Welcome back to The DC Beer Show! This episode brings some extra sparkle as our hosts sit down with special guest Dave Infante, the freshly crowned 2025 North American Guild of Beer Writers best business writing category winner.

Our hosts ditch their usual "What's in your glass?" opener in favor of a midday roundup of recent brews, like Dave Infante's nonalcoholic Hoplark hop water (scored from a rare local drop), and Brandy Holder's cute little Sierra Nevada craft lager—plus plenty of shoutouts to delicious pale ales and lagers from spots like Right Proper, Eebee's, and Lost Generation, setting the stage for their much-anticipated beer share at Denizens.

But the true heart of the episode is a deep dive into beer journalism, cultural critique, and some righteous ranting about The New York Times' recent craft beer op-ed. Dave Infante deconstructs the misunderstood perceptions that plague craft beer coverage, especially the tired narrative that wacky labels and IPA dominance are "killing" the scene. Instead, he brings the receipts: IPAs remain 50% of the market, breweries are constantly reinventing lagers, and American beer is arguably better than ever. The conversation is equal parts spicy and insightful, with hosts and guest alike poking fun at bygone trends (remember palate-wrecking IPAs?) and celebrating the wild diversity pouring from local taps these days.

There's a strong sense of camaraderie throughout, as the group chats about women-owned breweries like Denizens and Right Proper, upcoming events for beer lovers (including the Women’s Brew Culture Club), and the joys of unstructured beer shares where community and conversation rule.

As the episode wraps, Dave Infante shares where to keep up with his writing on Fingers and VinePair—and both DC Beer and Dave encourage you to support good beer, honest journalism, and local community wherever you find it.

Grab a cold one, celebrate the golden age of American beer, and join us for another rollicking session of The DC Beer Show—where facts, flavors, and fun go hand-in-hand!

Thanks to our monthly supporters

Quinten Patterson
C Sandoval
Gilbert Glickstein
Ethan Sapperstein
Sean Whipkey
Randy Mills
Ryan
Llalan Fowler
Michael Losi
Adam Heisenberg
Brian
Jeff Lucas
Micaela Carrazco
Lauren
Sean Moffitt
Anthony Scipione
johnna infanti
Catherine Ramirez
Kristin
Adam Frank
Tyler Lynch
Jared Prager
Jeff
Michael O'Connor
Favio Garcia
Josh
Ellen Daniels
Juan Deliz
Mike Lastort
James Wisnieski
Chris Frome
Sam
Chip
Tory Roberts
Chris DeLoose
Lauren Cary
Clifton B
Scott Pavlica
Greg Antrim
jeffrey garrison
Alexis Smith
Dan Goldbeck
Anthony Budny
Greg Parnas
Frank Chang
Kim Klyberg
Chris Girardot
Alyssa
jeffrey katz
Andrew MacWilliams
Jamie Jackson
Meegan
Mike Rucki
Jason Tucker
Nick Gardner
Amber Farris
Sarah Ray
Peter Jones
Blue2026
Brad Stengel
Bill and Karen Butcher
Jordan Harvey
Stephen Claeys
Julie Verratti
DFA Howie Kendrick