Davis On Draft: A podcast about great craft beer

Warm Weather Beers

podcast@davisondraft.com — Sun, 13 Jul 2008 16:00:00 CST

Summer is definitely here, and it's time to try out some beers suited perfectly for the warm weather. Forget those mass-produced, "coldest beer ever", canned pieces of junk, we're talking real craft beer that's full of great taste and refreshing in the heat as well. These beers are perfect out on the porch, by the pool, after a day in the yard - anytime! Don't think that refreshing, quaffable beers can't have flavor - they definitely can! Join us this week as we check out a few! Sampled this week: Saint Arnold Spring Bock, Saint Arnold Summer Pils and Upland Maibock.

Christmas in July

podcast@davisondraft.com — Sun, 06 Jul 2008 16:00:00 CST

Ho ho ho! It's Christmas...in July! This week, we're trying out beers we've had in our cellar for about 7 months, since Christmas, and seeing how they held up. As an added bonus, all the beers sampled this week have Christmas-themed names, courtesy of the brewery, Ridgeway, out of England. Join us this week as we check out these festive beers in a combination Seasonal/Brewery spotlight. Got a favorite beer from your region? Send it our way and we'll try it on the show! Email us at podcast [at] davisondraft [dot] com. Sampled this week: Ridgeway: Santa's Butt Porter, Bad Elf, and Lump of Coal.

Brewery Spotlight: New Belgium Brewery

podcast@davisondraft.com — Sun, 29 Jun 2008 16:00:00 CST

We've been waiting in Tennessee for awhile, and it's finally here - beer from New Belgium brewery! One of the most requested beers in Nashville, Fat Tire, has finally arrived this past week, and we're checking out the offerings on this special brewery spotlight. Unfortunately, we're only getting three of New Belgium's beers here in our state, but this week we try all three and see what we think. Fat Tire has a huge reputation among many people, but is it justified? Listen in as we give our thoughts on this widely talked about beer, as well as two other offerings from the brewery. Got a favorite beer from your region? Send it our way and we'll try it on the show! Email us at podcast [at] davisondraft [dot] com. Sampled this week: New Belgium: Mothership Wit, Fat Tire Amber Ale, and 1554 Enlightened (Brussels) Black Ale.

Brewery Spotlight: Three Floyds

podcast@davisondraft.com — Sun, 22 Jun 2008 16:00:00 CST

This week, we're taking a look at one of the Midwest's great breweries - Three Floyds. Special thanks to Jeff for mailing us several bottles of Three Floyds' beer so we could do this show. We can't get their beer here in Nashville, and what a shame - this is some incredible stuff. As usual, we taste three of their beers, talk a bit about the brewery, and have the usual chit chat and rants and raves. This week, we also answer some email from some not-so-happy listeners - you want to make sure to tune in! Don't miss this episode, with some of the best beer we've had on this show yet! Got a favorite beer from your region? Send it our way and we'll try it on the show! Email us at podcast [at] davisondraft [dot] com. Sampled this week: Three Floyd's: Alpha King Pale Ale, Christmas Porter and Dreadnaught IIPA.

Beer and Sushi

podcast@davisondraft.com — Sun, 15 Jun 2008 16:00:00 CST

More food and beer pairing! This week, it's an odd one - Sushi and beer. Forget the junk they normally serve in your local sushi joint, pair some real craft beer with it! We talk all about pairing with sushi, try three different styles, and talk about getting over the notion of pairing strange foods and beers together with some good food/beer pairing tips. Make sure to tune in! Got a favorite beer from your region? Send it our way and we'll try it on the show! Email us at podcast [at] davisondraft [dot] com. Sampled this week: Boulder Beer Co. Sweaty Betty Blonde, Schlafly Unfiltered Wheat, and Spanish Peaks White ale.

