view is amazing. I will go back
there anytime I'm in the area. You know, that kind
of thing as opposed to oh, you're just a can
on the shelf.
Speaker 4 (18:16):
Yeah, I mean, and again there's nothing wrong. There are
some folks that have really notched it out. But it's
it's really complicated in my perspective because that local like
you alluded to that you have the medelo and and
and you know, I mean Sam Adams has done great
and and you even could reflect on like New Belgium.
Speaker 2 (18:35):
They're great products.
Speaker 4 (18:37):
I'm not just crunting them at all, but the average
consumer would consider your local, local group on the same
shelf and the same and it's hard to compete with
the big giants. Yeah, and I don't necessarily I don't
want to fight that fight.
Speaker 2 (18:51):
I don't want to. I don't have I mean, I
don't have a marketing budget like that. I'll tell you
that much.
Speaker 3 (18:58):
Yeah, it's probably the entire budget is not even close
to their marketing.
Speaker 2 (19:01):
But like I said, and for the reason like I'll
drink New Belgium beer any day. I mean, they have
some really good IPAs.
Speaker 4 (19:07):
I mean, I mean Sam Adams, did they drive some
great seasonal beer as well, So you have to really
respect what they do, right, appreciate it when.
Speaker 2 (19:15):
The same token, I don't want to compete.
Speaker 3 (19:16):
Right, I mean, like you said, Sierra Nevado is your gateway,
and that's you know, that's the other side of the
world when it comes to America.
Speaker 2 (19:22):
Exactly. Yeah, but no.
Speaker 3 (19:24):
I fully understand what you're saying, and I also do
think it is in your local watering holes best interest
as well. Obviously you're going to have the people that
want the staples, but at the same time, highlight what's
around you because those people live here. Those people probably
leave the brewery and maybe go to this local watering hole,
(19:44):
And why wouldn't they want to see their beer that
they've worked on all day on the tap for other
people to drink and actually listen to firsthand you reviews
of Oh this beer is great? Who makes this? Oh cool?
Let me go check them out. Well, so this one
might be a little difficult for you. What are your
top three favorite beers you'll have ever made?
Speaker 2 (20:02):
Well, I think it's I mean, I gotta start with
our Kodiak culch.
Speaker 3 (20:07):
Our.
Speaker 2 (20:07):
Kodiak coulch is just an.
Speaker 4 (20:09):
Amazing example of lon Germany in a nutshell, I drink
it pretty much daily. It's my daily drinker. We've won
in the last couple of years. We won a couple
of silver medals at the World Beer Cup, we won
gold at the JBF with it regulation. I think a
lot of people feel that it's a it's a really
(20:29):
true sample of of what what that part of Germany
would like to see and produce. I I think when
I reflect on Bear Chase, our Martsen was really what
put us on the map to begin with. That is
another two times GBF gold medal winner. Uh, it's just
absolutely drinkable. Like I don't know another way to say it,
Like you drink one and you just you see people
(20:51):
in line with a couple ounces of beer to get
their next beer because they just want to keep drinking it.
It's just I mean, the allens, the malt, it's just
it's it's amazing.
Speaker 2 (21:03):
My third one might be an interesting one.
Speaker 4 (21:05):
I think I would say, Missy Mountain, I p A
is when we made we we don't make it anymore.
Our original brewer friend of mine named Charles Mole, he
passed away last year and it was one of his
babies and one of the things we've done out of
respect for him is we we've retired the beer. We
don't make it anymore, and we we do have a
lot of his recipes. His assistant has taken over the
(21:27):
last couple of years and he's doing amazing things with
our brewery right now. But that one is kind of
a little more emotional to me, and it's a reflection
of a friend and the time in my life.
Speaker 2 (21:38):
So I think Misty has to stay up in my
top three as well.
Speaker 3 (21:41):
That's beautiful. I love that. What's your favorite memory of him?
Speaker 4 (21:46):
You know, I mean just the fun fights and arguments
and the random the random late night banter that makes
absolutely no sense.
Speaker 2 (21:54):
Uh, he was.
Speaker 4 (21:56):
He was definitely an avid gun enthusiast, So I mean
he's a drag me out to the range sometimes.
Speaker 2 (22:01):
I'm not really a gun guy, but I.
Speaker 4 (22:03):
Reflect on it now and like I just think about
some of the stupid, silly things we've done and said,
and the different definitely some good times, a good person.
Speaker 3 (22:12):
I love that. Yeah, I'm not a big gun guy either,
but going to range is always fun.
Speaker 4 (22:17):
I mean, when you know when the other person really
knows what they're doing, it makes it fun.
Speaker 3 (22:23):
Well, so you guys are also making hard seltzers. How
is how is that market going for you guys? Because
I know obviously yeah, I was gonna say back when
you know, white Claw first came out, everybody thought, oh,
it's a fad, it'll pass. Here we are, however, many
years later, not so not so much.
Speaker 4 (22:39):
That category of beverage is year over year ridiculous. I
think we're up forty or fifty percent on it a
year over year right now. Ken our brewer, that's one
of the things that he's actually ran with a couple
of years ago. And we make seltzers that are almost
ARTD style. So we have seven percent abvs and we
(23:00):
make an orange crush.
Speaker 2 (23:01):
He'll make it.
Speaker 4 (23:02):
He have an Arnold Palmer, You have a Moscow mule,
and like people get so confused that it's selfser in itself.
This does just taste no but seltsa, I promise. One
of our staples is called bear Chase Chill. It tastes
like the color blue. If you've ever had the color blue,
then you know what it tastes and looks like. And
it is real calm and real popular. We we've really
hit a great recipe.
Speaker 2 (23:23):
That he came up with on that one.
Speaker 4 (23:24):
So they're they're they're necessary part of the palette. I
think that when you're looking at the younger, the twenty
to thirty year old demographic, that's part of their drinking
style U twenty one to thirty, I should enunciate that.
Speaker 3 (23:38):
Yeah, yeah, America, Yeah, I.
Speaker 2 (23:41):
Think that's uh, that's their their palette.
Speaker 4 (23:43):
I think a lot of the folks identify with that
flavor profile a little bit differently than something with a
lot of hops to it. So I feel that, I mean,
it is it's important. It's important to give the people
that experience it like that. And you know, I don't
think that it falls into one demographic where it's just
younger or male or female or I feel that a
(24:04):
lot of people you'll see drinking one or two throughout
their time here.
