Archive for 'Article'

Packing for GABF

Since you’re reading a website devoted to beer talk, I assume you are keenly aware that the Great American Beer Fest is in just a short week’s time. For many of you, this will be your second, fourth, tenth, twenty-second, or maybe even thirtieth time at the craft beer red carpet. If you can be [...]

Rooting for the Home Team: “The Great COntenders”

Colorado is, objectively, a cool place to live.  I don’t mean to go so far as to say it’s better than any particular place, or that it’s the best place for (fill in the blank).  But unless you’re a fun hater who just can’t stand outdoorsy things, sports, crisp air, artisnal drinks of all kinds, [...]

Hop Harvest Time

This article may be completely without relevance to you on two accounts: either you planted your hops on time and have already harvested your crop weeks ago, thereby rendering my article utterly without applicability, or you don’t grow your own hops, being neither of ample space or patience, which would make my article to you [...]

Welcome to Belgian Month!

It doesn’t matter if you’re a saint or sinner, a reverend or a priest, a farmhand or a monk, or just a right good chap, you probably like Belgian beer.  What is it about Belgian ales?  Why do beer nerds, myself included, flock to these exotic styles from a faraway time and place?  And how [...]

New Kids on the (Denver) Block

According to the Brewers Association, there is a new brewery opening every day across our amber-waves-of-grain and purple-mountain-majesty nation.  There’s a lot to be said about the growth about the craft beer industry, the public’s awareness to better beer, and the rise of entrepreneurs in the face of a rough economy.   And Denver knows about [...]

Craft Beer and Rugby…Fancy a Guinness?

Craft beer has been notoriously hard to come by when it comes to live sporting events.  In fact, America’s pastimes of football and baseball have been largely dominated, both commercially and culturally, by the fizzy yellow over-marketed stuff.  And to an extent, I’m ok with it.  Session beer is the name of the game when [...]

For the Love of Lager!

I’ve given “Lager” a bad rap over the years.  There was a time in my craft beer infancy when I associated anything labeled as a lager as something light, fizzy, and tasted like it was made by a multinational corporation that sponsors professional sports.  And even as I matured, I’m still a huge fan of [...]

Ask Not What Beer Can Do For You…

Summer Beer Festival season is in full swing, as I’m sure you don’t need me to tell you.  When you’re following as many breweries and/or blog sites on Facebook as I am, as well as a cursory glance toward the “Upcoming Events” in the middle of Ratebeer.com, you don’t need yet one more person to [...]

Adventures in Beer Cupcakes, Part 1

See also: Part 2, Part 3 If you’ve found yourself on The Hop Press, chances are you like appetizing, tasty beers.  And if you’re American, statistically speaking, you probably like appetizing, tasty desserts.  Now, cooking or grilling with beer is a common and fun practice, and a profitable enough venture to make whole cookbooks about them. [...]

Garden Grapes & Hops

Beer vs. Wine dinners have been around for some time now. Quite popular too.  You’ve probably heard of one, been to one, know a place that regularly hosts them, or what have you.  But it must be nice to, on occasion, put down our judging pens/noteboks and enjoy some hors d’oeuvres alongside our wine loving [...]