Explore every episode of the podcast Bean to Barstool
| Title | Pub. Date | Duration | |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Chemistry of Chocolate with Professor Robyn Araiza & Jorge Torres | 04 Nov 2025 | 00:52:14 | |
Today’s guest uses craft chocolate as a way to introduce people to a subject they might otherwise feel intimidated by: chemistry. Professor Robyn Araiza teaches at California State University San Marcos. She leads a class called the Chemistry of Chocolate, which was first created by her colleague Dr. Jackie Trischman about a decade ago. The important thing about this class is that it’s not really intended for chemistry students. It’s a GE course for non-STEM majors. I met Robyn through our mutual friend Jorge Torres. Jorge took Robyn’s class, and he’s been a long time listener and supporter of Bean to Barstool. Jorge reached out to me a while back to share his excitement about this class, and about the unexpected way Robyn’s research has overlapped with our interests here at Bean to Barstool: she ran a study a few years back looking at caffeine and theobromine levels in coffee and chocolate beers, respectively. Robyn was kind enough to sit down with me to talk about her research, but primarily to discuss her innovative chemistry of chocolate class, and how chocolate and the sensory process can be used in an educational setting to make a complicated subject more approachable. We also hear from Jorge about his own experience as a student in the class. Guests: Robyn Araiza began her studies at CSU San Marcos (CSUSM) in the Literature Jorge Torres is the associate producer of the Capital of Craft Podcast, a member of the San Diego Brewers Guild Education Committee, and a U.S. Navy Reservist. Passionate about community and storytelling, he serves the industry through writing and building meaningful connections. A San Diego native, he loves celebrating the people and history that shape his city’s renowned craft beer scene. Check out David's book Pairing Beer & Chocolate: A Guide to Bringing the Flavors of Craft Beer and Craft Chocolate Together. | |||
| Bonus: Copa Cerveza, Judging, and the Madness of October | 28 Oct 2025 | 00:25:47 | |
In this bonus episode of Bean to Barstool, I reflect back on my recent trip to Mexico to judge at Copa Cerveza Mx and the great beer and chocolate I had while I was there, and discuss what I love about beer judging and what you should and shouldn't take away from beer award results. The Copa Cerveza Mx awards list can be found here. I also briefly talked about the upcoming Midwest Craft Chocolate Festival. You can listen to my full preview of the festival here. Check out David's book Pairing Beer & Chocolate: A Guide to Bringing the Flavors of Craft Beer and Craft Chocolate Together. | |||
| Piety & Desire Chocolate In New Orleans | 03 Jun 2025 | 00:44:48 | |
In this episode, we talk with Christopher Nobles of Piety & Desire Chocolate in New Orleans. I visited New Orleans a very long time ago on a college road trip, and a lot of my images from that trip are still so sharp and clear. My impression of the city was that it didn’t feel like it could exist in the United States, like it existed in a parallel version of the US or in a foreign country. The buildings and the foliage and the cemeteries—it all felt like it was just draped in this elegant decay. I haven’t been back, sadly, but would love to revisit it now after having seen a lot more of the world and see how the city has changed, but more importantly, how I’ve changed and how my impressions of a place change with that. Christopher Nobles is a lifelong New Orleans resident, and at Piety & Desire Chocolate he brings elegance and indulgence to his range of bars and confections. In true Big Easy style, many of them incorporate alcoholic beverages from some of the city’s new generation of producers. We talk about the flavors of New Orleans, its personality, and how it all makes its way into his chocolate. You can learn more about Piety & Desire Chocolate and order their bars on their website, or follow them on Instagram. Check out David's book Pairing Beer & Chocolate: A Guide to Bringing the Flavors of Craft Beer and Craft Chocolate Together. | |||
| Bean to Barstool Bite Sized: 5 Minutes with Kyle Spears of Carillon Brewing | 01 Nov 2022 | 00:06:53 | |
In this episode of Bean to Barstool Bite Sized we talk with Kyle Spears, the head brewer for Carillon Brewing Company in Dayton, Ohio. Carillon is housed on the grounds of Carillon Historical Park, and is the only brewery in the country on the grounds of a historical museum. Their beer is brewed entirely using techniques and replica equipment from 1850. Kyle is a trained historian, and here he talks about the importance of tasting these beers in the context of the museum, the time period their seeking to recreate, and some of the unusual beer recipes they've brought back to life. Check out David's book Pairing Beer & Chocolate: A Guide to Bringing the Flavors of Craft Beer and Craft Chocolate Together. | |||
| Sleepy Hollow & a Hallow's Eve Beer (Ep. 48) | 25 Oct 2022 | 00:16:43 | |
We're doing something a little different for today's episode. Bean to Barstool is all about stories, and today we're retelling a classic American ghost story, The Legend of Sleepy Hollow. The story provides the inspiration for New Holland Brewing Ichabod Pumpkin Ale, so grab your favorite pumpkin beer and join us for this haunting tale. Check out David's book Pairing Beer & Chocolate: A Guide to Bringing the Flavors of Craft Beer and Craft Chocolate Together. | |||
| Quick Bonus Episode: Introducing the Pairing Beer & Chocolate Zine | 18 Oct 2022 | 00:03:54 | |
Bean to Barstool host and Advanced Cicerone David Nilsen has written and published a guide to pairing craft beer and craft chocolate, and it's for sale now on the Bean to Barstool website. Check out David's book Pairing Beer & Chocolate: A Guide to Bringing the Flavors of Craft Beer and Craft Chocolate Together. | |||
| Favorites from Denver's Great American Beer Festival 2022 (Ep. 47) | 11 Oct 2022 | 00:29:42 | |
Bean to Barstool host David Nilsen just got back from covering the Great American Beer Festival in Denver for PorchDrinking, as well as the Denver Rare Beer Tasting. While he was in Denver, he attended PorchDrinking's 10th anniversary festival, hosted a beer and chocolate pairing at Lady Justice Brewing, and stopped in at many of Denver's best breweries, including Jagged Mountain Brewery, Our Mutual Friend, Cerveceria Colorado, and Wah Gwaan Brewing. Check out David's book Pairing Beer & Chocolate: A Guide to Bringing the Flavors of Craft Beer and Craft Chocolate Together. | |||
| The Glorious Horrors of Scarlet Lane Brewing (Ep. 46) | 20 Sep 2022 | 00:38:28 | |
“Horror is emblematic of everything we’re doing and feeling, but it gives us the safe space to discuss it.” Spooky season is upon us, and today we’re talking with two brewers for whom spooky season lasts the entire year. Eilise Lane is the founder and head brewer at Scarlet Lane Brewing Company in Indiana. As you’ll hear in the interview, Eilise is obsessed with horror movies and literature, and books in general, and uses Scarlet Lane to celebrate all things macabre. Josh Hull is a brewer at Scarlet Lane who is also a screenwriter and filmmaker. His new horror comedy Glorious is available for streaming now on Shudder. The three of us discuss our love for horror and how that theme gets celebrated in fun ways at Scarlet Lane, how Eilise comes up with the ideas for her beers, and Josh’s process for writing the grimy but delightful cosmic horror movie Glorious. Scarlet Lane beers discussed in this episode include Dorian Espresso Stout and its variants, Sammy Terry Kölsch, and Glorious Cosmic Ale. Horror movies discussed in this episode include Scream, Aliens, Halloween, Dracula, Frankenstein and Bride of Frankenstein, Wuthering Heights, The Picture of Dorian Gray, Anna and the Apocalypse, Jaws, Tremors, Deep Blue Sea, Midsommar, Nope, Prey, Hard Candy, and of course Glorious. You can check out Glorious on Shudder with a subscription or free trial. Check out David's book Pairing Beer & Chocolate: A Guide to Bringing the Flavors of Craft Beer and Craft Chocolate Together. | |||
| Bean to Barstool Bite Sized: 5 Minutes with Dr. J. Nikol Jackson-Beckham | 13 Sep 2022 | 00:08:46 | |
In this episode of Bean to Barstool Bite Sized we talk with Dr. J. Nikol Jackson-Beckham, the principle behind Crafted for All, a consultancy that helps craft beverage companies and organizations be more inclusive, equitable, and just, as well as the founder and executive director of Craft by EDU, a nonprofit whose mission is to champion those same goals in craft beer through education and professional development. I spoke with Dr. J. last year about descriptive tasting language for beer, how culturally informed those vocabularies can be, and how the tasting experience can be used to invite newcomers into craft beer. Recent articles by beer writers Mark Dredge and Courtney Iseman. Check out David's book Pairing Beer & Chocolate: A Guide to Bringing the Flavors of Craft Beer and Craft Chocolate Together. | |||
| Emily Stone of Uncommon Cacao (Ep. 45) | 06 Sep 2022 | 00:35:47 | |