Speaker 2 (24:07):
It's a go change the paceway at the brewer.
Speaker 3 (24:09):
This is true. Yeah, I'm seeing that a lot here,
and I mean Seltzer has just been going crazy anyway.
And then, like you said, the RTD category is blowing
up like nobody's business. So but then we're also kind
of seeing you. Unfortunately here in Texas, we might be
taking a step back, but we haven't completely figured that
part out yet. But the tt selzers are doing absolutely phenomenal.
And I go to a local you know, they do
(24:31):
brew beer there, but they also have other beers on tap,
and there they have a tat on tap and it
sells like crazy and I see people just leaving with
hands of it.
Speaker 2 (24:40):
That is a very interesting thing.
Speaker 4 (24:42):
I've attended several seminars at the the CBC about that.
I'm we're gonna wait till the federal government gets behind
that before we get behind that.
Speaker 3 (24:53):
Here, Okay, interesting.
Speaker 2 (24:55):
Some people are very into that.
Speaker 4 (24:58):
I don't know. I don't know if my opinions are
the most popular on that one. So I think that
if that's your spice and that's your flavor, then I
say run with it. But I think that eventually, when
it does go federal, there's gonna be a couple of
the big boys are going to come in similar to
what we were talking about in the beer Isiso, And
there's gonna be a couple of guys that are gonna
come in company companies and they'll take that over and
(25:21):
we're gonna let them have that space.
Speaker 3 (25:23):
Now that makes sense, Yeah, I I don't know that's
just such a weird like, what's the Fed's gonna The
Feds have had how long to actually deal with this,
Like we saw how much money Colorado would make in
the first month that they let alone.
Speaker 4 (25:37):
I know it's in Minnesota tried it for a while.
They were pushing up that way and some different people,
and they're making really good products. It's my then other thing,
I'll say, it's harder to make than people think. Yeah,
so the people that are making good thhg. Seltzer's and
the different drinks and lemonades, they're doing a lot of
(25:57):
hard work to get there star stables and purity and
it's a lot. It's more than what people think. So
there is a hell of a lot of craft to it. Yeah,
But in the same token, we'll wait it out for
the federal government, and you know, if we swing or
don't swing on that ball, it'll be okay.
Speaker 3 (26:14):
No, that makes sense. Yeah, let somebody else get the
bad step out of the way first, then you could
take care of it.
Speaker 2 (26:19):
I don't think it's bad. It's hard.
Speaker 4 (26:21):
People don't realize the amount of how to hone that
in and to get the balance and the stability. I
mean when you talk to the guys that are actually
making it. There's a lot more work involved than people realize.
So I mean, I give them credit, it's just not
necessarily that the direction I need to be.
Speaker 3 (26:37):
No, that makes sense. Where do you guys see yourself
going the next to like five to ten years.
Speaker 2 (26:42):
I think we're pretty happy on the top of the
mountain here.
Speaker 4 (26:45):
We might do a little expanding, you know, we're still
playing around with different culinary trends and different food trends
and kind.
Speaker 2 (26:52):
Of tying it all together.
Speaker 4 (26:55):
I think that, you know, there might be a second
location in the works eventually, but right now we're we're
pretty content. We're pushing as far as marketing and events
and kind of creating more of our culture and more
of our experience. But we just try to do what
we do as best we can. And you know what,
maybe maybe in a location, but we're talking ten years.
(27:17):
I think there'll be there'll be a bear chase somewhere
else by then. But for the short term, I think
we're just working on what we do, trying to hone
our craft as best we can.
Speaker 2 (27:25):
I love that.
Speaker 3 (27:26):
Oh, so you guys probably get asked this level, where
did the bear chase come from the.
Speaker 2 (27:32):
Name actually came from the previous property owner.
Speaker 4 (27:36):
This place used to be called Bonnie Bray because the
beautiful hell and Gaelic, so that the original name of it.
The previous owners we purchase it from apparently had a
couple of lab mixes, and the lab mixes used to
chase the brown and black bears that were up here.
We actually have both mostly black bears, and they used
to chase the black bears.
Speaker 2 (27:54):
That were around the area and up a tree.
Speaker 4 (27:58):
There's a couple of big trees on they and the
one that still stands. And the husband of the patriarch
of the family said to the wife one time when
she asked where the dogs were, they said they were
on another bear chase. That's actually where the name came from.
Speaker 3 (28:15):
That's perfect. I love that. Hey, you said that as
my dog came.
Speaker 2 (28:18):
Over, So that's perfect time. Yeah.
Speaker 4 (28:21):
Wait, we have locally produced dog biscuits, and there's water
bowls all over our tasting room and now as long
as the dogs has unleashed, and you know, there's anything
stupid that we have a lot of dogs here.
Speaker 3 (28:33):
Yeah. I love it when I get to go to
a place and there's so many dogs and like you said,
kids running around and you know, you know, as long
as they're being you know, taken care of and actually
watched after, I think we're all in a good place.
So I have a segment on the show. I call
it the five count. It's just five random questions.
Speaker 2 (28:47):
All right?
Speaker 3 (28:49):
If you could do a TED talk about anything other
than brewery related, what would it.
Speaker 2 (28:53):
Be telling people in their twenties to invest better?
Speaker 3 (28:56):
Oh?
Speaker 4 (28:57):
I have a lot of employees that are younger, and
I I end up on my soapbox trying to tell
these kids to put in their four Can we actually
offer a four to one k? And with a match
here and trying to convince someone that's twenty two years
old at their flour one K is actually an important
part of their future.
Speaker 3 (29:12):
Yeah, yeah, I wish people would have some of your
toolis told me that earlier too. If you were a
progress or MMA fighter? What would your name be?
Speaker 2 (29:20):
But got left? My office manager in the back chuckled
at that one. What'd your thing never shuts up? Or
the mouth of the mouth of Virginia?
Speaker 3 (29:28):
Maybe there you go? What would your last meal be?
Speaker 4 (29:34):
My last meal is going to be really boring, But
I love steak and some old rotten potatoes and maybe
some mushrooms on top, and you know, maybe a little
bit of spinach if cooked correctly.
