From the Editor (Issue 19)

As much as we love the ink-on-paper aspect of publishing a magazine about beer, there's another arena where immediacy is, well, almost instantaneous. The online world has touched and changed the lives of virtually every person on earth in the last 15 years.

At The Beer Connoisseur, we've generally done the improbable in the face of the radical change brought on by the Internet – successfully launching a print magazine in the midst of The Great Recession along with a website. That says a lot about the world of beer making, because it would not have been possible without the ongoing growth of interest in flavorful beer.

Part of the attraction to our magazine has been the Beer Review. Each blind review by an expert judge is a colorful shard in a mosaic that reveals the world of beer in all its dimensions.

Naturally, we have asked ourselves how we might move this process online? After many months of planning and work, that has been accomplished with the relaunch of BeerConnoisseur.com, where online expert reviews are now being compiled regularly along with a wealth of new feature stories.

Getting the review process more interactive is the ultimate goal. So we have also launched the Popular Review, where readers can make their own assessment and score beers. We think you'll like its attention to detail and dedication to the joy of beer drinking.

But before you jump on the Net, consider the issue you're holding. In addition to our beautifully illustrated Beer Review, it contains a definitive story on one of the world's top brewers, Matt Brynildson, by one of the world's most experienced beer journalists, Jay Brooks. We have introduced our Brewing With feature by having renowned beer writer Owen Ogletree sit down with Yazoo Brewing Company's Linus Hall.

Once again getting down to the grist of the matter, Emily Hutto writes in detail about craft malting, a significant development in brewing for pros and homebrewers alike. Award-winning veteran newspaper writer Jim Pedley, a Wisconsinite, covers the story behind bratwurst and beer, a not-so-delicate and often passionate matter of taste in his home state.

There's much more from all of our regular departments. Now that the magazine has arrived in your hands, we hope you find the same joy and satisfaction we do as you turn the pages.