Looking Back at 2025 (+ Favorite Beers & Chocolates)

Bean to Barstool host David Nilsen recaps 2025 by looking at what made this year difficult and what made it worth it, and also shares his favorite beer experiences and craft chocolates from the year. Check out David's book Pairing Beer & Chocolate: A Guide to Bringing the Flavors of Craft Beer and Craft Chocolate Together.Follow Bean to Barstool on social media!InstagramFacebookPinterestSign up for host David Nilsen's beer newsletter for regular beer musings, and the Bean to Barstool newsletter for pairings, collaborations, and maker profiles.

In today's episode, We’re talking with Joanne Mumbey, a rising voice in beer education and beer and food pairing. Joanne is a Certified Cicerone and, newly as of this month, a certified pommelier, and she's the founder of BeyLoved Pairings, through which she leads curated beer and food pairings that go beyond the European cuisines that are typically found at beer dinners to incorporate food traditions from around the world, including Moroccan, Viet-Cajun, and various traditions from around the Caribbean, among others. Joanne and I talk about the spirit behind her pairings and the importance of storytelling. We also taste some craft chocolate and beer and chocolate pairings. You can learn more about Joanne at her website or on Instagram.Guest:Joanne Mumbey, founder of BeyLoved Pairings, is a Certified Cicerone®, Certified Pommelier, and Culinary Dietitian selected for Wine Enthusiast’s Future Forty Tastemakers for 2025. Originally from Uganda, Joanne's global upbringing exposed her to diverse international cuisines through her parents' work, sparking a lifelong curiosity for flavors from around the world. This passion led her to Johnson & Wales University's Culinary School, where she discovered her love for craft beer. However, she noticed that most beer and food pairings focused predominantly on European cuisine, overlooking the rich flavors of other culinary traditions. Driven by this gap in the industry, Joanne created BeyLoved Pairings to celebrate and showcase diverse flavors that are close to her heart but often underrepresented in traditional beer pairing experiences. Check out David's book Pairing Beer & Chocolate: A Guide to Bringing the Flavors of Craft Beer and Craft Chocolate Together.Follow Bean to Barstool on social media!InstagramFacebookPinterestSign up for host David Nilsen's beer newsletter for regular beer musings, and the Bean to Barstool newsletter for pairings, collaborations, and maker profiles.

We just got back from the second annual Midwest Craft Chocolate Festival in Rushville, Indiana, where I gave several talks, Bean to Barstool had a table set up, we met a ton of great people, and of course came home with a bunch of great chocolate. Listen in as David recaps the festival, shares what makes it special, and talks about the bars he grabbed at the fest.Check out David's book Pairing Beer & Chocolate: A Guide to Bringing the Flavors of Craft Beer and Craft Chocolate Together.Follow Bean to Barstool on social media!InstagramFacebookPinterestSign up for host David Nilsen's beer newsletter for regular beer musings, and the Bean to Barstool newsletter for pairings, collaborations, and maker profiles.

Today’s guest uses craft chocolate as a way to introduce people to a subject they might otherwise feel intimidated by: chemistry.Professor Robyn Araiza teaches at California State University San Marcos. She leads a class called the Chemistry of Chocolate, which was first created by her colleague Dr. Jackie Trischman about a decade ago. The important thing about this class is that it’s not really intended for chemistry students. It’s a GE course for non-STEM majors.I met Robyn through our mutual friend Jorge Torres. Jorge took Robyn’s class, and he’s been a long time listener and supporter of Bean to Barstool. Jorge reached out to me a while back to share his excitement about this class, and about the unexpected way Robyn’s research has overlapped with our interests here at Bean to Barstool: she ran a study a few years back looking at caffeine and theobromine levels in coffee and chocolate beers, respectively. Robyn was kind enough to sit down with me to talk about her research, but primarily to discuss her innovative chemistry of chocolate class, and how chocolate and the sensory process can be used in an educational setting to make a complicated subject more approachable. We also hear from Jorge about his own experience as a student in the class.Guests:Robyn Araiza began her studies at CSU San Marcos (CSUSM) in the Literaturedepartment but was inspired and mentored by CSUSM professors to eventually earn her B.S. in Chemistry and later, her Master of Science in Chemistry. She is currently a PhD student in Analytical Chemistry under the mentorship of Dr. Kevin Schug at the University of Texas at Arlington, while on CSUSM teaching faculty in the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry. She is also a Science & Conservation Research Associate with the San Diego Botanic Garden, supervising scientists on SDBG medicinal plant research collaborations. As the CSTEM Mentoring and Outreach Fellow much of her time is also dedicated to mentorship, community education, and outreach. Her roles include being a Super STEM Saturday Coordinator, and Faculty Director of the CSTEM Professional Mentoring Program and Blueprints Peer Mentoring Program, focused on mentorship and career development for students in the program. Her passion for early childhood outreach has led to work with The Center for Research and Engagement in STEM Education as well as helping create STEM focused Girl Scout merit badges. She’s also teaches “Chemistry of Chocolate”, an upper division GE course that attracts 200+ students annually from every imaginable major. As a passionate advocate for equity in STEM, Robyn is committed to diversifying instructional strategies both inside and outside the classroom. She consistently seeks innovative ways to inspire students and share her enthusiasm for the sciences.Jorge Torres is the associate producer of the Capital of Craft Podcast, a member of the San Diego Brewers Guild Education Committee, and a U.S. Navy Reservist. Passionate about community and storytelling, he serves the industry through writing and building meaningful connections. A San Diego native, he loves celebrating the people and history that shap Check out David's book Pairing Beer & Chocolate: A Guide to Bringing the Flavors of Craft Beer and Craft Chocolate Together.Follow Bean to Barstool on social media!InstagramFacebookPinterestSign up for host David Nilsen's beer newsletter for regular beer musings, and the Bean to Barstool newsletter for pairings, collaborations, and maker profiles.

