Posts
30 November 2012
WILK Friday BeerBuzz - 30 Nov 2012 Stegmaier Porter w/Leo Orlandini
We’ve had some really great local and national guests on the WILK Friday BeerBuzz…from Hawaii to Wilkes-Barre we’ve welcomed some really fun brewers and sampled some great beers. Every so often a guest on our show becomes more than just a great guest…but also a friend….and I’m happy to say I consider our guest today a real friend.
It’s been way too long since we welcomed our pal Leo Orlandini into the studio to feature a great Lion Brewery / Stegmaier Beer but today I think we made up for that absence in he beer we choose. No one knows the history of Lion Brewery and the Stegmaier line of beers like Leo and this beer certainly has a history.
Today we chose to sample what I consider to be the classic Stegmaier beer….Stegmaier Porter. This beer has real history at the brewery, and while it has changed a bit and even gone on hiatus for periods of time, it always seems to return and it always seems to be a beer people just love. 
Stegmaier Porter has a classic American Porter flavor with notes of coffee, chocolate and a real malty backbone. Steg Porter has clean and pleasing roasted finish and an ABV that makes it easy to enjoy more than one. It was a real blast talking about the history of Steg Porter with Leo, but even more exciting to hear that Porter does have a future in the Stegmaier line-up. This is great news and I’m happy we get to report it.
Of course with the winter season upon us, we had to sample the 2012 version of Stegmaier Winter Warmer. Dressed in it’s new packaging this beer not only looks great but tastes great as well. Lots of caramel and toffee flavors, some flavors of dark fruits and a big malty finish…but at 7.8% ABV, keep your eye on this one. 
Thank you to Leo Orlandini from Lion Brewery ,Nancy, John & Joe for yet another
fun Friday.
The Friday BeerBuzz…bringing good beers and good people together.
As always you can check out the video on-line at the WILK Friday BeerBuzz page by clicking HERE.
28 November 2012
Friday BeerBuzz - 30 Nov 2012 - The Teaser
With Black Friday last week, it’s actually been two whole weeks since we did a Friday BeerBuzz. Of course we’re still enjoying the Hop City Barking Squirrel Lager from Hop City and of course we had a great time talking to Deanna Kaminskyj while we sampled both bottles and the new cans. Thanks Deanna!
So what will we be sampling this week? Hint: This week we’re staying local and I can’t believe we have not featured this CLASSIC local beer on the show before!
Tune in at 8:30AM and see what beer we sample on the Friday BeerBuzz on WILK…bringing good beers and good people together. (103.1FM or wilknewsradio.com)
16 November 2012
WILK Friday BeerBuzz - 16 Nov 2012 Hop City Barking Squirrel Lager w/Deanna Kaminskyj
I’m all over the map when I feature beers on the WILK Friday BeerBuzz. Whether it’s a strong stout or a light Helles, we have no boundaries on the show…and today we not only went all over the map but also across the border. Our neighbors to the north have always brewed some great beers, so it’s about time I feature a beer from a Canadian brewery…and so we did.
Today we crossed dover into Brampton Ontario to feature a brewery that started in 2009, and is just getting it’s beers into PA. Hop City Brewery features a Lawnchair Classic Weisse, a Happy Hour Premium Ale, a Mr. Huff Persuasion Pilsner and their flagship beer whish is of course what we featured today.
Barking Squirrel Lager is a traditional Amber Lager that is not only easy drinking, but also has a satisfying medium body & mouth-feel. This beer has a clean almost dry finish and a wonderful hop aroma from the Saaz and Hallertau noble hops on board. As the website says, it’s like a angel (or squirrel) dancing on your tongue, but that’s a good thing. This beer is infinitely drinkable and at 5% ABV and about 25 IBU you’ll be able to do so. 
It was fun to talk to Deanna Kaminskyj from Hop City Brewing Co. today and it was exciting to hear everything going on at Hop City. I was not surprised to hear that Barking Squirrel Lager took home the People’s Choice award as well as Gold and Silver at the 2010 Ontario Brewing Awards…I was however surprised to hear that Barking Squirrel Lager may be heading to 473ml cans in the future. I think this is good news and Barking Squirrel is a perfect beer for cans so stay tuned for future details.
So where did the name Barking Squirrel come from? Well this from Hop City, ”At Hop City, we brew beer because we love it. And in doing so we have created a really really really good recipe we dare you to try. Made with the only the best ingredients, THIS BEER WILL MAKE SQUIRRELS BARK AND GROWN MEN CRY.”
Thank you to Deanna Kaminskyj from Hop City Brewing Co, Nancy, John & Joe for yet another
fun Friday.
The Friday BeerBuzz…bringing good beers and good people together.
As always you can check out the video on-line at the WILK Friday BeerBuzz page by clicking HERE.
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14 November 2012
Friday BeerBuzz - 16 Nov 2012 The Teaser
Last week we woke up Matt Brynildson at 5:30AM in Paso Robles, CA to talk about his latest release. Needless to say Firestone Walker XVI Anniversary Ale was an amazing blend of 8 different beers from 226 barrels and a lot of fun to sip with Matt. We were lucky enough to sample one of the first bottles to make it’s way to the east coast, and we hope to see more of it heading our way in the future.
