All Things Beer

Ohio Beer with Rick Armon

No one has written more extensively and authoritatively on craft beer in the Buckeye state than Rick Armon. A journalist by trade, Rick has published two books on the beers of Ohio – Ohio Breweries in 2011 and 50 Must Try Beers of Ohio in 2017 – in addition to his influential Ohio Beer Blog that covered Ohio beer and breweries throughout the teens. We couldn’t think of a better guest for our 50th episode, so Mark and I made a pilgrimage to Akron where Rick was kind enough to sit down with us and talk about the past, present and future of Ohio beer. 

Oil of Aphrodite

Jackie O's Oil of Aphrodite is an American double stout brewed with locally harvested black walnuts and Belgian candied syrup. English, German, American, and Belgian malts are accompanied by Pacific Northwest hops, creating a sweet and rich springboard for deep nuttiness making this dark brew definitely is a beer worth drinking.

Cask Ales

This episode we talk all things cask ale with Angelo Signorino of Barley's Brewing, the only brewery where you can count on getting a cask ale in Columbus. We then pivot to our British correspondent, Nick Smith, proprietor at Steam Machine Brewery in Durham UK to get his perspective on the current state of cask ale in the UK and C.A.M.R.A. (campaign for real ale).

Tripel Karmeliet

We here at All Things Beer have got something new for you, something we are calling "A Beer Worth Drinking". Think of these as bonus episodes where we’ll introduce you to beers that are world class examples of style, rich in history, story and flavor.
Definitely a beer worth drinking, we present Brouwerij Bosteels Tripel Karmeliet, one of the best beers in the world and a capstone for the Tripel style.
 

Top 10 Columbus Area Breweries 2023

Columbus Underground's annual reader survey had a huge response in the category of local breweries for 2023. Join us as we review their list, refute it, explain what we look for in a top brewery, and present our official 2023 All Things Beer Top Ten Columbus area breweries list. Who will be number one? Listen to find out!

Celebration IPA

It's a Christmas miracle, a bonus episode! Every year for over four decades, Sierra Nevada makes the journey to the Pacific Northwest to hand-select the best Cascade and Centennial hops for Celebration IPA. Once the hops are picked, the countdown begins as race back to the brewery to capture the citrus, pine, and floral notes at their absolute peak. 

Belgian Christmas Beers

Dan Shaffer and Ralph Wolfe join us again, this time for a festive look at the Christmas beers of Belgium. During our journey we sample strong Belgian holiday seasonals that include Delerium Noël, Scaldis Noël, Chimay Grande Reserve, and De Dolle Stille Nacht. We finish closer to home with Fathead’s Pimp My Sleigh.

Samichlaus, Frogichlaus, and Ol’ Saint Nick

Brewed once per year on St. Nicholas Day, the Triplebock Samichlaus can rightfully be called the OG of extreme beers. Dan Shaffer, head brewer at Land Grant, and Ralph Wolfe join us for a closer look at this cult classic, as well as the Samichlaus-inspired Frogichlaus Swiss Style Celebration Lager from Akron’s Hoppin’ Frog Brewery. Along the way we discuss the historic St. Nicholas, and European traditions surrounding St. Nicholas Day. If you've been naughty, it might be worth your time to check out our primer St. Nicholas' sidekicks Krampus and Zwarte Piet, who deal with the bad kids.

Scotch Ales/Wee Heavies

Whether you call them Scotch Ales or Wee Heavies, who can resist the charms of one of Scotland’s best exports. Brian Kimmel, a veteran of several hikes across the Scottish Highlands, joins us for an audio tour of Caledonia. We start in the south at the venerable Traquair House and work our way northward to Orkney Islands for a wee nip of the potent Skull Splitter, before finishing closer to home with Zaftig’s complex barrel aged Wee Heavy. 

Scottish Ales

In this episode, we remain in the UK but cross over Hadrian’s Wall and turn our attention to the malt-forward, yet sessionable family of Scottish Ales. We are joined by the dean of Ohio brewers, Barley’s brewmaster Angelo Signorino, who has been making his unique interpretation of a Scottish Ale for thirty years.  Inspired by a Scottish beer that no longer exists, the Barley’s Scottish Ale has captured the fancy of beer writers from Michael Jackson to Rick Armon.  Join us for a wide ranging conversation that touches on topics including wort caramelization, maintaining a house yeast strain for decades, the value of a schilling, cask ales, and single malt whiskey.