Month: August 2015

As most beer drinkers know, there are four main ingredients in beer: water, malt/grain, yeast and hops! Once upon a time, New York State was the world leader in hops production. On this week’s episode of Beer Sessions Radio™, host Jimmy Carbone visits the past with John Segal (the man who actually brought the famed Cascade hops to the craft beer world) as proprietor of Segal Hop Ranch in Yakima Valley (WA).

John talks about the three-generation farm started by his grandfather in Malone, NY, and after the crop blight in the 1950s moved out to Yakima Valley in Washington State. John’s father was seeking an aromatic hop that could compete with the Noble hop varieties being imported from Germany. In 1968, he began growing Cascade hops on Segal Ranch. By 1972, major beer makers (i.e. Coors) started buying his hops and the rest – as they say – is history. Today the Cascade variety is still the largest hops production (by acreage) in Washington State.

Among the early adopters of using Cascade hops was Fritz Maytag, the (new) owner of Anchor Brewing Company. The panel is celebrating the 50th anniversary of Fritz Maytag’s purchase of Anchor Brewing Co. in San Francisco (largely credited as the start of the craft beer movement).

Joining John and Jimmy are summer co-host Ben Keene and Jeff O’Neil, former brewer at Peekskill Brewery who is currently launching his own project, Industrial Arts Brewing. Jeff made his name with hoppy beers, and he’ll soon be breaking ground on his new facility in Rockland County at the Garner Arts Center. The building has a rich history of industrial tenants.

Speaking of history, in the 1840s, more than 50 million pounds of hops were being produced every year; workers from NYC were recruited to come up and enjoy the fresh air by picking hops (a tedious crop to pick in that era). The hops scene continues to change with more growth in local hops being led by brewers such as Ommegang in Cooperstown, NY.

What’s the difference between “hoppy” beers (a la “East Coast IPAs” – India Pale Ale) and “bitter” beers using hops? How do you describe beers that use a variety of hops? The panel debates the merits of nuanced IPAs and the flavors that can be coaxed from hops.

Listen to the full episode here.

Beer Sessions Radio™, The Good Beer Seal and Jimmy’s No. 43 are delighted to announce the recipients of the Seventh Annual Good Beer Seal Awards. This year’s inductees will join 58 of their peers from the five boroughs of NYC, plus select bars in northeastern New Jersey and on Long Island. The Good Beer Seal Awards are the culmination of July Good Beer Month, which features specialty events across the city with a focus on craft beer, the brewers who make them, and the local establishments that sell craft beer. The Good Beer Seal nominees are gathered by a select group of beer journalists, industry professionals and existing Good Beer Seal bar owners. They are acknowledged in recognition of superior beer quality and selection as well as commitment to their communities.

This year’s inductees are:

• BBD’s – Beers, Burgers, Desserts (Rocky Point, Long Island)
• Beer Street (Williamsburg, Brooklyn)
• Bronx Beer Hall  (Arthur Avenue – Bronx)
• Covenhoven – (Prospect Heights, Brooklyn)
• Fools Gold (E Houston Street, Manhattan)
• Glorietta Baldy (Bed-Stuy/Ft. Greene, Brooklyn)
• Hops Hill (Cliinton Hill, Brooklyn)
• The Jeffrey (UES, Manhattan)
• Top Hops (LES, Manhattan)

For seven years, July has been declared “Good Beer Month,” and we celebrate the dedicated, community-oriented bars and bar owners who are on the front lines of the city’s continuing craft beer revolution.

The Good Beer Seal was co-founded in 2009 by Jimmy Carbone (Jimmy’s No. 43), Ray Deter (RIP – former owner of d.b.a.), Ben & Mike Wiley (Bar Great Harry), Gary Gillis (Burp Castle/Standings), and Dave Brodrick (Blind Tiger). The Good Beer Seal exists to identify bars offering an intriguing selection of craft beer in a unique atmosphere created by owner/operators who exhibit a deep commitment not only to the promotion of craft beer but to their community as well.

A hearty congratulations goes out to our new GBS bars. You can find a full list of all the GBS bars in and around NYC here.