Features
Fault or Feature?
by Ken WeaverChase Healey, founder and brewmaster of Prairie Artisan Ales in Oklahoma, is in his office staring up at a shelf lined with emptied Belgian beer bottles. The top row: all from Brasserie Fantôme, all (give or take) rustic saisons—and, all of them, points of inspiration for Prairie. “Every one of them is in a green... View Article
Kindred Spirits
by Jeff CiolettiThis article appeared in the January 2016 issue of All About Beer Magazine. Click here to subscribe. Beer-and-a-shot specials have long been a staple of dive bars across the country, designed more as a buzz delivery system than a sip-and-savor experience. And often what was in the pint glass or bottle had been little more... View Article
Fresh Looks: Breweries Rebrand to Stand Out in Growing Market
by Oliver GrayAt the Tröegs Brewing Co. in Hershey, Pennsylvania, a creative force bubbles enthusiastically. It’s not the brewery’s famous Nugget Nectar Imperial Amber midfermentation, or the seasonal about to be bottled. In fact, it’s not even beer. For the past few months, pencils have dashed across paper, creating hand-drawn art that will soon adorn Tröegs’ bottles... View Article
Cheesecake
by John HollA dessert worthy of the word indulgence, cheesecake has an earned reputation of being hard to make but worth the effort. Creamy and dense, sweet and tangy, with a ring of graham cracker crust, and a thick sweet ooze of cherry compote topping. The only thing better is pairing it with a beer or four. ... View Article
Scallop Crudo with Charred Pineapple, Cayenne-lime Cucumber and Herb Jus
by aabThe following recipe from Chef Andrew Gerson appeared in our January 2016 issue. This refreshing seafood crudo pairs well with the fruity and vibrant notes of many Southern Hemisphere hops. The flavor and aroma compounds found in many of the hop varietals of New Zealand and Australia are citrus-forward with underlying tropical fruit notes. The... View Article
More for Your Calendar
by Heather VandenengelThis calendar of events appeared alongside “The Year in Beer” in the January 2016 issue of All About Beer Magazine. January 7-9—Big Beers, Belgians & Barleywines Festival, Vail, CO, bigbeersfestival.com 30—Top of the Hops Beer Fest, Biloxi, MS, topofthehopsbeerfest.com February 5—Russian River Pliny the Younger Release, Santa Rosa, CA, russianriverbrewing.com 5-6—Extreme Beer Fest, Boston, MA, beeradvocate.com 11-20—Arizona... View Article
The Year In Beer
by Heather VandenengelThis article appeared in the January 2016 issue of All About Beer Magazine. Among beer lovers, the question of “What’s next?” looms large. There’s always the next beer to taste or seek out, new brewery to visit or festival to look forward to. All About Beer Magazine looks to 2016 to answer that question for you with... View Article
Beer Lover’s Gift Guide
by StaffBeer is often more than just the liquid. It’s an experience that can be enhanced by other objects. For All About Beer Magazine’s gift guide, our staff snacked, tested and thumbed through countless items and settled on these selections that will delight beer enthusiasts, homebrewers and those looking for a little education. Scroll through this... View Article
Columns
Departments
Can Appeal: The Crowler Gains Traction
by Heather VandenengelBoothbay Craft Brewery, a small brewpub located in a Maine resort town, has its local patrons, but it also attracts a steady stream of travelers who stop by the brewery for flights and pints. Until recently, if those visitors wanted to take a beer back home, they could buy a 32- or 64-ounce glass growler,... View Article
Gruit: Just Brew It
by K. Florian KlempLong before hops were first cultivated for brewing a millennium ago, beers were either unflavored or infused with a mélange of herbs, roots, blossoms and spices. Popular through the Middle Ages in Europe, these botanicals often served the same antiseptic purpose as hops later would, but were also used for their medicinal or healing properties.... View Article
Brewing Champions: A History of the International Brewing Awards
by Martin WoosterPick up a mass-marketed lager and you might find that the beer won some award at some pompous 19th-century event. Now imagine that one of these 19th-century awards had continued to this day, surviving world wars and changing tastes in beer to remain a significant prize in the 21st century. You’d be describing what is... View Article
Strange Tales of Ale
by David HarrisBritish beer writer Martyn Cornell has carefully researched 28 short (7- to 8-page) articles about beer in the 19th and 20th centuries. Although most of the stories in Strange Tales of Ale ($20, Amberley Publishing) are about beer in England, they are well-written and accessible to a North American audience. Cornell certainly knows his history... View Article
Pull Up A Stool With Christine Perich
by John HollEarlier this summer, New Belgium Brewing Co.—the 8th -largest brewery in the country—announced that its longtime president, Christine Perich, would assume the role of CFO/COO and president, succeeding Kim Jordan, who founded the brewery with her then-husband Jeff Lebesch, in 1991. Perich, who now oversees all areas of the brewery, sat down with All About... View Article
Temecula: The Cradle of Beer in Southern California
by Brian YaegerMaybe you’ve never thought of Temecula, California, as being a worthy beer destination. Heck, maybe you’ve never heard of Temecula. But you may know its first microbrewery, Blind Pig Brewing (1994-1997). Its famed brewer, Vinnie Cilurzo, now of Russian River Brewing in Santa Rosa, California, says, “Greg Koch from Stone was a customer. … Tomme... View Article
48 Hours in Portland, Maine
by Carla Jean LauterDespite being the historic home of Neal Dow, the father of the Prohibition statute known as The Maine Law, Portland, Maine, is far from being dry today. There are now nearly a dozen breweries in the immediate Portland area, and over 60 statewide. Beers from breweries spread across the state can often be found on... View Article
Winter Warmer and Holiday Ale
by K. Florian KlempBrewed to match the rich, sweet and fragrant cuisine of the holidays, winter warmers and spiced holiday ales are stout enough to warm the soul and savory enough to abide the hearty fare. After the tease of autumnal Märzen and pumpkin beer, we have come to anticipate these specialties greatly. Winter warmers are typically loaded... View Article
The First Officially Licensed College Beer
by Bo McMillanThe Ragin’ Cajuns of the University of Louisiana at Lafayette are located in what some consider the “hub city” of Acadiana, Louisiana’s Cajun country, a region that has its own flag, its own cuisine and its own language, said Karlos Knott, president of Bayou Teche Brewing in Arnaudville. Now, with Ragin’ Cajuns Genuine Louisiana Ale—the... View Article
All About Beer Earns Four NAGBW Awards
by Heather VandenengelWriters for All About Beer Magazine and AllAboutBeer.com claimed four awards in September, when the North American Guild of Beer Writers (NAGBW) announced the winners of its third annual competition for writers, bloggers, broadcasters and authors at the Great American Beer Festival in Denver. Winning writers for All About Beer Magazine include Jeff Cioletti (gold in the Best Food... View Article
Ski Towns
by Brian YaegerIt’s time for snow to blanket America’s mountains. Soon slopes around the country will be covered with fresh powder and eager skiers. When the last run of the day is done, it’s time for après-ski where hot toddies are great but cold beer is better. Despite the name, bunny slopes are a terrible place to... View Article