DAS BOOT

by Charles Rodman and Steve Haus

Whereh ave the iconic German bierstiefel (beer boots) gone?  You know twhat I mean, the  ones from such historically accurate and culturally relevant investigations of German culture as “Beerfest” and Around the World frat parties? Where were the cheers of “Das Boot! Das Boot!?”

That question begs another: Is the boot an authentic element of Germany’s drinking heritage or a poetic interpretation to popularize the depiction for an American audience more obsessed with cultural clichés than cultural histories?

There are several divergent origin stories for the bierstiefel, but the two most common oral histories trace their roots back to the battlefield. One states that, to motivate his troops during a particularly trying day on the battlefield, a German general wagered to drink out of his boot should his forces win (a tradition rugby players are all too familiar with). But there, the history already begins to split, with some recollections saying the German general completed the wager and thus inspired the glassware and others claiming he had a glass boot fashioned to keep his word and avoid a nasty pour. The other dominant story proposes that some German divisions—or even some more antiquated militaries—would haze soldiers, as a rite of passage, by having them drink from their marched-in boots.

And as it turns out, the historical evidence paints a somewhat different story—though one that wouldn’t necessarily contradict a story arc that begins with drinking from an actual boot.  The earliest physical evidence of a glass beer boot actually comes from England (sorry, Germany) sometime during the early nineteenth century. 

These were a slightly different style from what we think of today—much smaller and featured a riding strap blown onto the glass around the ankle of the boot, nodding to their association with riding and hunting clubs  However, the beer boot did not last as a feature of English culture, losing favor about a half-century later.

It is unclear if the British inspired the Germans, but in the mid-1800s, the bierstiefel we know today became prominent.  The Germans upped the size (to one-liter-plus) and ditched the riding strap. By machine-pressing the glass, they could also scale up production and make the boot a part of popular culture rather than a limited, specialty item.

The military origin resurfaces with WWI, where German generals indeed wagered drinking from a bierstiefel post-battle. As a result, the boot size only grew larger. By this time, “Das Boot” was a part of German military culture, and by WWII, American soldiers were collecting and repatriating them as war bounty. And so the bierstiefel started its globalization, temporarily peaking in the 1950s with Japanese.ceramic counterparts and American cowboy boot spinoffs. 

But much as Western movies went out of fashion in the early 1960s, so did the cowboy beer boot and the globalization of the shoe-shaped drinking glass with it.  As the fad faded, the bierstiefel remained popular chiefly in Germany and among collectors abroad. And so it remained for nearly fifty years until the 2006 film “Beerfest” reintroduced the beer boot, creating an image of Germans as boot-guzzling beer maniacs.

The movie kicked off the re-popularization of the bierstiefel, delivering to the world a new form of competitive drinking and, in truth, promoting drinking in a decidedly un-German manner.  There’s no doubt that speed drinking from a boot can be fun, but it doesn’t fit with a culture that loves and appreciates beer enough to host a two-week festival honoring the joys of producing and drinking beer..

Drinking from a beer boot is much harder than it looks, but easy to master with a little practice. That being said, you should heed our warning: beer boots are a messy task and not for the faint at heart. You’ve been warned. 

First of all, beer boots are huge and they hold a ton of beer…okay, maybe not a metric ton, but they hold more than you’re used to. Beer boots sold at OktoberfestHaus can hold up to 3 liters of beer in one boot! That’s the equivalent of 100 ounces (for the mathematically lazy, that’s five bottles or eight and a half cans). The beer boot makes every chug you’ve ever had to do look like child’s play. 

More importantly, it’s not the size of the beer boot that drenches your shirt and makes you cough. It’s the shape of the boot. Unlike a regular glass or bottle, the boot has a toe. That should have been obvious.

The problem with the toe is this: as you drink the boot, the air bubble gets bigger as there’s less beer left to drink. Once the empty space hits the foot of the foot, the bubble rushes into the toe and pushes out all the beer that was inside the foot a second ago. This causes a tidal wave effect as all the foot’s beer is literally pushed into your face.

There’s a trick of classic finesse that you must use to avoid getting beer splashed in your face. When drinking the boot, you’ll start with the foot angled straight out (pointing directly away from you). As you’re drinking, slowly rotate the boot to one side so the foot points at a 90-degree angle once the air bubble reaches it. When you rotate the boot, you avoid a pressure buildup by slowly letting air flow into the toe. This way, you avoid all of the toe’s beer being released at once…all over your face. 

Foamy beer is a centuries-old European tradition, but in the American market the phenomenon has spread from a nerdy niche to a veritable tidal wave of foam-focused pours across the United States. Increasingly curious drinkers have put bad memories of sticking their fingers into Solo cups at college keg parties behind them and are seeking out the perfect pour, where the presence of beer foam enhances their drinking experience — aided by the arrival of Czech Lukr “side-pour” taps and a new interest in British-style cask engines.

Beer rating app Untappd reports an increase of nearly 50 percent in cask serve “check-ins” over the last two years, and a 5.5 percent increase in nitro “check-ins.” Lukr sold its first tap in the United States eight years ago, and in the period since, its popularity has surged, with stateside sales exceeding 5,000 taps.

Beer foam contains aromas and flavors that add to the overall tasting experience,” she said, “particularly malt sweetness and hop bitterness, [and] can contribute to the perceived creaminess and body of a beer.

the foamy beers streaming from the new side-pour taps popping up around the U.S. are serving primarily Czech-style pilsners

Lukr’s uniquely designed “side-pour” tap, introduced in the late 1990s, utilizes a clever ball-valve mechanism that allows servers to regulate the flow speed of beer through the faucet, enabling them to create traditional Czech-style foam-focused pilsner pours with ease and precision. These pours include the hladinka, šnyt and mlíko, which respectively offer three fingers, three-fifths, and a full glass of foam, each delivering a different drinking experience.

A hladinka’s foam is thick, with a balance of sweetness and bitterness, leaving a smoother, clearer, less carbonated beer underneath. A šnyt, which means “cut,” is a more foam-intense short pour offering a lower-alcohol option, often used by bartenders at the start of a shift to check that their tap lines are running smoothly. The mlíko is a carefully poured full glass of soft, sweet, wet foam that resembles milk; hence the name, which translates as “milk pour.” Photos of the unique pour have made waves on social media in recent years. It should be consumed quickly, before the foam settles, to enjoy its rich, dessert-like flavor and texture.

Mlíko pours are the best introduction to the otherwise skeptical drinker — it gives them a chance to exrxperience the difference foam makes in the beer and lets them actually taste the foam,” Reearch shows Americans are doing just that. “[We] have done a huge amount of work to show that consumers consider beer with the right amount of foam to be better than with no or little foam — irrespective of the beer, 

Whether breweries and bars are going old-style or new, one thing they must factor in is a substantial extra cost. Lukr taps retail at $260-$400, while an industry-standard Perlick faucet costs about $65. A single cask engine can run upward of $400, plus $200 or more for the cask itself. But breweries and taprooms are seeing returns on the investment, as on-trend customers seek out foamy experiences as they learn how foam can change the flavors and texture of the beer,” he said.

Foam also appeals to a different sense — it looks attractive, which makes it aptly suited to the age of social media. “Instagram has helped with people’s perceptions of how beer should be presented. I think we’d all agree that a big fluffy head on the beer looks much better than a flat stadium pour,

Blind Taste Testing 

Without establishing a structure and parameters, a blind tasting is just blind drinking. So follow this guide for a solid approach to the best way to judge a beer – a blind tasting.  At its most basic, a proper blind tasting addresses four aspects of a beer: appearance, aroma, mouthfeel, and flavor.

What to Look for in a Beer’s Appearance

Beer color comes primarily from the malt—specifically, the type and roast level of the grain. It can be a style indicator, though it can also be misleading in a world of black IPAs and blonde stouts. 

In general, the color spectrum in beer can be broken down into yellow, amber (or red), brown, and black, which all provide hints about the beer’s flavor. Yellow-to-gold beers, like lagers, typically have cereal and bread notes. Amber ales, some darker pale ales, and IPAs typically have a toffee note and a fuller body than light-colored beers. You can expect caramel and chocolate from brown ales and deep brown-to-black ales, in addition to coffee in the latter.

It’s also important to look at the clarity of a beer, as it can indicate style, type of malt used, or potential flaws. Lagers are golden and clear, for example, while wheat beers are golden and cloudy. If you’re looking at a cloudy pilsner, that generally means something went wrong during the brewing process. Clarity is less important for dark beers, but when it comes to IPAs, the clarity can immediately indicate the brewer’s style—West Coast IPAs are clear (regardless of whether it’s a dark yellow or light amber color), and New England IPAs are hazy. 

Assessing the head also helps a drinker deduce the beer’s style. Hops, glassware, alcohol level, and proteins from the malt can all impact the head of a beer. Wheat and oat beers normally have more proteins and longer head retention, while beers that use adjunct grains like corn and rice have less retention. Hops help create a longer-lasting head, so expect more foam and lacing on the side of the glass as you drink a high-hopped IPA. Many high-alcohol beers have low head retention, but there are examples that buck that trend, like Duvel. Finally, the glass itself can be a factor in head retention: A dirty glass with oil or residual soap can decrease head retention regardless of style. The old cliché of tasting first with your eyes holds true, however, for the broadest first impressions. Just don’t put too much faith in what you see

How a Beer’s Aroma Indicates Style

It’s hard to overstate what you can learn from thoughtfully smelling beer. First, swirl the beer with one hand while covering the glass with your other to trap the aromas. Then, smell the beer from a distance and slowly bring it closer to your nose while noting the aromas you detect at different distances. 

The potential aromas in a beer are vast. Hops, yeast, and malt all add different characteristics. Amato suggests determining which ingredient dominates the aroma and digging into the specifics of that primary aroma before moving on to the next.

Depending on the hop variety, the ingredient will add lemon, grapefruit, and other citrus (like with Mosaic and Citra hops), pine (Centennial and Cascade hops), or stone and tropical fruit (Galaxy and Motueka). Yeast produces esters during fermentation that can add banana notes in the case of hefeweizens, and other fruit notes like apple and peach can be found in ales fermented with wild yeast. For malty aromas, smelling is the first check on the assumptions you made based on appearance. Typical light lagers will have a crisp cracker note, for example, while dark ales like stouts and porters will have malty aromas like chocolate, coffee, and toffee.

How these flavors interact can suggest style. Beer styles with a hop-forward aroma include pale ales and IPAs, and IPAs with more malty aromas are typically West Coast style while more hop aromas indicate a New England style. When the yeast aromas are more prominent, it’s a good sign of wheat beers and wild yeast ales.

Understanding Mouthfeel

Mouthfeel is primarily broken down into carbonation, body, astringency, and creaminess, says Blair. In addition to helping determine style—whether a beer is a thin lager or a syrupy imperial stout—mouthfeel can help determine if a beer is true to style. Traditional saisons have high carbonation, for example, while barrel-aged beers have low carbonation. Other characteristics to note are the warming sensation from higher alcohol and the drying sensations imparted by barrel aging.

Comparing Taste to Other Sensations

After you assess appearance and aroma, taste the beer to confirm your notes.  You can only do that by drinking the beer.

Unlike blind-tasting wine or spirits, it’s important to swallow beer. Swallowing is the best way to experience retronasal olfaction—the smells you get at the back of your throat, where you’ll pick up aromatic compounds. 

Taste, along with aroma, also lets you pinpoint off-f lavors. These include 3-MBT (skunky, from exposure to light), acetaldehyde (green apple), diacetyl (buttered popcorn), dimethyl sulfide (or DMS, which smells like creamed corn), and a cardboard or waxy lipstick smell from oxidation.

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QUICK SIMPLIFIED STEP BY STEP WAY TO TASTE BEER

With so many new styles and unique tastes to the everyday beer drinker it’s useful to know how to find and appreciate those tastes. That’s not to say you should sit down, swirl, sniff, and slurp every beer like it’s a glass of fine wine, but some beers are worth some extra time.   Here's how to truly appreciate craft beer, and it all starts with an easy method of evaluation. 

The perfect pour

Pour the beer into a clean glass. Any glass will do, but a tulip glass is best. If there’s a lot of carbonation, tilt the glass to make sure the head of the beer isn’t too large. If there’s low carbonation, pour the beer straight into the center of the glass to agitate the beer enough to give it a head of foam.

Check it out

Hold your glass up to a light and tilt it a little. Check out the color, whether it’s clear or hazy, and how much of a head stays on the top of the beer. You can expect different looks for different styles, and the only way to know them all is to practice (drink).

Back to the smells

Swirl it up again and stick your nose back in it. The beer will be more agitated and warmer after the first three steps. Note the differences from the first smell.

Taste

Finally it’s time to take a sip. Take in just enough to coat your mouth. Let it hit your lips, gums, teeth, and all around your tongue. When you swallow that sip, keep your mouth closed and exhale through your nose. Take note of the initial flavors you notice, the intermediate flavors, and the aftertaste.

Taste, again

Take one more sip, this time focusing on the weight of the beer. Compare it to other beers of the same style you’ve had before.

Enjoy

This is where you take it all in at once. Relax. Take a deep breath. Smell the beer again, and taste it again. Pause to consider where the beer belongs in the overall range of beers you've had in the same style.  Then sit back and have another if it's really good!

 by Nick Hines

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THE NEXT STEP - TASTING LIKE A PRO:

Before you even start tasting the beer, you need to know what it is you’re tasting for.

The very first step in tasting anything is to define your objectives, Tasting a beer, especially in a professional setting, can be anything: blindly identifying the flavor attributes, judging a beer in terms of existing specifications or preconceptions, or comparing multiple beers to decide which one you prefer. 

It’s not enough to present a beer and simply ask, ‘What do you think?’ because it lends to more questions. ‘Think of what? Do I like this beer? Is it the best representation of the style? Does it meet quality standards?’ Specifying the question goes a long way towards helping you focus and pick the relevant information out of the beer. 

How To Assess Beer Like An Expert

When the pros are sampling a beer, there are four key elements they’re assessing: appearance, aromatics, tastes, and mouthfeel. Craig instructs his panelists to follow a tasting technique that’s structured in that order.

Reading about taste may feel a little abstract, so we’d encourage you to pour a glass of whatever beer is in your fridge right now and follow along with the steps below.

Visual

Before you dive into a sip, really look at the beer. Note the presence or lack of foam, color, and clarity. Does it cling to the glass? What do the bubbles look like?

Aroma

The next thing you want to assess is the beer’s aroma. Because certain flavor compounds are easier to pick up on in different ways, follow several steps in order to properly assess aroma.

1. Begin swirling your glass. This encourages aromatic compounds out of the beer.

2. Slowly bring the beer up to your nose, and begin wafting it back and forth under your nose while simultaneously taking short sniffs. You know how your dog sniffs your clothes after you’ve been away all day? Sniff like that.

3. Stick your nose into the glass and conduct a one-second sniff. Then a two-second sniff. Cover the glass with your (clean) hand and swirl for five seconds. Perform another two-second sniff.

4. Take a sip of the beer and swish it around in your mouth to warm it up. Swallow, and then exhale through your nose.

Taste

For this assessment, you want to think about the five key tastes: bitterness, sourness, saltiness, sweetness, and umami. When you taste the beer, list each out in your head and identify its presence and intensity.  Note that 99% of beer relies heavily on sweetness and bitterness, but that isn’t to say you can’t find other tastes as well.

To conduct a taste assessment, take another sip and swish it around. You should  swish for a long time – 10 to 20 seconds if you can. After you swallow, take another five to 10 seconds to make a judgment on the bitterness of the beer, as bitter tastes can take a while to register on the palate.

Mouthfeel

When you’re considering mouthfeel, you want to pay attention to the carbonation, viscosity, and any lingering, astringent notes. For this step, just take a final sip, swish it, and swallow.

As far as technical tasting goes, visual, aromatic, taste, and mouthfeel characteristics are the tangible things you are assessing, but the quality of the beer is based on a bit more than this – things like balance, structure, elegance, robustness, and sessionability. These are composite characteristics that no one can really define.

More Tips For Sampling Beer

You want to be wary of overdoing it with your aroma assessment. Sticking your nose in right away and taking a big whiff is a no-no, You can become desensitized to some smells very easily, so you may miss things if you don’t start off by wafting.”

If you’re sampling a flight of beers, you may be wondering about palate cleansing.  Washing away lingering smells or taste is an important step, but the most important part of the exercise is the effect it has on your brain and focus levels. 80% of tasting comes down to focus, and cleansing your palate provides a mental reset for your next assessment.  

Be mindful of the environment you’re sampling in.  It almost goes without saying that the fewer distractions there are the better – whether they’re smells, loud noises, or wobbly tables, keep them to a minimum.

And finally, remember to enjoy it! You don’t have to taste like a brewer to enjoy a good beer. If you want to level-up your tasting skills, these tips should help. But at the end of the day, remember that you're really only asking yourself, ‘Do I want to drink more of this beer?’ when you're drinking for pleasure.

by Craig Walker

From spiked eggnog to warm mulled wine, holiday excess can leave you in a hungover haze for days.

It’s not just the holiday season, of course: Americans are now drinking at record high levels, with childless women over 35 leading the bar crawl.

That means more people are likely to spend their days struggling to get over a horrendous hangover.

While some studies claim to support the potential health benefits of light to moderate alcohol consumption, several others have found that any amount of alcohol could increase the risk of developing health complications such as cancer, liver disease, and diabetes that can lead to an early death — and its harmful effects on the body can be felt after just one night of over-consumption.

“A hangover is a clinical condition that is characterized by a combination of effects from alcohol metabolism and dehydration,” Dr. Johnny Parvani, REVIV founder & chief medical officer, told Beer Nexus.  Alcohol can cause dehydration, poor sleep, headaches, heart pounding, stomach issues, nausea and vomiting, as well as inflammation in the liver, pancreas, brain, gastrointestinal tract and other organs as the body struggles to flush out the toxins and recover nutrients.

The effects of alcohol impact everyone differently, but people often report fatigue, weakness, thirst, headache, muscle aches, nausea, stomach pain, vertigo, sensitivity to light and sound, anxiety, irritability, sweating and increased blood pressure.

While there are no certified hangover cures, here’s some clarification on popular recovery methods to offer relief for those who overindulged in their imbibing.

IV treatments

Intravenous (IV) drip treatments have risen in popularity in the last decade with IV bars opening around the country and IV companies making house calls, setting up shop inside luxury apartment buildings and being favored by celebs like Chrissy Teigen, Lorde and Miley Cyrus.

The restorative infusions release cocktails of vitamins, minerals, electrolytes and antioxidants such as selenium, vitamin C and B-complex directly into patients’ veins for an almost immediate boost. Jay Parvani, an emergency medicine specialist, claimed that IV drips “are the most effective way to replenish fluids especially when hangover symptoms can limit fluid intake, delaying natural recovery.” The treatments “help flush out toxic metabolites and serve as a vehicle through which to deliver medications and antioxidants that alleviate symptoms associated with hangovers and help reduce damaging free radicals,” he explained. Despite the celebrity endorsements and physician-backed anecdotes, little scientific evidence supports the positive claims.

Bone broth

“Hydration and balancing

 electrolytes are key to help ease a hangover. By maintaining adequate water intake, you can support the process of eliminating toxins from the body,” Dr. Kellyann Petrucci, a board-certified naturopathic physician and certified nutrition consultant, recommended.

While many unrefined over-imbibers reach for juicy electrolyte beverages, experts recommend ditching the sugary drink for a more naturally nutritious beverage. “Instead, drink a low-to-zero-sugar electrolyte drink, or, my personal favorite, bone broth, which is a solid source of hydration, protein, and minerals,” Dr. Petrucci suggested. Low in sodium but rich in collagen and protein, bone broth has been recommended by wellness industry gurus, including actress and Goop CEO Gwenyth Paltrow, for boosting hair care, skin and nails while keeping your gut bacteria balanced. The richly nutritious food is also easy on the tummy and a popular choice to hydrate and nourish when feeling nauseous and dehydrated.

Ginger

Ginger has been found to help to ease nausea, vomiting, stress and indigestion, thanks to gingerol, a natural compound in the fresh ingredient.  For those in really queasy, rough shape, Petrucci recommended brewing ginger tea to help with nausea. “The ginger can help with nausea that might be lingering after a night out,” the nutrition expert explained. Lots of evidence has shown that the spice can help to ease nausea, vomiting, stress and indigestion, thanks to gingerol, a natural compound in fresh ginger. However, experts have warned that certain ginger products, including ginger supplements and ginger ale, may contain additives like sugar that dilute its nutritional benefits.

Amino acids

Researchers have found that L-cysteine, an amino acid, can help in the battle to beat a hangover.L-cysteine, which is sold at most pharmacies and health stores, is vital to the human body, “[working] as a precursor for antioxidants and for immune messenger molecules,” Neha Pathak, a doctor in internal medicine and WebMD medical editor, told Beer Nexus. “We get it naturally through our diets . . . and it can be found in foods like dairy, eggs, nuts, seeds and legumes.”

Scientists at the University of Helsinki and the University of Eastern Finland discovered that the human protein-building block can potentially appease ailments such as nausea, headache, stress and anxiety, according to a 2020 study published in Alcohol and Alcoholism.   A larger dose helped resolve more heavy-duty issues like nausea and headache, while the smaller dose reduced stress and anxiety. It was also found to reduce the urge to pick up a drink the next day, potentially reducing the risk for alcohol addiction.  However, the research is unclear about exactly why L-cysteine helps and has been disputed by some.

