31 May 2013

Friday BeerBuzz - 31 May 2013 Straub Amber, Maibock & IPL w/Bill Brock & Vince Assetta

WILK Friday BeerBuzz - 31 May 2013 - Straub Maibock & Amber w/Bill Brock

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We’ve had some great guests join us on the WILK Friday BeerBuzz…from as far away as Hawaii to just down the road in Plains, but today marked a milestone.  Our guest today traveled further than anyone has so far to join us in the studio to sample  his beers.

Straub Brewery is located in St. Mary’s, PA and while many may know the name, few people know how historic the brewery is.  Opened in 1872, Straub Brewery recently celebrated their 140th anniversary and in the last year they’ve made some really interesting additions to their packaging and beer line-up.  And what better way to learn more about the Straub Brewery and their great beers than to invite Straub Brewery CEO Bill Brock and Brewmaster Vince Assetta into the studio.

It was really interesting to hear the history of the brewery from Bill and how many of the practices and brewing processes started by their founder Peter Straub, are still in place today.  One of my favorites was the tradition Peter started of putting a red band around their wooden kegs as a way of identifying Straub Kegs.  That practice not only continues today with Straub Kegs, but the brewery adopted the color red for much of their marketing materials.

Bill gave us some really cool insight on Straub’s reusable bottles and why they’ve continued that tradition.  He also had a lot to say about the first two All-Malt beers to ever come out of Straub and the direction the brewery will take with them in the future.  Bill gave us some insight on the new Summer Seasonal India Pale Lager coming from Straub this summer and FINALLY someone explained to me the Straub Brewery Eternal Tap! It was also an honor meeting Brewmaster Vince Assetta and getting a chance to sample the new IPL!!
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Of course we sampled some beer today, and what better way to kick it off than with the new All-Malt Straub Maibock.  This beer is loaded with malt flavor and it has a classic clean German hop finish thanks in part to the Liberty & Mt. Hood hops grown from German Hallertau stock.  We also sampled the classic Straub Amber and talked to Bill about it’s new packaging….the new Straub cans.  I’m excited to see Straub Amber, Light & Lager hitting cans and I suspect we’ll see more.

It was a lot of fun talking beer with Bill & Vince and be sure to get out and try some of their beers for yourself.

Thank you to Bill Brock & Vince Assetta from the Straub 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.
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29 May 2013

Friday BeerBuzz - 31 May 2013 - The Teaser

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We had a lot of fun last week sampling Leinenkugel’s Summer Shandy.  While this beer is only about a year old in the Leinenkugel’s line-up, it already accounts for over 40% of their sales and has increased in sales by 90% over 2012.  With a new TV campaign, I suspect this is a beer you will see a lot of.  It was also great fun mixing our own Shandy, and despite our so-so results, I think this is a category of beer you will see a lot more of in the future.

So what will we be sampling this week? Hint: This week we’ll be welcoming a famous historical PA brewery CEO into the studio to sample two of his beers!

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).
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24 May 2013

Friday BeerBuzz - 24 May 2013 Leinenkugel’s Summer Shandy (Video)

WILK Friday BeerBuzz - 24 May 2013 - Leinenkugel’s Summer Shandy

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I’ve never been known for featuring a traditional seasonal beer at the appropriate time on the WILK Friday BeerBuzz…and while sometimes I just prefer to fly in the face of convention, every so often it just seems like we should do it right.  Today we chose to feature a traditional summer beer, with some really interesting historical roots and sample it right as summer appears to be reaching Northeastern PA.

Our beer today was Leinenkugel’s Summer Shady…and I know before I even type that and before I even speak those words on the radio, the craft-beer and anti-Shandy Armies are amassing at my borders…but wait before you slaughter me for featuring such a beer.

First off, realize that the shandy style dates back to 1922 in Germany.  Based on the German Radler, the story goes that a group of cyclists entered a pub in Germany to enjoy a few beers.  Not wanting them to drink and cycle, the bartender began cutting their wheat beers with the only thing he had available….Lemonade.  The style became an instant classic and in fact the word Radler translates to “cyclist” in German.

Jump forward to 2012 and Jacob Leinenkugel’s introduces their Summer Shandy, and while the originals of the word Shandy may come from a different country, the style is a classic Radler.  Summer Shandy is a Wheat Beer with natural lemon flavor and you’ll not only be surprised by how drinkable it really is, but also by how popular it has become.


