Send us a text

Sleigh bells are packed away, but the glasses are out, starting with Kringle Juice from Big Ditch Brewing—a hazy IPA that looks like Christmas and drinks like clean citrus and pine. We dig into the aroma, that first juicy hit, the subtle dryness as it warms, and why it stacks next to Elvis Juice without feeling like a clone. At 7% ABV and easygoing bitterness, it’s a quiet holiday hero for anyone who wants a festive can and a year-round flavor.

The chat opens up from there. We trade stories about how family traditions shift once the grandparents stop hosting—why some branches drift into smaller circles and how one person stepping up can bring the tribe back together. It’s a candid, funny, and honest look at gathering without the pressure of a calendar date, where the real win is people in a room, not perfection on the table. Along the way we toss in gaming chaos: accidental alliances, surprise ambushes, and the social weirdness of PvP that still keeps us logging on. It’s community, whether you find it around a tree, a couch, or a loading screen.

Then we pour dessert: Hardywood’s Peppermint Bark Stout. Chocolate-forward, softly minty, and lighter than most pastry stouts at 9.2% ABV, it slides between milk and dark chocolate notes with a finish that feels like a winter nightcap. We talk pairings, why it works after dinner, and where it lands on our keeper scale. Add a few white elephant gems, a ham-sandwich confession, and a shout-out to a hot honey pepperoni pizza that stole the show, and you’ve got a cozy, laughter-heavy holiday wrap.

If you’re into craft beer reviews, seasonal stouts, hazy IPAs, and real talk about family and traditions, you’ll feel right at home. Tap play, rate along with us, and tell us your winter go-to: are you Team IPA or Team Stout? Subscribe, share with a friend who needs a new holiday pour, and leave a quick review to help more listeners find the show.

Support the show

www.anotherreasontodrink.com

Send us a text

Two dark beers, one chaotic studio, and numbers we never thought we’d see. We kick things off with Abita’s Office Party, a holiday stout that keeps cocoa and caramel in balance without drowning the palate in sugar. The early sips are silky and clean, which sparks a conversation on why the “one-sip challenge” rarely tells the full story—and why the first quarter of a can is where a beer truly reveals itself.

Then we unwrap a listener gift and tumble into a new party game that demands fast, four-word burns instead of long riffs. It’s the kind of curveball that changes the room, and we ride it straight into our Spotify Wrapped: audience up 409%, new listeners up 800%, plays in 13 countries, and a cheeky badge that calls us a rising star. Are those labels universal? Maybe. Do we care? Not as much as we care about the real people who show up, week after week. We name-check our “15 Percenters” and plot stickers to make it official.

In the back half we pour Cloverleaf, an Irish stout from Outer Belt Brewing in Ohio. It’s dark but featherlight, offering a gentle chocolate line with almost no bitterness. We debate a small recipe twist that could make it a winter classic: a restrained hint of mint to lift the finish without turning it into a novelty. Ratings land at a 9.5, with a unanimous “add mint and it’s a 10.” Along the way we talk shaky hands and stigma, weather whiplash, lost holiday packages, and the kind of decompression you only get from a slow-build game like Arc Raiders.

If you’re into craft beer tasting, holiday stouts, Irish stouts, regional breweries, and the messy joy of building a show in public, this one’s for you. Hit play, rate along with us, and tell us: would you add mint to an Irish stout? Subscribe, share with a friend, and leave a quick review to help more listeners find the pod. Cheers to the 15 Percenters and to the next round.

Support the show

www.anotherreasontodrink.com

Send us a text

New chairs, new angles, new energy—sometimes the best stories start with a messy studio and a cold can. We invite you into the room as we nudge tables, fix camera lines, and crack two beers that couldn’t be more different: a tart, jaw-tingling black raspberry fruit ale from Urban Artifact and a silky, balanced Peanut Butter Porter from Saugatuck Brewing. Both earn rare 10s from us, for very different reasons—one bright and berry-forward with sour vibes, the other smooth and creamy without the heavy bitterness that can bog down a porter.

The holidays seep in as we talk Festivus, seasonal pours, and the crunch of long workweeks before time off. A quiet weekend by the fire sparks a bigger idea: maybe we’re not homesick for places, we’re homesick for memories. That thought reshapes everything—why we decorate the studio, why we chase new experiences instead of repeating old ones, and how to make this season feel special without forcing it. It’s a candid, funny, sometimes rowdy ride that lands in a warm, honest place: build new traditions now so future you has something worth missing.

We also share listener shoutouts, decal drops, and a surprise win from last week’s recipe that made someone’s family night a hit. If you love craft beer, holiday nostalgia, and real talk that swings from gear geekery to life advice, you’ll feel right at home here. Grab a can—sour or peanut buttery—and rate along with us. Then tell us your 10 out of 10 brew and your favorite seasonal pour.

Enjoyed the show? Follow, share with a friend, and leave a quick review to help more curious listeners find us. Your ratings and feedback keep the mics on and the beer cold. Cheers.

Support the show

www.anotherreasontodrink.com