Drink Beer, Think Beer With John Holl

Welcome to This Week in Rauchbier for April 1, 2026.
 

Our Rauchbier spotlight is on the Pacific Northwest where eight breweries have come together to release Smoke Break, a collaborative Rauch Märzen built around a simple idea: Rauchbier is great, and more people should be drinking it.


"The project brings together Cloudburst Brewing, Obelisk Beer Co, Varietal Beer Company, Ladd & Lass Brewing, Ravenna Brewing Company, Urban Family Brewing Co., Human People Beer, and Single Hill Brewing (who hosted the collaboration.) It is a larger-than-usual collaboration centered on a style that does not often get this kind of spotlight," reads a press release. "Smoke Break is a mid strength Rauch Märzen brewed with beechwood-smoked barley, and a touch of oak-smoked wheat. The result is a malt-forward lager with notes of caramel and cocoa, backed by a firm but clean smoky finish that lingers without overwhelming."

Then Bart Watson the President and CEO of the Brewers Association joins us to share the latest growth and success of Rauchbier in the marketplace. 

Finally, we hear from Brian Shirley at Time & Materials Beer talks about his cask rauchbier. 


Enjoy these audio smoky delights. 

For more Drink Beer, Think Beer check out All About Beer.


  • Host: John Holl
  • Guests: Bart Watson, Brian Shirley, Andrew Pytel
  • Tags: beer, craft beer, rauchbier, smoke, April Fool's Day


Music for this episode:
NewsSting by Kevin MacLeod
Link: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/4124-newssting
License: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

Creators and Guests

Host
John Holl
John Holl is the editor of All About Beer
Producer
All About Beer
Est. 1979. Beer news, reviews, podcasts, and features from America’s oldest beer media brand. Ready to party after an unexpectedly long slumber.

What is Drink Beer, Think Beer With John Holl?

Drink Beer, Think Beer is a weekly conversation with brewers, growers, and other brewing industry professionals that explores the art, culture, and business of craft beer. Hosted by John Holl and recorded on location, this podcast gets to the bottom of every pint and offers insight into the dynamic world of beer.