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Yes I know Jacob Leinenkugel’s is backed by 10th and Blake, the craft beer arm of SAB Miller, but even this will surprise you.  Leinenkugel’s Summer Shandy accounts for 40% of ALL sales coming from Leinenkugels.  The sales for Summer Shandy have increased by 90% in 2012 and this beer is part of the largest TV advertising campaign ever to come from Leinenkugels.  Even though cans and bottles are now available in ALL 50 states…Fasten your seatbelts because I expect you’ll see a lot more of the Summer Shandy Army in the future.

As if that wasn’t enough fun for one show, we decided to make our own Shandy in the South American tradition of cutting beer with lemon-lime soda.  We sampled side by side, and while our base beer was different and our soda was not exactly the same as lemonade, it was still pretty interesting and still pretty drinkable.

No doubt Leinenkugel’s Summer Shandy wins that comparison and despite what you may think of Leinenkugel’s or the Shandy style, I have no doubt you’ll bee seeing a lot more of it.  Try this one for yourself….especially on a hot summer day and see if you agree.

Thank you to, Nancy, LA & 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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22 May 2013

Friday BeerBuzz - 24 Mar 2013 - The Teaser

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I get asked all the time about the annual celebration we fondly know as Philly Beer Week.  So what better way to get the inside scoop than to invite the founder and Executive Director on to last weeks show to give us the 411.  Don Russell (aka Joe Sixpack from the Philadelphia Daily News) was a lot of fun to talk to and even I had not realized how large the list of events had become.  Be sure to check it out and be sure to check out Opening Tap while tickets still last @  phillybeerweek.org.

So what will we be sampling this week? Hint: This week we’ll be sampling a unique style of summer beer with very interesting historic roots AND we’ll be making our own as well!

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).
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17 May 2013

Friday BeerBuzz Dock St/Four Seasons O.P. Yum w/Don Russell aka Joe Sixpack (Video)

WILK Friday BeerBuzz - 17 May 2013 - Philly Beer Week w/Don Russell aka Joe Sixpack

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Every year in May & June the city of Philadelphia goes wild for craft beer.    In an event billed as the largest beer celebration of its kind, the city of Philadelphia becomes a destination for craft beer lovers from around the world, as well as some fairly famous brewers.  As if that’s not enough, I’m not going way out on a limb to say some of the most special and unique beers you’ll ever get to try are brewed and imported specifically for Philly Beer Week. 

Needless to say, this is a beer event you don’t want to miss, especially since it’s right in your back yard!  And in case you’re worried, the festival itself includes literally 1000+ separate festivals, beer dinners, tastings, brewery tours and educational events.  From bars to breweries, Philly Beer Week is loaded with events.  Also, in fine Philly tradition, Philly Beer “Week” actually lasts for 10-days…so there’s something for everyone.  If you’re looking for a schedule of events, check out phillybeerweek.org.

What better way to celebrate Philly Beer Week 2013 than to invite our pal Don Russell, aka Joe Sixpack on to the show.  Don is the Founder and Executive Director of Philly Beer Week, so who better to talk about all of the great events.  Don is a beer writer and has written three beer books, including my favorite, “What The Hell Am I Drinking?”  Don is also known by his Byline “Joe Sixpack” as he writes a weekly beer column for the Philadelphia Daily News where he won GABF Beer Writer of the Year in 2006.
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We sampled a really special and rare beer today…the Dock St / Four Seasons Hotel Philadelphia co brewed OP Yum.  This beer uses Oats, Pomegranate and obviously tastes yummy, but put them all together and you get a little play on the word Opium.  OP Yum is a 5% ABV 30 IBU slightly tart and dry finish and a really refreshing beer.  This beer is the 2nd brew in a series of four beers brewed by Dock St to be exclusively served at the Four Seasons Philadelphia.  On June 6th (at Four Seasons Beer Garden, 5-8pm) as part of Philly Beer Week, Dock ST & Four Seasons will release the next beer in the series, Crackle & Squeeze--a farmhouse beer using Sicilian pink peppercorns, black pepper and Meyer Lemon juice.

We had a great time talking with Don about the history of Philly Beer Week, and it was cool to hear how it all got started. It was also a lot of fun getting Don’s insight on Philly Beer Week events…and be SURE to check into Opening Tap as tickets ARE still available!

Thank you to Don Russell (aka Joe Sixpack), Nancy, John & Jake 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.

