Features
Ameri-Brew
Four thousand miles away from Manhattan, in a northern Italian village, Birrificio Troll owner Alberto Canavese was celebrating because his beers had just gone on sale in New York, New York. Only one of the particularly strong beers he shipped off, the 9 percent ABV Palanfrina brewed with chestnuts, was available in his own pub […]
Beer Gifts for the Holidays
Someone on your holiday gift list loves beer. Or perhaps it’s just because you love beer, and you’re convinced that the right selection could open a friend’s eyes to the diversity and delight of your favorite drink.
Inside the Barrel
In 1994, Chicagoans were treated to an extraordinary beer created to celebrate the 1,000th batch brewed at the Goose Island brewpub: Bourbon County Stout, an intense, black stout that brewer Greg Hall had aged in oak barrels fresh from the Jim Beam bourbon distillery.
Nanobrewing: Does Size Matter?
It typically starts off in a basement or a garage, or perhaps, if you’re lucky, in 10 square feet in the corner of the den.
Helpful Resources
The Federal Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau www.ttb.gov American Homebrewers Association www.homebrewersassociation.org The Brewers Association www.brewersassociation.org
Getting Legal
Getting a license to sell beer is often the most harrowing experience many brewers have to deal with, and the ease with which they’re granted varies drastically from state to state. But in order to legally sell beer, a brewer must have a license, and many do pursue this route. In fact, according to Julia […]
Columns
Are the Great Beers of Europe Dying?
No discussion of European beer is possible without recognizing that all of the distinctive classes of modern beer made around the world originated in Europe.
I’m Not Just Norm
It was customary among Chicago Irish Catholics in the 1950s to use children as beer caddies. Take my wife, Bernadette: when her grandfather’s love for storytelling left his throat dry, he sent her out for more beer. She’d step out her back door, walk down an alleyway to the local tavern, and show the bartender […]
Departments
Schwarzbier
Black beers have been winning over the hearts of craft beer devotees for 30 years now, but until quite recently, stout and porter have dominated the affair. In the past few years though, the unusual black lager known as schwarzbier has been crashing the party with both American microbrews and German originals. Schwarzbier, literally “black […]
Passing the Bar
Stepping inside a new beer bar is one of the biggest rewards that can await a beer traveler. There’s something magical about looking down a long row of tap handles, diving into a long beer list and picking out what isn’t available back home. It’s humbling, too, because it reminds you of just how many […]
with John Withey
You’ve brewed at just about every size of brewery during your career. I started in Greene King doing a pupilage, and then an improvership―you never hear of that these days. Then I spent 20-odd years at Whitbread, which was then a national brewery, I was seconded to various places all over the U.K., and, of […]
Beer Talk
DuganA
Avery Brewing Co. Boulder, CO Available: AK, AZ, CA, CO, CT, DE, DC, FL, GA, IL, IN, KS, KY, MD, MA, MI, MN, MO, NE, NJ, NM, NY, NC, OH, OK, OR, PA, SC, TN, TX, VA, WA, WI Avery Brewing Co. has been developing and perfecting the recipe for this new double IPA for […]
Maksimum
Svyturys Klaippeda, Lithuania Imported by: B&I Overseas Trading, Inc. Van Nuys, CA Available: CA, FL, IL, NY, TX, WA Svyturys is the oldest functioning brewery in Lithuania. The first medal– an award for beer quality and taste– was awarded to the brewery in 1883. ABV: 7.5 ABW: 5.97 Color: 9 Bitterness: 15 Original gravity: 1065
Arctic Rhino Coffee Porter
Midnight Sun Brewing Co. Anchorage, AK Available: AK, OR, WA This award-winning porter is named for the Arctic Rhino coffee blend developed by a well-known Anchorage coffee roaster and infused into this beer. ABV: 5.0 ABW: 3.98 Color: N/A Bitterness: 20 Original gravity: N/A
