Month: October 2012

  • Breweries making a difference

    Avondale Brewing, in Birmingham, has already transformed its neighborhood. First they converted an old firehouse to become their brewery and taproom, and then they offered 6 months of free rent to a local business which would both complement and augment the local area, with the aim of recreating a pedestrian-friendly neighborhood. No longer an abandoned,…

  • Beer float

    I thoroughly enjoy making people feel confused about beer.  There are so many preconceptions about beer caused by the advertising for mass brands that saying two words – “beer float?” – makes people come to a shuddering halt. بيت 365 Their confusion comes from the concept of adding ice cream to a mass lager. That…

  • Cheesecake and beer

    When I mention pairing dessert and beer to people, I get some very weird looks. Once I explain that dark beers – porters and stouts – have a flavour profile that is very much like coffee, the same people become curious and willing to try something new. Guinness, despite being the name everyone recognises, is…

  • Chili and stout

    Everyone has their favourite chili recipe. And why wouldn’t you? A meltingly tender stew of mixed meats, and/or veggies, and/or beans, it can be a gourmet feast, a magnet for leftovers, or an acknowledgement that there is too much month left at the end of your pay! How can you incorporate a nice beer into…

  • Thanksgiving pairings

    Thanksgiving meals, like Christmas, have a number of challenges when it comes to pairings. The turkey is sweet but can be rather flavourless. Sweet potato casserole can be extremely sweet indeed. There tends to be a lot of butter floating around, as well as cranberry sauce, gravy, and (at least in my household!) mustard sauce,…

  • How to drink beer

    People have been drinking beer for millennia, why do I think I need to explain how to drink beer?! This post is necessary because, sadly, advertising of the mass brands has led people down a fatally wrong path.   The difference with real beer Real beer is meant to be sipped and savoured from a glass,…