From the Editors (Issue 20)

As the craft beer world gets ever closer to 2016, it continues to undergo significant transformations. Market share continues to rise and frequent consolidation among the BA’s Top 50 is a common theme (to the chagrin of many fans). With all the talk of bubbles and mergers, we here at The Beer Connoisseur are also heading in a transformative and exciting new direction.

Succumbing to the digital era, we have chosen to discontinue the print magazine in favor of our new Premium Web Magazine. We know, we know! We loved the print edition more than anyone, but industry and consumer demands dictated this new path forward.

We are very excited to present the first Premium Web Magazine with the Fall 2015, Issue 20!

For starters, we have now increased the magazine’s frequency from quarterly (4 times per year) to bi-monthly (6 times per year). Expect all of the same expertly-written features, stories, interviews and news with the terrific supporting imagery that you’ve come to expect and love from the print edition. We have greatly expanded our single-blind beer review with our new panel of BJCP-certified judges. We have also added a Brewer Q & A section for the issue’s top-rated beers, where brewers and brewmasters answer questions about some of their brewery’s most sought after brews. We can also now employ multimedia to add dimension and vibrancy to our already stellar feature stories.

In today’s digital world, we have found that busy beer lovers want quick access to in-depth content that can be easily absorbed on a phone, tablet or computer. That is why we have chosen a “Web Magazine” format over a “Digital Flip-Style Magazine.” Our Premium Web Magazine format accomplishes this goal, as both text and photos quickly load and easily display on all of your devices.

“Digital Flip-Style” and PDF magazines are offered through a variety of platforms, but they are often difficult to navigate and slow to load. In our view, these styles of digital magazines are usually an attempt to transfer heavily designed print layouts into a digital form. Such layouts are often cumbersome for many readers to absorb on their digital devices.

In mid-October, all of our customers’ print subscriptions will be converted to a full-term membership to The Beer Connoisseur based on your original print subscription length. Membership includes: 6 Premium Web Magazine issues per year, Beer School, the BC Network and our expert beer reviews. Until then, enjoy our Fall Issue and our previous Summer 2015, Issue 19 with no login required at BeerConnoisseur.com.

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In this issue we hit all corners of the globe, traveling to Bolivia, where Martin Thibault will teach you about the little-known art of brewing chicha, before chatting with Gabe Fletcher of Anchorage Brewing, who brews some of the best Bretts in the West. Owen Ogletree breaks down Belgian Golden Strong Ales and Fruit Beers in Style Studies, and from there we march up to the U.K. for some trans-continental brewing collaborations.

Also, as some of our regular website visitors may have noticed, the Beer Review section of our website has been ramped up considerably. We have a cadre of BJCP-certified judges posting reviews of some of the hottest brews around. In this issue, Three Floyd’s “gushing undead Pale Ale” Zombie Dust and Wicked Weed’s most recent Angel, White Angel, are some of our highest scoring. We also invite you to join in with your own reviews while reading along with the experts. If you see a beer you would like to review, click the image of it, then scroll down to the “Review This Beer” button. 

We thank you for your continued support, and hope you enjoy this 20th edition of The Beer Connoisseur!

Cheers!

Jim & Chris