Speaker 3 (29:45):
How do you take your steak?
Speaker 4 (29:48):
A good one, medium, rare, medium medium if I have to,
If I'm meeting someone where I'm not super excited about
the quality.
Speaker 2 (29:54):
Of the steak.
Speaker 3 (29:56):
Who are what inspires you?
Speaker 2 (29:58):
My kids? I mean every day I want to be
better for them. That's awesome.
Speaker 3 (30:02):
And what would you tell your seventeen year old self.
Speaker 2 (30:05):
Great freaking job, dude, we made it. We did it,
and man, you were dumb, but you had a lot
of fun back then.
Speaker 3 (30:14):
Also, worry more about your four old Ok.
Speaker 2 (30:16):
Yeah, put some money away, dummy.
Speaker 3 (30:19):
Yeah, you don't need all of those action figures.
Speaker 2 (30:21):
What are we doing exactly?
Speaker 3 (30:23):
If people wanted to find out more about y'all, visit
you guys in person, try your beers, follow you guys online?
How could they do all.
Speaker 4 (30:28):
The things all of our socials at bearchasebrew dot com
at bear Chase Brew. Our website is bearchasebrew dot com.
We're located on the side of the mountain in northern Virginia.
Come up, We're open three hundred and sixty three days
a year or so.
Speaker 2 (30:45):
We're here.
Speaker 4 (30:46):
We're gonna have a lot of fun. Well, great beer,
good food, great people, you know, good time.
Speaker 2 (30:51):
To be there.
Speaker 3 (30:52):
You go, Steven, thank you so much for your time.
And yeah, I have not been up to that area
in quite a while, so I am long overdue.
Speaker 2 (30:58):
All right, I believe you are? Is it us?
Speaker 3 (31:00):
We all do.
Speaker 1 (31:11):
Thank you so much to Stephen for being on the
show again. Definitely go out to Virginia the DC area
and check out a Bear Chase Brewing. Great name, great scenery,
and even better beer. I'm definitely gonna make it out there,
so when you do, make sure to tag us on
social media.
Speaker 3 (31:25):
It is bruisers Pod.
Speaker 1 (31:26):
That is b R E W S T R S
P O D on the Instagram, the threads and the Twitter.
If you want to follow, if you want to send
us an email, it is Bruiserspot at gmail dot com.
Speaker 2 (31:35):
If you want to.
Speaker 1 (31:36):
Follow me directly, it is Roady John. That is our
O D I E j O N. Roady John is
the name on the Twitter and on a tap in
case you want to find out what I'm drinking, maybe
we can have a beer together. If you're going to
follow me on the threads or the Instagram. It is
official wordy John, So until next time, make sure to
enjoy life, drink local and cheers
Speaker 2 (32:04):
Three two one
We welcome to the Bruisers podcasts about beer, coffee, booze
and Bruisers. I am your host, Troy John and today
we talked to Steven with Bear Chase Brewing in Bluemont, Virginia.
We talk about how they got started, their beautiful grounds
they're on, and so much more. This is such a
fun conversation and I cannot wait to get back to
the Virginia DZ area because this place is absolutely beautiful.
Throat in your Google machine you will be blown away
(00:41):
by the scenery and their beer is fantastic as well. So,
without further ado, here is Stephen with a Bear Chase
Brewing in Bluemont, Virginia. I would like to welcome to
(01:03):
the show Steven with bear Chase Brewing. How are you
doing today, sir?
Speaker 2 (01:06):
I'm being excellent, Thanks for having.
Speaker 3 (01:07):
Me, Thanks for being on here. So for those of
listing kind of paintings the word picture, where are you at?
What's going on around you?
Speaker 2 (01:13):
Bear Chase Brewing Company is a farm brewery.
Speaker 4 (01:16):
We are located on about thirty acres in western London
County in Virginia. We are about the side almost the
top of a mountain. We have gorgeous views, award winning beer,
and some great food as well.
Speaker 3 (01:30):
Very nice. So let's go all the way back in time.
What is your earliest memory of beer?
Speaker 4 (01:34):
I think my reliest memory of beer will probably be
getting my dad his beers.
Speaker 2 (01:39):
I think my dad is victorious for sending me to
the fridge. Back then. My dad drank both types of beers,
both Cores and Coors Light. M h. But I think that,
as I reflected in my years of drinking, in my
early phases, beer was always connected with celebration.
Speaker 4 (01:59):
I was always to friends and family and being around moments,
and it was just the.
Speaker 2 (02:07):
Icing on the cake, if you will.
Speaker 4 (02:08):
They have a great beers as you're hanging out, and
whether it be in the backyard or the beach, or
the mountains or anywhere you were right.
Speaker 3 (02:15):
Or even like you know, like you said, as you
get older and you actually start genuinely enjoying the beers,
you just want to be like, Hey, I got this
new beer. I want you guys to try it.
Speaker 4 (02:23):
Also, oh very much so we would, and and I'm
going to be honest, it's not always just a bear
chase beers.
Speaker 2 (02:29):
I like it. I loved it. I love our beer.
Our brewer makes some amazing beer.
Speaker 4 (02:33):
But sometimes it's just something that comes across and you're
just like, you know, whether it's one of my friends
breweries around the area or something that like can my
brewer is sometimes he comes off more as a mad
scientist and a brewer and he'll bring me something and.
Speaker 2 (02:47):
Like I'll be like, what is this?
Speaker 4 (02:49):
And yeah, he made a last spring, he made a
pineapple hobinaro logger that I just I just couldn't even
explain how it started with pineapples and it was Jillopenos.
Speaker 2 (03:00):
I don't know how someone can can find such creativity
in your palette. Didn't even know. There's not enough room.
So there's always something fun, there's always something great.
Speaker 4 (03:09):
But you know, when in doubt, I always, you know,
just refer back to a nice, nice logger, usually a
German logger, and just call.
Speaker 2 (03:15):
It a day.
Speaker 3 (03:16):
Very true. I have heard from so many different breweries
or just people who go to breweries on a regular basis.
It's they say, always say, it's like going to a
donut shop. If you go to the donut shop, get
that glazed donuts. If they messed that one up, the
rest of you don't want to try it exactly. If
you go to a brewery, try their logger or whatever
their lightest one is. If they fuck that up, maybe
maybe don't try the rest of them exactly.
