While not the first podcast to tackle the subject of San Diego’s beer scene, The Indie Beer Show has been one of the most prolific productions of its kind over the past three-plus years. Much of that has to do with the fact that, rather than arriving out of nowhere, its original hosts, Brian Beagle and Esthela Davila, had already worked together, logging numerous episodes care of a beer podcast that came before. When that show dissolved due to issues beyond their control, rather than throw in the bar towel, the duo forged ahead, bringing on a seasoned producer and, eventually, additional crew members, so they could keep on keeping on. Now, more than 120 episodes since launching The Indie Beer Show, the crew is preparing to air its final episode later this month.
Today, the members of the show—Beagle, Davila, Abel Garcia and Brandon Hernández—shared a video via the show’s Facebook account explaining the decision to end the show and the reasoning behind it. It was not due to a lack of interest, guests, topics or affection for the fan base the show has cultivated over the years, but instead, a severe lack of time and energy. Those were the same depletions Beagle cited when resigning from the podcast in April. That move translated to increased workload for the remaining crew, primarily where show preparation and coordination duties were concerned, further fueling the team’s decision.
With Davila’s full-time job managing Barrio Logan brewery, Mujeres Brew House, Garcia’s recent promotion to events coordinator at Societe Brewing, and Hernández attending to his business, San Diego Beer News, as well as his work with The San Diego Union-Tribune, FOX 5 San Diego, Ranch & Coast Magazine and other freelance clients, something simply had to give. As such, The Indie Beer Show’s final episode, a live affair where viewers will be able to interact real-time with the cast through Facebook and YouTube, will take place on Thursday, September 30 at 6:30 p.m.
“The members of this podcast have been extremely fortunate over the years to have the backing of fans and listeners who gave us positive feedback and support that, in turn, supplied us with the necessary faith in ourselves to chase dreams beyond the show. There is nothing like knowing you have so many people who appreciate and believe in you, and that definitely helped me when I decided to start my own business,” says Hernández. “Thanks to The Indie Beer Show and its listeners, we’ve been able to accomplish more than we ever could have on our own. The thing is, with our lives beyond the podcast getting more and more hectic, we find ourselves busier than ever. So, we’re making the difficult decision to bring it to a close, knowing we’ll always have wonderful memories to look back on; memories that wouldn’t have been possible without everyone who made this such a rewarding experience, from listeners to guests to the four friends at its core.”
The Indie Beer Show kicked off in September 2018, with Beagle, Davila and original producer David Martin running the show. That December, Hernández came aboard. He originally intended to provide local beer-industry news updates during each show, but soon became a full-fledged co-host and, after Beagle’s retirement, took over as the podcast’s primary interviewer. Shortly after Hernández’s addition, Martin left to pursue other ventures, creating room for Garcia, a producer with professional radio experience, to take his place. The quartet remained fully intact for more than two years.
“I’ll never forget that the reason The Indie Beer Show even happened was due to Esthela’s support and encouragement when our first podcast crashed and burned, Brandon’s instant and complete dive into the show, and Abel jumping in with both feet after David was not able to continue with us,” says Beagle. “It is all of their instant yes-ness that will stick with me as my favorite memories.”
The podcast’s format typically saw the cast interviewing representatives from different breweries each week (the show switched to a bi-weekly frequency following Beagle’s departure), be they brewers, brewery owners or other staffers. While the majority of the podcast’s guests were from San Diego County breweries and businesses, the show transitioned to live broadcasting using online platform Streamyard several months into the pandemic due to the inability of the crew to gather together in-person. This move made it possible for The Indie Beer Show to bring on guests from breweries all over the country, including Russian River Brewing, Bierstadt Lagerhaus, Deschutes Brewery, Great Notion Brewing and Weathered Souls Brewing.
“It’s been a great honor to be a part of The Indie Beers Show,” says Garcia. “Being involved in other beer-related podcasts, this one was unique by allowing the beer fans, listeners and viewers to be involved with the show and its guests, which built love, respect and a family connection between our fans, the brewers and the breweries.”
Prior to the pandemic, the podcast crew would record its shows at local breweries as well as beer festivals and events, providing the opportunity for its listeners to interact and get closer to the action. The crew went so far as to hold interactive bottle-shares for its fans. Many on the show count moments like those among their favorite over the course of the podcast. That and the time with one another.
“Being a part of The Indie Beer Show has been an unexpected blessing. The fact that I get to hang out with our crew and talk to some amazing people about beer is more than I ever expected,” says Davila. When asked about her colleagues, she offes up thoughts on each. “Abel is the strong silent one with dynamite drop-ins. I felt like we knew each other before but now I love that I can consider him a really, really good friend. I don’t think many people know just what a warm, wonderful and funny person Brandon is. And Beags—the one that pulled me into this crazy and amazing journey—we went through a lot on this show, and if I had a choice to do this again, I would definitely say, ‘yes, Beags, I’ll do a podcast with you.’”
When asked what they’ll miss the most, each of the crew members say the same thing—the camaraderie with those who tuned in or showed up to be a part of their shows, both guests and listeners. That’s something they hope will live beyond the podcast.
“This is not goodbye, this is see you later. All of us from the show will always be in the beer community one way or another,” says Garcia. “So come say hi, give us a high five, raise a glass and say cheers with us. All this would not have been possible without our amazing fans and fantastic guests. Thank you to our Patrons and non-Patrons alike who have supported us throughout the years. Much love.”
The Indie Beer Show’s final episode can be viewed on Facebook or YouTube. Fans and members of the beer community that would like to come on the show via Streamyard can do so by going to The Indie Beer Show finale’s Facebook event page and accessing a link that will be posted there as of Friday, September 24.