Simple words, huge impact.

Sorry, I have to start with some simple math. In 2015, overall beer production in the US was slightly down (.2%) versus 2014. But did you know that craft beer production was up 12.8%?
If we break beer into three categories: domestic, craft, and import, craft now accounts for 12.2% of beer in the US.

There are now well over 4,000 microbreweries, brewpubs and regional breweries in the US. 4,000! There are 44 “non-craft” breweries in the US. So, 44 breweries account for almost 88% of US beer. 4,000+ micros only provide 12.2%. But craft breweries are growing and starting at a very fast rate, and the big boys are certainly taking notice. (Note what happened recently with Terrapin becoming part of the MillerCoors behemoth.)

This is where you come in. And this is really less about the craft vs. macro debate. That’s a discussion for another day. This is about exploring … and supporting. When you travel, do a little research and find some good local brews. Check out some great sites/ apps like Beer Mapping Project, TapHunter, and CraftBeer.com. (FYI, the clickable map on craftbeer.com is pretty flipping awesome.) Just give it a try. Now, I’m not saying that you have to set aside time to go visit the brewery. Just familiarize yourself with some of the local choices, and then head to the local watering hole, which SHOULD have some local flavors on tap. If they don’t – you might need a new local watering hole.

What happens when you drink local?

• You support a small, local business. Listen, AB-InBev and MillerCoors are not hurting for income. But the lady next door who started a brewery out of her love for beer – she might need more support getting her dream off the ground. Buying those products supports the local economy and can help the fledgling brewery achieve its goals.
• You can be the one to alert your friends about a new beer or brewery. If you use Untappd like I do. you will often check in with a beer that thousands of people have had. However, sometimes
  

  you can find one with hardly any notice … yet. Don’t you feel like a trailblazer when you can tell your friends, “Hey, next time you’re heading through Auburn/ Opelika, Alabama, stop by Red Clay Southern Bumpkin.” Be the trendsetter!

• You can continue to expand your horizons. Yes, I like a Fat Tire or a Sweetwater 420 as much as the next guy, but I can get those just about any day. When I was in Kansas City this week, I had the great joy to have a KC Bier Co Dunkel and a Freestate Copperhead. Both delicious and both likely not found anywhere near where I live.
• Last week, I went to a brewery near the house – Gate City. I have had their Copperhead Amber before, and it was awesome. But visiting the brewery gave me the opportunity to enjoy about 5 or 6 more tastes. I learned about their beer, I learned about my taste preferences, I supported a local business. Life can’t get better!
• And tonight, I return for my second trip to Abbey of the Holy Goats. If nothing else, I love for them for the fun name. But the beer is simply AWESOME. I tell ya – #DRINKLOCAL. You’ll love the ride!

Okay, this has the potential to be the most controversial post I’ve ever written. I think everyone on the planet will have a visual or a a thought that appears upon hearing the word, ‘Superhero.’ No, this post isn’t about saying that every brewmaster is a superhero in my book (although they are.)  This is something completely different.

I don’t know if it’s apathy, not wanting to spend $12, the fact that I don’t really like going to movies or what. But I have largely been absent in theaters during the superhero movie resurgence of the past 20 years. So, when I say ‘superhero’, my brain immediately goes back to the old school Justice League of my youth. Cartoons. Superman, Wonder Woman, Green Lantern, the Wonder Twins (Zan & Jayna). I’m just not all that up to speed on the more recent movies and concepts: Fantastic Four, Darkman, X-Men, Fantastic Four, etc.

Just saw a preview for the new Batman vs. Superman movie. After I got over my initial concern (I mean, aren’t they supposed to be buddies, cruising around the Justice League HQ together?), I started thinking. If every superhero were to be personified in the form of a beer, what beer what they be? Stated differently, if the Wonder Twins fist-bumped their rings and said, “Form Of …”

So, here are my thoughts. Disagree in the comments below. Or on Facebook. Or send all of your NOTE:  this is not a list of beers I love necessarily.  Without any more wordiness …
friends here to say how awesome we are.  Your call.