Speaker 2 (03:37):
Now I don't.
Speaker 4 (03:37):
I try not to get too crazy down some of
these unique flavors. Kind of brewer is very traditional here,
so we do make a lot of great loggers.
Speaker 2 (03:45):
He gets he has a little bit of fun.
Speaker 4 (03:47):
We have a sour beer line that's is a seasonal
sour and he changes it up and it's so fruited sometimes.
I think with last strawberry harvests, we bought four hundred
pounds of strawberries for it, so.
Speaker 2 (03:58):
They're really cool.
Speaker 4 (03:59):
There isn't not to me to have a little bit
of fun. But went in doubt, I agree with you.
A nice good logger puts puts a smile on my
face every time.
Speaker 3 (04:07):
Well, I do think when it comes to the trends
and where we are beer wise, like we've hit tilt
where you've put sixteen different cheesecakes in a stout and
you've hit all six vanillas, and then now we're I mean,
you could hide so much stuff in that or an
ipa or anything like that, or even like a fruited sour.
But once you hit the other way and you hit
the loggers, you can't hide anything in those and they
(04:29):
have to be mean and perfect and really shress off
what you're brewing, you know, is very.
Speaker 4 (04:34):
Much So one hundred percent agree with that statement. I mean,
and there's room for both. I think that there's such
a diversified group of people that are actively drinking and
drinking at breweries that I think it's similar to your
donut shot metaphor. There's there's when there's a flavor for everyone,
there's always something that will appeal and uh yeah. So
my wife's one of those sour fans. Don't particularly drink
(04:54):
them that frequently, but she gets some crazy sour and
I'll be like, all right, I'll have a coach, please,
and I could both be very happy with what we're
drinking at the same time.
Speaker 3 (05:03):
Well, what was your gateway craft beer?
Speaker 2 (05:06):
You know? As I reflect on that, I think it
was Sierra Nevada Pallel.
Speaker 3 (05:10):
You are not the only one, a guy.
Speaker 2 (05:11):
I am not the only one. I'm sure Chico, Chico, California,
for a lot of people on the right path.
Speaker 4 (05:16):
I remember I went to a festival in college and
I remember everybuddy Dan was in charge of the beer.
Speaker 2 (05:21):
I was in charge of something else.
Speaker 4 (05:23):
And when we got there and he opened up the
cooler and he handed me my first Sierra Nevada palel
and I kind of gave it a look, I gave
it a sip, and I just remember like the first
couple of them, and then I remember just really enjoying that,
and then I remember that.
Speaker 2 (05:36):
That was definitely the gateway.
Speaker 4 (05:37):
I think that pushed it into because this is I'm
definitely dating myself. But back that many meets ago, the
craft beer isle wasn't what it is nowadays. So I
think I went from the Serra right to Sammy Smith's
and I think I remember hit some oatmeal stouts and
some Taddy Porters and so, but I really, I really
think I credit my friend Dan and that one festival.
Speaker 3 (05:59):
Yeah, I was. Actually so, I have a weird skill
gift where people will just come up to me and
start talking to me. Never met him. They just all
of a sudden their life story is being cold, as
I'm just almost being held hostage. But there's so many
different morsels I get to pick up from random people
just coming and talk to me. So I had this
guy talk to me today and about how he was
stationed over in Germany. And of course every little town
(06:22):
has their own little brewery that you can only get there.
You can go to a grocery store literally a mile
up the road, you're not getting that beer. But again,
there's so many fantastic beers. And you mentioned the craft
aisle is getting so much bigger and now we're unfortunately.
I mean, it's a good thing and bad thing that
there's so many breweries. I mean, especially here in the
metroplex here in DFW, Texas, there is at least eighty,
(06:42):
so trying to fit. Let's say everyone got distributed to
every single grocery store, you wouldn't have the room for
the miller light, the cores light, the coronas the medella
is like, it's just not a thing when it comes
to that. I mean, what does the brewery seem like
where you guys are at in Virginia.
Speaker 4 (06:57):
Well, we we're thriving pretty comfortably here in Loudon County, Virginia,
which is say about fifty squaremalt County.
Speaker 2 (07:04):
I don't have exact measurement on the county, but we
have Our.
Speaker 4 (07:07):
Birds Association has thirty eight members nice, and that varies
from we have it. Like I said, we're a spacious
farm out here at farm we have we have an acres,
spacious land, and we have some there in cities and
strip malls, you know. So it has a diversity in
location and product and quality, but it is Virginia is
(07:29):
starting to put its way out where we are in
Long County, we call it DC's wine Country. About fifteen
twenty years ago it was a lot of wineries and
the brewery and the brewery industry is starting to really
innundate the different gaps between and you know, there's there's
a lot of there's a lot of really good people
making some really good beer. Some award winning beer is
starting to really come out of Virginia. You know, we're
(07:51):
starting to compete, you know with on the national international level.
Speaker 2 (07:55):
You're seeing some people really putting some cool stuff out here.
Speaker 3 (07:57):
Right Yeah, I'm looking at the map right now. You
guys are just you know, a north west of the
DC and Alexanders right over there too. So yeah, that's
very okay, very interesting. Now, how did you guys begin
when it comes to the craft scene and actually realize
you know, I think we could do this.
Speaker 2 (08:16):
The Uh, there's several of the owners or friends and
one of.
Speaker 4 (08:19):
The guys was actually looking to just do a real
estate investment and kind of looked around and thought maybe
he could open up a wedding venue or bed and breakfast,
and so he was exploring. He found the property. Like
I said, we're thirty three acres perched on the top
of the mountain. And so he brought a couple of
his friends in and they were all sitting sitting on
the property because there is an old estate house, the
manor houses was original to the property, and they were
(08:42):
sitting there like, oh, it would be a great place
to get married. And they started talking and one of
the guys just naturally in the conversation was this would
be a better place to drink beer. It was just
like this aha moment where they decided like, no, we
don't want to do a wedding venue.
Speaker 2 (08:55):
We don't need that kind of headache. Let's open up
a great brewery.
Speaker 4 (08:58):
So they interviewed, they hired our first brewer, Charles mole
On his first employee, and uh, he he kind.
Speaker 2 (09:05):
Of brought it the direction.
