Jimmy Carbone is back at Belgium Comes to Cooperstown at the Ommegang Brewery. On this week’s episode, Jimmy gets serious about local beer. Jimmy talks with Simon Thorpe, Larry Bennett, and the brewers from Peekskill and Ommegang – Jeff O’Neill and Phil Leinhart, respectively- about water quality, hops, grains, and more. Tune in to hear Jimmy, Jeff, Phil, and others discuss the threat of hydrofracking to New York State craft beer. Learn about the resurgence of hop-growing in New York State, and how so many brewers can implement regional grains. What yeast strains do Ommegang use, and how can homebrewers replicate Ommegang beers? Tune into this episode to learn how soil affects hop aroma, how the same hop varieties differ depending on location, and so much more! Thanks to our sponsor, GreatBrewers.com. Today’s music has been brought to you by Pamela Royal.

“Water is the most important ingredient in beer. Beer is water!” [3:50]
— Phil Leinhart on Beer Sessions Radio
“We’re not like California; we have all the water that we need right here, but a tiny bit of nasty chemicals can contaminate an enormous amount of water. It’s a huge problem.” [6:30]
— Larry Bennett on Beer Sessions Radio