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.

In Episode 6 of Tap the Craft we discuss the art of pouring the perfect beer. We also answer a listener question concerning how to decode the ABV value found on a beer and turn it into US serving units. We even take the ABV lesson and apply it to blood alcohol content estimations for your reference. Prepare for Ep7 listener participation tasting notes with Deschutes Brewery Jubelale winter warmer.

Be prepared for a lengthy show with Episode 4 of Tap the Craft. John and I had the best intentions of keeping the show on task at less than 60 minutes, but failed as we had just too much to talk about. We went into detail on common glassware used to enjoy quality craft beer as well as discuss tasting notes of Sierra Nevada Pale Ale and discuss Denny’s New Year’s resolution to drink more lagers and pilsners, highlight some key craft beer industry news and discuss a few noteable beers we tried.

Be prepared for a pleasant surprise in episode 3 of Tap the Craft. I am pleased to announced the addition of my buddy John Ream to second chair and provide the missing element. John is not only well informed on craft beer, but he is also an award winning homebrewer that will be able to complement my lack of brewing experience.

In episode 2 of Tap the Craft we go a little review heavy with beer reviews of 10 Barrel Brewing Company’s Beer No. 2, Stone’s collaboration with Beechwood and Heretic Unapologetic IPA and Farias Clara Helles Lager from Full Sail Brewing. Other key topics include an in depth discussion on using your nose during a beer tasting, we define the brew styles Helles Lager, Cascadian Dark Ale and Double IPA, provide a bit of insight into a few other craft beers I tried recently and have on deck, as well as dive into my history with IPAs and check out the 99 Bottles of Beer Journals by 33 Books Co.