Speaker 4 (09:06):
He has a lot of He had a lot of
experience and kind of brought us up through the ranks,
and he puts together some really great beers and we
help with the culture here on the side of the mountain.
Speaker 2 (09:15):
That's awesome.
Speaker 3 (09:16):
Yeah, because the pictures from your website are absolutely beautiful,
which I imagine they're so much better in person. I
was going to ask how y'all find the location, but
it seemed like the location found y'all first. And afterwards.
Speaker 4 (09:27):
Yeah, it was just like I said, they were there
were some really good friends and they were they were
sitting there and they really came to the realization that
it would just be a great spot to to be
and to to enjoy each other and their friends and
their circle.
Speaker 2 (09:41):
Then they realized, no, like this is bigger.
Speaker 4 (09:43):
This it it is so unique, and it's it's so
inclusive with who comes here, Like like we say, everyone's welcome.
Speaker 2 (09:51):
We're we're the Switzerland and Brews.
Speaker 4 (09:52):
We we can appeal to the beginner drinker, we can
be appear to someone that has an established palette and
very critical we can we have we're very kid and
pat friendly. There's dogs everywhere and just as many kids
as well. So we try to do fun events throughout
the week and the weekends that would incorporate the community,
the family. We've connected with a lot of different organizations
(10:13):
and we do a lot of fundraising for a couple
of firehouses around us. So really we've ingrained ourselves in
the community, and I think the community is responded in kind.
So when you come to baritase, it's not like one
specific experience. It's adaptable for everyone and everyone's experience. It's
actually a really unique place. It's really really special.
Speaker 2 (10:31):
I think.
Speaker 3 (10:31):
Yeah. I mean with the there are so many people
that have that old mindset of breweries are so much
a place where people to just go get drunk. It's
like it's a bar or whatever. And I love that
you guys are saying, well, no, this is actually a
communal space where everybody can come and you don't just
have to drink beer there. You can come to fun events,
you guys can eat there, your kids can play, your dogs,
(10:53):
your pets can play like I think that's at the
end of the day, what more of these people need
to think about when it comes to the breweries. It
makes a coffee shop, but for adults that need, you know,
just to unwine or again.
Speaker 2 (11:04):
I saw lattes to do, or I got plenty of
coffee as well.
Speaker 3 (11:06):
Oh there you go. But it is interesting that we
still have these people that have this mindset of no,
that's where you know, the drunkers go.
Speaker 2 (11:16):
And some of those things are they're good fun places too.
Speaker 4 (11:20):
Yeah, not just crediting someone that that that is the culture,
that's the focus of their business, if that's what they want.
Speaker 3 (11:25):
I have.
Speaker 2 (11:26):
I go to some of them sometimes. I mean there's
some really cool crafted barrel age.
Speaker 4 (11:31):
You can find some really unique things in some of those.
I go to a Belgian beer house.
Speaker 2 (11:35):
Sometimes, So I get that there there's no significance there.
But at this phase in my.
Speaker 4 (11:40):
Life with you know, I have I'm married with several
children myself, so I when I do have free time,
I typically look for someplace that's a little more inclusive
and looking, you know, where my kids can figure out
something to do.
Speaker 2 (11:50):
And my one son's pretty good at cornhole. So if
there's a couple of corn hole where I usually I
can either get through a couple of couple of hours
at least.
Speaker 3 (11:59):
Yeah, I saw cornhole on ESPN the other day. So
it's just which is so amazing to think about, Like
in twenty twenty five. Cornhole is something I could see
on ESPN on a regular basis.
Speaker 2 (12:09):
I couldn't imagine playing without at least one or two
beers in my system. So I don't know. On ESPN, I.
Speaker 3 (12:15):
Do wonder how they get so focused. I'll imagine some
of them might have some other.
Speaker 2 (12:20):
Enhanceres is higher than mine.
Speaker 3 (12:21):
My friend, Maybe maybe I'll reach out to the cornhole
community and see see how they actually do it without drinking. Well,
what are some of the It's like, tell us about
some of the food you guys have, and like you said,
you guys do lattes as well. So what we.
Speaker 4 (12:34):
Have a service coffee house, we have we can we
serve you know, hop averages. We were open all ye round,
so we have to make sure we do have winter
up here. And know in Florida or Texas fether you
guys don't have tons of winter, but up here, so
we we we'd apeel that we uh, we operate a
couple of food trucks with a few pretty good menus.
We'd also have a pizza kitchen. We support a local
(12:56):
pizza ria, so we serve their pizza up here and
it's one of the things we do to connect to
the community. We're always looking to bring in as close
as we can, whether as agriculturally as far as We
even do a beer called Meat Virginia all love. The
ingredients of Meat Virginia are produced in the state of Virginia,
mold hops, everything comes from Virginia. So we do feature
(13:18):
as much as we can locally. But we have we
have a it's like a pizza kitchen. We service a
small station that has hot dogs. We do full on
grill menu, burgers, chicking all that, and then we were
featuring another another truck as well, so it's and we
bring in visiting. We bring in some visiting vendors, a
local barbecue joint comms. We bring in an oyster house
(13:40):
that comes and they crack oysters open for a day.
So we try to bring in for our special events.
We always bring in visiting food trucks as well.
Speaker 3 (13:47):
Yeah. Yeah, for people who've not been in the Northeast
and had their seafood, it is phenomenal and definitely get
get up there to obviously try the beer, but then
also try seafood as well.
Speaker 2 (13:55):
Nice.
Speaker 3 (13:56):
Yeah, Well, so who are some who are some of
the breweries around y'all that that really kind of helped
you guys along the way, and that now that you
guys are a little more established, that you guys are
helping out the next generation.
Speaker 2 (14:07):
Yeah.
Speaker 4 (14:08):
I think one of the people I refer to a
lot back in the day was an old Ox brewery.
Unfortunately they recently had closed, but Chris Burns was one
of the owners there. He was great. This really helped
us at the beginning. A lot of the folks up
in lownd County are really just, like I said, really great.
Oce Lot is another local brewery. Adrian makes amazing IPAs
(14:29):
and he was very helpful.
Speaker 2 (14:32):
I mean pretty much.
Speaker 4 (14:33):
I don't think there's a person in Virginia that I
couldn't call in my area of Virginia and asking and
brainstorm and kind of go with I was just talking
with one of the owners.
