The ubiquitous beer among beer geeks, for a while, was an IPA. The style is still extremely popular…some people are simply hop heads. However, many people enjoy several other styles of beer, and there has been a recent resurgence in sour ales. Classics and new world versions are beginning to abound. To me, this is [...]
Stagnation and creative atrophy often sets in industries as well as the companies that form them. In the brewing industry, the greatest example is the post World War II domination of the Macro lager over the beer market. Post beer reformation, it still occurs. I am reminded of Autumn and the unyielding commitment by just [...]
Tour of Boulevard Brewery and interview with Head brewer, Steven Pauwels
It’s rare that I jump into the fray on “hot news” where the blogosphere is concerned. Put simply, everything that needs to be said has generally already been said on a given topic. However, certain writing will occasionally raise my ire to such a degree that it simply merits a response. So, I’ll capitulate from being ensconced in [...]
Continuing our series on factors (including grains and hops) that contribute to the higher cost of craft beers, let’s take a look at yeast. There are many types of yeast that can be used in brewing. Oftentimes, a brewer will use more than one yeast in a particular brew. For instance, a lot of the [...]
In my last post that dealt with the cost of beer, I mentioned the impact of grains. My expatiation was plenty for many of you. And since “brevity is the soul of wit, brief let me be.” Hops are important on various levels for making a beer. There was a time in history when they [...]
Am I remembering this beer differently? Did it used to be darker and more stout? Maybe they did change it a bit. The last time I drank this beer was about a year ago. In fact, I drank a bottle that I had aged for 3 years. That aged bottle was really nice to drink, [...]
Striking a balance between the new wave of exciting extreme beers and the beers that made them possible can be a task. Hype, hypersensitivity, and a attitude of lament can make one upset about what he or she hasn’t had. I’m as guilty as anyone, so I’m not pointing the finger. But isn’t it singularly [...]
I just do not understand why anyone would purchase hundreds of thousands of dollars of brewing equipment, renovate a historic building, and then produce nothing memorable!
I have been under the impression for some time, that success in business requires more than just a great product. The beer industry is no exception. Besides all the obvious ingredients to success (sell-ability, marketing, passion, etc.), the burden lies, primarily, on the owner/founder. Often, greed and extreme egotism results in mediocrity or even failure. [...]
