Beer Sessions Radio (TM)

Jimmy holds court with three judges of Sauce King NYC- Nick Bandouveris and brothers Paul and Anthony Ramirez. The group talk a bit about the Bronx Beer Hall (owned by Paul and Anthony), what they look for when judging, sauces that stood out over the years, making the best Coquito, and announcement of the winners of this year's Sauce King NYC! See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Jimmy takes a call with longtime friend and beer/whiskey writer Lew Bryson. Lew takes us back to his early days as a writer and his affection for beer, the publications he's worked for, cyclical trends that have come and gone, Doppelbocks, Boilermakers, and much more! See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Jimmy takes his talents to Times Square, NYC to have some drinks at BXL Cafe. There, he is joined by BXL owner Yves Michaels, Kyler Pollick from Brewery Ommegang, and frequent guest and brand developer, James Tai. Today's chat is focused on Belgian beer, how to maintain authenticity abroad, the popularity of Duvel, and exceptional mussel preparation. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Jimmy returns to Bushwick, this time visiting Curious Elixirs, aka Club Curious. There, he meets with Gidon Coll of Original Sin Cider, J.W. Wiseman of Curious Elixirs, Lars and Alex of Momentum Brewery. The fellas share their reasons behind exploring non-alcoholic beer/cider, incorporating ingredients that have actual health benefits, and creating a final product that tastes as good, if not better than the real thing. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Jimmy posts up at the Beer Table in Penn Station once more with Noah Levin, this time, with special guest Ryan James Burk from Occam Cider Co. Ryan is a longtime Cider-maker and notable legend in the scene. He shares a bit about his industry beginnings in Chicago, wild fermentation at Virtue, working internationally with Tom Oliver to make the annual "Gold Rush" Cider, joining up with Angry Orchard, and of course, starting Occam Cider Co. on the concept of quality and simplicity. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Jimmy gets Josh Bernstein on the line for this week's podcast. Josh is an accomplished beer writer with numerous titles dating back to the early 2000s. The duo discuss Josh's Home Brew tours in the mid-2000s, New York's "Golden Age" of beer, the history of Can Jam at Threes Brewing, and how to get patronage back for breweries. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Jimmy gathers once more at Threes Brewing in Gowanus, Brooklyn. This time with Author- Peter Kaminsky and Chef/Restaurateur- Alex Raij. Our guests share with us their backgrounds and long-time friendships while dining on local tacos and discussing cooking, fly fishing, and more. Alex Raij is a first generation Argentine-American who grew up in the Midwest, attended culinary school, and lived in Milan and the Pacific Northwest before falling in love with Basque chef Eder Montero. Together, they have opened five restaurants. Alex distinguishes herself by creating dishes that capture a sense of place without giving up a sense of personal intimacy. What emerges are stories of connection and intersection across landscapes and timelines that are delicious, inimitable, and authentic on all levels. Peter Kaminsky’s writing career began at National Lampoon where he was managing editor in the mid 1970’s. As a food author and journalist, he is a frequent contributor to Food and Wine magazine. He wrote Underground Gourmet for New York Magazine for 4 years and his culinary work has appeared in the Food section of the New York Times over the last 25 years. He has co-authored 20 cookbooks including 7 Fires with Francis Mallmann, The Elements of Taste with Gray Kunz, Ultimate Tailgating with John Madden and, due in 2026, On Goose Cove: Recipes From The Heart of Maine with Devin Finigan. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Jimmy calls up to Maine for the final episode of Craft Malt Month. Here we meet Joe Rinaldo, Director of Sales at Blue Ox Malt and Katie Miller, Head Brewer of Good Fire Brewing. We learn a bit about the relationship between Blue Ox Malt and Good Fire Brewing, making grisette with "cool corns", the legal and scientific limits of using corn, and how to get creative with smoking malts. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Jimmy gathers at the Penn Station Concourse in Manhattan with BR Rolya (Beer Consultant), Noah Levin, Phil Laurelli, and Justin Phillips of Beer Table. In this episode, we learn a bit more about the start of Beer Table, all the Belgian beers that they offer, how their beers (and tin fish) are selected, and we even get a few words from some loyal patrons. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Jimmy invites Scott Ramsey and Adrian Luna to a gainful discussion about Cider season in the Empire State. Scott is the Executive Director, and Adrian is the Membership and Communications Coordinator for the New York Cider Association. The conversation starts with the impact of the pandemic on the small business Cider Industry, then moves to the evolution of Cider Week over the years, the diversity of ciders, Cider Feast and plenty more! See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Jimmy hops a train to Gowanus, Brooklyn, to visit Josh Penney of Threes Brewing. The duo discuss Josh's new role as head brewer, the modern IPA, intentional brewing, and winning awards! - Josh Penney, the newly appointed, award-winning Head Brewer at Threes Brewing, the beloved Brooklyn-based brewery and community space. With his extensive background in the craft beer space and his current position at the helm of one of New York’s most respected craft breweries, Josh can provide a unique perspective into the evolution of the industry over the years, and what he’s most excited to bring to the taps