Month: July 2013

And that’s a wrap! July Good Beer Month ends today, with the upcoming announcement of the Good Beer Seal Awards (it’s gonna be a heck of a party, with 10 – count ’em 10!!! – new GBS bars coming into the fold). In the meantime, Beer Sessions Radio™ host Jimmy Carbone is closing out July with an eclectic and dynamic group of industry friends, including first-time visitor Betsy Andrews from Saveur Magazine, who shares some of her favorite beers and contemplates why there’s Amazeballs but not Amazeboobs (which would, of course, be a milk stout).

Also in the studio is GBS bar owner Joe Carroll from Spuyten Duyvil, Peekskill Brewery‘s head brewer Jeff O’Neil, Andrew McLeod of Sixpoint, Sean McCain of Bronx Brewery, and Hilary Krishnan with The Barman’s Fund, an organization whose bartenders commit to donating one day’s tips each month to charity. With chapters in NYC, New Orleans, Charlotte and now Austin, The Barman’s Fund is helping make a difference in communities nationwide.

The group also discusses the IPA v. Pale Ale evolution, and where to find great beer. The answer? Everywhere! Or as Jeff O’Neil puts it perfectly, “There’s so much good beer available now. It’s an embarrassment of riches.”

Catch the full episode here.

 

For five years Edible Manhattan and The Good Beer Seal have joined forces to promote the enjoyment of delicious, well-crafted beer in New York City. Edible’s Good Beer event has been the capper to NYC July Good Beer Month since its inception in 2009 when a handful of independent bar owners pulled together to create The Good Beer Seal, an organization designed to  recognize and celebrate the dedicated, community-oriented bar owners who are on the front lines of the craft beer revolution.

Each year an independent panel of knowledgeable beer writers get together to explore the New York City craft beer landscape to identify bars that serve both beer and their local communities with distinction. As of this writing, 41 New York City bars have been awarded The Good Beer Seal, a sign to consumers that the beer they are about to enjoy have been handled with the utmost care by local business people whose fingerprints are literally and figuratively all over their bars.

July has been declared NYC July Good Beer Month by Mayor Michael Bloomberg and these 31 days are a whirlwind of local bar events and media focus on good beer culminating in Edible Manhattan’s Good Beer at 82 Mercer and the much anticipated Good Beer Seal Bar Awards.

Join us to discover which groggeries make the cut! Special bottles and food selections will be available for guests of this invitation only event.

A handful of general admission tickets remain for Good Beer (get them here).

How many NYC bartenders does it take to make a killer beer cocktail? Well, on this week’s Beer Sessions Radio™ (Episode #176 – listen here), host Jimmy Carbone welcomes an eclectic—albeit super cool—group into the studio (and onto the Pilsner Urquel van!) for a discussion ranging from the history of beer on Staten Island to the desire of Czech brewers to perfect their beer pour stateside.

And harkening back to last year’s Beer Cocktail Brunch-Off at Jimmy’s No. 43, Cara Tallon from Tavern 29 and Pine Box Rock Shop’s Tony “TK” Pontius (winner of the NYC Hot Sauce Expo’s Bloody Mary Mix-Off Competition) face off with several amazing cocktails (recipes below), which get passed around the studio to additional guests, Good Beer Seal bar owners Ken Tirado Killmeyer’s Old Bavaria Inn and Heather Rush from Pine Box Rock Shop, plus the aforementioned van proprietor Bryan L. Panzica from Pilsner Urquel.

What makes a great bartender? How to get the pour in your beer? Bryan, who was the 2012 NYC winner of the International Master Bartender Competition (he went on to claim second in the World Championship in Czech), shows how Pilsner Urquel is doing everything from cold shipping to providing traditional faucets to perfect the pour of the Pilsner.

Plus Ken reminisces about early settlements and the history of beer bars on Staten Island, and Jimmy questions why good spirits and great beer go together. In Cara’s words, “Beer cocktails make a beer that’s pretty great even better!”

Cara Tallon/Tavern 29’s “Pearl Street” Beer Cocktail

• 1.5 oz. Bushmills Irish Whiskey
• 1 oz. fruit puree (preferably peaches)
• RJ Rockers Son of a Peach unfiltered wheat beer

Mix whiskey and fruit puree, add ice and RJ Rockers beer. Garnish with mint.

Tony “TK”/Pine Box Rock Shop’s “IPA Manhattan” Beer Cocktail

• 1.5 oz. Rye Whisky
• Founders Devil Dancer (120 IBUs)
• Dash Vermouth
• Dash Brandied Cherry brine

Pour whisky over ice, adding Vermouth and Cherry brine as you would for a traditional Manhattan. Top with Founders Devil Dancer in place of bitters.

And view the NYC Hot Sauce Expo Bloody Mary Competition here.

 

Do you know who Jack McAuliffe is? How about the youngest (and female) brewer in Belgium? Have you heard the history of New Amsterdam? Well, this week on Beer Sessions Radio™, host Jimmy Carbone welcomes Tom Acitelli (author of The Audacity of Hops) in leading a craft beer history chat, while celebrating July Good Beer Month with Good Beer Seal bar owners, James Langstine of Bronx Ale House and Chris Genua of The Double Windsor. They ruminate on what defines a Good Beer Seal bar, along with the challenge for brewers to meet the consumers’ demand for “something new.”

Speaking of new, “nomadic brewers” Joe and Lauren Grimm premiere their From the Hip Saison, which will be available this week at Jimmy’s No. 43 (on Thursday) and The Double Windsor (on Friday). To round out the cast of characters, Wynkoop’s Beer Drinker of the Year, Warren Monteiro, opines on what makes a great craft beer and his own history of drinking craft around the world. Plus, a couple of special guests from a charity auction get to see the inside of the Heritage Radio Network studio at Roberta’s. From ancient beer (Tom opens a fizzy-but-old New Amsterdam amber ale from 1985) to brand-spanking new, this week’s episode (listen here) has something for everyone.

