The Grit City Podcast - Episodes Tagged with “Cider”

GCP: Hangover Sunday - Beer Fest, Carrot Dogs & Nuclear Wings

GCP Media — Wed, 19 Aug 2026 07:45:00 -0700

The Grit City Podcast crew is back with another Hangover Sunday, and this week's episode proves once again that a simple weekend recap can go almost anywhere.

Jeff, Scott, Mike and C-Note kick things off by talking about the podcast itself. After years of making Grit City episodes, the crew has noticed a major increase in listeners, with downloads reportedly tripling over the previous month and a half. They take a moment to thank the longtime listeners, welcome the newcomers and remind everyone about the Grit City Discord, Patreon and the growing collection of classic episodes.

Then Jeff gets into the main event: the 2026 Tumwater Artesian Beer Fest.

Jeff spent the weekend hanging out with friends, including Ken Carlson, before heading into the festival. The group wasn't exactly made up of professional beer drinkers, but that didn't stop them from sampling the local scene. The festival featured beer, cider, mead and plenty of fruit-forward drinks, including strawberry, huckleberry, watermelon basil and blueberry offerings.

There was also plenty of food. Puget Sound Pizza gets a shout-out for serving enormous slices, while the guys discuss barbecue, food trucks and eventually making a stop for ice cream afterward. Being the designated driver wasn't a bad deal either, with discounted admission and free non-alcoholic drinks and snacks.

The weather also played a role. What was expected to be an overcast day turned sunny and hot, leaving people baking in the unexpected Northwest sunshine. Fortunately, the crew had a solution: food, drinks and eventually ice cream.

Jeff also puts the Grit City hotline to work with some genuine on-location reporting. Festival attendees check in with their names and what they're drinking, giving listeners a little taste of the event directly from the crowd.

Of course, no Hangover Sunday would be complete without several completely unrelated detours.

The crew revisits some classic Grit City history, including the early days of the podcast, old sponsors, conventions and a bizarre story involving a giant carrot costume that apparently looked enough like a hot dog to cause some confusion.

From there, the conversation travels into the world of strange internet rabbit holes before landing on something much more wholesome: professional disc golf. The guys discover just how serious the professional disc golf world has become, including a major tournament at The Preserve.

Eventually, naturally, they return to beer.

The crew debates hazy IPAs, traditional IPAs, hops, yeast, fruit flavors and the difference between craft beer and the kind of "garage beer" people drink when they aren't thinking too hard about what they're drinking.

And then the conversation takes a hard turn toward food.

A bizarre peanut butter, potato chip, barbecue sauce and pita bread creation gets discussed with the seriousness of a culinary crime investigation. The guys then move into an argument over American cheese before somehow landing on Cincinnati chili spaghetti and the strange combination of spices—including cinnamon and cloves—that goes into it.
Finally, the episode reaches its logical conclusion: incredibly hot wings.

The crew remembers a meal involving wings so brutally spicy that everyone eventually gave up. One person even managed to rub the sauce into his eyes, turning an already painful meal into a full-blown disaster.

Beer festivals, disc golf, carrot costumes, craft beer debates, bizarre sandwiches, Cincinnati chili and nuclear-level wings.

It's another weekend in the world of Grit City—and another perfectly chaotic Hangover Sunday.

