Been a minute since we got together virtually to record an actual podcast, but the planets and stars aligned this week and we made it happen. We try to wrap up a strange year, Richard gives us a glimpse into what it's like being a 47 year old savage, there's a Hendrix vs Eddie Van Halen Discussion and we drink a few pops. Hopefully this episode finds you safe and well, we'll see you in 2021.

If you're listening to this podcast there's a good chance you're a craft beer devotee and as such, you are acutely aware that we SHOULD be waist-deep in what is usually Beer Fest Season. Unfortunately that's not a thing right now, but the folks at the Brewers Association have not let a pandemic discourage them. The Brewers Association is responsible for putting on some of the biggest and best events on the craft beer calendar every year. Events such as SAVOR, and the crown jewel of all beer fests, The Great American Beer Fest (GABF) are two of their higher profile yearly events that draw beer fans from every corner of the country. Ann Obenchain is the Director of Marketing for the Brewers Association, and was nice enough to carve some time out of her very busy schedule to walk us through the planning process of what will be a VERY different 2020 GABF. You have to hear this episode to believe all of the work, planning, and thoughtfulness the Association poured into turning the seemingly impossible task of holding the GABF, into a living, breathing reality. It's a fascinating conversation proving that with enough determination, creativity, and beer, anything is possible.

You've heard of the show about nothing, this is the podcast about nothing. Just 4 of us chewing the fat and drinking beers. Rob admits he's finally at his breaking point with our current social situation. And from there, we touch on a few different themes that are relavant to the times we find ourselves in. Sometimes its nice to tune everything out and just laugh along with 4 fellas about nothing.

As hard seltzers continue to gain in popularity because of the low carb, no sugar bit, a new category has emerged in their wake. The "Better For You" category. (notice it's not the GOOD for you category, because it's BETTER for you than saaaaaay beer and spirits) This category has slowly and quietly been building in popularity over the last few months. One of the break out brands in the category is a Hard Kombucha from the West Coast called Flying Embers. Brendan McLane, Director Of Sales for the East for Flying Embers, sits in and explains what Hard Kombucha is, how it's made, and why it's better for you. It's a pretty cool story, be on the look out for Flying Embers at your local spot. Show starts 32 minutes in after Richard's Green Room segment.

So we've been caught in sort of a tough spot recently. In light of the current events, we've been concerned that our name and logo would cause some problems online with people that don't know who we are or what we do, so we have not released anything in a little while. We spent a few weeks contemplating a name change (The Pilsnerds was a suggestion that didn't really have legs), asking people all over the place what we should do, and processing the situation as a whole. The general consensus from the people we reached out to was to keep the name. We laid low for a few weeks as we figured everything out and decided to have a zoom meeting to discuss exactly what we were going to do. The zoom meeting was NOT meant to be recorded, but we thought having audio proof that we indeed spent time and energy figuring out what needed to be done was important, so at the last second we hit the record button. This episode is that. We explain the name, why the podcast exists, why it's called what it's called and why we're rolling forward with the name. There were also a couple ideas tossed around that utilize our youtube page and IGTV that we thought would be pretty cool too. We're still building those out, but you can hear the basic framework for what we're thinking in the episode. Oh, and the episode starts with a life announcement from Richard! Definitely not our usual brand of beer soaked silliness, but worth a listen just to see where we're coming from. Thanks for sticking by us through all the ups and downs, we will be doing our best to better as we move forward. #verybusy

We're not really sure what to say about any of it, but that didn't stop us from trying to make some sort of sense of the current state of affairs. We cracked a couple beers and just hung out. We felt like we needed a hang to talk through things a little bit. There are a couple inconsequential ha-ha's, but the overall tone of this one reflects what we're feeling right now. We did the best we could to unpack the situation, hope it helps a little.

We start with a great guest in the Green Room, Dan Jost. Dan is a smokin' guitar player from the South Jerz/Philly area. Dan is doing a fundraiser on Facebook Live that will help provide PPE for the Inspira Hospital Group in South Jersey. Jump on Dan's FB page to see how to donate.

We're still doing the podcast from home, seems to be working. Our Friend Stephen Brahm stops in to talk about the airline biz and where it's all headed. We open a few beers, talk about little Richard, and celebrate our music heroes that are still here, while discussing how everyone is coping with the current situation. No Corona was was consumed during the recording of this podcast.

Ryan Egan cracked a new beer from Tonewood on this one called "String Theory." It reminded us of how whenever we ask Richard a question about the production end of the podcast, he gives a long detailed answer, pauses, and finishes with a very confidence-inducing "Innnnn theory...." Jay Rose opens a gang of beers that have never been available in NJ before, Rob spikes a new Stone beer with Tequila, and Richard lounges carelessly on couch as we attempt another addition of the FOACBP Quarantine Chronicles.

Tony Allen, who has been dubbed the father of Afro-Beat, died at the age 80 last week on the day we recorded this. If you listen to us at all, you know that 3 of us are drummers and Tony Allen was a huge influence on us. His style and ferocity as a player were as unique as the music he was associated with. We pay tribute to Tony and Afro-Beat with a few beers, Jay Rose actually cracked (and finished by himself) a bottle of wine, and we continue to try make some sort of sense of our current situation.

Our title comes from a Prince song that is so horrible that it's absolutely brilliant. It's tough to find online but it's out there. Phatt is also one of the many nicknames Richard has had over the years, with that spelling (technically he added a "Q" at the end later but that's another tale for another time). Richard has been working around the clock at a radio station during the shutdown and still finds time to get this podcast produced and ready for us to release. Phatty-Q this one's for you.

We discuss all things Prince for the first half, then our good friend Greg Lehman from Forest and Main drops in to demystify the world of single source honey. It's a question that came up on a previous episode. Greg is an avid beekeeper and breaks it all down brilliantly for us. Thanks Greg!