This week on Beer Sessions Radio™, host Jimmy Carbone is going “down under” in both Brooklyn and the globe (En-Zed, as the natives of New Zealand like to call it). Joining him is a cavalcade of beer stars in the studio: Jake Cirelli of From the Ground Brewery, Steve “Ben” Middlemiss of Ben Middlemiss Brewing, Lauren and Joe Grimm of Grimm Artisanal Ales, beer writer Josh Bernstein, Ben Keene of Beer Advocate and Joel Shelton of Shelton Brothers Imports.
The farm brewery license has allowed for more local grains, and From the Ground opened up at Migliorelli Farms (you can get their beer at the Union Square Greenmarket on Friday and Saturday); in a moment of “synchronicity” (our word of the day!), a malt house opened up the road, allowing for Jake to incorporate local malt as well as the hops from the farm.
Learn how Ben got his nickname while brewing beer at the age of 14 (they start early in New Zealand!) and became a part of the Shelton Brothers line-up. (For those who need a throwback Tuesday, there’s a connection to Hanson! “Mmm hops!”) Ben reminisces about his youth during the strict years of pubs closing at 6 p.m., watching the intense imbibing that would happen while workers tried to drink as much beer as they could in the hour after work before the pub closed. Despite his youthful indiscretions (he began with explosives before turning his attention to wine-making; his impatience in waiting for fermentation led him to beer making), he has all his digits and a successful gypsy brewery today.
The Grimm team talks about their upcoming 2nd anniversary celebration and their reception at Roberta’s (their Super Going is one of the most popular beers currently on tap at Roberta’s, where we record the show). They’ve become a bit of a “cult” brand, also winning at the Great American Beer Festival (their Imperial Stout Double Negative won a silver medal). This year they’re probably going to send in a dry-hop sour brew. They discuss the submission of beers at what is arguably the worst time of year (August) to ship beer and how it affects what beer is submitted. They also reveal some of the secrets of their gypsy brewing success (their double IPAs are being brewed at Flagship on Staten Island; they brew their sours in Virginia).
Ben and Josh discuss the challenges of judging beer in these large festivals, especially as the number of breweries grows exponentially in the United States. They also summarize the most popular brewing styles currently being made and trends in the industry, along with a discussion of the challenges faced by gypsy brewers both here and abroad.
You can listen to this week’s full episode here.