musing

A best beer towns list worth reading and other Monday links

MONDAY BEER & WINE LINKS, MUSING 3.14.16

TROUBLE BREWING: Craft companies, big beer split on refrigeration unit bill.
This is a big deal. “The proposed law has garnered so much controversy that Missouri Beer Wholesalers Association Chairman Joe Priesmeyer said his organization has decided not to weigh in on the matter. Priesmeyer said the association fears any official stance might cause irreparable tensions between members.” [Via Columbia Daily Tribune]

Best beer towns.
a) I hope he gets around the rest of the list. b) I look forward to talking about this in Williamsburg. c) Working class vs. middle class? Who says Ron Pattinson isn’t a romantic? [Via Shut Up About Barclay Perkins]

The Big Business of Bottle Release Days.
[Via All About Beer]
Obsession on tap: Beer lovers going to greater lengths to quaff rare brews.
[Via Milwaukee Journal Sentinel]
Rare Beer Club: The Power of Scarcity and What It Wields Over Us.
[Via This Is Why I Am Drunk]
Markets Don’t Care How Much It Cost To Make That Beer.
[Via Beervana]
My first thought when I see anybody quoting an economist is that it will be awfully easy to find another economist to take the other side of the argument. It is a function of the household I grew up in. My second thought is how old I am. I wrote this for All About Beer magazine in 2005. The beers people are standing in line for these days weren’t even born yet.

Consumers don’t necessarilty get to dial up the level of quality, however that might be defined, that they want. Instead of saying something like this to a brewer — “I really liked that beer you aged three months and I could buy for $11.99 a bottle. I agree it is better aged six months, but I don’t care enough about the difference to pay $8 more.” — you buy the beer or you don’t.

WINE

Grocery store Chardonnay reviewed in the year’s best wine blog post.
“I used to work for a newspaper that did this sort of story, and I was proud of that, but they don’t do these stories anymore; nobody does. Instead, we write love sonnets about $60 wines of which only 150 cases were made.” I’m wondering what the beer analogy would be. [Via The Gray Report]

FROM TWITTER

Monday beer links: It’s an IPA world and we’re all just living in it

MONDAY BEER LINKS, MUSING 3.07.16

Before burying you with this week’s IPA links a few others.

Rather a beer than a biscuit.
This is long, as in thank goodness for Pocket long. But should it intrigue you then I recommend Proust Was a Neuroscientist. [Via Called to the Bar]

After Homaro Cantu’s death, brewpub reborn with new name, new chef.
“When you think about something so terrible happening, it can demonize a space a little bit.” Another one suited for Pocket. [Via Chicago Tribune]

OF PILSNERS AND PUMPKINS

Pumpkin Beer Sales Go Flat, With Leftovers Lingering On Shelves Through Winter.
[Via Forbes]
Pilsner is the new pumpkin ale in the craft beer world.
[Via MarketWatch]

I’m not a pumpkin beer drinker myself, and I would like to see more pilsners in the marketplace. I expect we will. Some will be Americanized, for better or worse. And as the Forbes story makes obvious, sometimes brewers get too optimistic about how much a beer will sell. But there is a difference between growth of a type of beer slowing and that type disappearing. A lot is still going on in the pumpkin patch and we’ll see plenty of pumpkin beers soon enough, accompanied by the usual moaning.

IPA, IPA, IPA

The 11 styles of American IPA?
[Via Yours For Good Fermentables]
IPA Is Dead, Long Live IPA.
[Via Willamette Week]
How American IPAs Evolved.
[Via Beervana]
Tracking the Evolution of American IPA.
[Via This Is Why I Am Drunk]
The Madness of Causation: Why Do We Care?
[Via Beervana (yes, again)]

Stop. Take a deep breath. Maybe drink a pilsner. Now moving on …

Are Hazy, New England-Style IPAs a Controversial New Colorado Beer Trend?
Want to know was Jamil Zainasheff thinks about it? [Via Westword]

This conversation is not new — here is a photo from 2009 — and it seems to be picking up steam. Notice the number of times Jamil’s tweet has been liked.

The vernacular of vernacular brewing & other Monday beer links

MONDAY BEER & WINE LINKS, MUSING 2.29.16

According To Me: How Brewing Cultures Develop.
“Scientific brewing represents a refusal. A refusal to accept what vernacular brewing teaches us.” If you Google “vernacular brewing” you get this post, which is kind of impressive on several levels. But you need to read the post to figure out just what Alan McLeod means. It is worth your time. I don’t agree that “scientific brewing” represents a refusal, but that is likely because I would define “scientific brewing” differently. I think part of scientific brewing should be understanding, and accepting, what vernacular brewing teaches us. [Via A Good Beer Blog]

Tenth Anniversary Blogging: All Beer is Local.
Local,       [Via Beervana]

Craft Beer Goes Hyperlocal With Plow-To-Pint Movement.
local,       [Via Zester Daily]

5 Beers From Across the Nation That Are Redefining Local.
and local.       [Via Civil Eats]

Won’t Somebody Please Think of the Children?
“With beer becoming more popular, you become more accepting and guiding to those discovering good beer for the first time. But, alas, as good beer expands and becomes more inclusive, it will open doors to the Kids.” [Via Beer Compurgation]

Matt Kramer’s ivory tower and the ‘credentialization’ of wine culture in America.
[Via Do Bianci]
An Open Letter to Wine: Matt Kramer, Can You Hear Me Way Up There?
[Via William Whelan]
Unfortunately, you need to have a paper copy of Wine Spectator or really good eyes to read the article that started this, but it isn’t really necessary.

AND FROM TWITTER

ALSO THIS:

(Clink on the date to read the responses)