SATURDAY MARKS the 500th anniversary of Reinheitsgebot, the German law that simply decreed beer can be made with only water, barley, and hops. Yet there is nothing simple about Reinheitsgebot, starting with its name, which Americans can correctly pronounce only after a liter of lager or two.
For, even after half a millennium, the edict remains a lightning rod for … Read the rest
Appearance:Should be clear, although unfiltered dry-hopped versions may be a bit hazy.
A BIT HAZY?
That might be the traditional standard. But these days, some of America’s top-rated India pale ales are as overcast as the airspace above South Philly’s oil refinery on an August afternoon.
Murky, cloudy, and even milk-like are some of the descriptors for the likes of … Read the rest
IMAGINE ORDERING a nice, cold pint of beer in a bar, but before the foam has a chance to settle, the bartender pulls out a syringe and gives the glass a squirt of alcohol.
Forget about careful brewing methods or even enjoyable flavor. Just choke down your dose of ethyl alcohol like it’s medicine.
This was needle beer, and it’s … Read the rest
EXACTLY WHAT is Yards Brewing selling in its new series of videos, Yards Good Fight?
It sure doesn’t look like beer.
The 90-second pieces shown online and in social media are part of the Northern Liberties brewery’s ongoing Brew Unto Others advertising campaign that aims to frame the brewery as a solid part of the community.
So far, two Good … Read the rest
ONE NIGHT in 1987, Jeffrey Rosenblum opened a bottle of Whitbread Ale and poured himself a glass. He took a sip and glanced down at the bottle.
Something caught his eye. Something unspoken, something visceral. Something.
He rose from his living room couch and placed the empty on the mantle.
That’s where it all began. With a single bottle of … Read the rest
IF THERE IS A MOTHERLAND for American beer drinkers, it is Ireland.
True, our brewing heritage might reach back to Germany or England, and we seem to have a soft spot for Belgium. But our drinking chops come straight from Dublin, and if you don’t believe me, get off your butt today on St. Patrick’s Day, the national holiday of … Read the rest
I’m a firm believer that there’s no better way to discover a new town than from a bar stool, and that was never better illustrated than my trek last weekend to north-central Pennsylvania.
This big-city boy has lived in Philadelphia nearly his entire life, never bothering to venture a mere two hours to the small towns that cling to the … Read the rest
POPULAR WISDOM says Americans vote for presidential candidates whom they’d like to have a beer with. That explains how easygoing George W. Bush beat stiff John Kerry in 2004.
Maybe there’s some truth to the adage, but, then again, Bush was a teetotaler who invaded the wrong country, so: Bad way to choose a president.
Which brings me to Donald … Read the rest
One of the simple yet overlooked joys of beer is that it comes in a bottle or a can, ready to drink. Grab an opener or just yank the pull-tab, and you’re good to go. No assembly required.
Which is why the arrival of any new, high-tech beer-dispensing gadget gives me pause. Put me in the if-it-ain’t-broke-don’t-fix-it league.
That seems … Read the rest
The story is familiar to Philadelphia-area beer drinkers:Two fifth graders named Bill and Ron meet on a school bus, become fast friends, grow up together, learn to make beer, and many years later open Victory Brewing in an old Pepperidge Farm bakery in Downingtown.
Tales like these are part of the hagiography of craft brewing, a backstory that distinguishes Victory … Read the rest