Ones to Watch in 2025

There is a lot of draining news from inside and out of the craft beer world but it is not all bad out there and Hop Culture has turned the spotlight onto some people who are really making waves large and small but all for good.

Read it right HERE and then tell me you do not want to go to the Barrel & Flow Festival or have a truly pastry driven beer from Brown Girl’s Brews.

Magazine Review – Imbibe 75

While reading the latest edition of Imbibe magazine with their 75 movers and shakers in beverages, I quickly noticed a glaring tilt. Over 30 of the people and places featured were in the realm of cocktails while both wine and beer hovered around 10. If you add in distillery and spirits the total rises to easily over half.

I am not against cocktails or any of the specific bars at all nor do I require an even count across all beverages but damn that is glaring and it makes me wonder if anyone in the room brought it up..

It does track with media spotlighting tendencies though. When something is uncool, and craft beer is uncool at the moment, instead of building it up, the common practice is to ignore it and heap praise on what is cool.

Prognostication Time

Today I have three links where various and sundry beer folks smarter than I talk about what they expect to see in the coming year. The first two are in podcast form and the final is the written word.

  • All About Beer – HERE
  • Taplines – HERE
  • Beervana – HERE

What will or won’t come true is up for our future selves to figure out.

#PubJanuary

Now I have no beef with Dry January or Sober October or N/A May or whatever. I do find it funny that the second Friday in January is Quitting Friday, as in quitting your resolutions.

I would suggest reading this blog post from the Beervana blog. You can also read THIS from the Brewers Association I would add that if your local pub or brewery taproom has food options. Why don’t you go and get some food. Any good craft beer spot usually has soda on offer or if you really want to stay healthy then just get water or hop sparkle water. And usually this month sees some barrel-aged or darker beers, so buy a 4-pack and save if for February. Or if you are easily tempted, buy a gift card so that you can get a future beer.

Across the Pond Day – Awarding

I have had the great pleasure of judging beer writing so when I saw the announcement of The British Guild of Beer Writers winners, I quickly clicked this here LINK to see how many names I recognized.

And I did see folks who I have mentioned on this blog such as Mark Dredge and Emma Inch and Ruvani de Silva who I will recommend reading again to anyone who is looking for more beer knowledge.

Lost

Poking around the ol’ YouTube I saw the trailer, For When You Get Lost. Looks like a travel buddy film revolving around sisters and their familial issues.  I would have moved on but there was beer drinking in the trailer.  My first thought was that it is probably one of those scenes that makes the trailer but not the movie, but then the Washington Beer Blog posted about it saying that “craft beer and craft breweries are important elements in the story.” and that “The screenwriter and co-star, Jennifer Sorenson, has some background working in the craft beer industry so she brings some authenticity to the story.

You can stream the movie on Amazon Prime Video 

Diverse and BTS

Each year, the North American Guild of Beer Writers works with craftbeer.com

to publish beer stories through the Guild’s Diversity in Beer Writing Grant The first of the year seven stories is from Christine Ma-Kellems and explores fermented beverages and Korean musical phenomenon BTS. 

The Diversity Grant is supported by craftbeer.com, the Brewers Association, and Allagash Brewing.  Thanks to all three.

Popular

I am not usually swayed by public opinion as gospel but I do use it to see which way the wind is blowing when it comes to beers and breweries.

In that spirit, let’s take a look at the Untappd 5 Star beers in 2024…

You have the “Not Surprised” category with Heady Topper, Pliny the Elder, Zombie Dust, Westvleteren 12.

Then there are “classics” like Yuengling Amber Lager, Duvel, Spotted  Cow.

Then there are the ones that made me think twice with Augustiner Helles, Shiner Bock, Weihenstephan Hefeweissbier on that list.

NAGBW – Handcrafted Careers

I along with several fellow NAGBW members heard a lively virtual happy hour led by podcaster and writer Dave Infante with guest, the sociologist and author Dr. Eli Revelle Yano Wilson.  Wilson’s latest book is Handcrafted Careers: Working the Artisan Economy of Craft Beer.”

Here are my takeaways from the discussion:

  • there are three main pathways for careers in beer, creative, service and hard labor
  • the first Wilson describes as having a lumpy / organic feel to it since it does not hew to a traditional career path
  • the people on the creative path are the ones that tend to be idealized and they skew white and male
  • the service path interestingly is around 50% female
  • as breweries open second and third locations, the workers become less craft obsessed
  • what is the end point point for each of these three pathways and why is it good and bad
  • the last two pathways tend to have employees where the attitude can be, “it’s good for now” while employers tend to look for people they can just plug in rather than grow
  • the author was on the initial team of the Wurstkuche in the Arts District here in L.A.
  • You can find Wilson’s books HERE