Southwest
Roughhouse Brewing | New Day Navroz Mango Lassi Sour Ale
April 8, 2024 | Ruvani de Silva
Across the world, over 300 million people, not far off the population of the U.S., celebrate the spring vernal equinox festival of Navroz, also known as Nowruz, Novruz, Nowrouz, Nooruz, Navruz, Nauroz or Nevruz, all of which mean “new day” and signify the first day of spring. The festival is embraced in multiple countries across South and Central Asia and the Middle East, with roots that trace back over 3,000 years to the Zoroastrian religion in ancient Persia, and is usually celebrated on or around March 21st.
Saint Arnold Brewing Barrel-Aged Beer & Cellar Tour
February 6, 2024 | Ruvani de Silva
Whatever your passion, whatever the thing that makes the world shine that little bit brighter, makes your heart beat that little bit faster, a glimpse behind the velvet curtain of how that magic is made is an immeasurable treat. Whether you’re my dad touring the Long Room at Lord’s Cricket Ground or my nephew hanging out with the drivers backstage at the Formula One, getting a sneaky peek behind the scenes is what it’s all about. For a dedicated Texan beer lover, getting a glimpse of the inner machinations of our oldest craft brewery—a two-time Great American Beer Festival Brewery of the Year-winning behemoth whose barrel-aged program is the stuff of round-the-block queues—is that trip through the back of the wardrobe into Narnia.
Copper State Beer Festival, Mesa AZ | Jan 13th 2024
February 2, 2024 | Ruvani de Silva
Sweaters are being stripped off, sleeves are being rolled up, and hats are perched on heads as the sparkling winter sun permeates Mesa, AZ’s Riverview Park. Copper State Beer Festival is in full swing, and the weather is offering up its desert best for the 5,000 visitors the event has attracted. This is the third year the festival has taken place, drawing beer lovers from across Arizona and further afield to one of Phoenix’s hippest suburbs for an afternoon of imbibement. As Arizona’s craft beer scene blooms like a cactus flower, consumers are catching on, creating space for this frankly huge event featuring 72 breweries, plus a range of cideries, wineries, meaderies, distilleries, seltzer makers, bars and bottle shops. While the focus is firmly on beer, this is an event with something for everyone and an opportunity for local businesses to showcase their offerings alongside high-profile national names. There’s even a skating rink and axe throwing, which beats the heck out of the usual spin-the-wheel attractions beer festivals offer (FYI there was also spin-the-wheel).
Craft Culture X | Thai One On Lemongrass-Basil Blonde Ale
January 29, 2024 | Ruvani de Silva
The beer scene in Texas is in a state of flux, with multiple closures, including many fan favorites, leaving drinkers reeling and owners uncertain as to what the future holds. Against this precarious background, the opening of Houston’s Craft Culture X is a beam of positivity for the industry for multiple reasons.
Brewery Showcase | Nuckolls Brewing (Sante Fe, NM)
December 15, 2023 | Bianca Dumas
It was 4:45 on a weekday in the Santa Fe Railyard, and Nuckolls Brewing was already in full swing. There were 25 people in the beer line and a party of contemporary art gallerists were hobnobbing near the copper-accented bar. Clearly, this was the new Santa Fe hotspot.
Meanwhile Brewing | Winter Beer Menu
December 12, 2023 | Ruvani de Silva
As stout season hits its stride, Meanwhile Brewing in Austin, Texas, has taken a broader approach to seasonal offerings and launched a full gamut of winter beers for differing palates and the vagaries of Texas winter weather.
Weathered Souls | 2023 Whale Rider Set
October 2, 2023 | Eric Griffin
Weathered Souls Brewing has been around since 2016, and since then has made waves throughout the industry. Most notably in 2020, co-owner and Head Brewer Marcus Baskerville started the Black is Beautiful initiative, a movement with the mission to bring awareness to the injustices that many people of color face daily. This open-ended collaboration has inspired the support of hundreds of breweries across the country, and this year even saw the launch of Volume 2.0 of the Black is Beautiful initiative in honor of the opening of the National Black Brewers Association (NB2A) back in May. Marcus and Weathered Souls also had another exciting ‘first’ in 2023 with their highly sought-after Whale Rider Imperial Stout. July 29th marked the date of the inaugural Whale Rider Day.
Bean to Barstool Podcast | The Chocolate Conspiracy’s Beer-Infused Bars
January 19, 2023 | David Nilsen
AJ Wentworth, the founder and chocolate maker for Utah’s The Chocolate Conspiracy, loves craft beer almost as much as he loves craft chocolate, and he’s partnered with several Salt Lake City craft breweries on a series of beer-infused craft chocolate bars, including bars with Uinta Brewing Baba Black Lager, Kiitos Brewing Coffee Cream Ales and Level Crossing Brewing Soul Rex Double IPA.
In today’s episode, AJ and beer writer David Nilsen discuss the partnerships The Chocolate Conspiracy and neighboring breweries, his process for infusing beer flavors into his bars, the burgeoning Salt Lake City beer and chocolate scenes and his background in raw cuisine.
Ultimate 6er | Road Trip Regional Edition: Southwest
November 7, 2022 | Jason Murphy
Join us as we road trip across the United States in what is to be a follow-up article to the Craft Beer Across America article. In that article, we explored a craft beer from every state (excluding districts and territories) to showcase some of the unknown, or lesser-known craftier beers that the U.S. craft beer scene has to offer. While that article focused mainly on the beers, this article focuses on specific breweries from a region we think would be fun to visit. We’re going to sprinkle in a couple of bigger craft breweries in each six-brewery regional section just to help spread the word for some of the not-so-big breweries in the mix. Read More
Alvarado Street Brewery | Motor Oil No. 17
November 1, 2022 | Robert French
As the weather cools, leaves begin to change color and the smells of pumpkin spice are inescapable, it’s hard to beat the comforting warmth of an Imperial Stout. Alvarado Street Brewery in collaboration with Weathered Souls Brewing Company is bringing the latest version of Motor Oil. Motor Oil No.17 is a Chocolate Imperial Stout registers with an impressive 11.5% ABV.
