Once upon a time, beer commercials were so salient in American life that they sparked merchandise—and everybody repeated them to each other. Today they’re mostly bland in that corporate way, sometimes entertaining, but wholly disconnected from the drinker or the product. What happened?
Read MoreBass Pale Ale is one of the most important three or five or ten beers ever brewed (please debate), and in telling its story, we also trace the contours of British brewing. Helping us tell this story are illustrious writer Pete Brown and Dr. Harry White, who worked at Bass from 1977-’07. It’s White, Brown, and Bass on One Iconic Beer.
Read MoreHow do hot Springs affect a hop crop? After an alarming story by local TV station KGW about Oregon’s crop this year, I reached out to several hop growers to get the lowdown. Fortunately, they painted a happier picture.
Read MoreWho says there’s nothing good on TV anymore?
Read MoreIn recent numbers released by the Brewers Association in New Brewer magazine, we can see the performance of a number of larger “craft breweries.” Here’s a chart that shows their performance over a five-year span—along with a provocation in the title.
Read MoreAbout three months ago, Von Ebert launched a fascinating experiment. They dropped the price on their gold-medal light lager, Clubhaus, to an astonishing three bucks. The effect it has had on their business offers an intriguing lesson for breweries struggling in hard times.
Read MoreThe story of Cascade hops stretches all the way back to 1955, and is one of the keys to the beer we drink today. In anticipation of the all-Cascade Oregon Homegrown collaboration, I have the fascinating history of America’s most important hop.
Read MoreThe latest Oregon Homegrown collaboration kicks off this week. Fifteen breweries are making beers with Oregon yeast and an Oregon-bred and Oregon-grown hop variety in a project that highlights how special Oregon beer culture is. And this year’s hop, Cascade, features a new twist.
Read MoreSteve Luke has sold his Seattle brewery to Yakima-based Bale Breaker and is moving with his wife to New Zealand. While it may be a good move for Steve, he will leave an empty space in the Pacific Northwest when he goes.
Read MoreYesterday Google announced a new era in the way they mediate web searches, using AI to scrape the internet to provide summaries rather than links, so people never have to visit the pesky websites from which Google stole the information. It is going to be very bad for sites like this one.
Read MoreYou 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.
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