Month: October 2012

It’s not Toxic Sludge… It’s Jimmy’s “Beer of the Week”! Host Jimmy Carbone welcomes Blue Point Brewing Company’s Mark Burford and Curt Potter, who bring both their Black and White IPAs for everyone to try. And back from the Great American Beer Festival is Blind Tiger’s Jen Schwertman, who gives a rundown of what she feels was the best GABF to date. Brian Ewing from 12 Percent Imports is also in the studio, talking about his roster of small, European brews.

And our beer experts are doing the can-can over cans, with a prediction that 12-oz bottles may be going the way of the fax machine. You can catch the entire episode (#137) here.

 

Cider apples always want you to see them sweat! It’s Cider Week NY, and host Jimmy Carbone puts down the beer pint to sample some amazing brews from local cider makers, including phone-in guests Steve Wood’s Farnum Hill and Dan Wilson’s Slyboro. In the studio, Sara Grady is in the house from Glynwood, and she’s talking about The Apple Project, the Cider Week initiative, and the differences between French and American ciders. Plus, Dave Brodrick of Blind Tiger and Worthy Burger shares some cider-making experiences, and homebrew cider-producers Joy Doumis and Jeremy Hammond of Proper Cider discuss making your own cider from apples purchase at the GrowNYC Greenmarket.

Find out why blends are better and the intricacies of making cider on both large and small-scale operations. It’s Cider Week on Episode #136 of Beer Sessions Radio™.

Day two at the GABF was a four brewery tour. We visited Great Divide, Renegade, Hogshead and Prost. Denver has one of the fastest craft brewing areas in the country, and part of this is niche marketing. Great Divide has been around for almost 20 years and is expanding to meet nation-wide demand. However, Renegade prides itself on “experimental big beers,” such as its Avalanche, a Triple IPA (11% ABV). Hogshead’s “English Steve” is a British transplant recreating traditional English cask-conditioned beers. And Prost is trying to market itself as a craft beer for the non-craft drinkers of Colorado, following strict German purity standards and brewing in old-world copper. See the pictures below for your own mini-tour of what is happening in craft in Colorado!

The Great American Beer Festival officially opened last night, and The Good Beer Seal was there, checking out all the action. First up? The Farm to Table Pavilion, an intimate food and beer pairing featuring 24 special craft beers paired with dishes by renown chefs from the Denver area and beyond.

Best of the pairings was  tie between Michigan’s Arcadia Ales partnered with Wildwood Restaurant out of Portland, OR. The Arcadia sky High Rye was paired with Hawaiian Ahi tuna, pickled calabrian chiles, crispy shallots, and creme fraiche. The Arcadia XV was paired with slow-cooked pork and tarbais bean ragout, anchovy anchovy oregano breadcrumbs, and remolata.

Right next door was Denver Beer Co. and Denver restaurant LOLA, which paired Pumpkin Beer from a growler with sage duck confit, duck fat fried potato, and a habenero carrot reduction. Their dessert option was the Graham Cracker Porter paired with oyster and Spanish chorizo fried bred pudding, ancho chile, lemon creme fraiche with a reduction syrup made from the Porter.

On episode #135 of Beer Sessions Radio™, host Jimmy Carbone welcomed Justin “Squigs” Robertson (Illustrator), Brian Strumke, (Stillwater), Larry Goldstein and Paul Kretzer from Spider Bite Beer Co., Jimmy Ludwig (The Happy Hour Guys), and fellow Good Beer Seal bar owner Rev. David Ciancio (Idle Hands). The beer boys talked about everything from choosing a personal “Beer Disneyland” to the best states for beer. Radio guys talking about television? Check! East Coast brewers talking about West Coast beers? Check. Love it or leave it holiday beer discussion? Check! Everyone drinking some amazing beers and having a great time on the show? Double check, and you can check out the entire episode here.