No matter how dearly you love beer, or how far you’ll willing to travel for an obscure brew, there are some beers you cannot have. Unless, that is, you’re willing to serve your country.
The dozen brewpubs on U.S. military bases appear to be the only effort by the armed services of any country to provide their troops with local, freshly produced beer. The American military maybe uniquely able to sustain such an effort to keep the troops happy, given its size and reach. However, a British project to... View Article
Iron Mike’s Pub and Brewery, Fort Bragg, Fayetteville, NC (Army) Fort Bragg is home to the XVIII Airborne Corps and the 82nd Airborne Division. The U.S. Army Special Operations Command and the U.S. Army Parachute Team (the Golden Knights) also call Fort Bragg home. Pope Air Force Base adjoins Ft. Bragg. System: Four-barrel. two-fermenter system.... View Article
Over the years, any number of breweries would claim to make Santa’s favorite brew. “Join Mr. Claus (who has a fond regard for the best things in life) in drinking tangy, foamy and delicious Point Special,” the Wisconsin brewery advised in one newspaper advertisement. New Yorkers countered: “The very best he ever tasted is what... View Article
The children are nestled all snug in their bed, Santa’s outside, he’s full of dread. The old elf’s been working hard all night, Inside awaiting, it’s the same old blight. Milk and cookies, usually they’re stale. Won’t someone leave him a righteous pale ale? Listen kids, contrary to the tales Mom and Dad told you,... View Article
Forget about milk in Flanders. In much of Belgium, children leave a beer on Christmas Eve for Santa, to help him with his hard work. How about a beer in honor of Mrs. Claus? You can get it from Norway’s Haand Bryggeriet, which makes a raisin-flavored holiday ale called Nissemor. That’s Norwegian for Mother Christmas.... View Article
If we had to guess what Santa drinks, here are a few specialties that would certainly jingle his bells. Samichlaus. Schloss Eggenberg, Vorchdorf, Austria If you ever saw “Miracle on 34th Street,” you’d know that St. Nicholas is fluent in many languages. This one is Swiss-German for “Santa Claus,” and it has one of the... View Article
Back in the 1990s, I was hanging out with my brothers-in-law in Richmond. Richmond is a great place for a history buff like me, and it’s got a neat aspect for the beer-lover, too: Richmond is a common test market for new beer ideas. Which is how we came to be passing around a bottle... View Article
Although these beer programs combine brews of different styles and national backgrounds, and mingle lagers with ales, in each list, the dominant character in the beer grows more pronounced as the evening goes on. Crisp Vector Budweiser (to limber up) Gaffel Kölsch (a little fruit—it’s an ale) Augustiner Helles (underlying maltiness) Penn Dark (something beefier,... View Article
