Bean to Barstool
A podcast exploring the intersections of craft beer and craft chocolate.
Episodes
197 episodes
Bite Sized: David Herrick of Foundry Chocolate on Whisky Chocolate R&D
Welcome to Bean to Barstool Bite Sized, where we spend about 5 minutes on a specific topic in craft beer, craft chocolate, or artisan drinks. Today we're talking with David Herrick of Foundry Chocolate in New Zealand. David takes us behind the ...
Media Relations for Craft Chocolate Makers: Identifying Your Company's Stories
Welcome to Bean to Barstool's Media Relations for Craft Chocolate Makers series!I’ve been a full time food and beverage journalist for about a decade now, and my wife and business partner, Melinda Guerra, has been a freelance PR professi...
The Past, Present, and Future of Women of Cacao
In this episode, host David Nilsen talks with Ava J Holmes and Fiorella Richter, the founders of Women of Cacao, a global, bilingual network uniting professionals across sectors within cacao and craft chocolate: from genetics and farming to cho...
Media Relations for Craft Chocolate Makers: Why You Need a Media Plan
Welcome to Bean to Barstool's Media Relations for Craft Chocolate Makers series! As a full time freelance journalist in food and beverage, David Nilsen has communicated with thousands of breweries, distilleries, restaurants, chocola...
Redux: Spencer Hyman of Cocoa Runners
Bean to Barstool Redux: Vintage but still relevant conversations from the archives without all the extra narration. Just classic interviews from really cool people in craft chocolate, craft beer, and other food and beverage fields.In thi...
Bonus: Why I Don't Think You Should Use AI Graphics for Your Craft Chocolate Business
Bit of a rant today: In this bonus episode, host David Nilsen talks about his concerns around the ecological and human harms of LLM AI technology, and why he doesn't think you should use it in promoting your craft chocolate business.
Whisky and Whimsy with David Herrick of Foundry Chocolate
Foundry Chocolate in New Zealand release only a single inclusion bar each year, but this annual release has become one of the hottest tickets in craft chocolate. Each fall (for the Northern Hemisphere—spring for NZ), they release a bar infused ...
Bite Sized: Liang Wang of Kessho Chocolate
Welcome to Bean to Barstool Bite Sized, where we spend about 5 minutes on a specific topic in craft beer, craft chocolate, or artisan drinks. Today we're talking with Liang Wang of Kessho Chocolate in Austin, Texas. Liang talks about Kessho’s l...
Tyler Cagwin of Nostalgia Chocolates on Selling Cacao to Breweries
In today's episode, Tyler Cagwin of Nostalgia Chocolates gives advice for craft chocolate makers on selling cacao nibs and other ingredients to craft breweries. Tyler has sold cacao to many breweries in upstate New York and now in North Carolin...
Redux: Beer Educator Em Sauter
Bean to Barstool Redux: Vintage but still relevant conversations from the archives without all the extra narration. Just classic interviews from really cool people in craft chocolate, craft beer, and other food and beverage fields.In thi...
Bonus: 5 Most Versatile Beer Styles for Pairing with Craft Chocolate
In this bonus episode, host David Nilsen talks about the most versatile craft beer styles to have on hand for pairing with craft chocolate. He explains why each style is so versatile and recommends types of craft chocolate to pair with each, an...
Collaboration Case Study: Estelle Tracy on Educators Partnering with Craft Chocolate Makers
We recently wrapped up our four-episode series called Collaboration for Chocolate Makers, which looked at different collaboration ideas for craft chocolate companies. Today, we’re looking at a case study of a specific kind of creative collabora...
Bite Sized: 5 Minutes with Wandering Monsters Brewing
Welcome to Bean to Barstool Bite Sized, where we spend about 5 minutes on a specific topic in craft beer, craft chocolate, or artisan drinks. Today we're talking with Jason Brewer and Zac Boehnke of Wandering Monsters Brewing in Cincinnati, Ohi...
Collaboration for Chocolate Makers, Part 4: Creative Collaborations To Consider
This is the fourth and final part in a series called Collaboration for Chocolate Makers. In the series, we walk through different types of possible collaborations and how craft chocolate makers should go about them.In this episode, we ta...
Redux: Chocolate Educator Sanna Forslund
Bean to Barstool Redux: Vintage but still relevant conversations from the archives without all the extra narration. Just classic interviews from really cool people in craft chocolate, craft beer, and other food and beverage fields.In thi...
Bite Sized: Liang Wang of Kessho Chocolate on Branding & Art
Welcome to Bean to Barstool Bite Sized, where we spend about 5 minutes on a specific topic in craft beer, craft chocolate, or artisan drinks. Today we're talking with Liang Wang of Kessho Chocolate in Austin, Texas. Liang shares the meaning beh...
Collaboration for Chocolate Makers, part 3: Working with Other Craft Chocolate Makers
This is the third in a four-part bonus series called Collaborations for Chocolate Makers. In the series, we'll walk through different types of possible collaborations and how craft chocolate makers should go about them.Today we’re going ...
Beer Learning and Language with Scott Fielder and Chris Crowe
My friends Scott Fielder & Chris Crowe have spent the past few years publicly documenting their quest to pass the Master Cicerone exam. In late 2025, Scott Fielder became just the 29th Maste...
Elmer Pineda of Yojoa Chocolate in Honduras
Elmer Pineda and his family grow cacao and make tree to bar chocolate in the mountains of Honduras. Taking their company name from the Volcanic crater lake where their chocolate factory is located, Yojoa Chocolate makes classic two-ingredient b...
Collaboration for Chocolate Makers, Part 2—Partnering with Beverage Alcohol Producers
This is the second in a four-part bonus series called Collaborations for Chocolate Makers. In the series, we'll walk through different types of possible collaborations and how craft chocolate makers should go about them.You can check out...
Mike King of Encore Coffee and Chocolate
Mike King at Encore Coffee and Chocolate in Kansas City is currently making some of the best coffee-infused craft chocolate bars on the market. I’ve had the chance to talk with Mike at the Midwest Craft Chocolate Festival the past couple years,...
Collaboration for Chocolate Makers Part 1: Why Do It, and General Considerations
Back in the first episode of 2026, I shares some things I think craft chocolate can learn from craft beer. One of those lessons (and, upon reflection, one of the on...
Brewing Pastry Stouts Thoughtfully with Wandering Monsters Brewing
Today we're talking with Jason Brewer and Zac Boehnke of Wandering Monsters Brewing in Cincinnati, Ohio. While they brew a wide variety of beers well, they're best known for excellent adjunct stouts like Viator Obscura: Triple Chocolate, which ...