It's the Beer Talking

This week on It's the Beer Talking, hosts Jeff Baker and Jason Strempek talk with Associate Publisher of Vermont Life Magazine Sky Barsch and Deputy Commissioner of the Vermont Department of Tourism and Marketing Steven Cook. Barsch takes us through her experience with home brewing and featuring a brewer on the cover of the magazine. Then, Cook talks about Vermont's history with the brewing industry and the difference it has made on overall tourism in the state. What's in the Fridge this week? Jeff and Jason open up 21st Amendment's Blah Blah Blah American Double / Imperial IPA and Citrus Limbo IPA presented by the Long Trail Brewing Company.

This week hosts Jeff Baker and Jason Strempek say “Hi neighbor!” to Mark Hellendrung from Narragansett. Chief Gansett talks about the origins of Narragansett, its connection with author H.P. Lovecraft and its universal appeal as a drink for all ages. What’s in the Fridge this week? This week Jeff and Jason try Karaoke Faceplant by Southern Prohibition in collaboration with Nola Brewery and Fentiman’s Botanically Brewed Traditional Ginger Beer.

This week on It's the Beer Talking, hosts Jeff Baker and Jason Strempek are joined by the only "beer concierge" in the country. Matt Canning from Hotel VT speaks about his experience planning brewery tours, becoming the expert on Burlington beer and relays some of his craziest experiences on the job. What's in the Fridge this week? Jeff and Jason break open Amherst Brewing's Jess IPA and BLDG 8 Brewing's The IPA.

This week, hosts Jeff Baker and Jason Strempek are joined by Jeff Wharton from DrinkCraftBeer.com. Wharton has expanded his blog and is now in the business of beer festivals, specifically those that pair food and beer together in a way that the average festival-goer can understand and reproduce in their own lives. Listen in as the hosts learn about the steps Wharton has taken to expand his hobby into a beer festival empire based in Boston, Massachusetts. What’s in the fridge this week? Just back from a business trip that allowed a personal visit to the brewery, Jeff and Jason sample four beers from The Brewer’s Art: Choptank’d Saison, Birdhouse Pale Ale, Beazly Golden Ale and Resurrection Ale.

This week, Jeff and Jason talk with Bill Suhr from Champlain Orchards for a special cider edition of It's the Beer Talking. Setting aside their usual beer talk, the hosts chat about Champlain Orchards' many types of classic cider, peach cider and their beer/wine hybrid called Murray Hill. What's in the Fridge this week? Jeff and Jason sample Rogue Ale's New Crustacean Barleywineish Imperial IPA Sorta and Brouwerij Huyghe/Delirium Tremens' Delirium Red Belgian Ale.

This week on It's the Beer Talking, we spoke with Eli Harrington from Heady Vermont and Joel Bedard from Vermont Hemp Company. We were also joined by Peter Vachon of Stone Corral Brewery and Evan Vacarr, a home brewer and founder of Green Empire Brewing. Hosts Jeff Baker and Jason Strempek ask the guests about the difference between hemp and marijuana, how hemp can be used in beer production and where hemp is on the legal spectrum. Then, brewers Peter and Evan chat about how they created their hemp beers and how some of their brews resemble tea. What's in the Fridge this week? Jeff and Jason sample two brews from Cisco Brewers out of Nantucket, Massachusetts: Whale's Tale Pale Ale and Grey Lady.

This week on It's the Beer Talking, Jeff and Jason host Bethany Baker from Girls Pint Out. They discuss women in the beer industry, what it means to enter into a largely male-dominated culture and how you can help make beer culture more welcoming. What's in the Fridge this week? Jeff and Jason crack open an extra special Stony Creek Brewery Ripe and Cranky Pineapple IPA out of southern Connecticut and Peabody Heights Brewery's "The Cask", a Poe-inspired doppelbock beer.

Lou DiMasi and Chris Maloney of Oktoberfest Vermont join Jeff and Jason on this week's episode of It's the Beer Talking. Lou and Chris discuss what we can expect at Oktoberfest this year, what they learned from last year, and how their festival differs from other festivals hosted in Burlington. What's in the Fridge this week? Jeff and Jason taste Boulevard Brewing Company's Tropical Pale Ale and compare it to Flying Dog Brewery's Fever Dream Mango Habanero IPA.

