Now that summer has given way to autumn, our attention turns to fall seasonal beers. We also have our annual chance to make fresh cider. Apple cider, the original American “microbrew,” has never been more fashionable, and the artisanal cider industry is blossoming. Homemade cider is the ultimate taste of autumn and quite easy to... View Article
Few American brewers adhere to the Reinheitsgebot—the Bavarian Beer Purity Law of 1516 that to this day mandates, in order to be called “beer,” a brew can only consist of barley malt, hops and water (although it currently allows for wheat and, naturally, yeast). But 500 years on, the world’s oldest food law is alive... View Article
Wood & Beer: A Brewer’s Guide By Peter Bouckaert and Dick Cantwell $19.95, Brewers Publications Lucky are we, the drinkers, who will soon benefit from the inspirations that brewers will get after reading this book. Written by two respected brewers, this is an exhaustingly comprehensive examination into a style that gets a lot of attention... View Article
The Fermented Man: A Year on the Front Lines of a Food Revolution By Derek Dellinger $28.95, The Overlook Press At times it may seem that we’re living only on beer, but for an entire year brewer Derek Dellinger sustained himself exclusively on fermented food and beverages (not just beer) and documents the journey in... View Article
CRAFT: THE CALIFORNIA BEER DOCUMENTARY Directed by Jeff Smith craftbeerdoc.com, DhicPhace Films LLC This documentary begins on a personal note from director Jeff Smith—who left his pregnant wife at home for a month during filming—but the story is wisely told by brewers, owners and representatives of 80 breweries in California. While the focus is on... View Article
Colorado Excursions with History, Hikes and Hops By Ed Sealover $21.99, Arcadia Publishing The Rocky Mountain State has long been a destination for beer and nature enthusiasts, and this collection of drinking spots and hiking trails peppered with colorful prose and important tips is worth a place in any daypack. Reading in advance of an... View Article
While one of homebrewing’s most engaging elements is its broad creative latitude, clean, sanitary techniques and conditions are two things that cannot be compromised. The two go hand in hand: Clean equipment sanitizes easily and sanitary equipment eliminates the nuisance of contamination. Clean and sanitary are distinctly different, but symbiotic, things. Thorough cleaning eliminates the... View Article
Ryan Witter-Merithew’s 10-year journey as a brewer has taken him from rural North Carolina (Duck-Rabbit Craft Brewery), to a tiny island off the coast of Denmark (Fanø Bryghus), to the United Kingdom (Siren Craft Brew) and finally to his current role brewing at one of America’s hottest breweries (Hill Farmstead Brewery). Now, after working for... View Article
Baltimore Sun writer and noted satirist H.L. Mencken spent the early part of the 20th century writing disparaging things about Arkansas. Back then the national perception of the state involved hillbilly caricatures and backwoods humor. Mencken was so merciless with his scorn that in 1931 the Arkansas legislature passed a motion to pray for his... View Article
