The Brewing Network Presents - The Session

This week on The Session, the Brewcasters are joined once again by author Josh Bernstein, whose new book The Complete Beer Course: Boot Camp for Beer Geeks: From Novice to Expert in Twelve Tasting Classes was released in September. Tune in to catch an enlightening conversation with the always-entertaining Josh, this week's Beer News, Austin beer scene coverage, and much more.

This week, The Session concludes part IV of the Brewcaster Challenge: Jamil versus Moscow. Tune in to see who has brewed the least worst Black IPA, as we cover the (questionable) techniques and ingredients used by each brewer and vote on the winner. Lending his assistance and expertise on the style is Stone Brewing Company's Mitch Steele, who conveniently makes Sublimely Self-Righteous, one of the best commercial examples on the market today. This episode also features coverage of Bellingham, Washington's second-ever Beer Week, a brand new segment spotlighting brewing disasters, and much more.

This week, The Session unravels the mystery of the exploding cans at this year's National Homebrewers Conference. It turns out that the responsible party, one Round Guys Brewing Company, is actually doing more than just producing volatile Pilsners at their brewery in Lansdale, Pennsylvania. Tune in as founder/brewmaster Scott Rudich joins the Brewcasters to discuss the reasons his brewery didn't produce an IPA for over a year, his efforts to revive the Berliner Weisse style on the East Coast, and of course the story behind the now-infamous cans of Custer's Last Stand.

This week on The Session, brewmaster Michael Jordan of China's Boxing Cat Brewery joins the BN crew all the way from Shanghai. How does a man from the Pacific Northwest end up running the brewing operations for a thriving brand halfway across the globe? And just how well does his distinctly American West Coast brewing style sit with the locals? Tune in to catch the answers to these and other pressing questions, this week's Beer News, a revamped version of What's In Schuman's Mouth, and much more.

The Session returns from its annual Burning Man break this week, as the Brewcasters are joined by El Presidente (a.k.a. Tom Kehoe), the founder of Philadelphia's Yards Brewing Company. Tune in to catch the story of a true industry OG, and experience vicariously via your radio his journey from brewing in his college dorm room to the mid-Atlantic craft beer empire he has built since starting Yards in 1994. This episode also features a conversation with Paul Sangster (now of Rip Current Brewing in Southern California), a new match-up in the Brewcaster Challenge, and much more.

This week, The Session concludes part III of the Brewcaster Challenge: Doc versus Jon Plise. Tune in to see who has brewed the better Roggenbier, as we cover the techniques and ingredients used by each brewer and vote on the winner. This episode also features the rain-checked interview of brewmaster Damian "Damo" McConn of Minnesota's Summit Brewing Company, this week's Beer News, and much more.

This week, The Session is stoked to welcome the oft-requested Block 15 Restaurant and Brewery to the show. Founder/brewmaster Nick Arzner joins the Brewcasters for a discussion about his brewery's founding, his penchant for barrel-aging, and the joys of operating in vibrant downtown Corvallis, Oregon. This episode also features this week's Beer News, another delectable Moonlight Mead tasting, and much more.

This week on The Session, the Brewcasters are joined by New York Times bestselling author Sandor Katz. His latest literary work The Art of Fermentation: An In-Depth Exploration of Essential Concepts and Processes from Around the World has been called the most comprehensive guide to all facets of home fermentation ever published. From sauerkraut to yogurt, vegetables to mold cultures, and of course beer, don't miss this fascinating conversation with a living legend of food literature.

The Session has been on the air for more than eight years, and Brendan Moylan has never done the show. How can this be? We don't know. In this episode, that fact goes up in flames. From his storied homebrewing history to his current brewing and distilling operations at Moylan's Brewery and Marin Brewing Company, Brendan and his crew continue to ride the cutting edge of libation innovation and add to the lore of the Moylan name. Tune in to catch this long-awaited conversation with one of the true legends of the Bay Area craft beer scene.

This week on The Session, old friend Rodger Davis joins the BN crew in-studio. Tune in to catch the saga of the opening of Faction, Rodger's new brewery in Alameda, California, as they gear up for their first brew. You will also hear the announcement of the next match-up in the Brewcaster Challenge, this week's Beer News, an all-new Stump the Stoner, and much more..

After an awesome six days in Philadelphia for BNA 8 and the National Homebrewers Conference, the BN crew returns to Earth to broadcast an all-new episode of The Session! This week marks the conclusion of the second Brewcaster Challenge: Nathan Smith versus Tasty McDole. Tune in to see who has brewed the better Witbier, as we cover the techniques and ingredients used by each brewer and vote on the winner. This episode also features a conversation with 2013 Ninkasi winner David Barber, another delicious Moonlight Mead tasting, and much more.

The Session's all-Pennsylvania June continues with its last broadcast heading into NHC Philly! Joining the Brewcasters this week is Bill Covaleski, the brewmaster and president of Downingtown's Victory Brewing Company, one of the cornerstone breweries of the modern craft beer movement. Founded in 1995 by Bill and childhood friend Ron Barchet, Victory has gone from under 2,000 barrels in its first year to more than 93,000 in 2012, and is category-defining with much of what they produce. Don't miss this great conversation with one of the true pioneers of the industry. This episode also features the latest in the Brewcaster Challenge, this week's beer news, and much more.

This week on The Session, the Brewcasters are joined by Colorado Boy Pub and Brewery owner Tom Hennessy, a man who has quietly been one of the most influential figures in the craft brewing movement over the past quarter century. From his 1995 cult-classic Frankenbrew, to his six (six!) separate brewpub ventures, to his most recent literary work A Brewery Operations Manual, Tom knows how to guide anyone through the maze of steps to open a microbrewery. The Session's all-Pennsylvania June continues with this episode as well, as the Brewcasters speak to the proprietors of McGillin's Olde Ale House, Philadelphia's oldest continuously operating tavern.

Welcome to The Brewing Network's all-Pennsylvania June in honor of NHC Philly! This week on The Session, the Brewcasters welcome Joe Sixpack (a.k.a. Don Russell), the man behind the long-running beer column found in the Philadelphia Daily News. He's also one of the founding fathers and executive director of Philadelphia Beer Week, which has quickly developed a reputation as the best beer week there is. Is it true? Tune in to find out. This episode also features a recap of Firestone-Walker's second Invitational, the latest in the Tasty-Doc Dortmunder experiment, a Savor NYC ticket giveaway, this week's beer news, and much more.

The Session airs on Tuesday night this week with Tom Acitelli, author of the new book The Audacity Of Hops. Tune in to hear Tom's take on the explosion of craft breweries in America, from one in 1975 to the more than 2,500 today that have upended the big beer giants and forever altered the drinking habits of tens of millions of people. This episode also features another delicious Moonlight Mead tasting, the latest Brewcaster Challenge updates, this week's beer news, an interview with our friends from The Trophy Fire, and much more.