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 […]
I was following a discussion the other day on beer twitter about which beer styles seemed to be fading away due to lack of popularity. The conversation centered on usual suspects that used to be very popular with craft brewers but have lost steam in the hop-centric age of modern craft, styles like brown ale, […]
Some of my favorite winter beers tend to be heavy and boozy, like imperial stouts and quads. The high ABVs of these beers limit the volume I consume, usually any of those beers are one-and-done on the night. For this reason it’s nice to have a few sessionable options around for balance, and nobody does […]
My wife and I had a somewhat rare treat the other weekend, a child-free afternoon thanks to my in-laws, so we did a little date day (it was also the 6-year anniversary of our first date so we had a good reason to celebrate). We decided to head up to Salem, get some lunch and […]
I’ve been able to visit a number of new or new-to-me breweries over the last couple months, trimming down the list of places I needed to try for the first time (of course the list of places that I need to visit again seems to get longer and longer). One place that I still haven’t […]
There is a misconception amongst some beer drinkers that dark colored beers are higher in alcohol than lighter colored beers. I still remember being shocked many years ago when I found out the Guinness Draught was lower in alcohol than Bud Light. Apparently some brewers also believe that dark beers need to be heavy and loaded with booze, the […]
Craft beer drinkers can be a particular bunch when it comes to beer style, and also when it comes to beer ingredients. Certain ingredients have gained a reputation as not worthy of craft beer. Some of this is the fault of “big beer”, who has used lower quality filler ingredients as a way to save […]
I continue to challenge my palate and expand my repertoire with sour beer styles. Many beer drinkers, who I respect, love sour beers. They rave about the diversity of flavors and count many sours amongst their favorite beers of all time. The sour style that has resonated the most with me (so far) is the Berliner Weisse. The […]
Americans love their hop-forward beers! Many people who make the transition from macro-lagers to craft beers quickly gravitate toward IPAs. It should be no surprise that this style has become the most produced variety of craft beer. The popularity of the IPA, and the increase in sales resulting from a beer being labeled an IPA, has led to an […]
It seems like many craft breweries are focused on bigger and bolder beers. Imperial stouts, barleywines and barrel aged strong ales can top out at over 12% ABV. Beers that would have been double IPAs just a few years ago are plain IPAs now. This makes it difficult for some beer lovers to enjoy more […]
