I love lounging in bed on weekends and catching up on all my favourite beery reading. From blogs to articles from the American craft beer scene and the best local beer news, there’s excellent reading material out there so every Friday I’m posting a list of the articles and blogs that have excited me.
Munchies | The Mexican Craft Beer Scene is Exploding
This article is the first edition in a series called Nomadic Brews, a column by gysy brewer Jeppe Jarnit-Bjergsø. The plan is for Jeppe to write a monthly column on where his gypsy brewing life takes him.
If you’re wondering why the antics of a brewer dressed like a palm reader is of any interest then perhaps I have failed to explain what a gyspy brewer is. Its a term that refers to a brewer who, instead of brewing from their own brewhouse, they choose to travel to other breweries to brew and collaborate. You may have had Jeppe’s beers before – Evil Twin Brewing.
“It gives me a freedom I couldn’t have if I only brewed in one location”
Jeppe, Evil Twin Brewing
Jeppe kicks off the first column with a look into the craft beer scene in Mexico. I have never thought of any sort of craft beer activity in Mexico, in fact the only time I think of Mexico and beer is Corona and then I shake my fist at the beer beast that just doesn’t seem to die.
If you’re keen: NY Times – A Fight is Brewing, an article about Jeppe and his twin brother, Mikkel who is also a gypsy brewer
This article is only a genuinely interesting look into a craft beer scene I’d never have to known was happening but also a chance to get to know Jeppe and his approach to brewing a little better too.
Drunken Speculation | How do GABS 2014 beers stack up after GABS?
I really enjoyed this post from fellow Aussie beer blogger, Liam aka Drunken Speculation. After the pants-wetting excitement of The Great Australasian Beer Spectapular has come and gone, how do the beers that you raved about on Untappd and tagged your favourite brewer in on Twitter rate in the comfort of your home?
GABS: a 3 day beer festival in Melbourne (and soon Sydney too!) featuring beer stalls, seminars and the much discussed GABS beers, those brewed and never commercially brewed before resulting in more than 100 unique beers.
Here Liam revisits four GABS beers and compares them to his notes from the festival. I won’t ruin the surprise, only to say that I did, in fact, experience some surprise.
It is hard to remember your exact thoughts on a beer when you’ve only had it once. Now compound this with only having a taster and having palate abused yourself for an entire week leading up to said tasting. It is easy to see how GABS beers could get huge expectations or totally forgotten by the time you revisit them.
My experience at GABS 2013 and 2014
The two examples of my own experience with revisiting GABS beers are both extremely positive. I loved them when I tasted them at the festival, I raved about them like the annoying beer geek that I am and I jumped for joy when they were bottled – Two Birds Taco, a taco inspired beer using coriander and lime and BrewCult Acid Freaks, a balsamic porter made with balsamic vinegar.
Find out more: Crafty Pint – BrewCult Acid Freaks
City Lab | So long, shaker pint: The Rise and Fall of America’s Awful Beer Glass
Beer battles with a lot of different perceptions. Beer can be a special occasion drink, something you celebrate with like you do with champagne. Beer is enjoyed by a demographic far wider than the fat-ass middle-aged man that seems to remain the dominant image. Beer kicks foods ass and has it’s place in the finest restaurants. Beer can be full of flavour, way more than you might even bargain for. Beer also needs to be served in a glass. But not just any glass – this article is a great read not only about the effect on flavour but the effect on perception too.
“As long as people drink draft from a glass never intended for any beverage, how will they ever see beer as something more than mildly intoxicating Wonder Bread?”
Laura Bliss, City Lab
