Education

Craft beer used to be simpler. In the early days, Anchor Liberty Ale and Sierra Nevada Pale Ale were considered extremely flavorful and envelope-...

A History of Spruce Beer

The array of possible hop aromas and flavors seems nearly infinite, but in America, pine is an evergreen contender for most widely recognizable. It’s...

How To Craft a Barrel

So here we are. We have an idea of what it takes to become a cooper, and we’ve examined foudriers, the “aristocrats of the trade,” in the words of...

What is a Foeder?

Last time, we looked at what it takes to be a cooper – years of training, an intense attention to detail and a well-trained sensory toolkit amongst ...

Oktoberfest vs. Märzen

With autumn seasonals and Oktoberfest beers getting released earlier and earlier each year – to the chagrin of many craft beer lovers – we delve into...

The Role of Coopering in Barrel-Aged Beers

At this point, wood-aged beers are far from obscurity. They are the Bender in The Breakfast Club of trending beer styles: brooding, powerful and...

Kellerbier and Gose

Kellerbier When you think of a lager, you’ll generally think of an exceedingly mild, crisp and clear beer. However, there’s a style of lager that...

Beer 101: The Fundamental Steps of Brewing

The process of brewing beer is like a foreign language to many, but if craft beers fans want to truly appreciate the delicious drink in front of them...

Beer 101: Temperature, Pour, and Glassware

When it comes to beer’s temperature, the common belief is “the colder the better.” This is not always sound advice. Beers served too cold can numb...

Table Beer and Red IPA

Table Beer The American beer scene has been inundated with double digit ABV bombs – if not a molasses-like Imperial Stout, then a Double IPA with...

The Difference Between Porter and Stout

The problem is that today we have a scene where there appears to be a difference between the two drinks, but nobody can agree what that difference is...

Alternative Grain Beer and Black IPA

Alternative Grain Beer When one thinks about beer, a few simple descriptors immediately spring to mind: carbonated, alcoholic, crushable, etc. When...

Beer 101: Storage

When you resist the urge to crack open a beer instantaneously, magic can happen. Storing or cellaring beer allows a number of internal and external...