Good Beer Hunting

Venn diagram

We serve beer.

Good Beer Hunting has two separate teams—a strategic design studio based in Chicago, Illinois, and an editorial team with contributors all over the globe. The goal that unites these distinct businesses is our desire to serve the ecosystem of producers, drinkers, and the always-evolving value chain that connects them.

Mission Statement

Editorial

Our most visible and influential service is through the stories we tell, where we explore and create a wide variety of differentiated narratives within the world of beer. Our network of collaborators includes writers, photographers, and videographers in every region of the U.S., the UK, and increasingly around the globe.

Claire Bullen, Editor in Chief Bryan Roth, Sightlines Editor Evan Rail, International Editor Ashley Rodriguez, Producer

Studio Practice

We work with breweries big and small to create compelling futures. We launch startups, re-position growing brands, and help introduce new products and categories for maturing breweries who want to connect with today’s most important audiences. We take a brewer- and beer-centric approach to design and development.

Michael Kiser, co-founder, Creative Director

Experiences

From small studio gatherings to large-scale festivals, our events bring beer and craft to life in unusual and inspiring ways across industries. We plan, design, and produce all details of an experience-working with our partners to connect to consumers in new and novel ways.

Hillary Schuster, Experience Director

Leadership & global team

With a background in innovation strategy, and deep skillsets in editorial, experience design, and brand, our team is dedicated to deepening the relevance of beer in America and abroad.

Michael Kiser
Michael Kiser Founder, Creative Director

Based in Chicago, Michael founded GBH almost a decade ago. In that time, he’s developed a global team of talented storytellers and an award-winning editorial platform. He was named one of Imbibe Magazine’s “75 people and places to watch.”

Michael earned an MFA from The School of the Art Institute of Chicago, and worked as an innovation strategist creating new-to-the-world products and services for companies like Nike, Samsung, HP, and Adobe.

Now, he puts all this experience to work in the beer industry, helping breweries large and small plan their portfolios, develop new brands and experiences, and connect with their most important audiences.

See more from Michael

Claire Bullen
Claire Bullen Editor in Chief

An American expat living in London, Claire manages our global team of writers and contributors to tell the amazing story of beer—from a cultural, business, and personal perspective. She’s the recipient of numerous awards from the North American Guild of Beer Writers and The British Guild of Beer Writers, including recognition for her book, The Beer Lover’s Table

See more from Claire

Hillary Schuster
Hillary Schuster Experience Director

Hillary’s background in experience and product design helps GBH create progressive consumer experiences, from taproom design to special event planning.

After 11 years leading the information and experience design practice at Doblin Group, she joined GBH as a full partner, helping lead us into a new phase of leadership within the beer world. Her focus on new audiences, experiences, and partnerships has led to the growth of events like Uppers & Downers, which took place in Chicago, Seattle, and London in 2017.

See more from Hillary

Araña Schulke
Araña Schulke Design Lead

Helping lead our brand and design studio, Araña and our design team serve start-ups and multi-nationals as they explore, grow, and innovate across a variety of beverage categories in product, environments, and experiences.

Bryan Roth
Bryan Roth Sightlines Editor

Developing insights for our professional audiences, Bryan leads our news reporting and analysis, including our premium subscription services. He’s the Direcgtor of the North American Guild of Beer Writers and lives in Durham, North Carolina where he also works as a senior communications specialist with Duke Health Marketing & Communications.

See more from Bryan

Evan Rail
Evan Rail International Editor

Originally from California, and now based in Prague, Evan has been a food and drink journalist for more than 20 years. He helps lead our efforts internationally, seeking out new voices and synthesizing how beer cultures intersect and diverge, both historically and anew. His work has been published in New Republic, the Times Literary Supplement (TLS), The New York Times, Poetry Review, and many others.

See more from Evan

Our global editorial team

GBH’s team of writers and photographers is growing in parallel to the evolving interest in beer and drinks culture around the globe.

Our studio and production team

Based in Chicago, our studio and production team includes a wide variety of talents that create our podcast, video, product, and brands for clients.

Andrew Thiboldeaux
Andrew Thiboldeaux Composer, Musician
Josh Eisenberg
Josh Eisenberg Web Developer
Colette Holston
Colette Holston Designer
Jordan Stalling
Jordan Stalling Sound engineer
Jim Plachy
Jim Plachy Community

Press & accolades

A small selection of awards bestowed upon the GBH editorial team.

  • Saveur
    Saveur
    Best Wine or Beer Blog 2013, 2015
  • Sprudge
    Sprudge
    The World’s Best Coffee Beer Festival
  • Best Food Writing 2017
    Best Food Writing 2017
    The Crown that Sits upon Heady Topper
  • Imbibe Magazine
    Named as one of 75 People + Places that will shape 2016
  • NORTH AMERICAN GUILD OF BEER WRITERS AWARDS
    Six awards in 2016, three in 2015
  • The Next Web
    50 email newsletters you need to know about
  • Webby
    "The Best of the Internet" in the "Culture" category
  • Zagat
    10 Chicago Power Players You Need to Know Right Now
  • Cool Material
    15 Podcasts Every Guy Should Know
  • Crash On
    An interview about starting up and finding balance in self-employment
  • THE AMERICAN SPECTATOR
    Four Beer Blogs You Should Read
  • ONE PART PLANT
    Jessica Murnane digs into GBH’s inspiration
  • OUTSIDE MAGAZINE
    “A larger city-making story” about Chicago
  • KCRW
    Talking coffee, beer, and coffee beers with the Good Food show
  • POPULAR SCIENCE
    "10 Best Things" in their “Obsessed” column
  • BREWTALKS
    Talking brand strategy for brewers
  • BREWBOUND
    How stories build brands
  • STEAL THIS BEER
    Talking to John Holl and Augie Carton
  • POCKET
    How a Saison Dupont changed Michael Kiser’s life
  • INSIDE HOOK
    This is the state of American craft beer
  • BRANDING BREWS
    Your Portfolio’s Role in Branding
  • ALE OF A TIME
    A conversation about Australian beer and wine
  • HOP CULTURE
    The 7 Best Craft Beer Podcasts
  • IMAGINE PUB
    Craft brews and content marketing
  • ROB HOPKINS
    Imagination in craft brewing
  • FOOD & WINE
    How Blue Moon Went from Flop to Sensation
  • BEHIND THE BEER
    Craft Brewers march into the Mainstream
  • CRAIN’S CHICAGO
    Why are so many craft brewers selling out?
  • COLLECTIVE QUARTERLY
    The Beer Peen Hammer
  • LA WEEKLY
    Coffee Beer + Uppers and Downers
  • FIRST WE FEAST
    The Beer Geek's Guide to Instagram
  • DAILY COFFEE NEWS
    Is Specialty Coffee Missing an Opportunity in Cold Brew?
  • Re:co: The Specialty Coffee Symposium
    Cold Brew: Category or Craze?
  • BREWMASTER
    A Doublas Triola Film
  • BEVSPOT
    21 Bar Industry Blogs You Should be Reading
  • OFFBEAT + INSPIRED
    Scotch, Sugar + Beer