In late May 2019, I spent four days judging beer with brewers and beer professionals from all over the NW United States at the International Beer Awards in Idaho Falls, ID. About 100 judges worked through nearly 2,000 entries to decide which samples were the best of the best in each category. Utah claimed 25 […]
Kveik – The Wonder Yeast!
For lovers of history and ancient beer styles, everything old becomes new again. Kveik is one of the latest examples of something that has been around for centuries hitting the mainstream. Kveik, however, is not a beer style. It’s a type of yeast. In fact, the word “kveik” (pronounced “kvike”) is a literal Norwegian translation […]
Beer So Fine You Can See Through It
Before hazy beer roused itself into the spotlight of suds, there was a long era of clear beer. A glass of crystalline pilsner was the perfect window to a sunny afternoon on the patio. Clarity and quality were often seen hand in hand, with several exceptions for brews made dark or with wheat. Clear beer […]
5 Things You Should Know About Das Reinheitsgebot
If your German is rusty, fear not. I’m gonna break this down for you into tiny little pretzel bites. I must admit, I’ve been putting off this post for well over a year for fear that I’d butcher the most pure and sacred law that has carried German lagerbier as as we know it into […]
2019 Big Beers Seminar Experience Part III: Ancient Nordic Beer Styles
Welcome to the third and final installment of 2019 Big Beers Seminar Experience. If you missed any related seminar or festival experience posts, they can be found below. 2019 Big Beers Seminar Experience Part I: Water Chemistry 2019 Big Beers Seminar Experience Part II: Foraging For Beer The 2019 Big Beers, Belgians & Barleywines Festival […]
Hello, Grisette, Pleased to Meet You!
I recently received an introduction to the beer style, grisette, courtesy of Salt Lake’s newest brewery, Toasted Barrel. While the style has been gaining some popularity in the craft beer scene for the past few years, it was my first encounter. When I asked the brewer what it was, he explained, “It’s like a saison […]