N-acetylcysteine (NAC), an amino acid derived from L-cysteine, has also been shown to help some recover the day after a few too many beers and can also be bought at most pharmacies and health stores. A study published in the National Library of Medicine found that taking the supplement before going to bed drunk helped ease the pain of waking up the next morning by helping the body produce a powerful antioxidant called glutathione, known to fight cellular damage.

However, the small study seemed to show that NAC supplements were more helpful for women than men

he fact that NAC has also been used in clinical settings to treat other toxicity conditions, such as a Tylenol overdose, may support its hangover treatment claims.

Dihydromyricetin

Another hangover helper that’s been used in Asian communities for hundreds of years is Dihydromyricetin (DHM).

“DHM is derived from specific herbal plants like Hovenia Dulcis, which has a history of use in Asia for alleviating symptoms related to alcohol consumption,” Dr. Fu Chen, head of research and development at More Labs said.

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Tax Battle: Rum vs. Beer  

By Steve P. Mason

The beer lobby is taking aim at a tax benefit for Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands up for renewal this year that they argue unfairly subsidizes their rum-producing competitors, amid an escalating dispute with the spirits industry over how to tax new alcoholic beverage options.

The transfer of rum tax collections to the U.S. territories enjoys support on both sides of the aisle in Congress and would be a strong contender for a potential year-end tax package. But the squabble between beer brewers and liquor distillers is putting some new heat on the “rum cover-over.”

“The rum cover-over program has turned into a handout to large liquor companies,” a voiceover narrates in the Beer Institute’s minute-long ad on the issue. “Congress should take a hard look at this program and reform it to ensure that the people of Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands get the assistance they need.”

The U.S. collects taxes on rum like it does other spirits produced domestically or imported. But in a unique arrangement, it sends most of that revenue to the U.S. territories, which dominate the domestic rum market. Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands split the tax collections based on their annual rum production levels. Nearly all of the rum taxes the federal government charged — $13.25 per proof gallon out of $13.50 collected — were sent to the territories until the end of 2021. Then that bigger benefit lapsed back to $10.50 per proof gallon.

Restoring the higher revenue transfer, which the Joint Committee on Taxation has said would deliver over $200 million extra annually to the island territories, is a top contender if lawmakers can agree on a bipartisan “extenders” package this year. Lawmakers behind a bipartisan proposal to revive the higher transfer say the cover-over is critical for economic development and supporting services like health care and education in the territories.

The sponsors  also propose a new measure that would require a portion of the revenue to be sent to the Puerto Rico Conservation Trust, a private nonprofit dedicated to protecting the island’s natural areas and resources. The Beer lobby doesn’t oppose the cover-over program as a whole. But they want curbs on how Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands can spend the tax revenue. “With so much money going back to the rum business interests, the residents of Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands lose out,” the group’s ad says. “Instead of building schools, roads and bridges with your American tax dollars, large liquor companies are getting richer.”

Some like-minded lawmakers have also criticized the rum cover-over. They argue much of the money sent to the territories now ends up being used as subsidies for distillers or puts continental U.S. rum makers at a competitive disadvantage.

Until the late 2000s, the vast majority of cover-over revenue was going to the territories’ general funds.

That changed when the Virgin Islands offered Diageo Plc, the London-based maker of Captain Morgan, incentives to leave Puerto Rico and instead distill its products on St. Croix, a move that would directly boost the territory’s share of cover-over revenue. That deal included subsidies for building the new distillery, income and property tax breaks — and a big slice of annual cover-over revenue.

Not long after, the Virgin Islands also agreed to subsidies for Fortune Brands, now owned by New York-based Beam Suntory Inc., for distilling its Cruzan rum there based on rum tax revenues. Meanwhile, Puerto Rico began delivering a hefty share of its cover-over revenue to its big rum makers, mainly Bacardi but also Don Q producer Destilería Serrallés and Club Caribe, according to a 2022 report by the San Juan-based Center for Investigative Journalism.

While the subsidies have drawn rebukes, attracting and keeping distillers stands to give the territories significant benefits. If rum producers leave, that territory’s share of the cover-over revenue falls, which would still impact local government services. Still, lawmakers’ criticism combined with the beer industry’s new campaign could spark some friction, though it’s still likely the cover-over would have enough support if lawmakers can agree on a bipartisan set of tax provisions to extend in the coming weeks.

The beer industry’s new strain of resistance to the rum cover-over stems from a larger tax dispute that’s embroiling beer and distilled spirits companies.  The Beer lobby’s campaign is a response to the distilled spirits industry’s efforts to secure lower tax rates for some products by having them taxed like beer, according to a spokesperson for the group. That fight has escalated recently with the rise of canned cocktails.

While hard seltzers like White Claw and Truly are taxed like beer, ready-to-drink beverages made with spirits like vodka, tequila or whiskey generally fall under distilled spirits tax rates. High Noon — launched in 2019 by E&J Gallo Winery — is a prime example of a seltzer drink that boasts its “real vodka” content and has rocketed to popularity. Other major players, like Jack Daniel’s Tennessee Whiskey, have rolled out ready-to-drink cocktails this year.

Beer companies argue the products are fundamentally different even if their alcohol content is similar. The Beer Institute spokesperson said production processes and costs differ, beer is perishable while liquor products are not, and that beer is heavier to transport.

The group’s new website touches on the state-level fight that has heated up the last couple of years, citing “wins” pushing against legislation to benefit canned cocktails in states including California, Texas and Minnesota. It also warns of “threats” in North Carolina, where there’s a proposal to cut taxes for ready-to-drink cocktails, and Pennsylvania, where there’s been a push to allow canned cocktails to be sold at retailers that can offer beer and wine.

While it isn’t directly part of the canned cocktail feud, the rum cover-over is a key “handout” that the Beer Institute is targeting on its new website. The group had previously stayed publicly quiet on the issue.

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Hop water has existed for less than a decade, but in the last four years, the nascent category has seen a proliferation of producers and increased investment from alcohol companies including Constellation Brands and Brooklyn Brewery. Sparkling water with hop flavor has carved out a niche for itself, attracting drinkers looking for a non-alcoholic break from beer or for new flavors.

Hop water sales have increased dramatically—volumes grew +142% between August 2020 and August 2023—but from a very small base of those three brands. As the pie gets bigger, so do the number of players vying for a slice. The past year has seen hop water launches from several breweries, including Texas’ Zilker Brewing and Austin Beerworks, California’s Almanac Beer Co., New Jersey’s Forgotten Boardwalk Brewery, Nevada’s CraftHaus Brewery, and others.

To weather increasing competition, brands are looking for investment from big alcohol companies while the category pushes to become more than just a beer replacement. For now, hop water is just a niche segment with aspirations of breaking through as a more widely accepted packaged drink option. The trajectory for the category ultimately depends on how well a general public will receive the idea of hop-flavored water. IPA is the defining category for America’s craft beer industry, so on that alone, hop water has a first step of getting out of beer’s shadow to appeal on familiar, yet different, merits.

New players have led to some shake ups on the hop water leaderboard. Notably, Lagunitas Hoppy Refresher, which was responsible for 92% of volume sales in 2020 has seen its market share reduced to 45% this year because of so many new competitors.

• Still, Hoppy Refresher is growing its sales, with volumes projected to end the year up between +40-50%. 

• Comparing Lagunitas’ hop water with its other regular beer brands sold in chain retail, Hoppy Refresher is now the brewery’s No. 3 brand by volume, behind Lagunitas IPA and A Little Sumpin’ Sumpin’ Ale. 

As new hop water brands come to market, attracted by the relative ease of making the product and triple-digit category growth, the question is whether sales can continue rising at this rate. To keep expanding, hop waters need to reach new customers and fit into new parts of those customers’ routines, not just offer IPA lovers an alternative when they want a non-alc option.

But competing as a general beverage—against teas, juices, sodas, etc.—creates its own hurdles. Shoppers have more choices than ever in the drinks aisle or online: On Amazon, prebiotic drink maker POPPI has even bought ads against the “hop water” search term. Not only is competition fierce, but pricing can be a stumbling block when hop waters can cost as much as beer and more than twice as much as other sparkling waters. If a shopper on Amazon opted for a 12-pack of POPPI after searching for In chain retail, things are just as competitive: Data from 3Tier Beverage shows the weighted average base price (excluding sales and promotions) for a case of hop water is basically the same as buying regular beer, costing roughly as much as a case of a craft brewery’s Wheat Beer or Lager. At Whole Foods, a variety of sparkling water brands—LaCroix, Spindrift, or Waterloo—all retail for less than a brand from Hoplark.hop water, they could get the soda for $29.99 instead of a hop water 12-pack selling $34-$37.

And amid the influx of new entrants, hop water is still in the process of defining itself to drinkers. Some brands—those made by breweries in particular—focus on being a zero-calorie, zero-alcohol replacement for beer: Still others tout themselves as daytime, health-boosting beverages: HOP WTR highlights the inclusion of adaptogens and nootropics, ingredients which purport to boost cognitive function and enhance relaxation. 

Because most consumers have only ever encountered hop flavors as part of beer, the concept of hop water as a non-alcoholic cousin to beer makes sense. Hop-heavy IPAs are the top-selling craft beer style in the U.S., accounting for 42% of all craft beer volume sold in chain retail, +10% from five years ago. But the non-alcoholic beer market, while growing fast, is relatively small (making up 0.7% of all beer volume in U.S. chain retail stores as tracked by Circana). If hop water wants to take up more than a sliver of that sliver, it’s going to have to break into new parts of people’s routines that have nothing to do with beer.

Ultimately, it’s how shoppers fit hop water into their lives that will determine the size of its potential market. If it remains largely a non-alcoholic beer alternative, the pool is limited—particularly given the number of brands diving in. But if consumers swap their Bublys and Spindrifts for Hoplark or Hoppy Refresher, it becomes a much wider and more lucrative splashing ground.

Sour beers are increasingly being embraced by craft beer consumers looking for tartness in all the right places.

But in spite of their growing popularity, sour beers are still a mystery to many, and we’ve some ‘wild’ factoids about sours that might help…

What the Heck is a Sour Beer?

Where traditional beers are the byproduct of sterile environments and very specific yeast strains, sour beers, which are actually the oldest type beers in history, came into being in a pre-pasteurization era when concepts like sterilization were poorly understood.

he other thing that wasn’t understood in the early days of beer and brewing was yeast itself.

As VinePair astutely points out it wasn’t until a famous French biologist, microbiologist and chemist’s arrival that the role of yeast in the fermentation process was seen for what it was…

“Beer—made with malt, hops, water, and yeast—wasn’t always defined as such. Yeast wasn’t even included in the original German Beer Purity Law.”

“It was only added after Louis Pasteur figured out that it was yeast doing the fermenting; prior to that, yeast had simply been unknowingly passed on from beer to beer when brewers would start a new batch from an old one, heroically doing all the work of fermenting with no credit.”

Early fermentation prior to Pasteur’s ground-breaking discovery was an ambient and almost occult process.

Back in the day, beers were stored in wooden barrels or open-air vessels known as cool ships while fermenting and subject to a host of microorganisms, wild yeast, and bacteria that tempered what they would become.

The practice couldn’t have been more wild, which is the reason that sour beers are also called wild ales.

And what is Brett?

The wild yeast used in sours is known as Brettanomyces, also known as “Brett.”

Unlike Saccharomyces cerevisiae (which is used to make ales and works at warmer temperatures) and Saccharomyces pastorianus (which works in cooler temperatures and used to make lagers), Brettanomyces has a reputation as a beer spoiler.

At its worst, Brett can add serious off-flavors and aromas. But encouraged and nurtured intentionally Brett can nuance the finest Saisons and bring a sour complexity to classic Belgian ales like the Oud Bruin or the Flanders Red. Brett is also largely responsible for the funk tones found in many sours.

The Magic of Mixed Fermentation

Sour beers are seldom the result of Brett alone, but also its interplay with bacteria and microflora…a process commonly called known as mixed fermentation.

Lactobacillus is prominent form of bacteria found in many mixed fermentation sours. Affectionately referred to as “lacto” by many brewers, Lactobacillus can add that pucker-producing lemony tartness that many associate with sour beers.

Pediococcus (aka “pedio”) is another bacteria commonly found in modern sours. Pedio brings an even harsher tartness to the mix than does lacto, but that tartness comes with a funk characteristic that adds complexity. Pedio bacteria is widely used in lambics and Flanders reds.

Whew!

So that’s a lot to unpack…And no, there won’t be a quiz, but hopefully this helps explain a little about what makes sour beers so wild.

How To Really Enjoy Beer

What seems natural in drinking water or a soft drink will not enhance you experience with craft beer.  Here are ways, according to experts, that will make your beer taste better than ever before.

To begin, grab a clean glass.  That's sounds basic but a "beer clean" glass is critical to your experience. Most commonly, a dirty glass will have smudges on the rim from lip balm or there may be light water stains or streaks inside, which may be lingering sanitizer from the dishwasher. If the glass has been on the shelf for some time, dust may have settled in the bottom. Any of these will negatively impact your sensory experience, flavor and aroma.

To combat these imperfections, its important to always first rinse your glass with water. The best craft beer bars do this with every glass before serving any beverage. The water cools the glass down to prevent excessive foaming and removes any leftover sanitizer that might taint the smell and flavor of the beer. 

Now that you have a pristine glass, pour your craft beer and examine. Can you see through it or is it cloudy? Does it have a frothy head? Are bubbles rising from the center of the glass or are they creeping up the edge? What color is it? Does it look black as oil or maybe like weak green tea? All of this sensory data could unveil to you how sweet the beer may be, how creamy, how thick, or how fizzy it might be.

As you look at the beer, you can use your knowledge and sensory data to make assumptions about what your other senses will experience – and with time, we’ll find out if your eyes were right or if they have deceived you. (Some breweries like to play tricks on your eyes, by brewing a white stout, for example.)

Once you’ve used your sight to evaluate the beer, it’s time to move on to the beer's aromas. First things first: Don’t shove your nose in the beer and take a giant deep breath. This overstimulates your nose and you’ll lose out on the intricacies of the craft beer scent.

It’s better to take a few short sniffs at first or start with a “drive-by” method–moving the glass horizontally about 5 inches under your nose while you inhale. Once you’ve had a few light sniffs and you know you won’t overstimulate your nose by getting in closer, go ahead and take a closer and longer inhale.

If you notice there’s not much aroma or there’s no longer any head on your beer, lightly spin the glass with your hand to produce more foam. That carbonated foam is what releases the volatile aromatics for your nose to appreciate.An important reminder about tastings: Your nose actually does most of the “tasting”. This is because your olfactory area in your nose controls both smell and taste. As you chew or swish, odor molecules enter the back of your nose. Your taste buds tell you if something is salty or sweet, but your nose gives specifics. “This sweet taste reminds me of red grapes.”  If you feel that you have overstimulated your nose, sniff your shirt sleeve. Your body is a neutral scent for you, so a quick smell of your shoulder will reset your sense of smell. And it’s important to block out any distracting smells. This could be a pungent meal on the table, or an open window nearby. Allow yourself to really focus on the craft beer in front of you before you take your first sip. 

Now for the best part - taste the beer! Start with a small sip and let it coat your tongue. In a way, a small sip will prime your pallet to fully experience the flavors of the craft beer on your next sip.  As you sip, consider how salty, sweet, sour, savory or bitter the craft beer is? Are there other foods or drinks the flavors you’re experiencing remind you of?Your tongue is loaded with taste buds – about 8,000 – and they aren’t all stuffed into one area. In fact, the roof of your mouth and your throat have taste buds themselves.

With your tongue involved, you can help it out by getting your nose back in the game. Hold the beer on your tongue, close your mouth, and breathe in deep through your nose. This will bring air into your mouth and aerate the beer, activating its aroma, activating the olfactory system again.

One last tip for tasting beer: Taste the beer after it’s warmed up, too. (Slightly warmed up, mind you.) Most beer is best consumed at 38 degrees Fahrenheit. Beverages at a really cold temperature may mask some flavors or overstimulate the palate so it can’t process the craft beer flavor as efficiently. As the beer warms slightly (a couple degrees), you’ll notice new subtle flavors and scents!

Now for a quick check list to follow.

1. take more than one sip when trying a new beer. Aromas can be tempting and deadly. Flavors can be complex and barring. Aftertastes can confuse and beguile. So, take your time. 

2.  Be aware of the correct serving temperature for the style of beer you're drinking. If you're at a pub you might have to order an imperial stout or barrel aged barleywine early so it can warm up.  

3. he tulip glass, the flute, and the imperial pint are all things of great beauty. Learn to enjoy your beer in the correct glassware, not only for the visual verification that it may imply, but also to maximize the flavor. Yes, the right glassware can enhance your beer and certain beers should be served in certain glasses.

4. If you're having a flight or sampler, it is good practice to start with the lightest mouthfeel and lowest ABV beers, moving on to heavier and stronger beers towards the end. This saves your palette from being overwhelmed at the start and missing out on the understated flavors of the lighter beers. 

5. Don't drink on an empty stomach, it's a rookie mistake. Eating food before or while drinking beer changes the way that your body metabolizes the alcohol.  And of course know what your beer's ABV is so you don't over indulge. Then, instead of feeling tipsy during your first beer, you’ll be able to savor more of your beer-drinking experience.

Now you're ready to optimize your craft beer drinking experience!

Risks of Local Brewery Beer by Dr. Frank Thompson Jr.

Due to the increased demand for beer, it is necessary to pay attention to possible contaminants that could affect consumers’ health. Even if beer is not an excellent medium for organisms to grow, some species of microorganisms can grow in beer, changing its properties and causing turbidity and off-flavors . Craft beers are more prone to spoilage than beer prepared in large-scale breweries probably because they are less likely to be pasteurised or sterile-filtered.

One of the most critical factors in cell growth in beer is temperature. With decreasing the temperature from 35 °C to 4 °C, beer spoilage decreased significantly, meaning low temperature plays an essential role in protecting beer from spoilage. Beer quality can be compromised by mycotoxins produced by fungal contamination of malting barley. Regulations on the maximum tolerable level of deoxynivalenol, for example, differ from country to country and may greatly.  That’s a bit scary.

 Physical, chemical, and biological treatments are used during the malting process to decrease fungal contamination. One way to reduce fungal contamination is using microorganisms as antifungal treatment, which is desirable because they exhibit environmental sensitivity and sustainability. However, their efficiency can be affected by microbial interactions or different side effects.

Biogenic amines (they regulate brain functions such as movement, behavior, emotions, temperature, blood pressure and endocrine secretion) represent a significant group of chemical contaminants in beer. In a paper, 118 samples of craft beer manufactured in microbreweries of Central Europe were analyzed. The results showed that more than 30% of the samples had a total biogenic amines content between 50–100 mg/L. The most frequently detected biogenic amines were tyramine, putrescine, and cadaverine. However, 18% of the craft beer samples had a total amount of biogenic amines higher than the safe imit of 100 mg/.

Due to its extensive consumption, beer contamination with mycotoxins needs to be limited as a priority for consumers’ health. The beer technology includes operations that can increase or decrease the initial level of mycotoxins.

It is often more challenging to attain the same exacting hygiene procedures when brewing at a smaller scale such as your local neighborhood brewery.. Conventional and mostly unconventional raw materials, such as fruits, herbs, honey, spices, and vegetables, added post-wort boil increase the risk of beer microbial spoilage because of their own microbial load. A general founded impression is that pathogenic microorganisms’ survival in beer is low due to various inhibitory factors nevertheless, the current trend in beer production (lower ethanol and bitterness) might pose a potential risk of beer spoilage and get consumers sick.

Approximately 50% of the documented microbiological contaminations can be attributed to secondary contaminations, but the primary contamination is more harmful because it can compromise a complete brew.

Various unpleasant sensory alterations are frequent indicators of microbial infection. A strain of Staphylococcus xylosus has been reported in commercial turbid and off-flavored craft beer pulled from the local market by breweries. S. xylosus is a microbe that lives on the skin of people and animals, as well as a common bacteria found in food and raw materials [38]. This strain grew well in the presence of hopsand had a high potential to ruin beer.

 Moulds, such as Aspergillus, Penicillium, and Fusarium, produce toxic secondary metabolites called mycotoxins. Almost every mycotoxin is an immunosuppressive agent Mycotoxins have been reported in various types of food, but the most important source of these metabolites are globally consumed foods such as cereals (wheat, barley, corn, or rice). Craft brewers are a growing economic force globally, but the mycotoxin presence has been proven and may impact the quality of the beer

Heavy metals can be found in beer due to agricultural herbicides, fungicides, and bactericides that contain these harmful metals.  Metals in beer are a major source of worry since beer is one of the most popular beverages, and regular use can contribute to the development of new illnesses or exacerbate existing ones. Numerous studies have demonstrated that beer is a rich source of metals that undergo content changes during the process.

Hops and Hops -  by Julie Jameson and Gene Benteke

Back in the day, those who sipped an Anchor Liberty ale (first on the market in 1975) or Sierra Nevada pale ale (1980) would instantly realize some ingredient was creating its citrusy aroma, piney flavor profile and, most importantly, a bitterness that was a heck of a lot different from the grainy, corny and slightly sweet Budweiser and Coors Banquet that dominated the market at the time.  The ingredient was hops.

Hops are the flowers of the Humulus lupulus plant. They are a climbing plant known as a bine, as opposed to a vine. On the bine are cones made of soft tissue petals and inside are a sticky, yellow gland containing a resin known as lupulin. They are often used in beer brewing to add aroma and flavor notes, as well as to increase shelf life.  

