Nick Smith from Steam Machine Brewing Company joins us on the Hop Forward Podcast this week to discuss their unique subscription service, The Fellowship of the Beer. The Fellowship of Beer is an extension of Steam Machine Brewing Company’s mission to showcase just how vastly different every pint of beer can be.

Founded in 2015 by husband and wife Nick & Gulen Smith, this North East brewery has always been focused on direct relationships with consumers rather than following race-to-the-bottom mass supply and supermarket deals. Their idea of craft concentrates on the ultra-artisan side of the market, with draught-led quaffing pints fresh from tanks, and distinctive strong beers, often featuring foraged ingredients, lovingly aged away in extra special barrels for months and years, each one a limited edition release. Involving their already adoring fans – and the local response has made up 50% of the original subscribers – as well as opening up to a national audience has been a natural evolution of their consumer-led style.

Join us as we discuss everything from barrel-aging and packaging, market competitions analysis and big beer, through to the over-saturation of NEIPAs in the market place as well as working with the fellowship to determine what to brew as part of The Fellowship of the Beer.

If you're interested in joining the Fellowship, visit www.fellowshipofbeer.org

THIS WEEK'S EPISODE IS PROUDLY BROUGHT TO YOU BY:
Charles Faram & Co (charlesfaram.com)
Supplying hops for over 150 years, Charles Faram offers a vast range of nitrogen-flushed hop varieties from the UK, Europe, New Zealand, and the USA.

Crisp Malting Group (crispmalt.com)
Since 1870, Crisp has blended tradition with innovation, producing malts like Chevallier Heritage and Clear Choice Malt.

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