Category: Beer News

Around a decade ago, Avrahom Pressburger started losing interest in domestic lager. The insurance broker swapped Budweiser for fragrant Blue Moon and seasonal beers from Sam Adams. He examined cans and bottles, looking beyond styles and ABV for a certified-kosher symbol.

Born into Orthodox Judaism in Brooklyn and now living in New York State’s Rockland County, Pressburger follows dietary guidelines that forbid mixing meat and dairy and mandate how foods are processed, produced, and prepared.

Oyster stouts were off the table. What about double IPAs? Or strawberry sour ales? Details on certified beers were scarce, so he crowd-sourced information from BeerAdvocate’s message boards and Facebook groups, eventually creating the website and Instagram account Kosher Craft Beer.… Read the rest “Keeping Kosher in Craft Beer”

With growing challenges in the beer market and increasing competition from other drink sectors, many breweries are looking for innovative ways to leverage their taprooms and bring in new customers. For some breweries that means opening their spaces to the public earlier in the day.

Taprooms have long been community meeting places, and now some are choosing to welcome that community bright and early by using their buildings as coffee shops and all-day workspaces.

The Virginia Beer Company | Williamsburg, Va.

The Virginia Beer Company recently made the decision to launch a coffee shop and breakfast menu, opening early in the morning in hopes of attracting a working crowd.… Read the rest “Rise and Shine: Brewers Add Coffee & Workspaces”

As another year in beer begins to sunset, we thought we’d share some highlights from Craftbeer.com’s year. 2023 sure felt like that old saying: the days are long, but the years are short. We felt that while waiting for Thursday (or was it Tuesday?) to become Friday and oh, we for sure recognize that as we come to the start of 2024.

If you’re feeling the same way and ready to look back on 2023, we suggest starting off with this article about cocktail beers. Grab a Sazerac or barrel-aged Old Fashioned and settle into that winter mood.… Read the rest “Cheers to a Year in Beer”

Imagine this: You wake up one day and feel all of your senses tingling. You aren’t sure what’s wrong, but they’re on fire. No matter what you do, you have no choice but to feel them every moment. That’s what autism feels like to me, and it’s a part of my identity.

Growing up, it was difficult to find environments that gave me a sense of belonging. I have had to adapt to various situations that don’t have accommodations for me. For example, some places host music events, which can get a bit loud for me (no shade toward the musical acts themselves).… Read the rest “I’m Autistic, and Beer Helped Me Come Out of My Shell”

Since the rise of craft beer back in the 1980s and 90s, we’ve seen trend after trend come and go. And as more and more breweries opened and beers were introduced to the masses, brewers needed to find ways to set themselves apart from the glut. So, they tinkered.

With beer, you have some leeway to throw ingredients at the proverbial wall to see if they stick. Some do, and some don’t.

In the case of this trending style, the smoothie sour, it all started with the original, fruited sour and its similar brethren, such as the Gose.… Read the rest “Cheesecake and Ice Cream and Blueberry, Oh My: The Allure of Smoothie Sours”

Bière de garde is a malty style of beer that is undiscovered to many. Translated to “beer for keeping,” the style was traditionally brewed in Northern France. Comparable to a Belgian saison, this beer is known for its malt-focused, toasty taste, and slight sweetness.

Visually, it is clear to slightly hazy, and the color is light amber to chestnut brown or red, largely dependent on which variation it is: blond, brown, or amber. This malt-forward brew’s hop aroma, flavor, and bitterness are low to medium, often with a soft to mouth-coating body.… Read the rest “Bière de Garde: ‘A Breath of Fresh Air’”

Texas’ fun and funky capital city has a lot to offer for beer lovers.

Once a quirky alt-anomaly deep in the heart of Texas, Austin’s mix of art and adventure has lured tourists-turned-residents like the steely strum of a siren’s song. In addition to music venues, bodacious barbecue, and epic tacos fit for three squares a day, this booming metropolis is The Lone Star State’s leading locale for incredible craft beer. The following three-day itinerary is built for soaking up the suds scene at an octet of Austin’s finest ale-and-lager outfits.… Read the rest “Three Beer-Filled Days in Austin, Texas”

France is not a beer country—that’s a fact. France attracts approximately 75 million international travelers every year. They come for the wine and delicious bread and viennoiseries, not for beers as they would be when visiting neighboring countries such as Belgium or Germany. Part of France’s beer history is missing, so much so that historians have difficulty collecting an accurate picture of beer consumption there through the centuries.

“Beer, prehistoric and ancient, remains poorly known despite its wide consumption. As the Gauls did not leave any writings, we have no direct testimony from them about their national drink,” writes archeologist Fanette Laubenheimer in her book Boire en Gaule.… Read the rest “France Is Not a Beer Country, but It Could Be”