Month: June 2014

This week on Beer Sessions Radio™, host Jimmy Carbone is talking hoppy Belgian beers with certified Cicerone® Brendan Woodcock, who lends his tasting expertise as practice for his upcoming Master Cicerone® test (and we wish him the best of luck!) Pour for Brendan’s discerning palate are Dan Leeman and Shahan Stepanian from Global Imports, along with Nathan Hukill from Bitter Old Fecker Rustic Ales in Michigan and Fool’s Gold bar owner, Patrick Donagher.

Brendan talks through the various stages of testing in the premiere beer education certification. He notes that the Cicerone® Server (i.e. first level) test is mostly exploratory, whereas the Certified (second level) test is more about “knowing what you don’t know.” He’s in the process of learning all that he didn’t already know and provides context for the hop styles of traditional Belgian ales. The group discusses the merits of Belgians as varied as Poperings Hommel Bier and Taras Bulba. They also discuss how American craft beer is changing the way Belgium looks at beer, particularly when it comes to hops profiles. Whereas Belgian hoppy ales are typically all about balance, the out-of-whack bitter “hop bombs” of American IPAs are definitely impacting what European drinkers expect in a hoppy beer.

Plus Nathan discusses his family’s rich history in making beer (and hootch – his grandparents were bootleggers during Prohibition) in an historical setting. He’s using old-world techniques to produce rustic beers (currently not available in the NYC market, boo hoo!). And Patrick discusses the challenges of juggling multiple bars in NYC (he also is an owner of Alewife and Rattle ‘n Hum).

Listen to the full episode here.

On a very special episode of Beer Sessions Radio™ on the Heritage Radio Network, host Jimmy Carbone welcomes back to the show Good Beer Seal co-founder and Blind Tiger owner Dave Brodrick. Jimmy is announcing a July Good Beer Month preview: The Good Beer Seal is expanding to Vermont and Toronto!

Dave talks about taking a tour along the “IPA Highway” (route 89) recommending a pub tour beginning in Brattleboro, VT:

• Whetstone Station Restaurant and Brewery to
• Dave’s Worthy Burger in Woodstock, VT, to
• Three Penny and Positive Pie in Montpelier, VT, to
• Prohibition Pig and Blackback Pub in Waterbury, VT, ending at
• Farmhouse Bar & Grille in Middlebury, VT

Will any of these great establishments be awarded the Good Beer Seal? You’ll find out in July! In the meantime, Dave talks about what makes a bar a Good Beer Seal bar: Great beer, building relationships with brewers and importers, and having knowledgeable and educated staff.

Dave and Jimmy are also taking the Good Beer Seal international to Toronto, and Tomas Morana of Bar Volo weighs in on the Toronto craft beer scene, which has grown dramatically in the past five years. Both Tomas and Dave talk about how educating customers is a key part of building a craft beer bar. Tomas and his parents went so far as to launch their own import company to get around the highly regulated beer business in Ontario.

The group is talking about summer beer festivals, including Coney Island On Tap, which will take place at the Cyclones’ Stadium in Coney Island. Dave mentions Vermont Brewers Festival (“which sells out in 90 seconds”) and Pub House Jam in Bolton Valley (Labor Day weekend). Tomas and his family began Cask Days in 2005 with 20 firkins of questionable quality. The 2013 Cask Days had expanded to more than 250 firkins from across Canada and the U.K. This year’s Cask Days will run October 24-26.

Plus, Brandon Carter, Executive Chef of The Inn at Palmetto Bluff in Hilton Head, SC, talks food and his favorite foods (including oysters) and the beer pairing menus he’s curated at his restaurant (and his exploration of the Brooklyn restaurant scene while he’s in town). He and Jimmy are talking gumbo and “southern” beers. Don’t leave before you try the buttermilk fried chicken.

We’re pairing beers and drinking, too! It’s another great episode of Beer Sessions, so bring your favorite brew and listen in (here).

 

 

Belgian beer and heritage meat: Is there a better pairing for a Tuesday afternoon on radio? Tune into an especially fun episode of Beer Sessions Radio (here) as host Jimmy Carbone is joined by Dominique Friart of Brasserie St. Feuillien, a brewery in Le Roeulx, Belgium. They’re taking NYC by storm!

Plus the authors of The Carnivore’s Manifesto: Eating Well, Eating Responsibly, and Eating Meat, Patrick Martins and Mike Edison are in the studio to pair meat with Belgian beers. The book features fifty ways to be an enlightened carnivore, while taking better care of our planet and ourselves. The crew discusses the true meaning of taste and drink a whole bunch of delicious Belgian beers on air.