Our ongoing series on the essential craft beers that everyone ought to know.    Ask any ten beer lovers for a list of their favorite IPAs and, chances are, after some gentle disagreements, you can get them to agree on FIRESTONE WALKER’s Union Jack.  From its humble beginnings in a shed on Firestone Vineyards in Los Olivos,... Read more →

Winter has arrived and shelves are stocked with winter warming goodness. ‘Tis the season, and all that, to feast and drink beers that warm the taste buds as well as the heart. Part of the fun is picking out the ales that will see me through the shivery evenings of winter. This year I started with STONE BREWING’s seasonal release,... Read more →

What’s more appropriate to finish off the autumn seasonals than a pumpkin ale? To be honest, I gave up on pumpkin ales a while back. I came to consider them a bit gimmicky. My first one, years ago, was so deliciously well-made that it tasted like a little slice of pumpkin pie in a glass. I chased that dragon for years, expecting the same... Read more →

Let’s squeeze in one more Oktoberfest beer before we become inundated with all-things-Christmas the day after Halloween (the upshot is it’ll be Winter Warmer season!). I’ve been favoring German beers lately in honor of this most holy of beer holidays, but I felt like I needed to balance out my selection with some domestic autumnal... Read more →

Oktoberfest might be over in Germany, but it’s still going strong in the U.S., and I’m still celebrating. While WEIHENSTEPHAN’s Vitus may not be traditional Oktoberfest fare, it’s still a German beer. Better yet, it’s a Bavarian beer, and better better yet, it’s a really tasty, delicious Bavarian beer! I’m sure there are a brave... Read more →