Beer Sessions Radio (tm)

Jimmy dials up Michael Roper, Owner/Founder of Hopleaf in Chicago, IL. Michael brings us back to his days working at bars in Detroit, buying one of the roughest bars in the city, moving to Chicago in the 80's, and eventually opening up the renowned Hopleaf. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Jimmy dives deep in conversation with Henry Preiss of Preiss Imports. Henry shares the storied past of Preiss, working with his father, living in Germany, helping to build brands, and much more! -How do your favorite international drinks get to the United States? In a lot of cases (pun intended), by way of Preiss Imports.In 1961, the Preiss family immigrated to Los Angeles from Germany and soon founded Preiss Imports. They are a small, boutique brand that distributes quality international liquors in America. Brew Dog, among other brands, was first introduced to the American market by Preiss Imports.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Jimmy returns to Penn Station to hang at Beer Table with longtime buds Justin Phillips (Beer Table), Noah Levin (Beer Table), and Brandon Hoy of Roberta's. This episode focuses on the importance of water in all things, from beer to pizza dough to our own nutrition. We even have a taste test with multiple water brands. Note: We had some technical difficulties in this recording, so apologies if some parts are hard to understand.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Jimmy travels out West to Lone Tree, Colorado, to visit Jerry Siote of Lone Tree Brewing. We had Jerry on the show in years past, but this is the first time meeting at Lone Tree in person. In this episode, we learn about how they source their high-quality ingredients, water consumption concerns for brewers and farmers alike, the process of training staff, and much more!-Jerry Siote is the Co-Owner and the Director of Brewhouse Operations at Lone Tree Brewing Company. Lone Tree was the first brewery to open in Lone Tree, Colorado in Denver’s South Metro area in 2011, and has remained a local staple for more than a decade. Now deeply rooted in this community, the brewing company is growing friends at its two tasting rooms– the original location near Park Meadows Mall in Lone Tree, and the recently opened Lone Tree Brewing Parker in the heart of Parker, Colorado. Find Lone Tree’s stylistically diverse lineup of canned beers in cans and on draft in Colorado to enjoy with your buds. Visit the brewery online a

Jimmy gets in touch with Ashleigh Carter, Chris Rippe, and Phil Joyce of Bierstadt Lagerhaus in Denver, CO. Ashleigh and Chris are co-owners of Bierstadt, and Phil also owns his own Brewery called Amalgam Brewing, though he contributes to Bierstadt as an assistant brewer. In this episode, we learn about the beginnings of both breweries, the roles of each person behind the scenes, all the work that goes into making a quality/consistent product, and why glassware matters! See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Jimmy reaches out to Ian Goering- Director of Operations at Blue Ox Malthouse in Lisbon Falls, Maine, as well as Matt Hamill- Co-Founder of Red Shed Malting in Alberta, Canada. Fresh off the 8th Craft Malt Cup Awards, Red Shed took home first place this year, as Blue Ox had done in the previous year. In this episode, we learn a ton about both malt houses, including the award-winning malts that they produce.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Jimmy takes a call with David Brodrick, founder of Blind Tiger Ale House, and Robert Hodson of Brooklyn Brewery. David and Robert regale us with stories of NYC's craft beer past, including The Riverrun, d.b.a., The Gingerman, and of course, The Blind Tiger.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Jimmy returns to Kato Sake in Bushwick, NY to chat a bit more with owner Shinobu Kato and also Cory Bonfiglio of Beer Street South. The crew talk about the evolution of New York City Beer Week, Hazey Nigori Sake, drinking abroad, and much more!See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Jimmy kicks off his first episode of 2026 with some dear friends in the cider business: Steve Garwood of Ragged Hill Cider, Eleanor Leger of Eden Specialty Ciders, and Zachary Kaiser of Absolem Cider. This episode's discussion has us gearing up for a special dinner in March, learning about the formation of the New England Cider Association, favorite food pairings, and expanding our understanding of how Northeastern ciders set themselves apart from the rest of the country.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Jimmy hops on a call with Zack of Sobre Masa- a Mexican restaurant and tortilla factory in the heart of Bushwick, NY. In this convo, we learn about traditions in Oaxaca, corn varieties, corn whiskies, and the intricacies of tortilla production from agriculture to machinery. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Jimmy's first episode of the New Year is with guest Brian Alberts, writer and beer historian. Brian teaches us about some remarkable historical events, including the introduction of lager beers in the United States, nationwide court cases, various riots, and old marketing trends claiming that beer is part of a healthy diet.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Jimmy caps off a wonderful year of amazing guests with Tim McKirdy, co-founder of The Coaster - an independent podcast network. On this episode, the duo talk about Tim's early work as a writer/editor at VinePair, the meaning of "splitting the G", Mezcal, the negative impacts of monoculture, and the announcement of Sauced- a new show on The Coaster with HRN's own, Sother Teague!-The CoasterThe Coaster is an independent podcast network founded by Tim McKirdy, former Managing Editor of VinePair and creator/host of the Cocktail College podcast; JP Watson, founder of UK-based independent publisher The Pound Project; and Gabriela Marchand, a veteran drinks publicist and PR strategist.Based in Brooklyn, NY, The Coaster creates podcasts that explore culture through the lens of what we drink. Each show focuses on a different and specific aspect of culture — from food and film to music, literature, and history — revealing the role alcohol plays in shaping the stories we tell and the lives we live.&n