“Uncommon cacao is telling the story of the power of connection.” In this episode we talk with Emily Stone, the founder and CEO of Uncommon Cacao, a group of Transparent Trade cacao operations with offices in the U.S. and Europe and operations at numerous cacao origins. Uncommon supplies cacao for hundreds of bean to bar chocolate makers and, indirectly through their bean to bar partners, quite a few craft breweries as well. Emily is passionate about the people and stories behind these cacao origins, and here we talk about those origins, what led Emily to start Uncommon, and the importance of full, two-way transparency in the cacao supply chain. Chocolate makers mentioned in this episode include Ritual, Taza, Dick Taylor, Dandelion, Raaka, French Broad, Ratza, Videri, and Ethereal Confections. If you want to learn more about Uncommon Cacao, you can visit their website. They just released their annual transparency report here if you wish to read it. You can also follow them on Instagram. Check out David's book Pairing Beer & Chocolate: A Guide to Bringing the Flavors of Craft Beer and Craft Chocolate Together. | |||
| Bean to Barstool Bite Sized: 5 Minutes with Marika Josephson of Scratch Brewing | 30 Aug 2022 | 00:06:48 | |
Marika Josephson and Aaron Kleidon, co-founders and brewers at Scratch Brewing in southern Illinois, love trees, and have brewed countless beers with nearly every part of the different species of trees surrounding the brewery. On my first visit to the property on a beautiful spring day in 2017, I tasted their Pine Needle IPA, whose lightly resinous character of drooping needles dovetailed beautifully with the beer’s gentle hops. The barrel-aged hickory stout offered images of a comforting campfire, damp flannel, a hint of whiskey, and a slightly wild fermentation. On a following trip I tried beers with black cedar, fermented acorns, maple, oak, cherry bark, and others. Beers that seem to speak with the voice of the forest, with wild edges but vibrant hearts. In Episode 19 (Wood), I spoke with Marika about these forest beers. In this episode of Bean to Barstool Bite Sized, Marika shares what she loves most about working with tree ingredients in brewing. Check out David's book Pairing Beer & Chocolate: A Guide to Bringing the Flavors of Craft Beer and Craft Chocolate Together. | |||
| Bean to Barstool Bite Sized: 5 Minute with Corina Gimenez of Xoco by Corina | 23 Aug 2022 | 00:05:52 | |
Corina Gimenez is the founder and chocolate maker of Xoco by Corina, a bean to bar chocolate company in Norway. Corina is from Venezuela, and she uses Venezuelan cacao in dialogue with Norwegian culinary ingredients in her range of unique bars. Her 3 Bean Stout bar is made in collaboration with Lervig Beer. Their 3 Bean Stout is an Imperial Stout brewed with cacao beans, vanilla beans, and tonka beans, and Corina makes her bar with the beer. Listen in as Corina explains the spirit and the process behind this excellent beer-infused chocolate bar. Check out David's book Pairing Beer & Chocolate: A Guide to Bringing the Flavors of Craft Beer and Craft Chocolate Together. | |||
| Tasting with Colour with Hazel Lee (Ep. 44) | 16 Aug 2022 | 00:46:57 | |
“My approach to tasting is to try to make it as approachable and accessible to as many people as possible.” In this episode we talk with Hazel Lee, an international chocolate judge and the creator of Taste with Colour: The Chocolate Tasting Flavor Map. We talk about how Hazel got into chocolate, what led to the development of her flavor map, and how it’s used to deepen and inform the experience of tasting chocolate for both newcomers and experienced tasters. A few months back we asked artist Katie Clark Gabbard to put paint to canvas in response to tasting beers and chocolates without knowing what they were. The results were illuminating, and today Hazel will share with us how she uses the connection between flavor and color to help people better understand what they’re tasting in their favorite chocolate. Chocolate and chocolate makers mentioned in this episode include La Iguana Chocolate, Mission Cupuaçu 70%, Hotel Chocolat, and Karuna Chocolate. The music for this episode is from the song “Umbrella” by my dear friend, indie folk musician Anna ps. You can find out more about Anna’s music in the show notes or at her website annapsmusic.com, where you can also get in touch to book her to play at your brewery or other establishment. Hazel Lee is the Creator of Taste With Colour®: The Chocolate Tasting Flavour Map, an international chocolate judge, home bean to bar chocolate maker and cocoa adventurer. She studied Food Science at Leeds University and currently works full time as a Liquid Development Manager for Fever-Tree. Hazel spends her free time judging chocolate awards, painting cacao pods, taking part in chocolate events across the world and, of course, eating plenty of fine chocolate! Check out David's book Pairing Beer & Chocolate: A Guide to Bringing the Flavors of Craft Beer and Craft Chocolate Together. | |||
| Front Porch Chocolate | 20 May 2025 | 01:06:09 | |
In this episode, we talk with Greg & T from Front Porch Chocolate in Montana. They've crafted many of their excellent inclusion bars—Including Chai Rose, Fig & Cherry, and Strawberry Lemon—with beer pairing in mind, and here we talk with them about the concepts behind their bars and the beer pairings they've designed for each. The bars we discuss include: As Greg says during our interview, "You could experience a chocolate bar on its own, you could experience a beer on its own, but when you put them together you experience something completely new." You can learn more about Front Porch Chocolate and order their bars on their website, and you can follow them on Instagram here. Check out David's book Pairing Beer & Chocolate: A Guide to Bringing the Flavors of Craft Beer and Craft Chocolate Together. | |||
| Bean to Barstool Bite Sized: 5 Minutes with Chocolate Lover Shay Pal | 09 Aug 2022 | 00:04:56 | |
Shay Pal is a chocolate, spirits, and coffee enthusiast from Chicago and runs the @choccoffeewine Instagram account. In this Bean to Barstool Bite Sized conversation, we discuss Crow & Moss Vanilla Smoke, a 69% dark chocolate made with hickory smoked cacao, and Shay makes spirits pairings for this unusual bar. Check out David's book Pairing Beer & Chocolate: A Guide to Bringing the Flavors of Craft Beer and Craft Chocolate Together. | |||
| Crown of Horns Fit for a [goat] Queen (Ep. 43) | 02 Aug 2022 | 00:26:36 | |
“It was one of the best days we’ve ever seen.” On July 23, the weird and wonderful humans at Rabid Brewing in Homewood, Illinois, welcomed the fae folk of the surrounding wild country to Feast of the Goat Queen, a day of celebration for all things magical, natural, and mystical. The Feast also featured the release of Crown of Horns, a chocolate cream ale Bean to Barstool brewed in collaboration with Rabid Brewing. In this episode we talk with Raiye Rosado and Tobias Cichon of Rabid Brewing about Feast of the Goat Queen and its coronation chocolate beer, Crown of Horns, as well as with Emily Stone, the founder of Uncommon Cacao, about the brand new Philippine cacao we used in the beer. The music for this episode is from the songs “Free” and “Love’s Not” by my dear friend, indie folk musician Anna ps. You can find out more about Anna’s music in the show notes or at her website annapsmusic.com, where you can also get in touch to book her to play at your brewery or other establishment. Raiye Rosado & Tobias Cichon are the husband and wife co-founders of Rabid Brewing. They began dating in 2010, and Raiye promptly introduced Tobias to good beer. Their wedding was a Halloween costume party. The pair began homebrewing, and decided to open a brewery together after getting married. Rabid Brewing opened on October 13, 2017. Emily Stone is the Founder and CEO of Uncommon Cacao, a group of Transparent Trade cacao operations. Emily spent 2010-2017 living in Belize and Guatemala developing the specialty cacao value chain operations and working directly with producers. Now based in the U.S., Emily leads Uncommon Cacao's work supplying delicious, high quality, transparently-sourced cacao for hundreds of craft and premium chocolate makers globally. Emily is an Ashoka Fellow and Unreasonable Fellow, and a recipient of the FCIA Recognition of Excellence in Outstanding Contribution at Origin in Sustainability of Fine Chocolate. Check out David's book Pairing Beer & Chocolate: A Guide to Bringing the Flavors of Craft Beer and Craft Chocolate Together. | |||
| Bean to Barstool Bite Sized: 5 Minutes with Brett Smith of Branch & Bone | 26 Jul 2022 | 00:06:50 | |
Brett Smith is the co-founder and head brewer of Branch & Bone Artisan Ales in Dayton, Ohio. He uses cacao from Violet Sky Chocolate for his elegant and complex chocolate beers, and in this quick conversation he explains how he got introduced to Violet Sky and a couple of the first beers he brewed with their cacao—Modern Business Hymns and Campfire Candle. Check out David's book Pairing Beer & Chocolate: A Guide to Bringing the Flavors of Craft Beer and Craft Chocolate Together. | |||
| Indianapolis Beer with Amy Beers (Ep. 42) | 19 Jul 2022 | 00:25:55 | |
