Hop Forward: Getting You Ahead in the Brewing and Beer Business

Hop Forward is a biweekly podcast dedicated to the craft beer industry. Including both interviews, discussions and stories from a range of brewers and entrepreneurs within the industry, to advice from founder and host, Nick Law, about starting, scaling and sustaining your own ventures, the Hop Forward podcast is here to help you get ahead with your beers, brand and business.

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Update frequency: every 10 days
Average duration: 59 minutes
Episodes: 206
Years Active: 2018 - 2025

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Episode 195: A View From The Floor: Conversations about the State of Things in UK Craft Beer [featuring Twice Brewed, The Driftwood Spars, Wipre & True, Utopian Brewing, Abbeydale Brewery, Attic Brew Co, Contract Distilling, Broadtown Brewery and Round Corner Brewing]

On the podcast this week, Nick takes us on a roving audio tour of SIBA Beer X—the UK’s largest brewing trade show—capturing raw, on-the-ground insights straight from the tradeshow floor.Armed with a …

01:14:26 | Tue 15 Jul 2025

Episode 194: From Extract to Impact: How Abstrax Hops Are Shaping Beer’s Future [with Julian Shrago from Beachwood Brewing, USA]

On the podcast this week, Nick is joined by Craig Thomas, National Account Manager at Abstrax, to take a deep dive into the science, story, and serious hop chemistry behind their innovative hop produ…

00:56:15 | Fri 20 Jun 2025

Episode 193: Facing the Cold Hard Facts [with Fell Brewery's Tim Bloomer]

On the podcast this week, Nick is joined by Tim Bloomer, co-founder and Sustainability Director for Fell Brewery. Based in Cumbria, one of the UK's most scenic areas, having a brewery that is friend…

01:15:03 | Thu 05 Jun 2025

Episode 192: Pivot! [with Kate Hyde from Hand Brew Co]

I've stayed in craft beer for over a decade not just for the love of the liquid, but for the friendships. The relationships I've built are what keep me here, the camaraderie amongst brewers and beer …

01:33:20 | Fri 16 May 2025

Episode 191: Diversity, Equity & Inclusion... and The Simpsons [with David Jesudason]

This week on the Hop Forward Podcast, we're joined by journalist and Beer Writer of the Year 2023, David Jesudason. We discuss diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) within hospitality and the brewin…

01:14:05 | Thu 01 May 2025

Episode 190: Why Is Dave Selling a Shit Load of New England IPA? [with Indie Rabble's Dave Hayward]

Hopefully, by the end of this episode, we'll have answered the question why Dave Hayward, co-founder of A Hoppy Place and Indie Rabble Brewing Co, is selling a shit load of hazies... but even if we d…

00:50:34 | Tue 18 Mar 2025

Episode 189: Is Starting a Brewery Without a Brewery a Lost Cause...? [An Exploration of Contract and Cuckoo Brewing with Colin Stronge]

I'm sure you'll forgive the clickbaity title but it's a question I've been asking for the last 10 years. Most brewery businesses start by obtaining a premises, purchasing equipment, commissioning a …

01:13:44 | Thu 06 Mar 2025

Episode 188: The Origins of Fyne Ales: Blending & Wild Beers with Fyne Ales' Origins Dan Wye.

This week on the Hop Forward Podcast, we're diving into one of the most fascinating corners of brewing: blending and wild beers with Dan Wye who oversees Origins, the wild and spontaneous fermentatio…

01:10:10 | Tue 11 Feb 2025

Episode 187: The Fellowship of the Beer [with Steam Machine Brewery Company]

Nick Smith from Steam Machine Brewing Company joins us on the Hop Forward Podcast this week to discuss their unique subscription service, The Fellowship of the Beer. The Fellowship of Beer is an ext…

01:24:11 | Thu 23 Jan 2025

Episode 186: Back from the Brink [with Buxton Brewery's Dominic Metcalfe]

When Buxton Brewery announced it had gone into administration, shockwaves could be felt across the craft beer community. As a pillar of the UK craft beer scene since 2009, setting benchmarks for qual…

01:03:06 | Tue 07 Jan 2025

Episode 185: Are regenerative Barley and low-impact ingredients the future of sustainable brewing? [Recorded live at Beer X UK, March 2024]

Is regenerative Barley really the future of sustainable malt, or has its benefit been over-hyped? In this week's episode, Nick hosts a panel debate to hash it out with experts in the field whether t…

01:05:30 | Fri 20 Dec 2024

Episode 184: Proper Sound Beers from Liverpool [with Colbier Brew Co]

Liverpool has long been a musical powerhouse. From Echo and the Bunnymen and Frankie Goes to Hollywood to its most famous sons, The Beatles, the City of Pop has shaped global culture. But Liverpool i…

01:21:34 | Wed 11 Dec 2024

An Interval... Like going for a Wee Between your 3rd and 4th Pint [New Episodes Coming Soon!]

Stay tuned for new episodes of the Hop Forward Podcast coming this December! In the meantime, Nick gives us the lowdown on what's been happening over the past year since the podcast has been in the …

00:06:46 | Thu 07 Nov 2024

Episode 183: This Marks a Turning Point [with Cameron Brown from Turning Point Brew Co]

This episode marks a turning point for the Hop Forward Podcast as it will be the last episode of the show before we go on hiatus (or a 'hop rest' as we prefer to call it) for a while. In this episod…

01:19:15 | Mon 11 Dec 2023

Episode 182: Will Climate Change Be the End of Citra Hops...? [Talking Sustainability with Chris Terry from 86 Carbon]

On the podcast this week, Nick is joined by Chris Terry from 86 Carbon to talk about the impacts of climate change on the brewing and hospitality industry and explore ways to make your business more …

01:21:33 | Thu 23 Nov 2023

Episode 181: Why Marketing is one of the Most Important Aspects of Your Business [with Sarah Sinclair from Moonwake Beer Co]

Without marketing you may have a flagship beer that no one will ever taste. Marketing is one the most important aspects of your business that often gets overlooked or is grossly misunderstood as mer…

00:56:03 | Fri 10 Nov 2023

Episode 180: Sell, Sell, Sell! [Talking Sales (and Belgian Beer) with Darren Filsell and Ben Stephenson from Devil's Depot]

On this episode of the Hop Forward Podcast, we delve into the often-overlooked art of selling craft beer. While we've covered a wide range of brewing topics in the past, it's time to explore the oth…

01:28:42 | Fri 20 Oct 2023

Episode 179: Lock, Stock and Two Pints of Ale [with Gritchie Brewing Company and an EXCLUSIVE interview with Guy Ritchie]

On the Hop Forward Podcast this week, we take a trip to Gritchie Brewing Company: a 'beer farm' located on the Ashcombe Estate near Shaftesbury, owned by acclaimed screenwriter, producer and director…

01:17:21 | Mon 02 Oct 2023

Episode 178: From Bitters to Barrel Farms: Connecting the two with Ampersand Brew Co

On the podcast this week, we're joined by Andy from Ampersand Brew Co, based in Diss, Norfolk (UK). Started by a family team of Amy, Andy & Adrian Hipwell in a converted barn on the family farm, the …

01:20:01 | Thu 14 Sep 2023

Episode 177: Fermenting Thoughts: On Packaging and Sustainability

On the Hop Forward Podcast this week, Nick & Sean share their Fermenting Thoughts on all things packaging and sustainability. We discuss everything from the logistics of kegs, supporting venues, the…

00:34:39 | Thu 07 Sep 2023

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