• Batman. Batman is mysterious, shrouded in secrecy, and extremely efficient. Breckenridge, one of my favorite breweries, made an amber called … wait for it … Brews Wayne. Come on, it’s mysterious and secretive. And really clever. This is a no-brainer.
• Wonder Woman. She’s in an invisible plane and can somehow deflect everything that comes her way with some wristbands and a lasso. Needless to say, she’s prepared for everything. Sierra Nevada Pale Ale is a beer that speaks to virtually everyone … kinda like Sam Adams. It’s good for craft beer aficionados, everyday beer drinkers and those less interested in exploring. It’s ready for all situations.
• Hulk. Pure raging strength. The Hulk packs a punch, just like Brewmeister’s Snake Venom. 67.5% ABV. Yes, you read that right. One of these is the equivalent of 16 Bud Lights. I bet the Hulk could handle it.
• Robin. He’s kinda the wimpy buddy of the main star. He’s the third wheel, the tag-along, even though some movies have tried to make him tougher. Sorry, he’s still just Robin. He’s the Leinenkugel Cranberry Ginger Shandy of superheroes. Leinenkugel makes some great beer, but this is the fru-fru tag-along of all beers. 
• Aquaman. You know he’s there, but you kinda forget about him. And he’s surrounded by water. Michelob Ultra. I mean, come on – water, water, everywhere.
• Thor. He carries a hammer. He’s pretty awesome. Red Hook Long Hammer IPA is pretty awesome (even though it’s an IPA). And look … the word hammer is in the title. 
• Green Lantern. He has that crazy ring that can do everything. I mean, everything. What better beer choice for the Green Lantern than something from Green Flash. Their Treasure Chest is the perfect choice for someone who all but has a treasure chest of opportunities sitting on his finger!
• Spiderman. How did Peter Parker become Spiderman? He was bit by a spider, right? We’re going to assume he was attacked by Boris the Spider. So, of course we have to say that he would align with Spider Bite Beer Company’s Boris the Spider Russian Imperial Stout.
• Captain America. For a superhero with ‘America’ in his name, he should probably be with the oldest American brewery, Yuengling. For a classic American superhero, only one beer will do: Lord Chesterfield.
• The Wonder Twins. Kudos to Scratchtown Brewing Company. They win. In mid-2015, they
  

  introduced a Double IPA called Wonder Twins. And the artwork on the bottle is simply stellar. Well played, Scratchtown, well played. 

• Superman. The king of all superheroes. The king of beers. In the no-brainer of all no-brainers, Superman would be all about the King of Beers … Budweiser. 

Sometimes, we find the greatest news in the most surprising of places. Flipping through the channels last night, I see that some new cable channel, Up, is now showing reruns of one of my favorite shows of all time … Ed. And then earlier this week, I stumbled across some great names in the beer aisle of the local grocery store.

Walking through Publix, looking at the mix-a-six section, I saw a pamphlet called, “Beer: A Guide to Selection at Publix.”  Skeptical by nature, I slipped it in my pocket and figured I would later sit back with a fine pilsner and scoff at their sophomoric attempt at defining beer and beer styles. Ok, so … I was wrong. I’ll borrow a line from their opening missive, “We want to help you find beers you love … that way, you can try more suds and get fewer duds.”  My thoughts exactly – that’s the whole reason we started this blog journey. We want to help people find their favorite beers and expand horizons into newer choices and broader flavor profiles. Okay, Publix, I’m listening.

The next two pages break down the major types of beer … starting with the basics. All beer is broken down into ales and lagers. And then they give a quick description of the differences between the two. It has a color-coding system with logos associated with each of the 14 styles they define.  But the real magic happens when you head to page 5.

We have spoken in the past about IBUs (International Bitterness Units.) Publix now provides a

bitterness ranking and a malt sweetness ranking for each beer on display. For John Q. Beerdrinker, the onslaught of new choices and emerging craft breweries can be overwhelming. These labels, although a bit simplistic in this blogger’s opinion, aim to help shoppers wade through the myriad choices and hone in on those that fit their preferred flavor preferences.

