Features
Last Call: Having a Round on the ‘Late Late Show’
by John HollLOS ANGELES—The lineup on this particular September evening included a guy from Lancaster, Pennsylvania, who can remove his underpants without first taking off his track pants, an Idaho man who placed suction cup darts on his eyes and “George the Giant” from California, who used a long length of clear tubing to drink milk through... View Article
Attempting to Understand the Reinheitsgebot
by Jeff AlworthIn 2016, Germans—and beer drinkers everywhere—will stop to celebrate the 500th anniversary of that most famous of brewing laws, the Reinheitsgebot (rhine-heights-geh-boat). To put that time frame into context, the Reinheitsgebot was born a year before Martin Luther tacked the 95 Theses to a Wittenberg church, sparking the Protestant Reformation. It has survived the rise... View Article
The United States of Style
by Bryan RothAll across the U.S., drinkers have no trouble finding an IPA. The popular style is ubiquitous from the bars and breweries of New England to the beaches of San Diego. But move from city to city and you’ll find an increasing trend: Breweries are putting emphasis on sharing where a beer is coming from almost... View Article
Earn Your Beer
by Bryan RothNeal Coffey is a man of habit. He doesn’t eat breakfast—never has. For lunch, he’ll find a local fast-food restaurant for a 6-inch sub or a salad with lean protein. For dinner, he likes to grill year-round, preparing meals like kielbasa with grilled squash and corn on the cob or steak fajitas. It’s part of... View Article
Columns
Departments
Pull Up A Stool with Simon Thorpe
by Christopher ShepardFirestone Walker Brewing Co.’s Parabola and Union Jack. Boulevard Brewing Co.’s Saison-Brett and Unfiltered Wheat. Brewery Ommegang’s Hennepin and Abbey Ale. And Duvel. As president of Duvel Moortgat USA, Simon Thorpe oversees the work that goes into all of these beers. This requires, he says, keeping two somewhat opposing goals in mind: ensuring each brewery... View Article
48 Hours in Milwaukee
by Kaleb SchweckeMilwaukee has long been synonymous with beer. Its storied brewing heritage dates back to the 1850s when German farmers settled in the area, bringing their thirst with them. Agriculture flourished and a decade later Wisconsin was producing over three-quarters of the nation’s hops. Milwaukee burgeoned into a beacon of industry on the shores of Lake... View Article
Lambic: The Pinnacle of Natural and Native Brewing
by K. Florian KlempIf the concept of terroir can be applied to beer, it would be with the spontaneously fermented, wild lambics. Lambic is inoculated by airborne microbes of the landscape and banked within barrels. They are the pinnacle of natural, native, organic brewing—a cascade of countless transformations that separate them from the rest of the beer world.... View Article
Head-scratching Attractions and Museums
by Brian YaegerIf you think about it, sizable chunks of taps at draft houses around the country constitute their own sort of unusual beer exhibit. Some brewers virtually trip over themselves to showcase strange ingredients on display in their beers. People just love to experience the weird. So in heading out to explore breweries around the country,... View Article
Cookies & Beer
by John HollCookies & Beer By Jonathan Bender $19.99, Andrews McMeel Publishing Experienced beer drinkers have walked the cheese-pairing route and experimented with chocolates. Beer dinners with thoughtful menus are de rigueur and often go the route of classy over comfort. Now consider the humble cookie, a (usually) rounded sweet treat that can go from a big... View Article
Beer Bites
by John HollBeer Bites By Christian DeBenedetti and Andrea Slonecker $24.95, Chronicle Books Thankfully we’ve moved past the age of chips, salted nuts or stale pretzels as the preferred bar snack. With so many breweries offering top-notch ales and lagers, the time has clearly come to elevate the bites we enjoy with beer. From finger sandwiches to... View Article
The Beer & Food Companion
by John HollThe Beer & Food Companion By Stephen Beaumont $35, Jacqui Small Before we arrive at the food, there is a history lesson in which the author, with a rich wealth of information and experience, focuses on the global drinking culture and food traditions. This gives a much-needed dose of knowledge to those who rarely look... View Article
Beer Pairing
by John HollBeer Pairing By Julia Herz and Gwen Conley $25, Voyageur Press Geeks get excited: This is the food book you’ve been waiting for. It’s a graduate-level book for the beer- and food-minded, examining raw ingredients; storage, glassware, and serving; and the nitty-gritty of color, nuanced flavor and fermentation. You’ll need a pencil, a notebook and... View Article