Yes, you read correctly. We hate tap takeovers, and we’re not alone. There’s a growing number of people who believe that these takeovers are doing more harm than good.
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.
American craft brewers remind me of students just completing their sophomore years of college. Having secured their footing, they understand how things work, but remain unsure of what their futures hold; excited to experience the wider world, but still nervous about making their mark.
Despite the economic woes, 2012 is going to see large increases in export sales of small-scale craft beers from producers in Australasia, South America and the European “new wave,” as well as from North America.
I won’t brew this beer for a while, but it will yield a rather charming oatmeal cookie ale with a sweet raisiny note and a spicy compliment to the fatty oats. The little kick of ginger provides warmth and peppery sweetness.
Today, Shrago’s still working a day job. But he’s also in the brewhouse on nights and weekends, churning out creative takes on American and Belgian styles for Long Beach, Calif., brewers Beachwood BBQ & Brewing. It’s a long way from the stovetop he started on.
What’s Scotland’s most distinctive type of beer? Scotch Ale, Scottish Ale or Shilling Ale? Actually, it’s none of those; it’s Scottish Sweet Stout. Stout isn’t most people’s first thought when Scottish beer is mentioned, but there’s a long history of brewing Stout in Caledonia.
What he came up with was the stark-contrast, dramatic image of a prisoner illuminated by the headlights of a train careening through the prison walls, just feet from the cell cot where our character sits.
I hate asking for something I don’t have. So items that multitask are golden. And like any beer geek worth her beer, the one thing I always like to have on hand is a bottle opener.
You will find that the beers used in these two soup recipes help distribute flavors, while adding depth to the final steaming bowl, creating a pleasant dining experience for that cold winter day.
Fortunately, there are a lot of crisp, greasy snacks that pair very well with winter beers. And suppose you don’t go for dark ales at all—most of the usual suspects on the basic bar menu are designed to go with lighter, bubblier beer.
At Augusta Brewing Company in Labadie, Mo., husband-and-wife duo Terry and Jeri Heisler are keeping a family history alive by moving the brewery’s production operations from its current location to a facility in Washington, Mo., which has been in Jeri’s family for over a century.
No one knows what lies ahead—but if these intrepid small-business owners are any indication, craft beer will be just fine. Here are just a few of the stories that made 2011 one of the best years for craft beer in the country’s history.
Last year saw more craft beer start-ups than ever using creative funding methods to fill in the financial gap, with brewers often going directly to the public with their pleas.
Only 20 miles south of downtown Los Angeles, however, the autonomous port city of a half-million people is worthy of note, if not for its status as the most ethnically diverse city in the country, then for its recent growth into one of Southern California’s newest craft beer hubs.
