This isn’t our first podcast about beer and it probably won’t be the last. The reason for the topic repetition is simple: Milwaukee brewing is continuing to grow, change, evolve, and improve. Recently, Milwaukee’s reputation as “Brew City” has been bolstered with a steady string of new breweries, taproom expansions and relocations, limited bottle releases, increased acceptance from local consumers and area businesses alike, interesting collaborations, and unique events happening all around town. There’s still work to be done and lots of room to grow, but Brew City is on the rise once again.

It’s impossible to keep tabs on everything happening in and around the realm of Milwaukee brewing, but Kathy Flanigan does one hell of a job trying to keep up. The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reporter and author of Beer Lover’s Wisconsin has been on the front lines of the city’s (and state’s) recent brewery boom and has spent years on the beer beat. She took time away from the newsroom—and the taproom—to meet host Tyler Maas at Company Brewing. They shared a few pints and some thoughts on the burgeoning beer scene in Milwaukee. Together, they talked about the rapid growth, the so-called “brewery bubble” that may or may not be on the verge of bursting, newcomers like Component and Vennture, how Milwaukee’s breweries stack up against others in Wisconsin and throughout the Midwest, and some things happening during the upcoming Drink Brew City Week (July 26 to August 5).

This episode is brought to you by Surly Brewing, a Minnesota-based brewery and the official beer of On The Record. Music used in this episode comes courtesy of Piles (“Blue Glue”) and Soup Moat (“Navel Gaze”). Subscribe to On The Record via iTunes or Stitcher (for free!).