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Dickens\\u2019 opening paragraph for \\u201cA Tale of Two Cities\\u201d provides an appropriate metaphor for the past few years of Melvin Brewing\\u2019s existence\\u2014best and worst, wisdom and foolishness, belief and incredulity, light and darkness, despair and hope. The highs have been sky-high, with eight GABF medals (six gold), four World Beer Cup medals (two gold), and two first- and one second-place finish in the Alpha King challenge. But the lows have been equally low\\u2014a high profile incident in Bellingham, Washington that led to the closure of the expansion brewpub, and the closure of their second expansion brewpub in San Diego.

Rather than throw in the towel, founder Jeremy Tofte paused the party and dove into problem solving mode, knowing that the way the company had been cast didn\\u2019t reflect the values he and the staff held. Today\\u2019s Melvin still loves to have fun, but is more self-conscious and aware, more disciplined, and lets their values power the party.

The impact of Melvin on the IPA style has been significant\\u2014their early use of whirlpool hopping and high dry hopping levels were once considered absurd by fellow brewers, but are now de rigueur and a core element of today\\u2019s hazy and soft IPA. Here, Tofte recounts that innovation process that led them to exploring new techniques to achieve flavors outside of the mainstream. Along the way, he discusses the parameters they change and the ones they keep consistent, the impact of mash temp on recipe scaling, pushing the brewing team to embrace hazy beers, and designing beers for a national palate while still retaining the soul of Melvin.

Today, Melvin is a better company for the challenges they\\u2019ve been through, and they continue to deliver innovative beer for excited drinkers.

This episode is brought to you by:

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