Your Brain on Hops

The guys are back again and enjoying some delicious sours from Great Notion Brewing from Portland, Oregon! These sours were packed full of delicious fruits that for some reason, he claims texture?, Tim hates but we tend to love in beer! So sit back crack open a delicious sour beer of your choosing, or whatever you feel like drinking these days, and enjoy this fruit punch to the jaw of an episode. Cheers!

The guys are back again! This time they are enjoying some brews from Toppling Goliath which is readily available in Western NY now. While enjoying some Sue the guys talk about the joys of Marvel and Letterkenny. They discuss their desperate need for beer festivals to return. It wouldn't be an episode of Your Brain on Hops without some bagging on Tim for his lack of fruit enjoyment. Don't forget to remind Logan about a great beer festival you have enjoyed while he was out of town!

On this episode Alex and Dan sip on some homebrew and hop back to reality.

In this crossover episode Alex and Dan join their friend Fletcher on his podcast The Enthusiasts Guild! We talk about nights at our favorite watering hole Aurora Brew Works and how we discovered some of our favorite beers.

Alex, Logan, and Tim meet again during this social distancing time to discuss the news of the day and a variety of other topics. They talk about what it's going to be like physically going back to work (this was recorded end of May). They preview the "Green Cap" episode. Peanut butter beer is discussed. The guys lament the awful fire at Brickyard Brewing. They also talk about what it's like drinking craft beer...with your parents!

The guys have been in lock down for over a month and are dying to drink with you! And each other! And...anyone! They discuss what we're missing whether it be sports, concerts, and people in general. The guys also discuss how they are drinking and how that has changed due to COVID-19. Television streaming is discussed as well as what they are doing instead of sitting in a bar. We hope everyone is staying safe, staying healthy, and enjoying their beverages of choice responsibly!

The guys have been stuck inside for almost a month at this point. They, like yourselves, needed to reach out and discuss the new realities we are all currently facing. They share their thanks to the essential workers out there from nurses and doctors to cashiers and stock people at their local stores. So sit in your nice home open a cold beverage and join us for an interesting time where all we, who are not essential, are being asked to do is...sit inside. Cheers!

The guys enjoy a taste of Alex's trip to the Great White North to Exchange Brewing. They discuss the background of the brewery as well as a select four beers from Exchange that were all delicious. They are shocked at how many of them have not seen all of Spinal Tap. The guys discuss Silversmith brewing, also from Niagara-On-the-Lake. They "Funk it up" which Dan states reminds him of "cat piss". Math becomes a struggle at a certain point in the episode as well. They also discuss the brewery method, as in, what do you do when hit a brewery. They finish off with another stellar edition of What have you been drinking? Cheers!

The guys are back again with a deep dive into some great brews from Barrier Brewing from Oceanside, NY. We discover that Dan loves himself some "stank". The effect of climate change on beer production is discussed. The guys compare...size...of glasses. Alex and Dan get Barrel Jammed at 42 North Brewing. Is "Big Beer" bad beer? They discover a beer brewed with some lemon custard licks and find a not so palate cleansing sour. All in all a must listen to episode, cheers!

The guys are back and in a very big way, with a new intro even! They spend the evening drinking through some very sweet beers from the likes of Oskar Blues, Other Half, Lough Gill, Westbrook, and Mortalis. They ask themselves, what would Mickey Mouse drink? The guys goes back to watching Saturday morning cartoons with the Chukee Larmz from Lough Gill brewing. The question of what is a Brewer's Tan comes up as the guys lay out in the sun with the Westbrook sweet offering. Tim splooshes some Mortalis and continues to shock with his distaste in most fruits. It truly is sweet to be back, cheers!

Attention beer lovers! With the approach of the 2019 Buffalo Brewfest, we had the opportunity to interview Dan and Melissa, two of the event’s organizers. We gathered in the Labatt Brew House Beer Garden to discuss the festival. Buffalo Brewfest, which is the original beer festival in Buffalo, is on Friday, August 2 this year and has a lot to offer, including 50+ breweries and vendors (its highest ever!). If you haven’t gotten your tickets yet, head over to buffalobrewfest.org to buy them! In addition to the Brewfest, we discuss beer festivals in general, the Buffalo beer scene, and our guests participate in a round of What I’ve Been Drinking.

