Beverage Chronicles with Gary Monterosso and Michelle Lam, is the radio show that explores a wide range of drinks, both alcoholic and non-alcoholic. From whiskey, rum, vodka, and tequila, to ready-to-drink cocktails, wine, beer, flavor-infused seltzers, coffee, tea, and more. We bring you the stories, flavors, and trends behind your favorite beverage.
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Beverage Chronicles, August 26, 2026
Wednesday, August 26, 2026 • Duration 15:00
Title: Snallygaster 2026: Great Beer, Big Flavor, and a Purpose
Beverage Chronicles explores the FDA’s push for clearer caffeine labeling before Katie Johnson talks with Greg Engert about Snallygaster, Washington, D.C.’s massive beer festival. The October 10 event brings hundreds of beers, international brewers, music, family activities, and support for sustainable-food nonprofit Arcadia.
From Caffeine Warnings to Snallygaster: Craft Beer, Community and a Festival Built to Give Back
Caffeine Labeling and Consumer Awareness
Gary opens the episode with a short discussion of caffeine labeling, saying caffeine appears in coffee, energy drinks, pre-workout products and even snacks. He explains that the FDA is concerned that consumers may be taking in more caffeine than they realize, especially when products contain pure or highly concentrated caffeine powders or liquids. According to Gary, a teaspoon of some concentrated products may equal the caffeine in 20 to 50 cups of coffee. He says the agency wants clearer serving information and stronger warnings when multiple caffeine sources are combined. Gary emphasizes that the stated goal is not to ban caffeine, but to make potentially dangerous doses harder to consume accidentally.
The Growth of Snallygaster
Katie introduces Snallygaster as a Washington, D.C. beer festival returning for its 14th year with hundreds of beers and a large roster of producers. Greg Engert explains that the event grew out of an Oktoberfest held behind Rustico in Alexandria, Virginia, beginning in 2007. He recalls attendance growing from roughly 1,000 people in the first year to about 5,000 by the fifth year, eventually outgrowing the parking-lot setting. After moving the concept into Washington, D.C., Snallygaster began in 2012 and spent several years in Navy Yard locations. Greg says the festival ultimately moved to Pennsylvania Avenue between Third and Seventh Streets in 2018 and now sells out at about 8,000 guests.
Brewers, Rare Beers and Personal Interaction
A major theme of the interview is the value of having brewers personally present at the festival. Greg describes how beer-festival culture has changed over time and says that during craft beer’s especially intense period from roughly 2012 to 2018, rare beers could attract significant interest. He explains that brewers now often have more opportunity to travel, meet guests, connect with distributors and spend time with one another. Snallygaster uses volunteers to help brewers pour and take breaks during the event. Greg says one of the festival’s distinguishing features is that attendees can taste many beers directly with the people who made them.
Intentional Curation and Variety
Greg explains that selecting breweries for Snallygaster requires balancing longstanding relationships with the need to keep the event fresh. A core group of brewers returns because of their quality and history with the organizers, while roughly 50 breweries may be rotated from year to year. He says quality comes first, followed by geographic representation and variety in ABV and beer styles. The organizers do not want the festival dominated by hazy IPAs, imperial beers or any single category. Instead, the goal is to offer a mix that includes classic styles, nuanced beers, barrel-aged selections and producers from local, national and international markets.
Arcadia and the Festival’s Community Mission
Katie and Greg devote a substantial portion of the interview to Arcadia Center for Sustainable Food and Agriculture, the primary beneficiary of Snallygaster. Greg says the organization works to increase access to healthy local food through a food hub and mobile market buses that reach communities with limited access to fresh produce while accepting SNAP and other benefits. He also describes summer programs for children and a farming program designed to train veterans for agricultural work after military service. Greg says Snallygaster pays for the beverages served at the festival, which allows the organizers to work with independent producers rather than depending on large brewery marketing budgets. After expenses, he says festival profits go to Arcadia, making the event an annual fundraiser as well as a beverage festival.
Changing Beer Culture and a Broader Festival Experience
Greg closes the interview by describing a shift in beverage culture from the pursuit of rare, strong and highly hyped beers toward renewed interest in lagers, cask ale and classic styles. He also says consumers are branching into cocktails, wine and nonalcoholic drinks, and Snallygaster has broadened its offerings accordingly. In addition to beer and cider, he describes wine, whiskey, cocktails, nonalcoholic cocktails, NA beers, seltzers and hop waters, along with playful features such as cocktails dispensed from giant pumpkins and an ice luge. Katie notes that the event is also family-friendly, and Greg describes a daytime kids’ zone with bouncy houses and activities. The interview concludes with details for the October 10, 2026 event on Pennsylvania Avenue in Washington, D.C., and a reminder that the festival typically sells out.