TICKETS AVAILABLE AT THE GATE

The Good Beer Seal, Beer Sessions Radio™ and Biba of Brooklyn are happy to announce the first annual NEW YORK STATE FOOD& BEER EXPO to be held on Saturday, July 27^th from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on the waterfront at Williamsburg’s East River Park. Beer Sessions Radio™ host Jimmy Carbone has brought together more than 20 of New York’s top brewers—including Kelly Taylor with KelSo of Brooklyn—for this featured event of July Good Beer Month. The Expo will have exclusive beers and farm-to-table foods sourced from regional farms. Breweries expected to be in attendance include:

• Alphabet City
• Barrier
• Blue Point
• Bronx
• Brooklyn Brewery
• Captain Lawrence
• Crossroads
• Defiant
• Empire Brewing
• Greenport Harbor
• Keegan Ales
• KelSo
• Newburgh
• Olde Saratoga
• Ommegang
• Port Jeff
• Peekskill
• Radiant Pig
• Rockaway
• Rushing Duck
• Shmaltz/Coney Island
• Singlecut Beersmiths
• Sixpoint
• and Southern Tier, among others TBA.

As part of the festivities Empire Brewing Company owner, David Katleski, will be receiving a special award in recognition of his years of leadership and service to NY State craft beer as president of the NY State Brewers Association.

In addition, a wide array of food options will be available courtesy of Jarlsberg Cheese, Mrs. Dorsey’s Kitchen, Chef Dennis Hatzinger and NY Handmade Breads. Menu items (some only available with VIP ticket) include:

• Hickory Smoked sliders with grilled Honey Ridge Farms balsamic onions, created by Chef Dennis Hatzinger from Idle Hands and DJA Catering NYC
• Savory Classic Jarlsberg Grilled Cheese, created by Ron Johnson of Mrs. Dorsey’s Kitchen
• Signature Jam Goat Grilled Cheese—made with Woolwich Dairy Chevrai goat cheese, strawberry jam and mint—created by Ron Johnson of Mrs. Dorsey’s Kitchen
• Wild Hibiscus Flower Co.
• Wild Hibiscus Ice Tea Stand
• Breads courtesy of NY Handmade Breads

Ticket packages (21+, on sale here) start at $20 and include a VIP option. General admission tickets are $10 at the gate (enter at 90 Kent Avenue at 8^th Street and Williamsburg riverfront). Check back for updates!

How is craft beer like pornography? Well, according to Brooklyn Brewery Brewmaster Garrett Oliver, “You know it when you see it.” Or, “You know it when you taste it,” at any rate. Defining what craft beer is a group of beer rock stars on this episode of Beer Sessions Radio™, including Garrett, host Jimmy Carbone, Blind Tiger’s Dave Brodrick, Heavy Seas‘ Hugh Sisson, and Jeff and Heather Rush of Pine Box Rock Shop.

How do you tell what is truly craft beer as the industry changes and grows? Garrett’s take is that the key “break between craft beer and mass market beer” is to know your brewer. Mass market beer is money-centered, not brewer-centered. Garrett also reports that the big news out of Brooklyn Brewery is that they will be opening a brewery in Sweden by the end of the year (he also tips off the studio guests about Brooklyn Bowl’s big expansion out in Las Vegas), not to mention he has 15 beers currently in development.

As Pine Box Rock Shop has just installed a cask system, the guests discuss the challenges of caring for cask beer, and how the American idea of cask ale is launching a new take on traditional English ales. The goal is to educate publicans in how to serve cask ales, but also to let American drinkers know that U.S. cask ales are not “this warm, flat U.K. beer.” Making cask ale accessible to all craft beer drinkers is key to keeping this historic beer available for centuries to come.

And apparently the session beer has finally arrived. Although Hugh admits Loose Cannon is still his best selling beer, session beers are no longer the last beer on the menu to drink. Many craft beers now weigh in at 3 and 4 percent ABV are full bodied with rich hop profiles minus the high alcohol content.

And, of course, it’s July Good Beer Month, and Garrett has a dynamic and commanding reading of Mayor Bloomberg’s recent Proclamation (at the 30 minute mark). You can listen to the full episode #171 here.

This past weekend, Shmaltz Brewing/Coney Island celebrated its official opening, ending an era of contract brewing. In fact, the event was labeled, “Death of a Contract Brewer,” and Shmaltz staff wore T-shirts with the catch phrase as several hundred visitors weathered 100+ degree temperatures in the pristine brewery. Owner Jeremy Cowan celebrated with specialty beers, arcade games, and a lot of love from area breweries, such as Peekskill Brewing, Keegan Ales, Adirondack Brewery, Empire, Kelso, C.H. Evans Brewing, Medocino, and Brown’s Brewing Co. Several homebrew clubs from upstate were also in attendance.

Brewery tours were headed by Jeremy and brewmaster Paul McErlean, who showed off the 200- and 100-gallon tanks that are creating new (He’)brews, such as the company’s first Black IPA (aptly named, Death of a Contract Brewer), which was available in limited quantities in both draft and bottles. The staff were also tapping rare barrel-aged brews straight from the casks throughout the day. Live music, burlesque acts, and food trucks rounded out the scene.

The new brewery is nestled in the hills just north of Albany (6 Fairchild Square, Clifton Park, NY) and is well worth the trip, if you happen to be in the area.