Bean to Barstool

Maple is intimately tied to life in eastern North America, and in today’s episode, you’ll hear from Canadian and American bean to bar chocolate makers and American craft brewers who use maple sap, sugar, and syrup local to their areas in thoughtful, nuanced chocolates and beers. All of them had memories that tied the flavor of maple into the stories of their lives, and in this episode you’ll hear...

In this episode we explore the flavor of wood and other tree ingredients in bean to bar chocolate and craft beer. So many evocative flavors and aromas come from trees without us really thinking about them that way. Cinnamon is a tree bark. Maple syrup comes from tree sap. In the adult beverage world, the quinine that gives bitterness to tonic water and the angostura that flavors the eponymous bitt...

In this episode, we talk with Xoco by Corina, a Norwegian bean to bar maker who is partnering with Lervig Beer, a prominent Norwegian craft brewery, to create 3 Bean Stout Chocolate, a 70% dark chocolate bar that is perhaps more evocative of the Amazon than the Arctic, but nonetheless demonstrates the tapestry of influences that make beer and chocolate so exciting. Check out David's book Pair...

In the Cincinnati neighborhood of Over the Rhine—an enclave that housed much of the city’s German population in the 19th century and served as the de facto brewery district—Maverick Chocolate is working with breweries in the city’s thriving craft beer scene to provide cacao for a range of beers. The most recent example is Black Forest Gateau, a strong and elegant Imperial Stout brewed at the Sam A...

Every aroma or flavor we identify in beer or chocolate or some other food or drink is something we learned at some point, and that personal vocabulary is based upon where we grew up, our cultural background, and a host of other influences. As craft beer works to be more inclusive, the language we use to describe beer needs to be examined and opened up to new influences. In this episode I talk with...

Springdale Beer in Framingham, Massachusetts, recently partnered with Taza Chocolate in Somerville, Massachusetts, for a special variant of their Brig Mocha Stout brewed with Öko Caribe cacao from the Dominican Republic and Red Barn coffee. Listen to this quick bonus episode to learn more about the beer! Check out David's book Pairing Beer & Chocolate: A Guide to Bringing the Flavors of C...

Sara Ratza loves plants. She got into chocolate making after getting into herbal medicine, and she brings that plant wisdom and love for green, growing things to the art of chocolate making at Ratza Chocolate. Sara incorporates a variety of botanicals into her bars, including hops. Listen in as she talks about her philosophy behind using these botanical ingredients. Check out David's book Pai...

The use of chocolate in beer and vice versa goes beyond adding cacao nibs to a Porter or Stout or infusing a dark chocolate with the same styles. Orpheus Brewing in Atlanta aged a sour beer on cacao fruit pulp and seeds, then turned those seeds into chocolate. Somerville Chocolate in Massachusetts steeped their nibs in fermenting beer and then dried them out to make bars. There are a host of creat...

Smoke is one of the most evocative smells and flavors in the world. But it's more than just one aromas or flavor. Smoke is a diverse array of different flavors. I recently tried a few smoked chocolates and wanted to share those flavors with you in this bonus episode. Check out David's book Pairing Beer & Chocolate: A Guide to Bringing the Flavors of Craft Beer and Craft Chocolate Tog...

Coffee is used extensively in the worlds of craft beer and bean to bar chocolate, and today we explore the world of coffee beer and coffee chocolate. In this episode we talk with craft brewers, bean to bar chocolate makers, and artisan coffee roasters about the synergy between these products, as well as how coffee and cacao intersect at origin over topics of ecology and ethics. Check out David&apo...

Join me for a look back at my favorite beers and chocolates of 2020, with some pairings along the way. After you’ve listened to the show, I’d love to hear your own favorites from this bizarre trip around the sun. Check out David's book Pairing Beer & Chocolate: A Guide to Bringing the Flavors of Craft Beer and Craft Chocolate Together. Follow Bean to Barstool on social media! Instagram Fa...

As I fell in love with craft beer in my twenties and eventually bean to bar chocolate in my thirties, and as I grew in my proficiency as a home cook, I noticed something curious happening: the role faith had once played in my young life of pushing me to explore my identity and experiences, contemplate my world, and experience wonder and connection to something bigger than myself was now transferri...

When highly creative brewers and chocolate makers come together for collaborations, the results can be magical.  In this episode we’ll talk with Hans Westerink of Violet Sky Chocolate in South Bend, Indiana, who creates fantastic single origin and inclusion chocolate bars and frequently collaborates with craft brewers. We’ll also talk with Brett Smith of Branch & Bone Artisan Ales in Dayton, O...

Malt is the foundational ingredient of beer, but it’s an afterthought for most craft beer fans. A new group of small, artisan malt houses are returning character to brewing malt, and that malt is popping up in unexpected places—including bean to bar chocolate bars. In this episode we talk with Riverbend Malt House, French Broad Chocolates, & Carillon Brewing Company. Check out David's boo...

Many brewers who use cacao in a beer have no idea where that cacao is coming from, or any of its more nuanced flavor notes. They see chocolate as one abstract flavor, so the details don’t matter. More and more brewers are recognizing the flavor diversity of good chocolate and the benefits of working with a bean to bar chocolate company to source ethical, quality cacao. In this episode we’ll talk w...

Beers and chocolates featuring smoke or spice flavors require graceful dance partners that can both set them free and keep them on beat. Find some great examples in this episode. Check out David's book Pairing Beer & Chocolate: A Guide to Bringing the Flavors of Craft Beer and Craft Chocolate Together. Follow Bean to Barstool on social media! Instagram Facebook Pinterest Sign up for host...

In previous episodes, we've talked about the ways in which our individual backgrounds affect our personal sensory vocabularies. When we taste beer or chocolate with someone who has had different experiences, we each recognize different flavors and aromas. Many brewers and chocolate makers infuse their creations with ingredients and flavors from their own cultural backgrounds. In this episode,...

Smoke is one of the most evocative smells in the world, awakening a primal human recognition within us. It can be alarming or reassuring, acrid or appetizing, but it’s always impossible to ignore. Smoke can be found in abundance in the world of craft beer, and it’s making its way into more and more bean to bar chocolate as well. There is a colorful world of these aromas and flavors out there, and...

Craft beer and bean to bar chocolate offer separate diverse worlds of flavor, and when those worlds are brought together, the possible pairing combinations are endless. There are specific considerations to take into account however when pairing beer and chocolate, and in this episode we discuss the steps for officiating a beautiful union between these celebrants.  Check out David's book Pairi...

While craft beer and bean to bar chocolate are both artisan products savored by connoisseurs, the language and freedom of expression used to describe each are often very different. In this episode we explore what leads to these differences in description, what craft beer and bean to bar chocolate can learn from each other to provide helpful and evocative descriptions for consumers, and talk with n...

Craft breweries and bean to bar chocolate makers often collaborate to make beers infused with chocolate or vice versa. French Broad Chocolates and Burial Beer, both woman-owned businesses in Asheville, North Carolina, are constantly partnering on exciting creations that bring these worlds together. In this episode, we talk with Jael Rattigan of French Broad and Jess Reiser of Burial about their cr...

The first episode of Bean to Barstool focuses on our personal sensory vocabularies, how they have been shaped by geographical, cultural, and other details of our backgrounds, and how they impact the flavors and aromas we recognize in craft beer and bean to bar chocolate. The episode includes interviews with Master Cicerone Brian Reed and Chocolate educator London Coe.  Check out David's book...