# America's Craft Brewers Are Inspiring Beer Lovers - and Makers - Across the Globe



## MULTIZ321 (Sep 27, 2014)

America's Craft Brewers Are Inspiring Beer Lovers - and Makers - Across the Globe - by Clark Boyd/ Lifestyle & Belief/ Public Radio International/ pri.org

"When Sean Lewis tells me “there can't be a better time to be an American beer lover,” there’s only one appropriate response I can think of: I’ll drink to that..."





Credit: Yuya Shino/Reuters
A Kirin staff member poses with its new craft beer product "Spring Valley Brewery 496 prototype," which was launched in July 2014. Craft styles are increasingly migrating from the United States to other countries.


Richard


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## Passepartout (Sep 27, 2014)

There are now more beer brewers in the USA than anytime in history, including before prohibition. I have heard a number of over 1800 commercial breweries. 

In our smallish city (with large Mormon population percentage) now 6 'Growler Stations' have popped up. Each of these have 8-12 kegs of craft beer available for customers to take home in 32-64 oz. jugs. I suspect that there will be some thinning of the herd, but for now, to have ready access to 50-70 different craft beers to take home and enjoy is wonderful.  Some of the places are having tastings, and most have sheets suggesting food pairings. With beers. Who'd a' thunk it. No surprise, Bud or Coors Light doesn't seem to be participating.

Life is too short to drink crappy beer.

 Jim


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## buzglyd (Sep 27, 2014)

Highway 78 in North San Diego County is now known as the Hop Highway because of the amazing number of breweries along the route.


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## Passepartout (Sep 27, 2014)

I liked the part of the article that said Stone Brewery of San Diego was building a brewery in Berlin to assure proper production, storage, and transportation of their product. Stone is one of my favorites. Good Stuff.


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## bluehende (Sep 28, 2014)

Passepartout said:


> There are now more beer brewers in the USA than anytime in history, including before prohibition. I have heard a number of over 1800 commercial breweries.
> 
> In our smallish city (with large Mormon population percentage) now 6 'Growler Stations' have popped up. Each of these have 8-12 kegs of craft beer available for customers to take home in 32-64 oz. jugs. I suspect that there will be some thinning of the herd, but for now, to have ready access to 50-70 different craft beers to take home and enjoy is wonderful.  Some of the places are having tastings, and most have sheets suggesting food pairings. With beers. Who'd a' thunk it. No surprise, Bud or Coors Light doesn't seem to be participating.
> 
> ...



There are actually over 3000 production breweries in the US.  The 1800 figure believe it or not would be only 2 years old.  There are currently 2000 more breweries that have applied for tax status.  That means in the next few years there could be 2000 more.  They all will probably not open but most will.  The 3000 number is the most since the 1800's.  At that point in our brewing history transportation was the limiting factor.  Breweries were cottage industries that served a very local population and the estimates were close to 10,000 breweries existed.


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## Passepartout (Sep 28, 2014)

1800, or 3000, or 5000, that's still a lot of beers produced with a dedication to quality. It's a great time to be a beer enjoyer. Less quantity, more quality.


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## Medulla (Sep 28, 2014)

*Champagne for my real friends, real pain for my sham friends!*

I am sure (absolutely sure) that all the estimates of the number of brewers is atrociously low - I speak up loudly for all the basement & kitchen brewers who share there craft with their friends (usually five gallons at a time).  The batches are like brownies - no two recipes alike, but each outstandingly delicious in its own right. MTC.


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## MuranoJo (Sep 29, 2014)

DH got into the home brew hobby for a stint late 1990's--no more to my dismay.  It was good while it lasted, (definitely had a good buzz), and as they say, each batch was a bit unique.  He still has all the equipment so maybe we'll see it again.


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## bluehende (Sep 29, 2014)

MuranoJo said:


> DH got into the home brew hobby for a stint late 1990's--no more to my dismay.  It was good while it lasted, (definitely had a good buzz), and as they say, each batch was a bit unique.  He still has all the equipment so maybe we'll see it again.



I am a home brewer and love it.  The estimate is 1.2 million of us.  You need to prod your husband back into it.  The equipment and ingredients available to home brewers today is amazing.  A good place to start back would be to attend a local brew club meeting.  Amazing beer and company.


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## csxjohn (Sep 29, 2014)

This is where I go to brew beer.  The have a wonderful selection and if you can't find what you want, tell them your fave and they will duplicate a recipe for you.

http://www.thebrewkettle.com/bop/how_it_works.php

I told them that I like Rouge Dead Guy Ale and they came up with a recipe for me that I made and love.  Rouge uses it's own proprietary hops so it's not exactly the same but close.