In this bonus episode of Bean to Barstool, I reflect back on my recent trip to Mexico to judge at Copa Cerveza Mx and the great beer and chocolate I had while I was there, and discuss what I love about beer judging and what you should and shouldn't take away from beer award results. The Copa Cerveza Mx awards list can be found here.I also briefly talked about the upcoming Midwest Craft Chocolate Festival. You can listen to my full preview of the festival here.  Check out David's book Pairing Beer & Chocolate: A Guide to Bringing the Flavors of Craft Beer and Craft Chocolate Together.Follow Bean to Barstool on social media!InstagramFacebookPinterestSign up for host David Nilsen's beer newsletter for regular beer musings, and the Bean to Barstool newsletter for pairings, collaborations, and maker profiles.

The second annual Midwest Craft Chocolate Festival will take place in the beautiful small town of Rushville, Indiana, on November 21-22. The MCCF was brought to reality by Dustin Cornett, the owner of Chocolat Cafe and organizer of the Craft Chocolat Challenge, along with a talented team and the wonderful folks of Rushville.For the second year, Bean to Barstool will have a booth in the vendor space selling my pairing book, cacao photography, and beer- and spirits-infused chocolate bars. I'll also be giving a talk on collaborations between craft chocolate makers and beverage alcohol producers, giving a short presentation about working with media, serving on a panel, and leading a ticketed tasting of beer- and spirits-infused chocolate. It'll be a busy weekend for us!In this episode, I talk with organizer Barb Genuario, sponsor Cocoa Supply's CEO Leila Carvajal Erker, chocolate maker Tandy Peterson of Embers Chocolate, and educator London Coe of Peace on Fifth about what to expect at this year's fest and what makes this festival so unique. You can access my guests' websites and social media at the following links:Barb Genuario on InstagramCocoa Supply's website and InstagramEmbers Chocolate's website and InstagramPeace on Fifth's website and InstagramYou can find all the information you'll need about the Midwest Craft Chocolate Festival and purchase tickets at the festival website. You can also follow the fest on their Instagram account. I'll be sharing a ticketing link for my tasting soon.We hope to see you in Rushville in November! Check out David's book Pairing Beer & Chocolate: A Guide to Bringing the Flavors of Craft Beer and Craft Chocolate Together.Follow Bean to Barstool on social media!InstagramFacebookPinterestSign up for host David Nilsen's beer newsletter for regular beer musings, and the Bean to Barstool newsletter for pairings, collaborations, and maker profiles.

Today I'm sharing the second in my two part conversation with cacao agronomist Sarah Bharath about cacao farming and fermentation and some overlaps with beer. You can listen to part one of the conversation here.Listen in as Sarah and I discuss these topics! Check out David's book Pairing Beer & Chocolate: A Guide to Bringing the Flavors of Craft Beer and Craft Chocolate Together.Follow Bean to Barstool on social media!InstagramFacebookPinterestSign up for host David Nilsen's beer newsletter for regular beer musings, and the Bean to Barstool newsletter for pairings, collaborations, and maker profiles.

