BN Army Blog

Post Session 11-20-11: Tied House Brewery & Cafe

Moscow — Tue, 22 Nov 2011 17:28:12 EST

This episode of The Session opens on a sad note, as the crew worries about Chad's abandonment of Tasty in favor of his gig at Handles Gastropub. Luckily for Tasty, his new entourage is comprised exclusively of women, so it's no skin off his back. Justin introduces a new listener-sponsored segment initiative, and as usual, the BN Army wastes no time in bringing it strong.

We welcome to the studio Ron Manabe, the veteran brewmaster and senior vice president of the Tied House Brewery & Cafe. Ron tells us about the investors who made it possible for him and his partners to open the brewery back in 1988, a time long before there was a booming craft beer movement. With their outstanding beer and innovative marketing approach, the Tied House has grown into what is now a Bay Area staple brand and destination. We hear first-hand about their newest venture, a contract brewery with its own label called Hermitage Brewing Company, as none other than Chad himself has partnered with Ron to make Hermitage the production facility for Handles. We take several listener questions and play a rousing round of Stump the Brewer before bidding Ron farewell.

The Trophy Fire infiltrates the studio. We hear from the brothers Schuman and lead singer Ben Flanagan about the making of their most recent album Modern Hearts, while they share tales from the road and anecdotes about the band's early days. They accent the segment with acoustic performances of several cuts from the album.

Post Session 11-06-11: Black Star Co-op

Moscow — Wed, 09 Nov 2011 15:49:54 EST

The crew kicks off this episode of The Session by welcoming new part-time call-screener Suzie to the studio. Fresh off JP's birthday dinner at the House of Prime Rib, we discuss the merits of copious amounts of red meat and Shea Comfort's outstanding homemade red wine. We close out the segment with a long round of Feedback.
Live from the brewpub in Austin, Texas, Black Star Co-op beer team leader Jeff Young joins the show. He tells us all about the structure of a co-op and describes the various ways in which they went about raising the substantial amount of money they needed prior to opening their doors. Having just celebrated their one-year anniversary, Jeff goes on to tell us about membership benefits, and their impressive rate of growth in 2011. We discuss the beer we're pouring, out of leftover bottles from Black Star's Great American Beer Festival entries - we start with an American pale ale made with local honey called High Esteem, and finish with Waterloo, an American style sour ale also brewed with local ingredients. Jeff answers the many questions that come in from a rejuvenated chat before bidding us farewell.

After congratulating Suzie on a job well done, we "interview" her by asking a variety of random questions and gauging how compatible her opinions are with the rest of the crew's, all while rolling calls from DOTW hopefuls. After a rousing rendition of the "I Love Cats" song, Ish unanimously takes this week's medal.

Post Session 10-24-11: Festival Season Wrap-up

Moscow — Wed, 26 Oct 2011 17:16:06 EDT

Justin opens another Monday Session with a recap of the previous day's festivities at Downtown Joe's, where Push Eject was branded with the hop grenade in his first ever tattooing. We sample and discuss Terrence the Black's first ever batch of homebrew, an attempt at a tough Triple Rock recipe. Luckily, he had JP's expertise and assistance, and they managed to make a very drinkable stout.

We get into this week's feedback, in which Tasty and Chad answer some brewing questions and we meet via YouTube JP's cat loving soul-mate. We then hear from Craftbeer.com's Julia Herz, followed by an update from new mama Beevo. We commence our recap of the 2011 beer festival season, discussing perennial favorites like the Southern California Homebrewers Festival and the Great American Beer Festival and breaking down the many things those great events have gotten right. Without being too specific, we also describe some not-so-great festival experiences, and what to look for when you're planning your next beer outing.

After a Press Play interview with University of Wisconsin-Madison genetics professor Chris Todd Hittinger about the possible origin of lager yeast, we come back for a final segment to play a game of Stump the Stoner. FierceBeard demonstrates a great grasp of pothead memory capacity and is ultimately victorious, while fellow contestant Pythoner takes this week's medal for DOTW.

Post Session 10-09-11: Almighty London Pub Crawl

Moscow — Tue, 11 Oct 2011 20:00:25 EDT

Back from the 30th installment of the Great American Beer Festival, we open this episode of The Session with a recap of our lighter-than-usual Denver party schedule. Brewmaster Colin Kaminski joins us to discuss A Taste of North Bay Beers, an upcoming festival at Downtown Joe's in Napa. Tickets are available by going to downtownjoes.eventbrite.com. Get yours before it sells out!

After a long and mighty struggle with Skype, we finally connect with James Campbell and Alex Stepney, the men behind the Almighty London Pub Crawl. They tell us of how, after a 2007 epiphany, they set out on a mission to have a beer at every pub in London. We listen as they describe the differences between a good pub and a bad pub, and give us a lesson in the history of London's storied pub scene. They go on to share some of the most memorable stories from their quest, as well as offer their recommendations for the best must-visit pubs. After wishing them continued success in their endeavor, we bid James and Alex farewell.

We welcome some of the GABF's most successful brewers to the show, starting with multiple-medal winner Nico Freccia of San Francisco's 21st Amendment. Firestone Walker's Matt Brynildson follows with commentary on their third mid-size brewery of the year award, and we round out the discussion with Triple Rock's Roger Davis.

We read letters from the Feedback, which include a detailed critique of Justin's homebrewing habits, as well as a hops question for Nate. The latest headlines are covered in a round of Beer News as we take a few DOTW calls. Despite solid efforts from spirited stateside hopefuls, a tanked Whoateallthepies takes this week's medal to Australia.

Post Session 09-19-11: Pizza Port

Moscow — Tue, 20 Sep 2011 16:40:09 EDT

One week after Beevo's retirement, Justin opens this week's Monday night show with a rundown of her laptop's web browsing history, which makes us understand why she never seemed to notice the phone ringing. Justin and Tasty were happy to have had the whole weekend off to attend the Northern California Homebrewers Festival, at which they helped chef Sean Paxton roast (and subsequently tear apart) a pig on a spit. We close out the segment by going over our plans for the upcoming Great American Beer Festival.

Jeff Bagby, the director of brewing operations for Southern California's Pizza Port brewpubs, joins us on the line from his home in Carlsbad. He begins by outlining his long history in the beer industry, starting with the delivery driver gig at Stone Brewing Company in the late 90's, the head brewer position at Oggi's Brewing Company, and eventually culminating in his current job overseeing all things beer at the four Pizza Port locations in the greater San Diego area. After a discussion about hands-on versus classroom learning, we crack open and discuss 547 Haight Imperial Red, the first of many beers Jeff has sent our way. We follow that with Party Pants Lager (with which Doc is especially impressed) and an incredible stout called Coffee Monster. We round out the tasting with his Reed's Wee Heavy Scotch Ale before we bid Jeff a fond farewell.

We cover two weeks worth of feedback, which includes many well-wishes for Beevo and Sam. Amongst phone calls for DOTW and songs in honor of Justin's birthday, a meltdown ensues. In a landslide, Fierce Beard wins this week's medal.