Beer has been brewed as far back as 4,000 B.C. by the Sumerian population of Mesopotamia. The earliest beers were probably gruel-thick and made of cereal grains, spontaneously fermented by the yeast inherent in the air. Whether using barley, wheat or oats, these early beers would have surely been cloyingly sweet—something was needed to balance the flavor.  

Enter gruit, a mixture of herbs and flowers that may have included dandelion, marigold, horehound and/or heather. These could balance out the sweetness, but they weren’t able to preserve beer from spoilage. That’s when brewers turned to hops, which in addition to providing a bittering element, were able to protect beer from bacterial infections and spoil. The hop was widely grown and used for brewing in Bavaria, Slovenia and Bohemia from the ninth to the 12th centuries.

Today, IPAs remain the predominant style of craft beer, but hops no longer need to lend a bracing bitterness. Starting in the mid-2010s, a new breed of IPAs, hazy in appearance, juicy in flavor and soft on the finish began to merge. These are known as New England IPAs, Northeastern IPAs or, eventually, just hazy IPAs. They utilized new-fangled hops specifically designed for their citrus and fruity—not piney—flavors.  

Hops, usually in a dried, pellet or extract form, are added by brewers during the boil—one of the earliest steps in brewing. The alpha acids inherent in hops release their bittering elements.   Additional hops can also be used later in the process—toward the end of the boil—for the flavorful qualities present in their essential oils. To get the absolute most aroma from them, however, they can also be added post-boil through a process known as dry hopping. Since this is done post-boil, no bitterness is imparted, only an aroma.   Additionally, there are fresh or “wet” hops. In the fall, when they are harvested, brewers immediately take just-picked whole cones to the brew kettle within 48 hours. This produces a uniquely seasonal beer with a fresh green aroma. 

Here are the common varieties to know –

Noble hops are the classic European varieties that have been cultivated since perhaps the eighth century, mostly in the Czech Republic and Germany. The four noble varieties are Hallertauer, Saaz, Tettnang and Spalt. They are favored for their herbal, grassy and floral notes and a zesty, spicy bite. They are mainly deployed in pilsner and other Old World lager styles, as well as some Belgian ales.  

The “C Hops” are a troika of Pacific Northwest-grown varieties all starting with the letter C.  Cascade hops bring a piney, citrusy profile. Centennial—sometimes known as “Super Cascade”,  even more bitter Finally, there is Columbus, dank and potent, and ideal for adding complexity to the other Cs. Today, Oregon, Idaho and Washington remain the prominent hop-growing states.    

The “juicy hops” began with the release of Citra in 2008. Citra would revolutionize the industry and lead to a whole new breed of pale ales and IPAs. Other juicy hops of note include Mosaic, often said to taste of blueberries, and El Dorado, famed for its mango and pineapple notes.  

Australasia Hops  are another hop-growing region emerged in Australia and New Zealand, which created unique varieties. Notably, from Australia there was Galaxy, also ideal for hazy IPAs, and Topaz with its incredible lychee aroma. New Zealand gave us Nelson Sauvin, favored for its Sauvignon Blanc notes, and Motueka, mojito lime-reminiscent hops often used in pilsners.   

Today, some of the most desirable hops today are essentially coming from laboratories.  Hop breeders first create new cultivars by cross-pollinating different varieties of hops together, hoping that the child will exhibit the best qualities of both.  Some are  Vista (ideal for fruit-forward IPAs), Talus (offering a coconut aroma), Peacharine (peach/nectarine notes) and Anchovy (hints of watermelon).

The world of hops is always changing. With a slew of new varieties and hop products being released every year, it can be difficult for brewers to stay on top of what is worth their time and attention. And just because a new variety gets released, that doesn’t mean it will have the staying power required to make a lasting impression on the brewing industry. In fact, every hop variety needs to check a lot of boxes with farmers, brewers, and beer drinkers in order to stick around. 

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The Tale of Amber Ale by Steve Mitchell

Ask for a style that represents the 1990s  era and I’ll give you an amber ale. So, why are amber ales the key metaphor for the age? Because they highlight the palate of the American drinker a generation ago. They were sweet, sometimes under-carbonated, and always full of caramel/toffee flavors. While sweetness has become popular again, the flavor of caramel has not. Yet amber ales, transformed, are slowly creeping back onto tap lists. They look much the same, and as a mid-alcohol pub beer, they serve the same purpose they did back in the day. However, almost everything else about them has changed.

Many examples of amber-colored beers pre-date the American brewpub staple, but we don’t have to look far past Britain to find the likely inspiration.  Clearly, ESB can be viewed as a precursor, Unlike British brewers, who had funky, old ale yeasts that evolved in the flat, square, and sometimes open fermentors of their Victorian breweries, Americans mostly used Chico or similarly “clean” ale yeasts that took a back seat to other ingredients. They also didn’t have lovely old malthouses turning out base malts of barley varieties optimized for flavor and color. They used pale two-row, and they flavored their recipes with specialty malts—of which far fewer were available—thus crystal malt was a major workhorse. Pale ales had a healthy dollop of it, amber ales had even more, and brewers also used it in greater or lesser measure in browns, porters, and stouts. The microbrews of the ’80s and ’90s tasted like caramel.

In making those amber ales, brewers were maxing out residual sugar, and dialing back the hops. They used relatively mild American varieties—often Willamette or Cascade—in small proportions. A standard hop schedule, then, would have been at the start of the boil, another addition at 30 minutes, and one near the end of the boil. Grists and hops would vary from brewery to brewery and shift over time, but overall, that was a typical approach to brewing in the 1990s.

Things started changing around the turn of the century. Brewers were learning from each other how to get more interesting results from American hops; they also were drying out their beers, moving away from crystal malt. Dry hopping became more common by the late ’00s. By the teens, brewers had shifted their entire approach to brewing. Techniques have evolved so that today’s brewers tend to use a light hand with kettle hops, instead emphasizing whirlpool and dry-hop additions. That started with IPAs, but it’s common to see even lagers and classic pub ales made this way now. Malt bills also have shifted radically from the mid-’90s. Drinkers like paler, drier beers, and the flavor of caramel seems more dated than familiar.

Amber ales have never been a style so much as a category, broadly including “red ales,” too. As in the ’90s, today they range from fairly pale to deeper red and may contain anywhere from 5 to 7 percent ABV.

Yet the way that brewers think of them now is decidedly modern. They are malty beers, but far drier than in the ’90s. They have some caramel flavor but it’s an accent, not the dominant quality. And, finally, they use that toffee sweetness to balance a fuller, more saturated hop presence that comes from later hop additions—typically citrus-forward.

Modern ambers have a full, malt-forward body with some sweetness, a hint of caramel, and a saturated, if low-impact, citrusy hopping. They’re easy-drinking pub ales, yet they taste like a product of their time. amber ales garner little attention and certainly no buzz. Yet breweries across the United States are watching them quietly find an audience. And why not? Everything about them may have changed since their ’90s heyday, but they’re just as effective as they were then: They’re beautiful, approachable, and tasty, and they make for a wonderful session down at the pub, or the beer bar, or the brewery taproom.

Spirits vs. Beer-  Sales Showdown

 by Josh Randall

Producers of spirits have new bragging rights in the age-old whiskey vs. beer barroom debate. New figures show that spirits surpassed beer for U.S. market-share supremacy, based on supplier revenues. The rise to the top for spirit-makers was fueled in part by the resurgent cocktail culture — including the growing popularity of ready-to-drink concoctions — as well as strong growth in the tequila and American whiskey segments, the Distilled Spirits Council of the United States said.

In the last 12 months spirits gained market share for the 13th straight year in the fiercely competitive U.S. beverage alcohol market, as its supplier sales reached 42.1%. After years of steady growth, it marked the first time that spirit supplier revenues have surpassed beer — but just barely. Beer holds a 41.9% market share.

Overall spirit supplier sales in the U.S. were up 5.1% in the last 12 months to a record $37.6 billion. Volumes rose 4.8% to 305 million 9-liter cases. Seemingly unfazed, Brian Crawford, president and CEO of the Beer Institute, insisted that beer “remains America’s number one choice in beverage alcohol.” “It’s interesting to hear liquor companies boast about making money hand-over-fist while simultaneously going state-to-state hunting for more tax carveouts from state legislatures,” Crawford said in a statement.

Benj Steinman, president of Beer Marketer’s Insights, a leading beer industry trade publication, said the beer industry saw unprecedented growth in the 1970s, growing at a pace of 4% annually. As recently as 2000, beer’s share in the alcohol market was 58%.  However over the past several decades, beer’s growth has essentially been flat. Meanwhile, spirits have flourished, especially over the past two decades.

Steinman and Bart Watson, chief economist at the Brewers Association, a craft beer industry trade group, agreed there are several reasons for the shift to spirits. “Some of it’s just the younger generation coming up, looking for a lot of variety,” Steinman said. “They sometimes like spirits. Cocktail culture is another thing.” Watson cited data showing that liquor has become 20% cheaper relative to beer in recent decades.

“Price is a particularly large part of the story,” he said.

Another factor is advertising and marketing. Watson pointed to the success of spirits in its outreach to women. Steinman said distilled spirits now advertise freely, something they didn’t do generations ago. “They’ve increased their availability. They’ve increased their ability to advertise. They’ve had a lot of legislative and policy wins that have enabled growth for distilled spirits,” Steinman said.  More than 60% of the spirit sector’s total U.S. revenue last year came from sales of high-end and super-premium spirits, mostly led by tequila and American whiskey, said Christine LoCascio, the group’s chief of public policy and strategy. Those high-end products fetch the highest prices.

“While many consumers are feeling the pinch from inflation and reduced disposable income, they are still willing to purchase that special bottle of spirits choosing to sip a little luxury and drink better, not more,” LoCascio said.

Within the spirit sector, vodka maintained its as status the top revenue producer at $7.2 billion.

In the tequila/mezcal category, sales rose 17.2%, or $886 million, totaling $6 billion.. Sales for American whiskey were up 10.5%, or $483 million, to reach $5.1 billion, it said. The American whiskey category includes bourbon, Tennessee whiskey and rye whiskey. Brandy and cognac sales were down 12.3%, with revenues totaling $3.1 billion. Premixed cocktails were the clear leader as the fastest-growing spirit category. Sales for premixed cocktails, including ready-to-drink spirit products, surged by 35.8%, or $588 million, to reach $2.2 billion.

Meanwhile, spirit sales volumes in restaurants and bars — referred to as on-premise sales — continued to recover from pandemic-era shutdowns but they remained 5% lower than 2019 levels, the council said. Those sales represent about 20% of the U.S. market. Off-premise sales volumes at liquor stores and other retail outlets remained steady in 2021 and 2022, after experiencing sharp gains during the pandemic restrictions in 2020.

Meanwhile, there is a crossover strategy brewing in the alcohol market. Steinman said that even the big players in the beer industry “are playing in all these different growth arenas, including spirits.” Molson Coors changed its name in 2019, going from Molson Coors Brewing Co. to Molson Coors Beverage Co. Watson noted that the No. 2 canned ready-to-drink liquor product, Cutwater, is made by Anheuser-Busch InBev.

Beer Serving Temperatures  by Liz Brownwell-Cole

As we debate the merits of barrel aging, hop varieties and “mouthfeel”, I think it’s time we explored the importance of a beer’s serving temperature. It’s a critical factor and yet oddly enough, when a beer is served at the correct temp nobody seems to notice, whereas beers served at the wrong temp just can’t be forgotten.

I was in Indiana for a business dinner last year and was served an otherwise  wonderful Scotch Ale that had been refrigerated at some sub-arctic cryogenic temperature.  It was almost frozen (worse, it was served in a giant frosted mug that leaked). The subtle malty earthy notes from that beautiful beer could not be enjoyed on my frozen palate.  It was essentially an expensive Budweiser.  On the other extreme, I’ve ordered IPAs that arrived at my table just a few degrees colder than room temperature.  It's almost inexcusable for restaurant and bar professionals.

Temperature is important. The chill can add some sparkle and zip to a clean lager while some emerging warmth will open up a stout.

Suggested Beer Serving Temps;
Lagers: 38-44° F
Ales: 45-55° F

This is very broad-based as beer temp is also dictated by the style of beer. The strong, dark ales tend to be on the warmer side. The light, hopped and lagers tend to be colder. It all comes down to personal preference too.  I have a friend that firmly believes a heavy stout should be served cold but should be allowed to gradually warm up. The process of slowly warming up, opens up the beer.

For my bar it’s all about control.  I allow my beers that are aging to do so at cellar temperatures that fluctuate throughout the year. The seasonal change is perfectly fine for a beer that will sit for 3-5 years. Not so much if you want to grab a warmish barley wine in July. What to do! I have a fridge for the super cold beverages (pop for the kids and macro brews) and a digitally controlled beer fridge reserved for my favorites.  It has a bit of everything in it now but I have plans to move just the stouts, porters and heavy Imperials just so I can raise the temp in it. For me, heavy beers just seem perfect at the 38-48° range. Granted this betrays the guidelines listed above but my personal preference just falls slightly more on the cooler side.

My Personal Beer Temperatures
Cellar: Varies from 50-60° F              Beer (aging) wine
Fridge: 36° F                                                 Pop, macro brews
Beer Fridge: 38° F                                     Dark, heavy, Imperials

I’ve been toying with the beer fridge and will probably target something a bit warmer. This model allows me to adjust the shelves to accommodate both cans, bottles and bombers. This flexibility has gotten me to rethink what I want to put in it. Adding some Belgian style beers may beg for a warmer temp.

My personal lesson is that there is some flexibility with the serving temperature but it does require some thought. The extremes will not support a good beer experience.

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The Science Behind Bottle Color by Andrea Clarks

If you stop in the beer section in your local grocery store, you’ll see lots of beer in brown bottles and a handful of green ones mixed in. Why? There's a simple science behind it all.

Sometimes beer turns bad with an unexpected and unwanted musty aroma and flavor ("skunked" beer).  Sunlight is to blame. The higher the amount of light, the faster the beer will be a skunk. For example, beers exposed to the sun’s Ultraviolet light will become skunky in less than 20 minutes. Meanwhile, it can survive for a few days or hours if exposed to a typical house or diffused lighting. What a huge time difference, right?

Brewers have long tried to prevent skunking. They use tinted glass bottles to prevent the UV rays from ruining the liquid inside. The color matters. Dark brown bottles block more UV light than other bottles, green bottles less so (green, blue) and clear bottles usually provide no protection at all.

But some glass suppliers do apply a clear, UV protected coat to a glass bottle to keep beer fresSome companies still use green bottles because they started bottling it that way during World War II when brown glass was scarce and because of tradition, they stuck with the color after the war. But if you’re a fan of beer that comes in no-brown bottles and you don’t want to risk a foul drink, buy it in cans. They block almost all the UV rays.

Clear bottles are always a no -no.  The main reason they are used is for marketing.  Some buyers find them engaging and seemingly don't mind skunked beer.  The only exception is Miller Brewing Company. Instead of using hop flowers to bitter their beers, they use a special hop extract called tetra-hop. The isomerized alpha-acids in this product have a slightly different molecular structure than naturally isomerized alpha-acids, and are immune to the effects of light. This extract has the added benefit of greatly increasing the foam retention of a beer. 

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It's now March so we can have some insight into how those countless predictions for the beer in 2023 from industry watchers, commentators, pundits, investment bankers, morons and geniuses are doing.  It's already obvious that most are baloney. For anyone who has been paying attention to anything over the past three years, it is now painfully obvious that no one has the slightest clue what is going to happen .  That said, there are a small collection of predictions that I think are particularly worthy of being ignored, and I have collected them for you here.

Ignore Lager Predictions

It’s been a gazillion years since this prediction first started and it gets paraded out every December/January by folks who want craft breweries to focus on making full-flavored but lighter beer-flavored beers.  Yes, it’s the here comes lagers perpetual  forecast.  While there are probably more craft breweries making lagers today than at any other point since the original craft beer explosion.  purchase scan data doesn’t show that craft lagers are doing anything meaningful in the market.  Sorry lager proponents, you’re just not a hazy IPA.

Ignore any Prediction That Mentions Hard Mountain Dew

No one cares. Hard Mountain Dew is (actually at this point it’s probably a “was”) a project some marketing folks came up with likely on a dare. The initial load in sold through because people wanted to see the train wreck. Predictably, it tasted terrible, and once consumers “got the T-shirt” from the initial purchase, no one wants it anymore. As a product, it’s really only relevant as a cautionary example. We should all stop talking about it now. Ignore any prediction that mentions Hard Mountain Dew because you will never get the time you spend reading that prediction back.

Ignore Any Prediction That Hard Seltzer Is Dying

This one is a recent favorite of industry analysts who are mostly focused on evaluating and reevaluating stock performance. For the most part, they are drawing data from large chain grocery store sales and publicly traded beverage manufacturers’ investor guidance and making conclusions that are oftentimes colored by where their investment positions stand or where they hope they will one day stand. The truth is that as a category, hard seltzer is fine and will be around for a long time, if not forever. This is because hard seltzer is, at its core, a minimal flavor impact alcohol delivery vehicle and there will always be people and occasions that call for such a thing. Previously, this crown was held by the industrial-light-lager cabal of Bud Light, Miller Light and Coors Light and it is a beverage segment that has a long history and extraordinary durability. the explosive growth that hard seltzer had experienced in recent years is tapering off because it is simply becoming a mature product category. It’s not dying; it simply grew up and has accepted its natural place in the cold box.

Ignore Any Prediction That Mentions A Recession

First of all, the brightest economic minds of this (and every other) generation don’t have a strong agreement on what a recession actually is. Sure there’s a generic definition that you can find on Dictionary.com, but it’s so general that it’s not useful; and even if there was an agreement on what a recession actually is, any economist worth their degree can easily nitpick the data to make the case that we either are or are not in a recession.

More importantly, the world being in or not in a recession is irrelevant to craft beer. Beer is 10,000 years older dirt. It has seen recessions. It has seen non-recessions. Beer will continue to be beer long after everyone who is reading this is gone. And this isn’t just my opinion; there is a wealth of commentary and data showing that if beer isn’t actually recession-proof, then it is at least more recession-resistant than everything else.

Hangover Cures  

Eating a big breakfast can get you on the road to recovery. Carbohydrates (like toast and pancakes) are quick to digest, which can help with nausea, and assist your body in returning blood sugar to proper levels. Eggs contain protein, L-cysteine, and zinc, which have all shown to reduce the effects of a hangover. Comfort foods can produce serotonin, decrease the stress hormone cortisol, and help your sense of wellbeing. So live it up and eat a big breakfast while you text apologies to your friends about last night.

Aspirin, ibuprofen and other non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs can help with your head and body aches — although they can bother you stomach which may already be irritated by your hangover. Note that taking acetaminophen after consuming alcohol is not a good idea when you have a hangover.

While you only absorb about 10% of the fluid you drink, it is still the second most effective way to rehydrate your body and get you on the road to recovery. If you pounded beers last night, pound some water.

Exercise belongs higher on this list. But when you have a hangover, it sucks. Raising your heart rate, sweating, and getting those muscles moving, can assist in flushing the bad stuff out of your system faster. Exercise also releases endorphins and certain chemicals, like testosterone, which can chemically offset the symptoms of a hangover and make you feel better. So, go for a run, and puke in the bushes.

Drinking coffee is a good idea and a bad one. Coffee contains caffeine, a stimulant, so it can improve your mood and help you bounce back from your feelings of grogginess and malaise. But as with alcohol, coffee is a diuretic and can actually prolong your hangover symptoms. So, have a cup o’ joe. But don’t make it a triple.

A hangover is your body’s way of signaling that it is in a diminished state. While it needs hydration, it also requires rest as it fights to return your body to baseline. Sleep is not always an option, with jobs, kids, and other extenuating factors. But there’s nothing sleeping through the worst parts of your hangover, and waking up ready to take on the town!

You’ve likely encountered beers that incorporate everything from fruit purées to Italian rainbow cookies. But this trend is far from the only method of creating desirable flavors and aromas. In fact, conjuring a flavor with its natural source is a tactic that plenty of producers forgo entirely. For centuries brewers have achieved complex flavors in their brews—from caramel to lemon to coffee—without actually using those ingredients.

Here’s a breakdown of the science behind coaxing hundreds of different flavors and aromas out of a simple combination of malt, hops and yeast.

Melanoidins

When maltsters heat or roast malt, it triggers the Maillard reaction. This is when sugars and proteins bond to create new molecules called melanoidins. (This reaction is also responsible for the charred flavors of grilled meat and the toasted notes in baked bread.)

Melanoidin flavors are “most commonly developed in the malting process before the brewer gets their hands on the grains, such as with Munich malt, but can also be developed in a decoction mash or in the boil,

Meanwhile, chocolate or Carafa malts, stouts and porters, contain melanoidins that contribute coffee, espresso and roasted flavor notes.

Terpenes

Hops are a key ingredient in beer production. One reason is that they contain terpenes, which are chemical compounds that help determine how beer tastes and smells.

Here are eight terpene types and derivatives:

Alpha acids: These are the major bittering compounds in hops, also known as humulones. Alpha acids are found in varying degrees in almost every beer.

Myrcene: This is one of the most common types of terpene, also found in cannabis. It creates that dank character common to both hops and marijuana. Myrcene gives certain beers pungent, earthy, grassy and vegetal characteristics. It’s commonly found in IPAs, especially dry-hopped versions.

Beta-pinene: Beta-pinene is woody, spicy, earthy and herbal. It will make you think of everything from basil and parsley to cedar and pine. The latter of which is a key characteristic for West Coast IPAs.

Caryophyllene: Similar to beta-pinene, this terpene is also spicy and woody, but it has some sweetness, too. It’s evocative of black pepper, cinnamon, rosemary and figs.