This week on "It's the Beer Talking", hosts Jeff and Jason, talk with Matt Cohen and Rachel Cleveland from Fiddlehead Brewing Company. They discuss Cohen's origins at a different brewing company, his transition over to Fiddlehead, and how he found his first employee, Rachel Cleveland. What's in the Fridge this week? Jeff and Jason sample Victory Brewing Company's Liquid Luxury Belgian Style Quad and North Coast Brewing Company's Brother Thelonious Belgian Style Abbey Ale.

This week, Bret and Melissa Hamilton join the show from Stone Corral Brewery in Richmond Vermont. The interview was recorded in May 2016 at the Farrell Distributing Craft Beer Show located at Quechee Inn at Marshland Farm in Quechee, Vermont. Brett and Melissa tell us about the origins of their brewery, the live events and music that can be found there and about some of their more unique flavored beers. What’s in the Fridge this week? Jeff and Jason open up a tropical Belgian style witbier Liliko’i Kepolo out of Avery Brewing Company in Boulder, Colorado and a Magic Hat Art Hop Ale brewed for the South End Art Hop in the South End of Burlington, Vermont. Both bring fruit beer back into the market in a new way.

Dave Sule of Crazy Mountain Brewing Company joins the show this week to discuss brewing in Vail Valley, Colorado, the merits of using cans, Crazy Mountain’s new barley double IPA and the culture connection between Colorado and Vermont. The interview was recorded in May 2016 at the Farrell Distributing Craft Beer Show located at Quechee Inn at Marshland Farm in Quechee, Vermont. What’s in the Fridge this week? Jeff and Jason taste the difference between two IPAs: Newburyport Brewing Co.’s Green Head IPA and Sierra Nevada’s Torpedo Extra IPA.

Alex Selby of Peak Organic Brewing Company joins hosts Jeff and Jason this week to discuss the organic ingredients he likes to use in his brews, the methods that make brewing in Vermont unique and the time he met Drew Carey! The interview was recorded in May 2016 at the Farrell Distributing Craft Beer Show located at the Quechee Inn at Marshland Farm in Quechee, Vermont. What’s in the Fridge this week? Jeff and Jason crack open a couple of Belgian style ales; White Birch Brewing Belgian Style Pale Ale and North Coast Brewing Company Pranqster Belgian Style Golden Ale.

Alex Selby of Peak Organic Brewing Company joins hosts Jeff and Jason this week to discuss the organic ingredients he likes to use in his brews, the methods that make brewing in Vermont unique and the time he met Drew Carey! The interview was recorded in May 2016 at the Farrell Distributing Craft Beer Show located at the Quechee Inn at Marshland Farm in Quechee, Vermont. What’s in the Fridge this week? Jeff and Jason crack open a couple of Belgian style ales; White Birch Brewing Belgian Style Pale Ale and Pranqster Belgian Style Golden Ale.

Brewmaster at Drop-In Brewing Company Steve Parkes joins hosts Jeff and Jason in this week’s episode. He discusses how he ended up owning his own brewery and brewing school, how the school and brewery work together and the future of cans within his company. The interview was recorded in May 2016 at the Farrell Distributing Craft Beer Show located at the Quechee Inn at Marshland Farm in Quechee, Vermont. What’s in the Fridge this week?Jeff and Jason sample Spencer Trappist Ale and Trillium Mosaic Dry Hopped Fort Point Pale Ale. They talk about the history and locations of the last remaining trappist breweries, how they can be paired well with food and offer some insights into the breweries themselves.

Chris Mayne from Northshire Brewery in Bennington, Vermont joins hosts Jeff and Jason on this week's episode of It's the Beer Talking. Listen in as Chris talks about the brewery’s imminent move from Bennington to Manchester, his showcase beers, cask beer and his personal history in the business of craft beer. The interview was recorded in May 2016 at the Farrell Distributing Craft Beer Show located at the Quechee Inn at Marshland Farm in Quechee, Vermont. What’s in the Fridge this week?Jeff and Jason sample Liquid Riot’s Raspy Trouble Sour Brown Ale and Krick Des Jacobins’ Flemish Sour Ale out of Belgium. They discuss the merits of infusing fruit into brown ales and the assertiveness or lack thereof of the beer flavor in these mixes.