Good Beer Seal

As 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!

 

 

 

 

While 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.

In the words of the late Jerry Garcia, what a long strange trip it’s been! Beer Sessions Radio™ is the longest running show on Heritage Radio Network and we’re celebrating cider on our 300th episode. Host Jimmy Carbone welcomes a full studio, including guest co-host Stephen Valand (as co-founder of Brooklyn Brew Shop, Stephen has included a cider-making kit in his lineup of beer making kits).

Eric West of Cider Guide starts the Cider Session with perry from Farnum Hill (one of our favorite cider makers!) and discusses his national newsletter and annual cider festival in Grand Rapids, MI.

Also in the studio are Yoni Rabino of Neversink Spirits, Jade Brown-Godfrey of Wassail, Bianca Miraglia of Uncouth Vermouth, and Darlene Hayes of All Into Cider.

Darlene is in town as part of her book tour for Cider Cocktails: Another Bite of the Apple, and the panel is sampling cider cocktails on the show. Fruit-based spirits are a new entry to the potent potables world.

The panel talks about the great new and emerging ciders in Massachusetts, Finger Lakes and the Pacific Northwest. Hear about the latest cider trends (all-crab-apple cider!) and the small-batch ciders that are tempting us this week! Listen to the full episode here.

And be sure to check out all the cider-related programming on Heritage Radio Network celebrating Cider Week NYC 2015.

Beer Sessions Radio™ loves cider almost as much as we love beer. Now that Cider Week NYC is upon us, we’re in the mood for real cider featured on some of our recent shows. We regularly have cider makers on the show as part of our on-going Cider Sessions series. In the past few months we’ve featured the following cider-related guests and topics:

On Episode #271, we hosted a St. Patrick’s Day get-together with two of Ireland’s best cider makers, along with guest from the United States of Cider and Rowan Imports in a lively discussion about how terroir and tradition affect the uniquely Irish spin on the traditional apple beverage.

On Episode #286, we welcomed Louisa (Loulou) Spencer of Farnum Hill Ciders and Field Maloney, a second-generation cider maker at West County Cider.

Episode #299 welcomed back the United States of Cider team and a cider maker we’ve come to know and love over the years, Polly Giragosian from Aaron Burr Cidery (Wutsboro, NY), who is joined by Ellen Cavalli of Tilted Shed Ciderworks (Sonoma, CA).

Most recently, on Episode #290, we welcomed author Ben Watson for an in-depth conversation on cider production, history, tasting notes and more.

And if you are interested in taking your listening pleasure the text step and doing some actual drinking of great real ciders during Cider Week NY, Good Beer Seal bar Jimmy’s No. 43 will be celebrating all week long with a full line-up of programming to include:

• John Reynolds Sidra Cask Kick off Party for Cider Week NYC on Friday, November 6th
• Foggy Ridge + Pig with Friends – a butchering demo with J. Fox plus a Cider 101 Class with Foggy Ridge Cider Maker Diane Flynt on Saturday, November 7th
• Cider Week NYC Cask Night and Meet the Cider Maker with Eden Ice Cider’s Eleanor Leger on Wednesday, November 11th
• From the West Coast Nat West will lead Reverend Nat’s Cider Seminary on Friday, November 13th
• The Cider Salon on Saturday, November 14th, offers a full-day of programming from the likes of Aaron Burr Ciders, Farnum Hill, Embark, EZ Orchards and more, with a cheese tasting and talks by some of the country’s best cider and wine writers; the event is already listed as Cider Journal’s #1 Must Attend Event of Cider Week

We hope you’ll join a Good Beer Seal bar during Cider Week NYC, and enjoy all the Cider Sessions on Beer Sessions Radio™.

This week on Beer Sessions Radio™, host Jimmy Carbone once again welcomes back fall co-host Stephen Valland, who is right in his wheelhouse as they discuss going from homebrewer to pro-brewer. Bitter & Esters owner John LaPolla discusses his class offerings that range everything from how to make beer to how to brand your brewery.

The homebrew to pro-brew route is distinctly American. The brewing education curve is very different in America as opposed to Europe, where you have a more structured path to becoming a brewer. In America, you start out by cleaning kegs and one day you just get thrown in to a professional situation. American homebrewers tend to learn the ins and outs of making beer on their own before launching a business in the hopes of “making it big.”

New brewery owner Jason Sahler, an award-winning homebrewer, is getting ready to launch his two-barrel enterprise, Strong Rope Brewery, a Brooklyn-based brewery that will create handcrafted local and organic ales featuring seasonal offerings that will use the freshest vegetables, fruits, herbs, and spices. While serving many of the ales on draft, the brewery will also feature living ales: cask and bottle-conditioned beers where live yeast remains in the beer, which continues to condition and evolve in its serving vessel, showcasing the subtle natural flavors that this unique conditioned environment creates.

If you’re interested in trying some homebrew, Bitter & Esters is hosting a fundraiser for Ales for ALS on October 29th featuring an experimental hop (tickets here).

You can listen to the full episode here.