15 May 2013

Friday BeerBuzz - 17 May 2013 The Teaser

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Last week on the WILK Friday BeerBuzz we marked our three-year anniversary.  It was a ton of fun celebrating the event with Chris Wilson & Bobby Clark from Weyerbacher as they celebrated their 18th Anniversary.  We sampled the new Brewer’s Select Andromeda, and if that wasn’t enough, we also celebrated with a few hundred of our closest friends as Chris & Bobby poured Andromeda for everyone and launched the NEPA Premier of Weyerbacher Riserva!.  We had a great time and sampled some amazing Weyerbacher beers.  My thanks to Kevin, Joe, Michelle & everyone at Krugel’s Georgetown Deli & Beer as well as Chris Wilson, Bobby Clark and everyone at Weyerbacher for making this day a special one.

So what will we be sampling this week? Hint: This week we’ll have a special six pack on the show to commemorate one of the largest local beer celebrations! 

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).
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10 May 2013

Friday BeerBuzz - 10 May 2013 Weyerbacher Andromeda w/Chris Wilson & Bobby Clark (Video)

Thank you to Chris Wilson & Bobby Clark from Weyerbacher for joining us today to premier Brewer’s Select Andromeda.  Join us tonight from 5-7PM at Krugel’s Georgetown Deli & Beer for the WILK Friday BeerBuzz 3rd Anniversary.  You can sample Andromeda (must be 21+ to sample) and say hi to Chris & Bobby as well as the WILK Friday BeerBuzz team.

WILK Friday BeerBuzz - 10 May 2013 Weyerbacher Brewer’s Select Andromeda w/Chris Wilson

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It was a really special day on the WILK Friday BeerBuzz today.  Three years ago today, we all sat down in the WILK studio and launched into our very first WILK Friday BeerBuzz show.  We featured Troegs Hopback, and to this day I recall not only the odd feeling in my belly, but also the mix of excitement and pure terror.  Jump ahead to today and it seems like 3-years has flown by so quickly.  We’ve done over 160 shows, we’ve welcomed some of the best brewers in the world; we’ve sampled hundreds of beers, we’ve hosted bus trips and listener parties and we’ve brought you all some really rare and amazing beers.  As if all this is not enough, we managed to win a PA Associated Press Award and not one, but two PA Association of Broadcasters awards.  It’s been a magical ride and I think John, Nancy, Joe, Bosco and everyone who has made the WILK Friday BeerBuzz what it is.  Bring Good Beers & Good People Together has never been so much fun.


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It is a WILK Friday BeerBuzz tradition to celebrate our anniversary with our friends at Weyerbacher Brewing.  And this year as we celebrate 3, they celebrate their 18th Anniversary.  Today our pals Chris Wilson and Bobby Clark both joined us in the studio to raise a glass and toast some special friends…all of our listeners and all of the Weyerbacher lovers out there….and Yes before you ask…that’s our pal Chris Wilson from Weyerbacher trying out the Big Red Chair (above)!
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As if that’s not enough, Chris & Bobby manager to bring us a really special beer to sample…Weyerbacher Brewer’s Select Andromeda.  This beer is the very first beer in the 2nd Brewer’s Select series of beers as the naming moves from the Phonetic Alphabet to Constellations.  Andromeda is a really malt-forward amber ale, it comes in at 4.7% ABV so it’s easy drinking and I really loved the bready & roasted grain flavors as well as the malty flavor and aroma of coffee.  This is a wonderful beer and I have some REALLY GOOD NEWS for all of our listeners!

Tonight (5/10) from 5-7PM at Krugel’s Georgetown Deli & Beer, Chris Wilson & Bobby Clark from Weyerbacher will be joining us to pour free samples of Brewer’s Select Andromeda (one of only two rare kegs) as well as some other special beers.  You need to be 21+ to sample, but all are welcome to join us in the festivities as we celebrate the 3rd Anniversary of the WILK Friday BeerBuzz.  Full event details are HERE…but DO NOT MISS this celebration!  Stop by and say hi and raise a glass to 3 years of great beer and 18-years of Weyerbacher beers!

It was really cool to talk to Chris Wilson today and get some updates on the new Weyerbacher Brewery expansion.  Of course it’s always fun talking beer with Chris and hearing what’s coming next from Weyerbacher in their Anniversary series of beers as well as the Brewer’s Select Series.  As if that wasn’t fun enough, it was a real treat to get an update on a very special beer Chris brewed at De La Senne brewery in Brussels, BE.  The beer will be named Mannekin Penn and it will be released for Philly Beer Week so stay tuned for details on where you can try it.

