So here we are. We have an idea of what it takes to become a cooper, and we’ve examined foudriers, the “aristocrats of the trade,” in the words of...
Last time, we looked at what it takes to be a cooper – years of training, an intense attention to detail and a well-trained sensory toolkit amongst ...
With autumn seasonals and Oktoberfest beers getting released earlier and earlier each year – to the chagrin of many craft beer lovers – we delve into...
At this point, wood-aged beers are far from obscurity. They are the Bender in The Breakfast Club of trending beer styles: brooding, powerful and...
Kellerbier
When you think of a lager, you’ll generally think of an exceedingly mild, crisp and clear beer. However, there’s a style of lager that...
Malt
Brewing begins with raw barley, wheat, oats or rye that has germinated in a malt house. The grain is then dried in a kiln and sometimes roasted...
When it comes to beer’s temperature, the common belief is “the colder the better.” This is not always sound advice. Beers served too cold can numb...
Table Beer
The American beer scene has been inundated with double digit ABV bombs – if not a molasses-like Imperial Stout, then a Double IPA with...
Nobody can seem to agree what is the difference between porter and stout. Is it that stouts contain roasted barley? Is it that porters are lighter,...
Alternative Grain Beer
When one thinks about beer, a few simple descriptors immediately spring to mind: carbonated, alcoholic, crushable, etc. When...
When you resist the urge to crack open a beer instantaneously, magic can happen. Storing or cellaring beer allows a number of internal and external...
Altbier
Altbier sounds like a faintly condescending term, such as “alternative rock” or “alternative lifestyle,” with little to no real meaning...
Rauchbier
With colder weather finally upon us, many craft beer drinkers will be reaching for something “bigger” from their cellar this autumn and...
With a chill outside and a roaring fire and festive atmosphere indoors, family and friends gather around a winter holiday table, anxiously...
A tough guy walks into a bar. He looks the bartender dead in the eye. “Give me a beer,” he says with deliberate gravitas. “And a back story to go...