I got a great invite from Ryan, the local New Belgium guy, to preview Fall Wild Ale, a new release from Colorado’s New Belgium Brewery. He was debuting this beer at an unheralded beer bar, Broad St. Cafe, here in Durham. I went expecting something interesting, exciting, edgy — like so many of the specialty beers from... View Article
This one was impatiently awaited. The City had spent a few million renovating the Durham Athletic Park and all eyes were on the Beer Fest, as it’s known locally. Although the Blues Fest had taken the renovated park for a trial spin, All About Beer Magazine’s World Beer Festival would really put it through its... View Article
Last night I hit a few bars with a good friend, Eric. We first went to one of my regular stops, Bull McCabes Irish Pub, where I had a long time favorite, Fuller’s London Porter on draft. A perfectly poured Fuller’s London Porter, in a nice dimpled mug, just defies explanation. It just is. I love... View Article
There is something surreal about Sunday morning at the Denver airport after four days of the Great American Beer Festival. The bright, stark light of the Colorado plains has replaced the muted hues of the festival interior. Gone are the roars of the crowds, the beer talks, the presentations, replaced by the dampened tones of... View Article
After Vegas came Denver. After wholesalers came beer lovers. After hotels came the fest hall. This is the Big Daddy of all beer festivals. Forget Munich in the fall. Denver is the place to be if you love beer. The Great American Beer Festival stands alone among beer events. It’s not just the mammoth number... View Article
Sometimes everything works out so well you just stand there grinning. Such was the case with the first Denver Rare Beer Tasting held at the Wynkoop Brewery during Great American Beer Festival week. Twenty-four breweries each presented one rare beer to the 450 lucky ticket holders. There were about 60 brewery reps on hand to... View Article
The incessant clicking, whirring, and buzzing. All the drop dead beautiful women who smile at you and want to know how you’re doing. The hordes of glazed eyed wondering consumers. Welcome to Vegas, a place unto its own. Every other year the National Beer Wholesalers Association holds a conference and trade show in Vegas. And... View Article
Last weekend, the one before Labor Day, I had what could be considered a perfect beer lovers Saturday. Dawn came early as I got on the road for a two hour drive to Richmond and the James River HomeBrewer’s Dominion Cup. Yes, I was judging homebrew. (Remember the original premise of this blog? Well, after... View Article
I used to use this phrase “peak pub moment” to describe that ineffable zone that can surround a location, an amount of time, a group of people and a beer. I distinctly remember one of the earliest of these, a Sunday afternoon at Wynkoop Brewery in Denver that reminded me of how delicious life can... View Article