Speaker 2 (14:43):
Of solid brewery by a specific issue.
Speaker 4 (14:45):
And we still collaborate, we still talk, we try to
even connect together a lot in the county Birds Association
does a charity brew every year. Oh and I think
fourteen brewers I think had their name on the brew
on the brew this year and we everyone gets a
few barrels of the beer and we all sell it
and get our money back into the kitty.
Speaker 2 (15:05):
I think we raise over ten thousand.
Speaker 4 (15:06):
Dollars for a local better and abuse shelter in Long County.
Speaker 2 (15:12):
So we try to try to.
Speaker 4 (15:14):
Stay together as a community, both socially and professionally, and
it's a good balance.
Speaker 2 (15:19):
I think it's a really good community up here.
Speaker 3 (15:21):
That's awesome. Yeah, I've always loved that because I've never
heard any breweries that. I mean, there are some that
we'll complain about one another, but it's always a everyone's
here for everybody else. It's not like a lobster pot
where I was trying to pull each other down.
Speaker 2 (15:33):
My needs lives for the crowder machine. You know they're coming.
Speaker 4 (15:36):
I'm gonna give them them this week, and you know
if they return them, they do, they don't, they don't.
Speaker 2 (15:39):
You know, it's it's a good.
Speaker 3 (15:40):
Balance, exactly. Well. We touched on it earlier about how
we're seeing more craft beer in the grocery stores and
you know, liquor stores and everything. But again, you can't
fit everybody on the shelves. What what do you kind
of see is something that's maybe working up where you
guys are, or we're just this looking at the scene
in general about what can we do to get more
(16:02):
people to try the craft beer that whether they're in
town or they even see it outside of that area,
but they you know, obviously the staples of Medello is
going to be number one for you know, as long
as it can. Right now, Bud coursed all the staples.
But then how do we switch over to all right, well,
let me try this new beer or oh this local,
let me let me try that.
Speaker 4 (16:22):
I you know, I have a really backwards philosophy on that,
So you might laugh at me. I'd say stay out
of the grocery store shelves that, yes you're that's kind
of where I am. When when you're talking about distribution
than the retail markup, it's very hard to be a
distrial house as far as producing beer. The majority of
(16:43):
the beer that we make is actually obviously with a
scenery and the beauty.
Speaker 2 (16:46):
We have a bear chase. We sell it in our
tasting room.
Speaker 4 (16:48):
So I would encourage people to market their tasting room,
market the concept that they have and try to have
been people through your front door. You're going to be
much in a better space profit wise if you can
sell pine of beer versus a can of beer at
a retail shelf.
Speaker 2 (17:04):
We do distribute through.
Speaker 4 (17:06):
A company locally to a lot of bars and restaurants,
and we kind of help hand pick those as marketing almost.
So you know, you go to your local watering hole,
it's all right, I have no problem being on tap there.
The cost of produce a keg is a lot different
than cost of producer can right. So I feel that
that's where I think the growth has to be is
(17:27):
is taking taking back the space not in the grocery store,
but in the local tavern, getting those tap lines back
to local folks, and then that being a gateway almost
to get you back out to the facility that where
it's produced, whether it's actually a remote tasting room or
the actual brew itself.
Speaker 3 (17:44):
I love that answer so much because you do need
to get the people in your place so that they
know this is this is where it comes from. You
can look right behind you or look behind the tap,
and that's where it's getting made. You know that you
can actually buy their t shirts if you really like
the beer, or their their hats or whatever the merch
they you know hopefully have. And you know, you need
(18:04):
people to know your story of like oh wow, I
went there. The view is amazing. I will go back
there anytime I'm in the area. You know, that kind
of thing as opposed to oh, you're just a can
on the shelf.
Speaker 4 (18:16):
Yeah, I mean, and again there's nothing wrong. There are
some folks that have really notched it out. But it's
it's really complicated in my perspective because that local like
you alluded to that you have the medelo and and
and you know, I mean Sam Adams has done great
and and you even could reflect on like New Belgium.
Speaker 2 (18:35):
They're great products.
Speaker 4 (18:37):
I'm not just crunting them at all, but the average
consumer would consider your local, local group on the same
shelf and the same and it's hard to compete with
the big giants. Yeah, and I don't necessarily I don't
want to fight that fight.
Speaker 2 (18:51):
I don't want to. I don't have I mean, I
don't have a marketing budget like that. I'll tell you
that much.
Speaker 3 (18:58):
Yeah, it's probably the entire budget is not even close
to their marketing.
Speaker 2 (19:01):
But like I said, and for the reason like I'll
drink New Belgium beer any day. I mean, they have
some really good IPAs.
Speaker 4 (19:07):
I mean, I mean Sam Adams, did they drive some
great seasonal beer as well, So you have to really
respect what they do, right, appreciate it when.
Speaker 2 (19:15):
The same token, I don't want to compete.
Speaker 3 (19:16):
Right, I mean, like you said, Sierra Nevado is your gateway,
and that's you know, that's the other side of the
world when it comes to America.
Speaker 2 (19:22):
Exactly. Yeah, but no.
Speaker 3 (19:24):
I fully understand what you're saying, and I also do
think it is in your local watering holes best interest
as well. Obviously you're going to have the people that
want the staples, but at the same time, highlight what's
around you because those people live here. Those people probably
leave the brewery and maybe go to this local watering hole,
(19:44):
And why wouldn't they want to see their beer that
they've worked on all day on the tap for other
people to drink and actually listen to firsthand you reviews
of Oh this beer is great? Who makes this? Oh cool?
Let me go check them out. Well, so this one
might be a little difficult for you. What are your
top three favorite beers you'll have ever made?
Speaker 2 (20:02):
Well, I think it's I mean, I gotta start with
our Kodiak culch.
Speaker 3 (20:07):
Our.
Speaker 2 (20:07):
Kodiak coulch is just an.
Speaker 4 (20:09):
Amazing example of lon Germany in a nutshell, I drink
it pretty much daily. It's my daily drinker. We've won
in the last couple of years. We won a couple
of silver medals at the World Beer Cup, we won
gold at the JBF with it regulation. I think a
lot of people feel that it's a it's a really
(20:29):
true sample of of what what that part of Germany
would like to see and produce. I I think when
I reflect on Bear Chase, our Martsen was really what
put us on the map to begin with. That is
another two times GBF gold medal winner. Uh, it's just
absolutely drinkable. Like I don't know another way to say it,
Like you drink one and you just you see people
(20:51):
in line with a couple ounces of beer to get
their next beer because they just want to keep drinking it.
