Choosing an Organic Beer
In this day and age, an organic movement is in place toward all things, well, organic. Almost everything is available as an organic choice: coffee, fruits and vegetables, juice, and wine. Organic beer [more…]
Choosing a Gluten-Free Beer
Many different grains have been used to brew beer over the millennia. Of course, barley is best, followed by wheat and then rye. The problem with these grains — at least for people who suffer from celiac [more…]
Choosing a Kosher Beer
For millions of observant Jews around the world, following the kashrut, or Jewish dietary laws, is a very important part of everyday life. Food and drink that are in accord with [more…]
Buying Beer: Choosing a Container
Beer drinkers have argued endlessly over whether beer is better bottled or canned. The beer can offers the most convenience, but you can’t argue against the aesthetics of the old brown bottle. Besides, [more…]
Shopping for the Freshest Beer
Most people aren’t the least bit self-conscious about squeezing tomatoes, thumping melons, sniffing ground beef, or reading the freshness date on bread wrappers at the supermarket. And don’t wine enthusiasts [more…]
Warning Signs That a Beer Is Stale
Your evaluation of newly purchased beer starts with the removal of the bottle cap. Did the bottle give a quick, healthy hiss? Did it gush like Mt. Vesuvius or fail to release any carbonation at all? Unless [more…]
What You Will and Won't Find on Beer Labels
In the United States, the American brewing industry (along with American wine and spirits industries) is overseen by both the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms [more…]
Understanding the Alcohol Content of Beer
Even though all other alcoholic beverages are required to clearly list alcohol content on their labels, listing any indication of strength, including percentage of alcohol [more…]
Beer Megabrewers Crafting Microbrews?
Shortly after the craft beer revolution got underway, the lion (megabrewers) noticed the thorn (craft brewers) in its paw, leading to some clever marketing and business strategizing. Megabrewers liked [more…]
The Nutritional Content of Beer
In the United States, the TTB (the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau) doesn’t allow the Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) Nutrition Facts chart to appear on a beer bottle or can. And in the European [more…]
Serve Beer at the Right Temperature
One of the finer points of beer enjoyment that’s too often overlooked is proper serving temperature. Serving beers at their proper temperature may take a little extra effort or planning, but the rewards [more…]
Beer-Tasting: How to Evaluate a Beer
Drinking beer is a sensual experience. Consuming beer (or any food, for that matter) should be a full sensory experience; the more senses involved, the more you’ll remember the experience — positive or [more…]
The Nose Knows: How to Smell a Beer
Beer aromas are fleeting, so start with a sniff even before you take a look. Also, flavor is partly based on aroma — a full 1/4 to 1/3 of your ability to taste is directly related to smell, so don’t underestimate [more…]
Beer Tasting: Malt, Hops, and Fermentation
For true beer nuts, a beer’s overall flavor intensity can be thought of as a pyramid of taste, with slight but notable fluctuations from level to level. Related beer-tasting terms run through the following [more…]
Analyzing the Mouthfeel and Body of Beer
The tactile aspects of beer evaluation are mouthfeel and body. You can literally feel the beer in your mouth and describe it in familiar physical terms [more…]
Drinking Beer in Brewpubs
One of the best places to taste different beers in North America is at a brewpub — a pub, usually with a restaurant, that serves its own beer made in a small brewery on the premises, kind of like a restaurant [more…]
Homebrewing Supplies and Equipment
New homebrewers are no different from other hobbyists; they’re chomping at the bit (foaming at the mouth?) to get started with their hobby. Although this enthusiasm is good, jumping headlong into the unknown [more…]
Homebrewing: How to Make Your Own Beer
Making and bottling a batch of beer, like building Rome, can’t be done in a day. On the other hand, it doesn’t take a heck of a lot longer than a day, either. You need to set aside two days, about a week [more…]
Pairing Beer and Food for a Beer Dinner
One of the best and most amazing ways to experience beer as a dinner beverage is to attend a beer dinner, where the chef has teamed up with a brewmaster or a beer importer to develop and pair food and [more…]
Choices Beer Brewers Make during the Aging Process
Beer brewers can’t always set a packaging date on the calendar ahead of time for barrel-aged and wood-aged beer. More often than not, the beer decides when it’s ready. Barrel-aged and wood-aged beers need [more…]
Buying Beer in Kegs
You night not need to invest in an entire keg of beer very often, but if you enjoy beer, you’ll probably find yourself shopping for one from time to time for weddings, birthday parties, or other celebrations [more…]
Types of Glassware for Serving Beer
Traditionally, certain beers have a specific glass style associated with them. Using these glasses is a sign of your high regard for great beer. The nice thing about beer glassware, though, is that it [more…]
Glassware Used for Drinking Beer for Sport
The various shapes and sizes of beer glassware play a meaningful role in your enjoyment. Some non-style-specific glassware used in drinking games and other sport drinking can provide the unsuspecting drinker [more…]
To Tilt or Not to Tilt: How to Pour a Beer
Before you pour a beer, make sure you have a glass that can hold the contents of a whole bottle or can plus a head. That makes everything easier. How to best pour a beer depends on the type of beer. For [more…]
Evaluating the Appearance of a Poured Beer
What should you look for in a beer? Your eyes can discern color, clarity, and head retention (as well as price, of course, and maybe even the meaning of life). The meaning of life is something you’ll have [more…]
