Fall 2025, Issue 80
From the Editor
Chris Guest – Managing Editor
Fall is often a season of transition, and in this issue we explore new ground with stories that take us into subjects never before covered in our pages.
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Feature Stories
Andalusian Ales, Olive Groves & Sun-Kissed Sips: Discovering Craft Beer on Spain’s Southern Coast
Spain may be best known for its wine, sherry, and endless pitchers of sangria, but in the last decade, something unexpected has been brewing along the sun-kissed coast of Andalusia: craft beer.
Keeping it Cloistered: The Overlooked Tradition of German Monastic Breweries
Long before hype breweries with names riffing on popular intellectual property existed, one of the easiest ways to make a beer stand out on the shelves was to put a monk on the label. Monks are to beer as the Swiss are to watches. We know they’re good at it, even if we can’t explain why.
How Hibernating Yeast is Advancing Cancer Research
Beer yeast microbes have a surprising survival strategy up their sleeve to deal with food shortages: they hibernate. As bears hibernate to avoid the stresses of harsh winters and the resultant famine, yeast microbes perform their own version of hibernation to bypass periods of nutrient scarcities.
Protecting the Future of Beer: Yakima Chief Hops Tracks Carbon Emissions To Increase Sales & Sustainability
Beer lovers familiar with the experience of cracking open a crisp IPA on a warm summer day can thank hops for the refreshing aromatic bite that follows. Hops are the green, cone-shaped flowers that are the heart of most modern beers, lending flavors ranging from citrusy zing to tantalizing bitterness while adding a preservative quality.
Why Does California’s Edna Valley Pinot Noir Come With Fewer Tannins?
The unique landscape of the Edna Valley in San Luis Obispo County, California creates microclimates that are conducive to growing a soft and supple pinot noir grape. Wineries like Sinor-LaVallee are in the unique position of being situated just miles from the ocean, which brings cool weather to an otherwise warm climate.
Breweries & Beer
Breweries & Beer
How Liability Brewing Co. is Helping Greenville, South Carolina Become a Top-Tier Beer City
Walk into Liability Brewing Company on any given day, and you’ll likely see people of all ages chatting over pints. Look at its beer list and you’ll notice quirky names such as the Feral Garden Gnome Belgian Blonde or an Imperial Stout called A Final Blaze of Incompetence.
Brewing a Better Future: Spinnakers and Maple Leaf Adventures in the Great Bear Rainforest
My heart leapt against my ribs as the first dorsal fin sliced through the dark waters of Whale Channel along the north coast of British Columbia. Another followed. Then another. The pod of transient killer whales moved like shadows beneath the surface, their sleek black and white bodies cutting through the coastal waters with predatory grace.
The Best ESB in the World Is… Sierra Nevada Pale Ale?!
Back in May, the annual World Beer Cup made a head-turning announcement. Sierra Nevada Pale Ale, one of America’s oldest, most revered beers, was a gold medal winner. Not just any old gold medal winner, but an extra special one – it won gold as an ESB, or extra special bitter.
Official Review
Single-blind reviews from our panel of experts. Featuring Gnarly Barley The Peanut Butter Solution, Samuel Smith’s Oatmeal Stout and many more!
