Features
The Heart Behind the Hops
by Dave GausepohlAny number of “do-gooder” organizations love to throw stones at the world’s breweries. In its defense, however, the brewing industry as a whole has given billions of dollars to numerous noble causes. Many churches, Turners Clubs, and hundreds of thousands of United Way dollars have grown, thanks to seed monies donated by breweries and their... View Article
Built to Last
by Maureen OgleIt’s the nature of the brewing industry (and all business, for that matter): companies come and go, sometimes even if they experience considerable popularity. Then there are those extra-rugged breweries that seem to be able to withstand all kinds of rough weather—tough economic conditions, Prohibition, whatever. The following breweries (whose founding dates are shown in... View Article
The Top 20 of 1879
by Maureen OgleThe US beer industry was on the verge of great change in 1879, about to undergo a massive ramping-up, due in part to the rise of industrial mechanization and the advent of the railroad. The following list indicates which breweries were selling the most beer that year. Of special note is the No. 12 showing... View Article
Making Beer American
by Maureen OgleWe all know the history of American beer: back in the good old days, before Prohibition, honest brewers made honest beer using only malt, hops, water, and yeast. Then came repeal and the era of Corporate Beer: corn- and rice-based swill with no flavor and even less body.
The URBAN LEGEND Hall of Fame
by Julie Johnson BradfordBefore there were urban beer legends, there were the original urban legends—shocking, provocative tales with twist endings and murky origins. Here’s a handful of the all-time classics, plus their psychological implications and how they’re linked to beer culture…
Urban Beer Legends
by Julie Johnson Bradford(ANYTOWN, USA) Two teenage sweethearts were recently parked at the local lover’s lane when the radio announced that a violent madman had escaped from a nearby asylum. This dangerous lunatic could be easily identified—by the prosthetic hook that replaced his right hand. To her boyfriend’s great frustration, the girl insisted that he take her home... View Article
BAVARIA BY BUS
by Staff(Editor. December 2005: While most of us are busy preparing for the holidays, a band of hearty brew-loving souls is packing its bags and preparing for a journey. The mission: to rediscover one of beer culture’s most cherished places. This Bavarian expedition is being undertaken by 15 noted figures from the world of beer, including... View Article
Celebrating a Trappist Triumph
by Roger ProtzThe Trappist ales of Belgium and the Netherlands, produced in breweries attached to abbeys, are world famous. They include Chimay, La Trappe and Orval, the most widely exported beers. They are produced by monks who help maintain their churches and fund their work in the community with the sales of their beer.
Columns
Departments
Ales: Born to be Mild
by K. Florian KlempThe beer renaissance has spawned an assortment of new beer styles—either seminal in their own right, or redefinitions of classics, often at the expense of some archetypes becoming under-appreciated or ignored. Others, like regional or subtle styles (such as mild ale) are becoming rare or in danger of disappearing altogether. Tabbed “mild” because of its... View Article
With Mark Ruedrich
by Julie JohnsonWhy Ft. Bragg? Well, Ft. Bragg… we moved to Ft. Bragg from Devon, England. Merle and I met in San Francisco. She’s English. It must have been 1976 when she and I met. And when she figured it was time for her to go back to England to spend some time near her mother, we... View Article
The Epic Road Trip, Part Two
by By Paul RuschmannIn the last issue of All About Beer Magazine, we invited you to join our “Epic Road Trip” to last year’s Great American Beer Festival. We packed up our Mazda Miata, put the top down and started westward along I-80. But our way west was only half of the story. After all, we did have... View Article
Beer Talk
Silver Jubilee Golden Ale
