Join the crew as we head into Fourth of July weekend. This episode gets heavy and real - we talk about all of the unrest going into the "unofficial" start of summer: the shutdowns, wearing masks, Black Lives Matter, protests and more. We get pretty reflective here, so grab a beer and join us as we dig deep.

Riverwalk Behind The Label

Episode 20 - Black Lives Matter, Wearing Masks, Fourth of July

The guys are back together in the studio (socially distanced, of course) and the talk of the town is reopening restaurants (and in our case, we classify as one) amidst the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic. There's a lot of questions out there: When will we open? How will we open? Will people even come out to drink beer? There's a lot to unpack here and not a ton of info to help answer these questions, but as the team starts to break it down, one thing is clear: the safety of our community - our guests, our employees, our partners - will always be our focus. And then we take a breather and talk about some less pressing topics:Strong opinions on Phish - better live or recorded?Chuck's adventure down to Florida in the Chateau.What we are watching and listening to as we are spending more and more time at homeCOME ON AND LISTEN!

Episode 19 - The Road to Reopening

Join us for this week's Behind the Label podcast with Riverwalk Brewing. Today, Steve and Ben try their hand at podcasting from two different locations, because, #socialdistancing.What's on tap? Well, despite the covid-19 pandemic, Ben's buying a house, somehow? They talk about what is the rest of the industry doing to survive this grueling time, and they examine how businesses cope with a level of uncertainty that in many ways has never been experienced.

Episode 18 - The Coronavirus Diaries Part 3

Join us as we sit down and talk to the famed all-American wrestler Jake "the Snake" Roberts, who visited Riverwalk Brewing back in the fall. This is a good one, you guys. It's a little bit different than our usual beer talk on the podcast, but definitely worth listening to.    

Episode 17 - Jake the Snake Roberts

This week from the Taproom we cover week 2 in our new business environment, with on-premise closed, effective March 16th. What's it like being a brewery and taproom when you can't let people sit and drink a beer? You'll find out! We also talk about our latest beer, Yacht Rocker, and how we had to update out release and party plan. Hint: it involved a spectacular drive-through. Lastly, we know everyone is getting cabin fever, so we offer up a few suggestions on what to watch and how to pass the time.#beerpodcast #beerinthetimeofcovid19

Episode 16 - The Coronavirus Diaries Part 2

Episode 15 - Beer in the time of Coronavirus

We may be a beer podcast, but in the newest "Look Behind the Label" podcast, we cover a wide range of topics. Come with us as we discuss some interesting data presented at last month's Mass Brewers Guild's event at Night Shift Brewing. We get honest about our New Year's resolutions...what changes are we trying to make personally and have we already broken them?! How do we try to stay healthy when working in this unique industry, when you are always faced with delicious, new beers. And finally, we give you a look into this month's new beer releases.  #beerpodcast #brewing #lookbehindthelabel 

Episode 14 - Resolutions and Revelations

Steve and the crew share the message and the meaning that goes into Look Behind The Label.About "Behind the Label" Beer and Brewing Podcast:We are moms and dads, almost professional meat smokers, music and movie aficionados, soccer enthusiasts, you get the point, we are more than just beer. When we came across some audio equipment, we thought what better way to show what’s behind the Riverwalk label than creating a podcast. Sure we talk shop and what it’s like to brew beer, innovate beer types and run a community-focused brewery, but there’s a whole lot more to be uncovered and discovered. Join us!

Episode 13 - Look Behind The Label

This episode happened in the spur of the moment when we heard that the folks from Craft Brews Travelers had decided to visit us as their 800th brewery. We were honored to have a special place in their long list of visits and wanted to find out a bit more about what drove them to make this journey. We get some great tips regarding brewery tourism and find out a bit more about the brewing scene in some far-flung parts of the world. Check them out here:https://www.instagram.com/p/B6a9VczJJz3/

Episode 12 - How to visit 800 breweries with Craft Brews Travelers

Steve and Ben welcome a special guest who has been a friend of the brewery for many years as we recap the year of 2019, share some old stories and make a few predictions regarding 2020. This episode has not been edited for content or clarity, so you have been warned!Happy Holidays to all! Steve and Ben were joined by Doug O. with equipment assistance from Jon. Intro and Outro music by Steve and his G&L Legacy.

