Craft Beer Radio

Discover the fascinating experience and the fundamental taste of umami. Join Charlie Papazian, president of the Brewers Association and founder of the American Homebrewers Association, at this Salon as he reveals the basics of why beer and food often pair and create a "wow" experience. First presented in October 2010 at Slow Food’s Salone del Gusto in Italy, Charlie’s presentation discusses and demonstrate umami character by presenting food and craft beer combinations. The "wow" of food and beer combination is not about their marriage, but rather the "child" which emerges.

SAVOR 2011 brings together Joe Carroll, founder of Brooklyn's famed Spuyten Duyvil & Fette Sau, and Tim Suprise, founder of Arcadia Ales of Battle Creek, to share a unique and tasty perspective for incorporating and enjoying artisanal ales with house-cured charcuterie and world class barbecue.

Smoked meats and house cured charcuterie from Fette Sau (Zagat Rated Best NYC BBQ since 2009) that have been brined, rubbed, cured, sauced and/or prepared with selected Arcadia Ales will be sampled and paired with specific beers to demonstrate the delicious possibilities when brought together in different stages of preparation.

A special tasting of Arcadia's Shipwreck Porter, aged for 22 months in 22 year-old single batch bourbon barrels, will be included, as well as a tasting of a collaboration brew between Fette Sau and Arcadia specifically made for BBQ.

Join Boulevard Brewing Company brewmaster Steven Pauwels as he takes you through a true Midwestern experience, pairing four of Boulevard's award-winning Smokestack Series beers with artisan foods from the brewery's hometown of Kansas City. Learn how different flavor compounds in the beers outshine others when complementing the brews with the right foods. You’ll enjoy Boulevard's limited release Saison-Brett paired with Green Dirt Farm Bossa cheese, year-round favorite Dark Truth Stout paired with Christopher Elbow raspberry chocolate, Imperial Stout with Bobcat Dan's Smoked Cheese, and Long Strange Tripel with Christopher Elbow Sea Salt chocolate.

Firestone Walker Brewing Company takes pride in making exceptional pale ales. The awards they have garnered is proof of their brew team's hard work and skill. Join David Walker, co-founder, as he shares stories and beers from their Pale Series along with a surprise special beer.

Ommegang brewmaster Phil Leinhart joins DC Rising Star Pastry Chef, Tiffany MacIsaac (Birch & Barley/ ChurchKey Pastry Chef ) and Star Chef's DC Rising Star Sommelier Greg Engert (Birch & Barley/ ChurchKey Beer Director and Managing Partner). Greg is one of Food & Wine's Top Sommeliers for 2010 and is the first Beer Sommelier ever recognized by that publication. MacIsaac and Engert constantly hone the cutting edge at the frontier of pairing beer and food, and we promise both your sweet tooth and beer tooth will be celebrated and satiated. No dessert and beer pairing idea will be sacred. Tiffany and Greg will conjure fusion desserts, sweet and savory desserts, ice creams, shakes, and other cold desserts made with – and created to go with – Ommegang's fine Belgian-style ales.

Join Julia Herz of CraftBeer.com/Brewers Association as she moderates and mediates a competition to win the audience’s vote for their favorite pairing. The contenders will be: journalist and craft beer lover Matt Bean of Men's Health and Spike TV, journalist Lauren Buzzeo of Wine Enthusiast (two-time defending champ!), brewer Bill Covaleski of Victory Brewing Company and Adam Dulye, Executive Chef at Monk's Kettle in San Francisco. Presenters cover principles of beer and food pairing and provide take-away attendee resources. The format is quick, to the point, educational and interactive, challenging the audience to think like pairing judges.

Join Fal Allen, the super-creative and innovative Brewmaster at Anderson Valley Brewing Company in Booneville, Calif., as he shares Barrel Aged Sour Barney Flats Oatmeal Stout & Brother David’s Belgian Style Double Ale and pairs them with, you guessed it…mmmm, chocolate.

Karlos Knott of Bayou Teche Bierre in Louisiana and Leslie Henderson of Lazy Magnolia Brewing in Mississippi partner up to bring some southern hospitality, good beer and eats to share with SAVOR attendees. Karlos will share Grenade, their passion fruit wheat beer paired with Prima Donna Gouda cheese, and Boucanee, a cherry wood smoked wheat beer paired with Pinacorda, a Spanish blue cheese.

