Stop everything you’re doing, it’s a BSR cider episode! Jimmy is in Portsmouth, New Hampshire at The Press Room for the Stone’s Throw Cider Supper - a hyper-local regional cider dinner with Giff Burnap of Butternut Farm ; Chef Zac Cardona of The Press Room; Pete Endres of Bird Dog Cider ; and Eleanor Leger of Eden Cider Vermont . This event was inspired by a cider dinner Jimmy attended at CiderDays in Franklin County, Mass last fall with Pete, Giff, and Eleanor. Pete made the connection with the...
Mar 11, 2023•45 min•Ep. 665
NYC Beer Week 2023 rocks and rolls on with this week’s beer and music themed episode of BSR, inspired by Brooklyn's favorite Japanese-style beer bar, who have been spinning all week for the festivities! Jimmy is joined by friends Chris Maestro, founder and principal owner of Bierwax BK and Queens; legendary brewer and founder of Dogfish Head Brewery Sam Calagione (and one half of the hip-hop duo Pain Relievaz ); and Jamie Queli, founder, owner, and CEO of Forgotten Boardwalk Brewing in Cherry Hi...
Mar 03, 2023•56 min•Ep. 664
We are back in the studio at Roberta’s Pizza in Bushwick on the eve of NYC Beer Week 2023! Jimmy is joined by Zack Kinney , co-founder of KCBC brewery in Bushwick, and Louie Catizone , co-owner of St Agrestis distillery in Greenpoint. The gang reminisce on Bushwick’s development into an oasis of food and drink, and what it was like to watch that process blossom from the homey vantage point of Roberta’s. Similarly, NYC Beer Week has grown as local producers and brewers have grown as well. All the...
Feb 25, 2023•58 min•Ep. 663
We’re drawing closer to the Craft Malt Conference 2023 ! The event is being held in Portland, Maine, from March 16 to March 18, 2023, and Jesse Bussard , Executive Director of the Craft Maltsters Guild , is back with a couple of friends for another Pre-Show! Meet Rob Arnold , President of Advanced Spirits , and author of “ The Terroir of Whiskey ”; and Mark Sorrells, Professor of Plant Breeding and Genetics at Cornell University, and head of their small grains project . Listen in for Jesse’s bre...
Feb 18, 2023•53 min•Ep. 662
This week, we’re taking a virtual journey to the East End of Long Island! There we’ll meet Amy Zavatto , the Content Director for Southforker Publication; Rory McEvoy , co-owner of Kidd Squid Brewing Company ; and Rob Raffa, owner and operator of übergeek Brewing Company . Amy starts the episode by highlighting what’s special about the Sag Harbor community, and how the only thing missing was a great brewery! In comes Kidd Squid, with their charming tasting room where one can enjoy balanced and d...
Feb 10, 2023•51 min•Ep. 661
Celebrate Black History Month with Montclair Brewery ! Meet Denise Ford Sawadogo , co-owner, general manager, MBA, and marketing extraordinaire, and Leo Sawadogo , head-brewer and master distiller, as Jimmy sits down with this power couple to discuss the state of craft beer in the Black community. Jimmy starts the episode by recounting how he was connected with Leo and Denise by Manny Calderon, who aimed to bring Black-owned beers into the New York City market and beyond. Leo spins the yarn of l...
Feb 04, 2023•55 min•Ep. 660
Season 14 rolls on with a spirited episode on Bowl of ‘Zole fest! Jimmy is one-on-one with Arik Greenleaf Torren , AKA the Cater Waiter-turned-Hospitality Maestro, for a chat about mezcal, bartending, and having a good cocktail. Listen in to this deep dive on Arik’s journey through the hospitality industry as he recalls the experiences that brought him to Jimmy, and how they helped get Bowl of ‘Zole off the ground. Plus, get a crash course on Mexico’s history with the agave plant, known for its ...
