At the end of each year, we all expect writers and content creators to share their lists of the most impactful experiences from the previous 10 or 11 months. This includes audio and video podcasts. However when I read them, I’m often wondering what constitues “the best” work beyond personal tastes as most times no specific categories are listed. Nothing wrong with personal tastes as we all have our favorites and I believe there’s an opportunity for clarity when it comes to making our selections.
For podcasts that center the experience of consuming craft beer, I like to think that there are at least four categories for listeners to enjoy. These could also fit as subcategories under society and culture shows, food shows, and even art or artistic practice podcasts. There’s opportunity for services like Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon and others to provide these subcategories, but that’s whole other blog entry.
Why is this categorization important? I believe it helps listeners understand what they can expect most often from specific podcasts. And similar to the Beer Judge Certification Program guidelines which were created for competitions, having podcast categories allows more shows to recognized for their specific contribution to craft beer podcasting education and entertainment.
The four categories as I see it are brewing practice, brewing education, brewing industry, and craft beer lifestyle.
Category 1: Brewing Practice
These shows discuss the art of brewing and/or fermentations of interest to homebrewers and commercial brewers. Subjects range from hop, malt, and yeast ingredients to brewing technique and equipment to agriculture conditions. Show examples include Brülosophy, Master Brewer Podcast, Beer and Brewing Podcast, and Bean to Barstool.
Category 2: Brewing Education
These shows center beer history and styles. It can also discuss proper beer presentation as it relates to certification and/or competition guidelines (think Cicerone, BJCP). Examples include Sense of Beer Style, False Bottomed Girls, and A Woman’s Brew among others.
Category 3: Brewing Industry
This category focuses on the business of craft beer and brewing. Think craft beer trends, brewery and brewing guild personnel, and taproom practices. Show examples include Brewbound Podcast, Good Beer Hunting, The Full Pint, and Being Black in Craft.
category 4: craft Beer Lifestyle
These shows celebrate the experiences of craft beer as well as discuss other art and culture topics. In my listening experience, this represents a large part of beer podcasts available. Think of them as the “beer and” shows. Some episodes will highlight brewing practice, education, or industry depending on the topic, but it’s not the overall expectation of the podcast. Included in this category are Brewing Banter Podcast, Brewsers, and Modern Brews and Beats.
Often, the opening banter between hosts or hosts and their guests can move many of the shows listed above between categories. Are there some beer podcasts that land in all four categories? Absolutely. One example of this is the show, Steal This Beer. You have a brewing professional and a journalist (Augie Carton of Carton Brewing and writer/serial podcaster John Holl) with great banter and personal experience that make each episode a fun journey no matter where it may land topically.
So, what are your thoughts on these categories? Is there one you feel is missing or believe should be combined? Moreover, how would you categorize the craft beer podcasts you listen to? Leave a comment below to share.