We stopped up to their clambake yesterday to hear the band and have a few brews.  We go for the IPAs and had a few that they make themselves.

If you don't want to brew you can get kegs of what they make in their production works.

I think this idea has been catching on as I've seen a few more pop up.


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## Pompey Family (Sep 29, 2014)

I love trying out the local beers when I visit the States, my favourite so far has to be Pako's IPA from the Snake River Brewing Company. Unfortunately I can't get it over here so I console myself with Anchor Steam Beer which I can buy.


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## Medulla (Sep 29, 2014)

csxjohn said:


> This is where I go to brew beer.
> 
> [....]
> 
> I think this idea has been catching on as I've seen a few more pop up.



Man - it sounds and looks like "the ticket".  Do you think I could get one going in my town of 4,000 (Hey - it works in your town of 40,000)


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## LynnW (Sep 29, 2014)

My husband works part time (when we're home) at a shop that sells wine and beer making supplies. When he started it was all about the wine. With the taxes on liquor here in Canada being so high a lot of people were making wine including us. It is now turned around and they are selling more of the beer supplies. 

Lynn


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## csxjohn (Sep 29, 2014)

Medulla said:


> Man - it sounds and looks like "the ticket".  Do you think I could get one going in my town of 4,000 (Hey - it works in your town of 40,000)



This is a suburb of Cleveland, there are quite a few more than 40,000 not too far away.

It is very busy, some people waiting 6 months or more for an evening appointment.  I know people in Columbus who come up to brew.

They have also opened a wine making facility in the same strip of stores and the pub has recently expanded.

I think what makes this one work is the excellent pub with great food.  When we brew everyone orders food and drinks while they "work" for 2 hours.  Same when they go back to bottle their concoction.  I pick mine up in a keg.


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## Passepartout (Sep 29, 2014)

What a great facility, John. *They oughtta franchise it.* I'd love to have a place to 'homebrew' with some supervision- and recipes. Out here, I think home brewing is sort of do-it-yourself trapeze without the net. Not to mention that many people don't want to dedicate a room to it and buy all the equipment for the occasional DIY keg.

Jim


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## DavidnRobin (Sep 29, 2014)

My HomeBrew set-up... (circa 1998)
Hot Liquor Tank (top) w/ propane burner - created from Bud keg
Mash Tun (middle) - Gott Cooler w/ false bottom
Brew Kettle (bottom) w/ propane burner - created from Bud keg






and brag... my HomeBrew awards


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## csxjohn (Sep 29, 2014)

Medulla said:


> Man - it sounds and looks like "the ticket".  Do you think I could get one going in my town of 4,000 (Hey - it works in your town of 40,000)





Passepartout said:


> What a great facility, John. *They oughtta franchise it.* I'd love to have a place to 'homebrew' with some supervision- and recipes. Out here, I think home brewing is sort of do-it-yourself trapeze without the net. Not to mention that many people don't want to dedicate a room to it and buy all the equipment for the occasional DIY keg.
> 
> Jim



It's ideal for me especially since I've become very lazy lately.  The water is boiling when you get there, you gather your ingredients and away you go.
Some grain needs to be ground some is already done.  You get the hops you need from the refer and then the malt.  Follow the directions with help if you need it and two hours later your batch is done.  Keeping an eye on temp and pressure and adding the things as they're needed is enough work for me.

I'm told that the Home Depot right behind the place sell more kegerators than any other Home Depot.  I don't know that for a fact but it makes a good story.

They cool it and put in a container.  They add the proper yeast and store at the proper temp for the amt. of time necessary.

Someone like David probably wouldn't go for it because you are not taking it from start to finish but it is a fun time if you do it with a few friends.  I have a cousin who does the whole process at home and she enjoys it but has many failures.  Mine never fails but the cost isn't cheap.


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## bobpark56 (Sep 30, 2014)

*Are any of these craft breweries making Belgian-style beers?*

Are any of these craft breweries making Belgian-style beers...say something like St Bernadus or Rochefort, or perhaps like Gulden Draak or Gulden Draak 9000? Or any others?


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## Passepartout (Sep 30, 2014)

bobpark56 said:


> Are any of these craft breweries making Belgian-style beers...say something like St Bernadus or Rochefort, or perhaps like Gulden Draak or Gulden Draak 9000? Or any others?



There are hundreds of them. Here's a place to start: http://www.departures.com/articles/the-best-american-craft-beers-belgian-style I find Lambic's on the shelf at my neighborhood brew-pub and retail outlet. Be sure to follow the slide show in the above link.

