This week on Beer Sessions Radio™, host Jimmy Carbone welcomed Laguitas Brewing Company to the show, which meant co-owner and “warlord” Tony Magee was available for a very candid—and musical—discussion. Tony not only pretty much invented the American IPA (Lagunitas launched their IPA in 1995 as a seasonal, 100th brew, at a time when only a handful of IPAs were on the market), but he also is a music school drop-out (he was studying composing). Thus, his colorful metaphors of how beer is simply another form of composition, with its own “themes, restatement of themes, new developments and returns to a theme in a different key.”
The 20 year story of Lagunitas is fascinating, how it went from a small-town brewery that clogged the sewer lines to a national brand that will be opening its midwest (Chicago) operations during its anniversary year in 2013. Tony’s language is artful, and Lagunitas definitely has the best titles in the craft beer industry (Beer Weasel—that would be brewer Ron Lindenbusch’s title, Pony Ride Attendant, etc.). Tony is joined by New York Marketing Manager for Lagunitas, Mark Slujkic.