Indianapolis, Indiana, has a thriving craft beer scene and a rich history of brewing. Amy Beers covers both in our latest episode. In this episode we talk with Amy Beers, the author of the new book Indianapolis Beer Stories: History to Modern Craft in Circle City Brewing. Amy is a Certified Cicerone and she leads walking beer tours around Indy through her company Drinking with Beers. In this conversation we discuss her book, the invisible history of Indianapolis beer prior to Prohibition, and the vibrant modern beer scene in central Indiana. Breweries and beers discussed in this episode include Broad Ripple Brewpub, Sun King Brewery (Polynesian Passion), Metazoa Brewing (Hoppopotamus IPA), Indiana City Brewing, Scarlet Lane Brewing (Dorian Stout), Upland Brewing (Champagne Velvet, Two of Tarts), Fountain Square Brewing, Chilly Water Brewing (Built to Last & Dark Side of the Munich), and Taxman Brewing. You can find out more about Amy Beers and book one of her Drinking with Beers tours here. Indianapolis Beer Stories: History to Modern Craft in Circle City Brewing is available now. If your favorite independent bookstore doesn’t have it, ask them to order it! You can purchase tickets to my Autumn in Belgium virtual tasting here. Amy Beers is a Certified Cicerone and the author of Indianapolis Beer Story: History to Modern Craft in Circle City Brewing. She leads walking beer tours around Indianapolis through her company Drinking with Beers. Check out David's book Pairing Beer & Chocolate: A Guide to Bringing the Flavors of Craft Beer and Craft Chocolate Together. | |||
| Ebony & Ivory: Ale Sharpton on Piano Keys Stout | 21 Jun 2022 | 00:27:51 | |
“People get the vision. It’s a beer that’s helping to make a difference.” In this episode we talk with the Reverend Ale Sharpton, a beer expert, writer, photographer, and consultant living in Atlanta, Georgia. Ale is one of the most respected voices in the craft beer scene, and he’s a passionate advocate for folks of all backgrounds, races, and identities to get to enjoy this beautiful drink. A few years back, he partnered with New Belgium Brewing and Xocolatl Small Batch Chocolate on a signature beer called Piano Keys that would open conversations and show newcomers what beer could be. We talk about the process for developing this chocolate vanilla Imperial Stout, his passion for flavor, and the road ahead for Piano Keys. Beyond Piano Keys, beers discussed in this episode include Weathered Souls Black Is Beautiful, Brooklyn Black Chocolate Stout, and Creature Comforts Automatic Pale Ale. Piano Keys can be ordered for shipping (where permitted) at the New Belgium website. You can find out more about the BrewGether initiative here. Check out David's book Pairing Beer & Chocolate: A Guide to Bringing the Flavors of Craft Beer and Craft Chocolate Together. | |||
| A Wine Sommelier Tastes Beer & Chocolate: Lauren Gay of Tender Mercy (Ep. 40) | 07 Jun 2022 | 00:58:12 | |
“There is so much emotion and memory and feeling wrapped up in the tasting process.” In this episode we’ll talk with Lauren Gay, a certified Sommelier and the wine director and general manager at Sueño and Tender Mercy in Dayton, Ohio. Lauren is passionate about hospitality and just really great wine, and you can hear her enthusiasm as she discusses her journey as a Somm, what she loves about the tasting experience, and how she extends that experience to her guests. Along the way, I have Lauren taste two excellent beers and three bean to bar chocolates to get a unique perspective on the flavors of each from a seasoned wine expert. Beer discussed in this episode include Odious Cellars Rubied Perspective and Is/Was Tree Tipper. Chocolates discussed in this episode include Definite Dominican Republic Oko Caribe 70%, Firetree Philippines Mindanao Island 73%, and Belvie Good Morning, Vietnam. Lauren Gay is a Dayton native with sommelier certification through the Court of Master Sommeliers. She has worked in hospitality for two decades in cities including Los Angeles, Las Vegas, and San Francisco, and had a brief stint in Travel/F&B content creation. She is currently the GM and Wine Director for Sueño and Tender Mercy in downtown Dayton. Check out David's book Pairing Beer & Chocolate: A Guide to Bringing the Flavors of Craft Beer and Craft Chocolate Together. | |||
| Everybody Is Welcome: Celebrating Beer with Em Sauter of Pints & Panels | 24 May 2022 | 00:41:29 | |
“With Pints & Panels, every beer flavor is welcome, every beer geek is welcome, every newcomer is welcome. Everybody is welcome.” In this episode we’ll talk with Em Sauter, a fellow Advanced Cicerone and the creator of Pints & Panels, a cartoon that celebrates beer and provides educational resources for folks curious to learn more about our favorite drink. Em is the author of two books, the most recent of which, Hooray for Craft Beer, was just published in April. With whimsical cartoons and easy-to-understand explanations, the book is a fun and positive way to look at beer from a new angle and learn about it in a non-intimidating way. Today Em and I talk about the book, her creative process, why positivity is so important in the craft beer world, and she even tastes a few bean to bar chocolates along the way. You can follow along with the Adventures of Nelson & Goldy here. Beers & breweries discussed in this episode include Alvarium Beer Company in Connecticut and Surly Brewing Petit Ami Belgian Table Beer from Minnesota. Chocolates discussed in this episode include Definite Dominican Republic Oko Caribe 70%, Firetree Philippines Mindanao Island 73%, and Belvie Good Morning, Vietnam. The music for this episode was sampled from an instrumental version of the song “Umbrella” written and performed by indie folk musician Anna ps. You can find out more about Anna and get in touch about booking her for a show at her website. Em Sauter is an Advanced Cicerone®, cartoonist, author, beer reviewer, international beer judge and public speaker who runs the award winning website Pints and Panels, which focuses on visual beer education. Her first book "Beer is for Everyone! (of Drinking Age)" was published in 2017 by One Peace Books. Her second book "Hooray for Craft Beer!" was released in April by Brewers Publications. Check out David's book Pairing Beer & Chocolate: A Guide to Bringing the Flavors of Craft Beer and Craft Chocolate Together. | |||
| Trust Your Dopeness: Hannah Ferguson of DOPE Cider House & Winery | 10 May 2022 | 00:42:22 | |
“People are seeing, ‘Hey, if this girl from Youngstown can do it, why can’t I?’ I think it just takes someone seeing someone who looks like them to see it’s a possibility.” In this episode we talk with Hannah Ferguson, a brewer of beer, a maker of cider and wine, and the founder of D.O.P.E. Ciderhouse & Winery, which will open soon in Youngstown, Ohio. Hannah was the first Black female professional brewer in the state of Ohio, and only the second Black female cidery owner in the entire country. Her enthusiasm and positivity have helped her push through the challenges involved in following her dreams, and I know you’ll find her story inspiring and encouraging. Breweries and beverage makers mentioned in this episode include Barley’s Brewing, Weathered Souls, Penguin City, Modern Methods, Woodland Cellar, Alematic Artisan Ales, and McBride Sisters. Specific beers discussed in this episode include Alematic/D.O.P.E. I’m DOPE Belgian Hazy IPA and Modern Methods Black Is Beautiful Imperial Stout. Check out David's book Pairing Beer & Chocolate: A Guide to Bringing the Flavors of Craft Beer and Craft Chocolate Together. | |||
| New Zealand Beer & Chocolate Writer Luke Owen Smith (Ep. 37) | 19 Apr 2022 | 00:45:48 | |
“There are challenges with chocolate that beer didn’t have to overcome. The main one is around price, and that’s because beer didn’t have this history of exploitation and slavery behind its core ingredient. When you start trying to do the ethical thing, you have this huge price jump, and that takes time for consumers to get their head around.” Luke Owen Smith lives in Wellington, New Zealand, and has worked in both the craft beer and craft chocolate industries in this island nation, giving him insight into what these artisan industries have in common and what they can learn from each other. In this episode we discuss pairing beer and chocolate, the beer and chocolate scene in New Zealand, the challenges and opportunities for both in a small market, and how craft chocolate can learn from craft beer’s growth and its mistakes. You can learn more about Chocstock, a New Zealand craft chocolate festival Luke organizes here. (last year's info) The music for this episode was sampled from an instrumental version of the song “Umbrella” written and performed by indie folk musician Anna ps. You can find out more about Anna and get in touch about booking her for a show at her website. Luke Owen Smith is a writer, photographer, and professional chocolate taster based in Wellington, New Zealand. After working in the craft beer industry for many years, Luke fell in love with craft chocolate and founded The Chocolate Bar, New Zealand's first ever craft chocolate retail store. Luke is a regular judge at the New Zealand Chocolate Awards and he has written about both chocolate and beer for a wide variety of publications. Check out David's book Pairing Beer & Chocolate: A Guide to Bringing the Flavors of Craft Beer and Craft Chocolate Together. | |||
| Painting Flavor with Artist Katie Clark Gabbard (Ep. 36) | 05 Apr 2022 | 00:48:36 | |
