It's the Beer Talking

At your service: Military veterans Steve Gagner and Matt Kehaya deploy righteous beer, and enlisted Brewmaster Dan Sartwell to expand and improve the payload. They're based in St. Albans, Vermont — and find common cause with several regional charities.

Beer Talkin' co-hosts Jeff Baker and Jason Strempek, as always, keep the peace.

Which came first: Beer or Music? Matt Wilson, co-founder of Zero Gravity Craft Brewery in Burlington, VT, talks about the company's musical connections with Chelsea Lafayette, managing director of the Burlington Discover Jazz Festival.

What's in the Fridge: Zero Gravity's "Bob White" (a Whitbier, ABV 5.0 percent) and ZG "Keller," (dry-hopped lager, ABV 4.9 percent)

"Promote the Brew" podcaster Steve Schmidt joins Jeff & Jason for a dive into logos, branding, design and shelf-appeal.

What is beer, anyway? Why does it pair well with ponderous thoughts?

Jeff Baker hosts fellow philosophers Tyler Doggett (who actually teaches philosophy at University of Vermont) and Kenny Richards (who thoughtfully produces ginger beers at Halyard Brewing) in a mostly coherent quest for some answers.

What's in the Fridge: 

Baker is joined by co-host (and fellow heavy thinker) Jason Strempek for some warm-weather elixirs, including lemon-heavy Del's Shandy from Rhode Island-based Narrangansett Beer (4.7 percent ABV); Pink Lemonade Shandy (4.4 percent ABV) by UFO Beers; and Volcano Juice (4.1 percent ABV) from South Burlington-based Halyard Brewing.

Think responsibly!

Jason from the Beverage Warehouse of Vermont and Make the Cut finalists met with It's the Beer Talking. Make the Cut Homebrew Challenge is an annual competition that was created by the Beverage Warehouse of Vermont and 14th Star Brewing Co.

We met with Lincoln Peak Vineyard and Stonecutter Spirits, tried award-winning products, and learned how each business started.

Greg Koch from Stone Brewing met with us remotely to talk about the foundational philosophies of the brewery, his favorite drinks, and how his home-grown chili peppers became a part of his beer.

Tom Bivins, Executive Director of the Vermont Cheese Council, and Craig Gile, Master Cheese Grader at Cabot Creamery, sat down with us to try some beer and cheese pairings, talk about awards won, and various cheese festivals around the country.

Listen as we talk with Steve from American Brewers Guild and Drop-In Brewing about brewing, brewing awards, food and beer pairings, and much more.

This week we talk with Dave Hunter and Nunzino Pizza from Hop Head Farms. Learn about the different varieties of hops, and how Hop Head Farms came to be the first full-scale commercial hop yard in Michigan.