This week on Beer Sessions Radio™, host Jimmy Carbone welcomes back one of the nation’s premier beer writers, Jeff Alworth, whose newest book, The Beer Bible, is on sale now. Hear how “every beer tells a story,” as Jeff talks about the depth and scope on the subject of beer. The book is aimed at audiences seeking an in-depth analysis of beer delving into the pleasure of discovery, knowledge, and connoisseurship. Divided into four major families—ales, lagers, wheat beers, and tart and wild ales—there’s everything a beer drinker wants to know about the hundreds of different authentic types of brews, from bitters, bocks, and IPAs to weisses, milk stouts, lambics, and more.

Co-hosting this week’s epsiode is Brooklyn Brew Shop’s Stephen Valand, who discusses the nuances of creating a British mild ale. Also hear from Mugs Alehouse owner Ed Berestecki who discusses the challenges of meeting the demands of a “promiscuous” craft beer drinking market.

Hear how history affects beer making, including special beers made during a coronation in England. Drinking historical beers is an experience, even if the beers tend to taste more like sherry than the original recipe. Learn which beers can be sampled even 100 years later!

You can listen to the full episode here.

Beer Sessions Radio™ host Jimmy Carbone has been celebrating the Summer of Gose, so what better way to wrap up the season than with a Sour Beer Show! It’s the official new season of Heritage Radio Network as Jimmy welcomes guest co-host Stephen Valand of Brooklyn Brew Shop.

Kerry McLean (events manager at Jolly Pumpkin/Northern United Brewing Co) is in the studio to help celebrate Sour Beer Month as one of the original American sour beer houses. Joining them are Crimson Krier-Glading and Steven Baird of Mission Dolores and The Owl Farm, B.R. Royla of Shelton Brothers Imports, and Robert Sherrill of Brewminaries (Prospect Park’s homebrew club) and Bitter & Esters.

The world of “wild and tart” has grown considerably in the NYC beer world as more brewers make this interesting style of beer. Jolly Pumpkin was one of the first sour beers to be made in the US, but hear from our panel how much the open fermentation scene has expanded.

They’re talking sour, imports and more on a jam-packed episode of the best beer podcast in the world!

Listen to the full episode here.

We’re back in the studio after our summer vacation and welcoming a new fall co-host, Stephen Valand of Brooklyn Brew Shop. On this episode of Beer Sessions Radio™ host Jimmy Carbone welcomes the people making their mark on Greenpoint, Brooklyn. In the studio are Chris Prout and Erik Olsen of Greenpoint Beer & Ale Co. (a.k.a. Dirck the Norseman) and Patrick Allen of Keg & Lantern.

The brewing scene began at one of our great Good Beer Seal bars Brouwerij Lane, where the homebrew club, Brooklyn Brewsers, would meet up and occasionally brew. The manager, Erik, later moved on to Dirck. The brew pub in the 6,000 square foot space is working on a five-barrel system, making new beers for their restaurant and selling to the city at large.

Both at Greenpoint Beer & Ale and at Keg & Lantern, the goal is to make and appreciate a lot of different styles of beer. The scene is really for locals but has an international vibe to it.

Join in to hear all about brewing trends, neighborhood growth and cultural traditions. Full episode available here.

It’s the dog days of summer and we’re winding down with a great series of shows about cider! These pre-records of Beer Sessions Radio™ took place over a series of “breakfast cider” talks with host Jimmy Carbone at Jimmy’s No. 43.

First up, we’re visiting with two great cider makers, Louisa (Lulu) Spencer of Farnum Hill Ciders and Field Maloney, a second-generation cider maker at West County Cider. Back in April they were doing a special pairing with Murray’s Cheese and speaking out about “fine cider” or “orchard cider” as apple people. These cider makers were in town to spread the word about CiderDays (now in its 21st year and taking place in Franklin County, Massachusetts, on November 7th and 8th). Lulu along with her husband (and frequent Beer Sessions Radio™ guest) Steve Wood and Field (his parents founded the orchard and cidery) are key founding families of American Cider revival, establishing commercial winery/cideries and developing cider orchards in the late 1970’s-80’s. Field talks about the history, challenges and new awareness of making and enjoying this traditional American drink (Field claims John Quincy Adams drank two tankards of cider every morning for breakfast!). You can listen to the full episode here.

Next up was a May visit with The United States of Cider team of Gay Howard and Kay Michaels who co-host alongside Jimmy. They have brought both a west coast–Ellen Cavalli of Tilted Shed Ciderworks (Sonoma, CA)–and an east coast–Polly Giragosian from Aaron Burr Cidery (Wutsboro, NY)–to discuss terroir and the art and craft of small batch, homestead, orchard-based cider making. Listen to the full episode here.

Finally, Gay and Kay are once again sitting alongside Jimmy from a show recorded in spring at Edible’s Good Cider event. It’s a snapshot of the great world of NY State ciders with Cider Week NYC founder Sara Grady of Glynwood and Andy Brennan of Aaron Burr. Listen in here.

We’ll be back with live shows starting September 8th! Happy Labor Day and looking forward to the fall batches of cider.

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.