Does Place Matter? Brewing the Same Beer in Two Countries with Andy Thomas

What happens when the same beer is brewed on opposite sides of the Atlantic?

In this special follow-up episode of Why This Beer?, Azlan Graves and Darren Binnema are joined once again by Andy Thomas from Hook Norton Brewery in the UK. After first connecting in episode 30, the three brewers set out to brew the exact same red ale recipe — Red Barchetta — using the same malts, hops, and yeast, but on completely different systems, in very different brewing cultures.

Andy brewed the beer on cask at Hook Norton, while Azlan brewed his version at Main Street Brewing in Vancouver. Tasting them side by side, they dive into how process, carbonation, equipment, yeast behavior, and local brewing traditions shape the final beer — even when the recipe stays the same.

The conversation explores cask conditioning, English hop varieties, hop creep, yeast expression, mouthfeel, and the subtle ways place and people influence flavor. It’s a brewer-to-brewer deep dive into what really makes a beer what it is.

Same recipe. Two breweries. One beer — told two different ways.

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