For people like you and me, the craft beer scene is a walk in the park. But for those new to the world of bubbly goodness, finding a good beer is an overwhelmingly daunting task. I should know, since I was a newbie only a couple of years ago. There is a glut of beers on the market, and regional [...]

I’m a freestyler. In general, I like to make my own rules, wander off the trail… But there is one place that this lust for spontaneity consistently gets me into trouble- the kitchen. It is because of this that I greatly prefer cooking to baking. At least with cooking, recipes have a bit more wiggle room for experimental efforts with [...]

The time had finally come, the month of February. I had been waiting patiently, knowing that after about two months of non-stop work, there was indeed a light at the end of the tunnel. That light was Strong Beer Month. 21st Amendment Brewery and Magnolia Pub and Brewery team up every year to offer up a whole smörgåsbord of strong [...]

Call me Ishmael. Just don’t call me a fan of Rising Tide Brewing‘s new ale. Ishmael may have been the omnipotent observer of Melville’s classic Moby Dick, but he sure as hell didn’t see this one coming. It’s not that the beer was bad. Ishmael is a perfectly normal and acceptable Amercian copper ale, with all the hallmarks of the [...]

I’m a big fan of Allagash Brewing, and so far, they have, in my eyes, done no wrong. When I went to Arizona for my brother’s wedding last May, I had the honor of sampling some of New Belgium‘s Fat Tire. When I saw that Allagash—brewers of the inimitable Black and Curieux Belgian style beers—and New Belgium—purveyors of hoppy, malty [...]

Mark this one down in the books folks, for Wednesday December 15, 2010 was an historic day. On that day, the Baxter Brewing Company of Lewiston, Maine held its first public tasting of the brewery’s first beers. And I was there. See, this is a big deal for me. I’ve only been interested in craft beer for a few years, [...]

This is the second part of a two part series about the author’s adventures at the Bay Area Brewfest. If you’re looking for part one, click here. From the entrance way, it seemed like the Bay Area Brewfest was tiny. However, as I walked through the boisterous crowd, I realized it wasn’t small at all; in fact the Festival Pavilion [...]

I’m lucky enough to live in Lewiston, Maine right now (haha, that’s a joke you’d probably only get if you live here in Maine). The problem is, that is a joke. But Luke Livingston, a Lewiston native has other ideas for his fair city, and he’s taken the first step toward helping to change Lewiston’s image by starting his own [...]

On this particular day, I woke up with noticeable pep in my step. This wasn’t any normal Saturday. No sir, this was the day of the Bay Area Brewfest. As I alluded to in my prior post, I recently moved to San Francisco’s East Bay. That being said, this was my first brew fest since the relocation. And for the [...]

I love craft beer. And I love hiking (so do my friends). Yet, for some reason, I’ve never taken beer on a backpacking trip. Sure, I’ll pop open a bottle after a long day of hiking, fishing, or skiing, but I never thought to actually bring the brews with me. Of course, it makes perfect sense to stash a can [...]