Belgium is known the world over for its whimsical, fly by the seat of your pants approach to making beer. Their only guiding light being experimentation, unencumbered by any thought of defining what they produced by any strict rules, they worked their magic. The result is a varied and complex set of … [Read more...]
In the 1960s Al Haunold was approached by Anheuser-Busch about developing a replacement for Fuggles, which had never done well in Oregon, but was one of the main stars for many industrial brewers. Haunold agreed and came back in the 1970s with six different varieties for Anheuser-Busch to choose … [Read more...]
If you’re interested in enhancing your craft beer knowledge but aren’t able to visit breweries, tasting rooms or pubs, the virtual tours below are short but sweet. They allow brew lovers to interact with the breweries on a deeper level while also enjoying the brews from the comfort of your home. … [Read more...]
Brewed beverages have been a staple in American homes since the Pilgrims first landed in the New World. Richly brewed ales and beers of many types were brewed and served at roadhouses and at home tables across the land. When Prohibition was declared in 1920, the craft beer industry virtually … [Read more...]
Americans tend to have a hard time coming to terms with British bitters. They are ales out of their time, misunderstood by most American drinkers who have nursed their affinity for sudsy libation on either the macro pale, cold, and bland; or the craft bold, cold, and extreme. British bitters are a … [Read more...]
Any homebrewer who has done some all-grain batches knows that the mash is of vital importance to convert non-fermentable starches into sugars the yeast can use to make alcohol. This conversion often referred to as saccharification, takes place when water at a certain temperature activates enzymes in … [Read more...]
Hop growing in France has been going on for many centuries. Some of the first evidence of hops being used specifically in brewing come from Northern France and date back to 822. Small scale cultivation goes back a long way, but commercial farming started in Alsace, the main hop growing region, in … [Read more...]
You're headed down an archaic and weird road when you decide to make your next brewing adventure a Lambic-style beer. It's a road where you'll do things that, on any other brewing day, you'd avoid at all costs. It's also a road that will severely test your patience. First, a quick note: Lambic, … [Read more...]
If you love brewing beer and going to breweries, then you might be interested in getting a kegerator. A kegerator is a refrigerator that has been altered slightly to hold, store and dispense kegs, allowing you to keep your contents fresh and carbonated for a longer period of time. One of the most … [Read more...]
If you’re a fan of beer, then you may also be into homebrewing. Despite beer being around for millennia, hops have only been used in beer for several centuries. Before you consider how hops are used in your homebrew, it’s important to know the purpose of beer hops. What Are Beer Hops? Hops are … [Read more...]
Most craft beer lovers have probably tried a barleywine, if not taken the plunge and tried to brew one yourself. But, barleywine has an elusive cousin. It's the yeti of the big beer world, rarely spotted, and when it is, often overlooked simply because unknown. It is seductress, lithe, and … [Read more...]
A couple of things stand out about this Sabro hop, formally known as HBC 438. First, its mother was a neomexicanus variety, which means, much like the variety Medusa (and several other upcoming and already released varieties), it has native "blood" in it. Second, it may have had the widest trial … [Read more...]