Fruit Beers

podcast@davisondraft.com — Sun, 08 Jun 2008 16:00:00 CST

Fruit and beer - seldom would you think of the two together. However, this week, we're taking it on and looking at this ever increasingly popular "style" of beer. Noot to be confused with just throwing an orange slice in your Hefeweizen, we're talking about real fruit beers - beers that are brewed intentionally to include fruit. As these become more and more popular, and they are more prevelent on the craft beer scene, you'll need to know what to stear clear of and what to seek out. We'll let you know on this episode. ot a favorite beer from your region? Send it our way and we'll try it on the show! Email us at podcast [at] davisondraft [dot] com. Sampled this week: Dogfish Head Festina Peche, Great Divide Wild Raspberry Ale, and Fort Collins Major Tom's Pomegranate Wheat.

Region Spotlight: Germany

podcast@davisondraft.com — Sun, 01 Jun 2008 16:00:00 CST

This week, we're heading across the ocean to one of the most famous beer lands out there - Germany. We sample three beers from Germany and talk about various points regarding German brewing history and heritage, including a discussion about the Reinheitsgebot (German Purity Law) and whether or not it could be responsible for the recent decline in German beer popularity. Nonetheless, German is a giant in brewing history and there are some amazing beers coming out of this region. Join us this week as we talk about them, and taste them. ot a favorite beer from your region? Send it our way and we'll try it on the show! Email us at podcast [at] davisondraft [dot] com. Sampled this week: Weihenstephaner Korbinian (Bock), Julius Echter Hefe-Weissbier Hell, and Aventinus Doppelbock.

BBQ and Beer II

podcast@davisondraft.com — Sun, 25 May 2008 16:00:00 CST

For the second year in a row, we celebrate pairing BBQ and beer together on this Memorial Day weekend. Last year, we explored several pairings, and we're doing the same this year, with three beers and various types of BBQ. Wetalk about the basics of food and beer pairing again, and give you some guidelines to pairing beer with this summer staple. Make sure you've got some beer and BBQ in front of you when you listen - this show is guaranteed to make you thirsty AND hungry! ot a favorite beer from your region? Send it our way and we'll try it on the show! Email us at podcast [at] davisondraft [dot] com. Sampled this week: Sweetwater Georgia Brown, North Coast Brewing Brother Thelonious, and Klosterbrauerei Ettal Curator Doppelbock.

Brewery Spotlight: Stone Brewing Company

podcast@davisondraft.com — Sun, 18 May 2008 16:00:00 CST

One of the giants in craft brewing - Stone Brewing - is our subject this week. We're taking a close look at the brewery to see what they're all about. If you're familiar with these guys, you know their M.O. is all about big. Read the label on Arrogant Bastard, and it speaks for itself. We've got three of their beers today, including an A/B test between the regular Arrogant Bastard and the Oak-Aged version. Don't miss it! ot a favorite beer from your region? Send it our way and we'll try it on the show! Email us at podcast [at] davisondraft [dot] com. Sampled this week: Stone IPA and Stone Arrogant Bastard (Regular and Oak Aged)

American Pale Ales

podcast@davisondraft.com — Sun, 11 May 2008 16:00:00 CST

Almost no other style is more associated with the craft beer movement than the American Pale Ale. This staple of modern brewing is so popular here in the states, almost every brewery here has some version of the style. Showcasing an American approach to English Pale Ales, with more vibrant flavors and more intensity, these beers embody what the American craft beer movement is all about. Join us this week as we check out this cornerstone style and explore the various ways this style is approached. Got a favorite beer from your region? Send it our way and we'll try it on the show! Email us at podcast [at] davisondraft [dot] com. Sampled this week: JW Dundee's American Pale Ale, BBC American Pale Ale, Rogue Seahorse Pale Ale

Cinco De Mayo Celebration!

podcast@davisondraft.com — Sun, 04 May 2008 16:00:00 CST

It's Cinco De Mayo! Join us as we celebrate this week with beers fit for the occasion. Instead of drinking the macro swill for your celebration this year, partake in some great craft beers! We'll get you started with three that are (we think) appropriate for the occasion. Remember, regardless of how you celebrate, be safe! Got a favorite beer from your region? Send it our way and we'll try it on the show! Email us at podcast [at] davisondraft [dot] com. Sampled this week: Big River Vienna Lager, Spanish Peaks Black Dog Ale and Yazoo Dos Perros.