Jim


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## Fisch (Sep 30, 2014)

buzglyd said:


> Highway 78 in North San Diego County is now known as the Hop Highway because of the amazing number of breweries along the route.



I'm two miles from Stone so my weekend brewery tours always end there


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## Passepartout (Sep 30, 2014)

I LOVE the Stone 'Enjoy By" (date certain) IPA. Wonderful stuff!


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## Fisch (Sep 30, 2014)

Passepartout said:


> I LOVE the Stone 'Enjoy By" (date certain) IPA. Wonderful stuff!



My new favorite of theirs is the 'Go To IPA'  Excellent summer beer.


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## Elan (Sep 30, 2014)

I used to home brew back before it was so popular (and easy).  But there are so many good beers available commercially these days, it simply isn't worth my time to DIY.   Just in the NW alone, there are more micro brews than I'll have to the opportunity to sample in this lifetime.  It's a great time to be a beer drinker.


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## bluehende (Oct 1, 2014)

Elan said:


> I used to home brew back before it was so popular (and easy).  But there are so many good beers available commercially these days, it simply isn't worth my time to DIY.   Just in the NW alone, there are more micro brews than I'll have to the opportunity to sample in this lifetime.  It's a great time to be a beer drinker.




With equipment involved you really save no money either.  And with me I give most of it away.  My one big savings was my son's rehearsal dinner.  My son loved my beers and insisted on a BYOB for the rehearsal dinner (not hard in PA).  We used 6 cases which cost me about 80 dollars as opposed to the 600 at a bar.  He also gave beer to the groomsmen.  You have to enjoy the process and the satisfaction of making something by hand.  My best beers rival the best out there.  The 10 dollar bombers that I will not (or at least very rarely) buy.  My worst we won't mention.


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## bobpark56 (Oct 2, 2014)

*Why do they charge twice what it costs for the real stuff?*



Passepartout said:


> There are hundreds of them. Here's a place to start: http://www.departures.com/articles/the-best-american-craft-beers-belgian-style I find Lambic's on the shelf at my neighborhood brew-pub and retail outlet. Be sure to follow the slide show in the above link.
> 
> Jim



Nice list. But did you note the prices? They appear to be twice what real Belgian beers cost...when you can find them in the US.  (I can, but the outlet that has them is 25 miles away.)

Can't say that I'm really into paying double for imitations.

  --Bob


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## Passepartout (Oct 2, 2014)

bobpark56 said:


> Nice list. But did you note the prices? They appear to be twice what real Belgian beers cost.
> --Bob



Probably snob appeal. Or supply and demand. Or just what the market will bear. Like when domestic wines began whupping French wines in juried tastings. Prices of California wines boomed up higher than the French ones. Beers are at about that stage now, perhaps. I was at my favorite brew outlet yesterday, and saw some bombers in the $15 range. I'm OK with $5-$8, but over that, it'll stay on the shelf to look at.


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## MULTIZ321 (Oct 2, 2014)

Passepartout said:


> ... I was at my favorite brew outlet yesterday, and saw some bombers in the $15 range. I'm OK with $5-$8, but over that, it'll stay on the shelf to look at.




+1



Richard


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## MULTIZ321 (Dec 21, 2014)

Budweiser and the Craft Beer Fallacy - How Myths Hide Trends - by Adam Hartung, Contributor/ Leadership/ Forbes.com

"It is that time of year when many of us celebrate with an alcoholic beverage.  But increasingly in America, that beverage is not beer.  Since 2008, American beer sales have fallen about 4%.

The biggest beer brands are suffering the greatest declines

But that decline has not been equally applied to all brands.  The biggest, old line brands have suffered terribly..."


Richard


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## jtp1947 (Dec 21, 2014)

Firestone Brewery makes some really good IPA's.  Two brewery tasting rooms, one in Santa Ynez, CA and one in Paso Robles, CA.  They also have a restaurant at each location.


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## csxjohn (Dec 21, 2014)

I'm not sure where or how Forbes came to it's conclusions about how us older beer drinkers act.



> Drinkers of Budweiser and Lite are simply older.  These brands rose to tremendous dominance in the 1970s.  Many of those who loved this brand are now older – or dead.  Where a hard working fellow in his 30s or 40s might enjoy a six pack after work, today that Boomer (if still alive) is somewhere between late 50s and 70s.  Now, a single beer, or maybe two, will suffice thank you very much.  And, equally challenging for sales, today’s Boomer is more often drinking a hard liquor cocktail, and a glass of wine with dinner.  Beer drinking has its place, but less often and in lower quantities.



