By Adrian Tierney-Jones
Published July 2011, Volume 32, Number 3
It’s a sleepy Sunday lunchtime in Dobrany, a small town a few kilometres southwest of Pilsen. This is Bohemian beer country, deeply embedded in the lager lands of central Europe. Pivovar Modra Hvezda is a small brewery based in a comfortable hotel opposite the town square. A copper-faced brew-kit stands on show in the bar, though the real brewing action happens in the back. Meanwhile, in an ornately furnished dining room, brewmaster Petr Petruzalek, a tall serious-looking guy with a ponytail, is conducting a beer tasting. Read More…
By Julie Johnson
Published May 2011, Volume 32, Number 2
The growing number of entries to sour beer categories
suggests that brewers are onto something new.
But the techniques they’re using, and the “bugs” they’re
welcoming into their beers, have a long history.
Read More...
By Amanda Baltazar
Published March 2011, Volume 32, Number 1
Coming soon to a bar near you: mild ale.
This traditional English beer, once the most popular style in the country, fell from favor in the last century. However, it is staging a comeback in its native land, and has even made its way onto U.S. shores. You’ll have to do your research if you want to try it this side of the Atlantic, but mild—sometimes dubbed the original session beer—has qualities that make it a great choice for American audiences. Read More…
By Rick Lyke
Published July 2010, Volume 31, Number 3
In England they head to the pub for a session. The stammtisch is a German beer hall tradition where regulars gather at the same table each week. In Ireland they crave craic on Saturday night. In America, we meet with friends at happy hour.
Read More...
Keeping it Real
By Steve Hamburg
Published May 2010, Volume 31, Number 2
Over the last few years we’ve seen a veritable boom in the number of craft beer establishments around the country, including many that specialize in artisanal foods. And with this growth, we’ve also seen another development: a newfound appreciation of cask-conditioned beer.
Read More...
France's Road Less Traveled
By Mike Tessier
Published March 2010, Volume 31, Number 1
Everyone remembers that one bottle of beer that awakened their thirst for beer knowledge. Mine was Sans Culottes from La Choulette. At the time I had no idea what a bière de garde was, but with my high school French I knew that the beer’s name literally meant “without underwear” and it bought back memories of a playground song from my childhood: “In the land of France where the ladies wear no pants, but the men don’t care ‘cuz they wear no underwear.” However, after examining and translating the label, it became clear that this was more than a bottle of beer, or a reference to a silly rhyme; it was a piece of France’s history. Read More…
