Jim Wells is a freelance beer writer in Boston. When he’s not scouring the globe for the next scoop, Jim’s investigating local brew fests to find the next great beer.
Oregon State University receives $1.2 million to expand Fermentation Sciences program; Australian researchers test a “hydrating” beer; “stoop drinking” in NYC mayoral debates; and tragic accident takes life of Stone brewer.
Beer can house in Texas receives landmark status; angry neighbors seek to cut down Tree House; California growler-fill law receives new interpretation; and Shipyard founding partner changes roles.
Goose Island brewpub in danger of closing; B-Side “brewing label” seeks to put fresh spin on contract brewing; hailstorm damage could have destroyed hops from Hallertau; oil cleanup plan concerns Bell’s Brewery; and MillerCoors achieves landfill-free status at flagship brewery.
More celebrities collaborating with craft brewers; Coors causes controversy at Puerto Rican celebration; malfunctioning beer fridge responsible for Australian cellular network blackout; TTB opens door for beer, wine, spirits to add nutrition labels; and BrewDogs set to air Scottish founders’ hijinx on US TV this fall.
Drone to drop beer to concertgoers; Alabama passes bill legalizing homebrewing; Modern Times Brewing sets Kickstarter record; more breweries switch up containers; and Oregon votes to designate brewer’s yeast “Official State Microbe.”
Craft brewers debate proposed tax breaks; arsenic detected in some beers found to be result of filtering process; Brazilian beer-flavored ice cream causes a stir; action sports athletes open Saint Archer Brewery; and Dixie Brewing fighting federal government for its fair share.
Auburn University to offer a major in brewing science; Budweiser responds to suit alleging Bud “watered down” brews; Philadelphia sues Yuengling for $6.6 million in back taxes; a brewery expansion roundup; and Scottish brewery chastised by anti-alcohol groups over “breakfast beer.”
Massachusetts distribution laws reconsidered; Breckenridge Brewery selects Littleton, Colo., AB-InBev modifies Grupo Modelo deal to appease US Department of Justice; Alaskan using spent grain as fuel source; and Pennsylvania governor outlines plans to privatize state’s liquor control board.
New French beer tax elicits outcry from EU brewers; Oskar Blues partners with community college for hands-on brew course; German courts rule to allow two different Duff beers; study claims hop compound may help fight common cold; and Westvleteren XII finally released to much fanfare, some controversy.
New York’s brewers & wholesalers scrambled by Hurricane Sandy; brewers increasingly skeptic about plastic kegs; North American Breweries sold to Cervecería Costa Rica; Minneapolis brewers embattled in trademark dispute; and C&C Group purchases Vermont Hard Cider for $305 Million.
Study claims glassware shape affects drinking speed; White House releases homebrew recipes; North American Breweries reportedly for sale; Carlton & United learns not to mess with success; and Pennsylvania craft brew pioneer Tom Pastorius passes away.
Nonprofit pub to open in Oregon; two more defunct beer brands revived; Pabst launches interactive marketing campaign to promote Rainier Brewery; Lost Abbey crashes Lost Abbey tasting party; super PAC to foster change by funding happy hours.
Homebrewers banned from pouring at St. Louis’ Heritage Beer Festival; Kentucky Brewers found a nonprofit guild; buy a round for friends anywhere with the BuddyBeers app; Breckenridge mulls options after growth plans squashed; and AB-InBev purchases Grupo Modelo.
Chicago’s Baderbräu Pilsner resurrected after 10 years; Wyoming breweries collaborate on official state beer; Molson Coors purchase of StarBev approved by EEC; and new legislation in Alabama, New York and Virginia.
Shelton Brothers: The Bane of New York Breweries?; Diageo Pressures BII to Bamboozle BrewDog; Shipping Beer via USPS Now Allowed; Michigan Brewing Company Losing Ground; and Tragedy Strikes Redhook.
Churchkey Can Company ressurrects the flat-top steel can; interstate brewery expansions loom; study finds two drinks a day could be a life saver; Heineken bans branding of local brews during London 2012 Olympics; and new beer laws passed in Indiana and Georgia.
KettleHouse Brewery pulls back on distribution in Montana; Alpine Beer Company takes action against illegal beer trading; Louisiana brewery changes name to avoid conflict; and new legislation brewing in New York, Mississippi, New Jersey, and Alabama.
AB-InBev and MillerCoors want a piece of the apple cider pie; CAMRA Vancouver FUSS-ing over standardized pours; Belgium celebrates Trappist breweries; Oglala Sioux tribe suing brewers, wholesalers, retailers; and Virginia, Mississippi attempting to pass brew-friendly laws.
Crowdfunding enables completion of documentary; Alchemy & Science announces first craft beer venture in Los Angeles; NY breweries receive marketing boost ; St. Louis Brewery to sell 60 percent stake; and study reveals beers labeled ‘gluten-free’ may be full of it.
Westvleteren Trappist Ales to make US debut in 2012; scientists decipher genetic code of Brettanomyces yeast; SABMiller purchases Foster’s Group; House Bill 4061 legalizes homebrew sharing at Michigan meetings; and Prohibition Pig to open in place of The Alchemist Brewpub.
Post office may permit mailing of beer and wine; Alchemy & Science preparing to conduct craft beer chemistry; Dave Farnworth passes away; Michigan now tagging kegs with bar codes; and November elections bring changes to alcohol laws in Georgia and Washington.
Ichabod Pumpkin Ale causes trademark dispute; Miller-Coors buys minority stake in Terrapin Brewing; Pakistan may begin exporting beer; Wells & Young’s acquires McEwan’s and Younger’s; and Smuttynose moves forward with expansion plans.
