Hop Forward: Getting You Ahead in the Brewing and Beer Business

Mar 06 2025 200 ep. 58 mins 94

Hop Forward: Getting You Ahead in the Brewing and Beer Business Podcast artwork

Hop Forward is a biweekly podcast dedicated to the craft beer industry. Including both interviews, discussions and stories from a range of brewers and entrepreneurs within the industry, to advice from founder and host, Nick Law, about starting, scaling and sustaining your own ventures, the Hop Forward podcast is here to help you get ahead with your beers, brand and business.

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Episode 189: Is Starting a Brewery Without a Brewery a Lost Cause...? [An Exploration of Contract and Cuckoo Brewing with Colin Stronge]

Mar 06 2025 73 mins

I'm sure you'll forgive the clickbaity title but it's a question I've been asking for the last 10 years. Most brewery businesses start by obtaining a premises, purchasing equipment, commissioning a brewhouse and getting to work making beer. However, what happens to those of us out there who don't have access to the kinds of capital required to open their own brewhouse a

Episode 188: The Origins of Fyne Ales: Blending & Wild Beers with Fyne Ales' Origins Dan Wye.

Feb 11 2025 70 mins

This week on the Hop Forward Podcast, we're diving into one of the most fascinating corners of brewing: blending and wild beers with Dan Wye who oversees Origins, the wild and spontaneous fermentation arm of Fyne Ales. From wild yeast and spontaneous fermentation to barrels, foraging, and time-honoured techniques, this episode is all about the magic that happens when nature ta

Episode 187: The Fellowship of the Beer [with Steam Machine Brewery Company]

Jan 23 2025 84 mins

Nick Smith from Steam Machine Brewing Company joins us on the Hop Forward Podcast this week to discuss their unique subscription service, The Fellowship of the Beer. The Fellowship of Beer is an extension of Steam Machine Brewing Company’s mission to showcase just how vastly different every pint of beer can be.Founded in 2015 by husband and wife Nick & Gulen Smith, this

Episode 186: Back from the Brink [with Buxton Brewery's Dominic Metcalfe]

Jan 07 2025 63 mins

When Buxton Brewery announced it had gone into administration, shockwaves could be felt across the craft beer community. As a pillar of the UK craft beer scene since 2009, setting benchmarks for quality and innovation with beers like Axe Edge, it was unthinkable that a brewery with such a solid reputation could be amongst the casualties of the current economic climate. However, no

Episode 185: Are regenerative Barley and low-impact ingredients the future of sustainable brewing? [Recorded live at Beer X UK, March 2024]

Dec 20 2024 65 mins

Is regenerative Barley really the future of sustainable malt, or has its benefit been over-hyped? In this week's episode, Nick hosts a panel debate to hash it out with experts in the field whether this and other low-impact ingredients are the future of sustainable brewing.Recorded at SIBA Beer X in March 2024, Nick is joined by Greg Piley from Stroud Brewery and Ben Richardso

Episode 184: Proper Sound Beers from Liverpool [with Colbier Brew Co]

Dec 11 2024 81 mins

Liverpool has long been a musical powerhouse. From Echo and the Bunnymen and Frankie Goes to Hollywood to its most famous sons, The Beatles, the City of Pop has shaped global culture. But Liverpool is far more than music and mop-tops.Home to two iconic football teams, Liverpool F.C. and Everton F.C., the city is also a gem for beer and food tourism. The Grapes pub offers cosy vibes

An Interval... Like going for a Wee Between your 3rd and 4th Pint [New Episodes Coming Soon!]

Nov 07 2024 6 mins

Stay tuned for new episodes of the Hop Forward Podcast coming this December! In the meantime, Nick gives us the lowdown on what's been happening over the past year since the podcast has been in the fridge/on chill/conditioning/lagering {insert your beer metaphor here}.Follow Hop Forward:hopforward.beer | LinkedIn | Twitter | Instagram

Episode 183: This Marks a Turning Point [with Cameron Brown from Turning Point Brew Co]

Dec 11 2023 79 mins

This episode marks a turning point for the Hop Forward Podcast as it will be the last episode of the show before we go on hiatus (or a 'hop rest' as we prefer to call it) for a while. In this episode, Nick shares his reasons why he's taking some time away from the show.Following this introspection, he dives into a compelling beer conversation with Cameron Brown, the co-founde

Episode 182: Will Climate Change Be the End of Citra Hops...? [Talking Sustainability with Chris Terry from 86 Carbon]

Nov 23 2023 81 mins

On the podcast this week, Nick is joined by Chris Terry from 86 Carbon to talk about the impacts of climate change on the brewing and hospitality industry and explore ways to make your business more sustainable and eco-friendly.86 Carbon specialise in Accredited Carbon Literacy training, which leads to an understanding of how climate change will affect individuals and the industry

Episode 181: Why Marketing is one of the Most Important Aspects of Your Business [with Sarah Sinclair from Moonwake Beer Co]

Nov 10 2023 56 mins

Without marketing you may have a flagship beer that no one will ever taste. Marketing is one the most important aspects of your business that often gets overlooked or is grossly misunderstood as merely posting a few images to social media and watching the sales come flooding in.But in a crowded beer market, how should we be marketing our breweries, bars, bottle shops and bran