Posted in Beer on Jan 28th, 2010
Many beers we know and love are actually brewed by “contract brewers”, who can be hundreds of miles or even entire states away. “What?! What?!”, you say, “but that’s my hometown beer!” Now, I hear you and I was surprised to learn this too, but its actually quite common. A brewery that hires another is […]
Posted in Beer, G&G Videos, Spirits, Wine on Dec 29th, 2009
Just before Christmas Eve dinner, the guests of the Royal Family retire to the Saloon to enjoy gin and tonics with the Queen (who drinks a dry Martini). Afterwards, the guests are seated at 8:30 pm for a splendid, candlelit meal that unfolds in rehearsed waves of grandeur. White wine is served with the hors […]
Baltic Porter, Oy Sinebrychoff Ab, Kerava, Finland (7.2% alc) I hereby declare that all of our soldiers be supplied with the latest in body armor technology, lightweight night-vision goggles and Camelbak drinking systems filled with Imperial Porter. In an attempt to fill out my beer list at Hearth and Terroir with some eclectic, international styles […]
What’s life without the barrel? It seems that everywhere I look these days, my favorite breweries are releasing tricked-out, new barrel-aged beers. Port barrels, whisky barrels, sherry casks, madeira casks, wine barrels. Its kind of dizzying. What’s next? Monkey barrels? Fish barrels? Oil drums? (Who knows, perhaps an Exxon Light Crude Porter would pair beautifully with my […]
Autumn is the bite of a harvest apple. – Christina Petrowsky All hail the glorious apple. Man’s relationship with this versatile and forbidden fruit goes back thousands of years. Today, there are over 55 million tons of apples produced worldwide each year…now that’s some serious fanaticism. I was tasked to bring in 6-8 new ciders […]
Posted in Beer on Oct 31st, 2009
Sometimes you gotta do your homework. And when it comes to beer drinking, this ain’t homework you’ll go into kicking and screaming. In an attempt to further my beer education, I caught a ride to Brooklyn’s Bierkraft and began grabbing single bottles of anything that looked unfamiliar or whispered my name in a sweet Irish […]
Posted in Beer on Oct 17th, 2009
Owning a microbrewery is a labor of love. Often times, the genesis is a mad homebrewer’s hobby growing so big that their basement, kitchen, garage and children’s closets become so clogged with gear that they HAVE to go pro. This is what happened to Matt and Renee Nadeau who are about to celebrate the tenth […]
English Pale Ale, Blandford Fly, Badger Brewery, Hall and Woodhouse, Dorset, England (5.2% Alc) In the small, sleepy town of Blandford Forum in southern England, a tiny predator lurks at the banks of the River Stour. Rumors abound as to its actual size; some claim it is mere millimeters, while others claim it is the […]
Posted in Beer on Sep 29th, 2009
It’s concluded. For the 27th year in a row, the Great American Beer Festival overtook Denver in sudsy force. Although not in attendance myself, nor having ever seen the madness firsthand (insert mini violin here), I’m always amazed by the festival statistics because they’re just too damn staggering to believe. Plus, Colorado is my home […]
Posted in Beer on Sep 22nd, 2009
Its about that time. Spices, baby, spices. As the mercury begins to drop, I always become strangely nostalgic. Oh, Fall, you mischevious devil. How do I count the ways I love you? And oh, how you taunt my beer glass with your seasonal delights. I popped into my local store a couple of weeks back […]
Posted in Beer, NYC Events on Sep 11th, 2009
Fire up the bat signal, commissioner! We’re being invaded by an army of citrusy hops and specialty malts this city has never seen the likes of! Rouse Batman from his cave, cause NY Craft Beer Week begins today and there’s no turning back! As I write this, the taps are being screwed on, the glasses […]
Posted in Beer on Aug 23rd, 2009
Ask an Insider is an interview series that talks to the people that make, serve, shake, sip, pump, pour, crush, distill, and bring life to this industry. (For other interviews in the series, click the Ask an Insider tag at the bottom) There are many professions that kids consider downright uncool. “What’s your dad do? […]
Posted in Beer on Jul 18th, 2009
Homebrewing is sort of like parenting… Watching the little tyke evolve from the ornery days of vicious fermentation may just be akin to the terrible two’s where your kid would rather nash at your arm than peacefully eat his or her porridge. And like a good parent, a brewer must give the beer proper temperatures to […]
Seattle rules. For an NYC boy like me to get to see more than a sliver of the sky at a time, it’s a pleasure, but to see the entire sky at once was beyond therapeutic. And the sheer amount of art? Whoa. I thought the East Village was artsy, but its got nothing on […]
Posted in Beer on Jun 27th, 2009
The homebrewers have spoken. And when these maniacal brew geeks speak, you best listen. For the 7th year in a row, members of the American Homebrewer’s Association cast their votes for their favorite beers. For the judging, the only rule was that the beer has to be commercially available somewhere in the US. The votes […]
