The herky-jerky release of episodes of late has probably raised questions in your mind, with the neologism “podfade” undoubtedly knocking around in there somewhere. Indeed, with fellow old-tymer Farpoint shows like Geek Fu Action Grip and most recently the “Happy Days” to my “Joanie Loves Chachi”, Wingin’ It 3D, ending their runs or changing into unrecognizable versions of their old selves, such speculation is completely justified. And, truth be told, more-or-less on the mark. It’s a sad old song hardly worth singing, but reality is a harsh mistress, and producing a show on my own time, on my own dime in the midst of RL is no easy feat.
That being said, I have gotten so much good stuff out of SoB, and treasure my experiences participating in this whole “new media” deal. The people I’ve met, both face-to-face and in more electronic ways, have uniformly been fantastic, and I count many of them among my closest friends. The opportunities the podcast has given me to speak with passionate brewers from all over the world, as well as the often unsung folks in the Beerniverse who support them, are more than I probably deserve, and I am very grateful indeed. And of course, the mind-blowingly good beer I’ve uncovered in my explorations has enriched my life, and hopefully enhanced yours as well.
So…I can’t really do the show, but don’t want to give it up. After a long (and I do mean long) stint on the horns of this dilemma, vacillating wildly between bagging the whole thing and sucking it up and grinding on, I’ve come up with a compromise that just might work. To wit: the old format is gone. Episodes will focus on a single segment: an interview, a homebrewing experience, side-by-side sampling of a couple of beers, etc. I’ll record as opportunity presents itself, and can thus make no promises as to release schedule. Just stay subscribed, and good stuff will come down the pike when it happens. I think in this way I can keep my passion burning sufficiently hot, keep the shows varied and interesting, and continue flying the flag for great beer. And it doesn’t mean that a “full blown” show is out of the realm of possibility, it’s just that when it does happen it’ll be something I want to do rather than something I have to do. I believe strongly that podcasting, and new media in general, is about keeping love alive and spontaneous, not grinding it up in a media machine. If I wanted that, I’d go into traditional broadcasting. And, just to be crystal clear, I don’t want that.
Whew! All that being said, the next episode will be an interview, but that doesn’t mean you can’t drink along. Scare up some
Gulden Draak [alternatives/additional beers: Piraat, Augustijn, Bruegel, Bornem Dubbel Bornem Tripel]
I think it will accompany the show quite well.
Please feel free to let me know what you think of all this. I do this for you guys. OK, and for the beer….
Today’s episode is a special Beer As Folk interview with Jef Verserle of Belgium’s Brouwerij Van Steenberge, best known for their outstanding brews Gulden Draak, Piraat, and Augustijn. The brewery has been in Jef’s family for seven generations, so as you can imagine he has a lot to talk about. The history, the philosophy, and the craft, both ancient and modern, of a world-class brewery all get a go-round in this conversation. So pour up a nice tall Gulden Draak (my personal favorite), or any of the other Van Steenberge beers, and enjoy the show!