Pig’s Ear Brown
Woodstock Inn Brewery North Woodstock, NH Available: CT, MA, NH, RI, VT The Woodstock Inn Brewery is located in the heart of the White Mountains of New Hampshire. The brewery showcases six main brews and two rotating seasonals. ABV: 4.3 ABW: 3.42 Color: 24.1 Bitterness: 25 Original gravity: 1054
Sixteenth Anniversary Barley Wine Ale
Uinta Brewing Co. Salt Lake City, UT Available: AZ, CO, DC, DL, GA, MD, MA, NY, NC, PA, SC, UT, VA Now in its 16th year, Anniversary Barley Wine began in limited release to commemorate the founding of Uinta Brewing Co. Due to positive feedback and strong demand, it is now available year-round. ABV: 10.6 […]
Saison Athene
Saint Somewhere Brewing Co. Tarpon Springs, FL Available: FL Saison Athene is a rustic farmhouse ale brewed with rosemary, chamomile, and black pepper. The Belgian-style beer is unfiltered and bottle-conditioned, with a dose of wild yeast added at bottling. ABV: 7.5 ABW: 5.97 Color: N/A Bitterness: 25 Original gravity: 1065
Ed Hardy Premium
Cerveceria Mexicana, Tecate, Mexico Imported by: Luneau USA Westport, CT Available: nationwide California native Don Ed Hardy has been called “the godfather of modern tattoo.” He and French fashion designer Christian Audigier have collaborated to create the Ed Hardy lagers. ABV: 3.74 ABW: 2.98 Color: 4.16 Bitterness: 10 Original gravity: 1043
Upslope IPA
Upslope Brewing Co. Boulder, CO Available: CO Upslope is Boulder’s newest brewery, celebrating their one year anniversary on November 7th, 2009. They have chosen to can their beers, an appropriate choice in a region known for camping, outdoor sports and music events. ABV: 7.2 ABW: 5.7 Color: copper Bitterness: 65 Original gravity: 1068
Bender
Surly Brewing Co. Brooklyn Center, MN Available: MN, WI, IL Surly Brewing Co.’s founder selected the name for the company from the answer to the question “How do you feel when you go into a bar and there is no good beer?” Answer: you get surly, and say “Let’s go to another bar that cares […]
2 Turtle Doves
The Bruery Placentia, CA Available: CA, WA, OR, AZ, NV, CO, WI, IL, IN, OH, PA, MA, NY, NJ, MD, DC, VA, NC, SC, GA, FL This is the second in The Bruery’s 12-year series of winter seasonal beers based on the “Twelve Days of Christmas” song. For this year’s offering, they were inspired by […]
Rosey Nosey Holiday Ale
Bateman’s Brewery, Wainfleet, United Kingdom Imported by: SBS Imports, Seattle, WA Available: AK, AZ, CA, CO, CT, DC, FL, GA, ID, IL, KS, ME, MD, MA, MI, MO, MT, NJ, NY, NC, OH, OR, PA, SC, TX, VA, WA, WI, and RI(soon) In 1874, George & Suzanne Bateman sold their farm and purchased a small […]
Auld Acquaintance
The Pike Brewing Co. Seattle, WA Available: CA, CT, AK, MT, ID, OR, UT, TX, CA, CT Pike Place Brewery was first opened in the Seattle landmark Pike Place Market in 1989 by Charles and Rose Ann Finkel, already well known for founding Merchant Du Vin beer importing company. Auld Acquaintance winter warmer is spiced […]
Coldfront
Ithaca Beer Co. Ithaca, NY Available: CT, MA, ME, NH, NJ, NY, OH, PA, VT, RI(soon) The Finger Lake region of New York contains many local wineries, but until Ithaca Brewing Co. opened in 1997, there were no local sources for beer. ABV: 7.4 ABW: 5.9 Color: 45 Bitterness: 35 Original gravity: 1064
Walker’s Reserve Porter
Firestone Walker Brewing Co. Paso Robles, CA Available: CA, NV, OR, WA, AZ Firestone Walker is one of only two breweries in the world that still utilizes oak barrels for primary fermentation. Walker’s Reserve is a blend of 50 percent oak barrel-fermented beer and 50 percent stainless steel-fermented beer. Walker’s Reserve is bottle conditioned. ABV: […]
Dundee India Pale Ale
Dundee Brewing Co. Rochester, NY Available: CT, ID, IL, MA, ME, MI, NH, NJ, NY, OH, PA, RI, VT, WA, WI Dundee Brewing Co. is part of High Falls Brewing Co. Founded in 1878 as the Genesee Brewing Co., High Falls is based in Rochester, NY, and is the seventh largest brewer of beer in […]