BeerAdvocate magazine #56

Check out archived articles from the print edition of BeerAdvocate magazine #56.

Knowing is Half the Battle Beer Smack by

First, and foremost, our users are consumers. Subjectivity inevitably comes into play, and with it, human error. We are not a body of professionally trained judges conducting reviews in strictly controlled environments.

Beer News News by

Genesee beer sign illuminates community once more; Funkwerks brew stirs ire of indigenous New Zealanders; Massachusetts ABCC withdraws troublesome farmer-brewer decision; and lager’s missing link discovered in Patagonia.

The Craft Beer Roller Coaster Unfiltered by

These are good times for craft brewers, to be sure. But history should caution and guide those who now seek to enter this already crowded and competitive marketplace.

When Being Alive is Not Enough The Politics of Beer by

The problem is the British fixation, enshrined in CAMRA’s policy, on the notion that for a beer to be “good,” it must contain live yeast.

Books Shelf Talker by

Why we’re reading The Craft of Stone Brewing Co.: Liquid Lore, Epic Recipes, and Unabashed Arrogance and Charleston Beer: A High-Gravity History of Lowcountry Beer.

Converting the Wicked BYOB by

Today, my sister’s craft beer conversion is complete. A request recently came across the wire—help her design a Pumpkin Ale (another favorite) that she could brew.

Jason Meyer of Driftwood Brewing Company Going Pro by

The jump from employee to owner-brewer is an expensive one. But for Jason Meyer, co-founder of Driftwood Brewing Company in Victoria, British Columbia, the really hairy stuff came in the months after his brewhouse got cranking.

War and Beer History by the Glass by

Let’s run quickly through British wars and their effect on what Tommy Atkins drank when he came home, from The English Civil War to World War II.

Custom Caps Make Their Mark Innovation by

Labels typically have been where most of the creativity has gone, but a Houston man has just made it a lot easier for brewers to make their mark, literally, with customized, digitally printed bottle caps.

Beer and the Farmers Market Cooking with Beer by

Take a trip to the farmers market, then explore how the freshest foods from your local area can be transformed into cuisine à la bière dishes at your table.

Summer Smoke-Out Party-Gyle by

With all the beloved flavors of barbecuing abound, it’s a good time also to get better acquainted with Rauchbier: beer brewed with smoked malt.

Bridge Brew Works From the Source by

At Bridge Brew Works in Fayetteville, West Virginia, co-owners and brewers Ken Linch and Nathan Herrold combine their talents to produce some stellar beers in a state where microbreweries are few and far between.

When Good Beers Go Bad: The Tears and Triumphs of Failed Experiments Feature by

Craft beer drinkers, like brewers, want to be challenged. From Chipotle Ale to peanut butter and jelly beer, we never know what will pleasantly surprise us, and the true craft beer drinker will try anything once.

Inside The Great American Beer Festival Competition: Part I Feature by

The first competition, back in 1987, had 12 categories; this year, there are 83, and if you count subcategories, which don’t get awards but help further define style parameters, 135.

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Destinations by

Today, Philly has upwards of 20 breweries within a 100-mile radius, including Yuengling, the oldest brewery in America, and nationally known brands like Victory, Flying Fish and Stoudt’s.

Charlie Papazian, Founding President of the Brewers Association and the Great American Beer Festival Last Call by

In 1982, Charlie Papazian threw a festival. What he calls an “astounding” crowd for the time (800 people) showed up to a hotel in Boulder, Colo., to drink some craft beer. This fall’s Great American Beer Festival sold out in one week to 49,000 attendees, and Papazian is still at the helm.