YOU DON'T ACTUALLY HAVE TO BE A BREWER to know that music plays a big part in inspiring the beers we make. There are a couple reasons for this. First of all, making beer is an art form and in that respect they are very compatible activities. That shouldn't be confused with the business of beer, let's be clear, but the actual making of the beer can be a down right poetic affair. Second, beer production is a laborious job, often performed under adverse conditions such as hot, wet warehouses with lot's of loud equipment such as air compressors, boilers, and processing equipment. Taking your attention away from that nonsense and redirecting it into your craft requires concentration and little help from your favorite streaming service.
You don't have to look very far outside the brewery to find examples of the love affair that is music and beer. Hell, there are even Instagram accounts dedicated to album and beer pairings!
Plus you've got craft beer and music festivals like Punk in the Park and BeerX and beers made specifically for bands as either a collaboration between artists or a private label brew.
Random thought - did you know Hanson has a beer? "Mmm Hops", as it were. Dead serious. Ok, moving on...
In the spirit of celebrating the beautiful marriage of our two favorite pastimes, We decided to ask our
brewers what they are really listening to when they are conjuring up your favorite brew. Let's crack a beer and count down Baker's top jams on the brew stand.
#5. SUBLIME - 40 OZ TO FREEDOM
"I have listened to this album since high school, through my first brewing jobs, and I keep coming back when I want to chill and set the vibe in the brewery. When things go sideways and you find yourself brewing late at night, Sublime makes it all better."
#4. THE ROOTS - ILLADELPH HALFLIFE
"I’m a big Roots fan and this is my favorite album. My first brewing gig didn’t pay very well so I was roommates with 4 other brewers. A lot of late nights at our house drinking beer, discussing brew theory, and listening to good music."
#3. MF DOOM - OPERATION DOOMSDAY
"One of my buddies at Stone was real into Doom and this album stuck with me. Now it’s one of the first to pop up on Spotify when I want something different."
#2. RUN THE JEWELS - RUN THE JEWELS 3
"Killer Mike and El-P have been so good since I was in college and this album changed the game. I played this on repeat when it was first released and know all the words. Love it."
#1. J.COLE - 2014 FOREST HILLS DRIVE
"One of my go to albums on the brew deck. Lots of energy and swagger, making it easy to get stuff done and stay pumped. J. Cole is a legend."
Chris Baker is Mother Earth's Director of Brewing Operations with a clear penchant for Hip Hop. His experience includes Senior Brewer at Stone Brewing Company and Lab Technician at Justin Winery, in addition to having a Bachelor of Science in biochemistry with concentration in molecular biology from
California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo.
Check out Chris's favorite brewing albums on your streaming service of choice or support the artists by purchasing their music on Bandcamp.