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The Virginia Beer Co. | Liquid Escape Tart Ale
April 6, 2021 | Scott Johnson
Judging a beer by its label is a bias we often encounter as craft beer drinkers. If you resist the urge to check a beer’s score inside the bottle shop, then you’re relying on the beer’s look and description to hook you in. You would assume that a humble beer coming from a brewery such as The Virginia Beer Company would be an old standby, reflected in the simplistic art and presentation. But the craftsmanship and modern innovation they put into their Liquid Escape goes far beyond what to expect.
2021 GABF In-Person Event CANCELLED, Will Return in 2022
April 5, 2021 | Tristan Chan
The writing was on the wall when the Brewers Associated first announced nearly three months ago that the 2021 Great American Beer Festival would hold its competition and awards ceremony … Read More
Firestone Walker Crafted Thru Hops IPA Mixed Pack
April 5, 2021 | Mathew Powers
The flavor. That enticing aroma. Ah yes, there’s just something special about that first hoppy-beer experience. When Adam Firestone and David Walker founded Firestone Walker 25 years ago, West Coast IPAs helped convert multitudes of beer fans into craft beer fans. These days, of course, the IPA is more than just a West Coast treasure as hops are now grown and distributed throughout the world, and that’s demonstrated fully by the Firestone Walker Crafted Thru Hops IPA Mixed Pack.
Indeed, the Firestone Walker IPA Mixed Pack expresses one of IPA’s most favorable attributes: versatility. Each case comes with three cans each of the classic Union Jack West Coast IPA, the Hazy Mind Haze IPA and two New Zealand hopped beers: the 18th batch of Luponic Distortion and the hazy, single-hopped Propagator Series.
Book Review | Hawai’i Beer: A History of Brewing in Paradise
April 5, 2021 | Karen Mills
Craft beer in Hawaii didn’t have much of a presence, arguably, until a decade or so ago. Being located so far off from the mainland creates a longer and more costly process in getting brewery equipment and ingredients to the island. While it seems that in the more recent years, many craft breweries have been popping up. However, it doesn’t mean that craft beer didn’t have a presence in the Aloha State until then. Paul Kan dives into Hawaii’s rich history in beer and brewing in his soon-to-be-released book, “Hawai’i Beer: A History of Brewing in Paradise.”
Buttonwoods Brewery | Rustic Industrial Ales
April 5, 2021 | Aaron Gore
If you were to ask a random person to name something unique or distinctive about Rhode Island, chances are good that “Family Guy” would be the first thing they would offer. That is, of course, assuming that they didn’t mistake it for Long Island, or believe that it was a part of Massachusetts, or confuse it with the similarly named Isle of Rhodes in Greece. Such is the fate of being the smallest state in the country, with a population smaller than many large cities in the U.S.
What We’re Drinking | April 2, 2021
April 2, 2021 | Brandon Cohran
In case you’re stuck in warp speed like this year seems to be, April is upon is. The shenanigans of April Fool’s Day are over, and it’s the end of the week. You deserve a beer! If there’s any doubt in your mind still lingering here’s your free pass: IT’S BASEBALL SEASON (let’s go Braves). If you still need a reason to pop a top, then grab one from the fridge while you check out What We’re Drinking.
Boys Are From Märzen Podcast | Kelly McKnight New Belgium Brewing
April 2, 2021 | Kindsey Bernhard
In Episode 35 of the “Boys Are From Märzen” podcast, Kindsey Bernhard is joined with Kelly McKnight of New Belgium Brewing.
Kelly McKnight is a pilot brewer at New Belgium Brewing in Fort Collins, Colorado.
Scorched Earth Brewing Co. | Fierce Female IPA
April 2, 2021 | Rachel Morrison
We know them. We are them. Fierce Female by Scorched Earth is a West Coast Style IPA brewed to highlight the contributions of women within the industry and around the world. This year, Fierce Female was reimagined. This beer recognizes strong women past and present, while also empowering the next generation of fierce females.
Odell Brewing Sloan’s Lake Serves Up Incredible Beer, Food & Views
April 1, 2021 | Zoe Lanterman
Honeymoons have no shortage of passion, but in the case of Doug and Wynne Odell, a passion was ignited not only for each other but for craft beer as they drank their way across the UK. From that moment on, the craft beer scene would be forever changed. As the Odells returned to the US their travels would go on to inspire them to launch Odell Brewing Company in 1989 in Fort Collins, CO.