I can tell you that I am in that older group and I bought beer Friday because two couples were coming over.  The two men drink beer as well as my wife and I.

I bought a twelve of Labatt's Blue, 2 sixes of Southern Tier 2X IPA, 2 fours of Dog fish Head 90 minute, and a six of Rouge Dead Guy Ale.   We didn't drink it all but I did buy craft beers where 20 years ago it would have been Labatt's and MGD or Rolling Rock.

My buying habits refute what the article is saying and for me it's simply a switch to a beer that I like better than the old school brands.

I will add that at 9.2% alcohol, I only need two of the Dog Fish Heads to start feeling the effects.


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## Passepartout (Dec 21, 2014)

csxjohn said:


> My buying habits refute what the article is saying and for me it's simply a switch to a beer that I like better than the old school brands.
> 
> I will add that at 9.2% alcohol, I only need two of the Dog Fish Heads to start feeling the effects.



I-being of the Boomer generation, have changed my buying/drinking preferences. Where a couple dozen years ago, it was commonly a 6'er or more after work, now 2-3 IPA's or craft Porters 2-3 times a week. 

I bought a growler Friday. Still working on it. As you mention, though. With the high ABV craft beers, one needs be careful. After one, it's business as usual. Drink two and one wants to have a pretty straight shot home. Three and someone else needs to drive, and opening #4 and if you haven't been eating and pacing yourself, next thing you know, it's morning.

Jim


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## Elan (Dec 21, 2014)

csxjohn said:


> I'm not sure where or how Forbes came to it's conclusions about how us older beer drinkers act.
> 
> 
> 
> ...



  There's a difference in stating Bud drinkers are older and stating older folk drink Bud.  Not logically equivalent.  

  I'm pretty sure the article was asserting the former, not the latter.


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## Mosca (Dec 21, 2014)

MULTIZ321 said:


> Budweiser and the Craft Beer Fallacy - How Myths Hide Trends - by Adam Hartung, Contributor/ Leadership/ Forbes.com
> 
> "It is that time of year when many of us celebrate with an alcoholic beverage.  But increasingly in America, that beverage is not beer.  Since 2008, American beer sales have fallen about 4%.
> 
> ...



I'm not sure a myth is hiding a trend, using the article's own numbers:

Bud and Miller are down 6%, the beer market overall is down 4%, and craft beers are up 80%. 

Sounds to me like craft beers are the future of beer. If they are measuring volume, sure it's down. But I would expect that actual dollars spent on beer is level; crafts (and the Hispanic imports mentioned) cost more.


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## artringwald (Dec 21, 2014)

A craft beer store recently opened near us that doesn't sell Bud, Miller, or Coors, just craft beers. You can pick up a cardboard six pack holder and select whatever singles you want. It's great trying such a wide variety. For years, I brewed it at home, then brewed at a DIY microbrewery, until I got too lazy to clean bottles. Now I can try a different beer every day.

*The Four Firkins*:


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## jtp1947 (Dec 22, 2014)

Be VERY careful of Sam Adams Triple Bock, 18% ABV.


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## artringwald (Dec 22, 2014)

jtp1947 said:


> Be VERY careful of Sam Adams Triple Bock, 18% ABV.



Is that fortified? I didn't know yeast could survive that ABV.


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## Passepartout (Dec 22, 2014)

*Sam Adams Triple Bock*

There is still some around, but it was last released in 1997, and is not particularly well rated. Just kick-a$$ alcoholic. Here: from Beer Advocate:

Brewed by: 
Boston Beer Company (Samuel Adams) visit their website
Massachusetts, United States

Style | ABV 
American Strong Ale |  17.50% ABV 

Availability: Limited (brewed once)

Notes/Commercial Description: 
This beer is retired; no longer brewed.

Though the little cobalt bottles still decorate the shelves today, this beer only had 3 vintage releases; 1994, 1995, and 1997. Brewed with two row malted barley, water, Noble hops and yeast, along with maple syrup, it was then aged several months in oak whiskey barrels before being bottled. At the time it was considered the world's strongest beer, and a precursor of today's Extreme Beers.


Jim


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## csxjohn (Dec 23, 2014)

artringwald said:


> A craft beer store recently opened near us that doesn't sell Bud, Miller, or Coors, just craft beers. You can pick up a cardboard six pack holder and select whatever singles you want. It's great trying such a wide variety. For years, I brewed it at home, then brewed at a DIY microbrewery, until I got too lazy to clean bottles. Now I can try a different beer every day.
> 
> *The Four Firkins*:



Have you considered a kegerator?   I take my beer home from the place I brew in a half barrel.