Jan 28, 2023•1 hr 1 min•Ep. 659
It looks like 2023 is going to be another big year for Craft Malt! The Craft Malt Conference is back in Portland, Maine, from March 16 to March 18, 2023. Preview the great lineup of speakers and other participants right here. Joining Jimmy today is Jesse Bussard , Executive Director of the Craft Maltsters Guild ; Hillary Barile of Rabbit Hill Farms and Malthouse , and member of the Board of Directors for the Craft Maltsters Guild; Joshua Buck, one of the owners of the Maine Malt House ; Sean Tow...
Jan 21, 2023•1 hr•Ep. 658
Welcome back to BSR! Jimmy is hitting the ground running with season 14, on location at the ‘drinks capital of Brooklyn’ - Industry City . Jimmy hangs out with a group of drinks producers, including Josh Morton of Barrow’s Intense Ginger liqueur ; James Tai , advanced cicerone; Dave Lopez of Gun Hill Brewing Co and Gun Hill Publick House ; and Alex Clark and Amy Grindeland of Fort Hamilton Distillery . Why is Industry City the drinks capital of Brooklyn? Learn the history of this special spot, i...
Jan 15, 2023•1 hr 1 min•Ep. 657
Rejoice and be merry! It’s the 2022 BSR Holiday Show! Join Jimmy to celebrate with some of his favorite beer people: Joel Shelton, former Shelton Brother and current big honcho at Inner Circle Beer Tours ; BR Rolya , consulting pro at Beer Bier Biere; Kevin Brooks, owner, producer, and more at Oasthouse Creative ; and Chris DeCicco, head of the beer program at DeCicco & Sons . Catch up with the Shelton Bros alum (plus Chris!) as they recount the special places they helped to put on the Ameri...
Dec 19, 2022•1 hr 2 min•Ep. 656
This week Em Hutto , founder of RadCraft Beer , is back, and she brought company! She joins Jimmy with Mark Youngquist, founder and owner of Dolores River Brewery , all the way from the Western Slope of Colorado. Today our merry gang comes together to talk about something a little bit different: the RadCraft Industry Relief Coloring Book! This rad and crafty book features logos from RadCraft’s partner breweries, distilleries, and malting companies. It was developed by the folks at RadCraft as a ...
Dec 10, 2022•52 min•Ep. 655
This week, Jimmy welcomes Kyle Larkin , head brewer at Resolute Brewing Company in Centennial, Co, and Jerry Siote, co-owner and director of brewing operations at Lone Tree Brewing Company in Lone Tree, CO, to discuss their recent collaboration. The gang get cozy as the weather cools to talk about everything from the tradition and function of rice in lagers to malted sunflower seeds. First and foremost, the gang dives into Kyle and Jerry’s collaboration: It started loosely, with seasonal, experi...
Dec 02, 2022•1 hr 2 min•Ep. 654
Happy Thanksgiving from Jimmy, BSR, and HRN! Today we’re joined by culinary writer and historian John Taylor who calls in from the future , based 12 hours ahead in Cambodia. He’s here to talk about his new anthology book, Charleston to Phnom Penh: A Cook’s Journal , as well as to dish out some Thanksgiving food for thought. To start, John takes Jimmy way back to the ‘80s, when John first moved to Charleston, South Carolina to open Hoppin’ John’s bookstore . There were only a handful of restauran...
Nov 18, 2022•58 min•Ep. 653
Recap this year’s Franklin County CiderDays from western Massachusetts with Steve Garwood, who runs Ragged Hill Cider Company with his daughter in West Brookfield, MA just east of Amherst. Jimmy and Steve reminisce on drinking farm ciders fermented in whiskey barrels, which is an old New England tradition. Steve gives us a little history lesson, explaining how after whiskey distillers were done with them, American oak whiskey barrels would be snatched up by farmers to facilitate the making of so...
Nov 12, 2022•56 min•Ep. 652
On this special episode of BSR, Jimmy is joined by the current USBG Presents World Class Sponsored by Diageo Bartender of the Year for the USA, Jessi Pollak ! Jessi and Jimmy chat about everything from her seven-year bartending journey, to the arc of the USBG Presents World Class competition, as well as her award-winning cocktail creations. Jessi also gives Jimmy the lowdown on Diageo Bar Academy during this jam-packed episode. DBA equips bartenders, servers, managers, and hospitality profession...
