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The time has come to close the book on Over a Couple of Beers. In the final session of the podcast, I give my opinions on Pittsburgh Craft Beer Week 2017, talk about my 30-day beer cleanse, pay homage to the unbelievable drinking scene we have in Pittsburgh, and give my thanks and praise for those who have supported, shared, listened to, and have been guests on Over a Couple of Beers over the last two years. I said it in the podcast and I'll say it again...THANK YOU to everyone who has taken time out of their lives to listen to any or all of the episodes we've produced. It's been one helluva ride and I can't express in words how great it's been that you've taken the ride with me. Let's go out on a high note. CHEERS!

In the second to last episode of Over a Couple of Beers, Jason Cercone is joined by a star-studded cast from Rivertowne Brewing - including Founder Christian Fyke, Head Brewer Dale Walters, Head Salesman Mike Schmidt, Taproom Manager Dave Samuelson, Brewer and Head Science Guy John Reynck, Pour House Head Brewer Kiel (Karl) Batanian, and Pour House Assistant Brewer Mike Coll. The show originated from Jack's Bar in the South Side at 7:30am on Monday, April 24th. We thought we'd be the only folks in there but, to our surprise, Jack's had a great crowd for that time of day! We were able to check off a Pittsburgh Drinking Goal by enjoying a beer at Jack's at 7:00am(ish) and do a podcast at the same time! Our conversations included talk about Rivertowne's upcoming Jahla Party on April 29th, everyone's thoughts on Untappd, some controversy surrounding a recent beer release, Rivertowne's direction going forward, the Penguins and their quest for a 2nd straight Stanley Cup, and much more. The crew from Rivertowne has appeared on several sessions of Over a Couple of Beers and it was great to get them on the mics one last time before retiring the podcast. A big thank you to everyone at Rivertowne for being part of the show.

In the 3rd to last episode of Over a Couple of Beers, we hooked up a special simulcast with Jaron Barton of the Craft Beer Industry Podcast. This episode is also available on his podcast network at craftbeerindustrypod.com. Or, subscribe to the show on iTunes and Stitcher. Session 62 originated from The Modern Cafe during our annual Soups On Beer and Soup Pairing event. This event is the brainchild of yours truly, Alan Wildy of Bell's Brewery, and Constance Zotis, one of the owners of The Modern. Alan and Constance both appeared on the show, as did Angelica Ross, Tim Harden, and Dennis Guy of First Sip Brew Box. We talked soup, beer and soup pairings, our favorite pairings of the evening, some news stories, and my decision to retire Over a Couple of Beers.

In 5th to last episode of Over a Couple of Beers, we once again set up shop at CoStar Brewing in Highland Park for another "garage style" podcast. Plenty of past guests joined this episode to talk about the Brewers Olympics taking place at Grist House Brewing on Sunday, April 30th, as well as other topics ranging from our views on Untappd, the 2017 Pink Boots Society collaboration beer, and much, much more. Our guests for Session 61 included Angelica Ross, Meg Evans, James Evans, Dom Cincotta and Jeff Hanna of CoStar Brewing, Brian Howe of the band Greywalker, and some other random guests who were hanging out in the garage with us. There were moments of brilliance. There were moments of derailment. When it was all said and done...the off-flavors won. Enjoy!

In Session 60 of Over a Couple of Beers, we set up shop at the 13th Annual Hell With The Lid Off Barleywine extravaganza at Kelly's Bar and Lounge in East Liberty. Every March, Kelly's breaks into their cellar and presents barleywine from years past, some dating back to the early 2000s. If you're looking to give barleywine a try, this is the event you need to attend. It's the last one in America of its kind! Session 60 welcomes Angelica Ross back to the show, as well as first-time guests Ali Wyrostek of Rhinegeist Brewery, a new arrival to the Pittsburgh market from Cincinnati, Ohio, Ryan Burgess of Victory Brewing, and Nate Levi of Green Flash and Alpine Brewing. We discuss everything from barleywine, Rhinegeist's Pittsburgh launch, our hatred of pants, shower beers, shower whiskey, piles of rocks as mascots, and much more. MUSIC CREDIT: Avenged Sevenfold - Hail to the King

In this bonus session of Over a Couple of Beers, Jason Cercone, James Evans, and Andy Kwiatkowski shoot about the state of pro wrestling today, WWE's reliance on nostalgic superstars to boost their product, and provide predictions for the winner of this year's Royal Rumble. Also, Andy Kron of East End Brewing joins the show to talk about beer-related things. Crazy...for a beer podcast.

