Beer Sessions Radio (TM) – Details, episodes & analysis

Brian Alberts is a historian, writer, and consultant specializing in beer history and culture. He connects with Jimmy and tells tales of historic moments that centered around the love of beer!

Jimmy sits down for a spirited conversation with Joel shelton of inner circle beer tours, Christa from beer witch Brooklyn, Alan from city swiggers and BR who is a beer expert.

Relax as this crew tastes special beers sharing cheers along the way while discussing the detailed aspects of underrepresented tastes of refined beers, the beer industry and more!

As the temperature drops with the leaves, so too do we fall further into harvest season. And with the harvest comes apples. And with apples… Well, you know where this is going.

It’s another juicy cidercast on BSR, with ambassadors from several cider states here to dish out what to expect this cider season. 

In the studio today is Middletown, CT’s Ronald Sansone of Spoke + Spy Ciderworks and president of the Cider Institute of North America; Jonathan Oakes of Medina, New York, President of the New York Cider Association, and proprietor of Steampunk Cider; Ben Wenk of Three Springs Fruit Farm in Adams County, Pennsylvania, and current board president of the Pennsylvania Cider Guild; and finally Scott Ramsey of Beacon, NY, and executive director of the New York Cider Association.

Different state cider associations, competitions, and festivals have grown and changed quite a bit over the past 15 years. Tune in to catch up on the state of cider!

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This week, Beer Sessions Radio welcomes Dave McLean from Admiral Maltings in Alameda, California. Founding Magnolia Brewing Company in the 1990s and Admiral Maltings in 2017 with Ron Silberstein and Curtis Davenport, Dave proves to be among the ranks of fearless pioneers in the wild world of craft beer.

Jimmy kicks off the episode turning back to Dave’s early days in the industry. Discovering craft in the parking lot of a Grateful Dead concert, Dave moved to the West coast and learned how to brew through the UC Davis Brewing Program. He then takes us through the craft beer landscape at the time, while talking about Magnolia, cask beer, and the community spirit of the industry. 

The gang then goes deeper into craft malt and beer styles. Dave shares his journey to becoming a maltster along with his true goal of localizing beer production and connecting breweries, maltsters, and farmers into one welcoming community. Last but not least, he will share the three best beers and whiskies made out of premium malts from Admiral Maltings. Grab your headphones and find out what they are!

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This week on Beer Sessions Radio, we return to our live studio at Roberta’s Pizza upon our guest’s special request. Jimmy sits down uncomfortably before he welcomes Em Sauter, the author of ‘Hooray for Craft Beer!,’ and James Tai, a ‘random guy sitting at the bar’ who is helping local bars and restaurants improve their service. 

The episode kicks off with Em’s and James’s background in the beer world and their experience with the Cicerone Certification program. Em also shares her cartooning background with an MFA from the Center for Cartoon Studies, along with her first beer job selling cigarettes and Budweisers to cement factory workers while dusting the Belgian beers that no one ever bought. Jimmy props them to give away their ‘legend’ Master Cicerones, but will he reveal his?

We’ll then dive deeper into the content of Em’s book, ‘Hooray for Craft Beer!,’ as well as her illustration and research on Pints and Panels, a website providing materials for levels 1 and 2 of the Cicerone certificate. Em tells Jimmy more about the history and the importance of beer in our world, as it has inspired so many technological developments. Finally, the gang talks more about Fox Farm Brewery where Em works part-time, while tasting their Altra Volta Three-Year Blend paired with Roberta’s Beesting and Beastmaster.

See more of Em’s illustration on her Instagram and read her rants about the Red Sox on her Twitter!
 

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This week on Beer Sessions Radio, Jimmy tunes into the Ska network with co-founders Bill Graham and Dave Thibodeau from Ska Brewing in Durango, Colorado. The gang will listen to Dave's and Bill’s latest album about their brewing, growing, and drinking process.

For the first track, we have the story of Bill and Dave. Growing up together by the Front Range of Colorado, the duo started home-brewing to Ska music in high school. They then moved to Durango partly to create the Ska Brewing Co. we now know, but mostly to ski. The second track is an intro to the three waves of Ska and their favorite bands like The Toasters and The Pietasters, who might be performing at their 27th anniversary this Labor Day Weekend.

Track three and four are more complex, with Bill and Dave diving deeper into the company and their beers, as well as weed legalization in Colorado and the challenges it creates for local growers and brewers. Track five increases in tempo as the gang talks about home-brewing and the importance of enjoying the process. They also touch briefly on the words written on the lips of the cans with Jimmy’s challenge for their next one. To end the show, track six takes us gardening and into Dave’s backyard for a mini-lecture on how to grow carrots.

No wonder this album is top 1 on Billboard right now!

