Beverage Chronicles

About Beverage Chronicles

Beverage Chronicles with Gary Monterosso and Michelle Lam, is the radio show that explores a wide range of drinks, both alcoholic and non-alcoholic. From whiskey, rum, vodka, and tequila, to ready-to-drink cocktails, wine, beer, flavor-infused seltzers, coffee, tea, and more. We bring you the stories, flavors, and trends behind your favorite beverage.

Publisher

Gary Monterosso

Category

arts · leisure · society & culture

Language

en

Explicit

No

First episode

17 Sept 2025

Latest episode

19 Oct 2026

Latest episodes

58 episodes in the feed.

1. 

   19 Oct 2026

   Beverage Chronicles, October 18, 2026

   Beverage Chronicles America's Macro Beer Debate, Brand Psychology, and the Ancient History of the Pub This episode of Beverage Chronicles questions the reputation of American macro beer, from price and ingredients to forever chemicals and craftwashing, before Leslie Jespersen explains how brands claim real estate in consumers' minds and historian Rachel Binkowski traces the pub's origins from ancient Mesopotamia to the modern taproom. Macro Beer's Complicated Reputation Gary Monterosso opens Beverage Chronicles with a look at America's complicated relationship with beer, from ballpark coolers to backyard tailgates. He names the familiar macro brands, Budweiser, Coors, Miller, Pabst, and Michelob, and asks whether their reputation for being dependable or bland is fair. Monterosso defends the appeal of a cold, consistent lager on a hot afternoon, arguing there is nothing wrong with reaching for a Bud Light instead of a barrel-aged stout. He then traces the roots of the "bland American beer" stereotype back to Prohibition, explaining that temperance advocates had already pushed drinkers toward lighter, lower-alcohol styles before the industry had to rebuild from scratch. He notes that an industrial workforce wanted beer they could drink at lunch without being knocked sideways, and that breweries like Anheuser-Busch and Pabst built their businesses around that demand, while heavier European-style traditions largely did not survive the transition. Price Hikes And Hidden Ingredients Monterosso turns to the price of beer, noting that between 2015 and 2025 the average price of a 12-pack rose sharply for many major brands, with Miller High Life, Pabst Blue Ribbon, and Michelob Ultra climbing more than 40 percent and Bud, Bud Light, Coors Light, and Miller Lite rising about 36 percent. He credits some of that to inflation but also to brewers' rising costs for ingredients and packaging, from barley to aluminum. He then turns to ingredients, recalling a Bud Light commercial that mocked Coors Light's use of corn syrup, and explains that corn syrup or rice typically serve as fermentation sources consumed during brewing rather than remaining in the finished beer. Still, he says drinkers expecting a traditional recipe of water, malt, hops, and yeast can feel shortchanged. He notes that unlike packaged food, beer sold in the United States is not required to list full ingredients or nutrition information, since it is regulated by the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau rather than the FDA. Forever Chemicals And Craftwashing Concerns Monterosso raises an issue few drinkers expect to find in their beer: PFAS, the so-called forever chemicals. He cites a 2025 study published in Environmental Science and Technology that found PFAS in 95 percent of beer samples tested, with researchers tracing much of the contamination to water sources and noting that certain regions showed higher levels than others. He frames it less as a macro-brewery problem than a water-quality problem, but argues it still raises a legitimate question about whether brewers and regulators should be paying closer attention to what goes into the kettle. He then turns to marketing, describing the practice critics call craftwashing, in which large brewers buy smaller craft labels while continuing to market them as independent, local, or artisanal. He points to Blue Moon, owned by Molson Coors yet often presented with a craft beer image, noting that lawsuits over similar concerns at other brands have produced mixed results. His conclusion: a label can tell a story, but it does not always tell the whole one. Leslie Jespersen On Brand Real Estate Leslie Jespersen, known as Everyday Celebrity, takes over to explain a concept she calls intellectual real estate, the idea that certain brands have so consistently repeated their messaging that they now occupy space in consumers' minds without needing introduction. She runs a quick word-association exercise, noting th

2. 

