In Case You Missed Them
For the past decade or so, the North American Guild of Beer Writers has staged their annual competition for writing awards. I judged the early ones and have entered in more recent years. I almost skipped this year—and may in 2023. I’ve done well over the years and feel replete. On the other hand, it also feels important to participate. The standard of writing continues yes to improve, and more importantly, the voices are younger and more diverse. As a member of the old guard, it seems important to enter so these impressive younger writers can beat me, carrying the profession forward. When you see the results, you never know how many entries a person might have made, so I’ll mention up front I submitted seven. I’ll feel lucky to win anything this year.
Entering does force me to go through a year’s archives and see what might be award-worthy (the competition year runs July-June). I don’t know if anyone will want to click through to read posts you might have missed, but I’m offering my faves here in case you do. I am proud of these posts, and before the internet completely relegates them to a lost, dusty corner, perhaps they’ll attract a few more eyeballs. Hope you enjoy—
Making of a Classic: Pliny the Elder
(August 17, 2021) Much of this history may be familiar, but it’s worth noting how Russian River’s Vinnie Cilurzo was double dry-hopping two decades before it was cool. The beer, incidentally, has evolved, and this post reveal reveals how.
Who Arranged Beer Into “Styles?”
(August 30, 2021) Before the 1970s, people didn’t really talk about beer styles. That all changed when Michael Jackson wrote a brief introduction to the concept in World Guide to Beer.
How Craft Malting is Transforming Beer
(September 22, 2021) This was one of my Sightglass posts, two of which won awards in last year’s competition. In this post I describe the incredible work the folks at Skagit Valley Malting are doing.
(October 18, 2021) On my book tour last fall, I was able to stop into a few breweries. One of the highlights was Chicago’s Dovetail, which makes classic decocted and open-fermented Fanconian lagers and wild ales.
What Happens to Beer When the Earth Warms?
(November 22, 2021) Following word of the the worst barley harvest in years, I spoke to North Carolina State biochemist Colleen Doherty, who has done research into the dangers warm nights present to plants and what effect that’s already having on grains like barley.
(December 1, 2021) Sometimes we are so focused on whether a beer is buzzy—in this post I was considering Tree House King Julius—that we forget to ask whether it’s good.
2022 Trend I’d Like to See: American Lager
(December 14, 2021) More brewers mentioned this post to me than any other in recent memory. In it I speculated on what might characterize an American lager that wasn’t just trying to be a German pilsner. American hops and malt, whirlpool hopping, foeder conditioning? Maybe!
Is There a Metaphor in Bud Light Seltzer Hard Soda?
(December 21, 2021) When I received the press release announcing Bud Light Seltzer Hard Soda, I wasn’t even sure what the product was—and I had to sit down and do a sentence diagram to even understand the title.
"Bud Clark is Serious.” Remembering Portland’s Most Famous Publican
(February 8, 2022) Earlier this year, we lost mayor, art promoter, and, for sixty years, tavern owner Bud Clark. He’s the most famous Portlander no one outside Portland has ever heard of, and his obit is well worth reading.
Developing Our Malt Consciousness
(February 9, 2022) When Covid scuttled the schedule for the Craft Malt Conference, so scuttled was my keynote address. I transformed it into this blog post, discussing the transformational potential of US craft malting.
Those Who Choose the “Difficult Path”
(March 11, 2022) One of the giants of Pacific Northwest brewing retired this summer. Alan Sprints founded Hair of the Dog in 1993 with the idea of selling very strong, specialty beers—about twenty years before that became a thing. This post captures some of his emotion at this transition, along with his reflections of thirty years making beer.
Making of a Classic: Saison Dupont
(April 7, 2022) It’s one of the most important beers in the world, and almost certainly saved the saison style. Yet that could have turned out very differently were it not for some international interest.
(May 18, 2022) I know, I know, Lars Marius Garshol has written extensively about kviek beers. I tried to add a bit to the picture by including a video of the process and discussing some of the key aspects of culture, particularly the eldhus, that was key in preserving this tradition.
Finally, I didn’t submit any of the pieces I did for Craft Beer & Brewing (that magazine is the publisher and can spend the entry fees if it wants awards). However, a few are now available online, and I’m proud of these as well: Berliner Weisse, Kölsch, Bière de Garde, and The Forgotten Funk of Old Ales.
Finally, I’d like to thank all of you who read my work. It helps me scratch out a living, which is great. But more importantly, you give this writing meaning. I sincerely appreciate everyone one of you, even (maybe especially) when you disagree. Thanks so much for reading!