# 207: Honoring German Brewing Tradition in American Manufacturing with Steve Holle, Founder of KC Bier Co.

- Show: [Manufacturing Happy Hour](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/manufacturing-happy-hour)
- Published: 2024-10-15
- Length: 21m
- Page: https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/manufacturing-happy-hour/2024-10-15-207-honoring-german-brewing-tradition-in-american-manufacturing-with-steve-holle
- Listen: http://manufacturinghappyhour.com

## Summary

Steve Holle, founder of KC Bier Co., explains how his German heritage and study abroad experience led him to establish a brewery in Kansas City dedicated exclusively to traditional German-style beers. He details the brewery's adherence to the Reinheitsgebot purity law and its strategic decision to focus on a specific niche rather than trying to appeal to all craft beer drinkers. Holle discusses the cultural differences between German and American beer consumption, highlighting the popularity of their Munich dunkle and Helles styles among locals.

## Chapters

- [0:46](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/manufacturing-happy-hour/2024-10-15-207-honoring-german-brewing-tradition-in-american-manufacturing-with-steve-holle#t=46) Introduction: Steve Holle and KC Bier Co.
- [2:13](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/manufacturing-happy-hour/2024-10-15-207-honoring-german-brewing-tradition-in-american-manufacturing-with-steve-holle#t=133) Steve's Journey to Brewing and German Heritage
- [3:11](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/manufacturing-happy-hour/2024-10-15-207-honoring-german-brewing-tradition-in-american-manufacturing-with-steve-holle#t=191) The Reinheitsgebot Purity Law and Niche Strategy
- [7:28](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/manufacturing-happy-hour/2024-10-15-207-honoring-german-brewing-tradition-in-american-manufacturing-with-steve-holle#t=448) German Beer Styles vs. American Craft Trends
- [9:37](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/manufacturing-happy-hour/2024-10-15-207-honoring-german-brewing-tradition-in-american-manufacturing-with-steve-holle#t=577) Best-Selling Beers and Underrated Styles
- [14:28](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/manufacturing-happy-hour/2024-10-15-207-honoring-german-brewing-tradition-in-american-manufacturing-with-steve-holle#t=868) Kansas City Culinary Scene and Brewing Community
- [18:33](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/manufacturing-happy-hour/2024-10-15-207-honoring-german-brewing-tradition-in-american-manufacturing-with-steve-holle#t=1113) Advice for Starting a Venture Later in Life

## Topics

- [Validation & product-market fit](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/validation-and-product-market-fit)
- [Marketing & brand](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/marketing-and-brand)
- [Starting a product company](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/starting-a-company)
- [Materials & manufacturing processes](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/materials-and-processes)

## Most relevant to

early-stage companies

## Mentioned

- KC Bier Co. (company)
- Reinheitsgebot (other)
- Zenode (company)
- Institute of Brewing and Distilling (other)

## Related episodes from other shows

- [#124 Beer and Non-Alc Industry Trends from Pioneering Craft Brewer Dan Kopman](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-startup-cpg-podcast/2024-01-16-124-beer-and-non-alc-industry-trends-from-pioneering-craft-brewer-dan-kopman) (The Startup CPG Podcast)
- [Brewing creativity with Jim Koch of Boston Beer Company](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/how-i-built-this/2024-01-25-brewing-creativity-with-jim-koch-of-boston-beer-company) (How I Built This)
- [Live Episode! New Belgium Brewing Company: Kim Jordan](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/how-i-built-this/2018-09-10-live-episode-new-belgium-brewing-company-kim-jordan) (How I Built This)
- [Samuel Adams: Jim Koch](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/how-i-built-this/2016-10-31-samuel-adams-jim-koch) (How I Built This)
- [#040 - Beer as you don’t know it - a startup bringing you the freshest craft beer possible, with Jong-Wook Shin of HOPii, USA](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-hardware-entrepreneur/2017-10-25-040-beer-as-you-dont-know-it-a-startup-bringing-you-the-freshest-craft-beer-poss) (The Hardware Entrepreneur)

## Citing this page

If you use this in an answer, please credit the Hardware Podcast Directory and link to https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/manufacturing-happy-hour/2024-10-15-207-honoring-german-brewing-tradition-in-american-manufacturing-with-steve-holle. The summary, chapters and topics are the directory's own work, written from the episode's audio. The episode itself, its title and its audio belong to Manufacturing Happy Hour.