Tag: beer opinion

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The Firkin for October 2025

As we slowly saunter into autumn in Los Angeles, I have been wondering where the American sweet tooth is going to land in beer next.

We have had pastry stouts thar have amped up the candyfication of stouts, porters and barleywines and that was followed by the muddying thickness and disgusting colors of smoothie sours but I cannot picture which style will get the sugar treatment from there.

IPAs are right out since they already have hazy guarding the door but will amber ales or brown ales be given a new adjunct heavy lease on life?

As the industry contracts, there will be more throwing things at the wall to see what sticks and since the U.S. can sweeten anything to within an inch of its life, I expect more to come.

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The Firkin for June 2019

There are still horrible beer names, pay rates which peeked into the news cycle for a bit won’t change overnight, gripes about beer styles predominate and more spiked seltzers seem to be the saving brewery grace.

So, you can take all this news as pure negative. Or you could see it as a maturing market that is grappling with moving up. I see it as a European soccer club that wins promotion to the top tier of competition. It is easy to become overwhelmed and the next season head back down a level bloodied from the experience. But you need to keep your head, spend wisely, brand yourself and forecast but not hold onto that forecast with a death grip in the face of change.

That change may mean going hazy or Kveik’y faster than you want. It might mean changing up which festivals you attend or the hours of your taproom. Maybe you slushy up that sour that is not selling or re-name it a popsicle sour and give it a fun, summery name. Or you can stand still.

Room is available for growth. big beer is still losing by dribs and drabs and that loss can be independent beers gain.