The most savvy of beer connoisseurs may not benefit from this brew ranking system, but the majority of people out there could use this to make shopping a pleasure. Well done, Publix. Well done.

It’s time for a test …

It’s time to find out who really knows their stuff.  We have a quiz below – 15 questions to determine how well you know beer slogans, sayings and jingles.  It’s simple, it’s quick, and it’s fun! Invite your friends over for a challenge. Loser buys the first round this weekend!

So … how did you do?  Invite your friends to come play too?  Post your score below to see who reigns.

It’s International Beer Day!!  Quick, have a beer from every country.  Ok – maybe not a great idea.  But today IS a great day to go try something new from a land far, far away.  Be bold – be different … like maybe Tiger Beer from Singapore; Red Stripe from Jamaica; Chimay from Belgium; Tusker from Kenya; Golden Eagle from India; or Back Forty Freckle Belly from Alabama.  Wherever your global taste buds go today, we thought we’d give you a handy guide for how to say the two most important words in a buncha different languages: “Beer” and “Cheers.” For your reading pleasure …

At first it was a cute phenomenon.  Some were good; some were bad. Some were over-the-top fruity and sweet (even into being syrupy) – some had only the slightest hint of fruit flavor that you almost didn’t notice it.  And then, it got out of control.

A quick search shows that there are at least 20 different fruits that can be found in beers today. And there are literally hundreds upon HUNDREDS of options. No, I have not tasted hundreds upon HUNDREDS of options, but I have had several. I’ll let you know some of those I like and those I’d rather avoid for the rest of my life.  But before I go any further, I have to take this opportunity to share this video about cranberries … it’s worth it.

The Good

• 21st Amendment Hell or High Watermelon. Uhhh, watermelon. 
• Founders Rubaeus. Raspberries. 
• Ommegang Aphrodite. Raspberry and pear.
• Shiner Prickly Pear. Okay – so I don’t know if this is cheating or not.  Although pear is in the title, prickly pear is actually a type of cactus. Does this count?
• Dogfish Head Black & Blue. Cleverly named – it has blackberries and blueberries.
• Wells Banana Bread. Such a great beer if you can find it … and like bananas.

The Average

• Abita Purple Haze. One of the first I ever had, and still a great choice. Raspberries, again!
• Magic Hat #9. Apricots … just enough to notice.
• Samuel Adams Cherry Wheat. Becoming a little mass-produced and less special, but still solid.
• Pyramid Apricot. Slightly better than #9, in my book.  First time I had this was after finishing my first Warrior Dash!
• Southern Tier Pumking. Fall is a great time of year: football is back, and you can start finding Oktoberfests and pumpkin-flavored beers.  This is one of the best.
• Sweetwater Blue. On the ragged edge of being too blue-y. I can only have one at a sitting.

The Awful

• Wild Blue. Seriously – should have its own category of awful. But I’ve been told it’s quite good when poured over ice cream.
• Terrapin Maggie’s Farmhouse. Some people like it. I think it’s horrific.
• Any cider. Sorry folks, I just can’t count it as beer, so it finds a spot here at the bottom of the barrel.
• Any one of the 11,406 Leinenkugel Shandy beers.

In case you’re wondering, here is the list of fruits I have found that can be found in beer:
Acai (yes, it’s the super-fruit beer), Apple, Apricot, Banana, Blueberry, Cherry, Cranberry, Grape, Grapefruit, Huckleberry, Key Lime, Lemon, Mango, Orange, Peach, Pineapple, Prickly Pear, Pumpkin, Raspberry, Strawberry, Tangerine, and Watermelon. 

So, what say you?  What’s your favorite fruit-based beer?

The last few posts have referenced specific beers I have tried that dabble into some new flavor profiles. Chocolate & peanut butter into Terrapin’s Liquid Bliss and spicy rooster Sriracha sauce into a Rogue stout.  While different and certainly adventurous, in modern times, these are actually quite tame in comparison to some of the new offerings out there.  Warning: I have NOT tried some of these beers.  This post is not an endorsement.  Now, if anyone wants to send me one, I’d be happy to try it and comment on it in a future post!