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## Pompey Family (Dec 23, 2014)

artringwald said:


> Is that fortified? I didn't know yeast could survive that ABV.



I tried a beer at the Portsmouth Beer Festival back in the summer that was 18%. It wasn't fortified but more like a porter, certainly didn't taste as strong as it was.

I first read this thread a couple of months ago and it inspired me to look into homebrewing and I'm now onto my fourth brew! My best so far has been an American IPA kit from Young's that uses a yeast harvested from a well known Californian brewery (I suspect it's Sierra Nevada) although mine turned out at 7% so it's certainly not a session beer.


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## easyrider (Dec 23, 2014)

Back in the early 80's we were making beer in 5 gallon buckets and then an older buddys dads uncle, Bert Grant, took it to another level starting the first real Brew Pub in the USA since prohibition ended. 

Our bucket beer was for group drinking and occasionally it tasted so good we had to cut it with what ever was on sale beer. 

Bill


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## MULTIZ321 (Jan 3, 2015)

The Marvelously Stabilizing Power of Beer Foam - by Adam Wernick/ Science, Tech & Environment/ Science Friday/ Public Radio International/ pri.org

"A group of mechanical engineers walk into a bar. It sounds like the start of a bad joke, but it was actually the start of a cool scientific experiment.

The engineers order a few beers and one of them accidentally bumps the table. Their beers slosh around — but the beer with the most foam on top doesn't spill. Maybe it's just the way engineers see the world — or maybe it was the booze — but a few fundamental questions bubbled up..."





In an experiment that explored the fluid physics of foam, Guinness emerged the clear winner as the beer least likely to spill when jostled.
Credit:Matthew Trevithick/Wikimedia Commons


Richard


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## pedro47 (Jan 3, 2015)

There is a new craft brewing company coming to Richmond, VA in the near future.


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## Passepartout (Jan 3, 2015)

Sitting back with a nice fresh growler of Deschutes Fresh Squeezed IPA. 7.2% ABV & 60 IBU's. Our selection of locally brewed offerings is kind of thin, so I brought home a mixed 12-pack of 22 oz. bombers all produced in Washington State. 

Suspect it'll last until we leave for the land of German Lagers and Pilsners. (Mexico) Maybe someday they'll get over fizzy yellow beer.

Jim


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## artringwald (Jan 3, 2015)

The short days and cold weather have made me crave some of the darker beers available from our local craft beer store. Yum-mm.

Central Waters Mudpuppy Porter
Summit Great Northern Porter
Kona Brewing Pipeline Porter
Schell's Chimney Sweep


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## Big Matt (Jan 3, 2015)

I don't want to sidetrack the thread, but the same growth in breweries is now happening to distilleries.  They are starting up all over the place.  People are fleeing to quality.  The same thing is happening to groceries and farmer's markets.  

In 50 years, I wouldn't be surprised if a large swing back to buying local destroys the large factory farms.


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## DAman (Jan 3, 2015)

Passepartout said:


> Sitting back with a nice fresh growler of Deschutes Fresh Squeezed IPA. 7.2% ABV & 60 IBU's. Our selection of locally brewed offerings is kind of thin, so I brought home a mixed 12-pack of 22 oz. bombers all produced in Washington State.
> 
> Suspect it'll last until we leave for the land of German Lagers and Pilsners. (Mexico) Maybe someday they'll get over fizzy yellow beer.
> 
> Jim



Jim-  You are making me thirsty....I love Fresh Squeezed IPA.  I had a Deschutes Chasin' Freshies on tap recently.  It reminded me of why I enjoy a beer from time to time.

During the summer of 2014 I went to Deschutes Brewery.  Enjoyed the tour and tasting there. I will drink their Foray beer and several others but Fresh Squeezed IPA and Chasin' Freshies stand out-at least to my taste buds.


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## MULTIZ321 (Jan 3, 2015)

Big Matt said:


> I don't want to sidetrack the thread, but the same growth in breweries is now happening to distilleries.  They are starting up all over the place.  People are fleeing to quality.  The same thing is happening to groceries and farmer's markets.
> 
> In 50 years, I wouldn't be surprised if a large swing back to buying local destroys the large factory farms.



Hi Matt,

I don't think you're hijacking the thread. 

