Beer Podcasts

It seems like every month a new conversation is struck on the most popular beer forums where people are looking for the best beer podcasts. As a semi-podcaster that's been around for a few years, I feel like I can help a bit with the quest.

Your first stop (perhaps your only) would be to check out www.beersafari.com. Here you'll find a collection of some of the best beer podcasts all under one feed. Who's there? To begin there is the pioneer in beer podcasting, the Good Beer Show, along with popular shows like Craft Beer Radio. Heck, there's even a great food/beer show called My Life as a Foodie. These podcasts and many more are delivered to your computer and you only need to subscribe to one feed. How cool is that?

Notable shows not on Beer Safari include Basic Brewing Radio (and Video) and The Brewing Network. Both of these shows are great, informative and entertaining - be sure to check them out as well.

Weekend Listening

I've been wanting to do this for some time, but today's the first day I've actually gotten around to it. I'd like to start a Friday afternoon post for the podcast of the week, the show I found most entertaining. Oh, and I won't just plug my own show, promise.

This weekend, give a listen to My Life As a Foodie, hosted by Phil N. His show this week focuses on Blinis & Duvel, but also covers a broader array of topics - FDA, Supermarkets vs Farmers Markets and more.

I've appreciated Phil's food-centric personality for a couple years. I was first introduced to him through his other podcast, Dude Night, a top-quality beer show (highly entertaining).

Listen to show
Visit website

BeerCaster's Christmas

When not writing on this blog or working for a magazine, I try to find time to create beer-based podcasts, and I'm not alone. This year for the Holidays a group of beer podcasters, friends, got a brilliant idea to do a video podcast beer exchange, and I was happy to be a part of that. I put our piece in without Mark and Mike because of time considerations, certainly wish I could have delayed my part a few days to get their input on this - but there's always next year.

Below is the video, if you're interested. It does contain strong language, beer consumption and one guy gets slapped. It also contains a lot of humor, well wishes and another illustration of the diversity and good-nature of those who love good beer.

I sent a few beers out to Muncie, Indiana, for the good folks of the Good Beer Show, headed by JeffreyT and received a wonderful beer from the guys at The Beer Report. You'll also get to see the guys from Craft Beer Radio, Should I Drink That, Speaking of Beer, Dude Night, Brain Gravy and Big Foamy Head. We are all part of Beer Safari.

2007 Winter Beer Tasting

This weekend saw the third annual SOBER Winter Beer Tasting, a gathering of good friends, food and the newest round of Winter beers on the shelves. The tasting featured 14 beers for competition, and a few beers from years past we have been holding on to. The event is pretty well organized, I suppose the fact that many of us judge at competitions throughout the year helps with that, and all beers are judged blind. This is not a sanctioned event by any means, but we do take notes and keep score, awarding 1st, 2nd and 3rd place awards for top finishers.

The Beers:
Frambozen, by New Belgium
Santa's Butt, by Ridgeway
Jubelale, by Deschutes
Noel, by Scaldis
Winter Solstice, by Anderson Valley
Vintage 2007, by Gulden Drak
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year, by Anchor
2 Degrees, by New Belgium
Doppelbock, by Sudwerk
Celebration, by Sierra Nevada
Noel, by Affligem
Winter Ale, by Alaskan
Bad Elf, by Ridgeway
Brown Shugga, by Lagunitas

The Results
I won't get into a blow by blow account of the beers, but there were many surprises - beers that did well in the past that just weren't up to snuff, the winners the new look at beers we thought we knew. On that last point, we do a few blind tastings a year as a group and there is simply no better why to be honest about the beers you know best, no devotion to a product based on a label. I, for one, have enjoyed a few pints of one particular brand this season - to my surprise because I didn't like it last year. Well, when I had it blind, with only a number, it just wasn't what I remembered - and that was the general consensus.

So, in an attempt to keep this a bit short (I'm a bit tired tonight), I'll just pass on the results.

Affligem Noel - Honorable Mention
Scaldis Noel - Honorable Mention
Sierra Nevada Celebration - Third Place
Anchor Christmas - Second Place
Sudwerk Doppelbock - Best of Show

The scores for the final round were pretty freaking tight, meaning all the beers listed above were very good. There was a bit of debate in our BOS round about the number 2 and 3 order, because we found the Celebration to be a beer we could drink more of, but Anchor's offering was just so... Christmasy, which earned it a couple points to edge out Celebration. The Doppelbock by Sudwerk was just a treat. It wasn't everyone's 'favorite' beer, but when the scores were all averaged out, it was clear that everyone thought it was a top three beer - everyone.

I was more than a little disappointed in the showing by last year's winners, specifically Alaskan Winter Ale, Anderson Valley's Winter Solstice and Lagunitas' Brown Shugga. These beers just didn't do it for anyone in attendance. Luckily, we had a few bottles of the 2006 Brown Shugga to sip on when things were all done, a welcomed treat for all of us.

If you're so inclined, or if you'd like to hear the reactions from the tasting, check out the audio from the day - at under an hour this is heavily condensed and fairly manageable to get through.

Special Thanks
A big thanks to the SOBER crew there in attendance: Mike and Terri, Mark (beer geek), Jeff (radio personality and owner/host of Wild West Radio), Jose, Bob, Amy, Jay and Linda, Brian (owner/brewer at Auburn Ale House) my lovely wife Tracy - I can't wait for our Barleywine tasting in February.