It's just I mean, the allens, the malt, it's just
it's it's amazing.
Speaker 2 (21:03):
My third one might be an interesting one.
Speaker 4 (21:05):
I think I would say, Missy Mountain, I p A
is when we made we we don't make it anymore.
Our original brewer friend of mine named Charles Mole, he
passed away last year and it was one of his
babies and one of the things we've done out of
respect for him is we we've retired the beer. We
don't make it anymore, and we we do have a
lot of his recipes. His assistant has taken over the
(21:27):
last couple of years and he's doing amazing things with
our brewery right now. But that one is kind of
a little more emotional to me, and it's a reflection
of a friend and the time in my life.
Speaker 2 (21:38):
So I think Misty has to stay up in my
top three as well.
Speaker 3 (21:41):
That's beautiful. I love that. What's your favorite memory of him?
Speaker 4 (21:46):
You know, I mean just the fun fights and arguments
and the random the random late night banter that makes
absolutely no sense.
Speaker 2 (21:54):
Uh, he was.
Speaker 4 (21:56):
He was definitely an avid gun enthusiast, So I mean
he's a drag me out to the range sometimes.
Speaker 2 (22:01):
I'm not really a gun guy, but I.
Speaker 4 (22:03):
Reflect on it now and like I just think about
some of the stupid, silly things we've done and said,
and the different definitely some good times, a good person.
Speaker 3 (22:12):
I love that. Yeah, I'm not a big gun guy either,
but going to range is always fun.
Speaker 4 (22:17):
I mean, when you know when the other person really
knows what they're doing, it makes it fun.
Speaker 3 (22:23):
Well, so you guys are also making hard seltzers. How
is how is that market going for you guys? Because
I know obviously yeah, I was gonna say back when
you know, white Claw first came out, everybody thought, oh,
it's a fad, it'll pass. Here we are, however, many
years later, not so not so much.
Speaker 4 (22:39):
That category of beverage is year over year ridiculous. I
think we're up forty or fifty percent on it a
year over year right now. Ken our brewer, that's one
of the things that he's actually ran with a couple
of years ago. And we make seltzers that are almost
ARTD style. So we have seven percent abvs and we
(23:00):
make an orange crush.
Speaker 2 (23:01):
He'll make it.
Speaker 4 (23:02):
He have an Arnold Palmer, You have a Moscow mule,
and like people get so confused that it's selfser in itself.
This does just taste no but seltsa, I promise. One
of our staples is called bear Chase Chill. It tastes
like the color blue. If you've ever had the color blue,
then you know what it tastes and looks like. And
it is real calm and real popular. We we've really
hit a great recipe.
Speaker 2 (23:23):
That he came up with on that one.
Speaker 4 (23:24):
So they're they're they're necessary part of the palette. I
think that when you're looking at the younger, the twenty
to thirty year old demographic, that's part of their drinking
style U twenty one to thirty, I should enunciate that.
Speaker 3 (23:38):
Yeah, yeah, America, Yeah, I.
Speaker 2 (23:41):
Think that's uh, that's their their palette.
Speaker 4 (23:43):
I think a lot of the folks identify with that
flavor profile a little bit differently than something with a
lot of hops to it. So I feel that, I mean,
it is it's important. It's important to give the people
that experience it like that. And you know, I don't
think that it falls into one demographic where it's just
younger or male or female or I feel that a
(24:04):
lot of people you'll see drinking one or two throughout
their time here.
Speaker 2 (24:07):
It's a go change the paceway at the brewer.
Speaker 3 (24:09):
This is true. Yeah, I'm seeing that a lot here,
and I mean Seltzer has just been going crazy anyway.
And then, like you said, the RTD category is blowing
up like nobody's business. So but then we're also kind
of seeing you. Unfortunately here in Texas, we might be
taking a step back, but we haven't completely figured that
part out yet. But the tt selzers are doing absolutely phenomenal.
And I go to a local you know, they do
(24:31):
brew beer there, but they also have other beers on tap,
and there they have a tat on tap and it
sells like crazy and I see people just leaving with
hands of it.
Speaker 2 (24:40):
That is a very interesting thing.
Speaker 4 (24:42):
I've attended several seminars at the the CBC about that.
I'm we're gonna wait till the federal government gets behind
that before we get behind that.
Speaker 3 (24:53):
Here, Okay, interesting.
Speaker 2 (24:55):
Some people are very into that.
Speaker 4 (24:58):
I don't know. I don't know if my opinions are
the most popular on that one. So I think that
if that's your spice and that's your flavor, then I
say run with it. But I think that eventually, when
it does go federal, there's gonna be a couple of
the big boys are going to come in similar to
what we were talking about in the beer Isiso, And
there's gonna be a couple of guys that are gonna
come in company companies and they'll take that over and
(25:21):
we're gonna let them have that space.
Speaker 3 (25:23):
Now that makes sense, Yeah, I I don't know that's
just such a weird like, what's the Fed's gonna The
Feds have had how long to actually deal with this,
Like we saw how much money Colorado would make in
the first month that they let alone.
Speaker 4 (25:37):
I know it's in Minnesota tried it for a while.
They were pushing up that way and some different people,
and they're making really good products. It's my then other thing,
I'll say, it's harder to make than people think. Yeah,
so the people that are making good thhg. Seltzer's and
the different drinks and lemonades, they're doing a lot of
(25:57):
hard work to get there star stables and purity and
it's a lot. It's more than what people think. So
there is a hell of a lot of craft to it. Yeah,
But in the same token, we'll wait it out for
the federal government, and you know, if we swing or
don't swing on that ball, it'll be okay.
Speaker 3 (26:14):
No, that makes sense. Yeah, let somebody else get the
bad step out of the way first, then you could
take care of it.
Speaker 2 (26:19):
I don't think it's bad. It's hard.
Speaker 4 (26:21):
People don't realize the amount of how to hone that
in and to get the balance and the stability. I
mean when you talk to the guys that are actually
making it. There's a lot more work involved than people realize.
