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Every year New York City craft beer fans wait for a special weekend event in Williamsburg: Mug’s Ale House’s Split Thy Brooklyn Skull which will take place March 2nd & 3rd.  As usual, Mug’s is pulling out all of the stops with a worth-the-wait list of barleywines, imperial stouts, and strong ales to make your mouth water and your head explode (or split your skull, as it were). Click here for a full list of Skull Splitting Awesomeness and don’t forget to tune in at 5:00 PM EST on February 26th to hear Mug’s Ale House owner, Ed Berestecki on Beer Sessions Radio (TM) on the Heritage Radio Network.

On this week’s 150th episode of Beer Sessions Radio™ (listen here) host Jimmy Carbone welcomes two-fifths of the Kings County Brewers Collective, along with John Kleinchester of Beertography. KCBC members Kyler Serfass and Jason Sahler discuss the evolution from homebrewing to micro/nano brewing, along with giving a breakdown of the annual NYC Homebrewer’s Guild’s competition, Homebrew Alley 7, which has grown from a few dozen entries to almost 800 in 2013. (Spoiler alert… not a single beer won best of show: first place was a mead, second was a cider, third was a gluten-free pale ale.)

Along with John, they also talk about how to continue to grow craft beer among traditional beer drinkers in NYC and beyond, including through education and social media that makes beer drinking a collective activity.

Jimmy finds humor in a serious subject when Rick Lyke, founder of Pints 4 Prostates, calls in to talk about the connection between men and beer (and, not coincidentally, men and prostate cancer). His own early detection led him on a beer crusade to let men know about this disease.

And it’s not just men’s health we’re thinking about. Flying Fish owner Gene Muller calls in to tell us about his Sandy relief beer going online this Saturday (2/16) in New Jersey. Flying Fish is serious about its global footprint, so you’ll have to go to Hoboken or Jersey City if you want to drink his brew, but his solar powered brewery and recycled water (for gardening) shows the brewer puts his money where his beer is!

Plus everyone’s favorite beers of the week.

As regular readers are fully aware, the Good Beer Seal now extends to all five boroughs, and on this very special episode of Beer Sessions Radio™ (Episode 148, listen here), host Jimmy Carbone represents Manhattan (Jimmy’s No. 43) as he welcomes bar owners and brewers from the other four boroughs of NYC for a colorful conversation about the state of beer in New York.

Adobe Blues bar manager, Ryan Barker, talks about the unique challenges of running a craft beer bar on Staten Island; husband-and-wife owners of Pine Box Rock Shop, Jeff and Heather Rush, discuss how they landed their Bushwick (Brooklyn) location. Singlecut Beersmiths‘ brewer and owner, Brian Dwyer and Rich Buceta respectively, discuss how they went from being Queens first full-fledge brewery since Prohibition to an Astoria destination for interesting new beers. Finally, Bronx Brewery‘s Sean McCain talks about how Bronx is branching out with new beers and broader distribution.

Whether it’s picking the right music or attracting community support, all these borough reps have faced various challenges in NYC’s burgeoning craft beer scene. Our brewers talk about the evolution from homebrewing to creating eight new beers in a week! And all present discuss (and drink) some of their favorite beers on this week’s episode.

What do veganism and craft beer have to do with one another? Well, at Pine Box Rock Shop (at 12 Gratten Street, Bushwick), they are wed into a unique fabric for a community bar that regularly hosts community events in a sprawling space that, yes, once upon a time was a casket factory (hence the name).

Owners Jeff and Heather Rush are proud vegans who decided to open a craft beer bar that catered to those whose diet—including potent potables—eschews animal products. Many imbibers are simply unaware that many beer, wine and spirits (even the occasional soda) producers use emulsifiers that are made from animal products (everything from fish to beetles to tallow, in fact). Jeff and Heather wanted to create a welcoming space for others who would rather enjoy their drinks than dissect what’s in them.

And carnivores have little to worry about, with pop-up cafes taking place all the time at Pine Box Rock Shop. Frequent guest Bunna Cafe (which will be serving Ethopian goodness this Saturday, February 9th, from noon until 5 p.m.) could be a poster chef for vegan conversion (hint: you won’t miss the meat). In the weeks leading up to the holidays, Jeff and Heather opened their doors to an entire Vegan Marketplace.

Pine Box Rock Shop was awarded the Good Beer Seal at last July’s (2012) induction ceremony, and they have proudly hung their Seal at the bar. They bring the ethics of good bar stewardship to a neighborhood that is juggling old school Brooklyn ways with an influx of gentrification. As the neighborhood changes, the bar wants to be open to all in the community, not just the animal-free zone.

While the Rushes aren’t looking to be political, but they certainly are serving a niche in the NYC market. There are plenty of vegan restaurants and many vegan-friendly bars, but their space appears to be the only strictly vegan bar in the city. They even make their own substitute spirits when a recipe calls for Bailey’s, for example (cream). Most of the neighborhood regulars who aren’t vegan don’t even notice that the place is meat-free.

The beer still tastes great!

