On this episode of the Beer Edge podcast, Andy Crouch speaks with Khris Johnson, the head brewer and co-founder of Green Bench Brewing in Saint Petersburg, Florida. Crouch first visited Green Bench shortly after they opened and he has made it back just about every year since then. The brewery produces a wide range of styles, ranging from totally classic to creatively innovative. And the space is just inviting. The star of the show is a multi use beer garden that welcomes the community to get together, converse, watch a movie, and enjoy each other's community. Indeed, a very different existence than today. On arriving, head brewer and co-owner Khris Johnson jumped behind the bar to start what would be a several minute long process of pouring Green Bench’s excellent take on the slow pour pils. Khris is a big presence, big smile, dripping with passion and thirst for knowledge. Having a hungry mind is one of the best compliments I can give a person. And Khris has an incredible hunger for knowledge about beer, business, and culture. He’s an engaging guy with plenty of stories and an unmitigated love of beer.  He and his co-owners also share a common passion for the city of St. Petersburg, which has quickly become one of the country’s fastest growing beer cities. Green Bench is a complicated place, down to the brewery’s name itself, and Khris is a multi-layered individual. The conversation covers a lot of ground and we can only fit about half of it into this episode. We hope you enjoy it as much as Andy did that pils.

For more information on the Beer Edge Podcast, or to check out Beer Edge: The Newsletter for Beer Professionals, follow us on Twitter @thebeeredge and subscribe to our beer industry focused newsletter. There is more information, articles, and engaging content at Beer Edge.