Speaking of Beer

Prebeer Preamble: These days, brewers will throw just about anything into a beer if it will boost sales. Beer drinkers are increasingly experimental in their tastes, and beer-makers are moving to accomodate. Today’s “show beers” are but one example of this “extreme beer” phenomenon: chili beers. Is adding hot pepper to your brew more than a mere stunt? Joining me in this investigation are “Eat Your Beer” contributor Michael R. Mennenga, as well as Tim Adamec and Kris Mayo from the “Food Geeking” podcast. As we enjoy some good grub, we ponder (pickled?) peppers…

Beer#1: Cave Creek Chili Beer. The Black Mountan Brewing Company in Cave Creek, Arizona has been brewing this clear-bottle beer since 1989, and serving it up at their colorfully named “Crazy Ed’s Satisfied Frog” brewpub, building a big fan-base. So what do we, beer/foodcasting upstarts, think of this relatively ancient sizzle-brew? We munch on chips and guacamole and discuss.

Interbeer Interlude: Microbrewed “RFD part 3″ OMG, things are getting ugly in D.C.! Phil Rossi and Tee Morris (along with Command Line and friends) have reached the end of their epic (dare I say “extreme”?) night at Washington’s largest mega-multi-tapped pub, and they’ve enjoyed every minute of it. Find out how the evening wraps up, and just who should be calling a cab…(part 3 of 3)

Beer #2: Next Mike, Kris, Tim and I try the Rogue Chipotle Ale, brewed with smoked jalapeno chiles. Rogue has a big reputation in the craft beer world, and they tout a complex drinking experience with this one. As we nibble on Tim’s applewood-smoked baby back ribs, we ponder the wisdom of hot beers.

Beer Geek Moment: “Extreme Beers” Brewing with chile peppers is but one example of the wider phenomenon known as extreme beer. This Moment takes you through some history, and lays out the pros and cons of this “hot” beery topic.

Postbeer Postscript: We now put on our critical hats big-time, as the review crew pulls out the numbers. This show easily holds the record for the largest spread between highest and lowest scores. Who gives what a 6 (!) for a total score? Tune in and find out!

 

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Prebeer Preamble: Today I’m joined by a record number of co-drinkers: Michael R.Mennenga and Brian Brown from Michael and Evo’s Wingin’ It! podcast (and others), Kris Mayo and Tim Adamec from the Food Geeking podcast (and others), and certifed beer judge Thomas Vincent from the great city of Flagstaff, Arizona. What’s all the fuss about? Why German wheat beers, of course! The plan was to channel all of our experience with beer and podcasting to give you this, the definitive hefe-cast. Let’s see how it went…

Beer #1 The crowd first tries a classic from the “world’s oldest brewery”: Weihenstephaner Hefe Weissbier. Lots of opinions fly around the room, and Thomas gives us a lesson in German pronunciation. Also, I throw out the whole “lemon” question for general discussion.

Interbeer Interlude: Beer As Folk “Jay Phral of Sudwerk Privatbrauerei Hübsch” Tucked away in the small college town of Davis, California is an anomaly: a West Coast brewery that eschews massive hops and high alcohol content in favor of brewing authentic Bavarian-style beer. I spoke with the manager of brewery operations about Sudwerk’s history and what it’s like to be so different from the local brew zeitgeist.

Beer #2: Next up for the sampling crew: Ayinger Ur-Weisse. This is a dunkelweizen, a dark hefe, from another classic German brewery. Both of today’s beers had to endure the rigors of importation to reach our thirsty maws. Did both survive intact? Thomas definitely has an opinion on this one…

Beer Geek Moment: “Yeast” What’s invisibly tiny and excretes pure bliss? Today we cover the basics of micro-fungus and how it impacts beer well beyond adding bubbles.

Postbeer Postscript: Duck! Here come numbers! Everyone chimes in on what they think of these beers, quantitatively speaking. Does today’s epic show end up in harmony or conflict? Tune in and find out!

 

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Grab your diminutive glassware and let’s belly up to the beer tent! Today Speaking of Beer takes you through a beer festival, where you’ll meet brewers, a beer judge, and a whole gaggle of giddily drunk fest-goers. The bouncing strains of indie rock band Beatnik Turtle will be our constant companion as we knock back plenty of tasty brews and find out what it takes to get through one of these things unscathed.

Find a festival near you from these guys!

[Thanks to Todd Usry, Robert Eilert, their "posse", Thomas from Flagstaff, Roman, Quentin (Clinton?) and friend, the drunk chick, Brandon the Awesome and krew, and all the other enthusiastic festers for their contributions! Next time, I should write names down...]

