I may have exceeded my monthly quota for words last week, so showing more restraint . . .
Cask. This is a story about cask Ale’s bid for UNESCO cultural heritage status, but within there is a “hey, did you see this?” fact. “For all the headlines about American-inspired craft beer, about four times more traditional cask ale is served in the UK.”
The ink link. Jeff Alworth writes, “Credible, accurate journalism may not seem like an essential component to healthy beer culture, but I suspect it plays a bigger role than we imagine.” The importance seems obvious to me, although, granted, I am biased. I’d also suggest we should not overlook the role “brewspapers” — such as Celebrator, Ale Street News, and the Brewing News family — played in the growth of regional beer cultures.
In the woods at the edge of the city. “The bucolic setting is one thing, but what makes the Kugler Alm special is its place in the history of beer garden beverages. This beer garden is, by many accounts, where the Radler was invented. (For those who don’t yet know what a Radler is, it’s a mix of beer and lemon-lime soda—à la Sprite— that’s meant to quench your thirst without getting you too shlamboozeled. The word itself means cyclist.)”
The Little Taproom. “In almost all instances, micropubs are owner-operated, they’re being run by the people who genuinely care about the space they’ve created. Sometimes that can lead to quite exclusive feeling places, but we’re very proud that we don’t come across that way.”
Why are skulls a craft beer thing? Where did it start? What does it mean? Boak & Bailey ask questions and provide answers. Including what skull imagery might in the context of beer.
The quiet comfort of a stubby. “These teeny bottles have a nostalgic pull for many beer lovers. They were a supermarket staple for many years, cheap and reliable, and they somehow retained a hint of continental cachet even when their French connection was a bit more strained.” Make me think somebody in the U.S. needs to step up and write about Little Kings.
SIGN OF THE TIMES
Less (beer) on tap. Evan Rail provides plenty of examples of places devoting fewer draft lines to beer, as well as reasons this is happening (“a remedy for decision fatigue’). So maybe this is just an example of a exception that proves the rule.
Friday we had dinner at King of Wings in Golden, a short drive from our home. KOW has 28 draft lines and serves wings and appetizers. Pretty simple. It is not big, but not tiny. Parents are comfortable bringing the young children along. Friday, 24 of the 28 lines poured beer. Yes, nine of those were IPA, but 15 were not. There were 10 lagers. There was a wit that just won gold in the World Beer Cup. All of them were brewed in Colorado, including two by Coors, which is right around the corner.
COUNTING CALORIES
Vinepair tracked down the number of calories in 50 popular beers, noting “most craft breweries would prefer that their customers remain blissfully ignorant to the calorie content of their barrel-aged pastry stouts.” Be aware the they list calories per 12 ounces. A 16-ounce serving has one-third more calories and a 19.2-ounce can 60 percent more. That means the big can of Voodoo Ranger Imperial IPA in the gas station cooler of your choice contains 400 calories
FROM BLUESKY
Back in the late 19th century, 'Quiffed' – an old Norman term – porter was all the rage in public houses. There were even competitions to see who could quiff their beer in one pour with no spillage. Eventually, drinkers began styling their locks to match their beer, and a new hairstyle was born …
— IrishBeerHistory (@beerfoodtravel.bsky.social) May 12, 2025 at 1:33 PM