Humulene: This complements beta-pinene and caryophyllene well. It’s also herbal and spicy, like ginger.

Geraniol: On the lighter side of the spectrum, this contributes a floral character. It has notes of rose, brightened by citrus, like lime and orange. It’s found commonly in IPAs, pilsners and farmhouse ales.

Linalool: This terpene takes the floral component a step further with a bit of sweetness. It includes notes of lavender, mint and citrus.

Limonene: With a bright, bitter contribution of citrus—like orange and grapefruit peel—this terpene also has some spice to it, like caraway and fennel seed.

Esters

Esters are chemical compounds that create the fruity flavors found in beer. They are the result of the interaction of alcohol and acid, often driven by yeast during fermentation, a process called esterification.

There are plenty of ways to and which types are present. Different yeast strains produce different levels. Ale strains, or saccharomyces cerevisiae, are thought to produce more esters than lager strains, or saccharomyces pastorianus.  

But fermentation temperature impacts esters the most. The warmer the fermentation, the more esters produced.

Here are common esters:

Isoamyl acetate: Isoamyl acetate contributes to a beer’s fruity aromas and flavors. According to Natalya Watson, an Advanced Cicerone, author and educator, its presence in Belgian Golden Strong Ale is often perceived as a pear-drop note. However, in German Weissbier, it’s more banana-like.

Ethyl octanoate (aka ethyl caprylate): Fruity and floral, this ester has notes of apricot.

Ethyl acetate: This fruity compound is the most abundant ester found in beer. It’s created when ethanol, the primary alcohol in beer, reacts with acetic acid.

Ethyl caproate: It has an anise-like character.

Phenylethyl acetate: This ester is sweet and floral, with notes of rose and honey.

Isoamyl formate: It represents the darker-fruit end of the spectrum, with plum notes.

Heptanol butyrate: Also dark-fruity, this has a blackcurrant character.

Phenols

Phenols are compounds that consist of hydroxyl (oxygen and hydrogen) and an “aromatic hydrocarbon ring” of hydrogen and carbon molecules. They’re prevalent in nature, and their presence in beer can be attributed to hops, malt, water and/or yeast.

“There are a range of phenolic flavors found in beer, some of which are considered favorable, such as white pepper, clove and allspice,” says Jen Blair, an Advanced Cicerone, beer judge and educator. “And some are considered unfavorable, such as cough medicine, [bandages] and chlorine. Phenols are also responsible for the barnyard, horse blanket and ‘funky’ flavors found in wild beers.”

Desirable phenols are mainly yeast-derived. Certain yeast strains produce phenols as a byproduct of fermentation, much like esters, and they can also yield them at higher temperatures. Esters impact the perception of phenols, says Blair. “[The phenol level] stays the same in beer, but their perception varies based on the esters created.”

Here are some common types of phenols:

4-Vinyl Guaiacol: According to Blair this is the most common phenol in beer and it imparts a clove flavor. If you’ve had a Hefeweizen, you’ve experienced it.

4-Ethyl Phenol: Though some perceive it as pleasant, most consider 4-Ethyl Phenol an off-flavor. It comes from the wild yeast brettanomyces and helps shape beers with a barnyard characteristic, like that of Belgian lambics. But 4-Ethyl Phenol can also be medicinal and is unwelcome in other beer styles.

Guaiacol and syringol: These give smoked beers their characteristic campfire aroma. They come from smoked malts like rauchmalt, used to make German rauchbier.

Tannins, also found in wine, are polyphenol compounds in a brew’s malt and hops. It’s important for brewers to take care when sparging or rinsing the mash grain bed. Otherwise, tannins can seep into the beer and cause an unpleasant astringency.

However, the polyphenols found in hops are sometimes welcome at low levels. These can give certain IPAs their classic bitter bite. As their presence climbs, so does a beer’s harshness and green, vegetal character.

Understanding the origins of a beer’s flavors and aromas can help drinkers better recognize the styles they enjoy. It can also help identify inappropriate notes that might signal that a beer isn’t the best example of its style. For instance, a pilsner should never have fruity esters or spicy phenols .It also helps to build appreciation for the wide array of flavors and aromas brewers can create with seemingly so few ingredients.

You can get it by the glass, the can, the growler or the keg but for some reason, you can’t enjoy beer from a plastic two-liter.  Did you ever wonder why? Well, some breweries have and do use plastic bottles, however, — at least in the United States — it is rare. The most common mediums are glass bottles and aluminum cans, despite the fact plastic is embraced by the juice and soft-drink industries.

Although beer can be packaged in plastic bottles, we don’t see many breweries using plastic bottles for their beer.

The main reason for this seems to be because plastic can allow oxygen in. That can cause the beer to go bad and produce off flavors. Second is the customer perception. We don’t like drinking beer out of plastic glasses, and the same goes for plastic bottles. Third, for breweries plastic bottles may not be as cost effective as glass.

Plastic has come a long way and bottles are now produced to stop the oxygen problem. But with that development comes a heavier cost.  Lastly, beer is also more susceptible to going “skunky” if it’s not stored in a light-filtering bottle — and light-filtering plastic bottles just haven’t caught on yet. They may even be harder to recycle.

Of course, not everyone in the global brewing community sees eye-to-eye. In other parts of the world, certain beers are more commonly packaged in plastic bottles, including brands that traditionally only come in glass or aluminum in the U.S. And even in the U.S., many major breweries will package beer in plastic bottles for sale at sporting events, concert venues, or places where glass might not be allowed. 

Beer tends to go flat after a time since the plastic commonly used in bottling soda and other beverages is a bit porous. Glass and aluminum cans, on the other hand, are almost impermeable, giving the beer the seal it needs to make it viable for longer. Glass and aluminum (coated with a polymer coating that separates the beer from the aluminum) do not have an off-taste or off-odor that may affect the quality and flavor of the beer. 

Plastic bottles, especially PET bottles, contain antimony that can leach into the drinks in the plastic bottle. Antimony, a metalloid mistaken for lead when it was first discovered, can cause irritation of the respiratory passages, palpitation, and gastrointestinal disorders like diarrhea, vomiting, and stomach ulcers. It can also cause cancer. Since beer can be exposed to extreme temperatures during delivery and storage, the antimony can be activated, resulting in adverse effects that we do not know of.  Aside from antimony, bromine can also leach into PET bottles. Bromine can cause irritation of the skin, mucous membranes, and tissues but exposure to bromine and its derivatives can cause cancer.  

Unlike glass bottles and aluminum cans, PET bottles cannot be pasteurized since they are not heat-resistant and can warp with heat. If you want to go on with the pasteurization process, you might need more heat-resistant plastics. This, however, is not favorable for the company or the customer since the higher price needed to produce heat-resistant plastic bottles will have to be absorbed by the company or passed on to the customer. On the other hand, the companies cannot forego pasteurization since it can cause serious problems among the consumers. That said, glass bottles and aluminum cans drive a hard bargain that PET bottles cannot afford.  

We know that the amber color of the beer protects the beer from skunking. Skunking happens when the beer is exposed to UV light. The signature green of Heineken and the more generic amber of most beer bottles may pose a threat to the current recycling practices. Colored bottles either have to be recycled together instead of being recycled together with other colorless plastic PET bottles that are more popular among soft drinks and other beverage companies.  

How would you perceive a guy drinking beer from a clear plastic PET bottle? While it does have the essential carbonation of soft drinks, soft drinks are usually seen as juvenile, thus “soft” drinks. Beer, on that note, bottled in a PET bottle makes it more friendly and youthful (?) looking. For the guy who wants to hold on to the adulting view, a PET bottle may be a drawback. 

During the London 2012 Summer Olympics, Heineken, the official alcohol sponsor of the games sold out over a million bottles of beer, using plastic PET bottles for the first time! Obviously, the choice was for security purposes; giving breakable bottles to rowdy crowds after a heavily contested game can spell disaster. In the UK, it is mandatory to serve drinks in plastic bottles   The company said it was a move to support their stand in the environmental issues and since then had been more proactive in moving to that direction. However, not everyone is enthusiastic about this move.    

There are plenty of homebrewers that use plastic bottles for the secondary fermentation process. They do have their advantages over glass. On the other hand, there are plenty that would not use plastic bottles for their precious home brew. Some through personal experience, others because of the disadvantages over glass.

A quick summary:

The Pros Of Bottling Beer In Plastic Bottles

·   Easy To Use

A plastic bottle is easy to use and also very light. Once filled you just screw on the top and your good to go.

·   Robust

Plastic bottles are way more robust than glass bottles. If you drop one it is less likely to break. Also if the beer is high in carbonation, plastic is less likely to explode.

·   Good For Transporting Beer

Obviously because plastic is more robust than glass, it makes them the best for transporting your home brew.

·   Cheap

The cheapest plastic bottles are the ones that use to hold fizzy drinks. They are free after all, but if reusing fizzy drink bottles, it is best to use brown ones.

Some homebrew companies sell brown plastic bottles for bottling. They are cheaper than buying brown glass bottles.

The Cons Of Bottling Beer In Plastic Bottles

·   Oxidation

This especially counts if you reuse fizzy drinks bottles for your beer. Plastic can allow oxygen in, which can cause beer to go bad and produce off flavours.

Apparently it is worse over time, so the longer the beer is in the plastic bottle, the more chance it will spoil.

·   Leaching

Leaching means that chemicals within the makeup of the plastic can leak into the food or beverage within the plastic container.

·   Unappealing

Just like drinking beer from a plastic glass is gross. Pouring beer from a plastic bottle is the same, it’s just not appealing.

·   Hygiene

When cleaning plastic, especially if we use a bottle brush, it could become scratched. This may allow bacteria to enter the abrasion.

Sanitizer may not be able to access all scratches and do its job completely.

·   Short Life Span

Compared to glass, plastic will have a shorter lifespan and probably cannot be used as many times as glass.

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New Ways to Toast by Zane Lamprey

The origins of toasting dates back to a time when it was polite, and at times necessary, to prove that you didn’t poison your drinking buddy. To do this, you clinked your full (non-glass) mugs together with enough force to make a splash, at which point some of your drink would splash into their mug, and some of their drink would end up in yours. The reasoning was that if you poisoned their drink, you wouldn’t be foolish enough have any of it end up in your vessel — unless of course you spent the last five years building up an immunity to iocane powder.

Today, toasting (or “cheersing” as some may incorrectly say) is a way of showing respect to your fellow drinkers. You touch glasses, say a few words, make eye contact, and imbibe at your leisure. The current incarnation of toasting transcends borders and is universally accepted worldwide as a pre-drinking ritual. The most significant difference being the words that are said over such an event.

Drinking at establishments, homes, and remote locations in 72 countries around the globe, I've learned how to toast in many languages. Below are some of most unique toasts to impress your friends. As such, they're some of my favorites. I hope you adopt one to class up your drinking experience!

Bula!

Translation: “Cheers!”

Pronunciation: BOO-lah

Origin: Fiji

If you’ve been to Fiji, I could convince you that “Bula” is the most frequently spoken word there. Similar to Hawaii’s “Aloha", Bula is used to greet people and to bid them farewell. However, unlike Aloha, Bula is also the most popular drinking toast. You could absolutely get through an entire day in Fiji with just using the word Bula to communicate with others. This is a bit off-topic, but it needs to be stated that the people in Fiji are hands-down the nicest people on the planet. I hate to generalize people, even for something complimentary, but this is a fact that I would be remiss for not mentioning.

Hirup

Translation: “To breathe”

Pronunciation: HERE-up

Origin: Malaysia

There are several languages spoken In Malaysia, and are therefor several words used for toasting. “Hirup", my favorite, translates into “breathe”. It’s a reminder to relax for a moment, take in your surroundings, and appreciate this moment in your life. I learned this toast while drinking a fermented coconut concoction in Kuala Lumpur. And, of all of the toasts that I’ve learned, it’s the most profound.

Egészségedre!

Translation: “To your health!”

Pronunciation: egg-uh SHEG uh-druh

Origin: Hungary

This is the second most difficult toast that I’ve learned, which is likely why it’s one of my favorite. I first heard this while drinking palinka (a clear Hungarian spirit made from local fruits), and finally mastered it a few days later. Once you get the hang of it, you can spice things up by  interchanging it with egészségedrunka (egg-uh sheg-uh DROON kah), which translates as “to our health”.

Skal!

Translation: Skull

Pronunciation: Skall

Origin: Denmark

Legend has it that “Skall” was originally belted out just before a victorious Viking drank mead from the skull of his defeated enemy. That legend has been debunked on several occasions, but there is likely an ounce of truth in it, or at least one instance where it was true. I learned this toast, and its legendary origin, while over-drinking aquavit (ah-kah-veet) in Denmark. Unfortunately, the mention of skal or aquavit immediately transport me to the next morning’s debilitating hangover.

Mabuhay!

Translation: “To your health!”

Pronunciation: Muh-BOO-high

Origin: Philippines

The Philippines live on a tropical chain of of islands with too many people and not nearly enough resources. Poverty is rampant, but self-pity is not. Despite many of the local’s living conditions, smiles and positive attitudes abound and Mabuhay can be heard echoing around every corner. The Filipino level of humble appreciation for life is something many of us can learn from.

Okole Maluna!

Translation: "Bottom’s up!”

Pronunciation: Oh-KOE-lay Muh-LOO-nah

Origin: Hawaii

This is my favorite American toast. Born on the idyllic Hawaiian islands, it’s how the locals begin their drinking. There’s no selfish platitudes exchanged, like wishing each other good health as they tip back their booze. It’s simply “bottoms up” or “here we go” or “shut up and drink”. It’s a perfect way to get things going, and let the beauty of the islands do the heavy lifting.

Slainte braden, bas en Eireann, agus bod mor!

Translation: (see below)

Pronunciation: slahn-chuh BRAY-den, boss en AIR-ren, ah-gus BODE more

Origin: Ireland

Just outside Galway, Ireland, I found myself at a bar where the preferred conversational language was Irish (not “Gaelic” as it’s often called). While I expected to find a bunch of local farmers who only interacted within their own community, most of the people in the bar actually worked for the Irish TV station, which broadcasts programming (including a soap opera) in the Irish language. This wonderfully honest toast translates as; “To the health of the salmon, a death in Ireland, and a big penis” Hey, two outta three ain’t bad!

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The Origins of American Lagers 

submitted by Sylvia Jackman

In front of a redbrick 1920s townhouse on a quiet, narrow street in Philadelphia’s Northern Liberties neighborhood, a cast-iron plaque stands in honor of “America’s First Lager Beer.” The memorial claims to mark the spot where, in 1840, a Bavarian immigrant by the name of John Wagner opened a brewery to make beer using bottom-fermenting yeast that he had brought from his homeland some 4,000 miles away. Since the start of the 20th century, the story of “John Wagner, American Lager-brewing pioneer,” has been repeated countless times in books and newspaper and magazine articles. It remains one of American beer drinkers’ most-loved tales.  A four-year campaign had finally persuaded the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission to place one of its blue markers on the site of what was said to be the first Lager brewery in the United States. 

Unfortunately, the story isn’t true. There is no evidence that a brewer named John Wagner ever existed, nor that Lager was first brewed in the United States in 1840. One of American beer drinkers’ most-loved tales is a myth.

The “John Wagner, Lager pioneer” myth springs from the reminiscences of Carl Wolf, a Philadelphia brewer whose words were taken down some 50 years after the events he described. Born in Germany in 1812, Wolf was at least 90 when he was interviewed about the early years of Lager brewing in Philadelphia, and he looks to have gotten two facts wrong: the name of the man who brought Lager yeast to the United States and the year he did it. The simple fact is there is no historical record of a John Wagner living on St. John Street in the relevant years, nor any John Wagner in Philadelphia who would be a likely candidate for the first American Lager brewer. 

In fact, the arrival of Lager brewing in America was first announced, bizarrely, by a break-in at a house on the outskirts of Philadelphia. In November 1842, the Public Ledger newspaper reported that a night watchman in Northern Liberties discovered a man named George Rushmark in the cellar of Henry “Waggoner” in St. John Street. He was caught in the act of stealing a small quantity of yeast.  The yeast, the newspaper said, “is used for manufacturing Bavarian beer, and Waggoner is the only man in this country who has the secret of its composition. 

Henry Wagner—or “Waggoner,” as the Public Ledger misidentified him—looks to have arrived in Philadelphia two years earlier, in November 1840, according to immigration records. He came on board the brig Stern, after having sailed 4,300 miles from Bremen, north Germany. Wagner was 18, and made the voyage with his older brothers, one of whom, Charles, was a cooper.

The yeast that Rushmark—a 27-year-old, Bavarian-born cabinet-maker—was trying to steal was clearly the bottom-fermenting variety that Bavarian brewers had been using to make “Lager” beer from, from about 1485 onwards. The man whose cellar he was trying to steal it from is listed in the 1842 edition of “M’Elroy’s Philadelphia Directory” as a cooper living at 283 St. John Street. The would-be yeast thief was found guilty of burglary by the General Sessions in Philadelphia and given a two-year jail sentence in the city’s Eastern State Penitentiary. The attempted theft at Henry Wagner’s house is the first confirmable mention of Lager yeast in the United States. 

According to Carl Wolf, some of Wagner’s yeast was given to George Manger, a practical brewer who was working for Wolf’s sugar-refining business in Philadelphia at the time. Manger then “started a brewery on a somewhat larger scale in New Street, near Second.”  This again appears to be a slight misremembering.

Two years later, in April 1849, the Reliance Engine Company, one of Philadelphia’s insurance company-owned private fire departments, ran a notice in The Public Ledger giving “sincere thanks” to “Messrs Manger & Psotta, No 62 [sic] New st, for the bountiful supply of Refreshments furnished by them on the day of the Triennial Parade of the Fire Department.” 

Writing about his youth in Philadelphia in his book “Memoirs” in 1893, the writer Charles Godfrey Leland agreed on the identity of the first brewer of Bavarian-style beer, though he dated that ur-bier slightly later: “Lager beer was not as yet in the land. I remember drinking it in after years in New Street, where a German known as der dicke Georg first dealt it in 1848 to our American public. A quarter of a century later, the book “History of Philadelphia 1609-1884” made a similar claim

The facts as we know them still leave several questions unanswered. Henry Wagner, not “John Wagner,” looks to be the person who brought bottom-fermenting yeast to the United States. But how did Henry successfully get that yeast from, presumably, Bavaria in the south of Germany to Philadelphia, via Bremen in northern Germany? Was Henry brewing commercially? He appears not to have been, or at least there is no record of him doing so, and the newspaper account of the attempted theft of yeast at his house does not mention commercial brewing by Henry.  

However the first Lager yeast came to America, and whoever it was that brought it, the rise of Lager, once it arrived, was swift, at least in Pennsylvania. In 1849, Pittsburgh’s Daily Morning Post could still describe “Bavarian Beer” as “a comparatively new article on the market.” It was priced at $6, presumably a barrel, against $6 for Common Ale (the warm-fermented “everyday brew” of the time), $7 for the stronger XX Ale, and $8 for the strongest XXX, suggesting that Lager was competing directly for the ordinary beer drinker’s thirsts. In 1850, another Pennsylvania newspaper reported that in Cincinnati, “two German gentlemen, who are heavy capitalists, have purchased a large lot on Jackson Street, on which they intend to erect a brewery 

The triumph of Lager took barely half a generation. As a correspondent from Philadelphia wrote in the Democrat and Sentinel newspaper in 1855, just 13 years after George Rushmark had tried to steal Henry Wagner’s yeast:  “Lager bier has become one of the best established institutions of our city. Numberless saloons have been established, all of which appear to be doing a good business. The love of Lager not only enchains the souls of our German population, but the citizens generally, and it is with very many of our citizens a favorite beverage

From an article by Martyn Cornell 

Beer Beats Seltzer

 by Andrew A. Capp

White Claw is still king of seltzers but by August 2022, 170-plus brands of hard seltzer were available in the United States; Anheuser-Busch and Molson Coors stocked stores with seltzerized offshoots of Bud Light, Natty Light, and Coors Light. Constellation Brands budgeted $40 million on marketing alone while launching Corona’s seltzer line. The summer holidays, which are usually the busiest time of year for hard-seltzer sales, haven’t been great for sales however.. According to data from the alcohol-delivery service Drizly, seltzer sales dipped of seltzer dipped below 2021 summer levels.  Ouch.

Hard seltzer might be flatlining for obvious reasons. Crowds have returned to bars and restaurants, where the drink isn’t very popular. Inflation might have tightened seltzer budgets. Maybe the market grew so quickly that it has already reached something of a natural ceiling. But also, here’s the thing: Hard seltzer just isn’t very good.  Let’s get this out of the way. I am many things, but no one would accuse me of being a booze snob.  I love a beer-and-a-shot combo deal or a pitcher full of cold American macrobrew or whatever a bartender has available that is cheap and in a can. I have taken more than one Jell-O shot in the past year. I’m also 36, which puts me squarely in the middle of hard seltzer’s target demographic as statistics show that Millennials account for nearly 60 percent of hard-seltzer sales.

So why my dislike? I used to like White Claw but early on found that after it had been out of the fridge for a few minutes, the drinking experience deteriorated with extraordinary speed. What had been crisp and fizzy began to flatten out, and the flavors sagged under the weight of their artificiality. It felt like it was coating my tongue, and suddenly there was an aftertaste that reminded me of diet, off-brand lemon-lime soda, except more concentrated. Within a few minutes, the drink tasted more like a product of chemical engineering than a squeeze of lime and a splash of booze in a cold glass of seltzer.

