Beer Sessions Radio (TM)

This week, Beer Sessions Radio is heading up to Western Canada to explore BC’s craft beer scene. Jimmy talks to Brad McQuhae from König Brewing Systems in Abbotsford, BC; Rob Liedl from Applied Brewing and Malting Solutions in Vernon, BC; and Joe Wiebe, author of Craft Beer Revolution: The Insider’s Guide to BC Breweries, co-founder of Victoria Beer Week, and director of content for BC Ale Trail. The group starts off with a brief history of Canada’s craft beer scene during the 80s and 90s. Rob takes us down memory lane with the crazy story of how he was introduced to Brad, who helped land Rob an interview and eventually a job running a malthouse in BC. In the early 90s, there was hardly any demand for malt, but Rob explains that malt eventually grew into a push-pull relationship as more brewers entered the scene. Brad and Joe agreed that everything began to accelerate in the late 90s. In the manufacturing world, Brad has witnessed first-hand the innovations and trends overtaking the craft brewing scene, such as a steep rise in pricing for equipment, and the monumental move from direct fire to steam. Even in the malting world, Rob praises the extensive knowledge of oxygen in relation to barley that just didn’t exist 20-30 years ago. For Joe, all the innovation and success became obvious when he found himself struggling to keep up with all the new craft breweries open. Unable to update his book fast enough, he pivoted to creating an online BC Ale Trail to guide visitors and locals through the scene, and feels confident that Covid-19 has helped breweries strengthen their business models. Rob and Brad are also hopeful for 2021 and the future, with Brad anticipating a very good summer and Rob envisioning another wave of the roaring 20s. Drinks list: Jet Fuel IPA from Ace Brewing Company, Courtenay, BCHigh Frequency IPA from Category 12 Brewing Blue Buck from Phillips Brewing Company Photos Courtesy of Joe Wiebe and Brad McQuhae.Heritage Radio Network is a listener supported nonprofit podcast network. Support Beer Sessions Radio by becoming a member!Beer Sessions Radio is Powered by  Simplecast .See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

This week on Beer Sessions Radio, Jimmy is highlighting a new variety of New York state barley, following it from development at Cornell University to utilization in breweries across NY. On the show this week, Jimmy welcomes Paul Leone from the NY State Brewers Association in Rochester NY; Jason Havens and Dave Johnson from Rusty Nickel Brewing Company in West Seneca, NY; and Daniel Sweeney, a PhD student at Cornell University in Ithaca, NY. Paul introduces the New York State Farm Brewery License passed in 2012, which encourages breweries to create beers made with locally sourced hops and ingredients. The initiative plans to increase demand for locally grown products, stimulate the economy, and create new business opportunities for breweries. Right now, breweries with the license are producing beers made with no less than 60% of ingredients grown in NY state. To understand the development process of creating barley that can withstand tough NY conditions, Jimmy brings in Dan, who is studying plant breeding and genetics at Cornell University, specializing in malting barley breeding for NY. The process of growing grains for livestock and barley is very different. But after years of research, Dan and his team have landed on the Excelsior Gold, the first variety of spring malting barley bred by Cornell to support NY’s craft beer industry. The Excelsior Gold is easy enough for farmers to grow, and also neutral enough for brewers to create tons of new beers with. For Jason and Dave, the barley encourages them to experiment and test out all new beers, to incorporate local and fresh NY ingredients, and to get as close to 100% NY state grains whenever possible. Thanks to the license, Jason is able to educate his community about the beer industry from an agriculture standpoint, boost the economy, and also serve as a model for other states to hopefully follow in NY’s footsteps. Beer list: Ohhh Fudge - Imperial Fudge Porter Drowned Lands Gather House Wit Sierra Nevada Celebration IPA Honorable mention: Ithaca Beer Co. Flower Power with Mosaic hopsPhoto courtesy of Paul Leone .Heritage Radio Network is a listener supported nonprofit podcast network. Support Beer Sessions Radio by becoming a member!Beer Sessions Radio is Powered by Simplecast.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

