Features
Can You Improve Your Tasting Skills?
A sip of beer is an illusory experience. The sensations are fleeting, and there you are, sniffing, exhaling, trying to express the moment before it is gone. Jerald O’Kennard, director of the Beverage Testing Institute, has some tips to sharpen your perceptions, and possibly even increase your enjoyment of your beer. 1. Build your sense […]
How Does Your Beer Taste? And How Do You Taste Your Beer?
In front of you are two glasses of India pale ale. They both fit the parameters of the style: stronger in alcohol and containing more hops than a classic pale ale, but less of either than an imperial IPA. Both beers are medium gold in color, clear and bright. Both pour with small but persistent […]
The Froth of July
Brewer. Patriot. That two-word tag line says it all, creating a link between love of beer and love of country. The words appeared on the original label for Samuel Adams Boston Lager, above the image of a young, soft-faced Sam Adams, who stares at the viewer, a foaming tankard in front of him.
14 Great Session Beers
Avery Ellie’s Brown Ale: A 5.6 percent ABV ale, this brew has a very attractive roasted malt nose. The flavor profile shows off nice caramelized malts, with a touch of dark chocolate and a bit of vanilla. The finish leaves a nice roasted grain note on your tongue. Bayrischer Bahnhof Leipziger Gose: Pours a lovely […]
Ten Great Session Bars in the U.S.
The Alembic, San Francisco, CA: This upscale rustic place has a great beer selection with unique, decently priced food, including pickled quail eggs and pulled pork sliders. The spirits selection is a cut above, just in case your friends want to switch from beer mid-session. Brick Store Pub, Decatur, GA: If the solid tap selection […]
The Ten Commandments of Atmosphere
A good tap and bottle selection, including a range of styles and beers from low to high alcohol, is an absolute must. Throw in a couple of beer engines for style points. Music is OK, but if is too loud for reasonable voice levels, there needs to be a “quiet room” for conversation. Televisions should […]
Beer’s Social Side
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.
Columns
It All Hinged on a Pint!
As it happens, I have been standing “ankle deep” in beer for most of my adult life. I started in the pub business in 1980 and then began brewing in 1989, a career I have followed ever since. You could say that beer changed my life―and I could not be happier!
Puleese, Not Another Diatriabe? No. 148: Youth Drunking
For many years I have babbled on, and at great length, about the terrible way we train our young people in the management of what is clearly one of our country’s greatest problems, that of youthful alcohol consumption.
Departments
Nordquist’s Top-Three Tampa/St. Petersburg Options
Top vote: Users of TripAdvisor.com names Fort De Soto Park in Tierra Verde the best beach in America for two years in a row thanks to pristine white sand beaches and tranquil atmosphere. Hospitality: St. Pete Beach offers full accommodations. If you want to relax but need all of the comfort creatures available, pitch your […]
Russell Kealoha’s Picks for Best Beaches in Oahu
World-class: “Lanikai Beach is (rated) one of the nicest beaches in the world, located in Kailua over on the east side of Oahu.” Swim with green sea turtles: “Hanauma Bay is a definite must go. It has beautiful, clear blue water and fish that might bite you if you try to feed them.” Hang ten: […]
Virginia Beach Options
Stroll: The Boardwalk is three miles of seaside bliss that is geared toward family fun with plenty of live entertainment day and night. Kayak: Head south of the resort area to Sandbridge Beach to lie out among the secluded sand dunes or kayak with a seal or two. Swim: Chesapeake Bay Beach provides gentle waters […]
Stephen Johnson’s Picks for Best Beaches in Orange County
Privacy: “There is a place near Crystal Cove. The locals refer to it as Scotchman’s. There is a super steep incline to get down to the beach, which is why I think it is so empty all the time, but it’s worth it since you often have the place to yourself, and it is a […]
It’s the Beaches
A beercation is a glorious thing. A plane ticket or a tank full of gas is all you need to find yourself in any of the growing destinations for great craft beer. Just keep in mind the “-cation” part, because even a beer trip is not only about the beer. Before, after, or more likely, […]
with Alan Kornhauser
How did you become involved with the Lhasa Beer project in Tibet? When I was at Portland Brewing, one of the things we offered was consulting for other breweries. The Lhasa people came to me and said they were interested in brewing a beer in Tibet. I liked what they had to say. That was […]
Imperial Stout
