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.