Region Spotlight: California

podcast@davisondraft.com — Sun, 27 Apr 2008 16:00:00 CST

This week, we're taking a look at the West Coast of the U.S. in a show dedicated to one of the largest, and wackiest, states in the nation - California. No stranger to the craft beer world, California is brimming with tons of breweries, and many of them are quite famous. It all started in this state with Anchor Brewing, and has grown like wildfire since then. This week, we take a look at three breweries, all quite famous, and try their wares. As far as craft beer goes, this state is no slouch. Enjoy! Got a favorite beer from your region? Send it our way and we'll try it on the show! Email us at podcast [at] davisondraft [dot] com. Sampled this week: Sierra Nevada ESB (Early Spring Beer), North Coast Brewing Old Plowshare Stout, and Stone Ruination IPA.

Brewery Spotlight - Hitachino Nest

podcast@davisondraft.com — Sun, 20 Apr 2008 16:00:00 CST

Halfway around the world in Japan, there sits a brewery that puts out great craft beer. Hitachino Nest (actually just the name of the brand - the brewery is the Kiuchi Brewery) is the subject of this week's show, and we're checking out three of their many offerings. These beers are definitely interesting, ranging from a ginger beer to an espresso stout, and that's not including their Red Rice beer - basically Sake with beer yeast! Regardless, we find out that the stuff coming out of this brewery is top notch, and give our full critique this week. Got a favorite beer from your region? Send it our way and we'll try it on the show! Email us at podcast [at] davisondraft [dot] com. Sampled this week: Hitachino Nest - Real Ginger Brew, Classic Japanese Ale, and Espresso Stout.

English Pale Ales

podcast@davisondraft.com — Sun, 13 Apr 2008 16:00:00 CST

It's late, but it's here! This week, it's all about English Pale Ales. These beers are great for the spring - light bodied and balanced with a focus on drinkability. Unlike their American counterparts, these beers show less attention toward hop aroma and flavor, and instead put their hop focus into the bittering addition. That said, the malt/hop distribution is much more balanced than those pale ales we know Stateside. Beer news and emails are here as usual, including a special recall notice from Sam Adams. Don't miss it! Got a favorite beer from your region? Send it our way and we'll try it on the show! Email us at podcast [at] davisondraft [dot] com. Sampled this week: Wychwood Scarecrow, Monty Python's Holy Ail, and Samuel Smith's Pale Ale.

Brew Year's Eve Celebration

podcast@davisondraft.com — Sun, 6 Apr 2008 16:00:00 CST

What's Brew Year's Eve? The annual celebration of the return of beer after prohibition! Every year, on April 7th, beer lovers and brewers across the country celebrate this date that commemorates the return of beer in 1933 after a 13 year long "noble experiement" called Prohibition. This week, we're doing the same by honoring three breweries that were around before this dry spell, and made it through to remain very successful today! In addition, we're giving you some facts about prohibition and talking about what it took for these breweries to make it through. Of course, we've got your emails and the top beer new stories of the week as well. Raise a glass and toast this Monday evening to the return of beer! Got a favorite beer from your region? Send it our way and we'll try it on the show! Email us at podcast [at] davisondraft [dot] com. Sampled this week: Anchor Steam Ale, Shiner Bock and Yuengling Black and Tan.

Brewery Spotlight: Saint Arnold II

podcast@davisondraft.com — Sun, 30 Mar 2008 16:00:00 CST

Deja vu! Yes, we've done Saint Arnold before on a Brewery Spotlight - but since we've got oodles of their beer in our cellar, we thought it appropriate to give them yet another look. This time, however, there's a sub-theme: spring beers! All the beers we're tasting this week are perfect for the spring and summer months, with light bodies and easy drinkability. Now, that's not to say they don't have much flavor. On the contrary, these type of beers can often have tons of delicate flavors, balanced perfectly to make a really wonderful beer for the warmer months. Listen in as we try out three more from this brewery, and are surpised at which one we really love! Also, plently of beer news and email, with the usual rants and raves about the craft beer world. Got a favorite beer from your region? Send it our way and we'll try it on the show! Email us at podcast [at] davisondraft [dot] com. Sampled this week: Saint Arnold - Fancy Lawnmower Beer, Texas Wheat, and Amber Ale.

