You know the history of hazy IPAs, right? It goes back to Vermont’s Alchemist Brewery and its iconic double IPA, Heady Topper. But did you know the role a hurricane played in the story? Or the fact that Heady is a slightly awkward avatar for the current style? Or what Alchemist founder John Kimmich thinks about hazy IPAs? Listen and learn!
Read MoreAmerican wheat ales are among the oldest beers brewed in the craft era, and enjoy the virtue of being a largely native style. Despite garnering very little attention these days, they still sell pretty well. There’s even some signs they’re starting to evolve.
Read MoreWhile I do my civic duty and sit in the Multnomah County Courthouse waiting to be called to serve on a jury, I have another interesting case of civic life in America in 2026. It involves clandestine political events, a Latino brewery and Cinco de Mayo.
Read MoreCraft beer has bumped up against a volume ceiling in recent years, topping out at about 15% of the market. Hidden within that bad news is an opportunity. Are there customers breweries just aren’t attracting? pFriem’s new Tropical Hazy IPA is an attempt to find out.
Read MoreAt the Craft Brewers Conference, people were talking about good vibes. Yet the industry’s performance, measured by dollars, anyway, is pretty grim. Is this a contradiction, or should the Brewers Association just be measuring different stats?
Read MorePortland’s Great Notion Brewing is turning ten, and we are celebrating by giving out two free tickets to their anniversary party in June. In addition to the usual music and fun, they’ll be offering more than three dozen special beers, most of which you won’t find anywhere else.
Read MoreIn the event, it’s a can of Hamm’s and something water-clear that smells of grain alcohol. (Which turned out to be a kamikaze.) Mark ordered one each for the three of us to sample on our little ethnographic exploration. Tab: $12. For all three.
Read MoreNotes about the latest episode of One Iconic Beer, plus a program note or two from the road in Philadelphia.
Read MoreThe Brewers Association has their annual year-end numbers out for 2025 and as expected, it’s a bit grim. Yet within the overall dark picture, there are a few fascinating trends and details, and I have ‘em all for you.
Read MorePop quiz: which state has more expensive beer, Wisconsin, Colorado, or Texas? The folks at Toast have some numbers out this week, and they’re quite interesting.
Read MoreWith ten varieties released in the past year, hop breeding enters its most prolific era. Three trends define the hop industry: commercial consolidation, the arrival of small players, and the overall decline in acreage. Let’s look at the new varieties and where things stand today.
Read MoreWe are about to go through a massive, society-wide disruption I don’t think most people see coming. It has to do with the written word, not beer, but as a practitioner of the former, I have a few thoughts.
Read MoreLast night, the Oregon Beer Awards were handed out in a joyful celebration. A few notes on some of the winners, and how the mood of the night may suggest a transition in the beer industry.
Read MoreIncreasingly, states are hosting their own beer competitions, and the way they organize them tells us a lot about what kinds of beers people are actually drinking. And here’s a cool thing: we can discern regional preferences in them.
Read MoreCelebrate Oregon Beer is looking for some volunteers — and all you have to do is visit breweries to help. What could be easier? We’re also looking for an Oregon-based podcaster.
Read MoreExactly ten years ago, I predicted where beer would be in 2026. Well, how did I do?
Read MoreWhere naming is concerned, meeting customers where they are seems like sensible advice. Describing your beer as a black lager will appeal to more people than “schwarzbier” would. There are limits to this advice, however.
Read MoreWhat is the main driver of the way a base malt tastes, the barley variety or the malting process? In a long-overdue part two on my series on malting, we learn the answer.
Read MoreI am very excited to announce the launch of a new podcast: “One Iconic Beer.” It will land in your favorite email service on Monday, and in the meantime, here’s an introduction about what it’s about.
Read MoreA quote from a founding-era craft brewer about why he started his brewery got me thinking. Maybe less romance would be a helpful way to think about it.
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