So what will we be sampling this week? Hint: You may think I’m nuts to go this far for a beer, but you’ll love our beer and our guest too.
Tune in at 8:30AM and see what beer we sample on the Friday BeerBuzz on WILK…bringing good beers and good people together. (103.1FM or wilknewsradio.com)
09 November 2012
WILK Friday BeerBuzz - 9 Nov 2012 Firestone Walker XVI w/Matt Brynildson
We’ve been setting our sight high and reaching further and further to welcome great brew masters on the WILK Friday BeerBuzz. We think Northeastern PA deserves to hear from the best in the brewing world and we’ll stop at nothing to bring you great beer-guests on our show.
Of course today was no exception as we reached out to Paso Robles, CA to welcome our guest. Firestone Walker Brewing has recently entered the PA markets and we’ve recently begun to see their beers available locally, but don’t let that fool you….Firestone Walker is 16-years old!
Firestone Walker opened their doors back in 1996 and have been brewing some really amazing beers. It’s of course no accident that they not only won the GABF Gold in 2011 for their flagship DBA but they repeated that win again in 2012 with DBA again taking Gold at GABF. This is no small feat given how hard it can be to win a single medal let alone back to back gold's.
Today I was excited to welcome the man responsible for much of this medal winning brewing and we happily woke up Firestone Walker brewmaster Matt Brynildson to talk beer. It was a lot of fun catching up on the progress (aka completion) of their new 60bbl Hupman Brewhouse. If you haven’t seen the pictures yet be sure to get online and check them out. The new brewery is gorgeous and I’m talking about the amazing building as well as the equipment itself.
Of course we sampled a beer today with Matt, but not just any beer. Today we sampled Firestone Walker XVI Sixteenth Anniversary Ale. Don’t let the 13% ABV of this beer fool you. This is a really wonderful, flavorful and complex beer…and when I say “complex” I really mean it. Matt outlined how each year a team of brewers and winemakers converge on Firestone Walker to create their anniversary ale blend. XVI consists of 226 barrels and 8 different beers (Velvet Merkin, Stickee Monkey, Double DBA, Parabola, PNC, Helldorado, Bravo & Wookey Jack)…and let me tell you it is amazing. Each sip offers a new and interesting flavor and as the temperature of the beer changes, the flavors became even more complex. Try this beer if you can and you’ll be as amazed as I was.
Thank you to Matt Brynildson from Firestone Walker Brewing, Nancy, John & Joe for yet another
fun Friday.
The Friday BeerBuzz…bringing good beers and good people together.
As always you can check out the video on-line at the WILK Friday BeerBuzz page by clicking HERE.
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07 November 2012
Friday BeerBuzz - 9 Nov 2012 - The Teaser
We always have a great time when the Wyoming Valley Home Brewers join us in the studio, so it was a blast to have Chuck Yarmey & Dan Schreffler join us to sample some great homebrews. Hopefully we dispelled a few myths and hopefully you made it out to the Learn to Homebrew Day last Saturday.
So what will we be sampling this week? Hint: This week we’re waking up a west-coast brewmaster to help him celebrate an Anniversary.
Tune in at 8:30AM and see what beer we sample on the Friday BeerBuzz on WILK…bringing good beers and good people together. (103.1FM or wilknewsradio.com)
02 November 2012
WILK Friday BeerBuzz - 2 Nov 2012 Wyoming Valley Homebrewers w/Chuck Yarmey & Dan Schreffler
Sometimes its not easy trying to sum up weeks of preparation and a 15-minute radio show in a few paragraphs. So much happens in a week and so many details go into 15-minutes of airtime, it just seems impossible to put it to words…well not this week….because this week we’re talking home-brewing!
Today we welcomed Chuck Yarmey and Dan Schreffler into the studio to help promote Learn To Homebrew Day. We’ve had Chuck on the show before and in fact I believe with today’s appearance, Chuck has risen to first place for most appearances on the WILK Friday BeerBuzz….and while Dan may be new to the show he’s not new to beer. Chuck & Dan are not only active homebrewers, but they are very good at it…and even better at teaching it to others….and that’s what brought them on the show today. 
Every year the Wyoming Valley Homebrewers and the Scranton Brewers Guild co-host a Learn To Hombrew Day. The guys (and girls) get together and demonstrate homebrewing. This year the event will be held tomorrow (Nov 3rd) at the Waldorf Park Tiki Club in Scranton from 10AM - 4PM and whether you’re contemplating homebrewing yourself, you’re just interested in learning about it or if you simply want to hang out with a bung of people that love craft beer, this is your day. From 10AM to 4PM there will be a variety of demonstrations and informational sessions, as well as club display and even equipment for sale so DO stop by and check it out.
Stop by on Saturday and you can meet both Chuck & Dan as well as the other homebrewers and ask them how they do it….and I’ll bet they’ll be happy to show you.
Thank you to Chuck Yarmey & Dan Schreffler from the Wyoming Valley Homebrewers, Nancy, John & Joe for yet another
fun Friday.
The Friday BeerBuzz…bringing good beers and good people together.
As always you can check out the video on-line at the WILK Friday BeerBuzz page by clicking HERE.
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