“With beer and chocolate, they’re about so much more than just creating something that tastes good. There’s a story that’s trying to be told if you just take the time to try to go on that journey and listen to what your senses are telling you.” Katie Clark Gabbard is a professional artist working in Dayton, Ohio, creating vividly colorful paintings in unexpected formats, using the very shape and texture of each piece to challenge perceptions within the sometimes staid fine art world. In this episode we hang out with Katie as she uses her paints, brushes, and canvases to interpret and express what her senses of taste and smell experience when presented with beers and chocolates without knowing anything about them. I brought along several chocolates and beers to Katie’s studio, and gave each to her to taste, one at a time. She would then spend ten to fifteen minutes painting a small canvas, expressing in colors and shapes the flavors she experienced and the images they conjured. Only after she finished each would I reveal what she had just tasted. We were both fascinated by the results. The chocolates we tasted through were Crow & Moss Vanilla Smoke 69%, Baiani Caipirihna, and Loon Heirloon Bolivia 70%. The beers we tasted through were MadTree Luna Lux White IPA and Spencer Trappist Holiday Ale. Previous episodes mentioned in this episode include Episode 19: Wood, Beer, & Chocolate and Episode 22: Loon Chocolate. As mentioned in the episode, I’ll be leading a virtual tasting of Belgian Dubbel, Tripel, & Quadrupel Ales on Saturday, April 23. This 90 minute event will include a tasting of 6 Belgian beers—2 in each style. I’ll talk about how to taste beer like an expert, discuss the history behind these styles and each brewery, and walk attendees through a guided tasting of each beer. Check out David's book Pairing Beer & Chocolate: A Guide to Bringing the Flavors of Craft Beer and Craft Chocolate Together. | |||
| Pairing and Tasting with Estelle Tracy (Episode 100!) | 06 May 2025 | 01:03:31 | |
For our 100th full length episode of Bean to Barstool, we're talking with an old friend and supporter of the pod, Estelle Tracy. Estelle leads chocolate tastings and pairings through her business, 37 Chocolates, and in this episode we're tasting and pairing the adventurous bars from her new curated collection. Which wines and beers do we pair with a bar inspired by Beijing lamb skewers? How about the always challenging 100% cacao bar, or a bar loaded with chili pepper? Listen in as we have a fun time coming up with pairings for these unusual bars. You can learn more about Estelle and her work on her website, and you can follow her on Instagram. You can order the "Adventurous Palate" pairing box we taste and pair in the episode here. You can listen to our previous episode on pairing with wine and beer here. Check out David's book Pairing Beer & Chocolate: A Guide to Bringing the Flavors of Craft Beer and Craft Chocolate Together. | |||
| Quick Bonus Episode: Asheville Beer & Chocolate | 29 Mar 2022 | 00:09:19 | |
Despite its relatively small size, Asheville, North Carolina, is in the conversation for being the best city for craft beer in the country, with dozens of excellent breweries, including two of the country’s largest craft breweries in Sierra Nevada and New Belgium. They’re also home to one of the best bean to bar chocolate companies in the country as well. I recently spent a weekend in Asheville to visit my sister and her husband, and got to try a number of excellent beers made with cacao from Asheville’s French Broad Chocolates. In this quick bonus episode, you can hear all about the excellent beers I tried and my quick tour at French Broad. The music for this episode is an instrumental version of the song “Walls” by my dear friend, indie folk musician Anna ps. You can find out more about Anna’s music in the show notes or at her website annapsmusic.com, where you can also get in touch to book her to play at your brewery, cafe, or other establishment. Thanks for listening! Check out David's book Pairing Beer & Chocolate: A Guide to Bringing the Flavors of Craft Beer and Craft Chocolate Together. | |||
| Quick Bonus Episode: Recent New Belgium Chocolate Beers | 01 Mar 2022 | 00:05:03 | |
New Belgium Brewing is one of the largest craft breweries in the country, but they do plenty of small batch experimentation, and they have a particular specialty in beers made with cacao nibs and husks. We’ve talked about a few of those beers previously, and in this quick bonus episode, we look at a few of their recent beers that use ethically sourced cacao from Nuance Chocolate in Fort Collins, Colorado. You can hear my interview with New Belgium’s master blender, Lauren Woods Limbach, back in Episode 31 here. Beers discussed in this episode include: Frambozen, a 7.5% ABV brown ale brewed with raspberry puree and cocoa husks. Check Out, a 10% ABV Imperial Stout brewed with cacao and coconut. Pilot Series No. 24, a 12% ABV Imperial Stout brewed with chocolate and vanilla and cold aged for 10 months in bourbon and port barrels. Pilot Series No. 24c, the same base beer as above dosed with cocoa husks, whole coffee beans, and additional vanilla after aging. The music for this episode is an instrumental version of the song “Walls” by my dear friend, indie folk musician Anna ps. You can find out more about Anna’s music in the show notes or at her website annapsmusic.com, where you can also get in touch to book her to play at your brewery, cafe, or other establishment. Thanks for listening! Check out David's book Pairing Beer & Chocolate: A Guide to Bringing the Flavors of Craft Beer and Craft Chocolate Together. | |||
| Beer & Chocolate Collaborations (Ep.35) | 15 Feb 2022 | 00:20:42 | |
Beer & chocolate belong together. In today’s episode we’ll look at a number of recent chocolate and beer collaborations, including beers made with ethically-sourced cacao and craft chocolate made with beer or beer ingredients. Hopefully you discover some new tasting experiences to try out, or if you’re a brewer or chocolate maker, some inspiration for a new project. Just be sure you let me know about it. Beers discussed in this episode include: Burial Beer Lessons in Solitude: Portrait II & Portals Into Infinite Nonexistence Hi Wire Blueberry Crumble 10W-40 & Chai 10W-40 Wolf’s Ridge Office Party Eel River Vanilla Citrus Stout Lady Justice Queerly Beloved Fiction Beer Lunas Rabid Hemogoblin Branch & Bone Skinwalker & Campfire Candle MadTree S’more Gratitude Chocolates discussed in this episode include: Moka Origins Slab Castle Stout 72% Dick Taylor Vanilla Citrus Stout 55% Fu Wan Strawberry Beer Yeast 70% Indulgence Chocolatiers Porter 58% & IPA 64% Chocolats Latour Rhinegeist Bengal bonbon Map Dear Madame Fruitcake The music for this episode was sampled from instrumental versions of the songs “Come Home” and “Winter”, written and performed by indie folk musician Anna ps from her 2016 album Umbrella. Anna p.s. conveys a sense of weariness throughout her simple yet resonant songs, but it’s a weariness that keeps a blanket of hope tucked up under its chin, even as the rain keeps falling outside the windows. You can find out more about Anna at her website. Check out David's book Pairing Beer & Chocolate: A Guide to Bringing the Flavors of Craft Beer and Craft Chocolate Together. | |||
| Cleveland Chocolate with Noble Beast Brewing (Ep. 34) | 01 Feb 2022 | 00:28:56 | |
"I think each chocolate can say something different in each of its own settings. I think it’s more of what you’re looking for it to say to you. You can sit on your couch and essentially travel around the world with chocolate." Rebecca Hess is the founder and chocolate maker at Cleveland Chocolate Company in Cleveland, Ohio. Rebecca was a classically trained fine dining chef who fell in love with bean to bar chocolate and changed her career to make chocolate her life. Cleveland Chocolate produces classic single origin bars that let their cacao shine through, as well as a thoughtfully curated rotation of imaginative inclusion bars. In today’s episode we’ll talk with Rebecca about her transition from chef to chocolate maker, her favorite cacao origins, and collaborating with Noble Beast Brewing in Cleveland on their elegant chocolate beers. We’ll also hear from Shaun Yasaki, founder of Noble Beast Brewing. On Wednesday, February 9 at 6:30 p.m. I’ll be giving a 45 minute Facebook Live talk called Chocolate, Beer, & Chocolate Beer. I’ll be talking about the basics of bean to bar chocolate and the use of ethically-sourced cacao in the craft beer world. The event is completely free and no registration is required. You can watch the video on either the Tipp City Public Library page or on my beer events page. Hope to see you there! Chocolate bars discussed in this episode from Cleveland Chocolate include Pisa Haiti 79% and the same bar with chili pepper, as well as Oko Caribe Dominican Republic 70% and 91%. Beers from Noble Beast Brewing mentioned in this episode include Baker’s Russian Imperial Stout, Peacemaker Imperial Stout, and Cookies & Milk. The music for this episode was sampled from instrumental versions of the song “Valentine” written and performed by indie folk musician Anna ps from her 2016 album Umbrella. You can find out more about Anna and get in touch about booking her for a show at her website. Rebecca Hess is a traditionally-trained chef with 20 years in the culinary industry. She is the owner and chocolatier at Cleveland Chocolate Company, a craft bean to bar chocolate shop that she established in 2020 in Cleveland, Ohio. The transition into the world of handcrafted chocolate started as a hobby and quickly grew into much more after receiving fresh cacao pods. With her long fascination with fermentation, she started fermenting the fresh cocoa beans to learn the process of chocolate making from start to finish. Utilizing the same values she had as a chef, her focus is on quality, ethically-sourced ingredients, which results in well-balanced, approachable chocolate. Shaun Yasaki started his brewing career at Fat Head’s Brewery, co-founded Platform Beer Co., and moved on to create Noble Beast Brewing Company, a brewpub in Cleveland, Ohio. He has won multiple GABF medals and has a passion for traditional beers and techniques, and designing new and innovative brewing equipment.
