In episode 266, we talk about Arkansas beer and brewers with Karen Sykes, executive director of the Arkansas Brewers Guild. Karen talks about her transition from city government to the guild in 2024 and why she's passionate about more people seeing the economic impact of Arkansas breweries. Plus, you'll hear about upcoming ABG events for Small Business Saturday, Taste of Arkansas, and a new guild fundraiser (karaoke stars, get ready!). Even if you're not with a brewery in Arkansas, Karen shares more about the guild's new enthusiast membership.

Dallas-based musician, performer, and DJ, Dezi 5, joins us for episode 265. Whether he's performing rock, electronic, R&B, or country, Dezi is known for his dynamic performances. Dezi also founded the Dallas Entertainment Awards, which lets fans recognize their favorite local creatives.

In this episode, we discuss his new four-song E.P., Texas Soul, and how his writing and recording process compares to his other projects. You'll learn more about the upcoming full-length album and details on the Texas Soul Fest.

If you're in the Dallas / Fort Worth area, you've probably met educator and craft beer fan Kane Cortez on weekends at a local brewery. As someone who's been on both sides of the bar, Kane shares his thoughts on the local craft scene in general and beer share etiquette specifically.

On the beats side of things, we're talking about Daley, Maden Lane, Alan Jackson, Morabeza Tobacco, and more. Enjoy!

Working towards a degree in biochemistry, Juan Castro Jr. decided to step away from his studies at LSU and pursue a career in brewing. He shares his "cooking" experiences at Hemisphere Brewing (RIP) in Rockwall, TX, and both Deep Ellum Brewing (Taproom RIP), and Peticolas Brewing Company in Dallas, TX, and you can hear his passion around the work.

On the beats side, we talk about BigXThaPlug, Gretchen Parlato, and Nirosta Steel. We hope you enjoy the conversation!

On episode 262, we're chopping it up with Oak Cliff Brewing head brewer, Conor Reeves. OCB is celebrating their eight year anniversary on September 5, 2026, and Conor lets us know what beers will be available. Plus, he shares how he transitioned into this career from the golf industry, starting with his time at Grapevine Craft Brewery. Once Tony joins the conversation around the halfway point, we get into our beats of the week which include Tierra Whack, Gus Dapperton, Dawn Richard, and Fonville X Fribush.

Michael and Sandra Murphy joined us for episode 261 to discuss their forthcoming venue, the first brewery in Burleson, TX which is scheduled to open in Q4 2026. After years of homebrewing, Sandra began working at Panther Island Brewing in Ft. Worth and, in 2021, became the first female head brewer in the Dallas Fort Worth area. In 2022, she earned Certified Cicerone credentials. There's challenges, heartbreak, and hope in their story, and we hope you enjoy the conversation.

On the "beats" side of things, we discussed various artists including Ivan Ave & Fredfades, Hayes Carll, and NF.

Modern Brews + Beats listeners first heard freelance marketer Preston Grigsby on episode 217. Preston handles social media, booking, and product design for Autonomous Society Brewpub in the Cedars area near downtown Dallas, Texas. On this episode, Preston returns to share some tips for breweries using AI in brewery marketing. We also talk about Autonomous Society's fourth anniversary party on August 29, 2026.

On the "Beats" side of the show, we get into Cola Boyy (RIP), Karmanjakah, and Juicy J's latest.

On episode 259, day one supporter and certified Cicerone Jeff T. joins Jerry and Tony to celebrate IPA day which is the first Thursday in August. In discussing the evolution of the style, we compare notes between two Saint Arnold Brewing Company beers, Elissa IPA and Art Car, as well as Athletic Brewing's Run Wild. Our conversation even gets into Oktoberfest brews. On the beats side, we get into releases from Leedz Edutainment, Nick Hakim, Victoria Monet, and the onslaught of solid Blue Note releases. Enjoy!