While many beer enthusiasts have been waiting for the promised craft lager takeover, the rise of Pilsner, and the elevation of bottom-fermented beverages, there is little evidence that 2022 will be remembered as that year.

As the dominant beer style, IPA continues to monopolize draught boards and beer coolers alike, while spawning new substyles. Meanwhile, lager styles find their way into the hearts and minds of the faithful one sip at a time through their diversity, drinkability, and adaptability.

“Lager” refers to any beer fermented with bottom-fermenting yeast, whereas IPA has a more stringent set of identifying characteristics.… Read the rest “Spreading the Gospel of Lager”

If there’s one thing we craft beer lovers enjoy more than a day at the brewery, it’s an overnight stay at one. Having a bed to crash in after a day of sipping beers is one thing – but in many cases, breweries that offer lodging are also giving guests the chance to have an immersive experience that’s all about the beer. From brewery hotels to campgrounds, quirky Airbnbs to luxurious resorts, this is your all-inclusive guide to planning your craft beer weekend getaway – and pretty much every beer vacation to come.… Read the rest “AirbnBeers: Breweries with Hotels, Inns, Camping and More”

A winter escape to Fairbanks, Alaska, is as close as most of us non-arctic dwellers will ever get to visiting a distant, civilized planet; one populated by fascinating denizens and bedecked with beautiful, frozen landscapes encircling a cluster of vibrant breweries.

The city’s otherworldliness helps explain the often-quoted slogan of Silver Gulch, the region’s oldest brewery: “Fairbanks, where the people are unusual and the beer is unusually good.”

Fairbanksans are also unusually hospitable, which is fortunate for tourists mystified by the quirks of subzero extremes and miniscule daylight spans. Locals seem to revel in taking visitors under their flannel-clad wings and patiently explaining the wondrous ways in which the laws of physics manifest differently in the Golden Heart City.… Read the rest “Aurora Hunting and Craft Beering in Fairbanks, Alaska”

The old principle that beer simply goes with pizza is outdated. People are now putting more thought into these pairings, as they have with the proliferation of superlative pizza offerings. A six-pack of whatever and a pie may no longer suffice, especially when you can find such nuance in enjoying a margherita with Pils, pepperoni with pale ale, or even a Hawaiian with hazy IPA.

The rules for pairing beer with pizza aren’t as definitive as the ones that apply to domestic pizza styles (e.g., Detroit, St. Louis, and Old Forge, Pa.),… Read the rest “Pizza by the Pint”

Beer history is a fragile thing. So much of it has been lost to time because objects, artifacts, and recipes lacked a caretaker at a crucial time. Closings can happen quickly, and beer history is simply swept aside or discarded.

Fast forward to today. Craft brewers are increasingly using their platforms—including beer labels, draught chalkboards, or stories told by staff—to remind their customers of beer’s ties to the past. Many modern craft brewers have chosen to restore and preserve the stories—and beers—of the brewers who have come before them.

Finding a Beer to Celebrate Indiana

For Upland Brewing, the brewery’s 15th anniversary was a reason to delve into Indiana’s brewing history.… Read the rest “Telling Today’s Craft Beer Drinkers the Story of Yesterday’s Breweries”

Contrary to the beliefs of bacon, brisket, and gouda aficionados everywhere, there can be such a thing as too much smoke There’s a temptation to up the ante with smoke—rauchbier with weisswurst (sausage), dense porter with baby back ribs—but many chefs are finding that the sweet spot for beer and smoked food is one of a reciprocal relationship, managing the level of smoke intake for a more pleasurable meal.

The truth is, not all smoke is the same. Chef Isaac Toups of Toups’ Meatery in Mid-City, New Orleans, uses a large variety of woods for smoking various meats and the results demand different beers.… Read the rest “Smoke and a Beer”

Taking a walking tour is one of the best ways to get to know a city without the trappings of more touristy activities. You’re introduced to the region and its context by one of its very own, if even simply for social reasons. I’ve taken many tours on my explorations as a travel journalist, in towns filled to the brim with craft beer and places just starting to see the light. In most any city with a vibrant craft beer culture, you can bet I’ll sniff out a fun ale trail or tour.… Read the rest “The Components of a Successful Experiential Beer Tour”

Sixteen years ago, Teo Hunter went out for a celebratory beer with a friend. Hunter thought they’d toast with a ubiquitous commercial brand. Instead, his friend introduced him to Curieux, a Bourbon barrel-aged golden ale from Allagash Brewing Co. in Portland, Maine. Hunter loved it and wondered, “Why am I just now finding out about craft beer?” It was an introduction that would change his life.

Crowns & Hops Advances Racial Equity

Hunter introduced craft beer to friend Beny Ashburn, who immediately saw an opportunity. With successful careers in marketing and advertising, Ashburn and Hunter decided to launch a lifestyle brand that evolved into Crowns & Hops Brewing Co.… Read the rest “Beyond the Beer: Three Breweries Serving Their Communities”