Peace & Happy: Beer Sessions Radio™ Looks Back on Another Great Year

TwoRoads1As 2015 draws to a close, it’s time for a look back on the year that was! Beer Sessions Radio™ celebrated a couple of milestones this year: our fifth year on the air and our 300th episode. We added some seasonal guest co-hosts (Beer Advocate editor and author Ben Keene sat in over the summer, while Brooklyn Beer Shop’s Stephen Valand joined host Jimmy Carbone in the studio this fall) and welcomed back old friends (Ed Berestecki, Steve Wood), while looking out for first-time renowned guests (Jeff Alworth, Sierra Nevada’s Ken Grossman). We saw our host, Heritage Radio Network (still time to donate to their year-end drive), go through a major website revision, all while our listenership increased via multiple streaming services.

We thank you, our listeners, and look forward to bringing you the best in beer podcasts in 2016. For now, sit back and listen (or re-listen) to ten of our favorite episodes from 2015.

Tod Mott & Horst Dornbusch (Episode 248 – airdate: January 9th)

It’s always good to start the new year off with a bang, and we had two episodes our first week of 2015, including  this episode that introduced our audience to the famed New England brewer Tod Mott. Recorded in The Oxford Companion to Beer’s co-editor Horst Dornbusch’s home, Tod walks us through the recent history of the New England beer scene upon the launch of his new brewery, Tributary Brewing, in Maine.

Listen to the full episode here.

Lammin Sahti Oy! (Episode 254 – air date: February 14th)

In another off-site recorded episode, Finnish brewer Pekka Kaariainen is sharing his Lammin Sahti Oy! Imported by B. United (where the episode was recorded), this Finnish Sahti is a truly ancient beer style, dating back thousands of years, predating hops. We learn all about quick fermented beers in this outing of Beer Sessions Radio™.

Listen to the full episode here.

Live from Two Roads (Episode 267 – airdate: April 27th)

Maybe we just loved taking the show on the road, because this off-site episode was one of our favorites of the year! We hung out with Phil Markowski, owner and brewmaster, owner of the largest brewery in Connecticut, Two Roads Brewing Co.. Phil and his team literally have decades of beer brewing experience, and the Stratford, CT, facility is one of the most impressive breweries we’ve ever seen.

Listen to the full episode here.

Queens Beer Week (Episode 268 – airdate: April 28th)

In celebration of the 2nd Annual Queens Beer Week, Jimmy welcomes some of the borough’s beer movers and shakers as he is joined by Queens Beer Week founder Daniel Bronson, Edible Queens contributing editor Alia Akkam and brewers Anthony Accardi (Transmitter Brewing) and Mike Anzalone (Singlecut Beersmiths).

Listen to the full episode here.

Irish Cider Sessions (Episode 271 – airdate: May 15th)

We had more “Cider Sessions” this year than ever before, but this one was unique as we welcomed Simon Tyrell of Craigies Ciders and Olan McNeece of Dan Kelly’s Irish Cider, along with some of our frequent cider guests that listeners have come to know and love. Who knew that Irish cider was it’s own beverage? Simon and Olan bring us up to speed on what the Emerald Isle does with apples!

Listen to the full episode here.

Feeding the Fire (Episode 280 – airdate: July 7th)

One of the city’s best restaurateurs and Good Beer Seal bar owner Joe Carroll joins Beer Sessions Radio™ to discuss barbecue and his new BBQ cookbook, Feeding the Fire. It’s the perfect mid-summer show, just as we want to pull out a cold one and heat up the grill!

Listen to the full episode here.

All About Hops (Episode 284 – airdate: August 4th)

New York State was the world leader in hops production, and on this week’s show, Jimmy welcomes John Segal, a descendant of one of the state’s founding hops farming fathers. This is the episode no “hop head” will want to miss!

Listen to the full episode here.

Cider Sessions: American Fine Cider (Episode 286 – record date: April 2015; air date: May 15th)

Recorded at Jimmy’s No. 43, this week’s episode welcomes two great cider makers, Louisa (Lulu) Spencer of Farnum Hill Ciders and Field Maloney, a second-generation cider maker at West County Cider. They talk about what makes a great cider truly extraordinary, and why cider is truly an American beverage.

Listen to the full episode here.

Christian DeBenedetti and Oregon Brewers (Episode 292 – airdate: October 13th)

Although Beer Sessions Radio™ is based in NYC, we enjoy bringing the world of beer to the airwaves. Christian DeBenedetti and Andrea Slonecker join us to discuss their new cookbook, Beer Bites,  which features 65 globe-roaming and simple recipes with recommendations of beer styles and widely available must-try brews for each dish. They are joined by brewers from what is arguably the best beer town in America, Portland, OR.

Listen to the full episode here.

Garrett Oliver’s Greatest Beer Hits (Episode 303 – airdate: December 1st)

While hardly his first time on the show, the Brooklyn Brewery brewmaster is always one to entertain. We enjoyed hearing his “best of” choices from hats to entertainment to foreign breweries to, of course, beer!

Listen to the full episode here.

We wish you peace and happiness and a very happy new year. See you in 2016!

 

 

 

 

What you missed on Beer Sessions Radio™: Garrett Oliver’s Greatest Beer Hits

NYCBrewersChoiceWhile not a stranger to the show, this week’s main guest on Beer Sessions Radio™ is none other that Brooklyn Brewery’s brewmaster himself, Garrett Oliver. Widely known for his debonair personal style, his elegant lectures on the history of beer and the art of brewing, his extensive knowledge of movies and literature and his two hats (we love them both), Garrett regales us with his beer tales this week as we welcome him back home (we record in Brooklyn) for this very special episode.

The first brewer ever to win a James Beard Award (2014 – Outstanding Wine, Beer, or Spirits Professional), Garrett is also the editor-in-chief of The Oxford Companion to Beer and author of The Brewmaster’s Table. and winner of the 2014 James Beard Award for Excellent Wine, Beer or Spirits Professional.

Get a preview on the new Brooklyn Brewery recipe on an Old Fashion (Improved Old Fashion) and also an update on the brewery’s presence in Sweden (and how it differs from making beer in the US).

Also in the studio are Anne Becerra (Blind Tiger), Stephen Valand (Brooklyn Brew Shop) and Kyle Kensrue (Randolph Beer).

Listen to the full episode here.