For those interested in more detail,
see a previous Tug Thread - A Beginner's Guide to American Single Malt Whiskey


Richard


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## Space Coast Laurie (Jan 30, 2015)

*Belgian style brewery in Florida... has been around for a number of years*



bobpark56 said:


> Are any of these craft breweries making Belgian-style beers...say something like St Bernadus or Rochefort, or perhaps like Gulden Draak or Gulden Draak 9000? Or any others?



http://www.saintsomewherebrewing.com/


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## MULTIZ321 (Feb 16, 2015)

A Taste Test to Find the Best Chocolate Beers - by Alastair Bland/ Arts & Culture/ SmithsonianMag.com

"Perfect for a cold, winter day – or as an alternative to red wine on Valentine’s Day – we took measure of these stouts, ales and lagers..."






Chocolate beer spans a wide spectrum of flavors and varieties. (Flickr user Don LaVange)

For those that missed the "World of Chocolate" Tug thread.


Richard


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## csxjohn (Feb 16, 2015)

*Attention N E Ohio beer lovers*

We went to hear a friend play at the Fat Heat Brewery and Tap House.  I know Fat Head was brewed around here but wasn't sure exactly where.  They are  on Sheldon Rd.  We didn't see it and drove past.

When we back tracked we saw a newer warehouse type building and there name was one of many on the sign.  We pulled in and saw their sign toward the back and the entire lot was full of cars.

We walked in and the place was packed, SRO!  We said hello to our friend, Austin Walkin' Cane and wormed our way to the bar to order a beer.  Turns out they were having a new beer come out that night.

Apparently the place is very popular on Fri evenings and luckily a couple that was leaving saw us two old folk looking lost and they gave us their seat as they got up to leave.  

I did not see one person we know and we know a lot of the blues fans and fans of Austin.  The crowd was there for the beer and the food.

The food was excellent and next time we are getting the wings, they are huge and reasonably priced.  They are having many popular C town area bands in the upcoming weeks. 

I started with the new Hop Ju Ju Imperial IPA.  My next choice was Battle Axe Baltic Porter but when the waiter brought a Sorcerer he realized his mistake and gave it to me then brought what I ordered.

Now all three of these are hovering around 9%ABU +/- a couple points so I'm now past the safe driving stage.  Luckily my wife had two of the much lower test brews, the Sunshine Day Dream at 4.9% and Head Hunter at 7.5%.

I highly recommend this place for locals and anyone staying in the area.

http://fatheadsbeer.com/index.html

This location closed Mon and Tue so check the hours here.

http://fatheadsbeer.com/taphouse.html



Hope to see some of you there in the future.


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## pbarager (Feb 17, 2015)

http://http://www.experiencegr.com/about-grand-rapids/great-beer/

It is a craft beer mecca here!  Check it out.


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## csxjohn (Feb 18, 2015)

pbarager said:


> http://http://www.experiencegr.com/about-grand-rapids/great-beer/
> 
> It is a craft beer mecca here!  Check it out.



I keep getting a message that the page can't be displayed.


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## MULTIZ321 (Mar 5, 2015)

What 170-Year-Old Beer Uncovered From a Shipwreck Really Tasted Like - by Sarah Zhang/ Beer/ Gizmodo.com

"Back in 2010, divers off the coast of Finland stumbled upon some astonishingly old booze: champagne and beer preserved underwater in a 170-year-old shipwreck. Naturally, they had a taste. But now scientists are back with a rigorous chemical analysis of the beers..."







Richard


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## MULTIZ321 (Mar 7, 2015)

Ontario's Beer Bottleneck is Under Siege by Brewers and Buyers - by Ian Austen/ International Business/ International New York Times/ The New York Times.com

OTTAWA — "Brewers Retail has sold beer pretty much the same way since it opened 88 years ago.

At an older store in the downtown neighborhood of Glebe here, shoppers make their selection from a dizzying wall display of more than 300 slightly oversize beer labels. Their orders are dispatched to a windowless warehouse attached to the store. The beer then pops out of a small hole in the wall and clatters down steel rollers for pickup.

“Ontario’s kind of puritanical when it comes to this stuff,” said Nick Lea, after buying 15 bottles of Sleeman Original Draught.

The antiquated retail system, which accounts for the bulk of sales in the province, is at the center of the beer wars in Ontario..."





 Jim Groves working at Beyond the Pale Brewing Company, a small Ottawa brewery that has chosen not to pay a high price to get its product sold at the Beer Store.  Credit Dave Chan for The New York Times 


Richard


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## MULTIZ321 (Mar 9, 2015)

The 13 Best Craft Beers in America - by Karla Alindahao/ Forbes.com

"In Graham Greene’s Travels With My Aunt, the narrator and protagonist, Henry Pulling, makes a wise observation: “A long experience with clients has made me prefer a shabby whisky-drinker to a well-dressed beer-drinker.”

