Features
Strange Alliance
Politics can generate some surprising alliances. In July, the National Beer Wholesalers Association—the brewing industry’s most influential lobbying group—found itself siding with MADD, the Center for Science in the Public Interest, the Center on Alcohol Marketing and Youth and similar anti-alcohol organizations. Their common ground was support for H.R. 864, the Sober Truth on Preventing […]
Beer + Music = Happiness
At a pub in Seattle, the band on stage launches into the churchy opening riff of “Take Me To The River.” The rendition is more Talking Heads than Al Green. And people in the crowd nod and cheer as they begin to recognize the tune and lock into the rhythms being conjured by bassist Craig […]
Brewers Jam-a-lot
It’s 10 p.m. Do you know where your local brewers are tonight? If it’s a Friday, there’s a good chance they’ve traded their rubber boots for a pair of Doc Martins or blue suede shoes, strapped on a Les Paul or a Fender Jazz Bass, and are about to test the mics and crank up […]
Musicians Brew-a-lot
Rick Nielsen, lead guitarist (remember the five-necked guitar?) and principal songwriter with rock band Cheap Trick, is also a co-owner of award-winning Piece Brewery in Chicago. In the eighties, Tony Dewald was the drummer with the influential Canadian indie “sludgeabilly” duo, Deja Voodoo. He is now the headbrewer at Dix Barbeque and Brewery in Vancouver. […]
Marty Jones’ Five Favorite Beer Songs
1. “There Stands the Glass” by Webb Pierce (also covered in deeply soulful fashion by the late great Ted Hawkins). My all-time fave—bittersweet, adult, blunt and great fun/therapy to sing and play. 2. “Hungover Together” by the Supersuckers. Hilarious. 3. “What’s Made Milwaukee Famous (Made a Loser out of Me)” by Jerry Lee Lewis. The […]
Beer Music
Rap The Pain Relievaz “Untether The Blimp.” Dogfish Records (www.dogfish.com ). The follow-up to The Pain Relievaz’s surprisingly witty first disc, “Check Your Gravity” avoids the sophomore jinx with even bigger beats and badder rhymes. Inspirational couplet: “We may be more white than even Bryant Gumbel, but we bitch-slap the mic like it was Barney […]
The Art of Tasting Beer
I imagine you need no instruction on drinking beer. Happily slurping fresh pints at a favorite hangout is a joy that takes little practice to perform with confidence. After my own first half-dozen beers, I had it cold. But appreciating beer means understanding its complexities. You will need to develop a palate that is guided […]
Major Flavor and Aroma Groups in Beer
Malt Aroma Nearly all malt flavor and aroma comes from the chemical reactions that occur when malt is kilned. The same chemistry as bread toasting or coffee roasting gives a wide range of possible sensations: bready, nutty, malty, toasty, roasty coffee, chocolate, burnt. Different combinations of time, temperature and other factors create this range. Part […]
A Dirty Half-Dozen Off Flavors
While we all wish it weren’t so, you will sometimes encounter off-flavors in beer. Poor brewhouse technique, problems during fermentation or packaging, product mishandling, even dirty draft lines can all contribute. Here’s a roundup of some of the most common miscreants.
Canadian Beer Festivals: Drinking in the Culture
Canada is a culturally diverse nation. While the United States is more of a melting pot, Canada celebrates its cultural diversity. With less than 33 million people spread over almost 4 million square miles, to say that there are great expanses between Canada’s major centers would be a mild understatement. But this geographic separation has […]
Scaring Up Sales for Halloween
As Halloween increasingly becomes an adult holiday as much as one for kids, many breweries have discovered that All Hallow’s Eve is a theme to increase sales.
Columns
Eighty Beers I Remember—Part One
If I’d had any clue that it would actually take the better part of a month (back in May) for everyone to give up telling me that I really was eighty years old, I might just have stayed at 79 for a while, before sneaking quietly into 80. No such luck. But, now that I’ve […]
The Living History of Beer
Prior to the spring of 2001, my experience with beer was limited to days long gone: downing entirely too many plastic cups of whatever was on tap during “dime beer” hour in the mid-1970s at the Vine in downtown Iowa City (the original Vine, not that ersatz joint in business today).
Departments
Subtle and Sought-After: Belgian Tripel
It would be hard to deny that Belgian ales are often a spiritual experience—both literally and figuratively. Because of the alliance that many breweries have with religious abbeys, brewing is seen as equal parts technology and divinity, with some of the brews being downright sublime. Even so, many of Belgium’s secular breweries also seem blessed […]
Beer In College Towns
Last issue, when you left us, we were sitting at the bar at the Carolina Brewery (460 West Franklin St.) in Chapel Hill, NC, facing the gleaming 10-barrel Bohemian brewing system, and sipping the wonderful work of brewer Jon Connolly.