In this long awaited episode the guys at Your Brain on Hops discuss their Buffalo Brewery Bracket. In what was a nice follow up to their "Buffalo in a Glass" series, YBOH put together a bracket of 36 western New York breweries and highlighted that tournament on this episode. A blind tasting is done with the major flagship IPAs from the final four of said bracket. 42 North's Borderland, Big Ditch's Hayburner, CBW's THAT IPA, and Southern Tier's IPA were all tasted and thoroughly enjoyed. Listen in to find out which IPA won! Dan also starts to Swipe Light while Tim finally finds a fruit sour beer he likes, it might surprise you! The guys also discuss the series of beers that craft breweries are developing (Ie: Big Ditch Lock Series) much to everyone's delight. The guys flip things off, caress, and savor things with their minds near the end. Finally producer extraordinaire Logan gets some Dinner.

In this latest installment of Your Brain on Hops, our hosts try out a new Buffalo brewery, sample some low-cal beers, and drink some homebrew. Locally, they imbibe the delectable Cinnamon French Toasted Imperial Stout from Froth Brewing Co., chock full of flavor and clocking in at 10.1% ABV. For low-cal options, they try Daytime, a fractional IPA from Lagunitas Brewing Company, as well as the Select 55 “beer” from Budweiser. They then move on to some homebrew discussion and beers, courtesy of Alex.

There's a brand-spanking-new episode out! The hosts decide to try out some brews that don't fit the traditional profiles most people think of when they hear "beer," (think hoppy beers, or lagers). These include a gruit, a range of fruit themed beer from Decadent Ales, and the inimitable Rubaeus from Founders Brewing Co. They also check out an excellently named brew from KCBC: This is Your Brain on Hops. Coincidence, or ode to the podcast? We'll let you decide.

In this episode of Your Brain on Hops, the hosts start out by sampling a new Buffalo brewery, Belt Line Brewery & Kitchen. They try out High Green, a Pale Ale clocking in at 5.7%, which has them pretty excited to visit the brewery to sample more. Next, they decide to embrace symmetry by trying out two beers each from two separate breweries, two of which are IPAs and two of which are darker brews. They taste Alena (IPA) and Pappy's Porter (Porter) from The Alchemist, as well as Julius (IPA) and Bear (Brown Ale) from Tree House Brewing Company. Along the way, Alex discusses his New England adventures by which these brews were acquired, Tim makes lurid jokes, and Chris discovers the virtues of Brown Ales (p.s. let us know your favorite Brown Ales!)

Welcome to our new producer Logan! Oh yeah, and more delicious beer! Cheers!

Welcome to Part 3 of Buffalo in a Glass! In this final segment of the Buffalo in a Glass series, our hosts explore beers from three more Buffalo breweries, all featured on the show for the first time: Mortys Killing Mortys, by Sato Brewpub Berliner Weiss Kumquat, by Woodcock Bros Brewing Co. F.u.b.a.r.b., by 12 Gates Brewing West Coast Style IPA, by 12 Gates Brewing

Happy Buffalo Beer Week! We're happy to announce part two of our Buffalo in a Glass series, which is out now! The link is in our profile, and check it out on iTunes, Google Podcasts, Stitcher, and a bunch of other podcast apps. In this episode, we were happy to sample: 1842 Vienna Lager, by Buffalo Brewing Company 1901 IPA, by Buffalo Brewing Company 1825 Triple Dry Hopped IPA, by Buffalo Brewing Company Crikrat, by OFW Brewing Co Hoppy Oasis (I.P. Fuckin' A.), by OFW Brewing Co Aqua Buddha, by Pressure Drop Brewing and Big Ditch Brewing Company The One, by New York Beer Project Righteous Dude, by New York Beer Project

In this installment of Your Brain on Hops, we present Buffalo in a Glass: Part 1, in which we feature: 1. Erie County Fair Beer, by Flying Bison Brewing 2. Let Me Put You in the Picture, by Thin Man Brewery 3. Bidwell Wild, by Big Ditch Brewing 4a. Peated Scotch Ale, by Rusty Nickel Brewing 4b. Slice O' Havens, by Rusty Nickel Brewing This is the first of a three part series focused on Buffalo breweries. The hosts figured, since there is so much great beer in the Western New York area, why not feature it in the show! In this episode, they talk about the Erie County Fair, the Buffalo Bills (of course), a random beeping noise, and how Dan is going to make steak for TWO future episodes! Cheers!

Ahh yes, yet another episode! The guys are joined by there friend TIm, an avid listener of the show now gone co-host! Tim starts off his first episode with us in perfect fashion, bringing a lot of beers from the previous place he called home, Baltimore! Well done Tim and welcome to the show!

On this episode the guys stop by a local favorite, Big Ditch Brewing Company for a special IPA can release and had the pleasure of sitting down with one of the owners, Matt Kahn. Cheers!