by - -North Coast Brewing Co. Ft. Bragg, CA Available: through Wholefoods Markets Alcohol (wt.): 4.1 Alcohol (vol.): 5.2 Color: 38 Bitterness: 25 Original Gravity: 1056 Final gravity: n/a Malts used: n/a Hops used: n/a
Munich Maximator
by - -Augustiner Available: CT, DC, IL, KY, MA, MD, NJ, NY, OH, PA, TX, VA Alcohol (wt.): n/a Alcohol (vol.): 7.5 Color: n/a Bitterness: 22 Original Gravity: 18.5 Final gravity: n/a Malts used: n/a Hops used: n/a
Black Cauldron Imperial Stout
by - -Grand Teton Jackson Hole, WY Available: CO, ID, MT, WY Imperial stouts were brewed with higher alcohol to better withstand the journey from breweries in England to the Russian Imperial Court, among other destinations. This strong imperial stout is named for Yellowstone’s Black Dragon Cauldron, in the Mud Volcano area, where hot water blasts through... View Article
Hopmouth Double IPA
by - -Arcadia Brewing Co. Battle Creek, MI Available: IN, KY, MI, MN, MO, NJ, OH, PA, WI Arcadia brews ales in British style, using barley from England, Pacific Northwest hops and Ringwood yeast in its 25-barrel Peter Austin brewery. Alcohol (wt.): 6.4 Alcohol (vol.): 8.1 Color: n/a Bitterness: 76 Original Gravity: 1080 Final gravity: 1015 Malts... View Article
Oatmeal Stout
by - -Gray’s Brewing Co. Janesville, WI Available: IL, WI In 1856, Irish immigrant Joshua C. Gray founded this brewery, which is still in family hands 140 years and five generations later. Alcohol (wt.): n/a Alcohol (vol.): 5.6 Color: n/a Bitterness: n/a Original Gravity: 1056 Final gravity: n/a Malts used: six varieties of two-row malted barley Hops... View Article
5 Barrel Pale Ale
by - -Odell Brewing Co. Ft. Collins, CO Available: CO, KS, MO, NE, NM, SD, WY Brewed in small, five-barrel batches—hence the name—this is an English-style pale ale. Alcohol (wt.): Alcohol (vol.): 5.2 Color: 38 Bitterness: 36 Original Gravity: 1053 Final gravity: Malts used: Hops used:
Supris Golden Ale
by - -Bridgeport Brewing Co. Portland, OR Available: AL, AZ, CA, CO, ID, MT, NM, OR, WA A “homage” to Belgian blonde ale from Oregon’s oldest craft brewery, located in a former rope factory in the historic Pearl District of Portland. Alcohol (wt.): n/a Alcohol (vol.): 6.0 Color: straw-colored Bitterness: 17 Original Gravity: 1056 Final gravity: n/a... View Article
Ugly Pug Black Lager
by - -Rahr and Sons Brewing Co. Ft. Worth, TX Available: TX Rahr & Sons’ Ugly Pug is a schwarzbier, or black lager. Regarding its interesting name, the beer was titled after brewer Fritz Rahr, Jr. saw his mother-in-law’s dog (a pug named Oscar) lounging in a chair. Fritz exclaimed “What an ugly pug!” At the time... View Article
Framboise
by - -Oud Beersel Lembeek, Belgium Imported by: D & V International Palm Beach Gardens, FL Available: AZ, CA, CO, CT, FL, GA, IA, IL, IN, KY, LA, MA, MD, MI, MN, MO, NC, NJ, OH, OR, PA, VA, WA, Framboise is a classic among the Belgian beers, created by adding whole fresh raspberries to a blend... View Article
Dark Star Porter
by - -Bluegrass Brewing Co. Louisville, KY Available: IN, KY, OH Dark Star Porter 1997 Real Ale Fest Winner and named after the 1953 Kentucky Derby winner, this traditional English style ale has a robust yet smooth flavor. A subtle hint of chocolate malt flavor fins its way through this very dark ale which features a spicy... View Article
Belgian Tripel Horse
by - -River Horse Brewing Co. Lambertville, NJ Available: CT, DE, MA, MD, NJ, NY, OH, PA, VA The location of the River Horse brewery, on the banks of the Delaware River, might explain why the company is named after the hippopotamus, although hippos in New Jersey are fairly rare. Alcohol (wt.): n/a Alcohol (vol.): 10% Color:... View Article
Red Ale
by - -Thomas Creek Brewery Greenville, SC Available: GA, NC, SC, TN Tom Davis, a bartender-turned-brewer, and his architect father Bill founded Thomas Creek Brewery in 1998. Alcohol (wt.): 4.5 Alcohol (vol.): 5.6 Color: deep copper Bitterness: 14 Original Gravity: 1055 Final gravity: 1010 Malts used: 2 Ron Pale Malt, Caramel 30 Malt, Carapils Malt Hops used:... View Article