This week we welcome a new microphone for Pete, a new producer for the show and, most importantly, our guest influential Canadian beer writer Stephen Beaumont.
Stephen has been writing about beer since the early 1990s and has written, co-written or contributed to a dozen books, including The Pocket Beer Guide (Pocket Beer Book 2014 in the U.K.) and The World Atlas of Beer, both co-written with Tim Webb.
A true beer insider, Stephen retains an outsider's eye and a quick wit as is demonstrated by the following post on his site last year...
That’s it! Give up, people, because beer style no longer matters. In the wake of white IPAs, black IPAs, Belgian IPAs and session IPAs, we might as well accept it: All beers are now IPAs!
When you think about it, it works wonderfully. No more fussing with ales vs. lagers; now we just have warm-fermented and cold-fermented IPAs. Thirsty for a pilsner? Have this cold-fermented session IPA instead. Trappist ale? Nope, that’s a non-secular, high malt IPA. Kölsch Try cold-conditioned, low hop IPA.
Even Bud Light is now an IPA, except it’s a cold-fermented, low-flavour profile, ultra-session IPA.
Our conversation with Stephen is wide ranging, including discussing whether the US scene is too insular. It's a great chat.
Producer: Lachie Mackintosh