2021 April Fools Beers That Are Almost Too Believable
April 1, 2021 | Aaron Gore 2
April Fool’s Day is both the dream and the nightmare of every brewery’s marketing team. With peoples’ expectations already primed for nonsense and whimsy, it is an opportunity for the industry to reflect on its own excesses and eccentricities in a fun way. While we joke that being able to tell the difference between the joke and reality has become more difficult in recent years, that only further underscores the incredible creativity and inventiveness of the craft beer industry as a whole. Here are some of our favorites from this year.
Schilling Beer Co. | Landbier Dunkel
April 1, 2021 | Kevin Kain
The 2020 release of Landbier Dunkel by Schilling Beer Co. offered a tremendous reward for those savvy enough to not dismiss this classic beer style. It was also not a surprise that Schilling brewed a rich, flavor-packed beer that wasn’t a cloying brown mess. In just a few short years, the New Hampshire brewery has proven to be a reliable producer of well-executed lagers.
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Lawson’s Finest Liquids Super Session Series Aims to Educate Drinkers on Hops
March 31, 2021 | Kindsey Bernhard
The marketing trend of low-calorie, low-carb, low-ABV India Pale Ales continues to gain popularity and prominence in craft beer. While breweries are just now creating recipes for these types of IPAs, Lawson’s Finest Liquids has been way ahead of this trend since the launch of their Super Session Series in 2015.
Ultimate 6er | Top Chef Winners & Beer
March 31, 2021 | Emma Wargolet
In honor of the Top Chef Season 18 premiere tomorrow, I thought I’d pair my top six winners with some craft beer. While always a fan of Top Chef, it has grown into a bit of an obsession during quarantine. Picking six winners of seventeen was hard enough, so other contestants are not included in the sixer, mainly because there would be no way to choose. If you love food and haven’t watched Top Chef, start watching now instead of reading this article because there are definitely spoilers (even if the spoilers are between one to thirteen years old).
Maplewood Brewery & Distillery | Sidewalk Surfer Double IPA
March 31, 2021 | Dave Drury
Maplewood Brewery & Distillery has quickly become one of the best places in Chicago to find delicious beers and spirits. And they have continued to show that they can make any style of beer and make them really well.
One of their newest beers, Sidewalk Surfer, is no exception. This West Coast Double IPA takes it back to the days when IPAs weren’t all hazy and infiltrated with lactose and fruits. Read More
Breaking Down America’s Top 50 Largest Breweries By Volume in 2020
March 30, 2021 | Tristan Chan 2
Every year the Brewers Association releases their list of the top 50 breweries by volume based on overall craft beer sales for the previous year.
We took a quick look at last … Read More
Boys Are From Märzen Podcast | Ren Navarro ‘Beer.Diversity.’
March 30, 2021 | Kindsey Bernhard
In Episode 34 of the “Boys Are From Märzen” podcast, Kindsey Bernhard is joined with Ren Navarro of Beer.Diversity.
Through Beer.Diversity., Navarro addresses the lack of diversity and inclusion in the beer, wine and distilling industry and how these industries can improve through talks and consultations.
Wellspent Brewing Company launches “The Well” Membership Program
March 30, 2021 | Brian Margiotta
Having recently celebrated its third anniversary, Wellspent Brewing Company is still considered a relatively young–yet notable–brewery in the already burgeoning St. Louis craft beer scene. This year, after the rollercoaster of COVID, they also launched a new membership program called “The Well.”
Weathered Souls | Double Barrel First In Line Imperial Stout
March 30, 2021 | Dustin Wenger
All craft beer heads remember the glory days of in-person bottle releases and time spent waiting in line with like-minded and equally dedicated beer fans. Coolers opened to reveal rare finds that would be shared amongst the crowd to make the wait more enjoyable for the craft beer elite. While times have certainly changed, those memories remain. San Antonio, TX-based Weathered Souls Brewing Company’s latest members-only beer release is reminiscent of those glorious whales that would breach within the crowd dedicated enough to be First In Line.
Why I Gave Up Beer for Lent
March 29, 2021 | Michelle Thomas
February 17, I gave up beer for Lent. Not just beer, though – I actually gave up all gluten. It was an experience at first. I am that person, after all, who had to wonder if a pretzel had gluten in it. I wanted this year’s Lent to be an education, to learn something while relating to some people in my life who are gluten-free, and the helpful benefit of simultaneously giving up one of my favorite drinks in the whole wide world: beer.
Radiant Beer Co | A New Brewery Heating Things Up
March 29, 2021 | Robert French
It takes more than just a belief in concept to open a brewery during a pandemic. The forces behind Radiant Beer Co. are neither new to beer nor how to connect to their core audience. Read More
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