02:10 – Brogan talks about what led to the guests come on, shares how he found out about the Furry Cider, and how much cider outsells beer. Martini talks about what got him started in making cider, kicking the business off, and what drew them to the Pacific Northwest. Brogan talks about the types of cider he sells at Cosmic Bottles, Spork talks about the difference between the cider community in Chicago vs the community in Seattle, and Martini talks about the alcohol law differences between Washington and Illinois.

17:08 – Martini talks about the different distribution models between the states, Spork talks about the ingredients they use in their ciders, and Martini explains the regulations on ciders from the FDA. Brogan talks about the “To Go Model” used at his shop, making legal documents via ChatGPT, and Martini talks about bringing the Chicago aesthetics to their shop in Seattle.

34:08 – Martini expresses their love of making really bold flavored cider, importing ginger from Figi, and Spork talks about finding the holes in the market and their willingness to take the risk to fill the gaps. He shares where people can find their ciders, Martini explains the artwork behind the products, and their conscious decision to hire artists and let them bring their own ideas to the art.

52:03 – Martini talks about their upcoming plans, Spork talks about moving to Seattle, and they talk about the hurdles around finding a business location in the area. They talk about when the grand opening is going to happen, Spork explains how their membership program will work, and the membership levels they’ll have available.

Thank you both for the great conversation and info on what you all have coming up in 2024!

Special Guest: Slightly Furry.

Sponsored By:

• The Union Club: The Union Club is a coworking space contributing to Tacoma's growing artistic and entrepreneurial communities. It combines a maker studio, event hall, and office coworking space, in a 15,000 square foot historic building in downtown Tacoma, Washington.
• Grim Workshop: Grim Workshop specializes in the making and using of ultralight, reusable, and wearable everyday carry tools. Perfect for a standalone ultralight survival kit that you can keep on hand at all times or as an addition to an existing survival kit to remove unwanted weight. A Family Owned and Operated Company Grim Workshop is proudly family owned and operated deep in the heart of Texas

Support The Grit City Podcast

Links:

• Slightly Furry (@slightly_furry) • Instagram photos and videos
• Slightly Furry | Seattle WA | Facebook — A new queer & furry beverage company making bold Ciders & Meads in Seattle
• Telegram: Contact @slightlyfurry — Official Slightly Furry Telegram group.
• Slightly Furry (@slightlyfurry) / X — A new queer & furry beverage company making bold ciders & meads in Seattle. TG: https://t.me/slightlyfurry
• Slightly Furry: Overview | LinkedIn — We're a new queer & furry owned and operated beverage company in Seattle making delicious Cider and Mead.
• Taproom | Cosmic Bottles — We have a great collection of beer and cider on tap including well-known favorites, seasonal selections and the newest creations. Take a look below to see our current list, and join us soon to taste for yourself.

01:05 – Jeff reveals the safe word of the day, Justin talks about where they are recording, and the importance of never swiping right on Jeff's cell phone. Justin shares the location of Pint and Pie, Greg shares the company's history, and getting the second taproom in Tacoma started. He talks about partnering with the person that makes their pies, Justin talks about his excitement over the savory pies they have, and Alec talks about how he got started working with Greg. Greg shares his appreciation for having Alec on the team, Justin reflects on his gratitude for the process behind brewing, and Scott talks about his love of interviewing breweries.

15:24 – Justin talks about the history around the Old City Hall area in Tacoma, Greg talks about the history behind the building they are in, and Justin expresses his love for the Union Club where they record. Greg talks about what the building was before they moved in, how the pies are made, and Yolanda talks about the weird ghost activity that has gone on at the bar. Justin talks about past Scott and Brogans ghost-hunting adventures, and Jeff expresses the importance of local businesses letting people in for ghost-hunting tours.

30:37 – Justin talks about the city's hopes to renovate Old City Hall, Greg talks about their holiday plans, and Justin shares their recent decision to put up their Christmas Tree. Greg calls himself out around decorating for Christmas before Thanksgiving is over, Yolanda talks about the events they have at the bar, including hosting a wedding, and Greg talks about how easy it is to book something there. Jeff talks about where he and his wife had their marriage ceremony at in Tacoma, Scott talks about the area still recovering from Covid, and Geg talks about the different dynamics between running a bar in Tacoma and other areas.

43:32 – Greg explains how many beers they typically have on tap, Alec talks about finding new ideas for beers, and how long he's been in the area. He speaks on the difference between the PNW and where he's from in Michigan, how Tacoma has grown on him, and Greg talks about the whole brewing industry is in flux right now. Alec shares his beer preference, Yolanda describes how they sell flights, and Greg talks about them going through a company name change. He talks about what caused them to make the change, being a hockey fan, and his excitement for the Kraken.