Check out David's book Pairing Beer & Chocolate: A Guide to Bringing the Flavors of Craft Beer and Craft Chocolate Together. | |||
| Omnom Chocolate (Ep. 33) | 18 Jan 2022 | 00:41:38 | |
“Chocolate should be fun. It should be a fun experience to eat it. We grow up eating it as candy, and what we produce is for adults, for the kid inside all of us.” Kjartan Gíslason is the founder of Omnom Chocolate in Reykjavik, Iceland. Omnom is known not only for their delicious and creative bean to bar chocolate, but for the colorful packaging and marketing that presents the spirit of Omnom to consumers. In today’s episode we’ll talk with Kjartan about that spirit behind Omnom, as well as their collaborations with Reykjavik craft breweries on both chocolates and beers, and the use of flavors distinct to Icelandic culture in their bars. Chocolate discussed in this episode from Omnom Chocolate includes Black n Burnt Barley, Lakkris & Sea Salt, and Dark Nibs & Raspberry. Breweries mentioned in this episode include Borg Brugghus and KEX Brewing. The music for this episode was sampled from instrumental versions of the song “200 Miles” and “Winter” written and performed by indie folk musician Anna ps from her 2016 album Umbrella. You can find out more about Anna and get in touch about booking her for a show at her website. Kjartan Gíslason is the co-founder of Omnom Chocolate. As a chef, Gíslason has worked in Iceland, Luxembourg, Norway, and Sweden. Passionate about the culture behind food, his natural affinity for pastries and desserts led him to chocolate. He joined the bean-to-bar movement and began making chocolate from scratch, first producing single-origin bars and soon experimenting with flavors and textures achieved in small-scale batches. Soon after, Omnom was born. Check out David's book Pairing Beer & Chocolate: A Guide to Bringing the Flavors of Craft Beer and Craft Chocolate Together. | |||
| Favorite Beers & Chocolates of 2021 | 04 Jan 2022 | 00:43:20 | |
Join me for a look back at my favorite beers and chocolates of 2021, with some pairings along the way. After you’ve listened to the show, I’d love to hear your own favorites from this bizarre trip around the sun. In the episode, you’ll also hear favorites from some of my friends in the beer and chocolate worlds. You’ll hear from: Ruvani de Silva is a prolific and talented beer journalist living in Austin, Texas. She writes for Good Beer Hunting, The Burum Collective, and numerous other publications, and brings energy and insight to every conversation about beer and the culture around it. You can find her at https://craftbeeramethyst.com/ and on Twitter & Instagram. Shay Pal runs the popular choccoffeewine Instagram account, and is an enthusiastic advocate for savoring chocolate with our favorite beverages. You can find her at https://www.choccoffeewine.com/. Kindsey Bernhard writes for PorchDrinking.com and hosts the popular Boys Are from Marzen podcast for the site. She also works for the Hi-Wire Brewing taproom in Louisville, Kentucky. You can find her at https://www.kindseybernhard.com/. You can also find her on Twitter & Instagram. Megan Giller is the author of the book Bean to Bar Chocolate: America’s Craft Chocolate Revolution. Megan is a chocolate educator & writer and the founder of Chocolate Noise. You can find her on Instagram. Dr. Christina Wade is a beer historian living in Ireland who writes about the history of women in brewing. She co-hosts The Beer Ladies podcast. You can find her at https://braciatrix.com/. You can also follow her on Twitter & Instagram. Sanna Forslund is a Swedish chocolate educator who runs Cacao Sana, leading chocolate tasting events. She is the co-founder of The Chocolate Cooperation, importing craft chocolate into Sweden. Tristan Chan is the founder and editor-in-chief of Porchdrinking.com, as well as the founder of The Porch Collective, a craft beverage marketing company. You can follow him on Twitter & Instagram. The music for this episode was sampled from an instrumental version of the song “Come Home”, written and performed by indie folk musician Anna ps from her 2016 album Umbrella. Anna p.s. conveys a sense of weariness throughout her simple yet resonant songs, but it’s a weariness that keeps a blanket of hope tucked up under its chin, even as the rain keeps falling outside the windows. You can find out more about Anna at her website. Check out David's book Pairing Beer & Chocolate: A Guide to Bringing the Flavors of Craft Beer and Craft Chocolate Together. | |||
| 10 Years of Videri Chocolate (Ep. 31) | 07 Dec 2021 | 00:50:36 | |
“From the first moment I touched a bag of beans, roasted them, and winnowed them, I was absolutely hooked.” Sam Ratto is the founder of Videri Chocolate in Raleigh, North Carolina. Videri is celebrating its 10th anniversary on December 15, and makes a full line of single origin and inclusion bars, as well as bonbons and other confections, and they also provide cacao in various forms for numerous breweries in the craft beer hotbed of North Carolina. In this episode we hear Sam talk about his ongoing delight in chocolate and his partnerships with a number of craft breweries. We also hear from Sean Lilly Wilson of FullSteam Brewery and Lauren Woods Limbach of New Belgium Brewing. Episode Timeline: :00-1:32 - Introduction 1:32-10:24 - Sourcing, tasting, & partnering with breweries (Sam Ratto, Videri Chocolate) 10:24-23:41 - Partnership with Fullsteam Brewery - 10:24-11:53 - Sam on the source of the partnership - 12:53-23:41 - Sean Lilly Wilson of Fullsteam Brewery 23:41- - Products for breweries & partnering with New Belgium Brewing - 23:41-28:19 - Sam on brewer products & relationship with Lauren Woods Limbach at New Belgium - 29:38-44:00 - Lauren Woods Limbach of New Belgium Brewing - 44:46-45:42 - Sam on New Belgium Exquisite Extraction 45:42-46:45 - Sam on the story he’s telling through Videri Chocolate 46:45-47:50 - Conclusion Beers discussed in this episode include Fullsteam Brewery Videri Gold, Videri Gold, Igor, and Workman’s Lunch, and New Belgium Exquisite Extraction. Other breweries mentioned include Crank Arm, Casita, and Deep River. Chocolate discussed in this episode from Videri Chocolate include Guatemala Lachua, Dominican Republic Zorzal Reserve, and their Peppermint Crunch bar. Other chocolate or cacao companies mentioned include Uncommon Cacao, Chocolate Alchemy, and Meridian Cacao. The music for this episode was sampled from an instrumental version of the song “Umbrella” written and performed by indie folk musician Anna ps from her 2016 album Umbrella. You can find out more about Anna and get in touch about booking her for a show at her website. Guests: Sam Ratto is founder and head chocolate maker at Videri Chocolate Factory. Videri Chocolate Factory takes its name from the North Carolina state motto: Esse Quam Videri - To be, rather than to seem. Since 2011 we have been making bean to bar chocolate and bon bons from organic, direct trade cocoa beans and organic local ingredients. Sam Ratto and a group of friends started the company in Raleigh, NC with the goal to create a welcoming and friendly chocolate factory. We continue to build a welcoming chocolate factory committed to making delicious chocolate. Sean Lilly Wilson is the owner and “Chief Executive Optimist” at Fullsteam Brewery in Durham, North Carolina. After years working in fine dining, he decided to Fullsteam to highlight the agriculture and food economy of the South. He finds joy and meaning connecting people to the land and to one another. Beer is how he makes it happen. Lauren Woods Limbach developed New Belgium Brewing’s award-winning sour beer program. She serves as its chief curator, carefully tasting and blending the barrels, recording their personalities, and bringing them to life. Lauren also built New Belgium’s sensory program and took it from a basic production check to its present-day world-class program. Lauren has served as a judge at the World Beer Cup and Great American Beer Festival and as a faculty member of Siebel Institute of Technology. In 2019, Lauren was awarded the prestigious Russell Schehrer Award for Innovation in Craft Brewing. Check out David's book Pairing Beer & Chocolate: A Guide to Bringing the Flavors of Craft Beer and Craft Chocolate Together. | |||
| Quick Bonus Episode: Hooray for Hazel with Ratza Chocolate | 16 Nov 2021 | 00:05:11 | |
Sara Ratza at Ratza Chocolate in Tarpon Springs, Florida, loves craft beer almost as much as she loves chocolate, so working with neighboring breweries was always part of her plan. She recently provided cacao to Brighter Days Brewing, just a 5 minute walk from her shop, for a beer called Hooray for Hazel, a bourbon barrel-aged Imperial Stout brewed with hazelnuts, lactose, and cacao. In this quick bonus episode, Sara and I discuss Hooray for Hazel, the cacao used in the beer, and her future plans for beer and chocolate partnerships. You can hear my earlier full interview with Sara back in Episode 15. Check out David's book Pairing Beer & Chocolate: A Guide to Bringing the Flavors of Craft Beer and Craft Chocolate Together. | |||