00:00 – Cold Open Chaos
The episode starts with the usual Grit City technical confusion before the intro.
01:18 – Welcome to Hangover Sunday
Jeff, Scott, Mike and C-Note kick things off and admit everyone had a big weekend.
02:13 – Grit City Is Growing
The crew thanks listeners after noticing downloads have roughly tripled over the previous month and a half.
03:11 – The Grit City Archives
A look back at the show's older interview episodes, the early days of podcasting, and recording interviews in the back of bars.
05:53 – Old Episodes Become Local History
The guys talk about people and businesses from the early Grit City days that aren't around anymore.
06:04 – The E.J. O'Donnell Story
A conversation about one of Grit City's longtime sticker partners and how one former contact went on to build a successful business.
07:47 – Call the Grit City Hotline
The crew promotes the listener hotline and talks about the new AI-generated jingles.
10:46 – Tumwater Artesian Beer Fest 2026
Scott recaps his weekend at the Tumwater Artesian Beer Fest and hanging out with Ken Carlson and friends.
11:19 – Ken Carlson, Beer & A Very Reluctant Beer Drinker
The crew talks about Ken, his work, his writing, and bringing a reluctant beer drinker along for the festival.
12:26 – DD Discount, Pizza & Festival Food
Being the designated driver has its perks, including cheaper admission, free non-alcoholic drinks and snacks.
14:10 – Ice Cream Saves the Day
The crew discovers the simple beauty of post-festival ice cream—and the heat starts becoming a problem.
15:19 – On-Scene Reporting from Tumwater
Scott talks about calling into the Grit City hotline from the festival and getting some real-time reactions.
16:21 – Live from the Beer Fest
Festival-goers check in with their names and drinks, including strawberry cider, huckleberry cider, watermelon basil cider and blueberry jam ale.
17:25 – The "Jimmathy" Problem
The guys discover a suspiciously named drink and debate whether they're comfortable with it.
18:42 – How to Do a Proper Grit City Check-In
The crew explains the strategy behind approaching strangers at events and getting them on the hotline.
19:07 – Fruit Beers, Mead & the Steam Mule
A deep dive into the festival's flavored drinks, huckleberry mead and one particularly questionable-sounding "Steam Mule."
20:22 – Wristbands, Sunshine & Camp Stamp Cameras
The guys discuss the festival's wristband system, unexpected sunshine and Scott's photography setup.
22:28 – Mead, Cider & Braggot
A stop at Acorn Brewing leads to a discussion about mead, cider, beer and the mysterious hybrid drink known as braggot.
23:13 – What Exactly Is a Black & Tan?
A quick beer education session turns into another Grit City tangent.
24:58 – The Giant Carrot That Looked Like a Hot Dog
An old workplace story involving a giant carrot costume somehow looking like a hot dog.
25:32 – The Night Side Distillery Days
The crew remembers an old sponsor, conventions and a particularly memorable case of flavored vodka.
26:02 – The Carrot Incident Explained
The legendary carrot story gets the full treatment.
29:00 – The Internet Rabbit Hole
The conversation turns toward strange online rabbit holes and the kind of stories that always seem to end with demons, dimensions and doom.
33:26 – Disc Golf Has a Pro League?!
The crew discovers just how serious professional disc golf has become, including a tournament at The Preserve.
34:00 – Skip Aces & the Disc Golf Tour
A surprisingly enthusiastic discussion about professional disc golf and Minnesota's top courses.
40:00 – Minnesota, Family & Pay-What-You-Can Events
The conversation shifts into Minnesota culture, family stories and the idea of events using donation-based admission.
45:57 – PorchFest, Conventions & Finding Something to Do Every Month
The guys discuss PorchFest, local events and the dream of having enough business-related excuses to attend conventions constantly.
46:50 – Are Microbreweries Disappearing?
A conversation about the changing craft beer scene and the future of small breweries.
50:00 – Hazy IPAs & Why They Taste Fruity
The crew debates IPAs, hazy IPAs, hops, yeast and why some beers taste more like citrus than traditional beer.
56:35 – Midwest Beer vs. Garage Beer
A discussion about regional beer preferences and the idea of a "garage beer."
57:28 – The IPA Weekend
The guys admit the conversation has basically become an extended beer discussion.
59:59 – The Peanut Butter, Potato Chip & BBQ Sauce Situation
A bizarre food combination involving peanut butter, potato chips, barbecue sauce and pita bread gets put on trial.
01:02 – American Cheese Controversy
The crew debates American cheese, melted cheese and whether American cheese belongs anywhere near pizza.
01:03 – Cincinnati Chili Spaghetti
The conversation turns to Cincinnati chili, spaghetti and the surprisingly complicated ingredients involved.
01:04 – Spaghetti vs. Chili: The Family Food Debate
A discussion about childhood food traditions turns into another culinary argument.
01:08 – Nuclear Wings
The guys remember an encounter with brutally hot wings that eventually defeated everyone at the table.
01:09 – The Food Disaster Files
The episode closes with stories about bad restaurant experiences and the strange food-related luck of the Grit City crew.