The resurrection of languishing stylistic gems might be America’s greatest contribution to brewing in the past 30 years. This would most certainly be the case with Russian imperial stout. Imperial stout is synonymous with lofty status, and its bold, brawny character is a natural for the attitude and taste of New World microbrewers. Fortified, exported […]
Beer Talk
Prickly Pear Braggot
Widmer Brewing Co. Portland, OR Available: AZ, CA, CO, CT, FL, GA, HI, ID, IL, IN, KS, KY, MA, MD, ME, MN, MO, NC, ND, NE, NH, NJ, NM, NV, NY, OH, OR, PA, RI, SC, SD, TX, VA, WA, WI, WY “Braggot” is the term for a fermented beverage made from both barley and […]
Full Circle
New Holland Brewing Co. Holland, MI Available: MI, OH, IN, IL, WI, MN, MO, PA, NJ, VA, NC, SC, KY Established in 1996, NHBC has grown from a scrappy two-man start-up to a thriving regional microbrewery. Full Circle is a kölsch-style beer. ABV: 4.9 ABW: n/a Color: n/a Bitterness: 26 Original gravity: 1046
90 Shilling Ale
Odell Brewing Co. Fort Collins, CO Available: CO, NM, AZ, KS, MO, NE, SD, WY, MN Doug Odell’s passion for crafting great beer started in his kitchen in Seattle. After the demand for his home-brew grew, Doug—along with his wife Wynne—searched for a good location for a brewery. They moved to Fort Collins, Doug’s sister, […]
GUBNA
Oskar Blues Brewery Longmont, CO Available: AL, AZ, CA, CO, CT, DC, FL, GA, ID, MA, MD, NC, NJ, NM, NV, NY, OR, PA, SC, TN, VA, WA, WI, WY Emphasizing that complexity of character can arise from simple elements, this imperial IPA is made with three malts—German dark, Munich, and malted rye—and a single […]
Ayinger Bräu-Weisse
Brauerei Aying Aying, Bavaria Imported by Merchant Du Vin Tukwila, WA Available: nationwide The Ayinger brewery is family-owned and operated, and was established in 1878. The village of Aying is about 45 minutes south-east of Munich, in the foothills of the Alps. Bräu-Weisse is fermented in open fermenters. ABV: 5.1 ABW: 4.1 Color: 9 Bitterness: […]
Trout Slayer
Big Sky Brewing Co. Missoula, MT Available: AR, AZ, CA, CO. IA, ID, IL, KS, MN, MS, MT, NB, NM, NV, ND, OR, SD, TX, UT, WI, WA, WY They say the best way to shrink a fish is with a ruler, but the best way to grow a fish is with a beer. Montana […]
Mr. George’s Ruby Porter
Batemans Brewery Lincolnshire, England Imported by: SBS Seattle, WA Available: AK, WA, OR, CA, AZ, CO, ID, MN, WI, IL, MO, KS, MI, ME, MA, CT, NY, NJ, PA, MD, DC, VA, NC, SC, GA, FL This porter is sold in the United Kingdom under the name Batemans Dark Lord, but re-named for the U.S. […]
Fritz and Ken’s 30th Anniversary Ale
Sierra Nevada Brewing Co. Chico, CA Available: nationwide This strong stout is an homage to the black ales that enamored Fritz Maytag and Ken Grossman during the early days. It is the first in a series of collaborative brews created by five craft beer pioneers that will appear during 2010 to commemorate the 30th anniversary […]
400 Pound Monkey
Left Hand Brewing Co. Longmont, CO Available: n/a This English-style IPA is brewed to be less bitter and citrusy and more sessionable than many on the market, with Boadicea and Sovereign hop varieties. ABV: 6.8 ABW: 5.4 Color: 10 Bitterness: 60 Original gravity: 1057
Colorado Native
AC Golden Brewing Co. Golden, CO Available: CO This amber lager is the first and only beer to be made with all-Colorado ingredients (99.9 percent currently and 100 percent by this fall, due to a slight hops shortage in the first round). AC Golden Brewing Co. is a tiny microbrewery located within Coors’ headquarters in […]
Orange Wheat
Hangar 24 Craft Brewery Redlands, CA Available: CA The oranges used in this wheat beer are purchased through the Old Grove Orange Co. (an affiliate of the non-profit Inland Orange Conservancy) whose main objectives are to save the local orange trees from disappearing, spread the word about the local citrus growing heritage, and to feed […]
Solace
Firestone Walker Brewing Co. Paso Robles, CA Available: CA Firestone Brewing Co. uses a multi-step infusion mashing program, including wheat to insure a creamy mouthfeel for this saison-style beer. Traditional biological acidification gives the beer bright, zesty acidity. ABV: 6.0 ABW: n/a Color: 6 Bitterness: 15 Original gravity: 1057
Exit 4
Flying Fish Brewing Co. Cherry Hill, NJ Available: DC, NJ, PA An American trippel, this is the first beer in Flying Fish’s Exit Series, celebrating the brewery’s home state through New Jersey Turnpike exit numbers. Although the Turnpike Authority initially tried to stop distribution, common sense prevailed, when it was realized the name did not […]
Hoppy Man Double IPA
Twisted Pine Brewing Co. Boulder, CO Available: CO, LA, TX Hoppy Man double IPA is the “father” of Twisted Pine’s flagship brew, Hoppy Boy IPA. The father is much stronger and more bitter than the son. Also in the works are Grandpa Hoppy, a barrel-aged IPA, and Ghost Face Killah, a beer brewed with ghost […]