Author: fawnward

At this point in craft beer’s lively existence, many avid imbibers are aware that most beer should be consumed fresh. As in, as fresh as possible. There are some styles that fare well or even better with some age, and although that segment of the industry has grown exponentially in recent times, the vast majority…

More classics. An old one and a new one. There are many schools of cornbread, but to me there’s one true winner: all-cornmeal buttermilk skillet cornbread with lard or bacon fat. The dusty, sweet, rich and tart flavors are real comfort food. You could certainly drink a lager or an amber with cornbread, but I’d…

Malted barley has many forms. In brewing, we speak of two categories: base malts and specialty malts. A base malt is the main star: a nicely modified, malted grain that easily converts its starches to sugar in the right environment (the mash). Base malts absolutely have signature flavors and characters–but specialty malts are, for lack…

Since the weather’s been ridiculous and wintery lately I’ve been spending more of my time watching movies–and more recently, the Olympics! Obviously the best snack with screen time is popcorn, and I especially love homemade popcorn. It’s far fresher and you can customize the seasoning and add flavors of choice.  A number of beers would…

Hops, barley, and coconut: one of these things is not quite like the others. Coconut obviously does not usually thrive in traditional barley and hop-growing regions, and is a fairly contemporary addition to beer profiles and recipes. And yet, it’s cropping up in quite a few places. I like coconut, and I like beer, so…

Beer and nuts! A match made in heaven. You’re already quite familiar with the classic (dive bar) combination of shelled roasted peanuts and light lagers, so why don’t we branch out a little and incorporate more beer styles and more types of nuts? Today I have a nice Belgian Dubbel and roasted pistachios. Pistachios can…

Willamette hops are a truly notable variety of American hops. Named after the river and major hop growing region in Oregon, the hop has been an important player in NW farming and American brewing since it was introduced to market in 1976. While Washington state grows the vast majority of commercial hops in the US…

Two of my favorite things are right here: potatoes and IPA. There are a lot of options here for pairings, though, so I hope you’re ready for some variety. First, you must decide: what kind of potato salad? Classic summer BBQ style loaded up with mayo, boiled eggs, pickles and onions? German style with bacon…

Strictly speaking, “winter beer” or “winter ale” isn’t a specific category of beer like stout, amber or gose. It isn’t a style that reaches back decades or centuries to Europe, and it hasn’t really become an emerging craft trend in the US either, although it’s a common seasonal lineup for most craft breweries. As a bartender…

It’s winter here in Seattle, which means it’s time to enjoy all the sauerkraut (and drink all the beers, but that’s not limited to one season)! I love a good fermented vegetable, and I have a particular affinity for well-made German-style beers, and it turns out the two go great together. Of course, you would…