For tips on how to drink the vegan way, visit Barnivore. Pine Box Rock Shop is open seven days, starting at 4 p.m. M-F and 2 p.m. on the weekend.

It’s another international edition of Beer Sessions Radio™ this week when Iberian United’s Johnny “Brilliant” Collins and Jessica Agullo along with the “Rowan Brothers” (John and Anthony Belliveau-Flores) join host Jimmy Carbone  to talk about the craft beer and cider scene in Spain. While the latter dates back to pre-Roman times and is strictly regulated (only 22 types of heirloom apples and indigenous yeast goes into Spanish hard cider), the former is just taking hold in the country famous for drinking an incredible amount of “mostly awful” (thanks, Johnny!) beer. Find out how beer in Spain is following the U.S. tradition, with mass-produced lagers slowly giving way to a very cool craft beer scene. In fact, if you happen to be in Barcelona from March 8-10, be sure to check out the second annual Barcelona Beer Festival as it expands from the square into the famed bull-fighting ring (bull fighting is outlawed, but beer drinking is not!).

Also in the studio is Jen Schwertman, who is counting down the days until she moves to San Diego to try new beer adventures near the beach, and another pair of brothers, Joe and Dennis Fisher, who are talking about their new book, Brewing Made Easy. Joe and Dennis hail from Maine and, as luck would have it, we get to check in (by phone) with Allagash Brewing Company’s Jason Perkins to talk about the craft beer scene in Maine. You can listen to the full episode here.

One of the things we love about craft beer (and a key part to winning the Good Beer Seal) is the community aspect. Whether trying to create a brewery where none exists or rebuild the brewery that no longer exists owing to natural disaster, craft brewers are a tight-knit group!

The beer community came together to help Long Island brewers and residents in the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy, and you can hear about their latest efforts on the latest episode of Beer Sessions Radio™ (Episode 146, listen here) and get a preview of next week’s debut of Surge Protector IPA (proceeds benefit Barrier Brewing and Long Island Cares). Surge Protector is the collaboration beer being distributed under the Blue Point Brewing label (and available in NYC starting January 22nd). Host Jimmy Carbone talks to Long Island brewers Mike Philporick of Port Jeff Brewing Company, Greg Martin of Long Ireland Brewing, and Curt Potter of Blue Point Brewing Company about how they are recovering and the state of beer on Long Island post-Sandy.

And if you think a hurricane will throw you off your game, try being bombed. In the literal sense. Mazen Hajjar was on his Beirut balcony in July of 2006 watching the bombs rain down on his home city in Lebanon when he decided to do what any sensible craft beer lover would do in a similar situation: He went to the kitchen and started homebrewing! Not only did Mazen not know how to homebrew, he’s from a country with no brewing industry (the automated macrobrewery calls the mothership Heineken when they have a problem on the floor). On a whim, he reached out to Danish brewer Anders Kissmeyer, who showed that beer community goodness by sharing recipes with Mazen. With a focus on locally-sourced Lebanese ingredients and a nod to beer’s birthplace (beer was original brewed in the Middle East starting in 9,000 B.C.), 961 Beer was created as Lebanon’s only craft brewery. The name references the country’s international telephone code, and Mazen’s beer is distributed worldwide, even winning awards in international competition.

Plus, Wendy Littlefield calls in with updates for the rescheduled (also due to Sandy) Vanberg & Dewulf Coast2Coast Toast, which was taking place in bars across NYC. Finally, don’t tune out before Jimmy gets a surprise call from Barrier’s Craig Frymark, who takes a break from brewing (yes, Barrier is back up and running!) to thank everyone for their support the past 10 weeks.

We’re very excited that Heritage Radio Network has put together a “best of” commercial for Beer Sessions Radio™! You can download and listen to it here.

Tomorrow is  the postponed Vanberg & DeWulf Coast to Coast Toast (originally scheduled for November 15th, the Toast was pushed off in NYC owing to Sandy)! Coast to Coast Toast is a celebration of great beer and great food, nationwide and worldwide. Many Good Beer Seal Bars will be celebrating, and Adobe Blues is taking full advantage of the occasion to host their first-ever beer dinner!

They will have three delicious rare beers on tap, all paired with pork dishes:

• Castelain Grand Cru, a French Biere de Garde, paired with pork-basil empanadas.
• Scaldis Peche Mel, a Belgian strong ale brewed with peach juice, paired with stuffed pork tenderloin
• Olvisholt Lava, a smoked imperial stout from Iceland, with bacon chocolate cake

These beers are not found on tap very often (definitely worth the trip to Staten Island!). The Olvisholt is particularly special—it hasn’t been on tap in the US before this event—and was just named one of the 25 best beers of 2012 by Draft Magazine!

Total cost for all three courses, paired with the beer, is $40. Dinner starts at 5:00…should be delicious!

Pork and beans? How about pork and beer? If you think “bacon makes it better,” you’ll love the latest episode (#145, listen here) of Beer Sessions Radio™, the first of the new year. We have some truly cool guests, including Jeppe Jarnit-Bjergsø, the gypsy brewer of Evil Twin who now happily resides in Brooklyn, along with Bierkraft’s Ben Granger, Ryan Barker of Adobe Blues, and author Josh Bernstein.

