How to Find the Right Craft Beer for Macro Drinkers

Today I’m discussing techniques for helping customers (or friends) choose beer that they will love and enjoy. This is an underappreciated skill to have as a service professional (or a great skill to have as a colleague). I personally would love to see everyone behind the bar better able to quickly guide someone to the beer or beverage they’ll be excited to drink. It’s not always a simple task, especially at busy establishments or with the type of endless line of impatient drinkers typical of many brewery taproom settings, but it’s a big part of being more outwardly inclusive to everyone with an interest in beer. Because beer is for everyone.* 

Baking with Beer: Bourbon Barrel Aged Stout & Apple Cake

I’m not quite ready for fall, but I am ready for cake. Cake has no season. And I happen to have an overstock of barrel-aged beers in my cellar (I know, rough life), so here you have it: a bourbon barrel aged stout and apple cake. It’s a fluffy, homestyle just-enough-apple-topped cake richly flavored with sweet bourbony, barrely stout. This is a pretty killer way to have your beer and eat it too–especially since the recipe only calls for 1 cup of beer, leaving you plenty to sip alongside.

The Session Sessions: Caldera Lawnmower Lager

In this series I showcase craft beer under 5% ABV: because life is too short to just have one beer. All posts are uncompensated and opinions are my own.

What I’m drinking today

Caldera Lawnmower Lager is a 3.9% American lager brewed and canned in Ashland, Ore. It’s a lovely clear pour with a mild but crisp pilsner flavor and a light malt sweetness–nothing complicated here.

Barkeep’s Corner: Flow-Control Faucets

Barkeep’s Corner is a series of posts discussing equipment, concepts and techniques useful to beer servers and bartenders. 

Today we’re talking about a special item: flow-control faucets. You may have seen or worked with them in bars that feature a lot of European (especially Belgian) beer brands or perhaps you’ve noticed them at a newer brewery tasting room. Certain bars that bring in a wide variety of beer styles may also choose to use them. They’re not everywhere, but if you live in a craft beer-loving part of the country you will probably notice them at some point.

Beer Garden: Coriander

This series of articles discusses ingredients other than hops traditionally or contemporarily used in beer that can be grown and/or harvested in the Northern Hemisphere.

A well-known spice in so many cuisines of the world, coriander was and still is an important product of the world spice trade. It’s also an ingredient in certain beer styles and has a long history of use in brewing.

The Session Sessions: Da Shootz! American Pilsner

In this series I showcase craft beer under 5% ABV: because life is too short to just have one beer. All posts are uncompensated and opinions are my own.

What I’m drinking today

Da Shootz! American Pilsner is a 4% ABV lager brewed by Deschutes Brewing Co. It’s a very light-bodied beer with lemon-lime notes, a crisp finish and a refreshing carbonation level.

Baking with Beer: Lemon-Poppyseed Hefeweizen Tea Cake

Well, that’s a mouthful. The cake on the other hand is not: it’s light, delicate, crumbly in the best way, tart, sweet, and delightfully beery. This is a simple recipe that makes a not-too-fancy sweet treat to have around the house–or you can definitely dress it up with some add-ons and serve it for dessert, bring it to a BBQ or put it on a brunch platter.

State of the Style: Pilsners

In this series I visit contemporary beer styles and examine where they currently sit in today’s market. Tastes, demands, equipment and supplies change over time, which leads beer styles to adapt and evolve. So, just how did we get from there to here, and why?

Today’s focus is one of my favorite styles. Pilsners have a history rich in human developments–creatively, scientifically and engineering-wise. I could lie and say that’s the reason I love pilsners so much–but really, I can mostly just point to the crisp, clean grain and delicious goodness of a well-made pint.

Pale Ale & (Cold) Roast Chicken

There’s not really a season to roasting meats, but I do always crave the coziness of a whole roast bird in the cooler months. Holidays aside, it’s a super satisfying way to heat your kitchen up, infuse it with delicious aromas, and have a great feast of a meal. And the bonus, unless you happen to have a very large family, is the leftovers! Cold roast chicken is becoming a favorite of mine. You can dress it up or keep it simple. So what’s my beverage of choice with these divine leftovers? A solid American pale ale. One with a light body, bright, citrusy or piney hops, balanced–not so much an IPA with training wheels on type of pale or a fruit punch type of pale (though experiment on your own!)

What to Drink at Thanksgiving

In my house, beer is on almost every celebratory table, but for many Americans, Thanksgiving often leans toward wine–red, in particular. Now I have absolutely nothing against a lovely dinner with wine, but I wanted to remind everyone in their Thanksgiving planning that beer also deserves some serious consideration! I’m thankful for beer. Aren’t you?