Texas Ties Highest Medal Count at 2022 GABF Competition
October 14, 2022 | Kindsey Bernhard
Texas breweries brought home 21 medals at the Great American Beer Festival Competition, tying their medal count from 2017. Texas had a strong bounce back after only winning 14 medals in 2021 and 10 medals in 2020.
There were 18 first-time GABF winners and seven of those were Texas breweries; 3 Nations, Edgewise Eight, Mad Pecker, Maple Branch, Old 290, Pecan Street and Roadmap. Texas was the third most awarded state behind California and Colorado.
2022 Texas Craft Brewers Festival Beer Lists Announced
September 20, 2022 | Pam Catoe
The Texas Craft Brewers Festival, featuring more than 70 craft breweries, returns on October 1, 2022, to Fiesta Gardens in Austin, TX. The event, which the Texas Craft Brewers Guild organizes is the state’s largest beer event focused exclusively on Texas-brewed craft beer.
Yokefellow Beer | Sueño Peach Saison
September 8, 2022 | Ruvani de Silva
An hour west of Austin sits the quaint historic town of Johnson City, TX. It’s the home of Lyndon Baines Johnson, the 36th American President. It’s named for his grandfather, Samuel Ealy Johnson, Sr. And the Blanco County seat is now best known as a cosy, picturesque stop on the Texas Wine Trail.
However, between the dual impacts of the pandemic and sky-rocketing house prices in the greater Austin area, Johnson City is taking on a new identity. It’s the hip Hill Country outpost, with three craft breweries and new concept watering hole Nice N Easy, home of locally produced Lightsome Wines and Yokefellow Beer.
Texas Keeper Cider | Grafter Rosato 2022
July 11, 2022 | Ruvani de Silva
Texas Keeper Cider is one of South Austin’s best kept secrets. A stunning 19 acre Hill Country ranch with a lovely rustic wood-paneled taproom just minutes away from the SoCo tourist bustle, the tight, dedicated team have been creating sophisticated small-batch hand-crafted cider since 2013. Blending career expertise in wine-making, brewing, fermentation and, of course, cider making, Texas Keeper offer a refreshing alternative to the sweet fruit-flavored canned fizz that is most commonly associated with both macro and craft ciders.
2 Days 2 Nights | Scottsdale, Arizona: Spring Training Edition
March 28, 2022 | Danielle Engel
Northeast of Phoenix, Scottsdale comes alive every spring training when the Cactus League brings the deprived baseball fanatic out of their winter hibernation to enjoy the sunshine and the promise of a new season. With 10 stadiums in the greater Phoenix area, there are two that call Scottsdale home. With cities that have suffered for lack of tourism in recent years, there is an excitement to finally be welcoming back the influx of commerce and community. With an abundant nightlife, several golf courses, casinos and spas, Scottsdale can give an exciting vacation to any traveler.
Walter Station Brewery | Hazing Arizona Triple Dry Hopped IPA
March 24, 2022 | Dave Drury 1
Walter Station Brewery sits on the east side of Phoenix, AZ right near the city’s airport. Located in a former fire station, the brewery makes killer Mediterranean pizzas and ideal for sporting events and live music. And it’s definitely worth the stop for a beer or two, especially for the Hazing Arizona. Read More
Austin Beerworks and Kaiju Cut & Sew Launch Eastern Philosophy: A Kaiju Brew – The First Beer Supporting Stop AAPI Hate
February 2, 2022 | Ruvani de Silva
Sunday, January 30, was the launch of Eastern Philosophy: A Kaiju Brew – the first beer brewed to fundraise for Stop AAPI Hate. The brainchild of Will Golden, Director of Brewing Operations and Co-founder of Austin Beerworks and Chris Gomez, Owner of Kaiju Cut & Sew, the event brought together several local businesses, with hundreds of Austinites in attendance to show their support and get a taste of this very special beer.
Chile Line Brewery | Como Pica Green Chile Rauchbier
November 2, 2021 | Scott Grossman
Fall brings the tempting smells of aromatic wood smoke and roasting chiles all across New Mexico. Chile Line Brewery in Santa Fe capitalizes on this backdrop year-round with its focus on smoked and chile beers. The most emblematic of these is Como Pica, a green chile Rauchbier.
Event Recap | Texas Craft Brewers Festival 2021
November 1, 2021 | Ruvani de Silva 1
The Texas Craft Brewers Guild hosted its annual festival at Austin’s Fiesta Gardens on Saturday, October 23. After the festival pivoted to an online event last November, brewers and consumers were eager to return in person to this tremendously popular celebration of all things Texas beer, with over 85 breweries from across the state serving up over 200 beers to thirsty visitors. Both VIP and General Admission tickets sold out in advance, signaling the excitement for the first major Texas beer festival since Covid restrictions lifted.
Yakima Chief Hops Announces the Pink Boots Blend for 2022
October 11, 2021 | Pam Catoe
Typically the ladies of Pink Boots Society (PBS) come together at the Great American Beer Festival for the Annual Hop Rub. The tradition began in 2017 when PBS partnered with Yakima Chief Hops (YCH) to bring the best of their hop harvest, carefully laid out on tables for attendees to smell, touch and taste, with the goal of selecting the annual Pink Boots Society hop blend.
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