Nano Breweries—Talk of the Craft Beer Nation
Samuel Johnson once said, “We are not here to sell a parcel of boilers and vats, but the potentiality of growing rich beyond the dreams of avarice.”
There is a notion that professionally brewing beer can lead to big things. The general public thinks of breweries as hulking factories turning out millions of bottles a year. However, the overwhelming majority of the 1,600 U.S. craft breweries produce much less than 50,000 barrels a year. (One barrel equals about 31 gallons, or 248 16oz pints.) Continue reading
Belgian Brewers Happy to Collaborate with America’s New Wave
Belgium is the holy land of beer and each year thousands of thirsty pilgrims make the trek overseas to visit the Trappist breweries, fulfill their love of lambics and sample great gueuze. American brewers are regularly among those visitors, there to unwind but also school themselves in the centuries old traditions that are the foundation of beer today.
It seems that the Belgian counterparts are taking notice to what American brewers are doing as well and regularly pay similar visits to see what the less encumbered by tradition folks are up to.
Occasionally, brewers from the two countries will collaborate. These partnerships are still somewhat rare given the collaboration frenzy that American brewers are in the midst of with each other but that makes the end result that more special.
Love and Beer
I did a quick television interview last week for local cable station News 12 New Jersey about beer for Valentine’s Day.
We taped at J.J. Bittings, a brewpub in Woodbridge, N.J. which has a wonderful chocolate cherry stout on tap.
I show up in the second half of the story to talk about the cuvee brut from Liefmans. We filmed a bit about Gamma Ray from Terrapin brewing (a wheat wine brewed with two types of honey) but it was cut due to time. Oh well. Next time.
Cheers!
Talking Craft Beer on NBC NY
Watch the video of John Holl talking about high alcohol content beers on Channel 4 in New York.
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