What happens when sneaker culture and craft beer collide?

This week in the virtual taproom, the Legendary Brew Crew sits down with Atlanta marketing strategist and culture architect Craig Stroud, the visionary behind Ale Max.

What started as a creative collaboration between breweries and sneakerheads has grown into a nationwide cultural movement, bringing together craft beer lovers, sneaker collectors, runners, and community builders across multiple cities.

Craig joins the crew to break down the origin story of Ale Max, how sneaker drop culture mirrors limited craft beer releases, and how breweries across the country are collaborating to celebrate Air Max Day.

Of course, before the conversation gets rolling, the Brew Crew checks in with What We Drinking.

🍺 What We Drinking
β€’ Automatic - IPA from Creature Comforts
β€’ Rhythm & Beauty Black Lager from Soul Mega
β€’ Keep Honking Rice Lager from Human Robot Brewery

From sneaker drops to beer releases, the crew dives into the intersection of craft beer, culture, community, and collaboration.

Grab a cold one and join the banter. 🍻

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⏱️ Timestamps

0:00 – Welcome back to the virtual taproom
1:45 – What We Drinking 🍺
4:30 – Meet Craig Stroud and the story behind Ale Max
9:15 – How sneaker culture inspired a craft beer movement
15:40 – The connection between sneaker drops and beer releases
21:30 – Building brewery collaborations across cities
28:50 – Why Air Max Day became a craft beer event
34:10 – Expanding Ale Max into running culture
41:00 – How people discover new craft beers today
47:20 – The collector mentality: sneakers vs beer cans
53:15 – Final thoughts + where Ale Max is headed

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