This week on Beer Sessions Radio, Jimmy welcomes in Michael Opalenski from B United Imports; Justin Philips from Beer Table in Grand Central Terminal, NYC; and William Lees-Jones from J.W. Lees Brewery in Manchester, UK. The group welcomes the holiday season with a winter beer tasting, starting with JW Lee’s 2002 and 2015 Harvest Ales, and finishing with De Dolle’s Stille Nacht. Before tasting the aged beers, Michael explains the rising trend of “vintaging” beers. Later on, Justin explains that vintage ales actually launched his interest in craft beer. For William on the other hand, his family has been brewing beer since 1828, and it was his father who took on the challenge of brewing a strong beer with natural fermentation. The group takes a stab at food pairings, starting with the 2015 Harvest Ale. Michael suggests a creamy caramel with a hint of orange and Justin recommends a butterscotch pudding with sea salt. Switching to the De Dolle Stille Nacht, which translates to “silent night,” Justin described this classic beer as a Belgian winter warmer. Finally, William wraps with a toast, thanking retailers like Justin for pushing the boundaries and Michael and his team for launching his beers to the US.Then, Jimmy brings on Dave Lopez from Gun Hill Brewery in The Bronx, NY; and Jimmy Ludwig and Mark Aldrich from The Happy Hour Guys. Jimmy and Mark walk us through the Broadway Brews project, where they created one-off beers paired with Broadway shows. Their sixth and final beer hit just as 2020 kicked in, so the duo decided to launch a new project called Curtain Up. Casting Gun Hill Brewery for help, they now have a 6.5% hazy IPA that is being brewed across the country with proceeds supporting the entertainment industry across all fronts. BEER LIST:J.W.Lees, Harvest Ale 2002J.W.Lees , Harvest Ale 2015De Dolle, Stille Nacht.Heritage Radio Network is a listener supported nonprofit podcast network. Support Beer Sessions Radio by becoming a member!Beer Sessions Radio is Powered by Simplecast.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

This week on Beer Sessions Radio, enjoy a conversation recently recorded during Cider Week with Autumn Stoscheck and Ezra Sherman, who are partners in life and at Eve’s Cidery. When Autumn started out in cider, there weren’t many people doing it. She shares memories from the past 21 years since she started her orchard. Plus, Ezra and her talk about some of Eve’s Cidery’s big breaks - from getting their cider on the menu at Savoy to receiving a farm winery license. Hear about their take on a classic bitter sweet cider, the cider pet nat they have in the works, and the geological diversity that draws so many cider makers and cider lovers to the Finger Lakes. Cider List:Eves Cidery, Autumn’s GoldEves Cidery, Northern SpyHeritage Radio Network is a listener supported nonprofit podcast network. Support Beer Sessions Radio by becoming a member!Beer Sessions Radio is Powered by Simplecast.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

This week Beer Sessions is heading down the Hudson River. Jimmy welcomes Sam Merrett and his carbon-neutral sail freighter Schooner Apollonia; Dennis Nesel from Hudson Valley Malt in Germantown, NY; Matt Curtin from Sing Sing Kill Brewery in Ossining, NY; and Jamie Bishop from Mill House Brewing Company in Poughkeepsie, NY. Sam and Dennis lament on how things used to be, citing the “Flintstones” method of making malt and the old trade routes up and down the waterways. Now up against the climate crisis, Sam is hoping the Schooner Apollonia will become the future of transporting malt and other products around New York. Jamie, who already uses Hudson River water to make his beers, emphasizes just how cool it is to see his malt supply unloaded from the river. He also declares maltsters the “heroes of brewing,” since every malt has a unique signature that creates all different craft beer styles. Matt says he always aims to formulate his beers with close to 100% New York State ingredients, and the Schooner Apollonia has helped put a special story behind his beers. Sam, who controversially admits he’s “not a beer guy” also talks about the special connections he’s fostered with the group and the endless possibilities that can come with establishing more trade routes along the water in the future.Heritage Radio Network is a listener supported nonprofit podcast network. Support Beer Sessions Radio by becoming a member!Beer Sessions Radio is Powered by Simplecast.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

This week on Beer Sessions Radio, Jimmy talks all things Cider Days with Anne and Steve Garwood of Ragged Hill Cider, Peter Mitchell of Headwater Cider, and Ben Watson of Chelsea Green Publishing. They discuss seasonal blends and suggest holidays pairings, while also diving into cider apples. Steve highlights some of his favorite apple varieties and Peter shares how he has grown 40 varieties at his orchard after starting out with only two. Plus they talk about terroir, ice cider, and the reasons why they believe cider should be included in the wine category, as opposed to beer. Heritage Radio Network is a listener supported nonprofit podcast network. Support Beer Sessions Radio by becoming a member!Beer Sessions Radio is Powered by Simplecast.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

