In this, our Summer Issue #43, we bring you a variety of engaging topics, starting with Jessica Zimmer delving into the sticky-icky-icky topic of cannabis in beverages with Cannabis in Beverages: A Definitive Guide.

Then, we bring you a variety of best-of lists – leading off with The World’s 15 Rarest Beer for Collectors by KC Morgan. These extremely rare releases may have only been available once and are some of the most sought-after beers among traders and connoisseurs.

After that, Kristen Kuchar chimes in with the Top 20 Places to Drink Beer in Chicago featuring a plethora of brewpubs, breweries, bars, restaurants and festivals. After that, we explore our own list of the Top 30 Fruit Beers our judges have ever reviewed.

What’s an issue without some educational pieces? Nelson Crowle dissects ways in which brewers and homebrewers can measure sourness in beer in How to Measure Sourness in Beer, and Owen Ogletree gives us an in-depth definition of the ever-popular and omnipresent Pilsner style with Defining the Pilsner Style.

We close out the issue with two globe-trekking travel stories: First up is Bryan Cohen’s Bratislava Beer Tour, which delves into the varied and interesting beer scene in the capital of Slovakia, and finish up the issue with Jim Dykstra’s exploration of Nicaragua’s nascent craft beer scene in Nicaragua: The Land of Volcanoes, Surfing and Beer. 

It’s that time again! We have all the brew that’s fit to drink in Issue 42, including our headlining story: Our Top 104 Beers of All Time. This list spans the history of our publication and features a whopping tally of 104 beers that were bestowed with a “World Class” rating of 96 or above by our judges.

Then, Jim Dykstra delves into the wonderful world of beer in sports stadiums in the United States – providing the list of the best stadiums for beer across all professional sports leagues. Then, Jay Brooks speaks with the inventor of the Brut IPA style to provide a definition of the burgeoning IPA spin-off in What is Brut IPA?

Furthermore, Seth Levy elucidates The Difference Between Saison and Farmhouse Ale, Jessie O’Brien explores The Rise of Rosé Beers and Malika Bowling offers up some Tips for Aging Beer for those looking to start cellaring their brews or expanding their existing collection.

Lastly, Jonathan Ingram looks at the statistics and future of the Top 50 Breweries in the U.S., and Ryan Newhouse finishes up the issue with a deliciously smoky story regarding pairing the delightful flavors of barbecue with smoked beers in Pairing Barbecue with Smoked Beer.

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The holidays will soon be upon us, which means it's time for a new issue of The Beer Connoisseur.

A sumptuous beer feast awaits you in our Holiday Issue #39, starting with Owen Ogletree, an expert on the subject of cask ale and real ale, who gives readers a sterling definition of one of the U.K.’s most important beer exports in What is Real Ale?

After that Jessica Zimmer, making her writing debut for The Beer Connoisseur, provides the definition of the wondrous world of gypsy and contract brewing in Gypsy Brewing and Contract Brewing Defined.

Then Jim Dykstra straps on the lupulin goggles and outlines the most interesting and popular hops to look out for in 2019 with The Hop Report: Trending Hops in 2019.

No holiday issue would be complete without a food story, and we have a terrific take on a holiday spread with Sherry Dryja’s Vegan Holiday Beer Feast – featuring delectable recipes as well as sterling beer pairings for the season.

We round out the issue with some best-of lists, including the Top US Skiing Destinations for Craft Beer Lovers by Kristen Kuchar, who provides some glistening snow-capped peaks that are in a craft beer-saturated city or have breweries on-site, as well as a lengthy list of the Top 91 Belgian-Style Beers that The Beer Connoisseur has ever reviewed.

It's an exciting time of year for the beer drinker -- some would argue it's the most justifiable, and therefore most guilt free season to imbibe. We're certainly not complaining.

For The Beer Connoisseur, the Holidays signal a shift to gift giving (not always beer-related), delicious food and drink, and a reason to get together over a pint with those who matter most.

Sherry Dryja returns with the recipe for a perfect Christmas Morning Breakfast With Beer, Ryan Newhouse elucidates Everything You Need to Know About Growlers (they make great gifts!), and we track the Hop Harvest in the Willamette Valley -- the easiest way for a drinker to know that winter is coming. 

We'll track the seasonal shifts in the beer world -- from Jonathan Ingram's take on Beer Marketing vs. Beer Quality, a top German brewer's outspoken stance on the hotly contested Reinheitsgebot, and much more, including reviews of great -- and less great beers, a Top 20 list of Christmas and Holiday Beers, and Five Top European Breweries to Visit in 2018.

Mark your calendars and unleash your beer suitcases, grab a pint and enjoy Holiday 2017, Issue #33 of The Beer Connoisseur!

Read Issue 32

In the wake of recent natural disasters, a couple things have become apparent. For one, these trials are a chance for everyone to set aside certain differences and squabbles and come together. Second, beyond the essentials – food, water, shelter, electricity – beer is one of the most important things required to ride out a storm. Reading material helps too.

Luckily, we combine them both. We hope that The Beer Connoisseur's Fall Issue, #32 helps you look on the bright side while you enjoy one or more beers and face whatever nature throws your way.

We've seen breweries big and small doing their part to send aid to affected areas, and it serves as a great reminder that beer is about community, more than anything.

In this issue, you'll find everything from case studies on how breweries make their products, a look at a community-driven brewer that also happens to make great beer, features on those classic Fall beers – Pumpkin beer and Oktoberfest, and the history behind the largest beer event in the world.

You'll learn about an up-and-coming brewery, MadTree, which is taking an unorthodox approach to growth, dive in to an in-depth look at Original Gravity from one of our BJCP-certified judges, along with all the classic reviews, news and more that you expect from The Beer Connoisseur.

Today on Monday, December 5, America celebrates the 83rd anniversary of the ratification of the 21st Amendment to the United States Constitution, which repealed Prohibition and established today’s effective system of state-based alcohol regulation. On December 5, 1933, Prohibition ended in the United States when 36 states (a three-fourths majority of the then 48 states) ratified the 21st Amendment to the United States Constitution. The 21st Amendment repealed the 18th Amendment, ending 13 years of Prohibition, and granted each state the primary authority to enact and enforce alcohol laws consistent with the desires and needs of their citizens.
 
A video jointly produced by the National Beer Wholesalers Association (NBWA) and the Wholesale Beer Association Executives explains the history of America’s state-based regulatory system, the three-tier distribution system and the regulatory, economic and commercial value of independent distributors in promoting public safety and access to market for brewers of all sizes.
 
NBWA President and CEO Craig Purser issued the following statement:
 
“NBWA raises a glass in celebration of the 21st Amendment and its role in establishing the effective system that we have in America today. Because of state-based alcohol regulation, the three-tier system and independent beer distributors, the public can count on transparency and accountability while consumers enjoy unparalleled choice and variety.

Malt

Brewing begins with raw barley, wheat, oats or rye that has germinated in a malt house. The grain is then dried in a kiln and sometimes roasted, a process that usually takes place in a separate location from the brewery. At the brewery, the malt is sent through a grist mill, cracking open the husks of the kernels, which helps expose the starches during the mashing process. The process of steep milling, or soaking the grain before milling, is also an option for large-scale brewers.

The combination of different types of grain used by a brewer to make a beer is often called the grist bill.

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 transcontinental brewing collaborations.

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THIS ISSUE IS BROUGHT TO YOU BY: 
The Original Craft Beer Club

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