I’m not picking on White Claw.  I’ve tried any other brands of seltzer and to varying degrees, they all had the same problem.  Once tepid, they lost whatever charms they originally had faster than, say, an out of control downhill skier. The problem is, in large part, inherent to the product: The alcohol in hard seltzer comes from brewing, usually with malt or fermented sugar, just like Smirnoff Ice or Mike’s Hard Lemonade. While other beverages all mask their cheaply begotten ABVs with tons of sugar and other flavors, hard seltzer is marketed mostly as low-sugar and low-carb, which means there’s just less to compensate for the taste of the alcohol itself. In some cases, the ingredients intended to mask the fermented flavor have their own aftertaste, as is often the case with flavorings in diet drinks. Real sugars would boost the calorie count, after all. When the drinks are kept very, very cold, those flaws aren’t as noticeable, but when the drinks begin to warm even slightly, there’s nothing to hide them.

When the White Claw memes of 2019 were ubiquitous, the actual taste of the beverages was a secondary concern for many of the young, cash-conscious people who made it a hit. Those boom times were both a blessing and a curse—some companies made a ton of money, but many others presumably rushed into the market without any idea of what it would look like when people began buying hard seltzer not because it was funny or novel, but because they actually wanted to drink it. Eventually, some subset of consumers realized that hard seltzer is mostly disgusting and stopped buying it.  Beer is better.

None of this is to say that hard seltzer is over—it’s still quite popular and will likely remain so, particularly because it offers young adults an easy, cheap on-ramp to drinking.  

Drinking Myths Debunked  

by Jason Bernard

There is a lot of mythology baked into drinking culture. You might believe, for instance, that once you pee during a night out, you’re doomed to make nonstop trips back to the bathroom because you “broke the seal,” but that’s not true. You might also believe that the “hair of the dog” will help you get over a hangover, but that’s false, too. Another old adage that gets thrown around a lot? “Beer before liquor, never sicker. Liquor before beer, in the clear.”

That claim suggests that if you start your night with beer before switching to something harder, you’ll be sick, either that night or the next day, but if you start your night out with the hard stuff and move on to beer, you’ll be fine. Is that true? Let’s find out.

We all know how it feels to go to bed with the spins, wake up feeling sick, and spend the next day with a terrible headache. The fact is that we at fault for overindulging every single time, but it’s easier to put the blame on something else—in this case, the order in which the previous night’s many, many drinks were consumed.

Since it’s common to start off a night with beers, say at a tailgate, kickback, or pregame, before moving onto shots or mixed drinks once you get to the bar and the party vibes intensify, you might be inclined to blame the order rather than the sheer amount of booze consumed. This is understandable, but it’s wrong.

Here’s the thing: Alcohol is alcohol. No matter what kind of alcohol it is, it can still get you drunk and still produce a hangover. Similarly, it can still make you sick. There is no magic liquor or beer that will prevent you from feeling gross if you drink too much of it. (If there were, we would absolutely know about it by now.) And the operative words there are too much.

The order is really irrelevant. Which types of alcohol are imbibed can cause certain people to consume more than they would if they did things the other way around.  A recent study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition dispelled the myth, finding after studying 90 participants that “neither type nor order of consumed alcoholic beverages significantly affected hangover intensity.”

That study also debunked a different, but similar, urban legend that I am a strong proponent of myself: “Grape or grain, but never the twain.” Those of us who (foolishly) believe in that one swear that there’s no hangover the next day as long as you stick to the same kind of drink all night. Still, while the study effectively dumped water—or light beer, if you prefer—all over that theory, too, I’m still sticking with it, but with the firm knowledge it’s not true. Why? Because whether it’s because I drink less when I stick to one type of alcohol, or because I believe it so strongly that I placebo-effect myself into feeling better the next day, I really do suffer fewer ill-effects when I don’t mix my poisons. (Because, oh right, alcohol is actually poison.)

How about the belief that any kind of alcohol makes for a good nightcap?  Alcohol certainly knocks you out more quickly, but don't think you're getting better rest if you indulge in a late-night glass of wine, beer, or a cocktail. In fact, this couldn't be further from the truth!  Alcohol disrupts deep sleep ,according to most experts, so not only may you be hungover after a night of drinking, you may also feel sick and lack a good night's sleep!

Another persistent, though wrong, belief is that if don't drink during the week it's okay to excessively indulge on the weekend.   Much like your phone data, you can't "roll" unused drinks over from days when you didn't drink them. Moderate alcohol consumption numbers stay the same, regardless if you did or did not drink during the days before. Binge drinking affects your body differently than having one drink per night. So don't try to use up unused Monday evening drinks on a Saturday night!

Many people believe that food—specifically carbs—will help keep you sober or even prevent an unfortunate hangover the next day. But that not only is inaccurate, coming home to a huge late-night meal could even be dangerous.  Loading your stomach with pasta before bed while drunk makes you more likely to vomit in the night and if you're fast asleep from drunkenness, this could cause you to choke. However, that while carbs might not help, fat can, provided it's eaten before drinking rather than after will due to the fact that fat lines your intestines, making it more difficult for alcohol to be absorbed.

Fat also has an effect on the way that the liver metabolizes alcohol. Alcohol naturally converts to toxic metabolites in the liver, which are then distributed throughout the body, contributing to hangover systems. But, the increased consumption of fat stimulates bile production, which can bind to metabolites and reduce their effect. Essentially, you won't feel those horrid hangover side effects, at least not as intensely. Some experts suggest that you eat at least 200 calories of food right before drinking to moderate the 'empty stomach' effect of drinking 

Some people assume that by sweating, you get the alcohol out of your systems faster. But opting to exercise or visit a sauna while hungover is not a good idea.  By the time you are hungover, the damage by alcohol has already been done. Your body is in a fragile state and vigorous exercise is an unnecessary additional stress on your already weakened body. Using a sauna, similarly to exercise, puts additional stress on your body and is not recommended. In fact, it could be dangerous according to most doctors.

Lots of folks try to stave off a hangover by indulging in "the hair of the dog," or another alcoholic drink the morning after a night out. But according to experts, a morning-after light beer or mimosa will only postpone a hangover by keeping your blood alcohol level from hitting zero, at which point the worst hangover symptoms begin. 

Lastly let's debunk the myth about coffee sobers you up.  No matter how much more alert you feel, coffee and caffeine can't actually help you sober up, according to the experts. Alcohol is metabolized in your liver by an enzyme called alcohol dehydrogenase and caffeine has no effect on this.

Behind Rising Beer Prices by David J. Riccardo 

Let’s be honest, besides being delicious, one of the attractions of beer has long been that it’s relatively cheap, at least compared with wine and handcrafted cocktails. Enjoying a few cold ones at the bar, beer garden, or taproom ― responsibly, of course ― didn’t break the bank. But in recent years, the price gap between beer and other alcoholic beverages has been closing, a trend that has only accelerated because of the pandemic and inflation.

At a sports bar near Boston's Fenway Park, the $12 Night Shift beer on draft costs as much as a margarita. A Lord Hobo costs as much as a glass of Sauvignon blanc. A few blocks away, IPAs go for $10. At some places, a 20-oz. bottle of Maine Beer Co.’s popular “Lunch” IPA is $15.

A confluence of factors, such as rising food and labor costs, are coinciding with the ongoing proliferation of craft beers. The beer is getting better and the options are seemingly endless — but it’s also getting more expensive to make and sell. That’s causing a carbohydrate letdown of sorts when the tab arrives.

“Not everyone wants to go and spend $12 for a pint of beer,” said Naveen Pawar, founder of Mighty Squirrel Brewing Co. in Waltham, MA. “Then you add the taxes and tip, it turns out it’s $15 per pint.” Jack’s Abby Craft Lagers, Harpoon Brewery, and Night Shift are among the local companies that have increased beer prices this year, though not high enough to cover the increased cost of fuel, malt, packaging, and other items. That means everyone’s margins are getting slimmer, said Sam Hendler, cofounder of Framingham-based Jack’s Abby, who is also president of the Massachusetts Brewers Guild, a trade organization.

The average cost of producing a batch of Lamplighter Brewing’s flagship beers has gone up 20 percent since 2020, but cofounder Cayla Marvil said the Cambridge brewery has only raised its prices between 3 percent and 5 percent during that period. Burns said that Night Shift’s taproom at Lovejoy Wharf in Boston has been packed with people in recent months, but “it’s not making a ton of profit, if any.”

The rising price of beer stems largely from a shift in which brands are on draft at bars and restaurants. Since 2007, the number of breweries in Massachusetts, as in most states, has ballooned from 30 to nearly 220, meaning more so-called craft beers are taking over taps that once dispensed less expensive mass-production beers.

Unlike the mega beer brands such as Anheuser-Busch InBev — which brews Budweiser, Corona, and Stella Artois — craft brewers don’t have the advantages of economics of scale. They source more specialized ingredients and have lower sales, raising the amount they have to charge per keg. On top of that, some restaurants and bars are raising beer prices to compensate for lost sales during the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as skyrocketing food and labor costs. Historically, sales of alcoholic beverages have yielded healthy profit margins that helped businesses make up for losses in other areas. “A lot of that on-premise [price] is really driven more by labor costs than it is by the price of beer,” said Bart Watson, chief economist of the Brewers Association.

At restaurants and bars, brewers have no control over what prices customers see on the menu. Brewers sell to distributors, who sell kegs to restaurants and bars, and those establishments ultimately determine how much consumers pay for a pint. But for now, some people are still getting used to paying double digits for a pint that not that long ago might have cost $6.

“Seasoned consumers understand and are not necessarily that shocked, but the newcomers probably are,” Acitelli said. “That’s bad news for breweries trying to grow their customer base.”  And it's bad news for customers who are feeing the inflation pinch at least as much as the breweries.

How To Drink and Pour an IPA

by Jim Attacap

How To Drink An IPA -

The preferred serving temperature for IPAs is around 50 degrees Fahrenheit. That’s much warmer than the beer pulled directly out of your fridge. Allowing the beer to warm will “peel back layers on the palate,” revealing the IPA’s more delicate flavors and aromas.

For most beers the ideal temperature is what is known as ‘cellar temperature,’ which generally ranges between 40 and 55 degrees Fahrenheit.  For IPAs, a little bit warmer beer ensures you will taste all that beer has to offer. All components will be more subdued at colder temperatures, whether malt, yeast, or hops.

Most beers, and IPAs in particular, will become more expressive as increasing temperatures drive CO2 evolution and hop compound volatilization from the liquid. Too cold, and you won’t experience the maximum flavor/aromatic intensity locked in fragile solution. Too warm, though, and your nice refreshing cold beer is anything but.

How to know when an IPA is ready to drink.

Short of pulling out your handy thermometer and checking the beer’s temperature, how do you know when your IPA is ready to drink? It’s not as complicated as it seems. It’s fine to take a beer out of the refrigerator, open it, and pour it into a glass.  By the time you find a seat and put that beer to your lips, it will be perfect.

How to pour your IPA at the proper angle

A few years back, most experts recommended holding your beer glass at a 45-degree angle and pouring it down the side of the glass until it’s about halfway full, then turning the glass straight up and down and pouring straight into its center. That's still the preferred way. The 45-degree approach results in a generally crowd-pleasing amount of head. But some beer drinkers demand more foam—much more.

What is the hard pour?

Nitro beers get to break the rules a little. Not to be confused with Nitro Pepsi, these smooth brews contain more nitrogen gas and less CO2 than other beers. This results in a thicker foam—but minimal carbonation in the beer itself. For that reason, nitro beers lend themselves to a hard pour. A hard pour is pretty much exactly what it sounds like: holding the can or bottle at a 90-degree angle and dumping the entire thing into your glass upside down.

Since nitro beers have significantly less carbon dioxide, the foam readily disappears, leaving behind a smooth brew with minimal head. But some people utilize the hard pour for other styles of beer to avoid gassy bubbles.

others might prefer the hard pour approach to reduce bloating. They believe when the beer doesn’t foam in the glass, it’s probably foaming in your stomach and causing a nasty case of (you guessed it) bloating,

When you don’t let any foam loose during your pour, the CO2 stays dissolved in the beer itself. Then, once you drink the beer and proceed to eat something - say, a nacho or a chicken wing - the foam explodes into a barrage of bubbles in your stomach. That’s what causes bloat.

Many brewers however, disagrees with the method.   They content a beer head is important to allow for the release of smell sensory as the bubbles dissipate, In humans, about 78% of taste is through the nose., so a hard pour typically creates a flatter, less carbonated beer than the brewer intended.

Ultimately, the best beer pour is the pour that you enjoy the most. If you’re not sure what’s best, the 45-degree standard is solid. Still, it all comes down to experimentation; just keep in mind that employing an unorthodox pour—the hard pour, for example—will change your drinking experience, potentially straying from the brewer’s intentions.

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Ahead of Their Time  by Jim Vorel 

The evolution of beer styles, and of fads within the craft brewing industry, moves in fits and spurts. Where some styles have persevered relatively unchanged for decades, for instance, others have seen themselves totally upended by an offshoot of that style that gradually comes to dominate the conversation. Others flare to life, come into vogue within the blink of an eye, and then recede into the background once more. To say it’s obvious what outcome a new fad will have in its moment of upswing is more than a little absurd—look no further than something like session IPA, which was hailed as representative of a “health conscious” popular movement five years ago, only to fade away and now return again in the guise of “low-cal” IPA. Or black IPA, which achieved near universal saturation for a year or two before returning to niche status. At the top of the crest, there’s rarely a clear indication that the pullback is coming. And what that means, in the end, is that we must use a bit of hindsight to determine which beers truly did represent the emergence of something new and significant. 

They are beers that came into a well-defined scene and provided a shot of inspiration, pushing the style in the direction of something that is now considered ubiquitous. It’s not that they necessarily invented new styles; rather, they provided early examples of offshoots that would explode in popularity in the years to follow, or helped convince American drinkers to give something new a chance. In their own way, each of these three beers has been truly impactful. They’re presented below in chronological order.

For the vast majority of the 1980s, 1990s and 2000s, the craft beer industry largely and most vociferously tended to define itself by what it wasn’t—purveyors of industrial lager. Proper German pilsner, that most noble of all lager varieties, was never some kind of flawed style—properly made, it’s one of the most deeply satisfying beer styles in the world, in my own humble opinion. But the word “pilsner” had been put through the ringer in 20th century America, degraded and watered down (literally) through decades of being slapped across beers that bore no resemblance to the style’s historical roots. For most of the macro lagers the word “pilsner” has no business of coming within a mile of a can of the stuff. It’s about as “pilsner” as Salisbury is “steak.”

It was a bold choice, then, for Victory Brewing Co. to start slinging authentic German pilsner as far back as 1996, in a time when American drinkers would have associated that word almost exclusively with bland macro lager. Even among the craft beer cognoscenti, actual pilsner was an unusual novelty, Real pilsner was all about, which is European noble hops. And with the arrival of Prima Pils, fans of Victory began to discover the same for themselves. 

Real German pilsner (and Czech pils, and all the other adjacent styles) is a vivacious beer style, punchy and aromatic, with striking impressions of florals, herbal notes and spice, balanced by crisp German malt. Compared to the macro beers labeled as “pilsner,” Prima Pils was both explosively flavorful and confoundingly bitter, while also being more assertively malty at the same time. It certainly fit the American craft beer ethos 

The myth, the legend, the Heady Topper! What’s funny about Heady, though, is how distinctly hazy its mythology is—not the beer’s appearance, but firm dates on how and when it really came to be, and how it developed into the sensation it became. Alchemist Pub & Brewery owner John Kimmich seems to have first brewed it in late 2003—this much is clear. It was by no means a regular staple at the brewpub, though, being made only twice a year before its popularity began to grow. By th mid-2010s, it became the most cited and sought-after inspiration for the juicy New England IPA explosion 

The influence of Heady Topper upon the subsequent wave of hazier, juicier NE-IPAs almost goes without stating. Kimmich’s beer made use of some of the newest hop varietals on the market at the time it was first released, heavily featuring Simcoe in particular, which had been around for only three years when the first

batches of Heady were brewed. It should be noted, however, that Kimmich has never really seemed to view his creation as the first entry in a specific IPA substyle—rather, he sees more of an evolutionary connection in Heady Topper to the West Coast IPAs that came before than the ever-juicier, ever-murkier beers that Heady inspired. There’s no doubt that Heady, along with contemporaries at breweries such as Lawson’s Finest Liquids and others, was the launchpad for what is by far the most significant evolution to the IPA style in the last decade.

It’s difficult to say with any particular veracity, though, which brewery first produced a spin on the traditional German Leipziger Gose style in the U.S.—a style with centuries of history abroad, but little in America. Portland’s Breakside Brewing was definitely one of the earlier ones, faithfully transplanting the mildly tart and aromatic style of the European continent. Anderson Valley Brewing Co. also helped spread the popularity of gose on the West Coast in 2013 and 2014. But of those early goses, it’s Westbrook’s take on the style that would ultimately prove exceedingly influential, thanks to its success in distribution. it predated the vast majority of its competitors in coming to market, which gave it the power to effectively establish an archetype for “gose” in the eyes of many consumers. And what it built was a new, Americanized understanding of an older German style, while simultaneously helping to popularize the process of kettle souring. Both Westbrook’s method of gose brewing, and the product they created, ended up becoming the standard against which other breweries compared their goses.

Many U.S. brewers quickly seemed to dismiss the novelty of unflavored gose, realizing that the tart backbone of the style played nicely with all kinds of fruit additions and fanciful concepts. Breweries like The Veil made waves by introducing fruited versions so intense that they often read more like straight-up purees than they do any recognizable beer style, while Dogfish Head’s Seaquench became one of the company’s biggest success stories. Gose, like so many other rediscovered beer styles, went from being an exotic novelty to most drinkers in the middle of the decade, to old hat five years later. It’s perhaps the best stylistic example of how a style can be discovered and subsumed into the modern beer scene in the timeframe of just a few years.

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Are NA Beers A Joke?

For as long as modern, non-alcoholic beer has existed, it has contended with at least some level of two-pronged stigma against it. On the most basic level, there was the enduring societal stigma—an unfair connotation with alcoholism that for decades tended to imply that anyone drinking non-alcoholic beer must be doing so because they were unable to responsibly “handle” traditional beer. This cast the image of non-alcoholic beer as the sad consolation prize of beverages, a participation trophy for a night out, handed out to those pitiable individuals who couldn’t hold their liquor, or were “taking one for the team” as a designated driver. That non-alcoholic beer would be something “less than was treated as almost a given—it was meant to be understood that nobody would be drinking it by choice.

At the same time, there has often been a second strain of stigma, flowing not from the general public but from beer geeks themselves, who tended to characterize all non-alcoholic beer as soulless, foul-tasting corruptions of the beverage they love. Perhaps seeing it as an extension of the hated Big Beer complex, companies like AB InBev that owned foundational early NA beer brands (O’Douls, etc), craft beer drinkers have been especially dismissive of NA beer over the years. A craft beer lover, in fact, could often expect to be derided by friends for admitting they drank it, in the same way they might have been mocked for buying a case of Busch Light. To the dedicated beer explorer of the 2000s and 2010s, NA beer had to eternally fight the perception that it was incapable of being anything more than “swill.” lmost a given—it was meant to be understood that nobody would be drinking it by choice.

For a few decades, at least, that’s the uphill battle that NA beer was constantly fighting. But here in 2022, it’s safe to say that the category has finally cleared some of its most prominent obstacles, not the least of which has been a massive improvement in the average quality of the offerings on the shelf. Non-alcoholic beer has improved dramatically and broadened considerably as a style, or more accurately a constellation of genuine and familiar craft beer styles, within the space of only half a decade. It’s being consumed by more people than ever, on more occasions than ever, and produced by more craft breweries than ever. And along the way, NA beer has managed to rehabilitate its image, flipping the script on who drinks non-alcoholic beer, when they drink it, and why they choose to do so. It’s something I love to see, and it feels great to say the following without a hint of shame or irony: I’m a non-alcoholic beer fan.  Of course, I’m also a fan of traditional craft beer styles, and I think it’s safe to say I always will be.

Years ago, saying “non-alcoholic beer” would have universally implied a very narrow range of products, all of them seemingly designed to (poorly) mimic the bland drinkability of American light lager. Today’s NA beer, on the other hand, has finally improved to the point where it can acknowledge and embrace a representative range of the myriad styles that make up the craft beer rainbow. There are still copious versions of NA light lager out there, but there are also more than passable NA amber ales, porters, stouts, pale ales, IPAs and even the occasional take on NA wild ales or sours, which represent the bleeding edge of non-alcoholic innovation..

Far too often, the NA beer category is still presented as an alternative to regular beer, to be consumed exclusively by people who aren’t traditional beer drinkers, or teetotalers leaving the alcohol world behind entirely. Instead, a growing number of drinkers, myself included, now see NA beer as simply another aspect of the greater beer world, a product to be mixed in alongside its full-ABV brethren. Standard beer and NA beer are simply flip sides of the same coin—a drinker doesn’t have to choose between one or the other. Have a regular beer. Have a non-alcoholic beer afterward. Switch back and forth over the course of the night. It’s a moderate way to enjoy the best of both worlds, and there’s never been a better time to try some of the new NA brands on the market.

by Steve Torphey

HOW TO THROW A CRAFT BEER PARTY FOR BUD DRINKERS

by Will McDougal

You've been to enough kegs-full-of-bad-beer parties that you feel it's your turn but you want to use this as an opportunity to introduce your friends to the stuff you like to drink. The good stuff, that is, the stuff that can inspire the love of craft beer of the highest regard. The only question is: How do you throw a craft beer party for a group of non-craft beer drinkers?  Here's my foolproof method to do just that.  Try it and you'll be known as the pied piper of craft, and evangelist of good beer.  Your friends will shower you with thanks, love, and hopefully gifts.

