Prior to technological advancements in the mid-nineteenth century, all beer was to some degree, sour. Poor sanitation and naturally occurring yeasts and bacteria were to blame for infecting beer, giving it an undesirable sour quality. The advent of pasteurization and refrigeration really changed the beer game, allowing for clean, crisp beers to take the main stage. Although it’s a time-honoured …
In the mid 2000s, brewers became obsessed with making the most bitter and palate crushing IPAs possible. This style of American IPA, or West Coast IPA, is a hoppy beer that primarily showcases hop flavours and bitterness. The East Coast IPA was created in part to offer a softly bitter, more palatable alternative to its West Coast contemporary. Born in …
In North America, craft beer is ubiquitous and local distillers are also carving out their niche in the craft spirits world. As consumers, we want to support local craft products, but why? What does it mean to be a craft brewery or craft distillery? Microbrewers make beer in single batches to ensure that each recipe is achieving the most desirable …
Trappist and Abbey Ales are an elusive group when it comes to classification, as neither term denotes a single style. In general, categorization is based on amount of malt and relative strength – Single, Dubbel, Tripel and Quadruple where the Single is has the lowest ABV (below 6%) and the Quadruple has the highest (8-12%). Trappist v Abbey Ales The …
So, I’m chatting to the brewer at The Old Harbour brew pub (sadly, now closed) in San Juan PR. You could easily tell he was the brewer; he was the only one wearing Wellington boots, along with shorts and jazzy shirt. “Ah, Señor, I see you ‘ave our Cervezia Kofresi. Waddayou think of our stout?” he asks, with a proud, …
It’s finally December and ‘tis the season for roasty, malty, creamy, dark, delicious porters and stouts. But what’s the difference between a porter and stout? The history of the porter goes back about three hundred years, where it was brewed as a full-bodied beer made using moderately kilned brown malt. Stronger versions of porters were referred to as “stout porter” …
A relative newcomer to the beer scene, the Brut IPA is one of the biggest beer trends of 2018. But, what does it mean to be a Brut? Borrowing its name from the wine world, the term “brut” describes a style of beer that is both extremely dry and highly carbonated. Unofficial style guidelines suggest that it should also be …
