Month: May 2014

This week on Beer Sessions Radio™ on the Heritage Radio Network, host Jimmy Carbone welcomes an eclectic (and international) group. Locally, Niko Krommydas talks about the Craft Beer NY ap, “an all-encompassing beer guide for the beer geek in New York City.” The international contingent comes by way of Juan and Alfredo Rodriguez and Sven Bosch of Naparbier, who are doing a North American tour that includes bar visits, tastings and collaboration brewing. They’re joined by B.R. Rolya of Shelton Brothers Imports.

Jason Perkins, Brewmaster at Allagash, calls in from Belgium’s Night of the Great Thirst, an all-lambic beer festival outside of Brussels. It’s a bottle event that has nothing but spontaneously fermented beers. The festival was started as a response to legal restrictions on lambic beers in Belgium in an effort to save cool shipping (Allagash Brewing was the first brewery in the U.S. to add a traditional coolship to their facility in Maine). Allagash wanted to see if they could replicate the wild beer and spontaneous fermentation that was previously exclusive to the Belgium region. Jason also talks about the new tasting room at their Portland brewery, and the thriving craft beer scene happening in the state.

The time it takes to create wild beers precludes mass production, but the panel discusses their love of sour beers, such as the Cantillon Gueuze.

Sven talks about his Spanish brewery’s journey from launching five years ago with two beers to their current 14-beer portfolio, which includes a barreling system. He discusses the challenges of making beer in a country with a strong wine heritage. And B.R. reveals the secrets of how brewers decide to collaborate (hint: hit up the festival circuit). You can hear the entire episode here.

 

Several weeks ago, Beer Sessions Radio™ host Jimmy Carbone led a blind tasting of commercially available IPAs, and on this week’s episode of Beer Sessions Radio™ on the Heritage Radio Network we hear the results! Joining Jimmy are BJCP judges Dru Nichols and Michael Cafaro, who admit that the top three IPAs at the blind tasting were all winners. The list of IPAs included Bell’s Greenflash, Gun Hill Brewery (newest Bronx brewery), Sixpoint, Stone, Two Roads, Sam Smith (Rebel IPA), Great Divide and Long Trail. Jimmy announces the top three, with a (spoiler alert) great call in from Stone brewmaster Mitch Steele of Stone Brewing.

Mitch gives us a bit of a history lesson on the real IPA story (get his IPA book here).

Other guests on this show include Ally Centonze of Green Flash Brewing, Whitney Wright of Southern Living Magazine, and Rich Blair of New Holland Brewing & Distillery. Ally talks about the difference between east and west coast IPAs, while previewing the new higher ABV Hop Head Rye. While Whitney Talks about the thriving craft beer scene in the south (Alabama has the most growth of any state in craft beer). And how can we talk about the Southern beer revolution without a(n almost subliminal) shout-out to Ale Sharpton?

During the last segment, we switch beers to talk about whiskey, vodka and other liquors. How can a brewery go from making good beer to making a distilled spirit based on beer? Learn about how the innovation of American craft beer translates well into the artisanal spirits industry, as Rich discusses New Holland’s foray into distilling. They talk about a “hopquilla,” beer barrel bourbon and their beer schnapps.

And find out why Dru thinks, “Yeast are fickle little bitches.” Only on this week’s episode of Beer Sessions Radio™!

This week on Beer Sessions Radio™ on the Heritage Radio Network, host Jimmy Carbone welcomes Staten Island’s Flagship Brewing Co. head brewer, Patrick Morse, whose beer pedigree includes having written his college thesis on beer (we love this brewer already!) plus time working for Harpoon Brewery, Greenpoint Beerworks (he made the Patrick’s Belgian Blonde that is at Houston Hall) and Eagle Rock in CA; he’s pouring his hoppy American Wit (we love this beer already!). They’re brand-new brewery (yup, they bought it new) and they’re doing their “soft” grand opening this Saturday, May 17th (they’re an 8-minute walk from the ferry or first stop on the SIRR). Hear how Staten Island’s first brewery since the 1960’s got its start,

Marty Mattrazzo of The Farmhouse Brewery, whom Jimmy met at last month’s New York Wine, Beer and Spirits Summit with Gov. Cuomo, calls in to talk about his malting room, hop farm and brewery upstate. All their grain is bought from NY State farms, which they malt and sell back to NY State breweries. Learn all about how they “steep, germinate and kiln” in one system in a 12’x16′ space (sounds like it would fit in a Brooklyn apartment!). They’re the first of roughly a half-dozen malt houses that are expected to come online in the next year or so.

