St. Louis Libraries and Libations
January 1, 2001 - Stan HieronymusNever has a trip to the library made us quite so thirsty for beer.
Never has a trip to the library made us quite so thirsty for beer.
In late 1970s, if anyone had predicted that, by the turn of the century, American cities big and small would almost universally have at least one thriving hometown brewery–in some cases, multiple breweries―their friends might have wondered about their sobriety. Now, it seems, microbreweries can be found almost everywhere.
Beer faces an uphill battle in Italy, where it has always been considered inferior to wine. The climate, culture and religious beliefs are all friendlier to grapes than to barley. As Catholics, we Italians believe wine to be the sacred beverage, blessed at the Last Supper, whereas beer is the symbol of the paganism of... View Article
On Saint Valentine’s Day of 1929, love was decidedly not in the air on Chicago’s north side. Six bodies lay dead and mutilated on the floor of a North Clark Street garage. A seventh victim had been rushed away barely clinging to life, only to succumb a short time later.
Anyone who has ever been in a half-decent bookshop knows that the staff has a tendency to look like wine-drinkers. Nothing too expensive, you figure, just a fresh, fruity, unpretentious, slightly oaky chardonnay. In my experience, it does not generally occur to bookstore managers to barricade the checkout with volumes on beer, rendering it impossible... View Article
Long before American Beer Month began in July, Kalamazoo Brewing Co. founder Larry Bell began evangelizing. “The most dynamic beer culture in the world is here. There is more going on with brewing in America than anywhere else,” he said. A style “may come from somewhere else, but that doesn’t mean it isn’t a true... View Article
It is my deeply held belief that brewing at home is not only pleasurable and rewarding, but is really the best way to enhance your understanding of beer. Wine is all about agriculture; getting out there and seeing which side of the hill gets the sunshine is the true path to enlightenment. Beer is about... View Article
As a collector of beer memorabilia, I’ve many times had novices ask me, “What’s the oldest piece in your collection?” My guess would be some of the embossed bottles from the 1800s.
With regard to hard cider, America has played the role of a fickle lover. There have been times when we couldn’t get enough of the stuff. And there have been times when the drinking public almost forgot that cider existed. Could the cycle be repeating itself?