| Nostalgia Chocolate (Ep. 30) | 02 Nov 2021 | 00:55:49 | |
“I use [chocolate tasting] as a bit of a yogic moment to find some peace and quiet and sit back and enjoy what I’m eating.” - Tyler Cagwin, Nostalgia Chocolate In this episode we talk with Tyler about his perspective on tasting chocolate, his experience working with brewers and hop growers, and his process for crafting his unique Hops Aged chocolate bar. We also talk to Chad Meigs at The Bineyard hop farm, who supplied the hops for this bar, and Jordan Pollock and Ivan Dedek at Meier’s Creek Brewing, who recently used Tyler’s cacao in a new Porter. Episode Timeline: :00-4:10 - Introduction 4:10-6:10 - Tyler Cagwin of Nostalgia Chocolate on his background and cacao sourcing 6:10-33:52 - Nostalgia Hops Aged Tanzania Kokoa Kamili 70% Dark Chocolate - (6:10-14:30 - Tyler Cagwin on his Hops Aged bar) - (14:30-21:20 - Explanation of IPA and hops in brewing) - (21:20-33:15 - Chad Meigs of The Bineyard hop farm) 33:52-43:10 - Nostalgia Chocolate’s work with Meier’s Creek Brewing - (34:08-37:33 - Tyler Cagwin on his partnership with Meier’s Creek Brewing) - (37:33-43:10 - Jordan Pollock & Ivan Dedek of Meier’s Creek Brewing) 43:10-51:48 - Tyler Cagwin on other beer collaborations and his reflections on chocolate tasting 51:48-54:01 - Conclusion Episode Notes: Beers discussed in this episode include Meier’s Creek Choccy Milk Porter and Talking Cursive Blonde Porter. Chocolate bars discussed in this episode from Nostalgia Chocolate include Hops Aged 70% Tanzania Kokoa Kamili, Madagascar Sambirano Valley, Madagascar Sambirano Valley 70%, Reserva Zorzal 70%, and Guatemala Chivite. These and other Nostalgia products are available on the Nostalgia Chocolate website. Check out David's book Pairing Beer & Chocolate: A Guide to Bringing the Flavors of Craft Beer and Craft Chocolate Together. | |||
| The Imaginative Founders of Rabid Brewing (Ep. 29) | 19 Oct 2021 | 00:38:58 | |
“The satyr is the fun-bringer, and that is really what we wanted the spirit of this place to be. A poetic hub of fun.” - Tobias Cichon, Rabid Brewing co-founder Fantasy and mythology drive much of what husband and wife team Tobias Cichon and Raiye Rosado do at Rabid Brewing. As the brewery celebrates their 4th anniversary, I sat down with the pair to talk about the passion behind their brewery, the mythological backstories behind their beers, and the sense of adventure the keeps them pursuing their dream. I also spoke with Annabelle Popa, the artist behind the taproom mural and many other accents around the brewery.
:00-5:45 - Introduction 5:45-13:17 - Raiye & Tobias - Rabid background and taproom artwork 13:17-20:40 - Annabelle Popa - Creating art for Rabid Brewing 20:40-27:10 - Raiye & Tobias - Rabid’s cohesive mythology and the Feast of the Goat Queen 27:10-34:11 - Raiye & Tobias - Dwarves of Doom and Rabid’s use of single origin cacao from bean to bar chocolate maker Ethereal Confections 34:11-38:29 - Raiye & Tobias - The significance of the Halloween season and the story Rabid Brewing is telling 38:29-39:12 - Conclusion
Beers discussed in this episode include Rabid Brewing Horus Imperial IPA, Dwarves of Doom Imperial Stout with Smugglers Coffee and Ethereal Confections cacao, and Shadowstepper Milk Stout with lactose and Ethereal Confections cacao. Other beers mentioned include Three Floyds Apocalypse Cow and Alpha King. Chocolate and cacao discussed in this episode included Ethereal Confections Ecuador and Dominican Republic. You can find examples of Annabelle Popa’s artwork and get in touch about working with her at her website. You can read more about Raiye’s dinosaur beer deliveries in my article for The Reporter’s Notebook here. Annabelle Popa is a freelance Illustrator and Muralist living in the Hudson Valley. Growing up in Queens and having a lack of the natural world instilled an incessant longing for magic, nature, and tall tales. Creating comics, murals, paintings, and costumes are her outlet to weave personal mythologies together and reach undiscovered worlds. Gaze long into the work but take care - they gaze back. Check out David's book Pairing Beer & Chocolate: A Guide to Bringing the Flavors of Craft Beer and Craft Chocolate Together. | |||
| Chocolate, Music, and Irish Whiskey with NearyNogs Chocolate | 22 Apr 2025 | 00:50:33 | |
In this episode, we talk with Dorothy Neary of NearyNogs Chocolate in Northern Ireland. We discuss the importance of music in Irish culture and how it's influenced several of their chocolate bars, the use of distinctly Irish ingredients like gorse flower and seaweed, and the beautiful natural landscape around their factory that influences them creatively. We also discuss their use of Irish whiskey in several bars, and pairing with whiskey. You can learn more about NearyNogs on their website. You can learn more about the Chocolate, Beer, and Chocolate Beer event I mentioned at Third Eye Brewing and purchase tickets here. Check out David's book Pairing Beer & Chocolate: A Guide to Bringing the Flavors of Craft Beer and Craft Chocolate Together. | |||
| Quick Bonus Episode: Natalya Watson on Becoming a Better Beer Taster | 12 Oct 2021 | 00:09:27 | |
How do we become better beer tasters and get better at describing the flavors in our beer? Natalya Watson is a Beer Sommelier and Advanced Cicerone® passionate about sharing her knowledge of beer with others because she believes that beer is simply too delicious to remain undiscovered. She’s the founder of Virtual Beer School, host of the ‘Beer with Nat’ podcast, and author of Beer: Taste the Evolution in 50 Styles. In this quick interview, I talked with Nat about how we develop a better tasting vocabulary and ability to describe beer, and she highlighted the importance of practice and curiosity. The music for this episode is from an instrumental version of the song “Come Home”, written and performed by indie folk musician Anna p.s. Check out David's book Pairing Beer & Chocolate: A Guide to Bringing the Flavors of Craft Beer and Craft Chocolate Together. | |||
| Chocolate and Witch Trials with Megan Giller (Ep. 28) | 05 Oct 2021 | 00:25:30 | |
“Chocolate acted as a central vehicle of women’s ritual power, and was a flashpoint for women’s disorderly behavior in public settings.” - Martha Few in her article “Chocolate, Sex, and Disorderly Women in Late 17th and Early 18th Century Guatemala” as quoted by Megan Giller In the last episode, we spoke with Dr. Christina Wade about the connections between Medieval alewives—female brewers who made part or all of their living brewing and selling unhopped beer known at the time as ale—and our modern depictions of fairy tale witches with cauldrons, cats, broomsticks, and pointy hats. In this episode we’ll talk with Megan Giller, a chocolate writer and educator. Megan will tell the story of women in 17th and 18th century Mexico and other Central American countries who were accused of using chocolate in their witchcraft. Grab yourself some tasty bean to bar chocolate and follow along for this spellbinding tale. This episode was inspired by Megan article “Poison Your Lover with Chocolate and Other Advice from 17th Century Witches” in issue three of Cacao Magazine. Also referenced in this episode is Martha Few’s article “Chocolate, Sex, and Disorderly Women in Late 17th and Early 18th Century Guatemala” in the journal Ethnohistory Volume 52, Issue 4 in fall 2005. The beers referenced in this episode were Fibonacci Brewing Pepo Pumpkin Porter and Hulu Fresh Hop Ale. The chocolate mentioned in this episode was from Cultura Chocolate. Check out David's book Pairing Beer & Chocolate: A Guide to Bringing the Flavors of Craft Beer and Craft Chocolate Together. | |||
| Quick Bonus Episode: Beer Tasting Party Themes | 28 Sep 2021 | 00:04:51 | |
Need the perfect theme for your at-home beer tasting party with friends? I just published a full guide to hosting your own beer tasting at home on the Bean to Barstool blog, but the one thing I didn’t include was possible themes for your tasting. Listen to this super quick bonus episode for some great ideas to help you choose beer styles for your tasting event, and then read that full guide to help you plan your party! You can also check out my brand new guide to hosting your own beer and chocolate pairing at home! The music for this episode is an instrumental version of the song “Walls”, written and performed by indie folk musician Anna p.s. Check out David's book Pairing Beer & Chocolate: A Guide to Bringing the Flavors of Craft Beer and Craft Chocolate Together. | |||
