Happy New Year, Republic of Craft Beer. Flex returns from the brink of death with a cough, a doctor bill, and a sour IPA that immediately changes his mood. Greg rolls out new music, new merch, and a fresh fear that Hong Kong might be stealing their voices for AI. There’s a listener review that weaponizes the phrase “craft beer podcast,” a voicemail from Psycho Bear that somehow includes brewery hopping and Bears trash talk, and a holiday recap that proves staying up for midnight is mostly about spite. Toss in a trip to Disneyland, a drunk mandolin thief with a conscience, and two beers that kick off the year the right way, and you’ve got a proper reset for 2026.

Beers We’re Drinking:

• Flex is drinking Glitterbug from Young Blood Beer Company, a sour IPA with blackberry and cashmere hops.
• Greg is drinking a West Coast IPA collab from MadeWest Brewing and Beachwood Brewing with mango, peach, and pineapple notes.

We’ve got some fresh music for a fresh start for this fresh beer podcast! Flex explains how four weeks of being sick ended with a doctor calmly confirming he was dying and then sending him home. Greg shares why glitter is banned from his house, unveils new merch, and reacts to a surprise spike of listeners in Hong Kong. A voicemail from Psycho Bear turns into equal parts local brewery talk and NFC North trash talk, while holiday stories cover brutal work schedules, forcing kids to stay up until midnight, bacon-wrapped chestnuts, and surviving family gatherings. Greg finally makes it back to Disneyland, pilots the Millennium Falcon, and learns that blinking buttons are apparently not obvious to everyone.

Booze News:

• Sycamore Brewing closes its taproom following serious criminal charges against a former owner.
• Heineken plans new non-alcoholic flavor extensions and a zero-everything option.
• GhostFish Brewing takes over the former Pike Brewing space in Seattle.
• Malibu Brewing announces a future location at Universal CityWalk.
• A women-brewed pale ale highlights outdated beer laws around the world.
• A stolen mandolin gets returned with a note that reads, “sorry I been drunk.”

Follow your favorite beer podcast on the socials:

Flex: Instagram: @flex_me_a_beer

Craft Beer Republic: CraftBeerRepublic.com

• Instagram: @CraftBeerRepublic
• Facebook: CraftBeerRepublicPod
• Threads: CraftBeerRepublic
• Voicemail: (805) 538-2337

Follow & Subscribe:

• Apple Podcasts
• Spotify

A Craft Beer Republic Christmas Story

Welcome in.

The fire is crackling, the lights are down low, the cocoa is hot while the beer is ice cold. Each year brings its own traditions, and this season, Craft Beer Republic invites you to gather close for a Christmas story.

This is a tale meant to be shared the way holiday stories always have been — comfortably, unhurried, and in good company. Settle into the moment, enjoy what’s been poured, and spend a little time with us by the fire.

From all of us at Craft Beer Republic:

Thanks for drinking. Thanks for joining.

And as always — stay hydrated.

If this story becomes part of your holiday listening, feel free to pass it along to someone who enjoys Christmas traditions, warm rooms, and a well-chosen drink on a winter night.

Follow your favorite beer podcast on the socials:

Flex: Instagram: @flex_me_a_beer

Craft Beer Republic: CraftBeerRepublic.com

• Instagram: @CraftBeerRepublic
• Facebook: CraftBeerRepublicPod
• Threads: CraftBeerRepublic
• Voicemail: (805) 538-2337

Follow & Subscribe:

• Apple Podcasts
• Spotify
• More links

Welcome in, beer podcast lovers. Flex is out with the lingus, but Erica jumps in to fill those short-shorts. Greg finally tracks down his annual dosing of Sierra Nevada Celebration, Erica brings her own Sierra Nevada winter vibes, and the holidays officially kick off with champagne dreams, questionable work parties, white elephant rules that make no sense, and the long-awaited dropping of the Yule Log. There’s also a raw egg beer cocktail nobody asked for, some very loud Christmas traditions, and Florida doing what Florida does best, getting frisky in a grocery store parking lot.

Beers We’re Drinking:

• Greg is drinking Celebration Ale from Sierra Nevada Brewing Co. — classic West Coast holiday tradition.
• Erica is drinking Skiesta Bavarian Lager from Sierra Nevada Brewing Co. — crisp, bready, easy winter lager.

Flex is out, Erica is in, and she wastes no time talking about her holiday white elephant party and why fancy work parties are basically designed to make everyone uncomfortable. Greg finally completes his Celebration Ale hunt without committing to a Costco-sized mistake, proving that two cans is the perfect amount of that beer, once a year. They get into their shared love of champagne, Erica’s love of chnog, and Greg’s ongoing refusal to attend holiday parties—even if there’s free booze involved. Everything wraps up the only way it should: with the most important Christmas tradition of them all, the annual dropping of the Yule Log.

Booze News:

• North Carolina bars react after Sycamore Brewing co-founder arrest
• Anheuser-Busch moves closer to owning BeatBox
• AB announces brewery closures amid manufacturing overhaul
• Blackout Wednesday drinking dips year over year
• Florida trio arrested for midday grocery store parking lot activities

Follow your favorite beer podcast on the socials:

Erica: NeckNosh.com

• Instagram: @NeckNosh

Craft Beer Republic: CraftBeerRepublic.com

• Instagram: @CraftBeerRepublic
• Facebook: CraftBeerRepublicPod
• Threads: CraftBeerRepublic
• Voicemail: (805) 538-2337

Follow & Subscribe:

• Apple Podcasts
• Spotify
• More links