On this episode, Alex and Dan sit dow with their friend Connor to enjoy some delicious IPAs! Cheers!

On this episode Chris joins back up with Alex and Dan to try some tasty brews at Beerology at the Buffalo Museum of Science! Listen in while they interview some of the brewers. (Please forgive the sound quality as it was a very noisy event)

On this episode Alex and Dan sit down with their good friend Thomas Pafk to discuss his recent trip to Asheville, NC and Burial Brewing

In this episode, Alex and Dan take on the three pilot IPAs at 42 North Brewing in East Aurora, NY. While relaxing in the brewery they discuss these new england style IPAs and the also talk about the style itself, a Sip vs Fip tasting they did at Aurora Brew Works, and even touch a little on cellering beer. Cheers!

In this episode, the hosts travel to Pear Street Grill & Brewery in Buffalo, NY. They are joined by Head Brewer Chris Herr, discussing Pearl Street and its brews, some upcoming releases to look forward to, beer in Buffalo, and homebrewing, all while trying their best to stay on topic. The Pearl Street beers featured in this episode are the Czech Pilsner, the Grapefruit Session IPA, and the Strawberries and Cream IPA. The latter is a beer created by our very own Alex Buckley, who brewed it at Pearl Street with Chris after winning the Dears Beers and Cheers Homebrew Competition.

In this episode our hosts delve into the wonderful world of Trillium brews. They taste the delectable Mettle, Stillings Street, and Scaled Up. Special thanks to Connor for providing the beer!

We're back, with a new two-part episode! Part One features the irreverently delicious Against the Grain Brewery, and for Part Two we recorded segments live from Beerology in Buffalo. The brews we tasted from ATG were The Brown Note, 35K, All Funked Up, Pile of Face, and Citra Ass Down, and they were all fantastic. The 35K even earned the distinction of being the milkiest milk stout we've ever tasted. For the Beerology recordings, after a brief intro, we speak to Tessa about 12 Gates, John from Buffalo Brewing Company, Devin of Big Ditch Brewing, Derek for Gordon Biersch, and Shawn representing Long Trail Brewing. It was a pretty lively, fun, and hectic event, so we'd like to thank everyone who took the time to record a bit with us. Cheers!

Our second episode of 2017! We were psyched to feature Firestone Walker for this episode, because it meant we got to drink great beer for 8 hours (j/k our recording sessions aren't 8 hours... or are they?). We ended up getting the twelve pack and crushing 4 beers each, featuring DBA: British Pale Ale, Pale 31: California Pale Ale, Easy Jack: Session IPA, and Luponic Distortion #3: Rotating Hop Series. Cheers!

Hello everyone and welcome to the first episode of 2017! We are back from our Fall hiatus, with great shows and even greater beers planned for the coming year. In this episode, we talk about New Years, and the beers (or lack thereof) we were drinking when the clock struck midnight. The beers featured in this episode are Lower De Boom from 21st Amendment Brewery, Dr. Zaic Dr. Zaic from Ithaca Beer Company, and Bier de Brut from 42 North Brewing Company.

The hosts smash through their beer-per-episode record by trying seven different Oktoberfest beers. They break it out into two sessions: Round 1 involved the American behemoths Samuel Adams OctoberFest and Goose Island Oktoberfest versus the German Oktoberfest brews from Spaten and Paulaner, while Round 2 was an all out brawl between three American craft breweries, involving the Copper Legend from Jack's Abbey, Sierra Nevada's latest Oktoberfest creation, and the local(ish) Great Lakes Oktoberfest. Dan and Chris also talk about their recent trip to Toronto, where they indulged in a good amount of craft beer drinking, including dining at the wildly impressive WVRST.

In this episode, the hosts enjoy lagers from the excellent Jack's Abby, which also happens to be Dan's favorite brewery. They start off with the great stalwart House Lager, keep it in the helles camp by moving on to the Beer Geek Helles, try out the refreshing limited-release Sunny Ridge, then end with delicious Excess IPL. On the topic of lagers, Dan and Chris discuss their recent venture to 42 North for Kolsch Day. The hosts also manage to talk about gooseberries, Thursday Night Football traditions, and end with the segment What I've Been Drinking.