| Witches, Alewives, and Beer History with Dr. Christina Wade (Ep. 27) | 21 Sep 2021 | 00:34:22 | |
It’s exciting for people to learn this history about women in brewing in Medieval Europe and feel like they’re part of a story, but I think it’s important that we’re telling the right story and the story that’s based on primary-source information. In recent years, associations have been made between depictions of Medieval alewives and our modern day image of witches, from pointy hats to cauldrons, and black cats to broom sticks. The story gets passed around by barstool historians claiming modern iconography of witches comes from these Medieval alewives, and as often happens, these stories have morphed into accepted popular history. But is there any truth to these stories? Was there ever a connection between female brewers and witchcraft, and how did this story get started? In today’s episode, we talk with Dr. Christina Wade, a beer writer and historian who helps us unpack the complicated mythology and iconography surrounding witches and brewing, and separate romance from reality when it comes to this spellbinding chapter of beer history. Christina is one of the hosts of the excellent The Beer Ladies Podcast, which is available on all major podcast platforms. Christina also runs Braciatrix, a website devoted to the history of women in brewing. You can find articles on her site that go into greater detail on many of the topics we discuss in this episode. In the episode, the following article by Beth Demmon for Good Beer Hunting is discussed: Witch (Craft) Beer—How a New Wave of Brewers Are Incorporating Magic into Beer The beer Christina mentioned in the episode was Trouble Brewing Pumpkin Brew. The music for this episode was sampled from an instrumental version of the song “Valentine” written and performed by indie folk musician Anna ps from her 2016 album Umbrella. You can find out more about Anna at her website. Dr. Christina Wade is a historian and archaeologist currently writing a book about the beer history of Ireland from medieval to modern craft beer. She is also the president and founder of the Ladies Craft Beer Society of Ireland and beer historian, co-host, and editor at The Beer Ladies Podcast. Wade is also a BJCP Certified Beer Judge and has judged competitions throughout Ireland. Check out David's book Pairing Beer & Chocolate: A Guide to Bringing the Flavors of Craft Beer and Craft Chocolate Together. | |||
| Quick Bonus Episode: WeldWerks Double Chocolate Medianoche Imperial Stout with Cultura Chocolate | 14 Sep 2021 | 00:04:42 | |
Weldwerks Brewing in Greeley, Colorado, recently partnered with Denver bean to bar chocolate maker Cultura Chocolate on a variant of their legendary Medianoche Imperial Stout that’s all about the chocolate. Double Chocolate Medianoche was aged for 24 months in 5-6 year-old MGP high rye bourbon barrels, and the brewers felt the resulting batch of Medianoche expressed such a rich, complex chocolate character that it deserved even more real chocolate. They conditioned the finished beer on Belizean, Guatemalan, and Mexican cacao nibs from Cultura, as well as a subtle addition of Congo vanilla beans. Listen to this quick episode to learn more about this fascinating (and delicious) collaboration. The music for this episode is an instrumental version of the song “Walls”, written and performed by indie folk musician Anna p.s. Check out David's book Pairing Beer & Chocolate: A Guide to Bringing the Flavors of Craft Beer and Craft Chocolate Together. | |||
| Traveling Through Chocolate with Sanna Forslund (Ep. 26) | 07 Sep 2021 | 00:43:04 | |
“As long as I have my mind and memories and a chocolate, I can go wherever I want.” - Chocolate educator Sanna Forslund Today’s guest is a chocolate educator who uses chocolate as a way to travel the world, recalling places she’s been and imagining ones she hasn’t, and helping others to do the same. All that’s required is an open and curious mind and a piece of chocolate. Join us for a conversation with Sanna Forslund about traveling through our senses, tasting chocolate with a sense of wonder, and how the natural world and the people around us can help us grow in our ability to do both. As mentioned in the episode, I’ll be leading a virtual tasting of Belgian Quadrupel Ales on Saturday, October 16. This 90 minute event will include a tasting of 6 different excellent Belgian Quads. I’ll talk about how to taste beer like an expert, discuss the history behind this style and each brewery, and walk attendees through a guided tasting of each beer. Check out David's book Pairing Beer & Chocolate: A Guide to Bringing the Flavors of Craft Beer and Craft Chocolate Together. | |||
| Pairing Beer & Chocolate (Ep. 25) | 17 Aug 2021 | 00:36:15 | |
When you’re pairing beer and chocolate, you aren’t pairing a meal; you’re pairing a moment. So how do you make that moment the best it can be? There are some special considerations when it comes to pairing craft beer and bean to bar chocolate, and in this episode I walk some of through those, offering tips on how to pair chocolate and beer. I also share some of my favorite beer and chocolate pairings from the past year. Episode timeline: :01 - Intro & welcome 2:25 - Thoughts on pairing beer & chocolate 9:40 - Tips for pairing 12:45 - Listermann Pirate Life & Chocolate Tree Coconut Rum 75% 13:55 - Bhramari Quasar Shine Through an Endless Night & Tales of Stockholm Djurgarden 70% with Lingonberry 17:20 - Odious Cellars Rubied Perspective & Manoa Ghost Pepper 60% 18:35 - Zebulon Biere de Coupage (for Werner Herzog) with Mission Umbu 70% Dark Chocolate 19:50 - St Bernardus Abt 12 2015 & Firetree Vanuatu Malekula Island 72% 23:55 - Info on Virtual Belgian Quadrupel Beer Tasting with BelgianStyleAles.com 25:35 - New Belgium Fernandito & Madhu Saffron Milk 27:50 - Fat Heads Alpenglow & Definite Coffee and Sea Salt 65% Dark Chocolate 29:35 - Perennial Shake the Frost & Manoa Waiahole Valley Oahu 70% 30:45 - Branch & Bone Curl of the Burl & Crow & Moss Vanilla Smoke 32:25 - J.W. Lee’s Harvest Ale 2015 Calavados & Mashpi 65% with Calamondin 33:35 - Blue Owl Wee Beastie & Volo Mexicali 35:20 - Conclusion 37:12 - End As mentioned in the episode, I’ll be leading a virtual tasting of Belgian Quadrupel Ales on Saturday, October 16. This 90 minute event will include a tasting of 6 different excellent Belgian Quads. I’ll talk about how to taste beer like an expert, discuss the history behind this style and each brewery, and walk attendees through a guided tasting of each beer. You’ll be able to ask questions and share tasting notes as we go! Tickets are on sale now at belgianstyleales.com. Tickets are $52.95 plus shipping, and 1 ticket can be used for all the adults in your household who will be watching on one screen. So if you have a few friends over, it’s only 52.95 for all of you to participate. The ticket includes 1 bottle of each of the 6 beers shipped to your house, as well as the 90 minute event. If you’re not able to attend on October 16, the event will be recorded and available for ticket holders for 30 days after the event. I can’t wait to taste through these revered Belgian ales with you all. In this episode I referenced these past episodes as well if you haven’t listened to them yet: Episode 04: Pairing Beer & Chocolate Episode 10: Branch & Bone Against a Violet Sky Episode 19: Wood, Beer, and Chocolate I also referenced this article on the use of ethical, high quality cacao in brewing for Good Beer Hunting. The music for this episode was sampled from an instrumental version of the song “Come Home” written and performed by indie folk musician Anna ps from her 2016 album Umbrella. You can find out more about Anna at her website. Check out David's book Pairing Beer & Chocolate: A Guide to Bringing the Flavors of Craft Beer and Craft Chocolate Together. | |||
| Conduits of Wonder—Tasting Beer & Chocolate with Our Hearts, Minds, & Senses (Ep. 24) | 03 Aug 2021 | 00:48:17 | |
Our senses can be conduits of wonder, transporting us to places we’ve been before and places we’ve only dreamed of, connecting us to past versions of ourselves and to the other people around us. In this episode we talk about tasting good beer and good chocolate with all of our senses, a process that engages our memories, emotions, and imaginations as well. We discuss the process of tasting craft beer and bean to bar chocolate, and discuss how doing that with other people can help us understand their personal stories better. In the episode I referenced these older episodes as well: Episode 01: Personal Flavor Vocabularies Episode 02 - Beer & Chocolate Descriptive Language Episode 16 - Cultural Beer Language with Dr. J. Episode 18 - 3 Beans, a Beer, & a Chocolate Bar The music for this episode was sampled from an instrumental version of the song “Come Home” written and performed by indie folk musician Anna ps from her 2016 album Umbrella. You can find out more about Anna at her website. Bean to Barstool turns one year old this month. Thanks for listening! Check out David's book Pairing Beer & Chocolate: A Guide to Bringing the Flavors of Craft Beer and Craft Chocolate Together. | |||
