Mostly Cloudy, with a Chance of Live Lithuanian Beer

Wive from Woodge. On November 24, 2010, on Browar.biz, Piwoteka posted the following sixteen beers as available, tantalizingly with the description  (via Google Translate): “as for the volume and type of bottles is a cross-section: 0.33, 0.5, 1L, 2L patent.” The asterisks below indicate which beers I have had to date: * Statinių 13 (200 [...]

How Big is “Small”?

Ever since the Brewers Association decided to update their definition of a “small” craft brewery earlier this week, there has been much hubbub and harrumphing about what this means to the craft beer scene in terms of statistics inflation, market share, money (always important), and particularly the impact Boston Beer Company has on both the craft [...]

My Beer Sommelier Certificate, and New Brazilian Beer

How were the holidays? Many beers? I hope so! Before starting the new column, a great 2011 for everyone! In December I graduated as a beer sommelier, pictured below with the certificate and my professors, sommeliers Kathia Zanatta and Alfredo Ferreira. I graduated from ABS-SP (Brazilian Association of Sommeliers – Sao Paulo), which actually formed [...]

The “New” Brazilian Beer Culture

What do you know about Brazilian beers? Do you know something about Brazilian beer culture? That´s why i´m here to explain what really happens here, but I must tell you about the big breweries first; you´ll find their beers everywhere you go in Brazil. I live in São Paulo (Brazilian southeast), probably the richest city [...]

Green Hops in Beer – A Poem from Krisbierjaeger

(Original copyright: Dr. Seuss Enterprises) I am Sam Sam McGreer A total geek when it comes to beer. Beer is my passion– like love you see my life was changed by an epiphany When a youthful taste for getting pissed was cured one night when I was kissed by a little beer angel who taught [...]

Brews Cruise – from Denmark to England

It’s a real pity that modern life does not offer more opportunities for travel by ship.  In the current phase of my life I take a ferry to work nearly every day, but until this Thursday I had never had the opportunity to travel on a proper ship.   And I have to say that it [...]

Welcome to Baden Baden Brewery in Brazil – South America

Last week I went to Campos do Jordão City, near São Paulo State. My destination? Baden Baden Brewery, a young and small brewery that was born in 1999 from the craft beer passion of  three friends. They had eight beers (including Cristal, Bock, Red Ale, Golden, 1999 (ESB), Stout, and Weiss). I took some pictures inside: [...]

CANFEST 2010

Two years ago when Doug Booth and Daniel Kahn chose to deliver Buckbean beer in cans instead of bottles they didn’t exactly receive a round of applause from the craft beer community. Informed by a host of misconceptions dogging the can for 75 years, consumers remained skeptical and other brewers voiced discontent. For those people [...]

Tampa: My Final Frontier of Central Florida

This marked the second time this week that I was not only smiling so broadly but laughing out loud at the seemingly strange luck that had befallen me. The peak beer experience I had just enjoyed was something like winning the lottery; I still can’t believe I made myself enough good fortune to get to hang out in a place like that all day.

The Toast of the Coast

Who needs an excuse to visit the Oregon coast? With beautiful scenery, myriad activities and delicious seafood at every turn, a trip to the coast is always full of wonderful potential. But this next weekend, September 24-26, there is another spectacular reason to take that trip. The 9th annual Pacific Northwest Brew Cup will be held [...]