Make them care -

The biggest reason people don't drink craft beer is because they think beer is beer. Why spend $25 on a single 4 pack from Vermont when, for the same price, you could grab a case of Milwaukee's Best and get change back. Your job is to show them why. So you hand them a New Glarus Serendipity and ask what they think. "It tastes like beer." OK, then how 'bout this Troegs Nugget Nectar? "It tastes like beer." You pop a Founders Breakfast Stout for them. "It tastes like beer." You're aghast. "No, it doesn't!" you want to scream. "It takes like freshly-roasted coffee, bitter chocolate, and flaked oats, you idiot!" You decide to pull a big gun. Here, try this Firestone Walker Sucaba barrel-aged barley wine. They take a sip. Well...? They shrug. "It tastes...like beer." You've got to change that mindset. Don't bore anybody, but use your craft knowledge: pull out an anecdote about a brewery, mention the ingredients, and explain how the beer differs from the 30 racks in the supermarket.

Make it less intimidating -

In a way, they're right, it is just beer. Hops, malts, water, and yeast. This isn't about tasting a $500 a bottle of wine or Scotch, beer is supposed to be accessible and fun. Show them a few fun beer labels. Hey, isn't that cat on the Half Acre bottle cute? Aren't these Shorts' labels so clever? Don't all these hop puns make you just LOL?! Now that everyone is more relaxed, instead of making it a free-for-all, you need to take charge. Pull out your tiniest glasses. (Or, buy non-beer-pong-sized Solo cups.) Act out the role of host by opening bottles of almost everything  and pouring small tastes for everyone. This way, people won't feel bad if they hate something in particular, because it'll just be an ounce or two to slug, or to discreetly poor into your house plant's soil.

Compare to the beer they're used to -

Before your guests arrive, simply ask them what they usually drink. Those answers will surely range from "whatever is on special at the bar" to "whatever is cheapest at the store," with perhaps a few Stellas and Blue Moons (with orange slice) thrown in between. Some folks will claim they only drink Bud Light and are repulsed by Miller and Coors. Others will claim the reverse. A friend who thinks himself sophisticated might note he drinks "ales." Don't crush him by noting all beers are ales...unless they're lagers. Now at least you have a starting point. For the vast majority who drink rice- and corn-packed mass-market dreck, give them a better example of the style: an all-malt lager like anything from Jack's Abby or a clean and crisp pilsner like Victory's Prima Pils. For the ladies who like Blue Moon, a vastly superior Allagash White will fit the bill nicely (but 86 that slice of Sunkist). And for that so-called ale lover, offer him a big, boozy Belgian. A nice, sweet dubbel like Westmalle will work as well. 

Blindfold them - 

A raging party truly hasn't started until the blindfold comes out. But we're not going to be playing Pin the Tail on the Donkey, but rather tasting beers without prejudice. For the friends who claim they only like Bud or only like Miller or only Coors, have them try all three side-by-side without knowing which is which. Guaranteed, they'll pick the "wrong" one as their favorite. Have an IPA hater sip a few of varying degrees of bitterness until he admits he actually likes one. Give a wine lover some acidic Flanders reds to compare. Sure, this isn't exactly Twister, but believe me, craft beer parties don't get much more thrilling. 

Help with descriptors -

Non-craft beer drinkers' tasting vocabularies seem to consist of merely two words: "smooth" and "hoppy." Any obscure beer they like is "smooth." Any unfamiliar beer they dislike is (too) "hoppy." Somehow, amongst the plebes, hops have gotten a bad rap with people always accusing humulus lupulus as being the reason they're not enjoying that Stone Arrogant Bastard. Help your friends out. Sip at the same time as them and ask, hmmm, isn't this Ballast Point Sculpin so "tropical"? Doesn't Sixpoint Resin have a "dank" aroma.  Oooh, can you taste the ice cream cake in this milkshake IPA? Teach them that being an accomplished beer geek is mostly about lexiconical one-upmanship. 

Pull out something rare

As the evening progresses, you might notice a few people have truly had their eyes opened and now seem headed to the dark side of craft beer affection (or maybe they've just been over-served). Time to go in for the kill. Go to your beer cellar and pull out a special bottle. Make it into a little ceremony with some practiced patter. "I've been saving this for a special occasion, but I'd really like you guys to try it tonight." Then give them the stats: "This came out in 2017, and only 1300 bottles were released. You could only get it if you waited in an hours-long line at the brewery." Prove to them how highly-acclaimed it is by pulling out your iPhone and showing them, "Look! It gets a perfect 100 on RateBeer.com and is Beer Advocate's #25 beer in the world!" They'll be salivating and rightfully so.

And remember, it's a party

Finally, ask yourself, did you invite friends over for a fun evening, or to pretentiously sneer at their lack of beverage knowledge and embarrassingly bad palates?  make sure this is actually a party. Play music Serve food — but don't be revolted when someone washes down his mouthful of Cheetos with a swig of Goose Island's Bourbon County Stout. And, ultimately, remember, these folks are used to drinking 4.2 percent Bud Light so keep an eye on them.

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Guide To Off Flavors by Paul D. Hopper

At times, bar and restaurant patrons send back a beer not because they don’t like the style but because they claim it contains an “off-flavor”—an unpleasant taste or smell that in most cases shouldn’t be present. Although brewers do their best to release perfectly made products, sometimes a beer can develop an unintended flaw at some point during brewing, packaging, storing, transporting, or serving. So how do servers know if a beer is, indeed, tainted? Here’s a guide to eight of the most common off-flavors associated with beer and what servers and drinkers should know about them—with a reminder that most off-flavors have their place in at least one or two beer styles.

1. Acetaldehyde (green apple)

During fermentation, yeast converts starches into alcohol and carbon dioxide (CO2) in part by reducing acetaldehyde to ethanol.  Low levels of acetaldehyde can be present without causing trouble in some styles, like bière de garde. However the compound can manifest at inappropriately high levels when a brewer pitches too much yeast into the fermentation tank, ferments too quickly, ferments at unacceptably high temperatures, or takes the liquid off the yeast before the acetaldehyde converts to ethanol.

2. Butyric acid (baby vomit)

Commonly produced by a bacterial infection developed during brewing, butyric acid can also arise from poor sanitation during packaging. No detectable amount of butyric acid is acceptable so you should stop serving any beer that you suspect of being contaminated and inform the brewery or distributor. With the popularity of kettle sours, you may encounter this off-flavor more frequently because sour mashing provides an ideal environment for the bacteria that cause butyric acid to grow.   

3. Diacetyl (buttered popcorn)

Though winemakers welcome diacetyl in their buttery Chardonnays it’s considered an off-flavor in pretty much every beer style. During fermentation, yeast produces precursors to diacetyl called vicinal diketones (VDKs). Toward the end of fermentation, the yeast absorb the VDKs, but if the brewer cuts the process short, remaining VDKs will lead to diacetyl. However more commonly, especially when found in draft beer, diacetyl is a by-product of a bacterial infection. Anaerobic bacteria like lactobacillus and pediococcus begin to grow when hygiene standards are inadequate.

4. Dimethyl sulfide (aka DMS; canned corn, cabbage)

While DMS can provide a signature flavor to pilsners, it most often provokes concern over the quality of pale malts (which carry high amounts of a compound that’s produced during barley germination and breaks down into DMS during mashing or boiling) or the boiling rate of the wort. Malt, particularly malt that hasn’t gotten kilned long, releases DMS during the boiling stage of brewing, while at the same time, the hot water boils it away. It’s super volatile; it can be boiled off But as wort chills, it can start to build again at temperatures between boiling and 140°F, so it’s important [for the brewer] to chill quickly!

5. Hydrogen sulfide (rotten eggs)

Hydrogen sulfide is normally produced by yeast during early lager fermentation and is typically removed during fermentation when carbon dioxide bubbles help carry the molecules out of the bee. A normal, healthy fermentation should reduce hydrogen sulfide to acceptable levels. The appearance of hydrogen sulfide in finished beer—other than English Burton ales, which use hard water containing higher-than-normal levels of hydrogen sulfide—may indicate poor yeast health. To help remove excessive hydrogen sulfide, brewers may be able to force carbon dioxide bubbles through the bottom of a tank in an attempt to ‘scrub’ the beer.”

6. Mercaptan (rotten vegetables, skunk)

Found in most beers at low levels, methanethiol, or methyl mercaptan, forms as yeast metabolizes at the end of fermentation, it is one of the main chemicals responsible for bad breath and flatulence. The sulfury odor usually dissipates, but it occasionally persists if there’s too much of that sulfury odor to start with and can even become more pronounced during secondary fermentation if too many yeast cells kill themselves off. Mercaptan may be introduced by dry hopping, too and can be dramatically reduced by introducing copper sulfate. 

7. Metallic (metal, blood)

The most common source of metallic off-flavors in beer is contact with metal components in the brewery. Besides contact with non-inert metals, older water pipes, especially from wells, can also impart metallic flavors to the water they carry and if this water is used for brewing, those flavors can pull through to the finished beer. If [a brewer’s] primary source for brewing water has any sort of metallic characteristics it may be best to treat [the] water.”

8. Oxidation (cardboard)

Canned and bottled beer will typically show signs of oxidation after aging. As much as oxygen is avoided during production, there will always be a small amount working on the final product. Warm temperatures will accelerate the effects of oxygen; retailers can slow and reduce this by keeping the product stored cold and rotating stock regularly.  Oxidation is a normal part of the aging process and not always undesirable. Typically, in stronger, darker beers, it can present itself with notes of honey and a vinous character which tends to be complementary.

Unfortunately, most flaws in beer develop between the brewery and storage, which means that by the time they’re identified by a customer or server, nothing can be done other than to pull the beer and notify the manager—who should then notify the distributor. But having a better sense of what causes off-flavors in beer and being able to identify them can help servers not only understand when a customer’s beer needs to be replaced but how to communicate the problem in a knowledgeable way that benefits the overall customer experience. 

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Grapes aren't just for wine anymore.  There has been a resurgence in grape-based beers in recent years. It seems that plenty of brewers are aiming to bring the gods Bacchus and Ceres together in harmonious union. 

Table grapes, which are not really suited for wine making so in the late 1800s some brewers started adding these grapes to their lambics. Grape lambic production stopped when the sale of tuns of faro and lambic to the pubs diminished around WWII.  Eventually Jean-Pierre Van Roy, Cantillon Brewery’s owner, started production again in 1973. It took over ten years to get at right and he did with ‘Cantillon Lambic de raisin - Cuvée des 9 Nations,’ which ultimately became known as ‘Vigneronne’.  Since then they have made a lot of other grape ales using French, Italian and German grapes, including pinot noir, carignan, cabernet franc, sangiovese, Riesling, etc. A recent evolution with Cantillon is to use grape residue to make beer after the juice has been extracted for wine making, i.e. grape skins and seeds.

However using grapes in a lambic did not mean it was a true grape beer.  For that we have to look at Italy.  Among the first Italian craft beer pioneers was Matterino “Teo” Musso, who founded his brewery, Birrificio Baladin, in Piozzo, a small village in the Piedmont region. Langhe is the homeland of some of the most prestigious and expensive Italian wines.  Around the turn of the millennium, he produced a beer called Perbacco, an Ale made with Dolcetto must. Though its immediate impact was small, Perbacco lives on in history as the very first modern Italian Grape Ale.

Without doubt, Italy is leading the way in the creation of this intriguing beer/wine hybrid. It’s a development that goes way beyond microbrewers’ other recent borrowings from the wine world. (Who isn’t experimenting with barrel-aged beer these days?) 

 It makes sense that Italians are pursing this category most avidly. Outside every farmhouse lies a vineyard, and Italians love local ingredients. They live and breathe a zero-kilometer mentality, and brewers are no exception. So if you’re inclined to produce a fruit ale, why not make it with grapes? While Italy’s brewers and winemakers are both localists, they part company in one significant way: fidelity to tradition. Simply put, microbrewers have no tradition—at least none that goes beyond 1996, when the first microbreweries (Baladin, Birrificio Lambrate, and Birrificio Italiano) opened their doors. So they’re free to experiment. It’s this combination of unfettered creativity and loyalty to local grapes that gives Italian grape ale its particular spin. 

Depending on the grape and the brewer’s technique, everything from an IGA’s color, to its aroma, to its flavor and mouthfeel varies. Grapes are used as either full fruit or grape must; they can be incorporated at any stage in the brewing process, from the boil, to fermentation, to aging; and the result is likewise dependent on malt and hop varieties used. In other words, an IGA, though a “style” of its own, can taste like anything from a fruited sour ale to a barleywine, or even a hazy IPA. 

Notable American beer-wine hybrids include Dogfish Head Craft Brewery’s Midas Touch, Captain Lawrence Brewing’s Cuvée de Castelton, and Two Roads Brewing’s Sauvignon Blanc Gose 

Even the staid Beer Judge Certification Program guidelines were updated in 2015 to include a brand-new category: Italian Grape Ale.  Despite its relatively young beer movement, Italy now stood with Germany, Belgium, the Czech Republic, and other European neighbors, in that it too now had a recognized native beer style defined by the guidelines as “a communion between beer and wine,” 

Today, brewers around the world make what they call Italian Grape Ales, despite the fact that their beers are not from Italy and do not contain Italian grapes. 

What's Behind Beer Price Inflation by Jay McLane

All this talk of inflation could drive a person to drink. But even that’s getting more expensive. Beer input costs are soaring across the globe, fueled by withering barley supplies and surging aluminum costs, plus the same labor and transport bottlenecks plaguing every other industry. As a result, AB InBev, the world’s largest brewer, has recently raised its prices in some markets, including Brazil, Colombia, Mexico, Nigeria and China, Chief Executive Officer Michel Doukeris said this week. Brewer Heineken NV says it’s being “assertive” in raising prices to offset the impact of climbing commodity costs. Sam Adams maker Boston Beer Co. is planning a mid-to-high single-digit price hike in 2022, which will “look reasonable” in the “context of everything else,” said CEO David Burwick.

Barley prices are largely to blame for the rising beer costs, after dry weather scorched fields in North America, which typically produces enough barley to account for about 20% of global commercial beer production. The European Union has also cut its barley crop estimate after rain dented the quality of the harvest. Barley output shrunk 34% to the second-smallest harvest since 1968 in Canada, the fifth-largest producer, while American farmers reaped the smallest crop since 1934, just after Prohibition ended. 

Global barley stockpiles are likely to fall to the lowest in nearly 40 years. That’s driven prices in Canada to all-time highs, with feed barley at C$9 a bushel ($7 a bushel) and malt fetching a premium of as much as C$1 above that, according to the Canadian Malting Barley Technical Centre. 

“We’re crawling back out then the drought hits,” said Kevin Sich, supply chain director at Rahr Malting Canada Ltd. “Now we’ve got brewers wanting supply and we’re having trouble finding it because the raw products aren’t there.” Malt companies need barley so they can start and then halt the germination process, which changes the starches into sugars used by distillers and brewers. 

At the same time, aluminum prices—key for canning the finished product—are also rising. The global aluminum price recently touched the highest in 13 years, while the North American cost to ship the metal rose to a record this year. 

The pandemic spurred a shift to dining at-home and with it a demand for packaged beer, tightening the market for can-grade aluminum. The shortage has gotten so bad with plants running at maximum capacity that some can makers and beverage producers are importing cans from Brazil, Saudi Arabia and even from Asia. This is brutally expensive because they’re effectively shipping air. Cans made in Hawaii, which have distinctive ridges on top and are typically only found on the island state, have been popping up in Colorado, and other states.  It's a good example of today’s strange supply chain.

Small brewers are going to face a choice: They either need to take on those supply chain costs and get lower margin, which many are going to have a tough time accepting, or find a way to pass those costs on to customers, There's only so long that brewers can take on those lower margins and stay in business, particularly given how challenging a year it’s been.

Your Guide To IPAs

by Henry Hawthorne Jr.

What do you actually know about IPAs? IPAs come in a range of styles, and the modern approach to hoppy beer isn’t a declaration of bitterness, but a beer that explores the world of fruity flavors that can also come from hops. Here’s everything you need to know about the IPA, from vocabulary to style breakdowns to the breweries doing them right. 

TThe IPA Vocabulary

These are terms that can applied to any style of beer, not just IPAs. For instance, you can have a session West Coast IPA and a session Belgian IPA.

Session: Less alcohol! Which may or may not be a good thing, depending on your lifestyle. Modern session IPAs usually fall below 5% ABV (although historically, the style is 4% and below). With lower alcohol comes a thinner body, so these are the types of beers you can drink on repeat.

Double/Imperial: Double and imperial IPAs are essentially the same thing: IPAs with a higher hop concentration. To balance all that hop flavor, the brewer uses more malt, which results in a higher ABV (usually over 7%). It’s an IPA on steroids.

Dry-Hopped: Dry-hopping is the process of steeping hops in fermenting beer, instead of adding them while the liquid is boiling. The process creates an extremely strong aroma, amplifying the fruity/piney/candy-sweet notes of the hops. It makes the beer smell better, without adding any bitterness.

Double Dry-Hopped: A lot of brewers say IPAs are “double dry-hopped.” And while this sounds self-explanatory, it’s actually meaningless. There’s no real definition for “double dry-hopped.” It could be a dry-hop with twice the amount of hops or the addition of a fresh batch of hops halfway through the process. Regardless, it’s more of a marketing ploy to sound like you’re getting an over-the-top hoppy-ness/dose of hops than a quantifiable word, so no one knows exactly what it means.

Triple Dry-Hopped: Seriously. No one knows what this is.

Single-Hopped: Brewers combine multiple hop varieties for the same reason you’d put multiple seasonings in a marinade—to bring different flavors to the table. A single-hopped IPA, however, is brewed exclusively with one hop variety. That means that in a Citra single hop IPA, Citra hops are used in the boil, on the finish, and in dry-hopping (if dry-hopped). This is great news if you’re a member of the Citra Hop Fan Club.

Fresh-Hopped: Fresh-hopped IPAs, also called wet-hopped or harvest ales, only come around once a year, at the peak of hop harvesting season in late August and September. To qualify as a fresh-hopped IPA, the hops have to leave the vine, travel to the brewery, and end up in the boil in under 24 hours. The closer to the brew date you drink it, the more intense the brilliant, fresh flavor of the hops will be.

IPA Styles

These are classification categories for IPAs. A “style” means that an ingredient in the brewing process or technique (or both) lends a certain flavor, mouthfeel, or appearance to the beer that is always true for the style.

British IPA

The IPA was invented in Britain. Here’s the abridged version: British sailors, while sailing to India, loaded up barrels of beer with hops, because hops were a preservative. The hops hung around in the beer for so long that they lost their fruity flavor and left a bitter tasting beer. So…British IPAs are malty, bitter, and one-noted. They aren’t the most popular style today, but it’s important to know one when you see it. These are best consumed on some kind of a cliff with sea mist spraying in your face.

3 Breweries Crushing the British IPA: Great Lakes Brewing Company, Yards Brewing Company, and Samuel Smith’s Brewery

West Coast IPA

The West Coast IPA was the beginning of the fruity hop explosion. This style gets credit for exploring the rowdy, fruity flavors in hops, while shedding some of the bitterness. That’s not to say that West Coast IPAs aren’t bitter; they are. But that bitterness is balanced with an exceptionally clean, crisp body, higher carbonation, and big tropical fruit notes (It is a “West Coast” IPA, after all). Early classics in the style were brewed by Sierra Nevada Brewing Co. and Stone Brewing Company.

New England Style IPA

The New England IPA is what people are drinking right now. This IPA is unfiltered (which makes it hazy) and has extremely low bitterness from using blends of hops that lend intense, fruity flavor. New England style IPAs are often dry-hopped and tend to be fermented to have lower carbonation. These beers look like orange juice, smell like fruit salad (sprinkled with weed), and taste like fresh fruit cobbler. This is the IPA for the “I don’t like IPAs,” person in your life, which might be why they’re so popular right now.  Breweries to check out: Hill Farmstead Brewery, Tree House, Other Half, and Trillium Brewing Co.

East Coast IPA

Although this isn’t necessarily an “official” style of beer (according to the beer lords over at Beer Advocate), there’s something to be said for the East Coast style IPA. It’s the stepping stone between the British and West Coast IPA, with an emphasis on piney hop flavor and a solid malt backbone. It’s not as bright as a West Coast IPA, but more complex in flavor than a British IPA. Dogfish 60 Minute and Victory Hop Devil are good examples. Also breweries like Dogfish Head, Carton, Victory.

Oat IPA

“Soft” is a word that’s becoming a lot more common when talking about IPAs, and that’s thanks to oats. While West Coast IPAs are crisp, clean, and sharp, IPAs brewed with either flaked oats or oat milk have a lazy, lethargic, cozy mouthfeel. They’re soft in the way that the blanket you keep on the couch for extended stays is soft. You can get lost in there, with the bonus of fruity hop flavors.  Try some from Monkish and you'll see what I mean.

Lactose IPA aka “Milkshake” IPA

Milkshake IPAs (also called cream IPAs) do not contain milk, and you should not shake them. Lactose IPAs get the nickname “Milkshake” because of the sweetness the milk sugar adds to the beer. It’s common (but not mandatory) to see fruit or vanilla added to these IPAs to take the effect even further. With a low carbonation, these usually end up drinking like a fruity milkshake, super smooth like a milk stout but much lighter in flavor and color. Breweries to try: Tired Hands, Omnipollo, Other Half, 

Belgian IPA

The driving flavor in a Belgian IPA comes Belgian yeast, which provides sweet, bready, warm notes to the beer. These usually end up tasting like a British IPA mixed with a Belgian tripel. These get better and better the closer you get to a fireplace.  The ones from Ommegang are particularly good.