Special Guest: PintNPie.

Sponsored By:

• Cosmic Bottles: Tap into the universe of craft beer! CRAFT BEER FOR YOU! Tired of the same old grocery store beer selection? Looking for a beer selection that caters to your taste? At Cosmic Bottles the choice is always yours. Every day: 11am - 10pm 27116 167th Place SE Suite 108 Covington, WA 98042
• Die Cut Stickers: Use the code GRITCITY15 at checkout and get 15% off your entire order! · Insanely custom stickers crafted to survive the PNW and beyond! Promo Code: GRITCITY15

Support The Grit City Podcast

Links:

• Pint & Pie - Tacoma — Northwest Brewing Company was born in the Pacific Northwest. We use the finest ingredients from right in our backyard.
• Pint & Pie Public House on Facebook
• Professional cornhole rocked by 'BagGate' cheating scandal — Professional cornhole has been rocked by controversy after the top-ranked team was accused of using illegal bean bags at the 2022 American Cornhole League World Championships in August.
• PINT & PIE on Yelp
• Pint & Pie Public House (@pint_n_pie) • Instagram — Your neighborhood gathering spot specializing in craft beer and savory / sweet pies
• Northwest Brewing Company

01:46 – Jeff wishes everybody a Happy 8th of May, Brogan talks about what has been going on at Cosmic Bottles, and they talk about what they’re going to wear for their golf uniforms. Justin talks about what he wears under his kilt, the craziness of I-5 on Friday, and gives his review of the pickle beer Brogan gave him last weekend. He reflects on celebrating his birthday at Cosmic Bottles, Brogan shares some of the questions he had for Star Wars Trivia, and what has surprised him so far with his business.

19:15 – They jump into the Is It Tacoma game, Justin reveals the correct answer, and they talk about each of the articles. Scott talks about the great experience he and Brogan had with being part of the press at post Norwescons, they talk about future conventions they’d like to go to, and Brogan shares his plan to get his covid shot.

39:33 – They encourage Brogan to take a Smokey and the Bandit road trip, Scott explains what an over ripe beer is, and talks about his favorite fermented pickles. Justin jumps into Eating Out Tacoma, Brogan shares where he is planning to visit when he goes to Vegas, and they talk about homes for cheap in Italy. They chat on plans for Put Stuff, Scott gives an update on his truck, and Brogan talks about the birthday table at the shop.

58:26 – The guys talk about the first albums they got, Scott talks about first hearing Metallica, and listening to the Dr. Demento show when he was a kid. Justin reflects on the huge satellite dish at his grandmas house, Brogan talks about the summers he and Justin spent together when they were kids, and Scott and Jeff imagine what Brogan and Justin would be like if they drove truck together across the country. Justin talks about other jobs him and Brogan had thought of doing when they were younger, Scott shares his testosterone plans, and Justin share’s his excitement to start recording again at The Union Club.

Sponsored By:

• Die Cut Stickers: Use the code GRITCITY15 at checkout and get 15% off your entire order! · Insanely custom stickers crafted to survive the PNW and beyond! Promo Code: GRITCITY15

Support The Grit City Podcast

Links:

• Reverse driver comes forward with harrowing story.
• Menu at The Bazaar by José Andrés Las Vegas
• Harbor City Restaurant Tacoma – Best Dim Sum — We would try our best to open Harbor City Tacoma as soon as possible and make announcement when we are ready.
• Dr. Demento on Wikipedia

02:53 – Brogan talks about his gathering friends for a Cosmic Bottles Put Together Party, the length of time it takes to setup a beer store, and when the location will be ready to go. He shares the cool things that he’s learned during the building process, Justin talks about the restaurant that is going in place of the old Hooters in Tacoma, and gives a shout out to Dine Pierce County.

18:15 – Brogan talks about the hassle tied to doing the change of occupancy that was required for his business, the blood pressure medicines he’s on, and when he’s planning to open shop. He explains what a beer infuser is, what he plans to do for St Patrick’s Day, and talks about the beers they’re enjoying. They brainstorm on the idea of becoming beer hunters, the importance of having a stray dog on the show, and Scott talks about the Homeless Hunter.

36:22 – Brogan and Scott reflect on their camping trip this past summer, Scott recommends that they all attend a Mexican Rodeo, and Brogan explains what a gringo plate is. Scott reflects on picking pine nuts as a kid, swapping beer for pine nuts, and Brogan talks about other businesses he’s discovered near his shop. He talks about how quickly Covington is growing and Justin expresses his excitement for when the place opens.

56:56 – Brogan explains the different kegs sizes, Scott talks about bus adventures in Seattle, and Justin shares where people can find out more about Cosmic Bottles. They discuss what they’re going to be doing with GCP’s new domain name, plans for future guests, and joke currencies that are out there. Brogan closes out the show discussing the fart treaty at his house.