Episode 11 - Uncensored Holiday Edition

INTRODUCTION:Steve and Ben welcome a special guest to the podcast, Paul Gentile of Gentile Brewing in Beverly, MA.Gentile is a family-run brewery tap room that has been serving its loyal fans since 2015. As one of the first tap rooms in the area the Gentiles were instrumental in breaking ground for the newer generation of tap rooms. In addition to all of that Paul discusses his recent trip to Munich, developing a tap room culture in the US and the convergence of vacation time and equipment failure.MAIN FEATURE:The concept of the brewery tap room is relatively new and still evolving, especially in the Northeast of the US. From an idea, to a plan, to the execution and adjustments of opening the doors the team discusses what the identity of the tap room is and can be. As a community gathering space the tap room has fast become one of the centers of daily life for many people throughout the area. We touch on the challenges and pitfalls of creating a new type of gathering spot.Meet Andy!NEWS:We get caught up with Chuck and the events happening in the tap room as well as meeting Andy for the first time. There is a run-down of some of the favorite fall beers for the whole crew, with some surprises in the mix.Oktoberfest 2019 is in the books, with a bigger and better crowd than 2018!We finish off with a wide ranging discussion regarding breweries moving into new territories with physical tap rooms and production facilities, sparked by this news.Be sure to check out Gentile Brewing in person or on Instagram.CREDITS:Steve and Ben were joined by Paul Gentile, Chuck and Andy with equipment assistance from Jon. Intro and Outro music by Steve and his G&L Legacy.

Episode 10 - Friends and Neighbors

 INTRODUCTION: Steve and Ben welcome Chuck back to the podcast after some weeks away from the microphone. Riverwalk was proud to receive two awards from North Shore Magazine, and the crew discusses a bit of what that means for the staff.  MAIN FEATURE: The concept of the brewery tap room is relatively new and still evolving, especially in the Northeast of the US. From an idea, to a plan, to the execution and adjustments of opening the doors the team discusses what the identity of the tap room is and can be. As a community gathering space the tap room has fast become one of the centers of daily life for many people throughout the area. We touch on the challenges and pitfalls of creating a new type of gathering spot. NEWS: We summarize our involvement with the Black Ale Project in a bit more detail, as we have received some questions regarding our work with this organization. The mission and flexibility of the project really drew us to working with Dave and creating a beer. http://blackaleproject.com/ We finish with some always-important playlist recommendations for Ben and his new boat! Feel free to add to this list. CREDITS: Steve and Ben were joined by Nolan from Crosby Hops with equipment assistance from Jon. Intro and Outro music by Steve and his G&L Legacy.  

Episode 9 - Tap Room Identity

INTRODUCTION:Steve and Ben wrap up some of the happenings at the brewery over the last couple of weeks, including an update on Steve's car! Some new beers and old favorites have been rolling off the line including Slow Roll, Gnomad and The Saga Continues... Gnomad was one of the three original beers that Riverwalk produced, starting in 2012, and makes its triumphant return with a blend of Belgian yeast, American hops and a variety of grain. Limited quantities are available in cans and draft now.   Gnomad's Back! GUEST:Nolan Russell from Crosby Hop Farms joins us to talk about his path through the craft beer industry as well as all things hops. Nolan started his career in a tap room and worked through the process of selling beer for several regional and national breweries before falling in love with the beautiful hop plant. We get Nolan to dig into what makes hops special and how the hop market works, as well as what makes Crosby different.    Nolan gets interrogated by Christian. NEWS: We continue our discussion of some of the more recent legal rulings and challenges to the alcohol industry in our area. The first story relates to the discounting of beer and the recent ruling by the Mass. Supreme Court The next story refers to the ongoing saga of franchise law reform in Mass. and the recent hearings related to this law.  We finish up with a roundup of Steve and Nolan's soccer rivalry and the upcoming EPL season.  CREDITS:Steve and Ben were joined by Nolan from Crosby Hops with equipment assistance from Jon. Intro and Outro music by Steve and his G&L Legacy.   

Episode 8 - Hops and Soccer

Steve and Ben welcome Dan Graovac, the president of the board for the Merrimac River Watershed Council. This is a brief discussion regarding the natural resources of our river and the 117 mile kayak trip that the organization has put together to raise awareness regarding the health of the river.   Steve and Ben were joined by Dan from the MRWC with equipment assistance from Jon. Intro and Outro music by Steve and his G&L Legacy. 

Episode 7 - Our River

 Steve welcomes Dr. Janel Jackson-Beckham (Dr. J) to the podcast to continue our discussion on diversity and inclusion in the beer industry. Dr. J is the Brewer's Association Diversity Ambassador as well as an experienced academic researcher of the beer industry in the United States. Dr. Jackson-Beckham joined this role in April, 2018 and has spent the last year travelling the country and engaging with breweries throughout the industry. We discuss some of the insights and challenges that she has seen throughout her time with the BA and look for guidance as we try to expand our reach and remove barriers to the enjoyment of craft beer. Dr. Jackson-Beckham For those of you interested in Dr. J's academic work, you can check it out here. Please note that the audio for this interview isn't up to our usual standard. Steve's portion isn't quite as clear as we would like it to be but Dr. J sounds great. CREDITS: Steve and Ben were joined by Katie and Maureen, with equipment assistance from Jon. Intro and Outro music by Steve and his G&L Legacy. 

Episode 6 - Diversity and Inclusion Part 2

A look behind the scenes at Riverwalk Brewing, featuring people, culture and community in the beer world.

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Riverwalk Behind The Label

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