Episode 26 of Tap the Craft invites Robert (@TPSSponge) from the community to talk about his craft beer journey. Be prepared to get an inside look into Robert’s passions and life experiences. We also have a chance to share our tasting notes of some beers he kindly gifted to us...MacLeod The Little Spree and Jackie Tar, as well as the Lost Abbey Track #10 Bat Out of Hell. Prepare for our next episode where we do our tasting notes with the Victory Brewing Hop Devil IPA by grabbing a bottle or six to taste along with us.

Our Belgian Style Review Part 2 is the main focus of Episode 25 of Tap the Craft and get the scoop on Belgian Holy and Sour ales. Find out why you will see more Bourbon barrel beers than whiskey barrel beers as we answer a listener question. We also discuss the details behind starting a fantasy beer league in your area. Join us for our tasting notes with the Anchor Brewing Anchor Steam Beer, as well as learn a little about the California Common beer style. Go grab a bottle or six and taste along with us.

Episode 24 of Tap the Craft is a special show featuring our first community spotlight segment with Victor Johnson (@vicjohUSMC86) from The 40cast. We interview Vic and learn about his craft beer journey. We also get a first hand look into the 2015 Homebrew Conference in San Diego as John talks about the unique beers he was able to try. For episode 25 we will be tasting the Anchor Brewing Anchor Steam Beer...so go out and pick up a six pack so you can taste along with us.

It’s Episode 23 of Tap the Craft and we virtually head to Belgium to discuss the awesome Belgian ale styles. Learn about the Wit, Saison, Dubbel, Tripel and Strong ale styles. We answer a listener question concerning the difference between a session and a saison. Join along in the tasting of the Tripel Karmeliet by Brouwerij Bosteels to round out your Belgian beer lesson.

In Episode 22 Tap the Craft celebrates the Memorial Day week by honoring veterans who have given the ultimate sacrifice to protect our freedoms and lifestyles. We discuss several new and noteworthy beers and give our picks for good picnic and BBQ beers. We add our two cents to a couple news articles to round off the show. You can prepare to participate in our listener participation tasting notes segment for episode 23 by picking up a bottle of Tripel Karmeliet by Brouwerij Bosteels and tasting right along with us.

Legal at last...yes, Tap the Craft has finally made it to Episode 21. We celebrate our 21st birthday by drinking our homebrew creation the Luce Cannon, a Belgian Dark Strong Ale weighing in at 11% ABV and serving up a healthy dose of dark fruits. We spend some time discussing bottle sharing including the different type of events, the pros and cons as well as some etiquette. We answer several listener questions like the risks of beer trading, Untappd spamming and the effects of beer on your tummy. We also discuss the upcoming beer gadget called Fizzics that can enhance the head and foam on your beer and the upcoming independent documentary Blood, Sweat and Beer: The Movie. You can also participate in our listener participation tasting notes segment by picking up a six pack of Red Hook ESB and tasting right along with us.

Episode 20 of Tap the Craft discusses what makes a beer adjunct and the different ingredients that are mashable or kettle adjuncts. We also discuss the upcoming beer gadget called Fizzics that can enhance the head and foam on your beer. You can prepare for Ep21 listener participation tasting notes segment by picking up a six pack of Red Hook ESB...go get some now.

Want to learn how to travel with your craft beer? Well Episode 19 of Tap the Craft discusses the methods to take to ensure your beer arrives safely and your clothes stay fragrance free. We also have a listener participation tasting notes segment with the Stone Brewing IPA. And John has a secret Check it Out segment...well not so secret now...he discusses the “So You Want to Start a Brewery?: The Lagunitas Story” book. The Kindle Edition can be found on Amazon for only $1.99, so go get it!

It’s Episode 18 of Tap the Craft and this episode is dedicated to listener provided questions. We discuss the variety of ways to serve up your craft beer as well as going into a little more detail on growlers. Prepare for our next episode listener participation tasting notes segment by grabbing a six pack of the Stone Brewing IPA.

