This week on Beer Sessions Radio (TM) marks a special landmark in beer literature: the launch of Garret Oliver's Oxford Companion to Beer. To supplement the celebration Horst Dornbusch, also a contributor to The Companion, Jen Schwertman (Blind Tiger), Peter Kennedy (SimplyBeer.com), and Christian DeBenedetti (beer author) join the conversation. They talk about other essential beer reads, from homebrewing classics such as Charlie Papazian and Michael Jackson to Christian's new book The Great American Ale Trail. Later on in the shows Rob Tod from Allagash Brewery calls in to join the revelry and to about how craft brewers deal with expansion and the science behind beer microbes. Tune for a special listing of NYC Craft Beer Events and where you can catch all your favorite brewers! This episode is sponsored by GreatBrewers.com.

This week's Beer Sessions was recorded LIVE at the Belgium Comes to Cooperstown Festival at Ommegang Brewery in Cooperstown, NY. Jimmy Carbone is joined by a panel of guests including Simon Thorpe, Phil Leinart, Dave Brodrick, Dan Paquette & Naomi Neville. Find out what goes down at the festival, how breweries can come together as kindred spirits and help each other and learn more about Belgian beer and it's journey to America. This episode was sponsored by Great Brewers.

This week on Beer Sessions an unprecedented combination of Jimmy, Sam, and Ray had a fascinating discussion with Matthias Trum and Matthias Neidhart of Aecht Schlenkerla about German beer. Don't miss this chance to learn about how beer fits into German culture (perhaps a bit better than in America), how the German Purity Law limits or inspires German brewers, and the 6 generation, 500+ year tradition of Aecht Schlenkerla and "smoked" brewing. This episode was sponsored by Great Brewers.com: a favorite source for beer information and education and one of the internet's most popular beer destinations.