21st Amendment Hell or High Watermelon. Yes, I have had this one. I’m not big on all of the super-fruity beers that seem to be attacking us every day. I prefer to avoid those overly syrupy beers that can get very sweet and thick. HOHW is not one of these.  This is a light summer-y wheat beer that goes through a second fermentation that includes watermelon.  The result is a light, very drinkable beer that reminds you of summer and watermelon without hammering any flavors home.

Southern Tier Creme Brulee Stout. Another one I am proud to say I have had.  This one threw me for a loop. Back when my rock star wife did the 40 days of beer for my 40th birthday, one enterprising friend brought me this one and the Uinta Double IPA.  I am not big on custard and/or creme brulee.  Just doesn’t do it for me.  With trepidation, I poured this one and gave it a whirl. Slap yo mama good.  It was dessert in a glass.  Come to think of it, had I not annihilated the bottle so quickly, this would have been great poured over vanilla ice cream.  Sweet, rich, thick, creamy and oh-so-delicious.  Find it, and thank me later.  I’ll forever be indebted to sweet, dear Peggy for gifting it to me!

Island Brewing Avocado Honey. Okay, so I added this one purely because of the crazy notion of having guacamole in a beer.  I’m a huge guac fan, but I don’t believe it should be poured into a frozen mug.  With a little exploration, I learned that this is a sweeter beer (but not overly so) made from honey that bees create after visiting an avocado orchard. Different.  There are no avocados dumped into the fermentation process, thankfully. Reviews say that it is quite drinkable, although not so memorable. It’s only brewed once a year in preparation for the annual California Avocado Festival – first week of October, so there’s still time!

Funky Buddha Maple Bacon Coffee Porter. Really?  So many flavors … I cannot imagine what this tastes like.  So I actually found someone who had, “It’s like someone took breakfast and dumped it in a blender.” Maple syrup + bacon + coffee and all with the mouthfeel of a porter.  Wow. Most reviews are VERY high on this one, so I’ll need to seek this one out. Think a porter with maple sweetness and coffee aroma, followed by a salty bacon finish. Get some scattered, smothered, covered on the side and we’re all set.

So there we have it.  Some of the more unique flavors I’ve ever seen in a beer.  What about you?  What’s the craziest beer ingredient you know of?

Continuing our discussion from a few weeks ago about some of the new and more adventurous flavors in beer these days, today we look at something that might as well be in a trick-or-treat basket. (By the way, we just took a little jaunt over to Italy.  And yes, there were a few opportunities for beer – but be on the lookout for a post along the lines of, “A Beer Guy in Wine Country.”)

Today we explore a fantastically complex and delicious beer from Terrapin in Athens, GA. Imagine if a Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup had a child with a very smooth porter.  A nice thick, smooth and very dark beer, porter is fine by itself and can often have chocolate and/or coffee overtones. But Terrapin went next level with this one. In case you missed it when I said it before … chocolate and peanut butter in a beer.

Sometimes you hear about something and get over excited about the potential for it. Invariably, the build-up outweighs the reality. You get over excited about a vacation … it’s great, but not as good as you thought. (Not true for Italy, by the way.) So, I ordered the Liquid Bliss out of nothing more than sheer curiosity. By the time it got there, it was all I could think about. Will it be heavier on the chocolate or the peanut butter? Will it have a nice balance? Or will it be so heavy as to make render it undrinkable?

Worries and fears … unnecessary. Perfect harmony of chocolate and peanut butter. It was so smooth and, I guess, bliss in liquid form. If you find it, get it.  Call it dessert in a glass. I don’t think I could have more than one or two at a sitting, because it is kinda thick.  But it’s such a unique and fun flavor combination – I highly recommend giving it a whirl.

We’re back next week with more in the line of unique beer flavors …

No, I don’t mean Spring. I meant that it’s a great era in modern history when it comes to the proliferation of the craft beer industry.

Popular Science magazine states that a new craft brewery will open every sixteen hours this year.  Yes, of course some of them will make crappy beer and fold.  Some will be run into the ground because of lack of knowledge on how to run a business. But the mere fact that craft brewing is spreading so quickly and gaining such popularity – that’s a win for people like you and me!