Freshly returned from their trip to Cooperstown, NY for the Belgium Comes to Cooperstown festival at Ommegang Brewery, the hosts reminisce on their recent adventures. Topically, they are tasting Ommegang brews as they do, including Hennepin, Rare Vos, Rosetta, and the exquisite Three Philosophers. Regarding the festival, the hosts comment on their drinking strategies, their camping strategies, their food strategies, and of course, on the beer. They close out the episode by talking about their favorite brews at BCTC, a difficult task considering the almost overwhelming amount of good beer they encountered in Cooperstown.

Your Brain on Hops has completed its first collaboration! The hosts met up with Scott, host of the WNY Brews podcast, at his Watch Your Heads Podcast Studios. They drink some homebrews, and talk brewing stories, including both solid techniques and hilarious mishaps. They also discuss their go-to "trapped on a desert island beer," the virtues of Fig Newtons, and proper BBQing. This episode is Part Two of the collaboration, so make sure you check out WNY Brews for Part One! (though you can listen to them in any order, since plot isn't one of our strong points)

Leading up to the Fourth of July, our hosts celebrate America by tasting America from Budweiser (which is a pilsner), Anniversary XX Imperial Pilsner from Victory Brewing (which is a different type of pilsner), the Americano Stout from Stone ("America"no, get it!?), and most excitingly, their own Your Brain on Hops IPA, which was brewed in the last episode. That's right, in one episode we have a macro beer, an imperial beer, a dark beer, and a homebrewed beer, so give it a listen over the long weekend and have a great Fourth of July!

In this episode the hosts change things up a little. Instead of tasting beers others have made, they take the opportunity to brew their own beer. Naturally, it's going to be a right hoppy beer, testified to by Alex's frequent interruptions during which he needs to add more hops to the brew. While the hosts are turning innocuous ingredients into beer via magic (science), they discuss the recent German festival Maifest at Spring Garden, which naturally features German beers, including a newly tapped keg of Maibock. They also ruminate on a special event they all went to recently, featuring a vertical of Utopias from Sam Adams (vintages 2012, 2013, and 2015), held at Aurora Brew Works. And of course, since they need something in the glasses, they are drinking a vertical of Alex's homebrewed barleywines during the episode.

The hosts go local in this latest episode, sampling beers from the unparalleled 42 North Brewing Co in East Aurora, NY. They start with the crowd favorite Wallonia Wit, move on to the darker Asylum Robust Porter, salivate over the White Oak Borderland IPA, and end the episode by cracking open a bottle of the Red Army Russian Imperial Stout. Alex, being a bartender at 42 North, provides some extra insight into the brews as well. In addition to the beers, the hosts discuss proper etiquette when encountering an improperly poured Guinness out in the wild, what exactly is a properly poured glass of milk, and reminisce on the awesomeness that is Max's Taphouse in Baltimore. They cap it all off with an exciting announcement: there will soon be Your Brain on Hops t-shirts! There will be more details on the second May episode, so stay tuned!

Special guest stars! Our longest episode yet! Batman! Okay, that last one isn't in this episode, but the first two definitely happened. We invited Greg Baker to talk about those delectable delicacies, Cellar Beers (or Aged Beers, if you prefer). Greg comes to us from Aurora Brew Works, a haven of craft beer. With him, we sample a Fuck Art… The Heathens are Coming by To Øl (2015), an Old Embalmer by Widmer Brothers (2013), a Curmudgeon by Founders (2014), and finish the recording with a vertical of Victory at Sea by Ballast Point (2015, 2016). Between the brews we ponder psychology and the proper naming of beer, and Greg leads us on a journey of beer history during the late 18th century, and then his own personal history with the beverage. The hosts make sure to take full advantage of Greg… as a craft beer bartender with extensive industry knowledge. Also, we find out Dan and Alex are firmly #TeamWaffle, we discuss the next big style in craft beer, and then we share war stories from drinking Ghost Face Killah. The episode ends with our segment "What I’ve Been Drinking," which, to be honest, Greg flat out OWNED.

In this action packed episode, the hosts delve into four tantalizing Tröegs ales. They start with the year-round options Troegenator and LaGrave. Satisfied with their choices, the hosts move on to the elusive Nugget Nectar, then finish with a Mad Elf they fortuitously saved from Christmas. In addition to the brews, Dan and Chris reminisce about their time at the Tröegs brewery, including all its delicious beers and foods, and thanks to his meticulous beer tracking via Untappd, Chris can pinpoint exactly when he's had Tröegs' rare Scratch Series. Since they were driving down Memory Lane anyway, Dan and Chris also bring up a film they made in their misbegotten youth, The Chronicles of Shirtfinder. For some reason that is still highly unknown, the hosts also say "cockles" a lot in this episode. A bit more on topic, they also discuss the Beer Bracket that Untappd has running, and bring back the segment What I've Been Drinking. Lastly, no episode of YBOH would be complete without a story from Dan on beers and bathrooms.