Nov 04, 2022•49 min•Ep. 651
To celebrate Cider Season, this week we're talking with the Founder & President of Original Sin Cider , Gidon Coll, as well as Damin Sawyer, the creator of Bone N' Bottle Reviews . Together they discuss how the sweetness of early cider imports led Gidon to start Original Sin back in 1996, and reminisce about the early iterations of Cider Week. Gidon also shares some of the secrets for making a great fruited cider using his own "Black Widow", a blackberry cider, as one example, and illuminate...
Oct 27, 2022•58 min•Ep. 650
Inspired by the Bowl of Zole Brooklyn festival, this episode is all about corn and Mexican alcoholic beverages. This week Jimmy is joined by Gabriel Velazquez Zazueta, Agave Educator at TUYO; Tom Pavlich, Division Manager at B. United Importers ; and Patrick Dacy, owner of Dukes Liquor Box . Together they go over the foundations of Mexico's craft beverages, including how corn gets processed, which spirits come from which plants, and how we might evaluate "authenticity" in agave spirits. If you'r...
Oct 19, 2022•1 hr•Ep. 649
Join Jimmy on his inaugural visit to Buffalo, NY with our guide Ethan Cox, co-founder and co-owner of Community Beer Works . Returning guest Ethan is an esteemed brewer, beer judge, beer history writer, and overall authority on beer in the state of NY. Ethan details the journey from homebrewer to Community Beer Works, which started after he got immersed in Irish pub culture while studying abroad. After coming back to Boston, the next step for Ethan was buying a beer making kit. From there, Ethan...
Oct 12, 2022•1 hr 5 min•Ep. 648
This special episode was taped live on location at Flounder Brewing - one of the busiest brewery taprooms in New Jersey. Situated on a 250-year old farm in Somerset County , they share the property with their neighbors Bellemara Distilling and have become an incredible craft beverage destination. Jimmy was joined by “Flounder” himself, Jeremy Lees; Cam Winkelstein, Head Distiller of Bellemara; and Melonie Marano, Somerset County Commissioner Deputy Director. They talk about everything from barn ...
Oct 04, 2022•52 min•Ep. 647
This week on BSR, a Brooklyn rendezvous in Massachusetts! Jimmy is joined by former Brooklynites Sarah Real and Mike Dell'Aquila of Hot Plate Brewing Company in Pittsfield, MA. After listening in to the NYC Beer Bar Buds episode , the pair had to get in on the BSR action! They reached out to Jimmy, and now they’re here to talk about building a brewery from a dream. After some quick shout outs to the Bierwax and Beer Witch bars in Brooklyn, the gang settles in to discuss the journey to Hot Plate ...
Oct 01, 2022•1 hr 1 min•Ep. 646
This week, Jimmy decides to host a book club on Beer Sessions Radio with Claude Jolicoeur — the author of “ Cider Planet: Explore the Producers, Practices, and Unique Traditions of Craft Ciders and Perry from around the World .” Inviting Boutique Wines ’s Paige Flori and @hardciderguys ’s Adrian, the gang will serve you a three-course meal of cider history with a side of Jimmy’s superb French techniques. For our first course, you will be served Claude’s journey as a writer and cider maker from h...
Sep 25, 2022•59 min•Ep. 645
This week on Beer Sessions Radio, Jimmy returns to Roberta’s studio to chat with the Bushwick All-Stars — Sake King Shinobu Kato, Beer King Jesse Ferguson, and Pizza King Brandon Hoy. The gang gets stared at by newcomers at Roberta’s while talking community spirits and locality in beverage programs in Bushwick/E-Wib/Robertaville. The episode starts off with a standup comedy session about Zoom and the lack of microphones at the studio, before we get to brief introductions by Brandon, Jesse, and S...