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Snallygaster beer festival, craft beer festival Washington DC, caffeine labeling FDA, craft breweries, beer culture trends, Arcadia sustainable food agriculture, veteran farming program, international brewers, nonalcoholic beverages, Pennsylvania Avenue beer festival
Beverage Chronicles, August 19, 2026
Wednesday, August 19, 2026 • Duration 15:00
How Breweries, Food Pairings, Storytelling, and Soda Innovation Are Reshaping Beverage Culture
Beverage Chronicles, June 17, 2026
Wednesday, June 17, 2026 • Duration 15:00
From Speakeasies to Canned Cocktails: How America's Drinking Culture Evolved
Prohibition failed to stop Americans from drinking, but it sparked the rise of speakeasies, bootlegging, and the cocktail culture we still enjoy today.
The aftertaste of a beverage can significantly influence enjoyment, with bitterness affecting people differently based on genetics and taste perception.
Modern canned cocktails combine convenience with quality, using refined spirits and craft-inspired recipes to deliver bar-quality drinks anywhere.
Beverage Chronicles, June 10, 2026
Wednesday, June 10, 2026 • Duration 14:59
Beverage Chronicles with Gary Monterosso
Root Beer, Vodka, and the Unexpected Science in Your Glass
This episode of Beverage Chronicles explores the nostalgic origins of root beer, from its sassafras‑root beginnings to its clever rebranding by Charles Hires in the 1870s. It then shifts to the rise of flavored vodka and how it reshaped modern drinking culture, before closing with a surprising look at how everyday fruit juice can naturally ferment into low‑alcohol beverages. Together, the segments highlight how tradition, innovation, and chemistry all shape what we drink.
Beverage Chronicles, June 3, 2026
Wednesday, June 3, 2026 • Duration 14:59
Beer Flights, Coffee Trends and Beverage Brand PR
- Learn the best way to enjoy a beer flight by tasting from lighter to heavier styles.
- Discover how public relations helps beverage brands build trust, visibility, and sales opportunities.
- Get the latest on Starbucks Rewards changes and new research linking coffee consumption to lower dementia risk.
Beverage Chronicles, May 27, 2026
Wednesday, May 27, 2026 • Duration 14:59
Title: Schlitz, Session IPAs and Starbucks Summer Strategy
Schlitz beer rose from Milwaukee brewing roots to become the world’s top-selling lager before collapsing in the 1970s after cost-cutting changes damaged quality and consumer trust.
Founders All Day IPA helped redefine the “session IPA” category by offering full hop character with lower alcohol, making craft beer more approachable and widely drinkable.
Starbucks’ new summer lineup uses colorful, layered drinks and experiential marketing to create premium, Instagram-ready beverages aimed at making customers feel the experience is worth the price.
Beverage Chronicles, May 20, 2026
Wednesday, May 20, 2026 • Duration 15:00
Guinness Cocktails, Gin Trends, and the Rise of Finland’s Long Drink
Guinness is finding new life as a cocktail ingredient in drinks like the Espresso Stout Martini, Black Velvet, and Top Hat.
We highlight gin cocktails, including the lighter and refreshing Gin Sonic.
Beverage Chronicles visits Atlantic City to explore Finland’s famous Long Drink and its growing popularity in the United States.
Beverage Chronicles, May 13, 2026
Wednesday, May 13, 2026 • Duration 15:00
Title: Beer Names, Wild Fermentation, and the Strangest Lager Yet
Breweries are simplifying beer style names to attract casual drinkers while trying to avoid losing the identity and uniqueness that built craft beer culture.
Beer historian Rachel Benkowski explores the history and cultural importance of Belgian lambic, a spontaneously fermented beer deeply tied to place, patience, and tradition.
A new study compared health outcomes among beer, wine, and spirits drinkers, while Columbia Sportswear grabbed headlines with a bizarre “bear scat infused” promotional beer.
Beverage Chronicles, May 6, 2026
Wednesday, May 6, 2026 • Duration 14:59
Smuggling Nun: Reviving Ireland's Bootleg Poitin Legacy
Poitin, Ireland's ancient unaged barley spirit, was illegally bootlegged for 300+ years until 1997, predating whiskey and inspiring global moonshine culture.
Maura Clare learned a secretive 20th-century recipe with molasses and beet sugar from a retired bootlegger, blending whiskey warmth, tequila aroma, gin complexity, and rum sweetness at 45% ABV.
Named after her nun cousin who smuggled it in a holy water bottle, the Gothic-arch bottle ships to 40 states via smugglingnun.com, perfect for cocktails like Celtic sours or neat sips.
Beverage Chronicles, April 29, 2026
Wednesday, April 29, 2026 • Duration 14:59
Title: Why You Might Not Actually Hate IPAs
Episode Description:
Many IPA critics just haven’t found the right style—flavors vary widely and bad storage can ruin the experience.
Modern IPAs are more balanced and approachable than the overly bitter versions of the past.
Freshness, proper storage, and open-minded tasting can completely change your perception of the style.
Here is the primary reasoning regarding the questioning about DAI: Over the next few weeks and months, there may be a restructuring of the show distribution process. It is complex, but we may be coupling with a company that will handle all distribution. Additionally, over the next few months, the hierarchy of the show may change somewhat. I'll keep you advised. The new distributor (should this occur) wants detailed information about what we are doing, where episodes are sent, etc.
