Fitting for springtime garden work and the May flowers that should pop up after all those April showers, Dig is an earthy, grassy pale ale that offers a nice bite and hints of refreshing citrus and tropical fruit. The citrus is not as prominent as New Belgium advertises, but it is still a good seasonal brew.
Casey Wagner
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The bittersweet effects of the 2012 drought
Though brewers said the hot, dry summer of 2012 brought an increase in sales due to beer drinkers looking to quench their thirst, there were also consequences. Brewers say the drought’s effect on the corn and soybean crops will influence the cost of malting barley and potentially the price beer drinkers pay for their favorite six-pack.
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Big Sky IPA is our April brew of the month
Call me crazy, but I have been so eager to go camping that I set up my tent in my basement one afternoon. I even inflated my sleeping pad, put it in the tent and laid on it.
I cannot wait for the first time this year when my friends and I sit around a campfire and watch the hypnotic dance of the flames under the big, star-studded sky. When that happens, I think I will be doing 12-ounce curls of Big Sky IPA, brewed by the Big Sky Brewing Company of Missoula, Montana.
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The Hops: Irish-Style Extra Stout by Schlafly Brewery
As if the Irish reputation was not already soaked in stout and whiskey, the county council in Ireland’s County Kerry approved a motion that would allow residents in rural areas to drink and drive. The measure supports the creation of a permit system which would, according to The Guardian, “allow rural drinkers to drive after having ‘two or three drinks.’” The councilor that proposed the measure, Danny Healy-Rae—who, The Guardian notes, owns a pub—“claimed it would help prevent depression and suicide in the county” by allowing residents of the sparsely populated countryside to drink and socialize at a pub and then drive home without the fear of losing their license.
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The Hops: A handy guide to aged beer
In December, I drank my last bottle of 2009 Anchor Christmas Ale. That’s right: I drank a three-year-old beer—ceremoniously, too. I poured the ruby-brown brew into a gold-rimmed Christmas Ale pint glass that I reserve for drinking Anchor’s iconic holiday seasonal. I took notes and compared them to what I had written the first time […]
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The Hops: Great River Brewery’s Farmer Brown Ale is our brew of the month
Two weeks after their 800-pound canning line was stolen last summer, the brewers at Davenport’s Great River Brewery welcomed Charlene to their team. Hauled from Colorado on a rental truck, Charlene is the brewery’s new canning machine. While speaking over the phone with Great River brewer Paul Krutzfeldt last month, I could hear Charlene rumbling […]
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The Hops: Two Lutherans, a Presbyterian, an Episcopalian and a Baptist walk into a bar
At first they seem like a group of old frat buddies meeting after work. Over pizzas and pints, they commiserate over troubles at the office. They discuss sports and the hard luck of favorite teams. They playfully argue, tell off-color jokes and laugh. And they even have a signature chant, which booms across the bar […]
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The Hops: St. Bernardus Christmas Ale by Brouwerij St. Bernardus – Watou, Belgium
‘Tis the season for holiday beers, a time when breweries release festive winter warmers or special one-offs made with top secret ingredients, and a time that for me is the most exciting part of the seasonal beer calendar. In the past, I happily vetted many of these special releases for my December recommendation; however, this […]
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The Hops: What’s New for the Craft Beer Consumer?
For two years, a collaboration of brewers from the Boston Beer Company and Weihenstephan worked to develop a unique new beer. The result, the champagne-like Infinium, was brewed in accordance with the German Beer Purity Law of 1516 with a process that is still patent pending. On its webpage, the beer is praised as “groundbreaking” […]
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The Hops: Breakfast Stout by Founders Brewing Company – Grand Rapids, MI
My plan to recommend a tasty and potent weizenbock this month fell through, so I have decided to suggest a stout that is so good I drank it for breakfast while camping in September: Breakfast Stout, brewed by the Founders Brewing Company of Grand Rapids, Michigan. Though it may not provide the important nutrition to […]
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The Hops: Cleaning up Kinnick
The sun has yet to rise but the full moon still hovers over the western horizon. Its pale light illuminates the trash strewn parking lot behind Kinnick Stadium. Cars dodge garbage bags and piles of disposable plates; the crunch-crunch of stray cans and plastic cups under their tires echoes across the lot. A dozen people, […]
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The Hops: Schlafly Pumpkin Ale by Saint Louis Brewery, St. Louis, MO
Though I love carving pumpkins for Halloween, and finishing Thanksgiving dinner with a slice of pumpkin pie, pumpkin-flavored beer never appealed to me; it seemed like a bad combination. However, it was something I knew I should try and I recently got the chance to sample 17 different pumpkin ales with my beer tasting group. […]