Cacao agronomist Sarah Bharath has become one of my closest friends in the craft chocolate world, and she's been on Bean to Barstool a couple times before. (You can listen to those conversations here and here.) Today I'm sharing the first of a two part conversation Sarah and I had recently about cacao farming and fermentation. Rather than getting technical (though there is certainly a lot of science here), the conversation was more philosophical, as we discuss the challenges and opportunities offered by small-holder farms in the cacao space. Farmers need to make money to live, and that means efficiency and predictability are easy to prioritize. But those goals might be at odds with soil health, long-term plant health, and the ultimately goals of cacao production: flavor and complexity. How do we reconcile these? And what do we do with the tension in craft chocolate and other artisan food and drink industries between the romance of terroir and agricultural variability and the need for consistency and agronomic predictability?Listen in as Sarah and I discuss these topics! Check out David's book Pairing Beer & Chocolate: A Guide to Bringing the Flavors of Craft Beer and Craft Chocolate Together.Follow Bean to Barstool on social media!InstagramFacebookPinterestSign up for host David Nilsen's beer newsletter for regular beer musings, and the Bean to Barstool newsletter for pairings, collaborations, and maker profiles.

Angi at ChocolateSpiel takes visual appreciation of chocolate to a new level, using color to make each of her chocolate bars an edible piece of art. Her colorful bars are eye-catching, and they invite folks to try bean to bar chocolate who might not otherwise have taken the plunge.In this episode I talk with Angi about how and why she uses chocolate as a canvas for color, as well as pairing chocolate with beer, cider, wine, coffee, tea, and cocktails. Spiel means “game” or “play” in German, and ChocolateSpiel is all about having fun with chocolate! Founded by Angi—a chemical engineer turned chocolatier—she took one spark of inspiration during a factory tour (where chocolate machines reminded her of her old paint equipment) and turned it into a whimsical reality. From bean-to-bar creations to bonbons and nut spreads, every dairy-free treat is a colorful, playful twist on chocolate craft.You can learn more about Chocolate Spiel and order their bars here. Check out David's book Pairing Beer & Chocolate: A Guide to Bringing the Flavors of Craft Beer and Craft Chocolate Together.Follow Bean to Barstool on social media!InstagramFacebookPinterestSign up for host David Nilsen's beer newsletter for regular beer musings, and the Bean to Barstool newsletter for pairings, collaborations, and maker profiles.

Kumi Arhin is doing something new in wine: he's bringing the flavors of his homeland in Ghana to American wine, offering a Riesling made with Lake Erie region grapes accented by Ghanaian ginger. His innovative Ofori Brothers Wine honors winemaking tradition but caters to members of the West African diaspora in the U.S., providing familiar flavors that speak of home. The name Ofori Brothers harkens back to his family's background in cocoa production in Ghana in the early twentieth century. The Ofori brothers were quire successful in that trade, and he wanted to honor them with this new project. Kumi recently won Crafted For Action's Crafted Fellows microgrant competition, and he has more unique wines planned (a rosé with hibiscus is on the horizon).In this interview, Kumi talks about how his family's legacy in cacao has impacted his current venture in wine, the significance of including a flavor ingredient from Ghana in a American wine and how that helps him reach new audiences, and the importance of storytelling along the way.You can learn more about Ofori Brothers Wine and order bottles here.Guest:Kumi Arhin is a Ghanaian-American entrepreneur, engineer, and founder of Ofori Brothers Wine, a brand that redefines premium wine through the bold, expressive flavors of Africa. Inspired by his family’s legacy in Ghana’s early cocoa trade, Kumi blends heritage with innovation to craft culturally rooted, sensorially distinct wines. His debut release, a ginger-infused Riesling, launched at the beginning of 2025, quickly sold out, and recently won the top prize at the Crafted for Action pitch competition.By day, Kumi works at the intersection of technology and culture as a Partner Engineer at YouTube Music. He previously founded a Y Combinator-backed edtech startup that reached over a million users globally. A Columbia University alum with a background in software engineering and product design, Kumi now channels his technical and entrepreneurial experience into building a wine label that connects diasporic legacy, flavor, and storytelling. Check out David's book Pairing Beer & Chocolate: A Guide to Bringing the Flavors of Craft Beer and Craft Chocolate Together.Follow Bean to Barstool on social media!InstagramFacebookPinterestSign up for host David Nilsen's beer newsletter for regular beer musings, and the Bean to Barstool newsletter for pairings, collaborations, and maker profiles.