The paragraph:
How can a working journalist afford to buy a bar? “It’s not a fun story,” (Dave) Zirin told me. “My mom passed away and left me a small summer place. I could have kept it and had a place in the summer, or I could have sold it and had a retirement fund, or I could have sold it and bought a bar. I bought a bar.”
The paragraph:
Politics and business practices aside, there are also those who are baffled by the reverence in which the beer itself is held. It is, the critics say, a classic example of the boring brown bitter everyone was so fed up with about 20 years ago. Now, we happen to disagree, and consistently find cask Bass to be a subtle, interesting beer not far removed from Harvey’s Best in terms of character. But that’s all very subjective, of course.
I’d really like you to read the final paragraph as well. So, what the heck, start at the top and work your way down.
Walken (or walk-on) cooler at Dark City Brewing (RIP) in Asbury Park, New Jersey
The paragraph:
But can the likes of (Christopher) Walken really pass on the pub-going habit? The youngest generation of drinkers have proven their penchant for nostalgia and a keenness for the analog age in other areas of the economy. Whether they’re thrifting clothes from a decade of their choosing, buying the latest print magazines to leaf through, or patronizing a vinyl listening café, Gen Z has already put consumer dollars behind pre-digital products. While retail sales of alcohol are declining (meaning people are drinking less at home), spending at bars is still strong.
“We think the toughest challenge in the beer and art business world like ours in 2025 was going up against the all-consuming digital devices and the media on them that intend on isolating people and alienating them to each other,” (Dave) Bartman said. “We need safe and compassionate gathering spaces and real-life experiences now more than ever as an act of resistance to the alternative.”
From a story in Ashland.news. Credit for pointing it out to the Celebrate Oregon Beer Newsletter.
The paragraph:
I can’t be too critical of these because they’re both jolly nice beers with not a thing wrong. It is evident, however, that they’re for the supermarket, and have a crowd-pleasing, low-common-denominator factor about them: created to the spec of someone who wears a suit rather than overalls. To be expected from Marks & Spencer, I guess.
The footnote:
At the American Hop Convention, brewing panelists were asked by one attendee about new styles or new releases on the horizon. “If it is beer flavored beer it comes from the brewing side. If it is not, it comes from the marketing side. (FW’s) Michelada did not come from the brewing side,” answered Firestone Walker brewmaster Matt Brynildson.