“Water into Wino” is one of about 20 wine blogs I’m currently subscribed to via my newsreader. Imagine my surprise to find a tasting note today for Arrogant Bastard Ale. For starters the commentary reminds us that most people have never seen the label, let alone tried the beer. Those of us who’ve been drinking [...]

News item: A semi-trailer loaded with Miller beer has disappeared from a trucking company in Washington County, Wis. A load with nearly 2,000 cans and bottles of Genuine Draft, MGD and Miller Lite vanished from Millis Transfer in Richfield, Wisc. Think they should search a developing country for somebody trading up? (See previous post if [...]

Trading up is in the eye of the beholder. (What’s trading up? More on that at the bottom.) SABMiller’s CEO this week told the press that emerging markets are the key to continued growth as consumers there trade up to higher value brands and increase overall beer consumption as an “aspirational” alternative. The report: In [...]

Another story about pairing beer and cheese, this time from Vermont. In this one, Greg Noonan of Vermont Pub & Brewery (only two years from its 20th anniversary – just in case you want to make travel plans now), picks seven of his beers to match with the cheeses. “Cheeses and beers tend to have [...]

The Dayton Daily News really should let Jim Witmer – otherwise works as a staff photographer – write about beer more often. He follows up on the New Scientist report that wine are a less than perfect match with a terrific list of beer and cheese pairings. A few suggestions: Goat cheese with a Belgian [...]

Britain’s Society of Independent Brewers Association (SIBA) says beer sales by of member companies are projected to show a 15% rise over the last year. Why have the independents been able to buck the trend? “It’s all about local beer for local people. There is a definite demand for cask beer if the right opportunities [...]

It would appear that this column with the headline “Yo, Johnny Budweiser: You can’t handle our bold microbrews” disrespects Midwest beers. If sports rivalries are about more than just the teams, then Seattle vs. Pittsburgh in Detroit is also about the sometimes preposterously Epicurean Pacific Northwest vs. meat-and-potatoes land. The culture clash beneath this Super [...]