Of all the possible porch-based activities, listening to records and drinking beer are two of my favorites. So I was pretty eager to chip in on a National Public Radio story pairing jazz tunes with beers. There was milk stout and IPA. There was Charles Mingus and Quarteto Novo. There was also smart, newbie-friendly guidance [...]
I asked on Friday, "Does Congress hate small breweries?" The answer, it seems, is no. Members of the Senate Finance Committee, who are considering changing the way alcohol is taxed to raise money for health care reform, sent out a press release this morning that indicates they haven't forgotten about microbrewers and other small businesses. [...]
Boy did The Brickskeller get it wrong. They hosted a tasting Thursday with Carol Stoudt, "Queen of Hops" at Stoudt's Brewing Company, at which they would also be selling sample pours of rare and vintage beers. The website declared: Many of these extremely rare beers will never be offered again so if you miss the [...]
In the middle of D.C. Beer Week, a celebration of American microbrews, Special Selections of French Craft Beer seemed like an affront, a duel, an effeminate glove slap to the face. But it was hosted by Brasserie Beck. I figured if that Belgian-only haven could open its doors to not one, but five, French beers, [...]
At its worst, attending a food or drink “tasting” means borrowing a nice jacket, thinking about my pinky placement, using adjectives normally reserved for literary journals, and that heinous crime of waste: the swish-and-spit. It begs a level of restraint I have a hard time keeping in front of exciting beer. I’m getting better – I now slow my drinking when my notes devolve into emoticons – but it’s still easiest to stop and smell the roses with the help of an instructor.
There are few better instructors than Garrett Oliver, Brooklyn Brewery brewmaster and cultural ambassador to a nation of enthusiastic guzzlers. He led a tasting, “The Art of Barrel-Aging Beer,” at the National Geographic Society on May 6, with eight beers that have enjoyed woody hibernation.
History lesson about barrels and the bugs in your beer, and the all-important drool list, after the jump.
It's been a long time coming — hell, I remember talking to Wemple about it three years ago — but we've finally launched the Young & Hungry newsletter. (The sign up box is to your right!) The weekly e-mail will feature the latest stories and food tips from the Y&H blog as well as the [...]
“What’s the newest seasonal beer?” “Where can I find my favorite Pilsener from study abroad?” “Dammit Orr, you promised me a rare Belgian trippel but the restaurant was out of it when I got there!” I hear your cries, fellow lushes, imbibers, and beer nerds! And I give you the Beerspotter Twitter feed, with live [...]
