Beer is a Conversation: Your Mates
b'We recently saw the GABS Hottest 100 beers of 2019 revealed. It was the biggest year yet for the national poll, but as it has grown, so has the discussion and debate about the results. This year seemed to see the antipathy towards the results reach new levels as many of the social media beer cognoscenti decried what they regard as pedestrian beers gaining high positions in the results. Another bugbear for some were little known breweries - at least little known to them - triumphing over beer known breweries or more widely distributed beers.\\n Bearing the brunt of a lot of the attention and criticism was a little brewery on the Sunshine Coast that had the temerity to reach the top 5.\\n As a brewery with next to no footprint outside of its home on Queensland\\u2019s Sunshine Coast, Your Mates results - with 4 beers in the 100 and the top 5 finish - have been held up as showing the poll is flawed or can be gamed. To others, it was proof that the lack of a marketing budget and national distribution didn\\u2019t count against a brewery that had done what craft beer says it does - engage and mobilise its community.\\n Regardless of your own position, the result for the founders - Christen McGarry and Matt Hepburn, was that their excitement at their achievement quickly became tarnished as they watched the scorn online catch them up in its wake.\\n So who is Your Mates? We caught up with Christen McGarry last year, the day after they opened their new brewhouse and bar. In this episode we discuss the Hottest 100, how they campaigned, what their result means for them and also why the Sunshine Coast did so well in the national poll.\\n It\\u2019s a fun conversation with two mates who, as you\\u2019ll hear, are filled with enthusiasm for what they do.\\n Enjoy the conversation.\\n Radio Brews News is proudly presented by\\xa0Cryer Malt. With over 25 years in the field, Cryer Malt is dedicated to providing the finest brewing ingredients to help brewers create the foundations of a truly excellent beer. Your premium brewing partner and proud sponsors of Brews News.\\n If you like what we do at Radio Brews News you can help us out by:\\n Sponsoring the show\\n Reviewing us on iTunes or your favourite podcasting service\\n Emailing us at\\xa0producer@brewsnews.com.au\\xa0to share your thoughts\\n All letter writers will receive a brews news bottle opener and go into the draw to win a mixed six-pack thanks to our good friends at\\xa0Beer Cartel\\xa0who sponsor our letter for the week.'