Steve Holle spent decades in real estate investment before walking away at 55, moving back to his Kansas City hometown and opening KC Bier Co. — one of the region's most distinctive breweries. Now 12 years in, Steve sits down with Nigel and Nick to talk about the brewery's German roots, the Reinheitsgebot purity law it follows, and why imported Bavarian malt changes everything in the glass. He also breaks down the realities of running a craft brewery today: tariffs on German ingredients, a softening wholesale market, and why the tasting room model is quietly winning. Plus — a second KC Bier Co. location is coming to Lenexa, Kansas, complete with a beer garden, live music stage, full scratch kitchen, and yes, an off-leash dog area. Three mystery beers round out the episode, including a Krampus winter warmer and a West Coast IPA that earns some genuine praise from a certified beer judge.

Nigel and Nick head to J. Rieger & Co. in Kansas City's east bottoms to sit down with co-founder Ryan Maybee for one of the most remarkable in Kansas City history. Ryan traces how he stumbled onto the forgotten legacy of Jacob Rieger, a 19th-century immigrant who built the largest mail-order whiskey house in the United States, only to be shut down by Prohibition in 1919. A century later, Ryan — then a bartender and bar owner who'd helped spark KC's craft cocktail scene with his underground bar Manifesto — decided to bring it all back. He shares a chance encounter with the last living Rieger descendant and the years developing an authentic pre-Prohibition blend before launching the brand during the Royals' 2014 World Series run with zero employees. Since then, the company has transformed a crumbling east bottoms warehouse into a 10,000-square-foot distillery destination drawing nearly 200,000 guests a year. It's a conversation about history, hospitality, civic pride, and what it actually takes to build something that lasts.

It's the 5th annual Beer Karma release at Transparent Brewing! Nigel and Nick celebrate this year's experimental stout featuring spruce tips and figs (yeah, we went there) while catching up on a year of massive changes at one of Kansas City's best breweries.

Brewery owner Nolan Brown joins to discuss stepping away from brewing after five years, the transition to head brewer Chris Ham, expanding into canned distribution across Kansas and Missouri, and the addition of their Series Beers lineup. Plus, Nolan reveals his new role focusing on sales and distribution growth during a challenging time in the craft beer industry.

New head brewer Chris Ham shares his fascinating journey from Air Force aircraft mechanic to pharmaceutical scientist to professional brewer, including his time at Flying Fish Brewing in New Jersey and brewing school. Chris discusses his brewing philosophy, the story behind Transparent's unique Grisette, and the infamous "Bollocks Up" brown ale that started as a recipe mistake.

Special segments include Mystery Beer with Boulevard's Vanilla Imperial Stout, Chad's homebrewed "Flying Blind" Caramel Stout from Last Flight Brewing in Jefferson City, and the crew's honest reactions to this year's polarizing Beer Karma recipe.

🍺 Beers Featured: Beer Karma #5, Boulevard Vanilla Imperial Stout, Flying Blind Caramel Stout, Transparent Grisette

📍 Recorded live at Transparent Brewing Company, Kansas City