Barleywines II: Cellared Barleywines

podcast@davisondraft.com — Sun, 23 Mar 2008 16:00:00 CST

It's Barleywine season! This week, we take another look at Barleywines (we also did this last year), but taste some cellared versions. As many people know, Barleywines are able to be cellared for quite a while, and it changes their taste quite a bit sometimes. This week, we're trying 3 different ones - from '06, '07 and '08. While it's not a true vertical tasting (only two of three are the same beer), it does shed some great light on how aging affects this style of beer. Also, we give you information on how to properly cellar beers, and how to serve/drink these beers to get the best out of them. Got a favorite beer from your region? Send it our way and we'll try it on the show! Email us at podcast [at] davisondraft [dot] com. Sampled this week: Brooklyn Brewery Monster Barleywine '06, Sierra Nevada Bigfoot Barleywine '07 and '08.

St. Patrick's Day Celebration

podcast@davisondraft.com — Sun, 16 Mar 2008 16:00:00 CST

Ahh, it's that time of year! The holiday that practically revolves around beer - St. Patrick's Day! This week, we're celebrating with beers that are somehow related to the holiday, or to Ireland in general. Now, they're not all from Ireland, but they do all certainly have a link to this particular holiday. If you'd like to hear more detailed information about Irish beers, check out our show from last year around this time. We've got a wide variety of beers this week, and definitely a wide variety of thoughts. Listen in and see what it's all about! Got a favorite beer from your region? Send it our way and we'll try it on the show! Email us at podcast [at] davisondraft [dot] com. Sampled this week: Wexford's Irish Cream Ale, Sam Adams Irish Red Ale, and Schlafly Irish Style Extra Stout.

Region Spotlight - UK

podcast@davisondraft.com — Sun, 10 Mar 2008 16:00:00 CST

This week, we're taking a look at beers from the UK. This area of the world has a very deep and rich history of beer, and several styles of beer have started in this part of the world. The breweries that exist in the UK are sometimes very old and have a long heritage of brewing incredible craft beers. While the current pub scene of the UK is dwindling, these breweries don't stop putting out some great offerings. Join us this week as we try some beers from three breweries in this area and expereince one of our favorite beers yet! Which one? Give it a listen to see! Got a favorite beer from your region? Send it our way and we'll try it on the show! Email us at podcast [at] davisondraft [dot] com. Sampled this week: Young's Special London Ale, J.W. Lees Manchester Star Ale and Burton Bridge Empire IPA.

Vertical Tasting: St. Arnold Divine Reserve Series

podcast@davisondraft.com — Sun, 02 Mar 2008 16:00:00 CST

We've got more St. Arnold beers to try this week, and this time it's a quasi-vertical tasting! We're trying three of St. Arnold's Divine Reserve series, #2, #4 and #5. Now, it's not technically a vertical tasting, as they are different styles, but they are all the same "release" from St. Arnold, and come at different times. It's also not quite a horizontal tasting, because these beers are technically all the same release from the brewery, not discrete styles. Perhaps we'll call it a "diagonal tasting". Regardless of what you call it, it's definitely great stuff! So, we give them a shot and decide what we think. Styles included in this tasting are a Belgian Quad, a Wee Heavy and an Imperial Stout. Also, a beer quiz we recommend you check out and our scores on it! Check it out! Got a favorite beer from your region? Send it our way and we'll try it on the show! Email us at podcast [at] davisondraft [dot] com. Sampled this week: St. Arnold Divine Reserve 2, 4 and 5.