You’ll hear about Jeppe’s plans for eight new Evil Twin beers, along with the challenges of being a gypsy brewer (hint: it’s not what you know, it’s who you know), why bread beer should be aged, and how host Jimmy Carbone got the Danish Counsel off Budweiser.

As for that pork beer, Alex McDonald of Eagle Earth Brewings and A & G Homebrewing Supplies in Portsmouth (NH) calls in to discuss his experience in brewing gruits: traditional beer that dates back to the 17th Century before hops became a brewer’s mainstay. His brews rely on yarrow, heather tips, and the random pig’s head (!!!) for their flavor.

This is a fascinating episode for homebrewers and beer lovers alike. And vegetarians may want to tune in, as well, just to be safe!

It was the best of times (our 100th episode), it was the worst of times (Sandy, Sandy, and Sandy). Throughout 2012, Beer Sessions Radio™ welcomed an eclectic and brilliant mix of beer industry personalities, authors, experts, brewers and beer drinkers. Through 50 episodes (we lost one to Christmas and one to Sandy when Heritage Radio Network wasn’t broadcasting), we felt there were a few episodes that were just a wee bit better than the rest. Or, if not better, just among our favorites for the year.

We invite you to relive the best of Beer Sessions Radio™, 2012 edition:

Episode 144 (aired 12/18) – Lagunitas Brewing’s Tony Magee

Never one to mince words or shy to give his opinion, Tony Magee did the heavy lifting during the year-end podcast, talking in depth about the past and future of Lagunitas Brewing and how the craft beer industry has changed over the 20 years he’s been producing some of the country’s best beer. Our favorite bit? Tony comparing brewing to composing a symphony.

Episode 136 (aired 10/16) – Cider Week NY

Is it a wine? Is it a beer? Well, if you listened in to this episode, you know that cider is cider! It’s a great beverage being added to the potent potable discussion, and hard cider is having a moment! Listen in to hear how the second annual cider week is spreading nationwide, along with the growth of cider apples in the northeastern US.

Episodes 127 + 128 (aired 8/14 + 8/21) – Belgium Comes to Cooperstown

This beer festival is quickly becoming the largest on the eastern seaboard, and we’ve been making a pilgrimage every year to do the radio show onsite (we record and broadcast the two weeks after our trek upstate). Listen in and hear what you missed from breweries as far flung as Stone Brewing to the many regional brewpubs that are springing up around the event. And find out how BCTC is bringing attention to the region’s fight against fracking.

Episode 102 (aired 2/21) – Beer Can Save the World

Speaking of fracking, what good is beer without good water? In this episode, host Jimmy Carbone discusses the broader implications of the rise of craft beer on the environment, with more sustainable and green practices than most manufacturing industries can claim.

Episode 132 (aired 9/18) – What Does it Take to Run a Bar?

A lot of chutzpah, apparently! Bar owners from across NYC gather to chat with brewers about what makes a great beer bar and the challenges of surviving in the burgeoning NYC beer scene. Portions of this episode were rebroadcast on a “best of Heritage Radio Network” round up. Tune in and find out why!

Episode 119 (aired 6/19) – New Jersey Craft Beer

Great craft beer from Jersey? Badda Bing! Not only did this year see the arrival of several new breweries to the NJ scene, it also saw the rise of beer blogging and writing about the NJ craft beer scene. If you haven’t been drinking Carton and Kane, listen to what you’ve been missing.

Episode 103 (aired 2/28) – Chocolate & Beer

Do we really need to explain why this is among our favorite episodes this year? When you’ve got Clay Gordon and Garrett Oliver in the studio, you’re pairing great craft beer with the world’s best chocolates. ‘Nuff said!

Episode 97 (aired 1/17) – Women in Beer, Kelso and Jason Baldacci

Remember that one about men who love beer and women who love wine? Nah, neither do we! In this episode, local female brewers and beer insiders talk about getting women into the craft beer scene in NYC and beyond.

Episode 141 (aired 11/27) – The World Atlas of Beer & Chimay

One of the things we love about producing Beer Sessions Radio™ is our worldwide reach. Whether its drinking beer from a small brewery in Belgian or learning about the beer scene in Spain and China, our perspective is always enhanced when we get guest who are knowledgeable about far-flung regions of the craft beer world. In this episode, we hear from The World Atlas of Beer authors and learn about the trends taking place across the globe.

Episode 111 (aired 4/24) – Long Island Brewing

Finally, it was a tough call, but this is our “best of show” episode, and our very favorite for 2012. Long Island is experiencing a beer renaissance, made all the more poignant when they were hit with the worst of Hurricane Sandy. Relive the discussion between brewers from Blind Bat Brewing Co., Greenport Harbor Brewing Co., and Bluepoint Brewing Co.

And join us on January 8th, 2013, for the return of Beer Sessions Radio™ on the Heritage Radio Network! Happy New Year!