Cask ales and beer and cheese pairings are today's topics on Beer Session Radio! Jimmy Carbone is joined in the studio by cask expert Alex Hall of Wandering Star and Anne Likes Beer. Kevin Heald of Malt & Mold brings by some bold beers and cheeses for the cast to taste. Tune into this episode to hear Alex explain the best way to serve and preserve cask ales. Steve Wildy, beverage director for Vetri Family Restaurants, calls in to talk about Philly Beer Week and his Italian beer bar, Alla Spina. What beer and cheese pairing was revolutionary for Steve's palate? Later, Anne talks about the importance of connecting the flavors of a beer to its hometown and history. Learn about Alex's upcoming Glastonwick cask ale festival! Find out what breweries Alex will be featuring, and how cask IPAs fared in last year's installment. Thanks to our sponsor, GreatBrewers.com, and thanks to Pamela Royal for today's music.

"You have to drink cask ale at cellar temperature for the best effect. So fill up your growler, and drink it the same night." [7:00] -- Alex Hall on Beer Sessions Radio

"The 'intense' on 'intense' food pairing has a lot of risks. But iff it works out, it can be great." [26:15] -- Steve Wildy on Beer Sessions Radio

Jimmy Carbone has an international crew in the studio for this week's episode of Beer Sessions Radio! Jon Lundbom brings some of his favorite brewers on to the show to talk about importing with B. United. Paolo Fontana of Birra Baladin is in the studio sharing some of his Italian beers, and talking about his love for New York City. Michael Brogaard is talking about mead in Denmark, and why Dansk Mjod differs from so many other mead companies in the field of brewing technology. Later, Greg Engert and Megan Parisi call in to talk about importing laws in Washington D.C. and their upcoming brewery, Bluejacket. Listen in to hear the crew taste some beers from Simon Webster and Rob Lovatt's Thornbridge Brewery in the United Kingdom. Michael Brooks and Bryan Lindner from Bed-Vyne Brews come into the studio to talk about starting a beer retail outlet in the Bed Stuy neighborhood in Brooklyn! This program has been sponsored by GreatBrewers.com. Thanks to The Hollows for today's music.

"The bar for bringing a beer into the market into the States is getting very high." [6:50] -- Jon Lundbom on Beer Sessions Radio

"You have a lot of technology for making beer, and you can use it to make good beer. But for mead, there is nothing. We are developing that technology for ourselves." [8:45] -- Michael Brogaard on Beer Sessions Radio

This week on The Beer Sessions, host Jimmy Carbone sits down with brewmaster Garrett Oliver of the Brooklyn Brewery and Clay Gordon of The Chocolate Life. Tune in to learn how to pair different beers and chocolates, some chocolate history, and how Garrett Oliver flavors his chocolate Brooklyn brews. Also, home-brewer Mark Zap sits in and shares some of his unique beers. This episode is sponsored by GreatBrewers.com.

"You can create chocolate-ly characters that are not from chocolate... but we've done a number of beers that are aged on cacao nibs."

--Garret Oliver of Brooklyn Brewery on Beer Sessions Radio

"[Chocolate] plays extremely well [with beer]. It's important to think about the texture...you're looking to compliment in flavor and compliment in texture...the warmth and creaminess of the beer should go with the warmth and creaminess of the chocolate"

"The challenge for me has been to find recipes that break away from 'port and chocolate'...now there are chocolates that have chili powder that compliment an IPA quite well."

--Clay Gordon of The Chocolate Life on Beer Sessions Radio