| French Broad Chocolates & Burial Beer Bonbons (Ep. 23) | 14 Jun 2021 | 00:12:38 | |
What could be better for Father Day’s than bean to bar chocolate bonbon bars made with amazing craft beer? French Broad Chocolates in Asheville, North Carolina, has once again partnered with Asheville’s Burial Beer on a series of four “bean to bonbon” bars, and they’re as complex, elegant, and indulgent as the beers they’re made with. In today’s episode we talk about and taste through French Broad’s bonbon bars made with beers from Burial Beer. The bonbon bars discussed include: French Broad IPA Caramel, Nougat, & Peanut bonbon bar made with Burial Rationality Shall Run Its Course IPA. French Broad Fig & Almond Stout with Coconut and Almond bonbon made with Burial Faint Glimmer of Hope Notwithstanding Imperial Stout. French Broad Imperial Stout with Caramel and Peanut made with a Burial Imperial Stout. French Broad Coffee Porter & Hazelnut Crunch bonbon bars with Burial Metallic Vessels Black Lager with coffee from Onyx Coffee Lab. To hear from Jael Skeffington from French Broad Chocolates and Jess Reiser from Burial Beer all about their creative relationship, listen to Episode 03. To listen to Jael, Jess, and others discuss the similarities and differences between beer and chocolate descriptive language and what they can learn from each other, listen to Episode 02. The hear from Onyx Coffee Lab, the roaster whose coffee shows up in Burial’s beers, listen to Episode 13. To read my extensive article for Good Beer Hunting about the use of ethically-sourced cacao in craft beer, click here. To learn about the difference between ales and lagers, click here. The music for this episode was sampled from an instrumental version of the song “Walls” written and performed by indie folk musician Anna ps from her 2016 album of the same name. You can find out more about Anna at her website. Check out David's book Pairing Beer & Chocolate: A Guide to Bringing the Flavors of Craft Beer and Craft Chocolate Together. | |||
| Loon Chocolate (Ep. 22) | 01 Jun 2021 | 00:44:44 | |
There are countless similarities between the worlds of craft beer and bean to bar chocolate, and few people know that as well as Scott Watson. Scott was a professional craft brewer in the 1990s when craft beer was just beginning to gain national attention. After leaving the craft beer world, he eventually discovered bean to bar chocolate and founded Loon Chocolate. In today’s episode Scott shares his memories of brewing craft beer, what makes him love chocolate making, and numerous ways in which these two artisan industries remind him of each other. Loon Chocolate bars discussed in this episode include Semuliki Forest Uganda 72%, PISA Haiti 72%, Heirloom Bolivia 70% , Caribbean Kiss, Maine Sea Salt, Rainbow Crunch, and The Ghost and the Sea. Beers and breweries discussed in this episode include Sierra Nevada Pale Ale and Anchor Steam Beer. You can listen to the haunting sounds of the loon as mentioned in the episode here. The music for this episode was sampled from an instrumental version of the song “Valentine” written and performed by indie folk musician Anna ps from her 2016 album of the same name. You can find out more about Anna at her website. Guests: Scott Watson is the founder and head chocolate maker of Loon Chocolate, based in Manchester, New Hampshire. Scott’s career in craft consumable products began with being a craft brewer in the 1990s. His love of high quality craft foods brought him back into the industry in 2018 with Loon Chocolate. Check out David's book Pairing Beer & Chocolate: A Guide to Bringing the Flavors of Craft Beer and Craft Chocolate Together. | |||
| Drinking Intentionally with Namesake Coffee | 08 Apr 2025 | 01:07:59 | |
In this episode we talk with Michael Beans of Namesake Coffee in Dayton, Ohio. Michael and his wife and business partner, Jessica Beans, run Namesake with thought and intention, infusing their personalities into every aspect of their business. They want to remove the intimidation factor from good coffee, eliminating the snobbery and gatekeeping that can keep people from seeking out good coffee, but that doesn't mean they want to remove education and appreciation. Instead, they take coffee drinkers by the hand and lead them into a gracefully self-guided exploration of great coffee. Michael and I discuss how to make great coffee at home without fancy equipment, how he develops roast profiles for new bean origins, and how to taste coffee thoughtfully. You can learn more about Namesake Coffee on their website, where you can order their beans or sign up for a coffee subscription. You can also follow them on Instagram here. Check out David's book Pairing Beer & Chocolate: A Guide to Bringing the Flavors of Craft Beer and Craft Chocolate Together. | |||
| Honey in Brewing Beer and Making Chocolate | 18 May 2021 | 01:10:00 | |
Honey bees are so cool. A honey bee worker lives for just 5 or 6 weeks during the summer, but in that time she’ll fly about 500 miles visiting 20,000 individual flowers. She’ll fly until her wings literally start to fail and fall off, and by the end of her life she’ll have made about a 1/12 of a teaspoon of honey. There were several beverages in antiquity that were fermented from honey, many of which have survived today. Mead is fermented entirely from honey, while braggot is basically a hybrid of beer and mead. In recent history, Belgian brewers have proven adept at brewing biere de miel, less a style than a group of beers that incorporate honey. And from there, modern craft brewers have started putting honey into more and more styles. In today’s episode we talk with professionals who work in honey, beer, and chocolate about the use of honey in our favorite indulgences. 6:50-23:20, 38:25-51:35, 1:07:00-1:07:45 - Keith Seiz & Alison Conklin from the National Honey Board Beers and breweries discussed in this episode include Rogue Honey Kolsch and Cascade Brewing. You can learn more about the Honey Beer Competition and enter your commercial beers here. You can learn more about GloryBee and order their honey here. You can learn more about Hollow Tree Honey and order their honey here. Danny Connors is the Innovation Brewer at Rogue Ales & Spirits. He has been at Rogue for over a decade and is responsible for experimenting and creating new, innovative beers at our Eastside Pilot Brewery in Portland, Oregon. Previously, Danny worked as Head Brewer at Buckman Brewery. Danny lives in Portland with his wife and daughters. Check out David's book Pairing Beer & Chocolate: A Guide to Bringing the Flavors of Craft Beer and Craft Chocolate Together. | |||
| Maple (Ep. 20) | 04 May 2021 | 00:54:06 | |
Maple is intimately tied to life in eastern North America, and in today’s episode, you’ll hear from Canadian and American bean to bar chocolate makers and American craft brewers who use maple sap, sugar, and syrup local to their areas in thoughtful, nuanced chocolates and beers. All of them had memories that tied the flavor of maple into the stories of their lives, and in this episode you’ll hear how evocative the smells and flavors of maple can be. I encourage you to seek out one of these chocolates or beers and follow along with those memories through the tasting experience, letting your senses tell you part of the beautiful story of maple. Check out David's book Pairing Beer & Chocolate: A Guide to Bringing the Flavors of Craft Beer and Craft Chocolate Together. | |||
| Wood, Beer, and Chocolate (Ep. 19) | 19 Apr 2021 | 01:17:48 | |
In this episode we explore the flavor of wood and other tree ingredients in bean to bar chocolate and craft beer. So many evocative flavors and aromas come from trees without us really thinking about them that way. Cinnamon is a tree bark. Maple syrup comes from tree sap. In the adult beverage world, the quinine that gives bitterness to tonic water and the angostura that flavors the eponymous bitters are both from trees. And of course there are endless variations in smoke aromas, including in beer and chocolate. Check out David's book Pairing Beer & Chocolate: A Guide to Bringing the Flavors of Craft Beer and Craft Chocolate Together. | |||