Not just a few observers have pointed out that the fans of beer and music have a lot in common. In both worlds, there’s a tension between the small and quirky and the large and mainstream. Certain bands and breweries derive cachet from being so outré that only a small cadre of fans can appreciate... View Article
Let’s try a thought experiment. I’ll offer the name of a brewery and you notice the first few things that spring to mind. Ready? Sierra Nevada. Unless you’re really not into beer—and then, why are you reading this?—something should have popped into your head. OK, here’s another: Dogfish Head. Or here, try this juicy one:... View Article
Those of us who have attained a certain—well, let’s call it maturity—recall early days in the American craft era when we were confronted by bizarre “beer” that came by names like Kölsch and ESB. We were desperate to learn what all these oddities were, so we turned to experts like Michael Jackson. “Kölsch seems to... View Article
Most years, when looked at closely, yield only small, soon-forgotten trends. The economy usually rises or falls a bit, but not dramatically. The stock market fluctuates. Various industries trend up or down. But infrequently, big changes do happen: tech stocks around the turn of the century; the economy in 2008. Many people, looking at the... View Article
It was not so long ago that winter was the source of major anxiety. The season was interminable and dark, and if the summer bore poor crops, filled with hunger. And it was cold. I recently pulled out Oliver Twist, and Charles Dickens wields winter like he does Bill Sikes. A presence throughout, bleak and... View Article
The splash page for Saint Archer Brewing Co., a San Diego company founded last year, is curious. On a recent visit to the page, there was nothing but a six-and-a-half minute video that began in grainy black and white and looked something like the early French new wave. It turned out to be a short promo... View Article
Just before Thanksgiving, a Nor’easter blew into New England. It blanketed Maine under four or five inches of snow, followed by a cold snap that kept the countryside looking Rockwell-picturesque. Maine is almost entirely rural, and though it has many (many!) delights, few consider trend-setting to be among them. And yet, when I set out... View Article
I began last week’s post with the story of a minor tragedy: a customer being forced to dump an IPA because it was so stale. That post discusses both what happens to beer as it ages and degrades, and how hard breweries work to slow the process. Nevertheless, we’ve all had the experience of buying... View Article
Not long ago, I got an email describing a familiar experience: I poured a Ballast Point Sculpin IPA down the drain because it was stale (rotten pineapple and cardboard). That makes 3 IPAs in the last month I’ve poured out. We’ve all been there, inadvertently picking up a stale beer. At the moment it leaves... View Article
