New Year News
I don’t know how to decorate this post, so here’s a shot of a pretty Schneider Aventinus I had this week.
Some exciting announcements and updates as the new year begins. (They may actually be exciting, too.) Let’s start with this: a brand new pod!
1. One Iconic Beer is a new project I’m doing with All About Beer that was inspired by my Making of a Classic series. It’s an ambitious show in that we plan to do slightly elevated storytelling. Instead of a single interview where we kibbitz with the owner/brewer about a beer, we’re doing multiple interviews, and editing them into a narrative that will discuss an important—or iconic—beer. AAB editor John Holl reached out with this idea, but I don’t think he expected me to say yes and then ask him to do a bunch of extra work and sophisticated editing. I am happy that he was willing to give it a try, though—I’m very excited by the show and I think it will be something beer fans will really enjoy. We’ve got one ep recorded and in process, with a plan to release a new one each month. Stay tuned for more!
2. Webinar on American Beer. The Wine & Spirit Education Trust (WSET) is a British nonprofit that provides training and credentials for professionals in the drinks industry. Founded in 1969, it was originally focused on wine, but has evolved to include a broader range of beverages, and they have recently begun building out a beer education component. As a part of this, they are currently offering a series of free webinars on the history and culture of several important brewing countries. They have already completed segments on Britain (video), Belgium (video), and Germany (video), and they asked me to do one on the U.S.
This is right up my alley, because it allows me to detail the chain of causality that led the U.S. to develop the beer culture it has today. My webinar will be on Feb 26 at 10a PT/1p ET, and did I mention it’s free? Here’s the announcement and registration.
Until about forty years ago, most Americans didn't believe they had a beer culture, and the mass market lagers churned out by names like Schlitz, Miller, and Coors were not prized for their character. That view obscured an important foundation in American beer culture dating back to the mid-19th century, however, when German immigrants introduced the country to their world-famous lagers. That history, along with events like Prohibition, mass industrialization, and the tin can, all created a foundation for the craft beer renaissance--and the development of the hop-driven styles that helped spread craft brewing around the globe. In this one-hour webinar, we'll touch on the foundations of American brewing, and then explore how the craft brewing era introduced an entirely new way of thinking about and brewing beer. Rarely do we see the birth of a new national brewing tradition, but beginning in the 1980s, that's what happened in the United States. It's a fascinating story about a brewing renaissance and the beers it produced.
3. Twenty Years Blogging. I launched this website almost twenty years ago (the anniversary is in February—the 26th, actually, same as the webinar). At the time, friend, economist, and erstwhile podcast host Patrick Emerson teased me: “A blog? Wow! They don’t give those to just anyone, you know.” (He would later go on to found his own economics blog.) And it was true: the barriers to entry were nil. Anyone could start a blog. Keeping one alive for two decades, however—that’s another matter.
I don’t know what I might to do to make the milestone, but I think I’ll hold out for 25 before I do anything very grand. If you have suggestions, I’m all ears. In the meantime, if you’d like to help me celebrate, here are a few ways:
Buy my books. The Beer Bible is currently selling for $10 on Amazon, which works out to .0042 cents per word, which is a pretty good deal. I do honestly believe it’s the best single-volume resource on beer written in English, which makes it a doubly good deal.
Throw a buck in the tip jar (or more—more is always appreciated!).
And last, and this is what I would really love: subscribe to the Celebrate Oregon Beer newsletter. It’s free, and we only send it twice a month. It has fantastic content: news, events, and an original article. And people love it. The average newsletter open rate (the number of people who actually look at the email) is 22%. Most folks are delighted if they can get a third of their list to open the email. Our newsletter open rate average is 74%. Oregon is an important brewing region, and even if you live far away, I think you’ll enjoy it.
Update. I forgot this one!
4. CBC Panel Presentation. I am pleased to announce that the research we helped organize on fresh hop beers last fall is getting featured at the Craft Brewers Conference in April. In a panel discussion I’m moderating, we’ll discuss fresh hop beers. It’s a pretty stellar line-up, too: hops researcher and OSU professor Tom Shellhammer, Breakside master brewer Ben Edmunds, Coleman Agriculture’s Garrett Weaver, and Fat Head’s brewmaster Matt Cole. Here’s part of the description—stop in and see us if you’re planning to go to Philly! (Our slot is Tuesday 4/21 at 10:30am)
This seminar delivers a practical, brewer-focused playbook for getting the most out of fresh hops. You'll hear firsthand perspectives from growers, brewers, and researchers, covering everything from hot-side vs. cold-side applications to storage and shipping logistics. We'll share lessons learned from a collaborative brewing trial with four Oregon craft breweries, where each brewed paired beers—one with freshly harvested hops and one with dried hop controls—evaluated for sensory qualities and consumer response. You'll see the data on what drinkers actually notice, prefer, and expect from a fresh hop beer.