Jeremy Grinkey worked in wine for the better part of a decade before joining The Bruery in Orange County, California. That winemaking background still informs the way the director of brewing operations and the Bruery itself make beer. From their club-focused sales approach—with special access for their best customers—to the focus on blending and the use of wine grapes as an ingredient, the influence is palpable.

In this episode, Grinkey discusses:

Their process of developing new beers and growing them as they move through the various “tiers,” from special events through smaller and then larger clubs
Putting faith in barrels and the aging process
Developing a sensory-based understanding of how barrel-aged beer will evolve with time
The freedom to let things go and to make beers what they can and should be
The difficulty in forecasting brewing for barrel-aged stock years before a beer’s release
Leaving space and place for sweetness in beer design
The technical process behind wine-beer hybrids
Using fermentation aids as well as heat to your advantage
Bottle-conditioning to amplify funk
The changing tastes for high-gravity beers

And more.

*This episode is brought to you by: *

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205: Jeremy Grinkey of The Bruery Puts His Faith in the Blend

Craft Beer & Brewing Magazine Podcast