Today we’d like to introduce you to Mitchell Cooley and Richard Freshwater. Them and their team share their story with us below:
Craft beer is really something. Everyone has their own story, including us. From Belgian brews to hopped-up IPAs, we both got hooked in our own ways. We discuss craft beer and anything that accompanies a glass – such as BBQ, cigars, good food (local food trucks or brick and mortar), and other or any cool places you can drink at. We’ll make time to visit anywhere and talk about them. We are on most major podcast platforms and continuing to grow.
Craft beer in Nashville, TN wasn’t popular when we started drinking craft beer. Nashville was still a growing city with only a couple of original craft breweries; Yazoo and Blackstone for example. Their beers were widely accessible in the downtown Nashville, TN area and surrounding cities. You used to have to go to state borders to find craft beer. Richard and Mitch started talking BBQ and cigars before craft beer was really in the picture. However, there was always a beer close by. Then when craft beer entered the picture (and our fridges), we decided to start talking about it with similar-minded folks.
The FoamyHeads consist of two co-hosts, Mitchell Cooley and Richard Freshwater. Mitchell fell into the craft beer scene after drinking a St. Bernardus ABT 12 (A wonderful and flawless Belgian Quad) at Octane Coffee Bar and Lounge, a local coffee and taproom in Georgia. From there he just kept adventuring into multiple styles finding what he likes. Craft beer is all about the adventure of the palate. Everyone has an opinion and it’s a common ground for meeting new people from all sorts of walks in life.
Richard came on to the craft beer scene in 2011, a couple of years before craft beer really started booming in Nashville, TN. The staples had already existed, from Nashville’s own Yazoo and Blackstone, to more widely distributed breweries like Blue Moon and Killians. Richard quickly found his “go-tos” in the red ale and wheat beer categories. It wasn’t until a couple of years later that his friend (and sometimes guest host DJ) introduced him to his very first IPA: Dogfish Head 120 Minute IPA… He was hooked. From that point forward, the search to find the perfect beer- balancing ABV and massive hop flavors- began. How many hop varieties are there? It didn’t matter. Eventually, Richard turned to stouts. Initially turned off by the coffee and chocolate profiles, his friends knew they had to start “small” if they wanted to get him hooked- Since then, he has grown into the heavier stouts, and loves them to this day.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Never. Never had it been a smooth road and never likely will be. The craft beer scene is rapidly evolving in multiple ways based on the communities abroad. When we initially got into craft beer and talking/discussing it, it was all about window shopping, buying on-label appearance, knowledge of how beer is impactful via taste/aroma, etc. Lots of surface-level subjects. As we dug deeper and deeper in conversation through the years, we’ve noticed a large change to styles evolving to fit all sorts of different demands from the public. Milkshake/Smoothie IPAs, Pasty Stouts made a huge return and pushed even further the limits, and some beers even played on the memory of classic cereals from all of our childhoods. Lots of different marketing tactics are now involved to catch the eye and styles that fit the ever-growing curiosity of young adults and demographics.
There was one day when we finished recording about beers that we were drinking, that we figured we should start talking to folks that actually brew or are in the industry. So, we started connecting the dots to brewers and finding times to talk virtually or in person. This was eye-opening and had amazing potential to learn more about the beers you love and the people pouring their hearts into their craft. This was the start of the REAL “Ah-ha” moment that we decided to follow to this day. Bringing the people who are en”grained” in their craft and bringing them to the fold to the average day-to-day commuting drinker, like ourselves.
The largest obstacle we have is what many other content creators face. Exposure, accessibility, and limited budgets. We have our daily grind to tend to, after all. Our main goal now is to attempt to dive deeper into our local community to lift up similar voices to ours for craft beer. Connecting to larger personalities is another challenge, but they have their own hurdles too.
There was, of course, a learning curve, for all creation and production. We continue to learn along the way. We are still finding our voice.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
Mitch has been involved in medical marketing for 9 years. He was a veterinary technician for 10 previous and during that as well. He has just started his venture into a new job as an Account Manager at Piccolo Solutions. He’s run podcasts, webinars, marketing campaigns, website builds, creative solutions, marketing objectives and is now stepping into the realm of marketing for anyone and everyone other than medical device companies or physician practices. Needless to say, none of this drove him to drink, he just chose to drink.
Richard has been bridging the business side with the IT industry ever since graduating college back in 2007. He manages the business expectations thru meetings, requirements, and discussion. He then translates that ask into the IT solution, creating powerful automated systems and self-service reporting platforms. What sets Richard apart from the rest of the IT industry is his ability to communicate with the business AND perform the IT development that exceeds his customers’ expectations.
We’d love to hear about how you think about risk-taking?
We’ve both taken some risk in terms of purchasing equipment to use in the field. We go on-site to breweries to record, often. Typically, when we have a preplanned venture to talk to someone at the brewery, but we’ve been known to show up and just start talking about the beers on draft and food available.
Contact Info:
- Email: [email protected]
- Website: thefoamyheads.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thefoamyheads
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/foamyheads/
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/foamyheads
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCHFpgI2ruN2Kli7G803Nnjg
- SoundCloud: https://open.spotify.com/show/2lcTXdrq51ZeCEbcJTv4Dz
- Other: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-foamy-heads/id1460465040
Image Credits
Steve West
Miguel Felix
