Consuming the Craft

“If no one’s told you that you can have a career path in something like brewing and distilling, go after it. No one can stop you—and there are people who want to help you succeed and achieve your dre…

Roman’s story is incredible, to say the least. He is an international student at AB Tech’s Craft Beverage Institute of the Southeast. Despite the challenges provided by differences in culture, langua…

Brian Loughrey knows what he’s saying when he talks about beer and the beer industry: before he became the Director of Business Development at TechniBlend, Inc./ ProBrew, Brian served in sales for br…

It’s safe to say that John Lyda—a full-time faculty member and stalwart of the Craft Beverage Institute of the Southeast at A-B Tech—and I do a lot over the summer. Like the Batman to my Robin, John…

Evan Wilder could not have known that visiting his aunt and uncle would set him down the rabbit hole of distillation. He had just gotten into whiskey prior to the visit, and his uncle suggested they…

One has got to wonder: just when does Kaeleigh McCauley sleep? While serving as co-founder of the Outsider Brewing Company, Kaeleigh also works as the Sales Development Coordinator for Brewers Suppl…

Outsider Brewing Company co-founder Kaeleigh McCauley studied International Business & German at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro. As required by her degree, Kaeleigh later studied in …

It’s time for a celebration, and celebrating with me is the pillar of the Craft Beverage Institute of the Southeast at A-B Tech, John Lyda. What we’re celebrating is in John’s hand—an obelisk. An awa…

Do you have leftover whiskey, gin, bourbon, or tequila lying around in bottles around the house? Do you want to clear up some space at your personal bar in time for spring without just throwing away …

While he isn’t completely foreign to imbibing alcohol here and there, Taylor Howard is certainly not a big drinker. So, when he drafted an idea for a distillery on a bar napkin, it was, without a dou…

Want to be part of an extraordinary opportunity to learn about the history and production of an amazing beverage? We’ve got exciting news for you here at the Craft Beverage Institute of the Southeast…

Robert Todd’s creative impulse as an architect began at age five when he drew a picture of a red house on his bedroom wall. Today, that drawing has become Red House Architecture, a firm specializing …

Kimberly Floyd is the co-founder, Executive Director, and brains behind the North Carolina Craft Beverage Museum. Established by community members in 2017, the North Carolina Beverage Museum is dedic…

Leah Howard is the owner of H&H Distillery, a 4-year-old craft spirits distillery based in Asheville, NC. H&H Distillery currently distills three great-tasting spirits: Hazel 63 Rum, Asheville Coffee…

John Hedburg is the founder of Bottle Rocket Design, an alumni graduate of the Craft Beer Institute program, and a web designer for craft beer breweries across the industry.

John joins me today to di…

Jen Currier is the Maven Wood Cellarman at Wicked Weed Brewing Company and a graduate of the Craft Beer Institute. At Wicked Weed, she works in the sour production facility, which focuses on creating…

Eric Lebsack is the Seller Master of Ponysaurus Brewing Company. Ponysaurus is a 6,000 square-foot brewery with locations in Asheville, Charlotte, Wilmington, Greensboro, Raleigh, and Durham. They ar…

Diane Currier is the founder of Honeygirl Meadery, a meadery based in Durham, North Carolina. Diane first discovered mead after visiting her sister in Alaska and experiencing her first taste. In 2012…

Chris Harshman is the Director of Technology Services at A-B Tech. With a wide assortment of professional (and non-professional) titles behind his name, his most preferred title is Whiskey Enthusiast…

Chris Harshman is a ‘Whiskey Enthusiast’ and the Director of Technology Services at A-B Tech Community College in Asheville, NC. Chris holds a Full Stack Web Development Certification and Computer So…