Brewery Spotlight: Boulevard Brewing

podcast@davisondraft.com — Sun, 24 Feb 2008 16:00:00 CST

This week, it's all about Boulevard Brewing out of Kansas City. We were lucky enough to attending a tasting here in Nashville that featured Boulevard and wanted to dedicate a show to learning about and tasting more of their beers. Boulevard makes strong and steady beers that are quite solid. This week, we try three that span a nice range of styles, including one that doesn't even fit into any style in particular. The bottom line: these are great session beers that we'll buy again. Listen to hear more, including our rants about another tasting with some bad information! Got a favorite beer from your region? Send it our way and we'll try it on the show! Email us at podcast [at] davisondraft [dot] com. Sampled this week: (all from Boulevard) Pale Ale, Lunar Ale and Bully! Porter.

Dubbels

podcast@davisondraft.com — Sun, 17 Feb 2008 16:00:00 CST

We're back to normal this week and we're talking all about dubbels! This Belgian style is a standard in most Trappist and Abbey breweries in Belgium, and is quite popular over here in the United States. Slightly lower alcohol percentage than a trippel with caramel, dark fruit and toasted notes make dubbels an excellent quasi-session Belgian beer. This week, we try three different examples (which all actually happen to be from Abbeys) and notice quite a bit of difference between the three. Also, basic information about dubbels, how to pronounce the name of the style, beer news and much more. Make sure to tune in! Got a favorite beer from your region? Send it our way and we'll try it on the show! Email us at podcast [at] davisondraft [dot] com. Sampled this week: Petrus Dubbel Bruin, Grimbergen Dubbel and Maredsous 8.

Beer News and Happenings: Short Form Show

podcast@davisondraft.com — Sun, 10 Feb 2008 16:00:00 CST

This week, we've got a slightly different show. Mollie's down for the count with the flu and Justin's got some allergy issues. Even still, we wanted to bring a show to you, and there's definitely plenty to talk about. All sorts of news and happenings in the beer world this week, and we discuss them on this shorter show. We'll be back to normal next week with a full show all about Dubbels. Enjoy this week's news recap! Got a favorite beer from your region? Send it our way and we'll try it on the show! Email us at podcast [at] davisondraft [dot] com.

Brewery Spotlight - Saint Arnold Brewery

podcast@davisondraft.com — Sun, 03 Feb 2008 16:00:00 CST

It's another brewery spotlight this week, thanks to beer submitted to us by Sam, one of our listeners. Sam sent us a box of Saint Arnold beer from Houston, TX and this week we start in on giving it a try with three of their beers. We try a nice variety across their offerings and it certainly gives us a good idea of what this brewery is all about. Tune in to find out what we thought of their beer, including our thoughts about IPAs being the benchmark style for judging a brewery. Very special thanks to Sam for all the beer he sent in! Got a favorite beer from your region? Send it our way and we'll try it on the show! Email us at podcast [at] davisondraft [dot] com. Sampled this episode: Saint Arnold Elissa IPA, Saint Arnold Brown Ale, and Saint Arnold Christmas Ale.

Mollie's Favorite Style: IPAs

podcast@davisondraft.com — Sun, 27 Jan 2008 16:00:00 CST

This week, it's Mollie's birthday and we check out some beers from her favorite style - IPAs! We sample three IPAs on the show, all submitted by one of our listeners! Special thanks to Brady for the beers he sent our way from Santa Cruz, CA. We give you a brief history of IPAs, talk about quite a bit going on in the beer news world, and see which one of the three IPAs we try is our favorite. There are plenty of hops in this show! If you love IPAs, especially West Coast style, definitely make sure to tune in! Got a favorite beer from your region? Send it our way and we'll try it on the show! Email us at podcast [at] davisondraft [dot] com. Sampled this episode: Seabright Blur IPA, Bear Republic Racer 5 and Moylan's IPA.

Region Spotlight - Northeast

podcast@davisondraft.com — Sun, 20 Jan 2008 16:00:00 CST

This week, we take a look at beers just from the Northeast. This region of the United States has some major powerhouse breweries and we sample beers from three of them this week. Brewers like Sam Adams, Dogfish Head, Ommegang, and Victory are all from this area and set the stage for some serious beer culture. Plus, we take a look at more great beer news, read a ton of listener emails and play a clip from us being talked about on The Brewing Network! Make sure to check this one out! Email us at podcast@davisondraft.com.

