This week Beau’s All Natural Brewing Company CEO Steve Beauchesne joins us to talk about the Rwanda Craft Brewery Project. This brewery out of Ontario is working with a local entrepreneur to open the first craft brewery in the country of Rwanda. We talk about how they got involved in the project, the positive impact a business like this will have on the local economy, and how Rwanda might be a very different than the country you think it is.

It’s pumpkin season again! A time and style that can delight or frustrate craft beer drinkers. This fall is no normal pumpkin season, however. On today’s show we discuss the decrease in production of pumpkin beer this year and what some breweries are doing to combat their pumpkin brews being on the shelves until the spring. Then we dive into other fall flavors and if they can fill the space left in the pumpkin market.

Summer is officially over. The leaves are changing and the fall beers have hit the shelves, but we take a few minutes to reminisce about what we drank the during the warmer months. We discuss some of the breweries we were able to visit all while Graham regales us with beers from his vacation through Spain and Portugal.

This may come as a surprise to some of you but the editor of Brew York, Chris O’Leary, does occasionally spend some time in New York City and we have the podcast to prove it! Chis took some time out of his busy schedule of visiting breweries (618 unique breweries at the time of this recording) and Flying alone on a plane to come and talk with us about his new project A Brewery A Day. We also discuss some of the new breweries that have opened in New York this year along with some of his recent trips to breweries around the country. We also dive into one of his recent posts about the Greenpoint Beer Works closing, what it means for Heartland and Kelso’s beer, and the legacy it leaves in the current New York craft beer scene.

This week we took a trip to the empty shell of what will become Beer Karma Bottle Shop and Tasting Counter. Dan Lamonaca shows us what Beer Karma NYC has been with a modified version of his craft beer education course; then he takes us through what he wants his bottle shop and tasting counter to become. We discuss the logistics of opening a beer business in the city, some of our favorite NYC based craft breweries, and something called the Boss Pour. Though we recorded this in an empty storefront in Williamsburg it is obvious the shop is coming together quickly, Dan got community board approval and is now moving forward to the state level. For updates follow Dan on Social Media @BeerKarmaNYC and join the conversation @TheBeerFriends

We invite our friend Steele from the podcast Radio Room to come on and discuss Craft Beer news this week. Our conversation starts with home brewing and two new systems that are coming to market to brew at home. Then we move to edible six pack holders and drinking in space. Follow Steele @wordsofsteele and his podcast @realradioroom. Grab a pint and join the conversation @thebeerfriends or email [email protected]

Back again this week with the second half of our conversation with Ann Reilly. We start this episode with a discussion of Craft Beer culture outside of the United States. Then we bring it back to NYC as we drink and discuss some beers from in and around the city.

It has been a long summer full of Craft Beer and The Beer Friends have brought in a few friends to talk about it with us. This week we welcome Ann Reilly of popular NYC craft beer based Instagram and Twitter fame. We let her educate us on what is going on in the NYC beer scene this summer including what breweries will start canning and what new breweries we should expect to open in the five boroughs. Grab a pint and join the conversation Follow us: Ann Reilly Instagram @NYCcraftbeer Twitter @NYC_Craft_Beer The Beer friends Facebook/Twitter/Instagram @TheBeerFriends Bottoms Up!

This week we discuss a trip to a brewery, hop production since the last shortage, and a new financial backer for Craft Breweries looking for stability. This episode starts with some light, friendly, chat but eventually it turns up to 11.

Boston Beer seems to be having a rough few weeks. We discuss if craft beer is passing Sam Adams by, or if it's just a slight hiccup in the grand scheme of things. Also, what the bad hop harvest in Europe last year might mean for American craft beer. Then Paul had some people over and they left him with a fridge full of less than craft beers and he needs The Beer Friends to help clear it out. Grab a pint and join the conversation on facebook and Twitter or email us.