Features
The Next Generation of Brewerianists
by Dave GausepohlMy start in the hobby of breweriana collecting began with beer cans when I was about 10 years old and in the fourth grade. Beer cans made sense: they were inexpensive and could be found discarded at family functions. As I grew up, so have the hobby and the prices. What could a kid be... View Article
The Genius of East Coast Brewing:
by Greg KitsockSamuel Adams Utopias At 25% ABV, this is the record-holder for commercial beers, and yet it manages to be lighter on the palate than the Triple Bock (18% ABV), Boston Beer’s earlier attempt at a superstrong beer. Fermented with several yeast strains, Utopias doesn’t even remotely resemble a conventional barleywine. The flavor is more like... View Article
Hop Til You Drop: East vs. West
by Greg KitsockHoppiness is in the mind—and on the palate—of the beholder. IBUs tell only half the story. They measure the amount of alpha acids—the primary bittering chemical in hops—but leave out the volatile oils and resins that give beers their floral, citrusy, earthy or spicy aromas.
East Coast Brewing: The Fire Never Died
by Greg KitsockSo many trends—from Starbucks coffee to grunge music to gourmet pizza with capers and duck sausage—started on the West Coast that it’s enough to give some East Coast residents an inferiority complex.
Heaven on Earth
by Charles D. CookBeer, brewed by monks? The very concept might shock some people, especially in our alcohol-phobic society. But northern Europe has a long history of monastic brewing, stretching back as early as the seventh century AD.
What Did the Regensburg Beer Taste Like?
by Horst DornbuschBecause the Celtic/Germanic tribes were illiterate, our knowledge of the ingredients and processes used to make central European Stone Age beers is sketchy. What we do know is that, until the modern globalization of trade, man has always brewed with the ingredients he found right at his door- (or cave-) step.
The World’s Oldest Malt and Brew House
by Horst DornbuschAlthough much of beer’s dawn is shrouded in obscurity, we do know that beer is as old as civilization itself. We also know that humans have used two fundamentally different ways of brewing: an ancient way of making beer from bread that was practiced at least until the birth of Christ, and a modern way... View Article
Lambic Under Attack
by Roger ProtzLambic, one of the world’s most fascinating beer styles, is under threat. At the end of January, lambic brewers were due to meet with the Belgian government in an attempt to protect their production methods from a small army of bureaucrats from the European Commission who, determined to eradicate unhygienic food processing, could destroy a... View Article
Columns
Departments
Schwarzbier
by K. Florian KlempStouts, be they conventional or imperial, and porters are the most common of the so-called black beers. But only one brew uses the designation “black” in its formal stylistic name. These are the schwarzbiers of Germany, literally translated as “black beers.” Schwarzbiers are perhaps the “Lucy” of all Germanic beers, with their old-style rusticity and... View Article
Hipahipa, Hawaii!
by Paul RuschmannWhat’s your idea of the ideal vacation? Mine is relaxing at the beach, soaking up the sun along with the local food, drink and culture. Hawaii offers all of that. The weather is almost perfect, there’s always something to do, and the cuisine fuses the best of Asia and America. Best of all, there’s plenty... View Article
Beer Talk
Grimbergen Dubbel
by - -Alken-Maes Brewery Jumet, Belgium Imported by: Scottish and Newcastle Importers San Francisco, CA Available: CA, GA, IN, KS, KY, LA, MN, MO, OH, PA, WI The monks of the Grimbergen Abbey, which was founded in 1128, passed production of their beers to the Maes brewery in 1958. The Grimbergen beers are termed abbey beers, even... View Article
San Miguel Dark
by - -San Miguel Corp. Manila, Philippines Imported by: Logret Import & Export Co. City of Industry, CA Available: AK, AZ, CA, CO, CT, DE, DC, FL, GA, HI, ID, IL, IN, KY, ME, MD, MA, MT, NV, NH, NJ, NY, NC, OH, OR, PA, RI, SC, TN, TX, VT, VA, WA, WV, WI, WY, San Miguel... View Article
Schlafly Brand Oatmeal Stout
by - -St. Louis Brewery St. Louis, MO Available: MO, IL The St. Louis Brewery, the second largest brewery in St. Louis, has only recently begun bottling. Beer, however, is not its only product: fans all over the country await the column “Top Fermentation” in the brewery’s newsletter and website. Schlafly Oatmeal Stout is brewed with caramel... View Article
Blucreek Blueberry Ale
by - -Blucreek Brewing Madison, WI Available: WI This beer was originally created exclusively for export to Japan, where wild blueberries are popular for their health benefits. Since 2001, it has been available in the United States. Alcohol (wt.): 4 Alcohol (vol.): 5 Color: 9 Bitterness: 9 Gravity: 1044
The Wise Extra Special Bitter
by - -Elysian Brewing Co. Seattle, WA Available: WA, OR, AK, ID Brewed with pale, crystal, Munich and carahell malts; and Chinook, Cascade and Centennial hops. Alcohol (wt.): 4.9 Alcohol (vol.): 6.2 Color: n/a Bitterness: 39 Gravity: 1058
Pony Express Gold
by - -Pony Express Brewing Co. Olathe, KS Available: KS, MO, WI, CA This beer is brewed with pale, Vienna, carastan and cara-pils malts and Magnum, Cascade and Hallertau hops, and enhanced with 6% soy. China and Taiwan are being tested as potential export markets. The brewery is grower-owned. Alcohol (wt.): 3.6 Alcohol (vol.): 4.5 Color: n/a... View Article
Honu Beer
by - -Honu Brewing Co. Portland OR Available: HI, CA, OR, WA Honu is the Hawaiian word for sea turtle. Fifty cents a case is donated from the sale of Honu Beer to the World Turtle Trust, a Honolulu-based conservation group that funds grassroots sea turtle preservation projects around the world. Current projects are in Hawaii, Costa... View Article
Penn Brewery Märzen
by - -Pennsylvania Brewing Co. Pittsburgh, PA Available: PA This German-style fest beer is brewed using decoction mashing and in strict compliance with the Reinheitsgebot. Ingredients include 2-row and caramel malt, and Hallertau Perle and Hallertau Hallertau Tradition hops. Alcohol (wt.): 4.5 Alcohol (vol.): 5.7 Color: 10 Bitterness: 24 Gravity: 1056