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This week on Beer Sessions Radio, Jimmy welcomes back Jerard Fagerberg from Episode 603: From Jack Kerouac to British Coal Miners, The History of The Workingman’s Drink. Two renowned beer culture writers, Pete Brown and Dave Infante also join us for a conversation about unionizing in the craft beer industry. 

The episode kicks off with Pete’s description of the pubs and private clubs in Britain, along with his solid argument about how Shakespeare, Beyonce, and Charles Dicken all share a favorite spot in London. We also get to listen to Pete’s upcoming book, “Clubland,” and the inspiration behind it. The discussion then moves back to the States with Dave and Jerard talking about unions among craft breweries, and interindustry solidarity in organizing. While Jerard brings up Fair State Brewing Cooperative as a shining example of successful unions, Dave talks about the struggles and failures that workers might face in this uphill battle. 

Last but certainly not least, the gang dives deep into class consciousness and its education among mainstream discord, talking about Kim Kelly’s “Fight Like Hell,” football, and what Pete calls football. Pete also talks more about the Working Men’s Club and his working-class background.

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This week on Beer Sessions Radio, Jimmy welcomes award-winners Peter Yi from Brooklyn Cider House and Ray Sheehan who created the “Best BBQ Sauce in the World” for an in-depth discussion on the classic American pairing of cider and BBQ. The gang will introduce not only insights into the makings of cider and BBQ, but also guide us to fully draw out their flavors by pairing them together!

The episode will start with Ray’s gradual yet monumental growth in the BBQ world that led him to the top of the sauce chain today, in contrast to Peter’s big swift shift to cider from the old wine palate that all started in Spain. Ray goes on to tell how he learned the fundamentals by helping local BBQ teams with the most menial tasks, before diving deeper into his book “Big Green Eggs Basics from a Master Barbecuer,” while Peter reminisces his discovery of the lost apple cider tradition that led him owning an apple orchard, providing the source materials for all his products. 

Sipping an old-world-style OEC pilsner, Ray will take us through his lists of BBQ-beer pairings, ranging from ribs with porters to hot wings with IPAs. He then grabs the mic to interview Peter on how to pair cider with smoked pork loin, and reveals hot takes on food-alcohol pairings and pourings that are only available to those who stay till the end!

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This week on Beer Sessions Radio, Jimmy welcomes mad scientist/artist/poet Sean Towers from Atlantic City’s The Seed: A Living Beer Project, and New Jerseyan beer appreciator/Gear Patrol’s beer guy Ryan Brower. In Sean’s lair, the gang will devise their master scheme to prove there's so much more to Atlantic City than casinos.

Step one: Thinking inside the box. With Sean’s background in marine biology and microbiology and his lifelong sidekick Amanda’s in sociology, The Seed utilizes the traditions in beer making to elevate their saisons, lagers, pub porters, and IPAs. These are the trusted four you can always find on draft at their AC taproom. 

Step two: Keeping it local. As Ryan opens up bottle after bottle of lagers and pub porters like as simple as patterns? and all tucked away, Sean discusses their devotion to local ingredients such as grains from New Jersey’s premier malter Rabbit Hill Malt, and the bustling revitalization of the city in arts, culinary as well as entertainment. 

Step three: Adding the artistry. Sean will now dive deep into The Seed’s naming conventions with lowercase and question marks which pains Ryan as an editor while exciting him as a mad beer fan. But the artistry does not stop there, as Sean reveals the story behind poetry in motion and his basketball career.

Last but not least, the plan will finish off with a commitment to keeping the locality, following the traditions, and adding the culture here at The Seed, along with a dandelion secret waiting to be revealed. Catch the episode right now and be in on this genius plan!

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This week on Beer Sessions Radio, Jimmy will drive North to Amesbury, Massachusetts, where package stores are cordially called "packey," to visit RMA Craft Beer and Wine packey store for an exclusive tasting and on-site recording session with Rockport Brewing Company. Jimmy is always on the lookout for top-notch retail beershops, and Rockport is a north-of-Boston top-selling local brand. Despite being a small-scale contract brewer, Rockport is committed to quality, community, and unity among workers alike!

The conversation kicks off with the unconventional journey of Rockport’s founder and sales manager, Ray Pickup, and Tyler Johnson, with a glass of Whale Cove white ale for Jimmy. The gang continues sharing their perspective of the brewing community, emphasizing their appreciation for the local support. Ray will go on to reinstate the Rockport identity in his brand design and marketing, along with an anecdotal history of all his beers, before Tyler reveals the secrets of his top-notch salesmanship. 

Last but definitely not least, Ray’s no-longer-hidden day job as Business Representative for International Union for Painters and Allied Trades District Council 35 and his mission to turn Rockport into the first fully union-affiliated brewery in the country. Jimmy then circles back to the difficulty of small-batch brewing, with an in-depth case study of Ray’s tribute to his great grandfather — the Mcateer’s Dry Irish Stout!

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