Other Great Beer Spots in College Towns
Ann Arbor, MI—Arbor Brewing Co. Austin, TX—The Ginger Man Pub Berkeley, CA—Triple Rock Brewery and Alehouse Cambridge, MA—Cambridge Brewing Co. East Lansing, MI—Harper’s Restaurant & Brewpub Fort Collins, CO—New Belgium Brewing Iowa City, IA—Old Capitol Brew Works and Public House Madison, WI—Student Union at the U. of Wisconsin Philadelphia, PA—McGillin’s Ale House Seattle, WA—The Trolleyman […]
with Jean-Marie Roc
All About Beer: How did you get your start in brewing? Jean-Marie Roc: It’s a long time ago. I was intent to be a brewer when I was 12. I already appreciated. From the beginning, at the midday meal we got low alcoholic beer, tafel beer every day. And on the Saturday evenings in the […]
Beer Talk
Krušovice Imperial Lager
Kralovsky Pivovar Krušovice Krušovice, Czech Republic Imported by: Binding Brauerei U.S.A. Place: Norwalk, CT Available: NY, NJ, PA, MD, DE, GA, FL, IL, WI, OH, CA, UT, WA In nine years, exports of Krušovice have expanded from three countries to nearly 30. It was named best Bohemian Style Lager at the 2006 World Beer Cup […]
Hefeweizen
Gordon Biersch Brewing Co. San Jose, CA Available: CA, AZ, NV, OH This hefeweizen is brewed in the German style with yeast that produce …esters. Alcohol (vol.): 5.4 Color: 24.0 EBC (9.46 Lovibond) Bitterness: 12 Original Gravity: 12 P Final gravity: 2.1 P Malts used: 58% Wheat malt, 38% Pale Malt, 4% CaraMunich Malt Hops […]
Okto
Widmer Brothers Brewing Co. Portland, OR Available: WA, OR, WY, MT, CA, ID, CO, AZ, NM Alcohol (vol.): 5.5 Color: 25 Bitterness: 25 Original Gravity: 13.5 Final gravity: 3.6 Malts used: Pale, Caramel Munich 60 L, Extra Special and Carapils Malt Hops used: Alchemy (bittering); Mt. Hood and Tettnanger (aroma)
Third Eye PA
Steamworks Brewing Co. Place: Durango, CO Available: CO, AZ, NM Steamworks is celebrating its tenth anniversary with events to benefit the local humane society. Steamworks’ fans can join a Mug Club that includes four Durango-based breweries: Three Rivers Brewing, Ska Brewing, Carvers Brewing, and Steamworks Brewing. Mug club members can enjoy beer specials at any […]
Warped Speed Scotch Ale
Lake Louie Brewing Co. Arena, WI Available: WI Alcohol (vol.): 6.8 Color: n/a Bitterness: n/a Original Gravity: 1066 Final gravity: 1014 Malts used: 100% Briess Hops used: HopUnion North American varieties
Chocolate Porter
Bayhawk Ales Irvine, CA Available: CA, TX Alcohol (vol.): 5.1 Color: dark ruby Bitterness: 35 Original Gravity: 1050 Final gravity: 1013 Malts used: Chocolate, crystal, pale and black malts Hops used: Perle, Liberty and Willamette
Sea Hag IPA
New England Brewing Co. Woodbridge, CT Available: CT The Sea Hag is said to be the ghost of the faithful wife of a New Haven scoundrel. When he fled town to escape his creditors, she followed him to sea and vanished mysteriously. Alcohol (vol.): 6.2 Color: copper-amber Bitterness: 65-70 Original Gravity: 15.3 Final gravity: 3.5-3.8 […]
Newport Storm Derek Extreme Stout
Coastal Extreme Brewing Co. Newport, RI Available: RI, CT, MA Derek, a stout, is the fourth in the “Cyclone” series of beers, following past limited releases that included a brown ale, a bock and an IPA. These “extreme” beers are given human names, like the Atlantic storms they commemorate. Alcohol (vol.): 8.7 Color: 117 Bitterness: […]
Sunset Wheat
Leinenkugel Brewing Co. Chippewa Falls, WI Available: IL, IN, IO, KS, KY, MI, MN, MO, NE, NY, ND, OH, OK, SD, WI Leinenkugel Brewing Co., founded in 1867, is in its fifth generation of family ownership. Sunset Wheat is first new year-round offering. Alcohol (vol.): 4.9 Color: hazy golden Bitterness: 13 Original Gravity: 12.5 Final […]
Bittersweet Lenny’s R.I.P.A.
Shmaltz Brewing Co. Saratoga Springs, NY Available: CA, AZ, CO, CT, FL, GA, ID, IL, IN, KY, MD, DC, DE, MA, MI, MO, NJ, NY, NC, PA, TN, VA, WA, WI “Brewed with an obscene amount of malts and hops,” to commemorate the 40th anniversary of the death of satirist and comedian Lenny Bruce, featuring […]
Big Sky IPA
Big Sky Brewing Co. Missoula, MT Available: MT, ID, WA, OR, AK, CA, NV, CO, WY, ND, SD, MN, WI According to the brewery: “In Montana, many classic memories are made right after someone says ‘Hold my beer and watch this!’ These bold, assertive moments deserve a bold and assertive beer—Big Sky IPA. The distinct […]
Avant Garde
Port Brewing Co. San Diego County, CA Available: CA, AZ The beer is made with Custom Toasted malts that are made by running Golden Promise Barley through our restaurant pizza ovens. Avant Garde features a hybrid fermentation with a lager yeast at ale temps. The Lost Abbey brand of beers are made by Port Brewing […]