In this episode, David talks with Dorothy Neary of NearyNogs Chocolate in Northern Ireland. They discuss the importance of music in Irish culture and how it's influenced several of their chocolate bars, the use of distinctly Irish ingredients like gorse flower and seaweed, and the beautiful natural landscape around their factory that influences them creatively. They also discuss their use of Irish whiskey in several bars, and pairing with whiskey. 

In this episode, we talk with Michael Beans of Namesake Coffee in Dayton, Ohio. We talk about how to make great coffee at home without fancy equipment, how he develops roast profiles for new coffee bean origins, and how to taste coffee thoughtfully.

In this episode, we talk with Nico Silverman of Diego's Chocolate in Guatemala . We talk about Diego's story, the details of their chocolate, and Nico's experiences with pairing Diego's Chocolate rolls with craft beer and craft cider in New York state.

In this episode, host David Nilsen talks with Serge Savchuk, owner and chocolate maker at Vaka Chocolate in London, Ontario, about his spirits-infused or -inspired bars, including bars made with whisky, absinthe, gin, and rum, using spirits from North of 7 Distillery and Junction 56 Distillery.

In this episode, host David Nilsen talks with Tandy Peterson of Embers Chocolate in Phoenix, Arizona. We discuss her spirits-infused bars using bourbon, mezcal, and other spirits, as well as her unique, award-winning Elote bar that emulates the flavors of Mexican street corn.

In this episode, host David Nilsen talks with Lucia Carrillo of Cerveceria Itañeñe and Rodrigo Romo of Tout Chocolat about their pursuit of unique flavors, their chocolate and beer collaborations, and what makes Mexican beer and chocolate unique and exciting.

In this episode, host David Nilsen talks with Jenny Risner-Wade, owner and chocolate maker at Yellow Bird Chocolate, and Ben Wade, co-founder and brewer at Albion Malleable Brewing Company, both in Albion, Michigan. They talk about the collaborations between Yellow Bird and Albion Malleable, and the creative opportunities provided by having these businesses run side by side.

In this episode, David Nilsen talks with Joel Geier, author of Flights Across America: A Brewery Lover’s Journey. They discuss their love of beer flights and some of Joel’s favorite breweries and experiences while writing the book!

Many Belgian beer styles pair beautifully with craft or bean to bar chocolate, and the beers of the Chimay line exemplify this. Let’s talk about craft chocolate pairings for Chimay’s Trappist ales!

In this episode, David Nilsen talks with chocolate educator Kathryn Laverack of Cocoa Encounters and The Brown Cow pub proprietor Victoria Hopper to discuss cacao and chocolate cocktails, and chocolate and whiskey pairings.

Today we hear from Nick Davis, the founder and chocolate maker at One One Cacao in Jamaica. Nick talks about some of the challenges facing cacao farmers and laborers in Jamaica, what needs to change give craft chocolate more visibility, and how making chocolate can help Nick’s family and other Jamaican families reclaim their heritage.

In this episode, David Nilsen talks with brewing scientist Zadkiela Rios about pairing beer and chocolate and how travel and her science background inform her tasting process and experiences.

The inaugural Midwest Craft Chocolate Festival in Rushville, Indiana, will be a celebration of craft chocolate, cacao, and the farmers who grow and harvest it. In this preview, David Nilsen talks with organizer Barb Genuario and Leila Carvajal Erker of sponsor Cocoa Supply.

In this episode, David Nilsen talks with barista and mixologist Charlene Cabioch about using coffee and cacao in cocktails, what happens during barista competitions and mixology competitions, and the role of curiosity in professional development.

Standard-strength Porter and Stout styles such as American Porter, English Porter, Oatmeal Stout, Milk Stout, Irish Stout, and some American Stouts tend to cast a wide net when paired with chocolate and can work solidly with a wide range of chocolates. In this bonus episode, David Nilsen explains which types of craft chocolate to seek out and which to avoid when pairing with standard-strength Porters and Stouts.

In this episode, David Nilsen talks with Monica Rogan of Goodnow Farms Chocolate about her collaborations with Boston Harbor Distillery and Downeast Cider, the compatibility of coffee and cacao, developing unique flavor concepts for inclusion bars, and she finds the right profile to let single origin beans sing.

Today we hear from Raven Hanna, a molecular biochemist and biophysicist and the author of the book One Cacao Tree: Backyard Cocoa, Tiny Fermentations, and Chocolate Making in the Tropics. In this clip, Raven talks about tasting everything we can to expand our flavor vocabularies, and about how creating stories around tasting experiences can help us remember those flavors.

Bean to Barstool celebrated its 4th birthday in August, and today host David Nilsen looks back at the initial idea behind the site and podcast, what's changed over the years, and what the plans are for continuing to grow Bean to Barstool.

Sour ales are a fantastic platform for fruit flavors. The acidity of the base beers dovetails with the brightness of the fruit and can help sell the flavors of the fruit more authentically. There are challenges to pairing these beers though, and most of them are related to variability of the beers themselves: there are so many different ways to make a fruited sour ale. In this bonus episode, David Nilsen walks through the different types of fruited sour ale and explains which types of craft chocolate and seek out and which to avoid when pairing with them.

Today we hear from Brian Simpson of Riverbend Malt in Asheville, North Carolina. Brian shares his thoughts on the meaning of local in craft beer. We prize beers that are brewed locally, but where are the ingredients from? Can a beer be local if it isn’t grown locally? Take a few minutes this morning to hear from Brian on what local or regional malt can do for beer.