In the first Over a Couple of Beers session of 2017, Jason Cercone sits down with several craft beer personalities at the 2017 Good Wood Festival hosted by East End Brewing Company and Wigle Whiskey. Joining the show are Angelica Ross, Meg Evans, James Evans, Scott Smith, Brendan Benson, Brendan from Lavery Brewing (didn't get his last name), Tom Marshall, Dennis Hock, and beer enthusiasts Kelly and Kevin. Join us all as we discuss various aspects of beer, the power of barrel-aged creations, and much, much more!

In the final session of Over a Couple of Beers of 2016, Jason sits down with Dale, John, Aaron, and Dave from Rivertowne Brewing to unwind after what has been a pretty crazy year. In this episode, you'll learn about what Rivertowne has lined up for 2017 to celebrate their 10th year of brewing beer, their collaboration beer with a certain brewery out of Philadelphia for the upcoming Stadium Series in February, John's uncontrollable obsession with drawing phallic images on white boards, the entomology of #FatKidBrewing, and much more! Pour a beer and get buzzed with us! Thank you for listening to another year of Over a Couple of Beers and Happy Holidays to you and yours! We'll be back to fill your audible pint glass with more fun in 2017!!!

It's the continuation of our special 2-part 10th Anniversary Podcast with Bocktown Beer and Grill in Robinson. In Part 2, we stroll down memory lane and think back to some things that have happened to us over the past 10 years from a beer perspective, including our first canned craft beer, changes we'd like to see in the industry as we go forward, and more. Bocktown Owner Chris Dilla took over hosting duties as myself, Should I Drink That's Doug Derda, and Noble Stein Brewing's Zack Morrow and Megan Pritts did our part to consume some beer and contribute when necessary. You can go back in the archives and listen to Part 1 of this podcast if you haven't yet done so. And, as always, subscribe to Over a Couple of Beers on iTunes and Stitcher.

Session 57 of Over a Couple of Beers takes us back to Bocktown Beer and Grill as this renowned Pittsburgh craft beer destination turns 10 years old this December! They have been a pillar of the craft beer community since 2006 and continue to support the local beer scene in a tremendous way. Owner Chris Dilla returned to the show to talk about the history of Bocktown and how things have changed in the craft beer industry since she opened her restaurant 10 years ago. In addition, Should I Drink That and yinzlovebbq.com's Doug Derda pulled up a mic. Doug is another pioneer in the beer world as his podcast turned 10 this year as well and is one of the longest-running beer podcasts out there. Finally, Zack Morrow and Megan Pritts from Noble Stein Brewing joined as well. Noble Stein recently opened their taproom and are now officially selling beer to the public in Indiana! This session represents Part 1 of a two-part series to celebrate Bocktown's 10-year anniversary. Enjoy!

In Session 56 of Over a Couple of Beers, Jason finally tries Pliny the Elder in the intro, then we dive into a great interview with Joe McAllister and Matt Sherwin, two of the three masterminds behind BREW: The Museum of Beer, a 50,000 square-foot complex that will be coming to Pittsburgh in 2018 dedicated to celebrating the history of beer. Joe and Matt talk about the inspiration behind BREW, the extensive research and preparation it took to get to this point, their current crowdfunding campaign, and also some fun stories from centuries ago pertaining to beer. This is a tremendous coup for Pittsburgh's thriving craft beer scene and I can't wait to see it come to fruition. As you'll learn on the show, funds raised through the Indiegogo campaign will be used to do thorough research regarding the location of BREW. There are tons of perks available for your donation. Take a few minutes to check things out at https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/brew-the-museum-of-beer/#/ Enjoy the show!

