Notch Kolsch

I’ve written a lot about the importance of developing a strong brand in a competitive beer market. One way to do this is to focus your beers on a specific subset of styles. For example, every beer brewed under the Notch label is a “session beer”, with an ABV of 4.5% or less, although the […]

Definitive Contee

Many newer breweries are launching with a rotating stable of NEIPAs, taking advantage of the huge buzz (and resulting sales) that come with the substyle. I am a huge fan of hoppy beers in general and well-made NEIPAs specifically, so I don’t mind the proliferation of the substyle. That being said, it is frustrating to […]

Portico Fuzzy Logic

There are pros and cons to being a contract brewer. The lack of a physical brewery means fewer start-up costs and eliminates some of the headaches that come with maintaining a space. There are also many negatives, you need to run things on someone else’s schedule, and you don’t have your own space for tasting […]

Long Trail Ramble

Despite the snow this morning there have been some recent signs of spring in New England, including occasional sunshine and warm weather this past weekend. As this transition happens I like to switch out some of the dark stouts and porters for lighter bodied beers that complement the warmer weather. Local breweries also begin shipping […]