 

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Prebeer Preamble: People who grapple with an auto-immune disorder called celiac disease put their health at risk every time they drink a beer. A chemical in wheat and barley—known as “gluten”—causes their body to attack its own small intestine. Yikes! What’s a poor celiac sufferer to do, give up beer entirely? Heck no! Just take a listen to this show and find out about beer anyone can enjoy with impunity.

Beer #1: I’m joined by my old friend, Kristi, who happens to be both a beer enthusiast and a celiac sufferer. We first try Bard’s Tale Dragon’s Gold, an all-sorghum beer brewed by a small craft brewery founded by celiacs. The goal is to squeeze quality and flavor into a beverage that makes going gluten-free a choice, not a sacrifice. Were they succesful?

Interbeer Interlude: Microbrewed. “RFD, Part 2″ Phil Rossi, Tee Morris, and their pals in D.C. drop by to keep this show from becoming a “very special episode.” Their beercast-within-a-beercast continues their night out at a Washington watering hole with a massive selection. Which beer scores a “Charlie”, and which a “Joe”? Tune in and see! (part 2 of 3)

Beer #2: Kristi and I now sample Redbridge Beer from our good friends at Anheuser-Busch. When a macro gets into the gluten-free thing, you know it’s big. Do adjuncts and excessive carbonation make for a quality drinking experience? Ever?

Beer Geek Moment: “Indigenous Beers.” Beers made from grains other than wheat and barley have been around for millenia. In today’s Moment, we look at a handful of these beverages and marvel at human creativity in turning everything from corn to tapioca into good time at the local watering hole.

Postbeer Postscript: Kristi and I score up the gluten-free bevvies, and the result is the greatest point disparity in the history of the show. Does a fist-fight break out, or does the eerie SoB serenity carry the day? Yup, you need to listen to find out!

 

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Prebeer Preamble: Perhaps your fizz-swilling Aunt Edna would be surprised to learn there are beers out there that satisfy her sweet tooth. Perhaps, just perhaps, one of these beers would serve as a “gateway” for better beer and make her life a better thing. Today I investigate this possibility with a couple of brews that sound right out of Willy’s Chocolate Factory. The role of Aunt Edna will be played by my beer-avoidant friend Devona, once again generously volunteering to be my guinea pig in an eeeeevil exbeeriment. Are we about to unwrap the Golden Ticket to better beer, or have we just made a deal with Slugworth?

Beer #1: First up is Breckenridge Brewery’s Vanilla Porter. Its label festooned with vanilla beans, and pouring a deep garnet-brown, this beer immediately piques Devona’s interest. But as she brings it to her lips, does the interest turn to bitter disappointment?

Interbeer Interlude: The Build-A-Beer Workshop. “Meet the New Guy.” We take a break from the main theme to check back in with SoB’s homebrew project. Our first beer, dubbed “New Guy Pale Ale” by my brewing companion Shawn, gets bottled, aged, and then taste-tested both by its brewers as well as a passel o’ podcasters (Michael R. Mennenga, Evo Terra, Tee Morris, Brian Brown, and Tim Adamec). The verdict? Tune in and see for yourself!

Beer #2: Young’s Double Chocolate Stout. Upon reading the label, Devona practically sqeals with glee. But is this English stout everything it claims to be? We put words like “chocolate” and “luxury” to the test of a pink-wine drinker’s palate.

Beer Geek Moment: “Beer and Food Pairing.” Though the show beers lean toward the “desserty”, beer is a perfect accompaniment to every course. Check out this basic guide to pairing beer with everything from soup to nuts.

Postbeer Postscript: A surprise third beverage makes an appearance as Devona and I score up today’s beers. Was the experiment successful, or does the only way to make these brews palatable involve an ice cream scoop?

 

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Joe never appeared on Speaking of Beer (for reasons obvious in the photo above), but I had many fun and stimulating conversations with him during and after recording Michael and Evo’s Wingin’ It! podcast. He was whipsmart, and struck the perfect balance between sarcasm and heart (with heart ultimately winning out). In case you don’t already have this show through another feed, take a listen and remember–or meet–Mr. Mason Rocket, human extrordinaire. And don’t forget about the Joe Murphy Memorial Fund. Every little bit helps.

 

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Prebeer Preamble: What’s sleek and colorful on the outside, fizzy and yellow on the inside? Your daddy’s beer can, that’s what. These days, more and more small breweries are rediscovering these aluminum marvels of light and durable packaging, and the stuff they put inside them just might make your daddy do a spit take. I’m once again joined by bro-in-law Dave Cavanaugh as we do some old-fashioned 12-oz curls with some newfangled beer.

