Conversations on The Road

Founded as “a celebration craft beer for Jews”, HE’BREW Beer began as a Chanukah experiment in 1996 when founder and proprietor Jeremy Cowan and friends squeezed pomegranates to produce juice for the first HE’BREW beer.

Since then HE’BREW Beer has become known for its beer as well as its widely recognized for its playful yet earnest study of Jewish, world, and pop.

In this Journey, we speak with Jeremy Cowan about the beeer, its culture and his story which can be found in his memoir, memoir, Craft Beer Bar Mitzvah, that chronicles the beginning of HE’BREW Beer and the evolution of Shmaltz Brewing Company. The book was launched at Great American Beer Festival in Denver, Colorado, and a second edition was released in December 2010.

 

 He'brew [19:00m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Sports Illustrated has recently published it’s take on hockey, and it’s an impressive work.

Of course, the photos are striking. I epscially love the period pieces from teh early 1960′s and crowd shots over the years.

And, then there’s the writing.

We speak with S.I.’s award-winning hockey writer, Michael Farber. Farber, who wrote the intro, has a unique perspective on both sides of the  Canada-U.S. hockey border. He offers insights into the book and into the game.

 

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 S.I.'s Hockey Book [21:08m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Conn Smythe (February 1, 1895 – November 18, 1980) is best known as the principal owner of the Toronto Maple Leafs (1927 to 1961) and as the builder of Maple Leaf Gardens. As owner of the Leafs during numerous championship years, his name appears on the Stanley Cup eleven times: 1932, 1942, 1945, 1947, 1948, 1949, 1951, 1962, 1963, 1964, and 1967.

Smythe is also known for having served in both World Wars, organizing his own artillery in the Second World War.

In this Journey into Hockey at the time of Remembrance Day, we remember Conn Smythe the soldier and patriot beyond the hockey rink.

Our guest is author and hockey historian Kevin Shea, who among his works co-authored with Thomas Stafford Smythe the 2000 book, “Centre Ice: The Smythe Family, the Gardens and the Toronto Maple Leafs Hockey Club (Fenn).

 

 Conn Smythe [11:51m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Before Messier, before Orr, before Harvey, before Howe there was Eddie Shore. Eddie Shore has been described as the Babe Ruth and Ty Cobb of hockey, a brilliant player with an umatched temper. During his 50 years in hockey, Shore was like no one before or since. He was highly penalized, injured others and was often inured. He was highly skilled – winning most valuable player honors four times. He was also the instigator in one of hockey’s most notorious events – the infamous and tragic “Ace Bailey Incident” of 1933. Eddie Shore was the dominant player of his times.

In this Journey into Hockey, we speak with C. Michael Haim who has chronciled the life of Eddie Shore in “Eddie Shore and That Old Time Hockey” (McClelland and Stewart).

 

 Eddie Shore [23:56m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Hockey outdoors is popular these days.

The Winter Classic, The Heritage Classic, Pond Hockey Tournaments, and more are staged to speak to hockey’s roots.

But this Norman Rockwell notion of hockey as it used to be is, in fact, part truth, part fiction.

We speak with Michael McKinley, author of “Putting a Roof to Winter” (Greystone Books, 2002) to sort through and separate  history from legend.

 

 Outdoor Game [14:51m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Hockey is more than just Canada’s National sport – it is the most recognizable symbol of what it is to be Canadian, an intrinsic part of the nation’s culture, economy and politics.

In this Journey into Hockey we speak with Andrew Holman, professor of history and Canadian Studies at Massachusetts’s Bridgewater State College about his book “Canada’s Game – History and Identity”, a compendium that addresses a range of themes in hockey – past and present.

 

 Canada's Game [22:28m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Long before Gretsky, Messier, and Crosby, there was a big, raw-boned kid from Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, who was the most celebrated hockey player of his era. Amazingly, his era began in 1946 with the Detroit Red Wings and ended 34 years and 32 seasons later with the Hartford Whalers. When Gordie Howe retired, he was 52 and still an effective National Hockey League player. In between, he led the league in goals scored five times and in points six times, was a 12-time all-star, and claimed six Most Valuable Player awards.

In this Journey into Hockey we speak with Roy MacSkimming about Goride Howe – the convetional story as wellas what he found that culminated in his unauthorized 2003 biography, “Gordie:  A Hockey Legend”.

 

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