Support The Grit City Podcast

Links:

• 13 Coins
• Dine Pierce County
• barre3
• Cosmic Bottles on Facebook
• Cosmic Bottles

2:28 – The guys kick off the show with giving props to GCP fans that became customers of Tacoma Hops after hearing episode 34 with the owner, LeeAnn. Justin talks about Union Club's (Surge Tacoma) recent win of the Tacoma City Hall Adaptive Reuse bid. They throw around show ideas, discuss the Kill Tony podcast, Grit City Fireside Chat, and how people can get ahold of them at info@gritcitypodcast.com.

9:20 – Justin discusses TacomaHistory.Live, the guys talk of Tacoma being on the ring of fire, Rainier being one of the top 5 most dangerous volcanoes in the country, and Mt St Helens eruption in 1980. Justin talks about the earthquake that hit Tacoma in 1949, the impact it had on Tacoma, and recent faults that were found in Mt Hood by Portland.

21:52 – Talk goes to Halloween and trick-or-treaters at Justin and Jeff’s new houses, memories of Halloween when the guys were kids, and Jeff and his wife’s plans to make “parent packs” for next year’s trick-or-treaters. They talks about the Halloween events at The Church Cantina, Jeff’s mom’s opinion on marijuana after her visit with them on a previous podcast, and talk of Tacoma Weed Tours.

33:20 – The show comes to an end with conversation on the amazing things people can find in Tacoma, where people can find them online, and what GCP offers to people that are interested in doing their own podcast.

Support The Grit City Podcast

Links:

• Beer Tours | United States | Tacoma Hops — Tacoma Hops is your stop for touring the craft breweries of downtown Tacoma on foot. Join us and learn more about Tacoma, the revival of our historic brewing district, and have some great beer and food pairings along the way!
• Surge Tacoma Selected to Enter Negotiations with the City o...
• Union Club Tacoma — Tacoma's premier creative community for coworking & events.
• Tacoma history — This site is about the way history, in this case of a city and it’s surrounds, is remembered or recorded in stories and small bits of memory. It’s also about the way images and stories go together, how they inform and enrich each other and how we as thinking people use our imaginations to fill in the content between a narrative and a visual document.

2:20 – LeeAnn explains what Tacoma Hops is and what go her into beer and food pairing. She talks about how her pairing starts off with the appetizer, main meal, and finishes off pairing beer and desert. LeeAnn chats about how versatile beer is with food, how she learned about the many cities she traveled to through the food they featured there, her not having a pallet for beer at the beginning, and how she finally came to the conclusion that there is a beer for everyone. She then dives into what brought her to Tacoma from Canada.

14:17 – LeeAnn tells the guys about the tours Tacoma Hopps offers every Saturday, the happy hour tours that are offered every other week on Wednesday and Thursday nights, her hope to add additional tours in the future, and the private booking tours she offers. They talk about meeting on Twitter, the importance for business to have a social media presence, Tacoma Hop’s FAQ’s, and the Blooms and Brews event coming up in November.

27:45 – LeeAnn talks about where she got the podcast pickles she brought to the recording, her husband joining the team as the tour Sherpa, and they do their first taste pairing with a farmhouse ale from Mollusk Brewing in Seattle paired with smoked fish in a crème fraiche spread on a fig and hazelnut cracker from Art of Crunch. She also guides them through the proper way to get the full experience with pairing of beer and food.

45:15 – They try their last pairing that consists of Wingman’s coconut porter paired with a double chocolate donut from Tacoma’s Top Pot Donuts. LeeAnn discusses that customers that may have food allergies should contact her prior to the tour, the guys talk about Brogan’s trip to urgent care, and Wingman’s peanut butter and Nutella porters. Justin talks about working as security guard back in the day at the Park and Ride across from where Wingman is located and how the food actually changes flavor with the paring of the two. The show comes to a close with LeeAnn talking about the challenges she has with choosing the food that’s easy to bring along on the trip.

Thanks LeeAnn for joining the guys to discuss what Tacoma Hops does and giving them a delicious look at your beer and food pairing!

Special Guest: Lee Ann.

Sponsored By:

• The Union Club: The Union Club is a coworking space contributing to Tacoma's growing artistic and entrepreneurial communities. It combines a maker studio, event hall, and office coworking space, in a 15,000 square foot historic building in downtown Tacoma, Washington.

Support The Grit City Podcast

Links:

• Beer Tours | United States | Tacoma Hops — Tacoma Hops is your stop for touring the craft breweries of downtown Tacoma on foot. Join us and learn more about Tacoma, the revival of our historic brewing district, and have some great beer and food pairings along the way!
• Tacoma Hops on Facebook