Craft Beer Radio began in June 2005, and has been putting out a weekly show since. The typical show format is about a style of beer. We discuss the style guidelines, the style's history, and review several commercial beers in that style.

Craft Beer Radio what is known as a podcast. This does not mean that an iPod or any portable audio player is required, however. You can listen with any computer. To find out more about podcasts you can read this article about listening to Craft Beer Radio.

Jeff Bearer started listening to podcasts in April 2005 and immediately realized that the automation and portability of podcasts was something special, and made Internet audio much more accessible to listeners than what was previously common. Almost as quickly Jeff started kicking around the idea of doing a beer podcast. There were several shows already in existence, but he found him selfwanting something else in a beer podcast. With the low cost of entry and the convenience that podcasting offered to listeners, Jeff was kicking around the idea of starting his own show.

When Jeff was planning the show he knew from listening to other podcasts that most shows that only had one host sucked unless the host was really good. Shows that had two people on the other hand were able to do decent shows even if the hosts didn't have communications degrees. Greg knew a little about craft beer at the time, but his strength was in his experience with flavors in food. Greg also had previous experience in radio, working for his college radio station.

After a few weeks of coming up with a name, and getting some equipment off of ebay we recorded a test show that we didn't plan on posting, but much to our surprise the show didn't suck. We posted it and 65 people downloaded it in that first week.

Ever since that first episode we have been growing our audience, our beer knowledge, and friendships with beer lovers from all over the world, but enough of that touchy feely stuff. Several people have asked about Bios for the hosts so here we go.

Jeff Bearer - I was born on the winter solstice in 1976. I'm a Linux Systems Administrator who works for a storage company. I've lived north of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania all of my life. I'm married with 2 kids. I graduated high school but not college. I'm an Eagle Scout.

Now on the the beer stuff. I first learned that beer didn't have to be gross when I was 18 years old when I had my first Guinness. From the first sip I thought it tasted good. Some people will find that ironic since I'm not a huge fan of Guinness anymore but it was my training wheels for craft beer. For the first few years of legal drinking I drank Guinness and a few other stouts that I'd find when I was out. But I didn't really get into craft beer for another year or two.

I remember hearing a radio commercial from the local home brew shop. I thought that would be cool to learn about making beer. That is when I started down the road to good beer. The first non stout beers that I liked were brown ales then I learned that I loved IPA's , other ales came around to me, but lagers took a long time until I learned to like them.

I've been home brewing since 2003 or 2004 and am currently a recognized BJCP judge.

Greg Weiss My day job is a Senior Software Developer in Pittsburgh, PA. Born in the heady summer days of 1976, my first exposure to beer was through my father, who wasn't a beer connoisseur, but knew that he didn't just like any old american adjunct lager. He exposed me to (very small amounts of) Genessee ale and various other non-standard beers. Leave it to college to wash all that good beer training away.