Following up on their Victory Brewing episode, the hosts focus on the second part of the ABV merger--Southern Tier. Starting with the IPA flagship, they move on to two other year-round offerings, the Live and the Porter. After those admirable stalwarts, they try the peppery and earthy 2XPRESSO, and finish with the newly recommissioned Back Burner. During their tastings, the hosts discuss drinking speeds when it comes to craft beer (& the delightful complications that can waylay the best laid plans, like the shared beer tastings at Aurora Brew Works), discuss Dan in a bikini... for some reason... and reminisce on the new Dogfish Head beers they had at a recent Dogfish Head tap-takeover at Aurora Brew Works. Also, Chris brings up the idea of hot (not warm) beers, Dan throws shade at an Untappd user, and Alex gives sage advice for how to end the night safely.

Once again our hosts are tasting beers from a specific brewery, in this case from Victory Brewing. They begin their bevy of brews with the aptly named Hop Devil, move on to the less aptly named 20 Anniversary Experimental IPA, make a pass through Belgium with the Golden Monkey, pay tribute to the Storm King, and finish horizontally with Old Horizontal. Their conversation begins with Dan recounting a tale of woe and misery, but things turn bright and exciting as they then move on to the Pennsylvania Dutch. In an unusually earnest fashion, they each retell their first encounters with Victory Brewing, and the impact it had on their love of craft beer. Per current events, they discuss the recent merger between Victory Brewing and Southern Tier Brewing, which leads into a discussion on the state of the craft beer industry in general, as well as the novelty and availability of certain craft brews. They also mention 120 Minute IPA... again.

In their fourth episode, our hosts explore beer and romance for Valentine's Day, welcoming special guest star Ashleigh Curry. They start off with the delectable Choklat from Southern Tier (paired with a bit of mint chocolate), moving on to the ineffable Chocolate Manifesto from Flying Monkeys, then finishing the episode with Stone's spicy Xocoveza. Exploring themes of romance, dating, and beer, they discuss beer bars as a romantic destination, and ponder what would happen if Tinder and Untappd had a love child. They naturally discuss various aphrodisiacs, including hops and their beneficial (or unfortunate) effects. Also, Dan mentions his proclivity for drinking beers in the bathroom, especially during bubble baths, Alex ponders a hop-themed romantic treat, and Chris unromantically talks about politics.

In this episode, the hosts sample three beers from one of the most (in)famous breweries: Stone Brewing Co. They drink Stone’s flagship Pale Ale 2.0, the aptly descriptive Arrogant Bastard, and the newer NXS. On topic, the hosts discuss Stone’s new German brewery and it’s effectively acerbic marketing (especially the beautiful arrogantbastard.com). Off topic, they discuss shower beers and Dan tries to make Alex feel bad, but fails because Alex is too comfortable in his beerulinity. They also spend an odd amount of time talking about last beers and apocalypses, discussing which Buffalo brewery they’d claim and fortify during a zombie apocalypse. Also, Dan is suspiciously silent about a late night, Alex has a brain-stall, and Chris tries to find a loophole to the end of all things.

For their second episode, the hosts turn to a category of craft beer currently dominating the shelves: holiday beers. These brews--also known as Winter Warmers--are known for their potent spice character and higher than average ABV. The hosts sample the spice-forward Great Lakes Christmas Ale and Southern Tier 2XMAS, the sweeter Anderson Valley Winter Solstice, and the Belgian St Bernardus Christmas Ale. Between their tastings, the hosts have a discussion on glassware, during which they all wax sentimental about the awesome Spiegelau glass, and agree that mini goblets are both great for beer and downright adorable. Other happenings include Alex seriously considering brewing beer in a pumpkin, Dan mentions thermal illusions, and Chris messes up the name of the Your Brain on Hops Instagram account (@BrainOnHops).

For their first episode, the hosts focus on one of the icons of the craft beer industry: Dogfish Head Brewery. They sample the flagship 60 Minute IPA, the tranquil Namaste, the woodsy Pennsylvania Tuxedo, and finish up with the delicious oaken hybrid Burton Baton. Along the way they debate the merits of crushing 120 Minute IPA, discuss drinking (and possibly pairing) beers to various forms of media, and share their outlooks on 2016. Closer to home, they also discuss the role of beer (both micro and macro) when tailgating a Buffalo Bills game, and their recollections of beer during the Great Snow Storm of 2014.