So I mean, I give them credit, it's just not
necessarily that the direction I need to be.
Speaker 3 (26:37):
No, that makes sense. Where do you guys see yourself
going the next to like five to ten years.
Speaker 2 (26:42):
I think we're pretty happy on the top of the
mountain here.
Speaker 4 (26:45):
We might do a little expanding, you know, we're still
playing around with different culinary trends and different food trends
and kind.
Speaker 2 (26:52):
Of tying it all together.
Speaker 4 (26:55):
I think that, you know, there might be a second
location in the works eventually, but right now we're we're
pretty content. We're pushing as far as marketing and events
and kind of creating more of our culture and more
of our experience. But we just try to do what
we do as best we can. And you know what,
maybe maybe in a location, but we're talking ten years.
(27:17):
I think there'll be there'll be a bear chase somewhere
else by then. But for the short term, I think
we're just working on what we do, trying to hone
our craft as best we can.
Speaker 2 (27:25):
I love that.
Speaker 3 (27:26):
Oh, so you guys probably get asked this level, where
did the bear chase come from the.
Speaker 2 (27:32):
Name actually came from the previous property owner.
Speaker 4 (27:36):
This place used to be called Bonnie Bray because the
beautiful hell and Gaelic, so that the original name of it.
The previous owners we purchase it from apparently had a
couple of lab mixes, and the lab mixes used to
chase the brown and black bears that were up here.
We actually have both mostly black bears, and they used
to chase the black bears.
Speaker 2 (27:54):
That were around the area and up a tree.
Speaker 4 (27:58):
There's a couple of big trees on they and the
one that still stands. And the husband of the patriarch
of the family said to the wife one time when
she asked where the dogs were, they said they were
on another bear chase. That's actually where the name came from.
Speaker 3 (28:15):
That's perfect. I love that. Hey, you said that as
my dog came.
Speaker 2 (28:18):
Over, So that's perfect time. Yeah.
Speaker 4 (28:21):
Wait, we have locally produced dog biscuits, and there's water
bowls all over our tasting room and now as long
as the dogs has unleashed, and you know, there's anything
stupid that we have a lot of dogs here.
Speaker 3 (28:33):
Yeah. I love it when I get to go to
a place and there's so many dogs and like you said,
kids running around and you know, you know, as long
as they're being you know, taken care of and actually
watched after, I think we're all in a good place.
So I have a segment on the show. I call
it the five count. It's just five random questions.
Speaker 2 (28:47):
All right?
Speaker 3 (28:49):
If you could do a TED talk about anything other
than brewery related, what would it.
Speaker 2 (28:53):
Be telling people in their twenties to invest better?
Speaker 3 (28:56):
Oh?
Speaker 4 (28:57):
I have a lot of employees that are younger, and
I I end up on my soapbox trying to tell
these kids to put in their four Can we actually
offer a four to one k? And with a match
here and trying to convince someone that's twenty two years
old at their flour one K is actually an important
part of their future.
Speaker 3 (29:12):
Yeah, yeah, I wish people would have some of your
toolis told me that earlier too. If you were a
progress or MMA fighter? What would your name be?
Speaker 2 (29:20):
But got left? My office manager in the back chuckled
at that one. What'd your thing never shuts up? Or
the mouth of the mouth of Virginia?
Speaker 3 (29:28):
Maybe there you go? What would your last meal be?
Speaker 4 (29:34):
My last meal is going to be really boring, But
I love steak and some old rotten potatoes and maybe
some mushrooms on top, and you know, maybe a little
bit of spinach if cooked correctly.
Speaker 3 (29:45):
How do you take your steak?
Speaker 4 (29:48):
A good one, medium, rare, medium medium if I have to,
If I'm meeting someone where I'm not super excited about
the quality.
Speaker 2 (29:54):
Of the steak.
Speaker 3 (29:56):
Who are what inspires you?
Speaker 2 (29:58):
My kids? I mean every day I want to be
better for them. That's awesome.
Speaker 3 (30:02):
And what would you tell your seventeen year old self.
Speaker 2 (30:05):
Great freaking job, dude, we made it. We did it,
and man, you were dumb, but you had a lot
of fun back then.
Speaker 3 (30:14):
Also, worry more about your four old Ok.
Speaker 2 (30:16):
Yeah, put some money away, dummy.
Speaker 3 (30:19):
Yeah, you don't need all of those action figures.
Speaker 2 (30:21):
What are we doing exactly?
Speaker 3 (30:23):
If people wanted to find out more about y'all, visit
you guys in person, try your beers, follow you guys online?
How could they do all.
Speaker 4 (30:28):
The things all of our socials at bearchasebrew dot com
at bear Chase Brew. Our website is bearchasebrew dot com.
We're located on the side of the mountain in northern Virginia.
Come up, We're open three hundred and sixty three days
a year or so.
Speaker 2 (30:45):
We're here.
Speaker 4 (30:46):
We're gonna have a lot of fun. Well, great beer,
good food, great people, you know, good time.
Speaker 2 (30:51):
To be there.
Speaker 3 (30:52):
You go, Steven, thank you so much for your time.
And yeah, I have not been up to that area
in quite a while, so I am long overdue.
Speaker 2 (30:58):
All right, I believe you are? Is it us?
Speaker 3 (31:00):
We all do.
Speaker 1 (31:11):
Thank you so much to Stephen for being on the
show again. Definitely go out to Virginia the DC area
and check out a Bear Chase Brewing. Great name, great scenery,
and even better beer. I'm definitely gonna make it out there,
so when you do, make sure to tag us on
social media.
Speaker 3 (31:25):
It is bruisers Pod.
Speaker 1 (31:26):
That is b R E W S T R S
P O D on the Instagram, the threads and the Twitter.
If you want to follow, if you want to send
us an email, it is Bruiserspot at gmail dot com.
Speaker 2 (31:35):
If you want to.
Speaker 1 (31:36):
Follow me directly, it is Roady John. That is our
O D I E j O N. Roady John is
the name on the Twitter and on a tap in
case you want to find out what I'm drinking, maybe
we can have a beer together. If you're going to
follow me on the threads or the Instagram. It is
official wordy John, So until next time, make sure to
enjoy life, drink local and cheers
Speaker 2 (32:04):
Three two one
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