GCP: Friday Night Hangout - LEGO Lawsuits, Penis Fingers & Jim Norton

GCP Media — Wed, 24 Jun 2026 05:00:00 -0700

The Grit City crew is back for another laid-back Friday Night Hangout, proving once again that no topic is too weird and no rabbit hole is too deep.

Jeff, Scott, Mike and C-Note kick things off catching up while Brogan enjoys some time in Louisiana. The conversation quickly turns to Summer Con in Puyallup, where the hosts discuss how the convention has evolved from what felt like a giant celebrity meet-and-greet into a more traditional fan convention complete with vendors, gaming and community networking opportunities.

Festival season also gets some love as the crew reminisces about the Artesian Brewfest in Tumwater. Jeff shares his cautionary tale about skipping sunscreen and paying the price, while the group remembers good cider, good company and a surprisingly family-friendly atmosphere.

Naturally, things take a turn into classic Grit City territory after an image mishap inspires an extended discussion about "penis fingers," complete with a reminder that listeners can always call the GCP hotline to share their own strange life experiences.

Scott then recaps a recent trip to the Northwest Pinball and Arcade Expo and a post-show meetup at Camp Bar before diving into an evening at Tacoma Comedy Club to see comedian Jim Norton. C-Note recounts his first comedy club experience and the crew talks about Norton's storytelling style, long career and reputation as one of stand-up's more unapologetically honest performers.

The biggest rabbit hole of the night, however, involves an astonishing LEGO controversy. Scott shares the ongoing story of a collector whose valuable Star Wars LEGO collection was allegedly caught up in a consignment dispute involving a Bricks & Minifigs franchise. The story expands into lawsuits, YouTube investigations, body camera footage, Airbnb complaints, alleged police misconduct and online fundraising efforts, leaving everyone amazed at how bizarre and complicated internet justice can become.

It's another perfect Friday night with the Grit City crew—equal parts local events, comedy talk, internet sleuthing and completely ridiculous detours that somehow make perfect sense when you're hanging out with friends.

Chapters

00:00 – Cold Open & Settling In

The crew gets the mics rolling and prepares for another Friday night hangout.
01:37 – The Whole Gang (Mostly) Returns

Jeff, Scott, Mike and C-Note check in while Brogan enjoys Louisiana.
02:10 – Summer Con in Puyallup

Talking celebrity guests, vendors, panels and the evolution of local conventions.
04:30 – Artesian Brewfest Memories

Beer, cider, sunscreen regrets and family-friendly festival vibes.
05:45 – Penis Fingers & Listener Hotline

An accidental image discovery spirals into one of the weirdest conversations of the night.
07:55 – Northwest Pinball Show Recap

The crew reflects on hanging out at Camp Bar after the arcade and pinball expo.
08:40 – Jim Norton at Tacoma Comedy Club

Scott and C-Note review their night seeing comedian Jim Norton and discuss comedy clubs.
16:20 – The Great LEGO Scandal

An unbelievable story involving consigned LEGO collections, franchise disputes, lawsuits and internet investigators.
19:00 – Utah, YouTubers & Questionable Policing

The LEGO saga takes an even stranger turn involving arrests, body cams, Airbnb drama and allegations of misconduct.
22:00 – Internet Justice: Good, Bad and Weird

The guys debate the power of online communities, crowdfunding and accountability.

GCP: Slightly Furry

GCP Media — Wed, 13 Dec 2023 04:00:00 -0800

Spork and Martini, owners of Slightly Furry, sit down with the guys to talk about the business and the delicious ciders they make. They have a drive to support and lift the furry, queer, and underrepresented communities that need a louder voice. You can find where their products are sold under Tap Map on their website listed in the links below. They just opened membership opportunities, are launching Kickstarter on Jan 2nd, and have their grand opening in Seattle scheduled to happen on Feb 16th, 2024.

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.