People these days long to be a little more in touch with the rhythm of the land and the weather; a lively parade of seasonal beers is a delicious way to do it. And while commercial beers are nice, if you brew it yourself you can have a beer perfectly suited to your taste and... View Article
As a writer, brewer and marketing guy, I love words. Words have the power to convey thoughts, inspire the imagination and reveal hidden secrets, so I don’t take it likely when I say this: We just have to kill one.
Not to make a big deal out of it, but when I started to brew we had to crush our malt with big flat rocks, climbing splintery telephone poles in our skivvies to harvest brown, pea-sized hops that reeked of creosote. The only reliable guidebook was written in ancient Armenian and was missing more than... View Article
We think of India pale ales as representing the glory of the British Empire. And indeed, they served as global ambassadors of England at its zenith, shipping to the far-flung corners of the Earth. Everywhere they reached, they made an impression. This pale, clear, hoppy beer was a dramatic change from the darker and less... View Article
I’ve been rifling through a lot of old brewing books lately in preparation for a book I’m writing. My goal, besides detailing some well-known historical styles, has been to determine the outer limits of European brewing traditions, looking for inspiration and techniques that might help us beer explorers find new and different things to drink.
When you get done mowing the lush green lawn that coats the cloud tops all over heaven, of course you’re going to need a beer to drink. And one would think that in that ultimate luxury skybox, a cool, golden, refreshing saison would have to be within easy reach. I know the song says heaven... View Article
If you love the ubiquity of the crisp, refreshing pale lager, never more than a pop-top’s distance away from Springfield or the Serengeti, you can thank the brewers of Pilsen, who, in 1842, created what would go on to become the world’s most popular beer style. If, on the other hand, you hate the tongue-numbing... View Article
So, you’ve been brewing for a while. Like most brewers, you’ve started with kits or extract batches, and have lately been adding a pound or two of specialty malt. The beers are tasting pretty swell—at least your entertaining, deadbeat pals are sucking them down like there’s no tomorrow. Life is good, mostly.
These days, anybody with a dumper of malt and an overabundance of fresh hops can make a lip-smackingly tasty beer. In typically American form—big, brash, blustery—homebrewers and craft brewers alike have piled malt upon hops upon malt, creating a breed of beer that relies on brute force for its appeal. Delightful, maybe, but such beers... View Article
