Archive for December, 2009

Beer Predictions for 2009

With 2009 in the rear-view mirror, it’s always fun to look forward to 2010 and try and guess what may happen. If anything, the brewing industry has shown an ability to keep us guessing, but here’s just a few things I see happening in my crystal ball.

Gifts for the Beer Geek: The Good, the Bad and the Ugly

It’s hard to buy good gifts for people. I understand. I’ve been friends/dating/engaged/married to my wife Nicole since 1996. After fourteen years of birthdays, Christmases, and random occasions, I am pretty much out of creative gift ideas. When all else fails, the default reaction is to fall back on her favorite hobbies: music and gnomes.
I’m [...]

2009 Oakes Awards

The year of 2009 was officially my biggest in far of tracking down new beers. I’ve never really been that prolific as a beer-ticker, mostly only as a finely-honed beer hunting machine capable of uncovering entire new beer scenes for the world (Lithuania in a joint effort, Central Asia solo) But you certainly [...]

Toast The New Year With The Gueuze

True Story: The Beer Wench has an intense fascination, preoccupation … and obsession with wild yeast beers. The gueze, in particular, is my all time favorite style of beer.
Two years ago, I would have been celebrating New Years with Champagne. But that was before I discovered “The Gueuze” during a fateful visit to Chicago in May [...]

My Beer World Bucket List for 2010

Call it what you want – a bucket list, New Brew Year’s Resolutions, my wish list for the world of beer – here are the beers I want to try, the beers I want to try again, the breweries I want to visit and some changes I wouldn’t mind seeing in brewers and beer fans.

Looking Ahead to 2010

2009 is approaching with ridiculous speed, and many people are putting together their dreams and hopes and predictions for the new year. 2010 will bring with it new surprises and gifts as well as obstacles and trials, both in the world of craft beer as well as the planet at large. The happenings [...]

New Beers Resolutions from The Hop Press

Members of the Hop Press Gang share their Brew Year’s Resolutions. Or are they New Beers Resolutions? Check ‘em out! You might even want to adopt a few as your very own.

Say cheers with beer!

It has become a matter of course that New Year’s Day is welcomed with a bottle of something bubbly.  The traditional fill for this festive flute is champagne, but as beer lovers we are always looking for an appropriate beer to take on this role.  It is not clear when people first began to offer [...]

Tenth Annual Big Beers, Belgians and Barleywines Festival – Vail, Colorado

What are you up to January 7-9? Nothing? Then get yourself to Vail, Colorado, for the 10th annual Big Beers, Belgians, and Barleywines festival.
There will be dinners. Seminars. Competition. And beer. Lots of big beers.
The event starts Thursday night with a Brewmaster’s dinner. Adam Avery, Brewmaster/Founder of Avery Brewing, and Sam Calagione, Founder/President of Dogfish [...]

Two Brothers Brewing Co.: A Growing Concern

Two Brothers Brewing Co.
Warrenville, Illinois
Established 1996
Owners: Jim & Jason Ebel
Annual Production: 12,000 Barrels in 2009
I sat down with Jim Ebel at the brewery on August 20, 2009.
Then
How does one make the leap from homebrewer to craft brewer? It’s a great question. When we opened in 1996 micros were just starting. Everybody and his brother were trying [...]