In this episode, we talk with Christopher Nobles of Piety & Desire Chocolate in New Orleans, Louisiana. We talk about the flavors of New Orleans, the city’s personality, and how it all makes its way into his chocolate, including bars made with local beer and rum.

In this episode, we talk with Greg & T from Front Porch Chocolate in Montana. They've crafted many of their excellent inclusion bars—Including Chai Rose, Fig & Cherry, and Strawberry Lemon—with beer pairing in mind, and here we talk with them about the concepts behind their bars and the beer pairings they've designed for each. 

In this episode we talk with Estelle Tracy. For our 100th full length episode of Bean to Barstool, we're talking with an old friend and supporter of the pod, Estelle Tracy. Estelle leads chocolate tastings and pairings through her business, 37 Chocolates, and in this episode we're tasting and pairing the adventurous bars from her new curated collection. Which wines and beers do we pair with a bar inspired by Beijing lamb skewers? How about the always challenging 100% cacao bar, or a bar loaded with chili pepper? Listen in as we have a fun time coming up with pairings  for these unusual bars.

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!

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.

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.

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.

In this episode we talk with Franz Zeimetz of Lost Origin Coffee Lab and Casa Bruja brewery and Jaime Pérez of Bocao chocolate, all from Panama. We discuss the state of craft chocolate, craft beer, and coffee in Panama, and a series of experiments and collaborations they've pursued between these three worlds. Franz has used raw cacao fruit from Jaime in a mixed-fermentation Saison, and is experimenting with various cacao and coffee fermentations.

While I mostly pair craft chocolate with craft beer here at Bean to Barstool, there's a world of great beverages out there for pairing with great chocolate. My good friend Shay Pal seems to have paired bars with most of them through her adventurous tasting and traveling. In this episode, Shay and I discuss how she approaches pairing with craft chocolate, how she avoids getting overwhelmed by the choices in front of her, and how she selects which spirit, wine, coffee, or cocktail to pair with any given bar.

In this episode David Nilsen talks with Clay Gordon, one of the most respected names in the world of craft chocolate, to discuss the meaning of craft, how the term’s usage and meaning differ in the beer and chocolate worlds, how tasting and judging have influenced beer and chocolate differently, and, toward the end, how they each approach chocolate pairings with beer and other beverages.

Moksa Brewing in Rocklin, California (just outside Sacramento), is one of the country's most prolific and best producers of Pastry Stouts. These usually high alcohol and high gravity Stouts use ingredients like cacao, coffee, vanilla, and others to recreate the flavors of beloved desserts or create whole new flavor concepts. In this episode we talk with Moksa head brewer Cory Meyer about how he works with cacao, vanilla, and other adjunct ingredients, how he sources single origin examples, and how the Moksa team comes up with the concepts for these dessert beers.