Author: Alastair Bland

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  Web Only

  Going Blind with Pliny the Elder

  March 25, 2015 - Alastair Bland Almost no one talks bad about Pliny the Elder. Russian River Brewing Co.’s acclaimed double India pale ale has received almost perfect scores at popular beer reviewing sites, like RateBeer.com and BeerAdvocate.com. Gushing fans, jabbing at their keyboards with the beloved hop bomb on their desks, have even gone so far as to call this... View Article
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  Culture

  Betting on Sake

  January 1, 2015 - Alastair Bland At a small restaurant and brewery in Minneapolis, a line of taps behind the bar keeps patrons’ glasses filled with a variety of freshly fermented beverages, each named and described on the ever-evolving menu. The food here at Moto-I is Japanese, and the accompanying decor is rather typical of a sushi restaurant. It’s an unusually... View Article
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  Culture - Full Pints

  Session Beer Revolution

  November 1, 2012 - Alastair Bland In 2006, bigness was in style. It was the height of the extreme beer revolution, and though pale ales, IPAs and other classics remained the backbone of the craft brewing industry, America was burning in the high heat of extreme beer fever. Dogfish Head was just assuming national celebrity status, “imperial” renditions of almost all... View Article