at Threes today. Josh’s tenure at Threes is defined by innovation, intentionality, and an unwavering commitment to quality. He joins the team after an acclaimed run as Head Brewer at Highland Park Brewery in Los Angeles, where he helped lead the brewery to multiple World Beer Cup awards and four gold medals at the 2024 Great American Beer Festival. Highland Park also took home the coveted “Brewery Group Brewery and Brewer of the Year” title under his leadership. His inspired approach to brewing is on full display in Threes most recent releases, which includes the West Coast Pilsner Don’t Blink, an aromatic hop-driven brew with notes of tropical fruit, and the Luger Lager, a Bavarian brew launched in collaboration with New York’s iconic Peter Luger Steakhouse. The brewery even expanded into hard seltzers and NA options like their Plot Twist hop water – another indication of exciting innovations to come See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Jimmy's second episode for Craft Malt Month has us meeting Jeff Bloem from Murphy & Rude Malting Company and longtime friend of the show, Emily Hutto, with RadCraft. Right from the get, we learn a little something about the origins of Craft Malt Month, Virginia malt farms, estate beer, and challenging the industry norms. Please visit https://craftmaltmonth.com/ to learn more about how to support your local grain supply chain. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Jimmy dials up Hillary Barile, farmer/maltster at Rabbit Hill Farm Malt, and Sean Towers, Co-Founder of The Seed: A Living Beer Project. With both businesses based in New Jersey, the chat begins by comparing local malts with mainstream malts, then develops into a conversation about barley malt varieties, Atlantic City's resurgence, smoked malts, and more! This episode marks the 1st of 3 malt-focused shows for September as Craft Malt Month. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Jimmy heads down South to the Jersey Shore to meet with Dave Gill and Jessie Chase at Wildwoods BBQ. Dave is the co-owner of Wildwoods and Jessie is the founder of The Social Medium- a communications agency based in Paris and New York. Dave shares how he got his start at Hometown BBQ, incorporating Australian BBQ techniques, consulting in Bogota, and what it takes to win Brisket King NYC. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Jimmy takes a call with heritage hog farmer/ pit master Tank Jackson, chef and livestock instructor, Mike Lapi, and Jesse Hirsch, food and agriculture journalist at Offrange. The fellas get into how they got to where they are, the passion involved in hog farming, the teaching process of butchery, and the importance of finding a use for the whole animal. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Jimmy welcomes David and Sarah Martell of JMASH Cider and Hilltop Orchards, as well as Ronald Sansone of the Connecticut Cider Association and Spoke & Spy Ciderworks. During this discussion, we learn a ton about owning/operating a three-in-one orchard, cidery and winery business, sustainable agriculture in New England, Apfelkorn, and the importance of relationships and networking among cider makers. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Jimmy speaks with Steve Garwood of Ragged Hill Cider in West Brookfield, Massachusetts. Steve shares stories of growing up in Massachusetts, including his first cider as a teenager, and why cider is the wine of New England. They also discuss New England cider traditions, Italian ancestrale methods, and the difference between apples you want to eat and ones that are good for aging. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Jimmy takes a day trip up North to Kittery, Maine. There, he meets with Tod Mott and Jerard Fagerberg at Tributary Brewing. Tod is the Co-owner/Brewer at Tributary, and Jerard is a freelance beer writer. The three chat about how Tributary got started/where they are going, how scale can ruin a good product, and of course, enjoy some of Tributary's finest brews. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Marzae is Massachusetts’ first & only natural winery, founded by husband & wife team Eliot Martin & Katie Luczai in 2023 with the vision to build community and bring the production of great, approachable wines & other local ferments to the Greater Boston Area. We produce wine with 100% local fruit in Acton, are working on an urban tasting room, run MA’s natural wine fair (MASSeration), and are planting a vineyard in Haverhill next spring. Berkshire Cider Project crafts dry, sparkling hard cider inspired by the art and agriculture in our community. Our fine ciders start with fresh apples sourced from local orchards or foraged in backyards and forgotten apple trees all across the Berkshires. Made in North Adams, visit our tasting room just down the road from MassMoCA. #bringtheberkshires @berkshire_cider Tilde aims to bring an approachable, social, & locally-focused edge to the coffee & wine scene in Cambridge. every decision we make is an attempt to reflect the tastes & passions of the people who call this city home, and give everyone a space to meet, gather, & take a breath. above all else, we value local products & relationships. we hope to cultivate a menu which reflects our focus on the neighborhood: sourcing from nearby wholesalers, encouraging staff ownership of rotating specials, & featuring local culinary artisans.

Jimmy calls in to Longmont, Colorado to chat with Leslie and Steve Kaczeus of Boot Strap Brewing. The husband-and-wife duo discuss how they got started as brewers, the importance of community, international distribution, and what it takes to keep a brewery alive for so long. Bootstrap was founded by Leslie and Steve Kaczeus in 2012, who left the high-tech industry to follow their dream of creating an adventurous craft brewery dedicated to producing a wide range of high-quality ales and lagers.