On the oenology side of things, wine educator Tess Anne Rose is in the studio, making wine accessible though her classes. She’s facing off against Zach Mack of Alphabet City Beer Co., who together with Tess Anne will be hosting a wine v. beer food pairing next Tuesday (May 20th) at Jimmy’s No. 43. Zach talks about his first “food and beer” perfect pairing moment, while Tess Anne appreciates the challenge of wooing with wine by finding the complementary vintage whether or not beer has an inherent advantage when it comes to food pairings. Keith Beaver (owner of In Vino) pops in to say “hello” at the end of the show.

Listen to the full episode here.

This week on Beer Sessions Radio™, it’s another week of “The Jimmy Show” as frequent guest Jimmy Ludwig is back on the show with host Jimmy Carbone in a discussion that runs from hyper-local (Spiro Theofalatos of Queens’ Beyond Kombucha and Michael Brooks, owner of Bed-Vyne in Brooklyn) to national (Florida’s Justin Clark of Cigar City Brewing phones in) to ethereal (Father Bill Miller, author of The Beer Drinker’s Guide to God).

Joe “Craft Beer Coach” Callender joins Spiro to chat about kombucha beer, which takes the fermented tea to a whole new level. While Jimmy L. comments, “People are so habitual in their beverage choices. The craft world is all about expanding people’s horizons and aksing people to be brave and try something new.”

Florida brewers recently tried to get something new through their legislature: the ability to sell beer in 64 ounce growlers. While the measure didn’t pass, no new restrictions were placed on Florida breweries, bringing a small success to the Florida Brewers Guild. Justin also talks about the beer they’re brewing and where Florida is heading in the industry.

And Michael discusses his impetus for launching Judgement [sic] of Brooklyn, a tasting event with a line-up of 32 beers and 32 wines that Jimmy C. thinks will be “the best thing to happen to Brooklyn” on May 17th.

Finally, Father Miller talks about the “universal language” of God and beer (“I can walk into any city and find a pub and a parish.”). Is there beer in heaven? We certainly hope so!

Listen to the full episode here.

This week on Beer Sessions Radio™ on the Heritage Radio Network (a.k.a. “The Free Beer Show”), host Jimmy Carbone welcomes Ohio-native Josh Bernstein back to the studio, along with Matt Barbee of Rockmill Brewery, whose Belgian-style brews are part of a craft beer resurgence in the Buckeye State. Matt tells of his journey from wine guy (his grandfather owned a vineyard and Matt formerly worked as a sommalier in Chicago) to failed film producer to successful brewer (his beers are being introduced to NYC starting this month).

Matt’s evolution into craft beer was largely based on how it paired with food. Thus, his brewery built on a former horse farm is creating beers from a water source similar in its mineral content of water found in Wallonia, Belgium. As the first great craft beer he drank was Dupont Saison, Matt decided to create beers in the Belgian Farmhouse tradition.

Also joining in is regular guest and Happy Hour Guy, Jimmy Ludwig. He and Josh debate the merits of growing up in the midwest, where Family (the new “f-word”) is a key part of identity, and hard work is a core value. Josh offers food pairing tips (to compare tastes, cut the flavor, or contrast) and cites the tired maxim (his words), “If it grows with it, it goes with it.” Matt’s more eloquent assessment: “Wine and cheese is like arm wrestling; beer and cheese is like holding hands.”

Finally, surprise guest Mark Muecke of Singlecut Beersmiths previews the Astoria brewery’s spring Kim Hibiscus Sour Lagrrr!, a Berliner Weissbier. And the whole gang toasts to Matt’s newly departed pooch, Scooby, who will have a beer named after him. Rockmill is coming to NYC  soon, so be on the lookout for it.

Listen to this week’s episode here.