Fruited IPA

Adding fruit to beer is a risky procedure, but IPAs handle it pretty well. Brewers intensify all that fruit flavor coming from the hops by adding puréed fruit to the beer while it’s brewing. With fruited IPAs, you want fruit purée added to the beer, not fruit juice. It creates better flavor and shows that the brewer isn’t taking shortcuts.  Breweries to check out - Mikkeller, Burlington Beer Company 

Sour IPA

In a perfect world, a sour IPA would be equal parts tart, juicy, and fruity, but the sour IPA is still largely uncharted territory. Some brewers will call a dry-hopped sour beer a “Sour IPA,” but it isn’t the same. The body of a sour beer is generally lighter, so adding the bold flavor of hops directly to that beer doesn’t always work out. One brewery making sour IPAs the right way is Hudson Valley Brewing which blends sour ale with a separately brewed IPA to create one sour, fruity, cohesive beer. 

Brett IPA

Brettanomyces is the word here. This yeast strain added in the primary fermentation of the beer, gives a funky, melony quality to beer. Brett is showing up in IPAs more and more frequently, adding an underlying aroma of musty fruit salad and boosting ripe fruit flavors. And you say it like this: Brett. Uh. Nom. Mih. Seas. Brewery- Allagash

Barrels and Wood and Beer

by Rachel Moore

If you went out looking for craft beer a decade ago, your options would be limited to finding imperial stout or bourbon-aged barley wine. However, the demand for draft beers aged in oak barrels has multiplied with the beer crafting trend, and a wide variety of exotic barrel-aged beers are rapidly gaining the attention of beer lovers.  Every barrel tells a uniquely flavored story from the outside in, but the associated expenses make aging beer in used barrels a risky experiment as the barrels are expensive and may not mesh well with your chosen beverage style. Still, I’ve come to understand that different spirits contribute to the beer flavor with the proper technique and ample time. 

As per the U.S. brewing laws, straight bourbon must always be aged in newly made American white oak barrels, turning a used barrel into an excess for bourbon distilleries. Since the barrels can no longer be used to age authentic bourbon whiskey again, they are often passed on to other spirit producers who ultimately hand them down to breweries for barrel-aging beers.

Many craft beers are aged in different spirit barrels globally, but the American brewers most commonly prefer the used whiskey barrels. Since every distillery employs a distinct blend of oak wood and level of charring, brewers can differentiate between the flavors derived from them. In general, imperial stout beers are frequently aged in used bourbon barrels.

Rum barrels are also popular among brewers.  The flavor it imparts generally lacks the harsh booziness factor compared to what whiskey barrels often impart. When used with an imperial stout it usually brings subtle flavors of coconut, oak, and dark chocolate. 

Wine barrels are becoming more popular.  Although wine barrels are generally made of French, American, or Hungarian oaks, the French tend to be oak denser, more subtly flavored, and costlier, but with well-balanced flavor contributions. While the high alcohol content in used bourbon barrels kills off bacteria and yeast, recently-used wine barrels are like a breeding ground for them. Amateur brewers or distillers may consider such microflorae a problem. They are often used for crafting sour beer styles along the lines of acidic Saisons or wild ales. 

Barrel-aging is big business for craft breweries and usually part of a subtle expansion. Even though barrel-aged beers are usually short-runs or small batches, with 8,000+ breweries, procuring barrels isn’t exactly easy. Space can also be an issue. This is why more breweries are turning to alternative products like chips and cubes to impart that barrel-aged essence in a shorter time and with less hassle. 

Barrel chips are the most common.  These are fresh, wet chips made from high-quality barrels that were previously used for things such as bourbon, rum, wines and more. Barrel chips can be added to anything from a used barrel to a large tank. To make the chips barrels are disassembled, chipped and packaged in plastic pouches to maintain their character — with many of the benefits of barrel aging — sans barrel. Since the entire barrel is used, chips are a blend of toasted, charred and raw wood, all infused with the barrel’s previous contents. Barrel chips come in French or American oak.

New chips are quickly growing in use. These are chips made from new, never used French or American oak. The wood is still typically air seasoned (dried) for a period of time and then tested to specific toast levels, such as light, medium heavy, etc. Like barrel chips, New chips can be added to anything from a used barrel to a large tank and are a very fast and economical way to impart wood profiles.

However, due to their irregular size and thickness the toast levels of chips can also vary greatly. Imagine trying to cook an entire steak to a perfect “medium rare” when one end is 1/4-in. thick and the other is 1-in. thick. You can’t. One end will be well done while the other is rare and the middle is medium. It is also not uncommon for wood chips to be made from “scrap” — the pieces of wood not suitable for a barrel. This less desirable wood can sometimes create a less-than pristine impact in comparison to the superior quality wood that is preferred for barrels. 

The use of cubes has als0 seen increasing popularity.  Cubes are new oak with a uniform shape and size that allows for consistent toasting and dependable flavor evolution. Cubes are made from quality air seasoned wood and come natural or infused with spirits. Cubes come in French or American Oak, with light, medium, medium plus or plus plus toast. 

Lastly, some brewers are now using spirals.  Spirals come as a 4-ft long “Tank Pack” size, which treats a volume of 10 to 20 bbls of beer and creates whiskey barrel-like results without the space required of used barrels. The spiral-cut barrel alternative product is available in five different woods, four different toasts and one char level. With a wide variety of spirit options, such as bourbon, rye, scotch, cognac, brandy — even tequila — the number of wood-spirit combinations is virtually unlimited. 

Buying Guide to Oktoberfest Beer 

by Steve D. Mitchell

It’s time to buy your Oktoberfest beer, some of which have been out since August.  To help you here is what a good one should be like –

Background on Märzen

The Märzen style is a traditional German amber lager that highlights malt flavors, and specifically those of Munich malt. Hop and yeast flavor influences should be minimal. Proper Märzens should be well attenuated and dry to moderately dry. 

From 1872 until 1990, Oktoberfest beer was of the Märzen style. After that, German breweries adopted the lighter and more golden colored Festbier style as the festival’s beer. However, much of the Oktoberfest beer imported to the U.S. from Germany still conforms to the older Märzen style standard 

The Märzen style itself actually goes back hundreds of years in the regions of Bavaria and Austria, but the modern style we know and love today came to be at the Spaten brewery in Munich in 1841. It’s traditionally brewed in March (Märzen is German for March), and designed to be stored over the summer months in deep caves where the temperatures remain cool before being broken out in the fall as the first beer of the new brewing season. 

Appearance

Oktoberfest pours amber-orange with a strong off-white head. Once the chaos of the pour clears, this beer has the brilliant clarity displayed by the finest lagers, showcasing the amazing the colors. While the foam stand is perfect at first, it shows less-than-average persistence and leaves no lacing on the glass to speak of. All in all, though, it’s a visually stunning beverage at the pour.

Aroma

The aroma produced by Oktoberfest is everything you’d expect in this style, and none of what you don’t. It is showcase for German malt, providing a complex fragrance rich with bread, bread crust and light toast. There are faint hints of honey-type herbal notes hitting me that might be German hops, but might also come from the malt.

Flavor

You can really taste the bread and toast in Oktoberfest — and again with some of that subtle honey-style herbal flavor, but none of the honey sweetness. The bitterness is there for balance, but it is a minor player in the show this beer is putting on. There is also no trace of alcohol on the tongue at all — but, then again, it is a little underpowered for the style at only 5.5 percent ABV.

Mouthfeel

Oktoberfest is medium-bodied with medium carbonation, although it has a bit of a bite from the carbonation that detracts somewhat from what should be a smooth, creamy feel. While this beer is all malt, it has a medium-dry taste and finish that is on point.

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The Story of El Dorado Hops

by Dan Lorenzo 

Juicy, tropical El Dorado® has ridden a trajectory that parallels the craft-beer boom, going from strength to strength and earning a prized place in many of the world’s finest IPAs. 

This is how most varieties start: years of development; a small, planted area for testing; and then making sure it gets into the hands of brewers—the true testers of whether the variety survives or fades away. Taking nearly 10 years, a series of beers and brewers turned this hop into one of the most unique and popular varieties used in the beloved hoppy beers we know today.

The El Dorado® hop, with its high alpha acids and total oils, array of aromas, and accessibility, would ultimately find itself smack in the middle of the craft beer boom. In 2021, nearly 11 years later, El Dorado® is grown by 23 licensed growers, distributed by 18 dealers, and used by thousands of brewers. This tropical hop elicits aromas of hard candy, stone fruit, citrus, cherry, lemon, and melon. Through years of perfecting growing standards, brewer trials, and the haze craze, El Dorado® would become the No. 7 most used hop variety by brewers in 2020, according to the Brewers Association Hop Usage Survey.

El Dorado® hops are grown in all the major growing regions in the United States: Washington, Idaho, Oregon, Montana, and Michigan. It is unique amongst proprietary hop varieties in that growers are free to market it independently of centralized control. This allows brewers, growers, and dealers to orient their supply chain as each prefers. Ultimately, this gives brewers more freedom over their beers. 

El Dorado® was originally meant to be grown for the alpha market, not for aroma. However, brewers became drawn to it not only for its high alpha acids but also its spectrum of aromas. It was just the beginning of when a focus on aroma varieties started to gain traction and brewers were searching for flavors that their consumers hadn’t experienced before. 

El Dorado® is a high-yielding hop variety with high alpha acids and total oil content. When mature, the oils become so pungent that a walk into a mature El Dorado® field reveals the tropical and hard-candy aromas to your senses. The early years of El Dorado’s® aromas leaned towards pear, melon, and citrus. As farms worked directly with brewers for feedback and adjusted harvest windows, the tropical and stone-fruit aromas became more pungent and closer to what it’s known for today. 

IPAs, including hazy IPAs, have become the predominant craft beer style globally. Consequently, many brewers have turned to El Dorado® hops to give their beers a deeper, more nuanced flavor.

El Dorado® elicits flavors dependent on maturity dates. Early maturity evokes aromas of citrus, while middle maturity evokes watermelon and pear. For deeper aromas, peak maturity elicits tropical aromas of pineapple, mango, stone fruit, and candy lemon and cherry.

Most hop varieties start with a name consisting of a series of numbers and letters used to categorize them. Only once the variety has made it out of preliminary trials and has a certain level of market viability does it receive a name. For El Dorado®, its name refers to the Lost City of Gold, because of the deep, gold lupulin on the inside of the cone. Brewers often refer to it as “ElDo” for short.

(based on an article by Claire Desmarais)

Beer Concentrates - Making Beer Production Green  by Alan D'Martino

Heineken’s CEO announced the company’s commitment to achieve full carbon neutrality by 2040. Colorado craft beer maker New Belgium Brewing made a point by releasing a “specialty beer” brewed from smoke-tainted water, weedy dandelions and other ingredients one might find in an overheated dystopian future. As this ancient and massive industry scrambles to get greener fast, one possibility gaining ground is reducing the drink’s carbon footprint by temporarily removing much of its water—which makes up 90 to 95 percent of most beers.

In addition to farming and refrigeration, a lot of beer-related emissions result from hauling kegs and other bulky containers to market via the existing, not-so-green infrastructure. “We can’t go out there and change what transportation looks like,” says Katie Wallace, New Belgium’s director of social and environmental impact. So beer makers are exploring creative new packaging technologies to reduce shipping needs. One possibility involves concentrating the beverage.

A Colorado-based company called Sustainable Beverage Technologies (SBT) has developed BrewVo, a machine that produces a version of beer containing far less water than usual. The system uses what SBT calls a “nested fermentation” process to make this concentrate. First, it brews a standard beer. The machine then removes the alcohol and finally adds a new batch of wort (the sugary liquid extracted from grain mash) so additional fermentation can take place. This process is repeated several times, yielding a viscous concentrate that the company says is much more aromatic than a fully hydrated beverage. This concentrate and the removed alcohol can then be stored in separate bags and placed into recyclable boxes for shipping. After transportation, the alcohol is mixed back into the concentrate (or left out in the case of nonalcoholic beer), and the beer is rehydrated and carbonated before bottling or serving.

SBT says its bags can travel at one sixth the weight and volume of filled bottles, cans or kegs, eliminating much of the greenhouse gas emissions associated with packaging, shipping and refrigeration. The boxed concentrates also fit into a shipping container more efficiently because they have better pallet density than traditional cylindrical containers (which unavoidably have empty space between them). According to SBT’s founder and chief technology officer Pat Tatera, concentrates thus travel eight times more efficiently than kegs. SBT also claims its beer concentrates can be frozen to extend their shelf life, reducing waste.

Meanwhile the Revos beer- and beverage-concentration machine (designed at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and manufactured by Swedish company Alfa Laval) uses reverse osmosis to concentrate already brewed beer, as well as wine or cider. This technique has long been used to filter out contaminants by forcing liquid through a membrane with extremely tiny pores. But in the Revos machine, the high-pressure, low-temperature process removes water from beer while leaving alcohol, flavors and aromas in the remaining concentrate. Its inventor, engineer and businessman Ronan McGovern, says such concentrates are approximately five times more efficient to transport.

Once a beer concentrate reaches its destination, it requires another specially designed machine to prepare it for consumption. SBT and Alfa Laval each sell their own proprietary tap systems that add filtered water and recarbonate the beverage. SBT’s system can adjust each individual drink’s alcohol by volume—this gives bar patrons more control over the amount of alcohol they consume over the course of an evening even if they down multiple pints. The concentrates can also be blended and finished, then stored in kegs, bottles or cans.

Though the idea of beer concentrates might sound startling to connoisseurs, a similar process has long been used to transport soda in syrup form. But beer is of course a more complex beverage with a lot of culture tied to it, from specialty magazines to major international competitions. So brewers have to prove that beers made from concentrates can taste as good as standard ones.

Beer concentrators are now available to commercial producers. SBT is letting breweries use BrewVo machines at its Colorado location, and the company plans to eventually build and sell them for customers to purchase and keep on-site. And Revos machines became available for sale this summer. McGovern and SBT’s CEO Gary Tickle both estimate one- to three-year break-even points for breweries purchasing these devices. SBT and Alfa Laval suggest breweries will gain back their initial outlays through reduced shipping costs, and not having to own, wash or transport empty kegs.

Off Flavors In Beer

submitted by Barbara Jean Coflins

From producing wort to fermenting, to packaging and serving, there’s plenty of room for error when making beer. But what’s the difference between a beer you personally don’t like and a beer that has an off-flavor? Each of our palates is influenced by our personal experiences, memories, and cultures. So while some folks can’t stand a sour and salty gose, it doesn’t mean the beer has a flaw. It might just be that person’s palate isn’t extended or likened to those flavors. On the other hand, the flavor of creamed corn in your saison is an issue to be aware of.

The major off-flavors we experience as beer drinkers come from two major areas: During the brewing process (and most likely a derivative of yeast health) and during packaging and handling. The best practice is to use this as a guide. But remember, our senses are subjective. Instead of desperately trying to find green apple in a beer (which would indicate acetaldehyde), you may find that to you, that off-flavor smells more like latex paint and tastes like underripe avocado.

Everyone has varying levels of sensitivity to different off-flavors. Once you find your own indicating points to a specific off-flavor, it’ll become a reference for future evaluation. Luckily for us, the best way to identify off-flavors and improve our palates is to drink more beer.  Hold to your mugs, it's going to be a wild ride into not so good flavors.  Here we go!

Brewing- and Yeast-Based Off Flavors

Diacetyl (2, 3-butanedione)

Flavor & Aroma Indicators: Butter, buttered popcorn, a slick mouthfeel.

How it Happens: During amino acid synthesis, the chemical that produces diacetyl leaks out of the yeast cells. The beer needs time to rest so the yeast can reabsorb diacetyl, thus ridding the movie theater popcorn flavor.

In higher amounts, the presence of diacetyl may be a sign of a stressed yeast, or even draft line contamination.

Bottom Line: Butter flavor + slick texture = fermentation issues

DMS (dimethyl sulfide)

Flavor & Aroma Indicators: Creamed corn, cabbage, vegetal, and stewed tomato in darker beers.

How it Happens: DMS develops at high temperatures (above 140°F) and is expelled easily while the wort (the beer before yeast is pitched) still boils. The precursor to the off-flavor is s-menthyl methionine (SMM), and comes from the grain during the boil.

Bottom Line: Any vegetal flavor is an indication of poor yeast health.

Acetaldehyde

Flavor & Aroma Indicators: Green apple, wet grass, raw pumpkin, latex paint.

How it Happens: Beers produce Acetaldehyde when the yeast rids itself of carbon dioxide.

For the most part, acetaldehyde is consumed by the yeast and converted into ethanol (alcohol). But if the beer is put out too young, acetaldehyde might be prevalent. Ever hear anyone describe a beer as “green?” That typically means the brewer rushed the process. Unwanted oxygen in packaging can also be a cause of the green flavors.

Bottom Line: green flavors = green beer.

Esters/Solvent (ethyl acetate)

Flavor & Aroma Indicators: At low levels has a pleasant, fruity aroma. At higher levels, it comes off as nail polish remover. Sometimes it isn’t even an aroma, but a nostril-hair-burning or eye-watering sensation.

How it Happens: Ester and solvent off-flavors form when beer ferments at too high of a temperature. Yeast is very sensitive and any neglect or lack of monitoring can stress it out. Even a slight adjustment in temperature can change how effective the yeast is at fermenting.

Esters, commonly present in Belgian ales, tend to have flavors and aromas of pear, banana, or even perfumey floral notes. In some styles, like hefeweizen, this can actually be a good thing. But when the fermentation gets too hot or the yeast health is questionable, esters can turn into solvent flavors.

Solvent issues are most common in beers higher than 10 percent ABV, because the yeast has to work especially hard to eat the sugars.

Bottom Line: While essential in some styles, ethyl acetate becomes an off-flavor in larger quantities.

Handling- and Storage-Based Off Flavors

Oxidization (trans-2 nonenal)

Flavor & Aroma Indicators: Cardboard, wet paper, leather. In higher amounts, can be sherry-like or pleasantly vinegary.

How it Happens: When wort/beer comes into contact with oxygen, it becomes oxidized. This most likely happens during — or as a result of — packaging. These days, most packaging lines purge cans and bottles with carbon dioxide to limit how much oxygen can make it into the beer.

Bottom Line: Oxygen is the enemy of beer! In most cases, the only time beer should have contact with oxygen is when the wort is being chilled and transferred to fermentation tanks. This stimulates the yeast to start eating sugar and producing ethanol (alcohol) and carbon dioxide (carbonation). 

Bottom Line: Oxygen is the enemy of beer! In most cases, the only time beer should have contact with oxygen is when the wort is being chilled and transferred to fermentation tanks.

Lightstruck

Flavor & Aroma Indicators: Skunk, weed, rubber.

How it Happens: This off-flavor is a reaction between blue light and hop-bittering compounds called iso-alpha acids. Because of the “skunky” flavor it gives off, lightstruck beer is commonly known as “skunked beer.”

More often than not, beer gets skunked because of how it’s packaged. Clear glass bottles allow for 100 percent of UV rays to hit the beer, which causes the lightstruck flavor (hello, Corona). Green glass is also terrible at blocking UV rays (hi, Heineken).

Bottom Line: Because skunking happens in a matter of seconds, you’re most likely to experience it when drinking a pint in the sunshine. Stick to cans on the beach and pints at the bar.

Infection

Flavor & Aroma Indicators: Bad funk, vinegar, rotten.

How it Happens: Infection happens when unwanted bacteria makes its way into beer. This can happen at any point in the brewing process, but you are most likely to encounter infection with draft beer.

It’s important to note that infection in one style of beer might be a desired trait in another. This is common with “wild” or barrel-fermented ales, when brewers use a non-commercial yeast (usually of the Brettanomyces variety) to produce funky, barnyard, or even sour, acetic-acid-like flavors and aromas.

Bottom Line: Infection most likely comes from dirty draft lines, but can also be a sign of bacterial infection in an entire batch of beer.

Based on article by Jess Keller Poole 

Transforming Hops 

by Jackson Gillis

Not many people do like bitter beer – or bitter anything, for that matter. Bitterness in beer is designed to balance sugar, a byproduct of malt, which is what produces all that alcohol we’re so fond of. Bitter flavors add a refreshing zip to prevent cloying, sweet tastes from saturating your palate. So you can drink more beer.

What makes this climbing nettle plant so special – aside from it being a close cousin to marijuana lies in the lupulin found inside those hop cones. Lupulin contains resins and aromatic oils that, depending when hops are added during the brewing process, help to bitter and impart a multitude of scents and flavors to your beer.

When hops are added at the beginning or middle of the boiling stage of brewing, they add a lot of bitterness. When added toward the end or after the boiling stage (dry-hopping), they contribute powerfully to the flavor and aroma of a beer. Hops are unique and draw a lot from their terroir. Adding them late in the brewing process lets hops show off what they got.

Hop traits vary by growing region and are dissimilar. American hops, mostly grown in the Pacific Northwest, tend to be piney, citrusy and resinous, while English hops are more herbal and woody. German and Czech varieties, called noble hops, are floral and peppery. Australian and New Zealand hops emit juicy tropical and stone fruit notes.

The standard production process of hops had always been to pelletize whatever wasn’t used fresh. Pelletization consisted of machinery that dried, milled, then pelletized the hops into those tiny little pellets we all know today. These are typically referred to as T90 pellets. Pelletized hops became a product that was easy to transport, had a very stable shelf life and were extremely easy to use by brewers. Life was good, but this process also had its issues.

