Beer Sessions Radio (TM)

This week on Beer Sessions Jimmy and Ray sit down with veteran NYC bartender and beer geek Jen Schwertman, plus her fellow Blind Tiger associate Dave Brodrick, to talk about beer and American beer trends. The gang discuss the very healthy beer movement in Vermont and what it means to live there, plus what makes a good bartender good and why it helps to love where you bartend. All this plus tips on gluten free beer and a salute to well-balanced beer making. This episode was sponsored by Great Brewers.com: a favorite source for beer information and education and one of the internet’s most popular beer destinations. Photo: Blind Tiger Ale HouseSee 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 Jimmy and Ray sat down with Seth Wright and Mike Winn of BeerNation.com, a weekly video-based beer blog packed with interviews and a general visual chronicling of the craft beer movement. They were joined by David Urbanos of the iconic “The Ginger Man” beer bar where, from the birth of the American craft beer movement through present day, many a Beer Sessions host or guest has explored the “monster” 70 draught lines. The group was joined by Carolyn Steel, author of “Hungry City” and an expert on food and architecture whose lauded “Food and the City” class at Cambridge combines both. Carolyn, a central London native, expounded on the role of the pub in England today and 200+ years ago, and explained why “small beer” was more popular than water. This episode was sponsored by Great Brewers.com: a favorite source for beer information and education. 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 Jimmy and Ray strapped on their llederhosen for a special episode about Germany, Oktoberfest, and fall beers. The guys discuss the pumpkin beer gamut including the pie-like and the spice-less, the history of Oktoberfest, why Oktoberfest beer isn’t REALLY Oktoberfest beer, and why American beer drinkers often abandon their Oktoberfest beers after one bottle. They also speak about Germany as a beer-producing country in general, and why the freshness of a German beer makes all the difference. This episode was brought to you by Great Brewers.com: a favorite source for beer information and education and one of the internet’s most popular beer destinations. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

On this week’s Beer Sessions, Jimmy and Ray pack the studio to celebrate women in beer, traditional English brewing, and the burgeoning craft beer movement. Join Kelso Brewery co-founder Sonja Giacobbe, french beer distributor Audrey Saint-Leger, Shelton Brother’s BR Royla, Joe Lipa of Merchand du Vin, and Samuel Smith VII, heir to the Samuel Smith Brewery, and listen as Ray works his hardest to get d.b.a. a Samuel Smith cask. Brought to you by GreatBrewers.com Samuel Smith BrewerySee 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, Jimmy and Ray explore the oft-overlooked item that is absolutely necessary for yeast to create alcohol: malt. Jay Steinhauer of American Beer Distributing and Benjamin Stutz of Brooklyn Homebrew talk about base yeast, specialty yeast, and making beer, plus Sam Barbieri of Waterfront Ale House talks about his career in the bar (and ice cream) biz. Christan and Andrea of Valley Malts discuss their exceedingly rare project to create their own, local version of a Malt House. Finally the guys discuss aged beers, barley wine, and this years pumpkin shortage (yes, there was a pumpkin shortage). This episode was sponsored by Great Brewers.com: a favorite source for beer information and education and one of the internet’s most popular beer destinations. Photo: Sam Barbieri, owner of Waterfront Ale House and organizer of Fuhgetaboutit BBQSee 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 Ray and Jimmy (plus the multi-talented Dave Broderick of Blind Tiger) sit down with an all-star cast of beer aficionados and creators. David Geary, the “dean of American craft beer”, comes through the studio to talk about brewing in Scottish castles and accessing the most secretive spots of the craft beer universe. Dann Paquette and Martha Paquette talk about being “nomad” brewers: borrowing other brewer’s facilities late in the eve to mash and brew…plus they discuss their heavily-researched historical reproduction beers and what beer making was like in the 19th century. Photo 1: The famous Geary London Porter, Photo 2: Dann Paquette and Martha Paquette of Pretty ThingsSee 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 Jimmy, Ray, and Sam sat down with Scott Vacarro of Captain Lawrence to talk about some of his new creations, including his Golden Delicious, which spends 7-8 months aging in apple brandy barrels. Home brewer Chuck Dufney describes a potential entry in a homebrewing contest, and blogger Cesa Kobe-Smith laments the lack of NYC brew pubs. Plus Andy Crouch of Whole Foods Market calls in to give the guys a sneak peak at what Whole Foods has planned for NYC Craft Beer Week. This episode was sponsored by GreatBrewers.com: a favorite source for beer information and education & one of the internet’s most popular beer destinations. Photo 1: Scott Vacarro, Brewmaster of Captain Lawrence, Photo 2: Great American Craft Beer, written by Andy CrouchSee 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 Jimmy hosts a special on traditional cask ale. First he goes on the road to speak to Rob Hodson of Union Beer Distributors, who showed an early interest in cask ale and gave it a big boost in NYC. Next “cask ale guy” Alex Hall (of Gotham Imbiber et al.) discussed the finicky specifics of serving and storing cask ale along with Joel Shelton of Shelton Brothers Imports. Finally Patrick Donagher of Rattle n Hum discussed his upcoming Get Real NY event along w/Chris Cuzme of NYC Craft Beer Week. German gravity or English Traditional? What’s a CamRA? Tune in for this meeting of the minds to learn about this complex, storied ale. This episode was sponsored by GreatBrewers.com.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 Jimmy and Ray sat down with Paul Kermizian, owner of the incredible field of flashing lights and frothy pints known as Barcade and now director of the documentary American Beer, plus “roving reporter” Dave Brodrick. The guys talked about the “flyover states”, aka Middle America, and the breweries and beer varieties nestled between our coasts. Omar Ansari of Surly Brewing Company also called in to talk about putting craft beer in cans and how he changed his local laws to become a brewer. This episode was sponsored by Great Brewers.com: a favorite source for beer information and education and one of the internet’s most popular beer destinations. Photo: Craft beer bar & vintage arcade “Barcade” in WilliamsbugSee 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 Jimmy and Ray continue their on-sight broadcast from the Ommegang Brewery’s “Belgium Comes to Cooperstown” beer event. Hear from Ommegang brewmaster Phil Leinhart, Duvel president Simon Thorpe, and Larry Bennett of Ommegang on the past and future of the only small, private, family owned Belgian brewery in the United States. This episode was sponsored by GreatBrewers.com: the best resource on the internet for craft beer lovers. Photos: Belgium Comes to Cooperstown 2010See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.