Scott Vaccarro of Captain Lawrence and Patrick Rue of The Bruery share a love of oak aged beers. It made sense to Scott to invite Patrick to collaborate on this Salon and the audience will reap the benefits of this study in barrel aging with two of the cutting edge breweries making this well-loved style.

Cigar City (Tampa, Fla.) and The Bruery (Orange County, Calif.), two young and up-and-coming breweries, put their heads together to brew something unique that reflects the origins of both breweries. Cigar City is known for many things, and one of them is delicious brown ales and the use of unusual Floridian fruit in their beers. The Bruery is known for a few things as well, and is well regarded for its barrel aged sour beers. Together they’ve brewed Marrón Acidifié, a Flemish-style Imperial Oud Bruin, and ISO:FT, a Flemish-style Imperial Oud Bruin that is also fermented with California dates and Florida pink guava. They will share these beers, as well as some of the beers that inspired Marrón Acidifié and ISO:FT.

Join mad chef Bryan Voltaggio as he offers his insane take on using Flying Dog beer as an ingredient to create mind-altering sensory explosions. The presentation will include basic tips and techniques for cooking with beer; carbonation removal and reinfusion; spherification and the art of turning beer into finger food; reduction and bitterness—the art of balance.

Presented by Jamie Emmerson, Executive Brewmaster, and Irene Firmat, CEO and Founder of Full Sail Brewing Company, Hood River, Oregon.

Wood barrel aging is an art form. When done right, it’s a wonderful thing. Barrel aging beer has been a Full Sail tradition since 1998 when they joyfully discovered what happens when you pair vintage barrels, dedication and patience. Full Sail will offer a rare opportunity to sample three vintages of their Black Gold Bourbon Barrel Aged Imperial Stout from 2006, 2009 and 2011 in a vertical tasting.

Join Peter Egelston, the founder of New Hampshire’s Smuttynose Brewing, as he shares some of the Granite State’s most unique flavors. Peter will present the delicious flavor combinations of various artisanal New Hampshire cheeses paired with a two-year oak aged Baltic Porter and 2011′s hoppy Smuttynose Barleywine. To keep things interesting, there will also be an extremely rare surprise beer.

New Holland Brewing Company’s Beervangelist Fred Bueltmann will delight your senses while he guides you through an indulgent experience, pairing hand-made chocolate truffles with vintage beers from the brewery’s not-so-secret library. Dragon’s Milk barrel-aged stout, Black Tulip trippel and Pilgrim’s Dole wheatwine, among others, offer intrigue and nuance as they age. They will undoubtedly elicit remarkable flavor and character from the chocolates provided by one of the nation’s premier chocolatiers, Gail Ambrosius.

Here’s your chance to hear stories and talk with a pioneer of the craft beer movement who continues to push the limits of creativity. Ken Grossman shares the newly released beer from Sierra Nevada Brewing Co.’s Ovila Abbey Ale series, which closely follows the traditions established by centuries of monastic brewing. The first beer in the Ovila series—a Belgian-style Abbey Dubbel—was released in March and is packaged in 750mL cage-and-cork bottles featuring artwork inspired by the historic Santa Maria de Ovila monastery. Ken will wax philosophical about this new series, their recently celebrated 30 year anniversary and more.

Here’s your second chance to hear stories and talk with a pioneer of the craft beer movement who continues to push the limits of creativity. Ken Grossman shares the newly released beer from Sierra Nevada Brewing Co.’s Ovila Abbey Ale series, which closely follows the traditions established by centuries of monastic brewing. The first beer in the Ovila series—a Belgian-style Abbey Dubbel—was released in March and is packaged in 750mL cage-and-cork bottles featuring artwork inspired by the historic Santa Maria de Ovila monastery. Ken will wax philosophical about this new series, Sierra Nevada’s recently celebrated 30 year anniversary and more. Sure to be a hot ticket!

With over 20 years of smoking his own malt and brewing with smoke, Geoff Larson, founder of Alaskan Brewing Co., knows the smoky palate inside and out. In this salon, Geoff will share a rare treat: a vertical tasting of several years of Alaskan Smoked Porters with samples of his favorite pairings with each vintage.

Join Jim Koch, founder of Boston Beer Company, and Sam Calagione, founder of Dogfish Head Craft Brewery, for an hour of fun and reverie along with some great food and beer pairings, along with discussion of the exclusive beer brewed for Savor 2011, Savor Flowers.

An interview with Trinity Beer Company from Providence Rhode Island on the floor at SAVOR.

An interview with Funkworks Brewery from Fort Collins Colorado on the floor at SAVOR.