During pelletization, the water content of fresh hop cones is reduced down to about 8-10%. Hop kilning loses up to 50% of the hop’s volatile components as well. Unfortunately, those volatile hop compounds are what give us the aromas and flavors we expect today, so manufacturers started looking for alternative methods.

Over the last couple of years, hops have started to be processed and packaged a little differently with new methods. Usually the aim of each of these is three-fold:  1.To retain as much aroma as possible;  2. To prevent wort loss;

3. To increase shelf life.  This has resulted in new hope products that are available to brewers.  Here is a list of their features ,benefits and  how they are used.  

Hop Extracts

Hop extracts are CO2-extracted hop resins that are typically used for bittering additions, at the beginning of the boil. Hop extracts are liquids that result in no wort loss.

Incognito is a slightly different and unique type of hop extract. It is true to the variety it was derived from, and is a syrup that delivers intense aromas all with no vegetative material.

For the non-specific variety hop bittering products, one-milliliter of hop extract adds about 10 IBUs per 5 gallons of 1.050 wort when boiled for 60 minutes. For the Incognito product, pellets are replaced with a 1:6 ratio. Usage in the whirlpool is 1g/L of Incognito as equivalent to 1.5lb/bbl pellets (5.8g/L).

Lupulin pellets are concentrated pellets made by separating lupulin powder from the vegetal matter (bract) of the hop. The resulting product has intensified concentrations of alpha-acids and essential oils typically found in a T90 pellet of the same variety.

The pellets simply have less vegetative material in them, which reduces wort loss and increases efficiency.  In addition when using these batch yields can  increase up to 20 percent, .there are fewer bittering iso-alpha-acids that come from the vegetation, which will result in less bitterness and less contact time is needed when dry hopping which means more intense hop flavor without undesirable grassy, astringent flavors.

WetHOP was developed and patented by Martin Schmailzl, Hopfen-Kontoras.  It is a method of preserving hops without drying them first. The process optimally retains the hop’s volatile aroma and flavor components during production. The process used involves shredding fresh hops under a blanket of CO2. The hops are also kept at exact temperatures to further protect the loss of aroma components.

Fresh hops are better than dried variations in many ways. Hops lose an average of 39% of their total oil content when dried directly after harvesting. They lose even more hop oils by grinding and evacuation during pellet production. Since WetHOP is not dried, their aromas rate higher and stronger than their dried counterparts.

WetHOP has a 75-77% water content. It is non-perishable and is a stable product for 18 months and contains all the ingredients of fresh, ripe hops. It introduces no oxidation during production. and provides a more rounded bitterness to your beer.  It is unique in that it adds green hop aromas that cannot come from dried hops.  That is because all aromatic oils and Lupulin balls remain intact as there is no drying done.

Brewers use about 4 times as much WetHop to equal the usual dry pellets by weight. WetHOP can be used at any stage of the brewing process.

(BeerNexus does not verify author submissions

Beer History 101 - When Beer Became Legal

“I think this would be a good time for a beer,” exclaimed Franklin Roosevelt after signing the Cullen-Harrison Act on March 22, 1933. Though the passage of the 21st Amendment in December 1933 fully ended the nation’s temperance experiment, the Cullen-Harrison Act allowed for the legal sale of low-alcohol beer (and wine). It went into effect on April 7, 1933.

The 1919 ratification of the 18th Amendment prohibited the buying, selling or production of “intoxicating liquors,” but the amendment didn’t explicitly define “intoxicating.” Therefore, Congress had to provide additional legislation, which they did in 1920 — the Volstead Act. Shocking many who assumed beer would be safe from Prohibition laws, the Volstead Act declared intoxicating liquors as any drink exceeding 0.5% ABV. Happy days were no more.

What followed was an era of speakeasies, smugglers, a mob-controlled liquor industry, and an otherwise fruitless effort to turn the United States into a dry country. So, in 1933, fresh off his March inauguration, Franklin D. Roosevelt and the new Congress prioritized the repeal of Prohibition. Of course, by then, the nation was mired in the struggles attached to the Great Depression. Given the country’s economic plight, it seemed illogical to Roosevelt that the government would spend money on policing illegal alcohol activities while simultaneously watching (tax-free) liquor-sale dollars flow to the very people they were trying to apprehend — the mob.

Still, the wheels of democracy move slowly. So, rather than wait for the passage of what would become the 21st Amendment, the President requested on March 13, 1933, that Congress (many of whom campaigned to end Prohibition) develop a plan to adjust the Volstead Act.  He said:

“I recommend to the Congress the passage of legislation for the  immediate modification of the Volstead Act, in order to legalize the manufacture and sale of beer and other beverages of such alcoholic content as is permissible under the Constitution; and to provide through such manufacture and sale, by substantial taxes, a proper and much-needed revenue for the Government. I deem action at this time to be of the highest importance.”

Congress acquiesced by passing the Cullen-Harrison Act on March 21 (named for its sponsors, Representative Thomas H. Cullen and Senator Pat Harrison), which legalized the sale of wine and beer under 3.2% ABV. The legislation went into effect on April 7, 1933, but only for nineteen states as each state had to create legislation to make it legal. As soon as the 3.2% ABV beer flowed in those first states, crowds gathered outside breweries and bars to celebrate the occasion.

In St. Louis, the Budweiser Clydesdales paraded through the streets, fitting because it was primarily large brewers who possessed the resources and capital to re-open after more than a decade of closure. Big beer would profit from the memory of Prohibition, too. They benefited from the fact that beer sold during Prohibition, often by the mob, either tasted poorly or made people sick. As a result, people gravitated towards name brands they felt they could trust. And, those breweries had the resources to distribute and market the beer effectively, too. It proved to be the first of several factors that led to a substantial decline in breweries from 800 in the mid-1930s to less than 100 by the 1980s.

However, in 1978, President Jimmy Carter signed a bill allowing homebrewing, thus repealing one of the final Prohibition-era federal laws on the books. As a result, a new wave of brewers and beer enthusiasts emerged, helping (in part) to create the modern beer boom with nearly 8,000 breweries operating by 2020. Happy days, happy days.

And with beer enthusiasm comes beer holidays. The genesis of National Beer Day came in 2009, a day set aside to commemorate the enactment of the 1933 Cullen-Harrison Act. Although one could argue, it’s just a day to celebrate beer and the brewers who provide us with our favorite libation. 

Submitted by Jamie R. Tugola 

Give Beer Cocktails A Try

submitted by D.J. Erickson

Next time you reach for a beer, you may want to look to the rest of your bar. Beer as a cocktail ingredient isn't a revolutionary idea. It's long played a part in drink making. The original flips, concocted in the late 1600s, were made with beer, rum, sugar and whole egg, and served hot.

According to Garrett Oliver, the brewmaster at the Brooklyn Brewery and the editor of The Oxford Companion to Beer, early punches often contained beer, although it wasn't in there to make the drink sparkling. Rather, he said, "it added undertones of malt flavor and fleshed and smoothed out the overall feeling of the drink." 

These days, the cocktails can be simple, made of a combination of beers (pale and dark brews in a classic Black and Tan) or beer plus another ingredient (lemonade in a Shandy, or Champagne alongside stout in a Black Velvet). Or they can be even more complex, with the addition of spirits and liqueurs. However they're mixed, beer-based drinks tend to be low in alcohol, high in flavor and are often relatively easy and inexpensive. 

When choosing a beer, keep in mind that many styles, especially those of the craft variety are brewed with a lot going on.  Beer can sometimes be confused with having a one- or two-dimensional flavor spectrum, when, in reality, it has a larger breadth of flavors than wines and, perhaps, spirits themselves.  Lean in to the bitterness and acidity of the beers you use, or choose one specifically to help the other ingredients shine. Hoppy I.P.A.s play differently with ingredients than, say, a crisp pilsner or an acid-forward sour. In regard to spirits, pairing lighter, fruitier beers with a lighter rum or vodka and heavier, richer beers with whiskey, rum or brandy is the way to go. 

As ever, drink what you like, but bear in mind that a beer cocktail may be just the place for a beer you might not drink 12 ounces of on its own. Go for something more fruit-forward or acidic or simply new to you, and let the spirits and liqueurs you pair with it temper to taste. And one more note: To keep your beer bubbly, especially if you're adding ice, you'll want to rethink how you build the drink.  When beer physically hits the ice, you lose the carbonation Mr. Oliver said. To prevent that, he suggests adding the ice at the end.

Beer writer Clay Moore says that beer flavors may be less aggressive than distilled spirits or other cocktail ingredients like bitters and vinegar-based shrubs. But that doesn't mean that you need to add more of it, Rather than flooding a cocktail with mild beer he suggests selecting strong flavors. 

Most people think of beer cocktails as having beer be the largest volume ingredient in the drink, but a lot of the best beer cocktails use only an ounce or so of the beer, mixing it with complementary ingredients. Moore advises restraint when considering ratios.  More strongly flavored beers, ;big IPAs, sours, very dark stouts can contribute flavor in small amounts. Lighter beers are good for longer drinks, or even for punches. 

The beer that you choose should have some bold, crisp flavors of its own so it doesn't get lost in the cocktail and end up tasting watered down, says Henry Livingston, Cicerone and certified BJCP judge. To use beer in a cocktail, you really need to balance it out with strong and bright flavors he says. For instance, IPAs lend themselves nicely to spicy things like ginger or cinnamon, and something like a witbier would go great with citrus or a nice acidic shrub. 

When in doubt, refer to classic cocktails as guidelines for what will work with beer. Karen Stakey, bartender trainer and cocktail book author.  She advises to look to the past to inspire future recipes. "There is a long history of using beer in cocktails that dates back to hundreds of years ago in taverns and homemade punches" says Stakey. "I tend to build on early classics and use beer with complementing flavors to lengthen, sweeten and add effervescence to the cocktail." Think about the hop varietals and malts that give the beer its flavor and build from there, she adds.

.For those new to crafting beer cocktails, IPA may not be the most obvious beer style to add to a cocktail because of its bitter bite. But beertail veterans find that the hop-forward beer style works in a number of recipes and helps enhance the existing aromatics of a drink. You'll find that putting hoppy IPAs into tropical cocktails where the floral hop bitterness complements the sweet and spice notes of the drink exceptionally well.

There you have it.  Now it's up to you.  Go out and give a beer cocktail a try.

BeerNexus does not validate authorship of submitted articles

Craft's Marketing Man of the Year - Zane Lamprey

Submitted By Steve Pleepleus 

Craft Beer Marketing Awards (CBMAS) announced TV host, comedian and entrepreneur Zane Lamprey as the recipient of its first-ever 2020 ‘Man of the Year’ Award. Lamprey, who also serves as a CBMAS judge was voted in by fellow industry peers.

“I had a professor in college tell me that drinking beer wouldn’t advance my career. He was wrong!” Zane laughed, “I couldn’t be more honored to be the first Craft Beer Marketing Awards Man of the Year. I’d say I’m speechless, but as a comedian I’m not capable of that.”

Zane first introduced audiences to the world of beer as host of the award-winning TV series Three Sheets on Travel Channel (and Hulu). He followed that up with Drinking Made Easy on Mark Cuban’s HDNet, a show about all thing’s alcohol, including production, consumption and celebration. He went on to host Chug on National Geographic Channel (and Netflix) and Four Sheets for DrinkTV. In 2020, Zane’s 71-city comedy tour, scheduled at breweries across the USA was sidelined due to COVID, and is planned to resume once quarantine is over. “For over a decade, the name Zane Lamprey has been synonymous with beer,” said CBMAS co-founder, Jim

McCune. “I first saw Zane on the TV show Three Sheets, where he introduced us to libations from all over the world. He did so with a genuine appreciation for the locals and a hilarious sense of humor that kept us entertained. This was inspiring to me, and a big part of why I’m in the beer industry today.” Through his travels, television shows, stand-up comedy, and social media, Zane has exposed audiences to the world of craft beer. He has also inspired many people to further their interest in craft beer. These people became cicerones, home brewers, and have even opened breweries. For his contribution to the world of craft beer and beyond, CBMA is pleased to present him with the inaugural ‘Man of the Year’ Award.

It’s a safe bet that Zane has sampled more beer – from more places – than most people. When Zane began his journey as “The Drinking Guy” in 2006, craft beer in the US was still in its relative infancy, with about 1,300 breweries in operation. Today, this number has grown to approximately 7,500 breweries that are making great beer across America.

As the host of beer-themed travel shows, Zane has explored drinking cultures around the world by throwing ’ em back with the locals in 71 countries and every state in the US. Zane provided a cultural experience that was much deeper than a guy simply sampling a myriad of libations. He stoked the flames of a fire that was growing in the world of beer and spirits. In 2015, Lamprey also founded and launched Monkey Rum.

While craft beer has been booming, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, 2020 has been the worst year for breweries in a century – even since Prohibition was passed in 1920. When the pandemic hit earlier this year, Zane’s 71-city comedy tour – which he was performing at breweries across the country – was sidelined, but it is queued up for when the quarantine is over. After the pandemic, Zane began doing a weekly Instagram LIVE show, where he featured a new craft brewery and a few beers from its lineup. He did this free-of-charge to help small breweries that were facing new challenges. Zane can be seen – and heard – on “Zane’s World,” his weekly podcast on YouTube and iTunes.

From featuring breweries to the animal rescue foundation that is run by he and his wife, Mel, Zane has a history of helping others without looking for much in return. He also began doing beer collaborations through his Adv3nture apparel brand. (The “3” in the brand’s name represents the three trees they plant with every product purchased.) With the brewery collaborations, money is being donated to local animal rescue groups. Orange Tabby Lager has just been released through Adv3nture’s collaboration with LA Aleworks, and the money is being donated to Wrenn Rescues. Regular collaborations like these are in the works with breweries 

The Brewers Association recently launched two surveys designed to gauge the impact the current COVID-19 pandemic and subsequent social distance public health measures are having on small brewers. The results show a sharp drop in craft category sales, massive furloughs or layoffs, and the high likelihood of large numbers of brewery closings without a swift end to social distance measures—which looks increasingly unlikely—or rapid government support for small brewers and hospitality more broadly.

Respondents were asked to provide their decrease in sales by channel. For distributed channels, this was broken into draught and packaged. Those results have been weighted by brewery size to give a sense of total category impact. First, let’s look at onsite sales. The median respondent has seen their sales drop 75%, with an average drop of 65%, and an adjusted weighted average drop also of 65% (see note at end on adjustments). Most breweries are experiencing drops in excess of 70%, with a limited number of breweries seeing smaller drops or positive growth, and an even smaller number seeing large gains.

Most of those breweries reported sharply negative draught and packaged sales, and a review of their strategy suggests that some breweries have been able to ramp up direct-to-consumer, drive-up, and delivery sales to a point those exceed their previous onsite sales. This should not be viewed as feasible for all brewers, nor should it be seen as a total replacement for draught sales. One hundred percent growth in taproom sales via drive-up only helps so much when your taproom was 5% of sales and distributed draught 75%.

The sharpest declines are in obviously in distributed draught. With on-premise largely closed for business, there are few to no outlets for distributed draught in most states. These results are the most consistent, regardless of the statistic used: median drop in sales is 100%, average drop is 91%, and weighted average (accounting for both sample weights and volume) show a drop of 95%.

You may have read in the trade press how in scan data, beer is seeing huge gains in recent weeks as people stocked up and as some of the volume lost in the on-premise shifted into off-premise. However, scan data isn’t always representative of the experience of many small brewers, even in the off-premise. So what did our data show?  

The weighted average (probably the most appropriate to use in this case), shows packaged distributed volume up 7.9%. That’s about half the growth seen the last four weeks in scan. Brewers Association craft is up 18.3% by volume in the four weeks ending April 26, 2020. The disparity likely reflects drops in smaller off- premise retailers who aren’t measured by scan, generally those where the smallest brewers begin in off- premise. Indeed, the median growth from the respondents was 0%, and an unweighted average was -11.7%. So, while there likely is a bump for the overall category in off-premise, this isn’t helping the smallest micros, taprooms, and brewpubs that much, since much of the bump is concentrated in bigger retailers.

For many small brewers, the current situation is not sustainable. Being a responsible business owner means scenario planning, but few if any build plans for a near complete drop in revenue with no insurance protection  and continued bills to pay. Consequently, in response to the question, “Given current costs, revenues, and the current level of state and federal aid, how long do you project you can sustain your current business if social distance measures stay where they are now?” many brewers indicate that their business has a matter of weeks, and a majority say that they can only last a few months based on current trends.

There are about 8,150 active breweries in the country. If 2.3% of those breweries close, that would mean about 190 closures, 11.8% about 930 closures, and 45.8% about 3,735. Based on recent trends, it was likely that 4-5% of the breweries in the country would have closed in 2020 prior to this shock, so while some percentage of these closures and potential closures reflect business that were already struggling, most are brought on solely by this event. Remember that most small breweries are really small. Approximately 75% of the breweries in the country make 1,000 barrels or less a year and the median craft brewer makes about 400 barrels. Consequently, the breweries indicating they may need to close are by and large very small. The 14.1% of breweries who say they may a month or less represent 2.2% of the volume in this sample. More service-oriented brewers (brewpubs and taprooms) have higher percentages for the responses up to 3 months, whereas packaging brewers (micro and regional) have a majority of their responses in the 3 month+ categories and 10% of that group is in the “longer than one year category.”

Faced with little to no revenue, brewers are furloughing and/or laying off staff. The brewers who responded to our survey stated they employed a collective 15,190 workers prior to COVID-19, with 8,433 full-time and 6,757 part-time workers. The brewers surveyed have already laid off a majority of those workers Brewers need more direct relief, and failing that, they need help in the form of excise tax certainty and credits to offset the hundreds of millions of dollars that was already in the trade or sitting in tanks when the on-premise ground to a virtual standstill.  This is a period of extreme urgency for small breweries. Government is the only entity big enough to forestall the closures of thousands of these small businesses and the loss of jobs of tens of thousands of workers. 

Foster's Returns (?) To Australia

Submitted By Donald Barlett Jr.

Believe it or not, finding Foster’s beer in Australia – what international drinkers think of as the country’s beer of choice – isn’t easy. In its proverbial homeland, the Southern Cross-spangled cans elude shop shelves and, in 2015, just 10 venues across the entire country poured it on tap. But the brand that promoted Australia’s laid back drinking culture to the world has decided to relaunch locally, upping production in Melbourne by 300% in the coming months.

The brewer Carlton and United Breweries, now owned by Japanese behemoth Asahi, will target hip-pocket nerves, going after low-cost competitors. Thirty cans of Foster’s will retail at $53, compared to Lion’s XXXX

Gold at $42.95 and CUB’s own Victoria Bitter at $59.99. Today, the 132-year-old pale lager, which Asahi acquired from Anheuser-Busch InBev earlier this year, is distributed across Europe, the US and the UK, where it’s the nation’s second most-popular brew. Despite being brewed in Manchester, UK ads still feature Australian accents, sand and sun, with slogans like “beaut coldies” and “here’s to a bonza weekend”.

The international history of Foster’s dates back to 1888, when two Irish-American brothers began brewing in Melbourne. Predated by Cascade in 1824, Coopers in 1862 and Carlton in 1864, it wasn’t Australia’s first. But its debut UK campaign in 1971 synonymised Foster’s with local brewing when Barry Humphries defined it as “Australian for beer” on UK TV screens.

In the 1980s the Crocodile Dundee actor Paul Hogan, who was also spearheading campaigns for Australian tourism at the time, became the international sweetheart for “the liquid lifesaver”, winning British affections as the cheeky, sun-kissed Aussie stereotype.

In 1995 The Simpsons cemented Foster’s reputation as Australia’s favourite beer in “Bart vs Australia”. The can makes multiple cameos, first when Homer orders “one of those famous giant beers I’ve heard so much about”, again when prime minister “Andy” is seen floating on a tyre in a dam, Foster’s in hand, and finally, brandished by a rowdy court jury.

While the relaunch won’t be campaign-driven, CUB’s head of classic brands, Hayden Turner, says it’s a brand Australians know and trust, and that he’s confident its popularity can grow again. “The Covid-19 pandemic has led Aussies to embrace nostalgia and yearn for simpler times,” says Turner.But with mainstream beers on the decline, it’s a gamble. Australia’s craft beer industry is worth over $800m and grew 6.2% from 2015-2020, according to Ibis World, while Australia’s beer manufacturing industry as a whole declined 1.8% in the same time period. Ibis World attributes this drop to consumers increasingly swapping “traditional beers, such as Victoria Bitter, to higher priced premium and craft beers”.

This won’t be the first time CUB has successfully plugged nostalgia. In 2018 it forayed into fashion with Victoria Bitter and Melbourne Bitter merchandise lines including green cord caps and T-shirts sporting old- school logos. In July this year it also brought back Reschs “Silver Bullet” cans, after they were replaced with bottles in 2005, thanks to a long-running campaign by the Reschs Appreciation Society.

Jack Stutfield, art director at Mr Simple, the Melbourne label that produced the Melbourne Bitter line, says despite the fact that many of their consumers won’t have drunk from cans with the 1970s logos, the line has been incredibly popular. “It went gangbusters – it sold out in a day,” he says, citing a growing trend among young people towards vintage Australiana. “Especially not being able to travel, people are really supporting more Australian stuff.”

Australian drinkers are fiercely territorial over their major-brand beers. Whether they will be like Homer Simpson and order tins of a beer that’s foreign to many Australians remains to be seen.

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