It was a lot to cram into 15-mins, but we managed to sample a great beer and get all sorts of great Weyerbacher info at the same time.  If we missed anything, stop by tonight and ask Chris or Bobby for yourself.

Thank you to Chris Wilson & Bobby Clark from Weyerbacher 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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08 May 2013

Friday BeerBuzz - 10 May 2013 The 3rd Anniversary Teaser

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We had a great time 2 weeks ago as we welcomed Beau Baden from Fegley’s Brew Works into the studio to sample Space Monkey. As if that wasn't fun enough, we loaded up two buses and took everyone to visit Beau at both Allentown & Bethlehem Brew Works on Saturday. Not only did we manage to sample everything (kicking Hopsolutely in the process) but Beau was nice enough to pigtail some Arctic Alchemy off the tanks to share with everyone. My thank you to everyone at Fegley’s Brew Works for their hospitality and especially to Beau for spending both Friday morning and all day Saturday with us.

Of course last week we also had a great time welcoming Chuck Yarmey & Ed Elliot from the Wyoming Valley Homebrewers into the studio…and once again we busted every myth about homebrewing, especially the one about how good the beers are!



***Mark your calendars for this Friday May 10th from 5-7PM to join the WILK Friday BeerBuzz Crew and our special guest brewmaster at Krugel’s Georgetown Deli for our 3rd Anniversary Celebration.  Chris Wilson from Weyerbacher will join us and he and Bobby Clark will be pouring the NEW Brewer’s Select Andromeda for everyone to sample (must be 21+ to sample).  Details are here…do not miss this party!

So what will we be sampling this week? Hint: Anyone following along with this week’s celebration will know who our gest is and what beer we’re sampling! 

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)
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03 May 2013

Friday Beer Buzz - 3 May 2013 Wyoming Valley Homebrewers w/Chuck Yarmey & Ed Elliot (Video)

WILK Friday BeerBuzz - 3 May 2013 Wyoming Valley Homebrewers w/Chuck Yarmey & Ed Elliot

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It’s always a fun time when today’s guest visits our studio.  Not only does he hold the record for most appearances on the show, but he’s also nice enough to bring us several unique beers to sample every time.

Chuck Yarmey founded the Wyoming Valley Homebrewers many moons ago, and he’s still very active in the club and in homebrewing locally.  Chuck also brought with him current Wyoming Valley Homebrewers president Ed Elliot.  The Wyoming Valley Homebrewers were on the show today in support of the 2013 American Homebrewers Association (AHA) Big Brew that occurs tomorrow 5/4.  Every year thousands of home brewers get together worldwide and on May 4th they don’t just brew beer, they symbolically contribute to the “Big Brew.”  Each year the AHA totals up all of the beer brewed and releases the info.  They also recommend standard recipes, and this year the recipes come from the GABF Pro-Am competition winners.  While not everyone sticks to these recipes, this years Big Brew beers are:

More Fun Blonde (New Belgium / Jay Shambo)
Pointon’s Proper (RAM Restaurant & Scott Pointon)
Classic American Pilsner (Minneapolis Town Hall Brewery & Kyle Sisco)
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One of my favorite parts of hosting the homebrewers (other than tasting the beer) is busting all the myths people may have about homebrewing…so I’ll attempt to bust many of them in one sentence….Homebrewing is NOT expensive, the process is NOT dangerous, you can build or buy your own equipment easily & affordably, it is NOT difficult to do and finally the beer can be VERY good.

If you’re interested in trying it or checking out the Big Brew day tomorrow, check out the wyomingvalleyhomebrewers.org website and contact the guys.

Of course we sampled beers today, and of course they were good.  Today we sampled a great Double IPA as well as a really special bourbon barrel aged breakfast stout.  These beer are not only very good examples of some classic beer styles, but also a testament to how good a home brew can be.  My thanks to everyone who brewed these beers for us to sample on the show.

Thank you to Chuck Yarmey & Ed Elliot 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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01 May 2013

WILK Friday BeerBuzz Tour De Buzz III (Video)

Friday BeerBuzz - 3 May 2013 - The Teaser

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We had WAY too much fun on last week’s show.  Not only did we welcome our pal Beau Baden from Brew Works into the studio to sample Space Monkey, we also took 100 of our closest friends down to visit Beau at Allentown & Bethlehem Brew Works on Saturday.  If you missed the show you can check out our video archive and if you missed the bus, start planning now for our fall trip.

So what will we be sampling this week? Hint: We’re staying close to home this week but be warned…this is a big brew!

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)
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