Are hazy IPAs the most transformational style in the craft era? A comment on Bluesky—yes Bluesky!—got me thinking, and whether the answer is yes or no, the choices for the title are few.
Read More
I distinctly remember saying the words “people like what they like” and feeling something click. At the time, it was more in resignation: “People like what they like, so what can you do?” But having said it out loud, it became a challenge and then an affirmation. “People like what they like, and isn’t that fascinating?”
Read More
Don’t fear the pumpkin. Find a local brewery making something that looks interesting and give it a try. Celebrate the season. Enjoy yourself.
Read More
The annual North American writing awards were announced yesterday, and I’d like to shine a spotlight on some of the brightest lights working in beery letters today. They don’t make much money, but they help us understand this beverage we love.
Read More
In a new study published yesterday, researchers assessed the effect of climate change on hops grown in Central Europe. The results were alarming—but the authors offer some hope for mitigating the worst effects.
Read More
Is American craft beer liberal? Conservative? Neither? One of the curiosities of 2023 is that mass market beer has become an increasingly visible marker for political identity. That in turn may have made craft breweries seem more liberal, even as they took no special action to suggest so.
Read More
This week, the UK-based Wine & Spirit Education Trust (WSET) announced they were creating a professional certification for beer. But with the preexisting Cicerone Program, is there enough interest in beer education to support it?
Read More
If you see the phrase “Czech dark lager” on a taplist, you may wonder about the story behind the style. To find the source, you have to start at a brewpub that has been making beers for over five centuries at the center of Prague.
Read More