Of Whisky Casks and Doppelbocks: The New Wave of German Brewing

Of Whisky Casks and Doppelbocks: The New Wave of German Brewing

It was only a matter of time until a new generation of German brewers started heeding the siren call of hops, spice, and everything nice, even as they continue to craft their beers within the relative confines of the 500-year-old Reinheitsgebot (Beer Purity Laws). David 

A Midsummer Night’s Dream (Your Saturday 6-Pack, Vol.5): Saison

A Midsummer Night’s Dream (Your Saturday 6-Pack, Vol.5): Saison

Said Theseus to Philostrate: “Stir up the Athenian youth to merriments. / Awake the pert and nimble spirits of mirth.” And said a more contemporary Jane to Dick: “Get thee hither and fire up that damn lawnmower, for it has been more than a fortnight 

This Bird’s For You: Black Raven’s Pour Les Oiseaux Saison

This Bird’s For You: Black Raven’s Pour Les Oiseaux Saison

Aesthetics made me do it. That, and the intriguing description of the beer on the back of this attractively packaged embossed bottle crowned with gold foil and unconventional of size and shape. Adapted from the bottle notes: A blend of complex earthy, fruity, and light 

Marking Time with a 2013 Brett-Saison from Boulevard

Marking Time with a 2013 Brett-Saison from Boulevard

Tempest is marking time in more ways than one these days. Tempest recently turned eighteen months young. It’s been far too long since I’ve been at my keyboard. April and May kept me busy with our local homebrew club, as did interview preparation for a 

Augurs of Spring: Wheat Beers Belgian, German, and American (Sat. 6-Pack, Vol.4)

Augurs of Spring: Wheat Beers Belgian, German, and American (Sat. 6-Pack, Vol.4)

Warmer days and cool nights. April showers on the horizon. The occasional spring frost following upon a stretch of summer-like days. Time to lay those warming Russian Stouts and barley wines down to rest for another season. * * * The quintessential beer for your 

Let Us Now Praise Famous Lagers: Your Saturday Six-Pack (Vol.3)

Let Us Now Praise Famous Lagers: Your Saturday Six-Pack (Vol.3)

2015 is barely four weeks old, and already we’ve seen the craft beer scene light up with plenty of fireworks. Perplexingly, Tony Magee of Lagunitas filed a trademark lawsuit against Sierra Nevada, only to back down after being “seriously schooled” by the good folks on 

Jolly Pumpkin’s Baudelaire Saison (The Sour Sessions)

Jolly Pumpkin’s Baudelaire Saison (The Sour Sessions)

Brew it and they will drink. Mixed-culture fermentation has a long history in North America stretching back to the days prior to Prohibition. Brewers with British roots arriving in the great port cities of the east fanned out across the continent, some of them continuing 

A Taste of Oklahoma in Six Glasses

A Taste of Oklahoma in Six Glasses

Take two engineers, a linguist, a surveyor, a school administrator, a mycologist, an entomologist, and a historian. Add a dash of homebrewing expertise, BJCP judging experience, Scotch connoisseurship, and a general love of hops and malt. Mix all of this together with a beer-laden table 

Brown Beers Get No Luvin’: Your Saturday Six-Pack (Vol.2)

Brown Beers Get No Luvin’: Your Saturday Six-Pack (Vol.2)

Raise your hand if brown beer is one of your all-time favourites. … … …          … … …          … … …Just as I expected: not too many hands. Brown beers get no luvin’. Maybe it’s our infatuation with IPAs and IBUs. Maybe it’s brown beer’s