Sep 20, 2022•1 hr 4 min•Ep. 644
This week on BSR, it’s a studio session! Make that a studio party! Jimmy and friends take Roberta’s. Get cozy and crack a brew with Chris Maestro, co-founder and co-owner BierWax Queens and BierWax Brooklyn; Yahaira Gil-Maestro, co-owner BierWax and BierWax Queens; Kevin Bradford, co-owner of Harlem Hops ; Kim Harris, co owners Harlem Hops; and Christa Sobier, owner of Beer Witch . After two years of folks drinking at home, Jimmy and this esteemed group of NYC proprietors discuss the value of a ...
Sep 10, 2022•1 hr 4 min•Ep. 643
This week on Beer Sessions Radio, Jimmy drives down South for an exclusive talk with the influencers of the Black craft beer movement — Ale Sharpton and Mike Potter . While Ale is a beer writer slash expert slash critic slash personality, Mike is also the founder of Black Brew Culture slash Fresh Fest slash Blacktoberfest . The gang will follow the rise of Black craft breweries as well as the details of Ale’s and Mike’s individual projects serving as steps on that ladder. The episode kicks off w...
Sep 02, 2022•53 min•Ep. 642
This week, Beer Sessions Radio welcomes back Jaega Wise and her book “ Wild Brews ” - the only book twice featured - along with biologist Paul Mankiewicz, to spill all about water. We shall start off with a brief re-intro by Jaega, and Paul’s intro of his work with water. Jaega will talk more about her time at water school, before giving you exclusive tips for your first batch. We’ll also discuss alkaline and all the bad things that can happen with beers when you get the water wrong, before Paul...
Aug 26, 2022•57 min•Ep. 641
This week on BSR, Jimmy gets schooled on yeast and the history of bread and beer traditions! We welcome Lars Marius Garshol of Norway, an author and researcher in yeast and traditional farmhouse brewing; Pete Lengyel-Fushimi , NYC-based craft brewer and Jimmy’s go-to scientist; and Eric Pallant of Pennsylvania, Author of Sourdough Culture . We start by diving into Norwegian Kveik Yeast strains, known for their extremely high temperature tolerance. This allows for turbo-speed beer fermentation, w...
Aug 13, 2022•1 hr 5 min•Ep. 640
This week on Beer Sessions Radio, Jimmy talks to Brent Manning from Riverbend Malt House in Asheville, North Carolina, about their process of producing high quality craft malt at a large scale. The duo discuss the trends in craft beer, craft malt, and the future of a more sustainable beer industry. Grab your green headphones and dig in on the convo with us right now! Brent kicks off the episode with a brief introduction of his environmental consultant background, and how he turned to craft malt ...
Aug 08, 2022•57 min•Ep. 639
This week, Beer Sessions Radio welcomes back Good Word Brewing ’s Todd DiMatteo and the author of “ The Craft Brewery Cookbook ”, John Holl. The gang will talk beer and food in all the ways that you can, accompanied by all the trivia stories that Jimmy can come up with. The episode starts with an introduction for John and his latest cookbook, which is an exciting collection of recipes from brew pubs all around the country. He will also tell us about the experimental nature of beer and food pairi...
Jul 29, 2022•1 hr 7 min•Ep. 638
This week on Beer Sessions Radio, Jimmy finally gets a break from the online world with an in-person visit to Plant Pub by the famous Fenway Park. Sitting down with Pat McAuley , one of the pub’s co-founders and a plant-based athlete, they will attempt to show you a new future for pub and pub food that’s growing in Boston. The episode kicks off with Pat’s introduction to the beer world at Russ Heissner’s Barrel House Z and his journey from a meat-eating college football player (who happens to lo...
Jul 23, 2022•56 min•Ep. 637
Inspired by Lew Bryson’s article, “ What Stout Has Become Has Led Me Back To Porter ,” Beer Sessions Radio will welcome Lew himself and Todd DiMatteo from Good Word Brewing to talk porter and classic English beer in this week's episode. Lew will be sure to ramble about the thorough story of dark beers, and fulfill Jimmy’s purpose when inviting him, while Todd will add his perspective as a brewer of the classics. Jimmy kicks off the episode by asking Lew his reasons behind an article about porter...
Jul 15, 2022•51 min•Ep. 636
