By Tomme Arthur
Published May 2013, Volume 34, Number 2
Legend has it that great Delta blues artist Robert Johnson, hungry for fame and fortune, met Satan at the Crossroads. The devil granted Johnson’s wishes in exchange for his soul, and soon he was widely admired for his effortless playing and artistry.
Today’s brewers, it would seem, are cutting deals with their own personal devils. Where once you would never invite the devil to come dance in your brewery, many brewers are now opening their doors to Satan’s minions of sour (Brettanomyces, Lactobacillus and Pediococcus) in the hopes of joining the ranks of legendary beers and bellowing out the low pH blues.
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By Tomme Arthur
Published March 2013, Volume 34, Number 1
Growing up in Southern California, in the shadows of Disneyland, I learned from our numerous visits each year the meaning of patience. There were always lines for the best rides. My favorite was Pirates of the Caribbean: It seemed to take forever to get in. But it was always worth the wait, because the story mattered and defined the experience.
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By Tomme Arthur
Published January 2013, Volume 33, Number 6
I love the Windy City. It has buildings that stretch to the heavens, the cursed Cubs and its own style of hot dogs. What’s not to like about that? It’s a gritty lakefront community with a checkered history of crooked politicians, mob bosses named Bugsy and Capone and their illicit everything everywhere. Like most cities, it endured the Great Experiment that was Prohibition and has a rich landscape of old bars and rundown pool halls.
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By Tomme Arthur
Published November 2012, Volume 33, Number 5
Today, we live in an automated society with debit cards, movies on demand and smart phones bringing things instantly to our fingertips. Everywhere we turn, automation has made our work less manual and more efficient. Today, fewer things are truly handcrafted than ever before.
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By Tomme Arthur
Published September 2012, Volume 33, Number 4
Presiding wedding official (curiously dressed in brewer’s boots and jeans): “Dearly Beloved Beer Lovers. We are gathered here today to join a beautiful barrel with this amazing amber ale. Do you Quercus alba take this heaven-sent Firestone Walker Ale to have and to hold, in sickness and in health?”
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