Just in time for the holidays we offer up a conversation with Jason McKibben of North High Brewing. Central Ohio listeners know Jason as the brewmaster and co-owner of North High Brewing, a position he’s held since 2014, but his career in the brewing industry also includes stops at Anchor Brewing, the San Francisco brewery that launched the craft beer revolution; and Budweiser, where he spent 12 years in a variety of positions, including a stint as manager of the research pilot brewery in St. Louis. In this wide-ranging conversation, we cover topics as varied as medaling at the World Beer Cup, brewing with locally grown malts and hops, North High’s embrace of the brewpub model, studying with Charlie Bamforth at UC Davis, a behind the scenes look at brewing the iconic Anchor Christmas Ale, and an insider’s perspective on Anheuser-Busch. Along the way we preview the just released Final Countdown DIPA, find out what exactly they do at Bud’s Research Pilot Brewery, and sample a vintage bottle of White Christmas, a white dog whisky distilled from the 2012 Anchor Christmas Ale. This entertaining episode is chock full of interesting stories and insights on the development of the beer industry over the the first two decades of the 21st century.
Don’t forget you can find this episode and earlier ones on our podcast page, as well as Apple Music, Podbean or Spotify. Just search for the Pat’s Pints/Mark’s Mugs – All Things Beer podcast, and don’t hesitate to leave a comment or a rating.
Beers Featured
- North High’s Christmas Ale
- The Final Countdown
- Cover Crop
- Anchor’s Christmas Ale
Related Content
- The Reinvention of North High Brewing
- An Inside Look at the Business of Beer with North High’s Jason McKibben
- Ohio Brewed Double IPA Blind Taste Test
- Central Ohio Beers of the Year (2016)
- All Things Beer Episode 26 – Craft Malting
- Growing Local – A Visit to Rustic Brew Farms
Pat's Pints 
Most excellent! Fascinating history of years at AB and Anchor.
It’s one of my favorite episodes Bill. Very few people have the range of experiences that Jason does. It makes for a very interesting conversation. Thanks as always for listening.
Thanks for listening Bill! Glad you enjoyed it. Jason’s great
What a blast getting a chance to catch up and share some holiday cheer with one of the nicest guys in the industry! Jason is full of great stories and experiences and so kind of him to open a bottle of White Christmas that he was saving for a special occasion. I can’t say enough good things about this episode or Jason! Wunderbar!