266: Barry Chan of Lucky Envelope is Developing a Chinese-American Voice in Craft Brewing

When Barry Chan and his partner started Lucky Envelope, they were concerned with appearing “too Chinese.” The craft beer world at the time wasn’t ready for that, they thought, and they wanted to fit in and not alienate craft beer’s core clientele. Today, with a GABF medal under their belt in the classic Munich-style helles category, they’re more conformable knowing they make classic styles in a compelling way, and they’ve pushed deeper into exploring ways to connect their Chinese-American heritage (and its culinary traditions) with the broader world of craft beer. In this episode, Chan discusses the ways they’ve approached that, including: Locking down base styles before embarking on experimentation Building “smoked” beers using smoked tea as an ingredient Finding effective ways to extract flavors from challenging ingredients Searching for inspiration in unexpected places Ingredients that don’t work in beer Risking failure with ingredients like durian Creating nuanced beers with habanero and shishito peppers Pushing into European styles like Czech dark lager Working to increase diversity in the craft beer world And more. This episode is brought to you by: G&D Chillers (https://gdchillers.com): For nearly 30 years, G&D Chillers has set the mark for quality equipment you can rely on. Contact the total glycol system design experts today at gdchillers.com (https://gdchillers.com) Probrew (https://www.probrew.com) N/A? No Problem! The Alchemator from ProBrew uses proprietary membrane technology to strip the alcohol from the beer without sacrificing all the elements – like flavor and color - that make the beer great! Are you ready to Brew Like A Pro? Check out www.probrew.com (https://www.probrew.com) to learn more about The Alchemator from ProBrew. Old Orchard (https://www.oldorchard.com/brewer): Think outside the purée box and let your brand stand out with Old Orchard's craft concentrate blends. To join the core of Old Orchard's brewing community, learn more at oldorchard.com/brewer (https://www.oldorchard.com/brewer) American Canning (https://americancanning.com): American Canning provides packaging supplies at competitive prices in order quantities catered to craft. For a smooth packaging experience, also consider their ultra-compact, single operator canning machines. Learn more about their ecosystem of solutions at americancanning.com (https://americancanning.com). ABS Commercial (https://abs-commercial.com): ABS Commercial is a full-service brewery outfitter, proud to offer brewhouses, tanks, and small parts to brewers across the country. Contact one of their brewery consultants today at sales@abs-commercial.com to discuss your brewery project. Perfect Puree (https://perfectpuree.com/beer): Craft the perfect pour with superior fruit from The Perfect Purée. But don’t just take our word for it, experience flavor first-hand by curating your own complimentary sample box at perfectpuree.com/beer (https://perfectpuree.com/beer). Samples are complimentary for brewing professionals only.