One Year Anniversary Show!

podcast@davisondraft.com — Sun, 13 Jan 2008 16:00:00 CST

One year - wow! A year ago this week, we decided to create a podcast about craft beer and call it Davis on Draft. Now, a year later, we take a look back at the highlights from the past 52 shows, talk about the best and worst beers we've had on the show and reflect on all the people we've met over the past year. It's certainly been a busy and exciting year! Also, we take a look at Davis on Draft by the numbers and give you all kinds of stats you probably don't care much about! In addition to all this, we sample three of our favorite beers from the past year and talk about them again. We want to give all of you a big thank you for continuing to support the show. We love bringing it to you, and hope you enjoy listening as much as we enjoy talking. Here's to a great 2008! Cheers!

Brewery Spotlight - Highland Brewing Company

podcast@davisondraft.com — Sun, 06 Jan 2008 16:00:00 CST

The first show of the new year, and we're kicking off 2008 with a brewery spotlight! This week, we take a look at Highland Brewing from Asheville, NC. Highland puts out a wide variety of styles, distributed in North and South Carolina, Georgia and Tennessee. We try three of Highland's beers this week, with mixed reviews. Two out of the three are great...the other one we're not too sure about. Tune in to find out which one we're not crazy about! Call into the show with your questions and comments: 206-350-8883.

New Years Beers - Beers for celebration

podcast@davisondraft.com — Sun, 30 Dec 2007 16:00:00 CST

The last show of 2007! This week, we're talking all about beers to celebrate with. More specifically, we talk about beers to celebrate the new year. Some of the beers we mention this week are a great one-to-one substitute for Champagne, others are just great beers for any celebration. Whether it's for the new year, or something else you want to celebrate, make sure to tune in and find out which beers to drink! Also this week, we drink something on the show that isn't quite really beer - tune in to find out what! Call into the show with your questions and comments: 206-350-8883.

How to Taste Beer II, 50th Episode Celebration

podcast@davisondraft.com — Sun, 23 Dec 2007 16:00:00 CST

It's Episode #50, and to celebrate, we're doing a live show this week at a local beer and cigar shop - Woody's Smokes and Brews in Franklin, TN. For this show, we decided to do our most popular show to date again - "How to Taste Beer". We take you through how to serve, store, taste and talk about craft beer. We teach you how to write tasting notes, tricks to help you smell and taste better, ways to break down the tasting experience and more. Not only that, it's all done live on location in this great beer shop. If you consider yourself a craft beer lover, you've GOT to hear this show! Call into the show with your questions and comments: 206-350-8883.

Porters

podcast@davisondraft.com — Sun, 16 Dec 2007 16:00:00 CST

We take another look at a particular style this week - porters. Another great winter beer selection, the chocolate and roasty notes in these beers work great in the cold weather. Porters are broken into three sub-styles, and we talk about each of those three today, tasting an example of each. If you love these dark, roasty beers, make sure to tune in this week! Call into the show with your questions and comments: 206-350-8883.

Brewery Spotlight: Fort Collins Brewery

podcast@davisondraft.com — Sun, 09 Dec 2007 16:00:00 CST

This week, we look at another brewery on one of our brewery spotlights. It's Fort Collins Brewery this time, and we sample three of their beers. Listen in to hear Justin and Mollie disagreeing quite a bit during this show, but agreeing that one of the beers this week is spectacular. Fort Collins Brewery is located in Fort Collins, Colorado. Call into the show with your questions and comments: 206-350-8883.

Winter Seasonals

podcast@davisondraft.com — Sun, 02 Dec 2007 16:00:00 CST

It's that time of the year when winter seasonal beers are popping up everywhere. This week, we take a look at several examples of these winter beers and talk about each brewery's approach to this type of beer. Some are spiced, some are roasty, and still others can just be a special IPA or other style that the brewer feels like brewing for this time of year. Suffice to say, winter seasonals are all over the map. Plus, a bunch of beer news and listener emails this week. Call into the show with your questions and comments: 206-350-8883.