But Greene didn’t live to see the now-robust world of craft beers, which is as complex and nuanced as an Islay single malt. The scene has certainly been booming—especially in Maine, Vermont, and Colorado. (And it’s a growing industry in New York and California too.)

But where to begin—and how? ..."

Richard


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## MULTIZ321 (Mar 19, 2015)

Lagers Enjoy a Renaissance: Beer Review - American Lagers by Eric Asimov/ Food - Beers of the Times/ International New York Times/ The New York Times.com

"Spring training for Major League Baseball is well underway, and you might say I’ve begun my training for spring, jettisoning reflexive winter moves and reawakening old impulses.

Multiple layers for short walks: banished. Covering up in blankets to read a book: no more. Wool: out. Instead, sunshine, baseball, beer.

I’m not one of those baseball fans with season tickets and a sabermetric decoder ring. If I get to a few ballgames over an entire season I will consider myself lucky. Nonetheless, baseball and box scores have nourished me since childhood. It’s not the intense sugar rush of an N.F.L. game, but a solid nutritional narrative that, like wine, has the power simultaneously to summon the past and suggest the future.

Except that it’s beer, not wine, that goes so naturally with baseball, hot dogs, peanuts and conversation, especially under the ideal conditions of afternoon sunshine..."





Dan Neville/The New York Times 


Richard


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## MULTIZ321 (Apr 12, 2015)

How the India Pale Ale Got Its Name - by William Bostwick/ History/ SmithsonianMag.com

"A look to the hoppy brew’s past brings us to the revolution in craft beer today..."


Richard


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## MULTIZ321 (May 27, 2015)

Just Like Foodies, Beer Geeks Slake Their Thirst by Hitting Up the Brewery Next Door - by David Sharp/ Associated Press/ Variety/ Star Tribune/ startribune.com

PORTLAND, Maine —"In a nondescript industrial park, beer geeks line up several times a week outside Bissell Brothers to get the latest batch of fresh beer — much like foodies seeking the freshest baguettes, pomegranates or kale.

Jeremy Ritz didn't get the beer he wanted on a recent day because it was sold out. So he decided to buy some rye ale instead.

"To me it's huge that I get talk to the guy who's brewing my beer," the middle school teacher said. "I love that."..."





In this May 7, 2015 photo, Dan Kleban, a co-owner of the Maine Beer Company, poses in the company's tasting room in Freeport, Maine. Craft beer now accounts for 1 of 10 beers sold. (AP Photo/Robert F. Bukaty) 


Richard


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## artringwald (May 27, 2015)

They're popping up all over the Twin Cities, too. There's 6 of them within a short distance from us. Delicious!


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## MULTIZ321 (Jul 16, 2015)

Gose Is a Beer That Keeps Summer Cool - by Eric Asimov/ The Pour/ Food/ Dining/ International New York Times/ The New York Times/ nytimes.com

"It was just a month ago that I found what I now consider my official summer beer of 2015. I was in Austin, Tex., in mid-June, not technically summer yet but hot enough under the Texas sun to qualify as a dog day.

I was in search of refreshment as I waited for a friend to join me for dinner at Dai Due, a terrific restaurant that doubles as a butcher shop and serves only Texas products, including the wine. As an aperitif, I ordered a gose from Real Ale, a brewery in the Texas Hill Country.

I’d had gose once or twice before but had never paid careful attention. This time, I couldn’t help but notice the wave of refreshing pleasure as I drank the lively, citrusy, spicy, sour, saline brew. My first thought was: What a great summer beer. My second was: What a fascinating array of flavors. Third and most important: I want another.

Gose (pronounced GOZE-uh) is one of the more unusual beers on the market today, an ancient German style that just five years ago was largely unknown in the United States. It doesn’t even have an entry in the Oxford Companion to Beer, published in 2011..."





 Gose is one of the more unusual beers on the market today, an ancient German style that just five years ago was largely unknown in the United States. Credit Devin Yalkin for The New York Times


Richard


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## Passepartout (Jul 17, 2015)

Just back from the Oregon Coast. Somebody at my house had a birthday while there, and talk about surprised, my step son shows up at the cottage door with a small, but extremely tasty stash of Russian River Brewing's "*Pliny The Elder*". 2 years running, named the Best Beer in America by people who rate these things. People like Beer Advocate. Here: http://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/863/7971/
I am one lucky guy!

