musing

Those who follow me on Twitter or Facebook know last week I was in Argentina, a guest of Asociación Civil Somos Cerveceros. I’ll get around to describing some of the interesting things I saw . . . eventually. Meanwhile, a few links I saved during the course of catching up.

1, & 2. An economist looks at the definition of “craft beer” and adds useful perspective. But speaking of perspective, Ed Wray (@TheBeerFather) finds away for us to smile while listening to The Conversation That Will Not Die:

“Craft beer is … about the flavour. And that flavour is grapefruit. No need to worry about share transactions or production figures, just have a swig and ask yourself ‘can I taste grapefruit?’ If you can it’s craft, if you can’t it isn’t.” This will allow for discussions that address important questions, like “is this beer still grapefruity since the brewery’s been taken over?”

3. The Most Popular Beer In Each State Of The USA – Listed! [Via @draftmag] Hopapalooza IPA from Big Shoulders Beer Company in Illinois … Really?

4. The Shape of A Beer Style. From Beer Graphs, which has tossed out a variety of ideas I’m still trying to get my head around.

5. Christine Celis reclaims the family business. [Via the Austin Chronicle.]

1. Finally. A beer definition worth fighting for. [Rob Fullmer, Beer PHXation]

2. Boulevard & Duvel-Moortgat: Q&A with brewer Jeremy Danner. [KC Beer Blog]

3. How much do wine writers earn writing about wine? [VINOGRAPHY: a wine blog]

4. Big beer brewers seek ‘craft’ cred. [Washington Post]

5. South Africans acquire taste for craft beers. [Voice of America] Which means, of course, they can look forward to long, boring debates about the definition of “craft beer.”

1. Futurism, Progress And Good Beer. [Alan McLeod, A Good Beer Blog]

2. Getting paid. [Pete Brown]

3. Talk of ABI play for SABMiller heating up again. [Shanken News Daily]

4. Horse Brass turns 37; Pilsner Urquell turns 170 … celebrate with an air-freighted keg of way-fresh Czech pilsner. [Oregon Live]

5. Bra-Burning Feminists Drive Wine Sales. That it is perhaps vaguely related to Friday’s Session topic probably coincidence. [SVB on Wine]

1. The best beer you haven’t tasted yet. Joe Sixpack visits Philadelphia area breweries in planning.

2. Summit Brewing expands again, will put its beer in cans.

3. Something you don’t need department: Reverse microwave chills beer in 45 seconds.

4. Something else you don’t need: World’s strongest beer ‘Snake Venom’ launched.

5. The Washington Post seems pretty excited about Bluejacket opening Tuesday. Lots of photos.

1. Beer and religion come together at Monument (Colorado) brewery. Does this ask a little bit too much of beer? “Maybe if more people appreciated the subtleties of craft beer, he said, they might start to look at the finer points of literature, art and religion.”

2. Check the beers you consider “craft.” [A survey organized by Fuggled.]

3. The Great American Beer Festival: Is It Past Its Expiration Date?

4. Oklahoma Beer Roundtable, Vol. 2.

5. The physics is clear on foamy beer.