Water, water, water...believe it or not, water plays a very important part in the brewing process. In Episode 17 of Tap the Craft John and Denny talk about the science of water in brewing and how the minerals found in the water can contribute to the flavor and overall experience of a beer. We answer a few listener questions and talk about a news article announcing the 2014 craft beer statistics and breaking the double digit market share milestone. Our listener participation tasting notes segment for this episode is with the Lagunitas Brewing Pils...so go grab yourself a bottle or six and drink along with us.

It’s all about yeast in Episode 16 of Tap the Craft. John and Denny talk about the different types of yeast strain and how they contribute to the flavor and overall experience of a beer. We also discuss a couple beer related news articles about the 19 Types of Beer Snobs and the 27 Essential Coffee beers. Our listener participation tasting notes for Ep16 is with Lagunitas Pils...so prepare for it by grabbing yourself a bottle or six and drink along with us.

In Episode 14 of Tap the Craft we break down the malting process and discuss how the use of malt can affect the beer flavor, aroma and color. We also discuss the difference between base and specialty malts and provide details on some of the most commonly used. We also discuss our take on the Budweiser controversial Super Bowl commercial and about the AB InBev inquisition of Elysian Brewing. Our listener participation tasting notes for Ep15 will be with Widmer Brother’s Hefeweizen...so prepare to grab yourself a bottle or two and drink along with us.

Learn about the beer brewing process in Episode 13 of Tap the Craft. This episode focuses on educating the listener on the brewing process so you can understand the stages when discussed in future shows. We also have our listener participation tasting notes with Deschutes Brewery’s Black Butte Porter...so grab yourself a bottle or two and drink along with us.

In Episode 12 of Tap the Craft John and I pull off a “fluffer” show covering the nifty craft beer items we received for Christmas as well as our craft beer highlights of 2014. Prepare for Episode13 listener participation tasting notes and grab yourself a six pack of Deschutes Brewery Black Butte Porter and drink along with us.

Episode 11 of Tap the Craft is food heavy, discussing the use of beers in marinades and holiday desserts. We also talk about pairing beer with hamburgers and hot dogs, as well as provide a website (homebrewchef.com) for more recipes to try. Grab yourself a New Belgium Brewing Fat Tire Amber Ale and drink along with us for the listener participation tasting notes section.

Episode 10 of Tap the Craft is devoted to answering all the listener submitted questions since the last episode. We discuss the use of hops in beers such as wet/fresh hopped beers as well as the techniques of hop bursting and dry hopping a beer. We uncover a beer cleansing technique and discuss the digestive benefits of beer. Discover a plethora of beer cocktails to try at home in our Brew Buzz segment. Prepare for our listener participation tasting notes segment in episode 11 by picking up a bottle or six of New Belgium’s Fat Tire Amber Ale.

Learn how to select and store craft beer for cellaring in Episode 9 of Tap the Craft. Last episode we focused on beer freshness, and in this episode we explain the ins and outs of beer cellaring. We also answer a listener provided question concerning pairing beer with food. Grab yourself a North Coast Old Rasputin Russian Imperial Stout and drink along with us for the listener participation tasting notes.

Episode 8 of Tap the Craft focuses on beer freshness. Learn about oxidation and “skunked” beer and how to prevent these conditions from ruining your craft beer drinking experience. We also discuss the news of 10 Barrel Brewing being bought by big beer company Anheuser-Busch InBev. Prepare for Ep9 listener participation tasting notes with the North Coast Old Rasputin Russian Imperial Stout...so grab a bottle or two!

Find out what makes a brewery “craft” in Episode 7 of Tap the Craft. We discuss the beer style Winter Warmer or Winter Ales and provide a number of good beers to try. We also review our tasting notes of Deschutes Brewery Jubelale and we invite our listeners to taste along with us. Prepare for Ep9 (two shows away) listener participation tasting notes with the North Coast Old Rasputin Russian Imperial Stout.