Today starts a series of I-don’t-know-how-many-parts on one of the great side effects of this boom: craziness. With a new craft brewery opening every few seconds, how can they stand up and be noticed?  How does the well-meaning home brewer turn his passion into a viable business? You can’t just spin out an average IPA and an okay lager and really get noticed. Some breweries are knocking on the 4th wall … ingredients.

So our next few posts are going to explore some of the stranger and more interesting flavor additions that brewers are trying.  THIS is why I say it’s a great time to be alive: something you’ve never dreamed of is being brewed right now, and it’s such an absolute joy to be able to try some of those flavors.

Our first installment is with Rogue Sriracha Stout. Yes … SRIRACHA.  That delicious, yet potently spicy sauce you see in Asian restaurants.  Rogue partnered with the glorious “rooster sauce” to produce this spicy stout. First sip … delicious.  It’s a smooth and rich stout, but it has this finishing kick of spiciness that’s surprisingly good.  Sip three … so good, I really enjoy this beer, but that’s really quite spicy.  Sip nine … must have water. Don’t get me wrong – I dig spicy food. I get the Three Mile Island wings; I add cayenne pepper to my chili; I put that rooster sauce all over burgers and Asian dishes.  But this stout, for some reason, kicked my tail. Maybe it’s the cumulative effect of heat that grew over the full pint.  But it certainly had the back of my throat burning by the time I saw the bottom of the glass.

Did I like it?  I’m not sure.  I will say yes – the flavors are great. I certainly couldn’t have two of them at one sitting.  If you like stouts and spicy foods, I highly recommend this one.  It’s SO unique!  This is the beer that got me to thinking about the crazy flavors being thrown into beer these days. Again, that’s why it’s a great time to be a beer lover … as long as you’re ready to try the experimental stuff. (And there are some CRAZY flavors out there!)

What is the oddest ingredient you’ve ever seen in a beer?

A resolution in support of NATIONAL BEER DAY on April 7,

WHEREAS for more than 6,000 years, the world has been enjoying some version of grain + water = deliciousness.  In fact, there are recipes for beer engraved in stone tablets dating back to 4300 BC. Beer was already such a valuable part of society that workers were paid with beer; and

WHEREAS Americans consume approximately 6.3 billion gallons of beer annually; and

WHEREAS recent Spanish studies have shown that beer is actually better and more efficient in refreshing and replenishing fluids and nutrients when facing the warmer spring and summer months; and

WHEREAS beer has been proven to provide numerous other health benefits, including:

• Presence of antioxidants, which help reverse cellular damage that occurs naturally in the body,
• A recent study published in the Journal of the Science of Food and Agriculture has also found that dark beer has high iron content, which is a part of all cells and does many jobs including carrying oxygen from our lungs throughout the rest of our bodies,
• Beer has one of the highest energy contents of any food or drink,
• Hops, a key ingredient in beer, contain polyphenols, which help lower cholesterol, fight cancer and kill viruses,
• Beer has a number of natural vitamins that can help prevent heart disease and even rebuild muscle,
• Beer raises HDL (good cholesterol), which lowers risk of heart disease,
• The American Journal of Epidemiology says that “beer consumption was inversely associated with risk of kidney stones”, 
• The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition released a study proving that beer “protects bone-mineral density because of high levels of silicon”; and 

WHEREAS Beer makes you:

• Smarter. The New England Journal of Medicine claims that women drinking moderately had better cognitive function,
• Funnier.  Come on – we’ve all probably had some good laughs while enjoying fine ales and lagers,
• Better looking. I mean, they don’t call ‘em beer goggles for nothing; and 

WHEREAS beer is the mother of invention. Creation of beer spurred the agricultural revolution which led to inventions such as the plow, wheel and irrigation systems; and

WHEREAS BabyGotBeer is sponsoring this legislation as a means to end cenosillicaphobia: the fear of an empty glass;

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the United States Government support and promote a recommendation to designate April 7 each year as a Federal and State National Holiday recognizing the importance of beer in the fields of health, science, innovation, psychology and frivolity.