Beer #1: Dave and I first crack open a Dry Heat Hefeweizen from Arizona’s own Mudshark Brewing Company. After absorbing the shock of a canned hefe, we sample it looking for signs of aluminum taint. We’re out in the toasty climes of my front yard drinking wheat beers; does the setting favor the drinking experience?

Interbeer Interlude: Beer As Folk. “Ron Jones of the Brewery Collectables Club of America.” Beer can collections are the stuff of nostalgia for the post-boomer generation. But it turns out the hobby is alive and well in the 21st century. Mr. Jones, a higher-up in the official brewerania enthusiast organization, fills us in on the state of collecting.

Beer #2: Warm-up beers dispatched, Dave and I now grab a couple of Dale’s Pale Ales from Colorado’s Oskar Blues Brewery. Craft beer in a can and Dave’s hefe-luvin’ sensibilities both get their toughest test, as we pour this hop monster of a pale ale down our gullets. Have we discovered a new favorite camping beer or is it just too much?

Beer Geek Moment: “Beer Can History.” Cans are a surprisingly recent development in the beerniverse. Where did they come from, and where are they going? Spend a few minutes with us and you’ll find out!

Postbeer Postscript: It’s hard not to factor the packaging into the scores, especially when it comes to the “holistic” category. Which aluminum-clad brew takes the day? Tune in and see!

 

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Twelve months after sending that first gulp of Old Peculier into the podosphere, I’m here with a little birthday present for you listeners. The usual format is gone, but fret not as it will return next time around. Instead we have listener voicemails, contributions from fellow podcasters, occasional strolls down memory lane, and lots and lots of numbers. Also, the winner of the Homebrew Kit Give-away Contest is announced, and there’s a surprise message from a highly unlikely source!

…AND NO SINGING!

 

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Prebeer Preamble: Every now and then a brewery comes along that simply grabs the spotlight. Love ‘em or hate ‘em, the Delaware brewery Dogfish Head is definitely a phenomenon, and today’s show examines the experience of their envelope-pushing brews. My lovely wife Carolyn joins me as we take a little walk on the Dogfish side.

Beer #1: To call it a “beer” is a stretch, but our first beverage, Midas Touch, is definitely bursting with stories. Find out about history and science as we spend some time in the shared wedge of the beer-wine-mead venn diagram.

Interbeer Interlude: Beer As Folk. “Sam Calagione” SoB’s Eastern Seaboard corespondent, Mr. Tee Morris (a.k.a. “The Contributor That Won’t Go Away”), had the opportunity to chat with the founder, owner, and head brewer of Dogfish Head Brewery at last year’s BookExpo America. Thrill as Tee quizzes Sam on the role of hops in brewing, and be prepared to be surprised about which of his beers Sam keeps perpetually on tap in his home. Good stuff, this….

Beer #2: Carolyn and I now veer more firmly into beer territiory with style-buster Raison D’Etre. Is it a spicy brown ale? A hopped-up belgian? We grapple with this half-pony, half-monkey monster until it all makes sense. Could it be that Carolyn might actually–gulp–like beer?

Beer Geek Moment: “Beer Styles” To break the rules one must first know the rules. Playfully experimental breweries like DFH are infamous for flouting the guidelines. But just who makes these rules and how did they come about in the first place? Tune in and find out!

Postbeer Postscript: There is no scoring category for “originality”, so these beers didn’t break the curve. Still, some surprises await in the tallies. Oh, and I apologize, deeply and profusely, for the way this episode wraps up. Really…really, I do.

 

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(Tee Morris enjoying a little pick-me-up)

PreMicrobrewed Preamble: March is Speaking of Beer’s first anniversary, and I’ve gone CRAZY!!! Nah, I’ve just got lots of good content and I’m in a festive mood, so I’m going to throw out a couple of bonus shows this month, of which this is the first. I babble on about the calendar and once again beg for voicemails (remember the homebrew kit contest?), then turn it over to my homies on the East Coast for the fun.

Interbabble Interlude: “MicroBrewed from RFD“. My partners in beercasting crime, Tee Morris and Phil Rossi, record a beery night out with some pals, including Thomas from the Command Line Podcast. They start off in reasonable shape, but you can tell before too long that this particular night out is going to get ugly…(part 1 of 3).

PostMicroBrewed Postscript: Babble….babble….babble…Oh, and I spill the goods on the beers for the next “real” show!

 

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