This week Beer Sessions is all about the Czech side pour. Jimmy welcomes Chris Lohring of Notch Brewing in Salem, MA; Todd DiMatteo of Good Word Brewing in Duluth, GA; and Ben Middlemiss of Ben Middlemiss Brewing in New Zealand. Chris and Todd talk about when they got their side-pull faucets installed as well as the learning curve that comes with using one. Chris has his staff do quarterly competitions to see how well (and how fast) they can pour a lager and both brewers give a big shout out to Pilsner Urquell’s training videos. The group talks about the benefits of a side-pull for carbonation, mouthfeel and more, plus they dive deep into techniques like spunding and triple decoction. Image courtesy of John Andrews.Heritage Radio Network is a listener supported nonprofit podcast network. Support Beer Sessions Radio by becoming a member!Beer Sessions Radio is Powered by Simplecast.  See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

This week on Beer Sessions Radio, Jimmy welcomes participants from Sauce King NYC, a virtual sauce competition he founded to determine the best barbecue sauces, hot sauces, marinades and more. Together they hone in on the intersection of beer and barbecue, sharing ideas for cooking with beer and pairing it with meals. Hear from Sauce King NYC Champion, Ray Sheehan of BBQ Buddha, Fubz of Just Add Beer Sauce and Marinade Mix, Brad Jungles of Rufus Teague, and Sauce King judge Alyssa Levine of Totally Forked. Brad shares the hurdles and rewards of creating a canned barbecue sauce in partnership with Kansas City’s Boulevard Brewing, while Fubz talks about why the complexity of flavor found in craft beer can lead to endless culinary combinations. The group also discusses beer can chicken, the differences between Memphis and Kansas City sauces, marketing strategies and more. Beer ListGood Word Brewing, Drink Time Lone Pine Brewing, Brightside IPA Lone Pine Brewing, Oh-JImage courtesy of Rufus Teague.Heritage Radio Network is a listener supported nonprofit podcast network. Support Beer Sessions Radio by becoming a member!Beer Sessions Radio is Powered by Simplecast.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

This week on Beer Sessions Radio, Jimmy catches up with NYC Breweries, 18th Ward and Bridge and Tunnel. Jordan Beldner talks about how he transitioned from being a bar owner to opening 18th Ward, while his new brewer Will Arnaiz shares his vision for future styles and flavors. They also discuss their transition to delivery during Covid-19 and Rich Castagna of Bridge and Tunnel shares how he used the space in his taproom to build a canning system. Together they talk about what equipment they wish they had, how much they subscribe to seasonal beer trends, and they swap stories including one from Rich about how Putin ended up next to a shark on a recent Bridge and Tunnel can.Heritage Radio Network is a listener supported nonprofit podcast network. Support Beer Sessions Radio by becoming a member!Beer Sessions Radio is Powered by Simplecast.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

This week on Beer Sessions Radio Jimmy talks with Jean Broilet of Tired Hands Brewing, Jesse Ferguson of Interboro Spirits and Ales and Ryan Witter-Marithew of Casita Brewing Company about the I Voted Today IPA. This collaborative beer project was started at Tired Hands and has spread to about 45 breweries who are helping to raise awareness about the information people need to vote and donate money to nonprofits like the ACLU and Democracy Works. These guests talk about their spin on Tired Hands’ recipe, why voting matters, and the laws that impact breweries from taxes to shipping regulations. They also talk about what it’s like working with artists on can graphics and share stories about some of their craziest beers - including a quintuple IPA, a tomato basil ale, and a beer made with fresh oysters.Beer ListInterboro Sprits and Ales, I Voted Today IPAJester King Brewery, I Voted Today IPASparkling Artisanal, Ritual Pineapple Hard Seltzer Heritage Radio Network is a listener supported nonprofit podcast network. Support Beer Sessions Radio by becoming a member!Beer Sessions Radio is Powered by Simplecast.  See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.