The World Atlas of Beer

Maintaining a beer blog - even a casual one like this - occassionally has its perks. Recently I was contacted by a PR rep regarding a new book from Tim Webb and Stephen Beaumont. A fan of their work, I jumped on this opportunity to receive a copy of The World Atlas of Beer: The Essential Guide to the Beers of the World. 

Both Webb and Beaumont are accomplished beer writers. Beaumont is known for his prolifc nature across various publications such as Wine Enthusaist, The Celebrator, Whisky Advocate, The Globe and many others. Currently, World of Beer is the best place to get his latest updates. Tim Webb has written a number of highly regarded books about beer and travel - including my favorite companion to my Belgium trip, Good Beer Guide Belgium. He also spent six years on the board of CAMRA and co-authored the well-received Brew like a Monk. This new book - now available - show us what happens when two fantastic writers team up to celebrate a topic they are respectively quite passionate about, and the final product could not have turned out better. 

Credit: World Atlas of BeerThe hardcover version of this book is a signifcant piece of work to behold - at almost 11.5"x9.5" and over 250 pages it will rival most coffee table books in your home - if not in sheer size, then certainly in content. The impressive volume of data, gorgeous photography, infographics, brewery maps, pairing advice, and thoughtful tasting notes for over 500 beers make this one of the most comprehensive yet consise works on international beer that I have seen to date. The great beer writer Michael Jackson would have been proud to feast his eyes on such a masterful work. It is, after all, in his tradition that we continue to publish meaningful and respectful works about the greatest (though oft snubbed and under-appreciated) beverage in the world. 

Neither Beaumont nor Webb is American (Beaumont is Canadian and Webb, British) - and I actually think that is an important aspect to the success of this book. While I, like many Americans, tout the greatness of the big, bold American brews, I am guilty of missing some of the finer points of the subtler brews;

Click to read more ...

The Taxonomy of Beer

Francesca Greggs is a designer over at lemonwooddesign and sent me this great little infographic. You can own one of these prints if you head over to the site. 

Click to read more ...

Something Borrowed, Something Brewed

Here's something sent my way: an original web series, and in this episode, a beer tasting. So happens I recently visited 508 Gastrobrewery (featured in the video) and it was quite good. Check it out...

Beer is Good

Another cool infographic, this time from frugaldad.com - thought I'd share with you all...

Click to read more ...

The State of the Union of Beer

I often get press releases and announcements sent my way from marketers, various organizations, and even occassionally brewers. Sometimes I feel I'm remiss in not turning these back around for the readers of this site - but in this case, I wanted to speak up and get this one out to you all. 

I'm a huge fan of the Brewers Association - Charlie Papazian's non-profit trade org - and they recently posted the Top 50 Breweries of 2011. The list is based on sales volume from small and craft US breweries. An interesting note from the read:

In the last 15 years, craft brewing has gone from one percent of the overall beer market to almost six percent in 2011,” said Paul Gatza, director of the Brewers Association. “We attribute a large part of that growth to the many talented brewers who are providing beer lovers with more beer style and flavor choices than ever before.

It's interesting to look at this and see

Click to read more ...

52Brews in Maine

View 52Brews in Maine in a larger map

Summer is long gone, but my memories of Maine could never fade as fast. As August came to close, my wife and I embarked on an epic journey across the great Pine Tree State - from Newry and Lovell to Acadia National Park and Bar Harbor, to Bangor, then south through Portland and on to Boston (yes I know Boston's not in Maine) - never did the great state disappoint.

Hailing from the metro-sprawl of New York, inundated by the modern "conveniences" of fast-paced, over-saturated living, I too-often take for granted the value of simplicity. Small business, sustainability, neighborly ways, and plain ol' peace & quiet go a long way in many of the towns we visited.

Now... before I get too warm & fuzzy on you, keep one thing in mind: many of these same values contribute to one of my favorite things about Maine: tons of local beer. It seems everywhere we went I had no problem finding something local or pseudo-local on tap. Better yet, when I wasn't drinking local beer, I was drinking great beer. 

The map above helps outline the trip a bit - where these places are located, where our journey took us. Use the map to find links and locations for each of the below. 

Click to read more ...

Wilderness Brewing: A Kickstarter Project

I try always to wield the microphone for good, never evil - I'm simply interested in supporting small brewers and the craft beer revolution. Further, I never solicit products I can't stand behind. I have - on more than one occasion, and perhaps to a fault - declined sponsored content on this site; and even when I have received a product from a company, I won't offer an inflated review. I wish only to offer my sincere support behind products, people, and events I enjoy, without contamination of financial influence. 

Mike and Nate from Thank Heaven for Beer have a good thing going with their site. I want to help them get an even better thing going, with the launch of their own brewery. I have been following their content for quite a while, and their passion for good beer is undeniable. I can tell you that their mission is sincere, and I assure you that a gift to Wilderness Brewing can and will be the gift that keeps on giving. Read further to check out their video and see how you can help Mike and Nate's cause.

Click to read more ...

52Brews in Europe: Prologue

View 52Brews in Europe in a larger map

16 glorious days in Europe, 2200 mediocre photos, and 2 weeks of post-vacation depression is all it takes to change the world. 

I sampled the Aperol in Venice, I scaled the bell tower in Bruges, and I beheld the Beefeaters in London. I went to the mountains, I looked to the children, I drank from the fountain, and I bless the rains down in Africa... And soon I'll beget the 3-part story of my journey. 

Stay tuned.

The Copper Mine Pub

Call it good luck, good fortune, or even serendipity. I'll call it an awesome idea on an otherwise average Sunday afternoon. That idea was to embark on a journey to North Arlington, NJ following a string of recommendations and some stellar B.A. reviews of the Copper Mine Pub.