Jim


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## klpca (Jul 17, 2015)

Passepartout said:


> Just back from the Oregon Coast. Somebody at my house had a birthday while there, and talk about surprised, my step son shows up at the cottage door with a small, but extremely tasty stash of Russian River Brewing's "*Pliny The Elder*". 2 years running, named the Best Beer in America by people who rate these things. People like Beer Advocate. Here: http://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/863/7971/
> I am one lucky guy!
> 
> Jim



My husband's favorite.


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## Elan (Jul 17, 2015)

Passepartout said:


> Just back from the Oregon Coast. Somebody at my house had a birthday while there, and talk about surprised, my step son shows up at the cottage door with a small, but extremely tasty stash of Russian River Brewing's "*Pliny The Elder*". 2 years running, named the Best Beer in America by people who rate these things. People like Beer Advocate. Here: http://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/863/7971/
> I am one lucky guy!
> 
> Jim


I've been searching for a bottle to try for a couple years, only because I've read so much about it.  It, apparently, was all the rage a few years back.  

Sent from my Nexus 5 using Tapatalk


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## MULTIZ321 (Oct 3, 2015)

All the Hottest New Beer Trends - Or, I Tried Hundreds of Beers So You Don't Have To - by Joshua M. Bernstein/ Drinks/ Beer/ bonappetit.com

"Some folks favor their iPhones for Facebook, blasting tunes, or finely filtering Instagram photos. Me? My blood pumps fast for the Health app, which counts every move I make, every step I take.

The numbers help me balance my boozing, a couple double IPAs offset by 10,000 steps, an imperial stout justified by that 15,000-step jaunt. But never have I strolled such vast distances, nor consumed great lakes of beer, as I did at last weekend’s Great American Beer Festival, in Denver.

Now in its 34th year, the fall festival is America’s grandest celebration of fermentation. It attracts 60,000 people and more than 750 breweries that pour 3,700-plus beers of every conceivable—and inconceivable—kind, from citrusy IPAs and zippy pilsners to an ale that recalls oatmeal raisin cookies, a cream ale goosed with grilled lemons, a coffee-infused kölsch, and a French-inspired bìere de garde brewed with birch sap rather than water..."





Photo courtesy of the Brewers Association.


Richard


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## Passepartout (Oct 3, 2015)

WOW! That's all I have to say about that. OTOH, what are you supposed to do when confronted with 3700 beers?

Maybe bigger isn't always better. Or maybe it is.

Jim


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## MULTIZ321 (Nov 7, 2015)

10 Beers Welcoming 'Winter' Into the Craft Beer World - by Jason Notte/ thestreet.com

"Much as Halloween candy and costumes are being replaced with candy canes, wreaths and trees in the seasonal aisle, holiday beers are finding their way to the nation's shelves and taps. 

Oktoberfest, pumpkin beers, harvest ales and fresh hop beers are still out there, but brewers have been releasing holiday varieties since at least September. Why? Because nobody goes for spicy ales and reindeer labels in January. Also, beer shipments that exceed 15 million barrels during peak summer months slowly trickle to about 12 million barrels in December and slightly less during the Thanksgiving holiday season in November, according to the Treasury Department's Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau. Seasonal beers are about as good as the beer industry gets during this time of year..."







Richard


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## MULTIZ321 (Nov 14, 2015)

The Education of a Cocktail Skeptic - by Tyson Ho/ Features/ Serious Eats/ seriouseats.com


"Back when the Arrogant Swine was still just a kernel of an idea, I envisioned it as more than a great barbecue joint: I wanted to build a bona fide beer hall that would focus on the careful selection of excellent craft brews. When it came time to open, I hunted high and low to design a menu that would charm even the most jaded beer geeks and yet drive the casual drinker to a better appreciation of all things malt and hops. And it paid off—some of the top craft beer experts in the country have praised my list and invited me to speak about the industry.

But then there were the cocktails. As a lifelong beer lover, I'd never developed much of a taste for mixed drinks. And to be honest, I just didn't think there was all that much to them. To me, the only things that distinguished a craft mixologist at a hip downtown bar from the guy slinging Long Island Iced Teas at a suburban chain restaurant were the former's flannel, beard, and ironic tattoos.

Questions of nuance and balance just weren't on my radar—at the time, the average cocktail seemed so basic. You take one and a half ounces of a base spirit, three-quarters of an ounce of a fortified wine, two dashes of some stuff in a little bottle, and boom, mixology. With the right ingredients and the right formula, anyone, including my five-year-old daughter, could make a great drink..."

Richard


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