We all want good beer to drink. But have you thought about how your beery world would look if you decided to drink nothing but the very best beer? What does that mean? How would you find such exquisite gems in a crowded marketplace? Whose evaluation could you trust? How would you reconcile your personal... View Article
While drinking beer is supposed to be about pleasure, tasting beer sometimes involves a certain element of pain. Beer is not always perfect. Not every beery flavor is delicious, and as tasters our job is to make note of every sensation we find, not just the happy ones. Beer is a fragile product, vulnerable to... View Article
With all the hubbub these days surrounding hyper-hoppy beers, it’s easy enough to forget about the humble kernel of malt, even though it’s been the foundation of beer for more than 10,000 years. Sure, hops have the luster of über coolness, but it’s important to keep in mind that without malt, there would be no... View Article
As beer enthusiasts, we know there is a difference between simple, enjoyable drinking and a more serious activity called tasting. Drinking is mindless, while tasting has structure. Drinking comes naturally, while tasting requires training and effort. Mastering the latter opens a lot of doors and steps us up in seriousness and prestige in the world... View Article
As you sip that IPA, have you ever pondered what it is about the bracing bitterness that inspires such passion? People may like malt, but they love hops, sometimes beyond all reason. It verges on sickness, in the most glorious way, most certainly an obsession. From the earliest days of beer, bitter herbs have being... View Article
Of all the substances that one can study, imbibe, inhale or ingest, beer seems less likely to illuminate the inner workings of one’s mind than just about anything. But pursued as the object of study, beer forces us to confront the mysterious inner workings of our brain that in normal life remain hidden. As we... View Article
