Episode 27: Mike Dixon from The Great Lost Bear
Miles & Pints: The Travel and Beer Podcast
Release Date: 05/07/2021
Miles & Pints: The Travel and Beer Podcast
In today’s conclusion of our interview with Ashley Smith, we dig deep into the travel side of things before it all comes back to beer again. Ashley tells us how she likes to travel and what some of her favorite places to visit are both domestically and abroad. Then we talk all about Oktoberfest, from her job as a tour leader to our love of that first liter of beer when you sit down in a tent. Finally, we dream together about our next visit to Munich, hoping we can meet up at Oktoberfest again next year.
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In addition to being the full-time blogger behind both My Wanderlusty Life and Destination World War II, Ashley Smith is an avid traveler, a beer lover, and an expert on Oktoberfest. In this episode, we talk to Ashley about her varied background, her many degrees, how she started her two very different blogs, and even a little about her beekeeping hobby. Be sure to check back next week to hear more about her travels and what it’s like to be an Oktoberfest guide.
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Everywhere he goes, Stu Clemons does his best to find unique and amazing places to eat, bars to drink at, and things to see. He shares them with his audience through professionally produced videos that on their own, may inspire you to book a trip. In this episode, we talk about a few of Stu’s favorite places to travel and two of the spots he knows best: Portland, Maine, and the Yucatan Peninsula.
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Stu Clemons is the researcher, producer, and talent behind Find My Food Stu, where he shows us all the most unique food and drink spots in every place he visits. From tacos in Playa del Carmen to cocktails in Prague, Stu always manages to find the best spots and happily shares them with his viewers. In this episode, we talk about Stu’s background, how Find My Food Stu came to be, and a bit about the amazing foods he’s found while traveling.
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In 2014, after a 12-year career as a marine biologist in Alaska, Brian Burton made the move to Texas and almost immediately began brewing beer. Just a few years later, Brian got together with brewing friend John Powell, and a short time later they opened Hop and Sting Brewing Company in Grapevine, Texas. The brewery and taproom is less than 10 minutes from DFW and is a great place to relax and enjoy a layover. Jeff and Derrick are traveling this week, enjoy this replay of Episode 5.
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In the conclusion of our interview with Patrick Steffens, we talk about how they make brewing decisions at lost barrel brewing, nerd out a bit about hops and hop combinations, discuss why Loudoun County is great for beer and relaxation, and hear some of Patrick’s top recommended places to travel for beer. If you didn’t listen to the first half of our conversation with Patrick, be sure to go back to Episode 37 to catch what you missed.
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Patrick Steffens does more than just head up the beer production at Lost Barrel Brewing, he’s also the general manager and a part of the ownership team. Excited to return to brewing after taking some time off for family, Patrick has jumped right back in with proven recipes and a whole lot of prior brewing knowledge. We talk with him about his background, how Lost Barrel came to be, and a bit about the beers they are making. Be sure to join us again next week for the conclusion of our interview.
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Em Sauter is back this week to talk about the business side of Pints and Panels, her favorite beer festivals to judge and to drink at, and the best places she’s seen while traveling. Hear why Em thinks Chicago has the best beer scene in America, learn a few tips for surviving an all-day beer festival, and be the first to hear where you can meet us at a beer festival later this year. If you missed the first half of our interview with Em, be sure to go back and listen to Episode 35 too!
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Em Sauter has a master's degree in cartooning, is one of only 142 Advanced Cicerones, and is the artist behind Pints and Panels. While working on her second book and studying for the Master Cicerone exam, Em somehow finds the time to put out a new piece of visual beer education every single day. From learning the difference between hops to discovering what foods and activities will pair best with your beers, Pints and Panels has it all.
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After sharing his background and the exciting new things he’s doing with Bilt Rewards in our last episode, we get a bit more personal with Richard Kerr this week. We’ll talk about some of Richard’s favorite award redemptions, a few spots he thinks you need to see, and a little bit about how he picks what beer to have with dinner when he’s traveling. If you missed last week’s episode, be sure to check that out for the first half of our interview with Richard.
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Today’s Guest: Mike Dickson
Mike Dickson joined the team at The Great Lost Bear back in 1985 and ever since then, he has been helping one of the greatest beer bars in the world bring all of the best craft beers to the residents and visitors of Portland, Maine. Mike was there at the beginning of the craft beer movement in America and he sits down to talk with us about how things started at The Great Lost Bear, how things have changed over time and through the pandemic, and how they manage to choose which of the amazing Portland beers to put on tap.
Address:
The Great Lost Bear
540 Forest Ave
Portland, ME 04101
Times of Note:
1:50 - Mike says hello.
2:20 - What we’re drinking.
4:29 - A brief history of Mike’s career in beer and before.
6:15 - The birth of craft beer in Maine.
10:34 - How The Great Lost Bear grew physically.
12:13 - The employees never leave!
12:52 - We met his daughter after finishing up the recording. So cool to see families continuing the tradition.
14:27 - More and more and more and more taps.
15:21 - The beers that started The Great Lost Bear.
17:00 - How they pick which beers to have on tap.
19:35 - We discover why this is Derrick’s happy place.
23:54 - The five top-selling Maine beers at GLB.
28:45 - Managing a beer bar during a pandemic.
32:52 - Beer and baked goods delivery - do we have the next big idea?
37:29 - Kegs getting switched out - the hazards of recording during pre-opening.
40:15 - Come back next week for the rest of the interview!
40:30 - Miles and Points with Pints.
41:25 - Chase Sapphire Preferred - 80k still.
42:43 - New month - use your Amex credits!
45:17 - New increased Choice credit card offer - two nights at an all-inclusive?
48:29 - Jeff’s sneaky plan to get back in at Capital One.
52:07 - Jeff’s rewarding weekend stay with Hyatt’s promos.
56:38 - Hilton adds 150k redemption level.
59:23 - Marriott adds a Category 5 Maldives hotel - use those certs!
1:03:55 - Rental car problems are getting better.
1:05:12 - Uber and Lyft are still terrible.
1:09:15 - Richard Kerr leaves The Points Guy effective immediately.
1:10:56 - European countries continuing to move towards opening for Americans.
1:12:28 - Oktoberfest officially canceled for 2021.
1:16:03 - The Miles & Pints Theme Song!
Relevant Links:
Mast Landing Brewing Co. - Gunner’s Daughter Peanut Butter Milk Stout on Nitro
Orono Brewing Company - Tubular IPA
Hidden Cove Brewing Company - Beachfront Blueberry Lager
The Top Five Beers at GLB:
Maine Beer Company - Lunch IPA
Bissell Brothers Brewing - The Substance Ale
Orono Brewing Company - Tubular IPA
Battery Steele Brewing Company - Flume Double IPA
Preservation Biscuit Company - Falls Church, VA
The Great Lost Bear
Website - greatlostbear.com
Email - [email protected]
Facebook - The Great Lost Bear
Twitter - @greatlostbear
Instagram - @greatlostbear
Travel On Point(s)
Website - travel-on-points.com
Facebook - Travel on Point(s)
Miles & Pints
Website - milesandpints.com
Store - Miles & Pints Swag
Facebook - Miles & Pints
Twitter - @MILESandPINTS
Instagram - @milesandpints
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