Category: News from Other Beer Writers

Suggested websites to visit to further your beer education.

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Footbahlin

The NFL is back in stadiums but the Steelers will be without their long standing QB1 Ben Roethlisberger whose has moved behind the mic to podcast.

Footbahlin will not just be about football though, there will be a craft beer component as well.

I watched the first episode on YouTube because I could not find the just audio version and it has a California backstory. The title of the show is a nod to Anderson Valley’s Boontling dialect.

It is a good example of people not deep into beer just having fun. Something that I lose sight of and have to reel back in. The show is an hour which I find a bit too long. It is more regular conversation instead of tight and edited.

But it is a good education on tasting because kids and QBs say the darndest things.

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Splendid

It is not often that food podcasts will dare talk about beer but a couple weeks ago The Splendid Table did. With three beer people!

“This week, we’re exploring the history of women and beermaking. First, Theresa McCulla, curator of The Smithsonian’s American Brewing History Initiative, explains why beer is a great lens to examine American history and shares the story of Patsy Young, an early American brewer and fugitive from slavery. Then, Atinuke Akintola Diver talks about her feature-length documentary This Belongs to Us, which follows Black women brewers in the American south and finally, beer Journalist Stephanie Grant of Good Beer Hunting shares her favorite beer and food pairings. You can find her newsletter, The Share, here and on Substack. “

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Charm City and Brooklyn

Untappd, your home away from home for ticking has recently released the second in their Next Exit video series.  This time the town is Baltimore where I spent some time when I was younger.  Hop Culture’s Kenny Gould takes a ride with City Brew Tours to search the city for craft beer.

AND

Episode three – Brooklyn is also available too. Episodes seem to be dropping quicker now.

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Reading Reminder

I have posted about Beer is for Everyone before but here is a not so subtle reminder to go back and check out some of the new pieces on the site, like this one HERE that takes us to South Africa to meet Obakeng Malope brewer and documentarian.

It is a great interview and should get you excited about sorghum and spices.

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NAGBW – Packaging & Sustainability

Due to an unknown snafu, I could not watch the live stream of the discussion where the NAGBW tackled inflation and packaging and sustainability. But I did watch a couple days later. The speaker was Bourcard Nesin a beverage industry analyst and it was made clear what should be done, which is quite different from what might be done.

Here are my takeaways from the discussion…

  • most sustainability claims are bullshit
  • U.S. is exceptional in are low recycling rates
  • part of the problem is that there is no centralized recycling system in place
  • returnable and re-used glass would be the best option
  • Oregon is leading that charge
  • un-returnable glass is the worst option compared to aluminum and plastic because of cost to create, cost to re-make and weight of shipping
  • a “universal bottle” be it plastic or glass would create economies of scale.
  • no returnable bottles infrastructure
  • you will probably hear the word “lightweighting” in the future
  • lots of promises by business to endorse “extended producer responsibility” but when it arrives business does not do it
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Get Belgian

At the beginning of the month this was posted….

First and foremost, great idea. Whenever I dip my toe back into Belgian beers, I am quickly reminded how great they are. Heck, even Unibroue Canadian brewed Belgian-styled beers are great.

My second thought and one that I mulled over here and there in between the initial post and now is maybe there should be months for under appreciated styles and your IPAs and Stouts can have their one day since they don’t really need any stumping for.

There could be an English Milds and bitters month. A lambic and gueuze month. Just to name to that I would like to see. But there could be a Canadian beer month or Japanese beer month.

Let’s start with Belgium first. Each weekend, buy one or two for yourself and treat someone else in your beer orbit to one as well.

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IPA Codified

IPA’s have evolved and wibble wobbled all over the map of aroma, flavor and popularity.  Now is a good time to check back in and remind ourselves of the lanes for the IPA styles.

Just in time Matthew Curtis from Pellicle Magazine has given a sturdy look at IPA as of 2022.

(on a side note, if you can, please donate to them so they can continue their excellent writing)

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Scavenger

Traverse City Whiskey Company has come up with an imaginative use of barrels that breweries could use as a template for barrels that they are finished with…

…through the summer, “the company is encouraging locals and visitors alike to participate in a citywide scavenger hunt to locate the various barrels. Participants who find a barrel can scan the QR Code to learn more about the program. There are different prizes for finding specific numbers of barrels. After scanning the QR code, participants will take a selfie in front of the barrel and then post it to their personal Facebook or Instagram and tag TCWC. At the end of the barrel program, TCWC will auction off a select number of barrels to the public during an event at The Stillhouse to be announced. Proceeds will benefit a local charity or charities.”

L.A. has had some success with angel statues painted by different artists and my City of Glendale has had artists painting utility boxes for years. I could see beer labels embiggened onto a barrel or artwork inspired by the labels at least.

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CoLab

San Diego Beer News wrote about an interesting project for Beer Paper LA about the recently opened CoLab.

Three breweries, a winery and a Baby’s Badass Burgers under on roof on the Hop Highway of Vista.

I have long advocated for something similar in L.A. Personally, Hollywood seems the right area since it is pretty devoid of breweries in comparison to downtown. I like the idea of three breweries as well with different aims. One new, one barrel aging and one a second taproom.

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The Good Ship Brewdog

The BBC podcast arm, aka Sounds has a new multi-part podcast out about the Punk culture at BrewDog that isn’t all its supposed to be, to say the very least.

Click HERE to give it a listen. I have finished all six episodes and you will not look at BrewDog or James Watt the same again.