How good is the beer coming out of chain brewpubs? Pretty good if the 2011 Great American Beer Festival results are any indication. TAPS Fish House & Brewery, a California chain with seven locations in Orange County, was named Brewpub Group of the Year, winning a gold medal for the German-Style schwarzbier made in Corona,... View Article
BJ’s Restaurant & Brewery (53,203) (Includes contract barrels.) Rock Bottom Restaurants (42,576) (Includes Walnut Brewery and Chophouse locations) Gordon Biersch Brewery (32,631) (Includes Big River Grille, A1A Alehouse and other locations) McMenamins Breweries (23,848) Ram/Big Horn Brewery (20,579) (Includes C.B. Potts and C.I. Shenanigans) (Brewers Association data based on 2010 sales)
The craft beer movement has always been one part quality, one part creativity and one part rebellion against corporate business practices that place an emphasis on efficiency, operating systems and conformity. In the early days of craft beer this, David vs. Goliath philosophy came to life most vibrantly in the form of brewpubs.
We asked a number of beer industry luminaries to share some of the most special beers in their own cellars, and to tell us why they chose those beers and on what occasion they’ll consider opening them. This is at once a terrific list of amazing beer you don’t have, but which at the same... View Article
You don’t necessarily have to age beer yourself. You can find people willing to do it for you: for a price. A growing trend among better beer bars and specialty bottle shops is to have their own beer cellars from which to offer vintage beer for sale. Older beers, naturally, is priced higher than newer... View Article
While nobody knows the exact percentage, nearly all of the beer brewed worldwide should be enjoyed when it’s as fresh as possible. With most beer, the sooner you drink it, the better; usually within ninety days of being kegged, bottled or canned if it’s unpasteurized, and a little longer if it has. Many beers even... View Article
You pop open a bottle of Sierra Nevada Pale Ale, an old reliable that you’ve been drinking since the 1980s. You tear the pull-tab off a tallboy can of Oasis, a double IPA from a microbrewery halfway across the continent that showed up without fanfare a local retail outlet. You have the bartender draw you... View Article
You may not need all these items for every tasting, but this is a fairly complete list that should work for most events. Note cards. Basically, you need to provide a method for guests to take notes. This can be either formal or informal. Formal choices might include the BJCP Checklist score sheet, while an... View Article
The theme sets the tone for your event, so choose one that best matches your audience’s background and interest level. Single style, different breweries. One of the easiest to do, and fairly educational. Pick a beer style, and then try to get a wide range of interpretations of the style. Which ones fit the style... View Article
