Imagine a hot day in mid-August, high noon. You stand in a sun-baked lot gazing up at your destination: a thickly wooded hill 20 minutes drive south of Bamberg, in Bavaria’s Franconia region. That hill is the Kellerwald, and—symbolically, at least—it may represent the cradle of modern beer civilization. Two key moments here tell the... View Article
‘Tis the season for folks named Old St. Nick, Rudolph, Frosty and Jack Frost. Contrary to what some people say about Christmas being a way bigger event in America than it is in Europe—and while it’s true that you don’t see nearly as much commercialism splattered in each store aisle, painted on all shop windows... View Article
Choosing a beer story to spend time with is getting as tough as choosing a beer, it seems. Fascination with beer isn’t new: Beer stories, often juicy, full of colorful characters and best served with a pint to match, have captured attention for generations because they often deliver. When I tell people I write about... View Article
Washington state has more than 200 breweries—second only to California—and new ones are opening regularly. The state’s rich beer culture also extends to its world-renowned beer bars and beer stores, making a visit to the Evergreen State even more justified. After arriving at Sea-Tac Airport, rent a car and head north on I-5 for some... View Article
The annual Copenhagen Beer Celebration parades 40 of the world’s top brewers in front of a limited number of dedicated beer geeks, who are in fact the ones who do the marching from brewer to brewer. The grand marshal is Mikkel Borg Bjergsø, the prominent roving brewer behind Mikkeller, whose brands, it can be said,... View Article
The catchall term “Scottish ale” is used for a group of modestly hopped, malty and sociable brews. Somewhat generic, it often leads to rather limited expectations. But the clan of authentic Scottish ale being made today is actually quite diverse, the progeny of the brews that survived the relative famine of the 1960s and came... View Article
Experience this beer fest just once, and you’ll become a regular. With a mix of local, national, and international breweries, combined with educational seminars, and hearty local fare, All About Beer Magazine’s World Beer Festivals are among the country’s premiere beer events. Currently held in four cities—Cleveland, OH, Columbia, SC, Durham, NC, and Raleigh, NC—the... View Article
Celebration Ale, which has been in production since 1981 and in its current form since 1983, is an enigma of a beer. It’s a holiday beer, so consumers might expect it to have the standard spices—nutmeg, cinnamon—but instead will find hop aromas and bitterness akin to an IPA. Since 2010, Sierra Nevada Brewing Co. has... View Article
The tweet contains just enough truth that it clearly makes Jason Perrault uncomfortable. Lagunitas Brewing Co. founder Tony Magee, @lagunitasT on Twitter, wrote: “Who would u guess 2 be the most important person in US craft brewing? A brewer..? Think again. He’s a Hop grower named Jason Perrault! Word.” Magee often posts provocative statements, and Perrault... View Article