Jimmy takes a call from Jeremy Benson - GM of Crave Fishbar Upper West Side in NYC and Chris DiOrio- Senior Brand Manager for Blue Point Brewing Co. Today's chat is all about oysters. We learn about the history of oysters in NY, beer pairings, oyster farming and competitive shucking! _Jeremy Benson is the General Manager of Crave Fishbar on the Upper West Side. He is an Oyster Master Guild Certified Specialist and currently in the inaugural class to become a certified Oyster Sommelier. He grew up north of Boston and has been in the NYC restaurant business for over 12 years. While always liking oysters, he really fell in love with them slurping back dozens with his wife Channing. He’s greatest accomplishment is his daughter Evan.Christopher DiOrio is a seasoned brand management professional with extensive experience in the brewing industry, currently serving as Senior Brand Manager for Blue Point Brewing Co. and Montauk Brewing Co. at Tilray Brands, Inc. Previously, Christopher held several roles at Anheu

Jimmy speaks with Alex Gill, Cider-maker at Indian Ladder Farms in Altamont, NY (Albany County). Alex shares how he got his start at Indian Ladder, falling in love with cider/cider-making, the history of the farm, and the latest batches he's hyped on. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Jimmy holds court with three judges of Sauce King NYC- Nick Bandouveris and brothers Paul and Anthony Ramirez. The group talk a bit about the Bronx Beer Hall (owned by Paul and Anthony), what they look for when judging, sauces that stood out over the years, making the best Coquito, and announcement of the winners of this year's Sauce King NYC!See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Jimmy takes a call with longtime friend and beer/whiskey writer Lew Bryson. Lew takes us back to his early days as a writer and his affection for beer, the publications he's worked for, cyclical trends that have come and gone, Doppelbocks, Boilermakers, and much more!See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Jimmy takes his talents to Times Square, NYC to have some drinks at BXL Cafe. There, he is joined by BXL owner Yves Michaels, Kyler Pollick from Brewery Ommegang, and frequent guest and brand developer, James Tai. Today's chat is focused on Belgian beer, how to maintain authenticity abroad, the popularity of Duvel, and exceptional mussel preparation. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Jimmy returns to Bushwick, this time visiting Curious Elixirs, aka Club Curious. There, he meets with Gidon Coll of Original Sin Cider, J.W. Wiseman of Curious Elixirs, Lars and Alex of Momentum Brewery. The fellas share their reasons behind exploring non-alcoholic beer/cider, incorporating ingredients that have actual health benefits, and creating a final product that tastes as good, if not better than the real thing. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Jimmy posts up at the Beer Table in Penn Station once more with Noah Levin, this time, with special guest Ryan James Burk from Occam Cider Co. Ryan is a longtime Cider-maker and notable legend in the scene. He shares a bit about his industry beginnings in Chicago, wild fermentation at Virtue, working internationally with Tom Oliver to make the annual "Gold Rush" Cider, joining up with Angry Orchard, and of course, starting Occam Cider Co. on the concept of quality and simplicity.  See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Jimmy gets Josh Bernstein on the line for this week's podcast. Josh is an accomplished beer writer with numerous titles dating back to the early 2000s. The duo discuss Josh's Home Brew tours in the mid-2000s, New York's "Golden Age" of beer, the history of Can Jam at Threes Brewing, and how to get patronage back for breweries. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.