This session of Over a Couple of Beers originated from the 10th Annual Brewing Up A Cure beer festival at PPG Wintergarden on Saturday, October 15th. Without question, this is one of Pittsburgh's most fun and unique beer events. Homebrewers from Three Rivers Underground Brewers, or T.R.U.B., along side several local breweries, come together every year to host this event and give beer enthusiasts an opportunity to try some one-of-a-kind home brews. Most of these beers you'll never experience again. The best part? All proceeds go to benefit Cystic Fibrosis research. In Brewing Up A Cure's 10-year history, they've raised and donated nearly $250,000 for the cause! This star-studded podcast featured the one and only Pittsburgh icon Rick Sebak, Brewology author and illustrator Mark Brewer, local craft beer advocate and enthusiast Tim Harden, Hitchhiker Brewing Head Brewer Andy Kwiatkowski, and T.R.U.B. club members Danielle, Bill Oates, and Gregor Bender.

In this episode of Over a Couple of Beers, Jason Cercone visits soon-to-be-open Yellow Bridge Brewing in Delmont and is joined by Ian and Trevor Staab, the two brothers behind the brewery. Also joining the show is Matt from Laurel Highlands Meadery and the infamous Tim Harden. The crew talks about the arrival of Yellow Bridge to the Pittsburgh brewing scene, mead, craft beer, and other entertaining audible shenanigans. Pour yourself a tasty beverage and turn up the volume!

In this session of Over a Couple of Beers, Jason Cercone takes a trip to New Brighton to meet up with Steve and Dave Petrucci, owners and brewers of Petrucci Brothers Brewing Company. We had some of their beers, talked about their roots in brewing and how they got their start homebrewing in the early 80s, and discussed some stories of the obstacles they've had to overcome to get their brewery headed in the right direction. Steve and Dave also shared some stories about their taproom and how you can get your hands on their beers. Pour yourself a tasty beverage and turn up the volume for Session 53 of Over a Couple of Beers!

In this session of Over a Couple of Beers, we set up shop at Black Forge Coffee Shop for the kickoff party of Brewtal Beer Fest. Brewtal is set to unfold on Sunday, November 6th from Spirit in Lawrenceville and will be bringing Heavy Metal and craft beer together under one roof. I was joined behind the mics by Meg and James Evans, Brian and Rick from Greywalker, Josh from Slaves BC, Dave Cerminera from Apis Mead, Rick from Beardly Customs, and Nick from the Epicast Network and Black Forge.

In this session of Over a Couple of Beers, Jason Cercone sits down with Meg Evans, James Evans, and Dave Walker to discuss the first-ever Pittsburgh Brewtal Beer Fest taking place on Sunday, November 6th from Spirit in Lawrenceville. This one-of-a-kind event features four breweries joining forces with four local heavy metal and punk bands to brew special collaboration beers available AT THE EVENT ONLY. Each of these bands will be performing at the show in addition to headliner Child Bite. It's a music fest. It's a beer fest. It's bad ass. And, as always, when Meg and James join the show...the wheels come off throughout the podcast. Enjoy!

In this episode of Over a Couple of Beers, Jason Cercone visits the soon-to-be completed taproom of Dancing Gnome Beer in Sharpsburg and is joined by Dancing Gnome's owner and brewer Andrew Witchey. Also pulling up a mic for this session was Tim Harden, Director of PA Brew Tours.

In this episode, Jason Cercone sits down with John Smith, Ben Duncan, and Ben Smith, the trio behind Reclamation Brewing in Butler. We discussed the birth of their brewery, their takes on the beer industry, and tapped into several of the beers that have come to be thanks to these three pushing the envelope with their brewing expertise.

In this episode of Over a Couple of Beers, Jason Cercone and Angelica Ross sit down with Shawn Carroll, co-owner of Dirty Dog Cigar Shoppe in McKeesport, to talk about the evolution of cigars, their impact on our culture, their parallels with the craft beer industry, and how different cigar flavors pair with specific beer styles.

In Session 47 of Over a Couple of Beers, the band is back together as Jason Cercone, Jason Collins, and Angelica Ross congregate at Smokin' Joe's Saloon on East Carson Street in Pittsburgh's South Side and are joined by Artie Wilson from Great Lakes Brewing. We recorded this episode during the release of Great Lakes' annual release of Lake Erie Monster, a BIG Imperial IPA clocking in at just over 9% ABV. During the second half of the show, we welcomed Tom from Full Pint, as well as Natalie and Jeremy from Founders, who were also in attendance. Enjoy!