| Vol. #12 Issue #3 | Wednesday, December 4, 2024 |
Beer 101 for Beerknurds in training. Or, perhaps you may need a refresher of the basics.
Beer purists of yesteryear—and anyone who subscribes to “man laws”—would probably have turned their noses up at the idea of mixing and diluting perfectly good beer. That’s why we have the Reinheitsgebot. But rules are made to be broken, right? Enter shandy, also known as radler. So what’s the difference? History, really. Though we can all agree that…
When your favorite local craft beer bar or brewery says it’s putting something special in its Randall for the next big event, it doesn’t portend weird things for someone named Randy. It means that a draft beer is being infused with ingredients that weren’t originally brewed into the beer. Simply put, a Randall is a…
There seems to be a lot of confusion over what exactly a “session beer” really is. Is it a brand? A brewery? Or maybe the beer preferred during a jam session, or even a bull session? Well, no, no, and perhaps. The origin of session beers is a bit muddled, but they’re said to date back to WWI…
Cinco de Mayo is upon us, and as much as we love to celebrate stateside, the day is barely acknowledged in Mexico. It is, for all intents and purposes, an American celebration of Mexican culture and heritage. (Plus, another excuse to lift one or two with friends) As such, what better way to celebrate than by…
Malt, water, hops and yeast. With just these four simple ingredients, brewers generate a glorious substance known as beer. Despite being famous for the role it plays in baking bread, yeast also performs a fundamental task in beer production—transform the other ingredients into beer. Early brewers had no idea how important yeast was to the brewing process. It was…
The 170-year-old beer found off the coast of Finland, buried in a shipwreck at the bottom of the Baltic Sea, shines new light on beer-crafting processes of long ago. Though the smell of this mid-18th-century brew was rancid (no smell compared to burnt rubber and goats ever is good), researchers were able to determine that the…
You know that one-of-a-kind, white whale of a bomber you got your hands on two years ago? The one you’re hoarding in the dark recesses of your closet, waiting for the perfect time to open? Unless you’re expecting a visit from Sam Calagione or Charlie Papazian sometime soon, it might be time to host a bottle share….
This may just be the renaissance of aluminum. For years, cans were the vessel from which you imbibed the cheap stuff: PBR, Keystone and a long lineup of watered-down light lagers. They were the bedfellows of red Solo cups, meant for camping trips and shotgunning during tailgate parties. But those days are gone, thanks not…
Drop some Sour Patch Kids in a glass of Chardonnay, and let it hibernate in a barn for a year. Sound like something you want to drink? For a growing number of people, the answer is “Absolutely.” Until the 19th century, all beers were more or less sour. Poor sanitation and a lack of understanding…
Happy Brew Year, Beerknurds! 2014 was another epic year for craft beer. According to the Brewers Association, an average of 1.5 new breweries opened in the United States every day last year—and that number is certain to keep growing. That’s a lot of drinking to look forward to! Here are a few ideas for getting…
