Relentless Thirst Rare & Vintage Tasting

On Beer Writing

Not So Quiet on the Western Front

Made in North Carolina
Back in March, I created a brief blurb about the explosive growth of locally brewed beer in Asheville, North Carolina, and the support its received from a relatively small but adamant populace. With potentially four more brewing operations opening there in the very near future, don’t be surprised if Asheville takes the crown for best beer city in America. Recently, I got a chance to survey the landscape of our beer-loving neighbors to the south a little further when a friend from Asheville brought with him some fresh growlers from some prominent regional breweries. The firs

Chronicles of a Homebrewer
Things haven’t been all quiet on the homebrewing front, I’ve just been neglecting to sit down and actually pen something about my recent adventures. But I’d like to use this space to provide you with an update regarding recent goings-on in my brewing laboratory kitchen. At the beginning of August I had a hankering for some easy-drinking, thirst-quenching Best Bitter. So naturally I brewed a batch to sustain me well into the fall. Personally, I’m a huge fan of Maris Otter malt and opted for that as the base, with a half-pound Victory included for some biscuity complexity in the grain bill. Having procured some whole leaf Amarillo hops

A Word With Schneider & Sohn
So I didn’t talk to the actual Georg Schneider or his son, but a while back I did get to sit down with the brewery’s Director of Export Sales and Biersommelière Susanne Hecht. One of the few female certified beer sommelieres in the world, Hecht has been with Private Weissbierbrauerei Schneider & Sohn ever since taking a part-time position tending bar at the brewery while studying in college. A native of Kelheim, the Bavarian town where Schneider consolid

On “Gifting” and Beer Journalism
Yesterday’s edition of the Wall Street Journal featured a front-page article explaining the Federal Trade Commission’s crack-down on private companies donating “gifts” to bloggers. The quotations are employed for effect, because one man’s “gift” is another’s “marketing tool.” It’s plainly obvious that the goal of these gifts is to generate a buzz about a product through the various channels that the internet provides. It’s a quick and easy way to get more eyes focused on whatever you’re selling, and it

Blind Tiger Ale House
Amidst the bustling streets of Manhattan lies a beer oasis of sorts, a place to go when you’re sick of standing shoulder-to-shoulder with complete strangers on the street and would prefer sitting shoulder-to-shoulder with complete strangers drinking good beer. If you happen to find yourself in Greenwich Village, the Blind Tiger provides such an escape. After meandering the streets of SoHo, we decided to take a much-needed break from the crowds. Well, as much of a break as we could muster anyway.