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 MoreIn 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 MoreIs 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 MoreThis 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 MoreIf 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 MoreWe’re three weeks into the NFL season and commercial breaks are notably thin on beer advertising. What’s going on and what does it say about beer, advertising, and this moment in US culture?
Read MoreStray facts don’t help us understand the world. Meaning comes when they are woven together with themes, personality, and drama. A recent biography has got me thinking about how we tell stories and understand the world.
Read MoreThe Brewers Association announced the winners of the annual Great American Brewers Fest this morning, and I have some of the big winners, the trends, and other interesting tidbits.
Read MoreFresh hop season is underway, and it has so far proven to be unusual—and enlightening. Here are a few early lessons I’m taking away from the selection I’ve found.
Read MoreI have a hot alternate take for you on this fine Wednesday before the GABF. Yes, it’s a decades-old competition, but its value isn’t static—and now it may be as valuable as it’s ever been.
Read MoreA morning of fresh hops, nitrogen, and the magic the two combined to create.
Read MoreIn case you can’t make it to the hop harvest this year, I’ve got you covered. Here are all the sights and sounds of a harvest—everything but the intoxicating aroma.
Read MoreAfter twelve years, Reverend Nat’s Hard Cider is ending its run. But founder Nat West isn’t sad about it and he doesn’t want his fans to be, either. Here’s the story, and the legacy the cidery leaves behind.
Read MoreNo period on the calendar is more anticipated in the Pacific Northwest than fresh hop season. On this Labor Day—the unofficial start date of the green season—here’s a primer to help you navigate your way to the very best pints.
Read More“We have a secondary yeast that is right in the background called Debaryomyces hansenii, and after the brewery yeast is knackered and has completely given up, there’s a long lag phase and then that kicks in and goes through a secondary fermentation”
Read MoreWhat makes an iconic brewery? I wonder if sometimes it’s the distance from a major city so many of them seem to reside. Living out on the high desert of Eastern Oregon has given Barley Brown’s the freedom to make beers with a definite identity.
Read MoreDespite some anxiety that Americans prefer beer less than they used to, the numbers tell a different story.
Read MorePerhaps you’ve seen “West Coast pilsner” on a taplist this summer. It is starting to look like a real style, and when made well, a total delight.
Read MoreThere are a lot of new products and agents and ingredients on the market that help amplify or transmute or, in some cases, replace hops. But it turns out that good, old-fashioned hops remain the key ingredient in those IPAs we love.
Read MoreIt’s too hot for normal blogging—but just the right temperature for these hot takes! As you hide from the heat, I invite you to read and retort. What else can we do on a 100-degree day?
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