North Arlington is about a 25 minute drive from home- a little further than my wife and I like to travel for our average bar; not to mention the drive to North Arlington takes us through some of the less-desirable areas of NJ. But this is a spot that has been on my 'to-do' list for some time, and as I soon found out, this place is far from average.

While traveling down the main thoroughfare, the small gray building on the corner of Ridge Rd and Crystal St would have been easy to miss if it wasn't for the bold blue awning I recognized from the B.A. profile page. The Copper Mine has a modest gravel driveway off the side street amidst a strangely barren, sort of industrial suburbia. Perhaps augmented by the quiet tendencies of a Sunday, the whole area was empty - all except for the ominous, towering monolithic presence of a bizarre mechanical lift that overlooked the site from across the street. As we abandoned our car, I wondered if the mechanized beast would awake from its slumber to swallow our vehicle- indemnification for our disruptive arrival; a legitimate concern, I assure you.

Click to read more ...

Dogfish Head Punkin Ale

I decree, "Let the Pompion be beaten in a Trough," my friends, "and pressed as Apples."

These strange words, extracted from papers of the Benjamin Franklin founded American Philosophical Society, date back to 1771, effectively marking one of the oldest pumpkin ale recipes on record. The recipe, as I've been able to find it in its entirety (from multiple sources):

Receipt for Pompion Ale: Let the Pompion be beaten in a Trough and pressed as Apples. The expressed Juice is to be boiled in a Copper a considerable Time and carefully skimmed that there may be no Remains of the fibrous Part of the Pulp. After that Intention is answered let the Liquor be hopped cooled fermented &c. as Malt Beer.

If you're a craft beer loving American like me, it may be hard to believe that pumpkin ale predates our own Declaration of Independence. It was hard enough for me to accept that pumpkin beer predates the recent craft beer revolution, never mind that it was prevalent in the 18th century. 

Click to read more ...

52Brews featured on The Brew Club

A few weeks ago, Scott, a fellow NJ beer blogger (The Brew Club), reached out to me regarding an awesome idea he had to promote beer bloggers in New Jersey. I should mention (in the spirit of my last post) that I have never met Scott personally, but I have been following his posts on Twitter for quite some time. Scott and I share the common goal of educating the masses by creating additional exposure for great beer - that is a mission I can get behind!

Those of us who reside in this great state know that there is a real lack of craft beer around the watering holes and pubs here. With his regular updates, Scott is taking great strides to change perceptions and amplify the image of the great brewers around the nation. Moreover, his commendable efforts supporting local establishments go above and beyond the call of duty for any one person.

Scott will be featuring a different NJ beer blogger on his site each week. This week I am extremely honored to be the subject of his post, and I extend a warm thanks and my sincere appreciation for this amazing gesture. Scott truly exemplifies the passion and synergy among the online beer enthusiasts, both on Twitter and in the larger blogosphere. More than anything, I hope these weekly bios go a long way to promote craft beer here in NJ, and even further to feed life into this thriving online community.

5 Ways Twitter Can Help Craft Beer

Over the last several years, the online realm has undergone an incredible makeover. The trend has shifted from a focus on creating an online presence, to the need to establish live 24/7 interactivity. As businesses struggle to keep up with online trends, some websites and social networks are becoming obsolete as quickly as they rose to fame.

Companies who are a little behind the curve are racing to get on MySpace, only to learn that all the traffic has already migrated to Facebook and Twitter. While a number of businesses remain confused and overwhelmed by the latest micro-blogging craze, the competition is reaping the benefits of the best form of marketing and advertising since television.

Click to read more ...

Great Beer in Midtown NYC

I have been assembling a list of good beer spots in midtown New York City for a little while. Funny as it may seem, it is incredibly challenging to find great beer in midtown. 

While there are some amazing bars in the village, or better yet in Brooklyn, it seems the tourist trap that is midtown NYC houses very few decent beer bars. I had been keeping this list for personal use - recommendations for friends and family mostly - but have since decided I would post my thoughts on these places and open up the discussion to the rest of the world. 

The Midtown Ale Trail is a list of outstanding bars and restaurants doing their part to offer noteworthy craft beer selections. Of the places I have visited, I rated each of the locations in three categories (vibe, service, and beer selection), and hope to open up a little discussion about other extraordinary stops around midtown.

This is by no means a complete or final list - quite the contrary, I hope this can grow over time. And while some may find reason to criticize my rating scale, know that I am singing the praises of ALL of these establishments by the mere fact they appear on the list. If a bar has nothing but American pale lagers on tap and offers Blue Moon as their 'craft' selection, you won't see them here.

Check out the site's latest addition - let me know what you think. Bookmark MidtownAle.com or use the navigation link to The Midtown Ale Trail on the upper right side of this page. 

The Shepherd & the Knucklehead

It's that time to talk New Jersey beer culture again. I've whined a bit here and there about NJ beer - there simply isn't enough of it. For that matter, there aren't enough beer bars, and most of the people around here couldn't care less about good beer. As far as I'm concerned, I'm not doing my job unless I periodically throw the few great local establishments some love.

I told you about the tasting at the Cloverleaf Tavern, and I stand by that place as my local bar and grill. While the Cloveleaf has a great rotating bottle selection and some consistent taps, they tailor more to the 'family & friends' crowd, a little less to the hardcore beer geek crowd.

When I'm looking for truly outstanding beer on pristine taps, however, there's a little-known hole in the wall over in Haledon, NJ that keeps 26 taps of regularly-rotating, outstanding brew: The Shepherd and the Knucklehead.

Click to read more ...