Hello there and welcome to another episode of Industry Night with me, Nycci Nellis. I am in Delaplane at the beautiful Barrel Oak Winery & Brewery for the last show of the residency. So incredibly grateful to the team here for hosting me and the show.

I just love the ride out here. Just a 60 minute drive from DC and here I am at this beautiful winery and brewery. Every week after the show I take a little ride around the area and do something different like a hike on lost mountain — one of my favorite hikes or a stroll through Middleburg


The other cool part about doing the show here is I’ve brought in some amazing guests — some locals like Jarad Slipp & Jason Murray at Arterra Wines and then I brought DC out here with Scott Drewno and Danny Lee last week and this week it just keeps getting better. Good friend, beer guru and beverage director and partner of Neighborhood Restaurant Group - Greg Engert - he’s out here with me today!


And since we covered wine here at the winery part of Barrel & Oak it’s now time to talk the Brewery part!


First and foremost, did you know that August is Virginia Craft Beer month? With more than 200 craft breweries throughout Virginia and being named one of the Top Seven Beer Destinations by Travel Channel, it's no surprise that the state dedicates the entire month of August to celebrating Virginia craft beer. And in with me with is Jon Bowman, Brewmaster here at Barrel Oak. The brewery was named Virginia Brewery of the Year at the 2024 New York International Beer Competition, thanks to Jon.


And now Greg Engert! Greg is one of the people in this country who really changed the conversation about beer. Engert's expertise has earned him accolades galore including Food & Wine's Sommelier of the Year and Imbibe’s Beer Person of The Year. And has been on F&TB more times than anyone else! You walk into a restaurant today and there’s a wine list, a cocktail list and a beer list. That didn’t just happen overnight. There’s been a huge pendulum swing of avaialblity of local craft beers and People in the Industry like Greg Engert have been beating the drum on diversifying beverage programs and doubling down on what hospitality should feel like.


Featured Guests:

Guests Social Media Links:
Greg Engert:
Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/sonoffreng?igsh=MWpxNjI4bWRlaXBpeA==

Business~
Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/churchkeydc?igsh=MTJxbGhrbW5vZXY5ZA==
Facebook:https://www.facebook.com/churchkeydc
Website:https://www.churchkeydc.com/
Twitter:https://x.com/churchkeydc?s=21

Jon Bowman:
Business~
Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/barrel_oak_winery?igsh=MTF0cjhpeHozc3Jk
Facebook:https://www.facebook.com/barreloakwinery
Website:https://barreloak.com/


Episode Timestamps:
00:00 – Introduction
08:43 - Crafting and Releasing Varied Beer Selections
13:13 - Lively Conversations at Barrel Oak with Greg
18:06 - Fueling Beer Passion: Business and Inspiration
25:17 - From Initial Opposition to Recognizing Visionary Insights
31:06 - Changing Workforce Dynamics: Increased Training Needs
35:00 - Regrettable Sharing of Critical Restaurant Comments4
0:17 - Maintaining Busyness Despite Fewer Patrons
47:40 - Balancing Updates and Sentimentality in Restaurants
50:38 - Exceptional Cuisine and Beverage Program at Mallard's
55:05 - Impressive Restaurant Experience and Training
59:35 - Reflections on Limited Outings and Cocktail Enjoyment

Quote:


"Just as wine evolves with time, so do our flavors in life." - Jon Bowman

"In the restaurant business, we balance sentiment with survival, driven by passion over profits on our path to financial stability." - Greg Engert


Featuring Nycci Nellis
https://www.instagram.com/nyccinellis/
https://www.thelistareyouonit.com/

Produced by Heartcast Media