50 Impactful Stories from 50 Issues of The Beer Connoisseur

WINTER 2020, ISSUE 46

Jim Koch & Sam Calagione Talk 2020 Trends
by Editorial Dept.

When The Boston Beer Co. and Dogfish Head Craft Brewery announced their merger in the summer of 2019, it came as seismic news in the craft brewing community. While mergers are common occurrences in a craft landscape pockmarked with acquisitions, the two names involved were heavy hitters: Jim Koch of Boston Beer and Sam Calagione of Dogfish Head.

With 2020 upon us, we sat down with Koch and Calagione to discuss the pending trends for the new year as well as to reflect on what the year 2019 meant for the industry. The brewing giants provided plenty of insight on what proved to be an interesting year for the industry... CONTINUE READING

SPRING 2020, ISSUE 47

The Best Brewery in the World: pFriem Family Brewers
by Editorial Dept.

While many breweries operate around the world, there is one clear-cut top spot for brews according to our copious Official Review: pFriem Family Brewers in Hood River, Oregon has produced some of the finest beers that our judges have ever had the privilege to imbibe. As such, pFriem can be called the Best Brewery in the World.

As the number of breweries in the world continues to climb (over 19,000 according to a 2017 survey by The Brewers Journal and Alltech), so too does the competition for which brewery makes the finest beers. Is it one of the storied Trappist breweries, helmed by Trappist monks with generations of knowledge and brewing tradition behind them? Or perhaps it is one of the pioneering American craft breweries that helped spearhead the movement that continues to grow unabated over 30 years later?

With over 7,000 breweries in the United States, beer is among the most important aspects of the country’s economy and culture. While beer (and alcohol in general) has had its ups and downs, clearly the fermented malt beverage is experiencing its peak during these heady days of craft beer variety and engaging flavor combinations... CONTINUE READING

MAY / JUNE 2020, ISSUE 48

The Global Impact of COVID-19 on the Beer Industry
by Jessica Zimmer

COVID-19 has dramatically reduced beer production and consumption around the world, hitting craft and independent brewers extremely hard. Almost everywhere, taprooms and pubs that provided a base of support for the majority of smaller businesses have been shuttered or reduced to carry-out and delivery operations only.

Even a bump in “to-go” sales will not make up for the loss of revenue from taproom and retail sales, said Mary Macdonald, executive director of the Ohio Craft Brewers Association... CONTINUE READING

SUMMER 2020, ISSUE 49

The Oldest Breweries in the World
by Jessie O'Brien

Beer has been around for millennia, but dedicated breweries are a far more recent invention. Read on to explore the oldest breweries in the world.

It’s believed that beer was first discovered by accident in ancient Mesopotamia as a by-product of breadmaking. The happiest accident to serve humankind rivals other world-changing inventions of the time like mathematics and the wheel. One of the first written records of beer’s existence appeared as hieroglyphs on ancient Egyptian papyrus, documenting beer used in religious ceremonies at the time. But the drink became a staple of the Medieval food pyramid once it made its way to northern Europe. There were plenty of raw ingredients like barley that grew in the area, and alcoholic beverages were considered healthy. Some say that beer was all that was available to drink at the time due to contaminated drinking water, but this is most likely a myth. Beer was popular, whether or not it was necessary for survival... CONTINUE READING

FALL 2020, ISSUE 50

Is Beer Healthy?
by Michael Thacker

With the dramatic influx of craft breweries across the globe it is no wonder that craft beer and brewing is becoming increasingly popular and mainstream. Alongside the popularity of high-quality hops and malts is the increased interest in health and fitness as well. Both of these industries have seen substantial growth over the past couple of decades with both movements seeing some commonality among their following as running clubs and bike groups mark their weekly meet ups with visits to their local brewery. But is there any link between beer consumption and a healthy lifestyle? More broadly, is beer healthy?

Beer brewing and consumption has its roots as far back as 7000 BCE in China where the first evidence of beer brewing took place. This alcoholic trend made its way through time where the process itself began to resemble a more modernized brewing process around 3500 BCE in ancient Mesopotamia. From there, beer began... CONTINUE READING