Everyone loves comfort foods, and this piece hopes to express a few comfort food recipes along with corresponding beer pairings for the fall season.

Being from the Midwest, fall has always been one of those special times of the year for me. With those sometimes-subtle shifts in the air, coupled with signs of nature packing it in for the winter, we almost begin an instinctual animalistic draw to prepare for the colder months ahead. As traditions the world over predict, we gather the last of what the land gives us, preserving what we can while nature gives us permission to indulge in the rest.

Fall has a smell, taste and texture all its own. It’s the seasonal similarity to walking into a kitchen after a long day and having your senses overwhelmed with fragrant aromas. In these times of uncertainty, many of us are seeking stress relief in many forms, and there may be no better way than with the comfort foods fall is known for.

Beer is not only a key part of traditional fall celebrations but also a perfect accompaniment to the bold and rich ingredients often found in comfort foods. Whether you are complementing or contrasting a dish, the beer carries along with it all the needed components to highlight ingredients. More on pairing beer with food can be found here.

Evil Genius Beer Company is an inventive, welcoming brewery currently offering up smooth, uniquely named beers in its 3,500-square foot open beer garden. This expansive and dedicated new Philly institution in the Fishtown neighborhood currently serves brews and snacks outside and crowlers and growlers to go.

Step inside the threshold of the brewery and you’ll find Evil Genius’s 3,750-square foot taproom, a 24-line draft system at the bar, gaming equipment from the 1990s, and colorful murals painted by head brewer Matt Lally. Evil Genius is planning to reopen its indoor space (aka The Lab) on September 8. Visitors may want to consider booking an $8 tour that comes with a free pint. The tour includes an introduction to Evil Genius’s 3,000-square foot brewing facility with a 15-barrel steam-heated system.

Evil Genius is located at 1727 North Front Street, the sole business on a road just off busy Frankford Avenue. There’s plenty of parking, and an old-school ambiance provided by the Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority (SEPTA) rail line that runs overhead. Dogs are welcome and food trucks rotate their schedules to provide extra sustenance.

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 to expand across the globe, making its way to ancient Egypt where the concept of medicinal use of beer began to flourish. Ancient Egyptians used beer as a medicine to treat stomach ailments, coughs and constipation. Over the years, archaeologists have discovered over 100 medicinal recipes from ancient Egypt that utilized beer as an ingredient.

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Oakshire Brewing in Eugene, Oregon has announced the release of a 15% ABV Barrel Aged Imperial Stout called BA C.R.E.A.M. Full details on this limited release are below.

EUGENE, Ore. — Barrel Aged (BA) C.R.E.A.M. showcases the interaction between high-gravity beer, use of barrel types, barrel aging time, and the adjuncts added to exemplify the base. This is the first time Oakshire has ever released such a high gravity beer (15% ABV) in 16 oz. cans.

Abbreviated C.R.E.A.M., “Coffee rules everything around me” could reference our gratitude for the role coffee plays in our daily lives.  It may also suggest this Imperial Stout’s ability to rule your palate. C.R.E.A.M. was born in 2018 as a vehicle to showcase the uniqueness and versatility of different coffee varietals. “In February of 2019 we brewed a batch of C.R.E.A.M. for aging in Heaven Hill bourbon barrels that would eventually see additions of maple syrup and coffee. We tasted different coffee varieties with Joe Harrison of Farmer’s Union Coffee Roasters.” said Oakshire’s Director of Brewing Operations, Dan Russo. ” To complement this beer’s flavor profile, we selected a Mexican-grown El Duende coffee variety, which offers notes of dark red fruit, including cherry and red berry, chocolate, and vanilla”.

Flying Embers Hard Kombucha in Ventura, California has announced that from August 28 to September 2 the brand will donate 100% of proceeds from all sales to support the California wildfire crisis. Full details are below.

VENTURA, Calif.– Flying Embers, the better-for-you alcohol brand, is doing their part to support the ongoing wildfire crisis in California. From August 28th thru September 2nd at midnight, the brand is donating 100% of sales from purchases on their website to support the California fire crisis.

Flying Embers was born out of the Thomas Fires in 2017, which swept through Ventura County and threatened their home in the small town of Ojai, CA where their hard kombucha was first being brewed. But with the help of the community and a group of courageous firefighters, their laboratory, home and lives were spared. From that point forward, the brand committed to giving a portion of their proceeds to support First Responders out of gratitude for their service.

Given the current situation with over 300 fires actively burning throughout the state, Flying Embers decided to do more and provide its fans with a way to help as well. As consumers are stocking up for Labor Day, they can also do some good by contributing to the cause.

City Built Brewing Co. in Grand Rapids, Michigan has announced the release of The Crown Series as a tribute to famed hip-hop duo Run The Jewels. Full details are below.

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — During quarantine, Run the Jewels, rap’s marquee MC/producer duo, dropped “RTJ4,” an incendiary album of front to back bangers that could rile the staunchest couch potato to riot. For Ed Collazo, CEO at City Built Brewing Company, their music fueled his work and inspired The Crown Series, a set of IPAs and a sour sure to impress hip-hop fans and hopheads alike.

The a-ha moment came when Collazo was listening to “Crown”, a track from the duo’s second album where MC Killer Mike exhumes the baggage that’s kept him from reaching his full potential.

“What attracted me to the song was a lyric, ‘You can’t pick up no crown, holding what’s holding you down.’ There’s a lot of truth to that,” Collazo said. “Then I started to really listen to the lyrics and found some great IPA names.”

Into the Fray, Into the Haze and Into the Murk are the names Collazo selected from the lyrics—pretty fitting for describing turbid beer.

Rob Qualls, head brewer at City Built, never listened to Run the Jewels before brewing these beers, but he happened to match the duo’s tendency for lavishness and excess with high-budget hop bills for each IPA.