   18 Oct 2026

   Beverage Chronicles, October 17, 2026

   Beverage Chronicles Health Myths in Your Glass, Allagash White's Legacy, and the Great Oktoberfest Showdown Title: Oktoberfest Beer Surprises, Beverage Health Myths, and the Power of Storytelling Summary: This episode of Beverage Chronicles explores several sides of the beverage world, from the health claims surrounding alcoholic drinks to the evolution of craft beer and the importance of public relations. Katie Johnson reviews Allagash White, the award-winning Belgian-style witbier that helped change perceptions of hazy, unfiltered beer. Michelle Lam explains why compelling storytelling is essential to building consumer engagement in the age of AI. Gary Monterosso wraps up the episode with a look at Oktoberfest traditions, the differences between Märzen and Festbier, and a blind tasting in which Texas-brewed Shiner Oktoberfest takes the top spot. This episode of Beverage Chronicles sorts health facts from myths about alcohol, Katie reviews the award-winning Belgian-style witbier Allagash White, co-host Michelle Lam makes the case for beverage storytelling, and Gary Monterosso recaps a blind tasting that crowned a surprise Oktoberfest champion. Sorting Health Myths From Alcohol Facts Gary Monterosso opens Beverage Chronicles by posing a question many drinkers consider only at the bar: can one alcoholic beverage actually be healthier than another? He establishes that lower sugar or fewer calories does not automatically mean a drink is healthy, and that alcohol itself raises the risk of several cancers, a risk shared by beer, wine, and spirits alike. He cites the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's guidance that drinking less is better for health than drinking more, then turns to red wine, long rumored to protect the heart. He notes resveratrol and other antioxidants in red wine but stresses that research on any heart benefit is mixed, and that the Mayo Clinic reports major heart health organizations do not recommend starting to drink alcohol for that reason. His advice: enjoy wine for its flavor, not as a prescription, setting up a broader look at cocktails and lighter drinks still to come. Hard Kombucha, Clear Spirits, and Bloody Marys Monterosso continues his health-focused segment by examining what gets added to the glass alongside alcohol. He points out that a vodka soda with lime avoids the sugar and calories found in sweetened sodas, syrups, and cocktail mixes, since soda water adds essentially nothing while the vodka still carries its full alcohol content. He warns that clear spirits like gin, vodka, and tequila are not inherently healthier just because they look simple, and that hard seltzers, while often lower in calories and sugar than sweeter mixed drinks, still require reading the label for serving size and alcohol percentage. He singles out hard kombucha, explaining its higher alcohol content likely kills the beneficial bacteria associated with the non-alcoholic version, so it belongs on the drink menu rather than the wellness list. Even the brunch favorite bloody mary, with its tomato juice and vegetable garnishes, cannot cancel out the vodka. His takeaway: check the actual contents, not the marketing language, and remember that total alcohol consumed matters more than the category of drink. Katie Reviews Allagash White's Legacy Katie, hosting her recurring She Reviews Brews segment, introduces a beer she says is almost as old as she is: Allagash White, a Belgian-style witbier that once drew suspicion from bars and retailers simply because it poured cloudy instead of the clear, yellow, fizzy beer drinkers expected back in 1995. She reports that the beer has since become one of the most awarded witbiers in the world, earning 11 gold medals, three silver, and five bronze across the World Beer Cup, the Great American Beer Festival, and the European Beer Star awards, for 44 total points, well ahead of the next closest witbier's 26. Katie walks through the recipe, a malted barley an

3. 

   5 Oct 2026

   Beverage Chronicles, October 4, 2026

   Beverage Chronicles Savoring the Season: Beer Traditions, Fall Pairings, and Better Bottled Water Short summary This episode of Beverage Chronicles explores how seasonal beers reflect changing weather, ingredients, traditions, and food occasions—from refreshing spring and summer pours to richer autumn ales and winter stouts. Chef Christina Martin shares a savory fall cider pairing built around roasted squash, apples, grains, and maple-mustard dressing, while Rachel Benkowski examines beer-drinking rituals from around the world. The episode closes with a closer look at bottled water sourcing, flavor, and packaging. Seasonal Beer Guide, Fall Apple Cider Pairings, and Beer Rituals Around the World Gary Monterosso walks through how beer changes with the seasons, Chef Christina Martin builds a fall grain bowl to pair with apple cider, and beer historian Rachel Benkowski tours the beer-drinking rituals of the Czech Republic, Germany, Belgium, the UK, and the US before the show wraps with a look at whether bottled water is really worth the price. Why The Beer Aisle Changes With The Weather Gary Monterosso opens the episode by noting how the beer aisle shifts with the calendar, moving from light citrusy wheat ales toward pumpkin beers, Oktoberfest brews, and eventually heavy stouts as the weather turns colder. He explains there is no legal definition of a seasonal beer; it simply refers to a beer tied to a time of year, whether through weather, available ingredients, or tradition, and brewers often change the beer itself rather than just the label. Monterosso walks through spring beers, which lean light and floral, and summer beers built around drinkability, warning listeners that a crisp-tasting beer can still carry plenty of alcohol, so pacing and water matter on hot days. He frames the whole segment as a trip through the seasons, setting up a deeper look at autumn and winter styles, serving temperature, and food pairings later in the hour. Pumpkin Beers, Stouts, And How To Serve Them Monterosso moves into autumn and winter, describing amber ales, brown ales, and pumpkin beers, and clearing up a common misconception that pumpkin beer should taste like pumpkin. He explains the dominant flavors usually come from spices like cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, and clove, and that some pumpkin beers contain no pumpkin at all. Winter brings fuller porters, stouts, and spiced ales with notes of chocolate, coffee, dark fruit, and baking spice. He then turns to serving temperature, pointing out that very cold temperatures can mute aroma in a strong or dark beer, so stouts and strong ales often reveal more character as they warm slightly, while a clean glass helps collect aroma better than drinking straight from the bottle. He closes with food pairings, matching wheat beers to seafood, ambers to roasted meats, and stouts to smoked foods or chocolate desserts, reminding listeners that seasonal never automatically means better. Chef Christina Builds A Fall Cider Pairing Gary Monterosso hands the show to Chef Christina Martin, who focuses her segment on apple picking season and what to serve alongside a glass of apple cider. She shares a roasted squash and grain bowl built from butternut, delicata, or acorn squash roasted until caramelized, paired with a whole grain such as brown rice, quinoa, or buckwheat, thinly sliced apples, beans for protein, and toasted pumpkin seeds. For the dressing, she whisks Dijon mustard, apple cider vinegar, maple syrup, and olive oil. Chef Christina explains why the combination works with cider: the drink's sweetness and acidity echo the roasted squash's natural sweetness, while the mustard and vinegar in the dressing keep the dish from tipping too sweet, and the fresh apple ties everything back to the glass. She encourages listeners not to overthink the pairing, suggesting they start with one good ingredient and build outward, closing with her signature line to cook simply and sip mindfully.

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