The most popular BeerAdvocate stories in 2018 covered a fairly wide range of topics, from the polarizing subject of kids in brewery taprooms, to the best beer pairings for Nashville hot chicken, and a deconstruction of common myths about lager.
The history of the Great American Beer Festival is the history of craft brewing magnified. It started in 1982 as a one-night event, held during the fourth annual National Homebrew and Microbrewery Conference.
Restaurateur plans to open Rwanda’s first local brewery; first US brewery medals in German-style Pilsner at European awards; changes in Oklahoma and Pennsylvania benefit beer drinkers; and Night Shift Brewery launches own wholesaler.
In just a couple of years, Adam Robbings matriculated from homebrewing newbie to brewmaster and co-owner of Reuben’s Brews, named after Robbings’ son, Reuben.
Two hours north of Montreal, this 5-barrel brewpub is housed in a 150-year-old building that once served as a general store. Its small town of Saint-Tite also hosts a rodeo every September.
BrewDog announces location in Columbus; Minnesota allows Sunday growler sales; US breweries win at Australian International Beer Awards; AB InBev trademark application suspended; Alabama craft beer law limits brewery expansion; and breweries and brewpubs now open or coming soon.
Peters has made sure we can experience authentic Belgian beer culture at his bar, Monk’s Café in Philadelphia. His employee education program, Monk’s-exclusive beers, and commitment to excellence have won him a semifinalist slot for a 2015 James Beard award.
Inspiration for Modus Operandi struck when Grant and Jaz Wearin embarked on a great American road trip that kicked off in Colorado, continued through the rolling mountains of Wyoming, Montana and Idaho, and then wound back down the West Coast.
Craft New York Act Eases Regulations; Port Brewing and Lost Abbey Debut New Line; US Brewers Win at European Beer Star Awards; and Australian Breweries Request Fair Trade Investigation.
At the end of the day, the real judges are consumers. And they don’t care if a beer meets specific style guidelines or wins a medal. They just care if the beer is good.
With more than 3,000 American breweries now in operation, selecting world-class beers from the tens of thousands of available brands is an almost impossibly laughable task.
The 31st annual Craft Brewers Conference brought together professionals from all parts of the industry for a packed schedule of seminars, a trade show and awards. Here are a few standout moments from the event in Denver.
Annie Johnson, who lives in Sacramento, Calif., became the first woman in 30 years to be named Homebrewer of the Year by the American Homebrewers Association. Her Lite American Lager swept 25 categories at the 2013 National Homebrewers Conference.
This month, we track an entry from a BeerAdvocate member through the 2013 Doug King Memorial Competition. In the middle of my panel appeared Ward’s Vanilla Chai Strong Milk Stout. It was rich, sweet and chocolaty with enough spice to balance a lactose-enhanced body.
The Great American Beer Festival (GABF) is one of the largest events of its kind, and this year’s was the biggest yet: 49,000 tickets sold, and 580 breweries pouring 2,700 beers in the massive Denver Convention Center.
A manufacturing engineer by day, Permen applies the logic of inputs and outputs to homebrewing. As scientific as that sounds, Permen credits his Homebrewer of the Year win mostly to luck.
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.
The National Brewing Awards are so named because they are awarded without the need to enter any competition, to nations in recognition of what they have done for beer brewing during the year in question. There is no ceremony and no official presentation.
It’s October 1st, and the cavernous Colorado Convention Center is packed with throngs of grinning Great American Beer Festival attendees. But beyond the buzzed masses the dull roar of the public fades into hushed utterances. It’s about 10 minutes before the GABF’s 30th annual awards ceremony begins.
Tim Webb reminisces about his first taste of better beer in 1974 (a Batham’s Bitter at The Plough Inn) and wonders what the prize-winning GABF beers will be like 35 years from now.
We don’t mean any disrespect to any of the organizations who host competitions, nor are we questioning their judging methods, and we’re sure that their intentions are good, but do consumers really care about medals?
With countless accolades slapped on the sides of six-packs, consumers are wise to learn about a competition’s methods before they plunk down money for an “award-winning” beer.
