It's the first Listener Mailbag episode of Beer People! Hosts Matt and Chris take questions from listeners. Topics discussed:

• If you started a brewery together, and you've got 8 taps available that define your brewery for the winter season, what's the first lineup?
• Every time I go out to eat with my fiancee's parents, I always try to pay the bill and they fight me for it. What can I do to be slick and avoid the bill fight at the end?
• I stayed in a nice hotel and loved the shampoo and conditioner, but it was attached to the wall. Is it poor etiquette to empty those into little containers to take home?
• Where do I start my search for new breweries that align with my values?

To hear your questions on the podcast, send a message on Instagram or to beerpeoplepodcast@gmail.com.

Beer People links: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠IG⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠website⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Snazzy theme music by Beer Person Gerry Mayer, check out more of his tunes ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Artwork by the illustrious Lotus of ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@lotiecreates⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Mark Ricketts wants to grow. While he says that he isn’t a great brewer… yet… he has a thirst for honest feedback from the great brewers in the craft beer industry. Mark has the kind of humility that can make any person truly great: he knows his limitations and wants to push past them through honest evaluation and good old fashioned hard work. Mark brings that same passion to fatherhood and to his brewing and fermenting project, Summer in the Fields. Splitting time between Philly and Jamaica, Mark has the kind of energy that people gravitate towards. Mark has that ‘it’ factor that people want to surround themselves with. He even raises money for causes he believes in and brings people together over beer. Must be why people love to work with him and why people love to know him. Kindness, compassion, a desire to grow, and beer? Sounds like the perfect recipe.

Mark's links: IG

Beer People links: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠IG⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠website⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Snazzy theme music by Beer Person Gerry Mayer, check out more of his tunes ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Artwork by the illustrious Lotus of ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@lotiecreates⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

In this episode, we chat with Rafa D’Armas - a man with many hats - for a conversation that’s as thoughtful as it is energizing. Rafa shares how beer can be a force for authenticity and human connection, plus how the social spaces we build around it can strengthen entire communities.

We explore the formative memories that shaped his philosophy as a brewer, the work he’s doing to expand access and equity through the Michael James Jackson Foundation and the Beer Culture Center, and how he continues to evolve his craft at Other Half. It’s an inspiring look at the intersection of culture, creativity, and community-building, told by someone who lives it every day.

Guest Instagrams:⁠⁠⁠ Rafa, Beer Culture Center, Michael James Jackson Foundation, Other Half NYC

Guest websites: Beer Culture Center, MJF, Other Half

Beer People links: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠IG⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠website⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Snazzy theme music by Beer Person Gerry Mayer, check out more of his tunes ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Artwork by the illustrious Lotus of ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@lotiecreates⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