Top-notch Belgian imports such as Duvel, Chimay and Delirium Tremens are widely praised by beer enthusiasts for their superior quality and divine drinkability.  The only problem is that these imported classics can often break the bank with price tags upwards of $10 per bottle.  In these tough economic times, that can be tough to swallow–especially considering that there’s no way you’re going to want to call it quits after just one.  In order to ease the crunch on your wallet without giving up too much on flavor, consider this list of the 5 best bargain Belgians: 5.) Abbey Leffe Blonde This spicy-yet-smooth Blonde Belgian has a distinct aroma reminiscent of coriander and cloves.  If you enjoy a medium bodied ale with a subdued fruitiness, this might be the choose for you.  It’s not going to win any beer awards anytime soon, but at less than $10 for a six-pack, it’s certainly a [...]

Blue Palms Brew House triumphantly returned to the heart of Hollywood this past weekend without missing a beat.  On Saturday, throngs of jubilant Angelenos made their way back inside the friendly confines of what many locals consider to be the city’s most impressive home of craft beers.  The official occassion went down on St. Patty’s–of all days–and after poking my head in on the busy evening, it was difficult to imagine that the place had been shuttered for more than several months.  Putting the past behind them, Blue Palms is back and better than ever, boasting a list of some two dozen predominantly West-Coast microbrews, and an even more expansive assortment of rare bottles. There are several distinctions that make this bar such a standout within the Southern California landscape of libation.  For one, they have an incredibly knowledgeable and helpful staff that thoroughly enjoys the beer they serve and is [...]

San Francisco Beer Week just wrapped up last Sunday and during that time I drank more beer than I think I ever have over any seven days of my life.  All this drinking led me to thinking: could there possibly be any better beer-oriented events in the World today?  Let’s put on our trusty beer-goggles and get down to a little investigative science… 10.) Constatter Volksfest–Stuttgart, Germany Oddly enough, the world’s 2nd largest beer drinking event isn’t even technically a beer festival at all, so much as it is an autumnal celebration.  But it seems as though the Germans can’t celebrate the fall–or any other season, for that matter–without significant amounts of suds.  Despite countless attractions, and endless access to some of Europe’s most sough-after brews, the most appealing aspect of the Volksfest is it’s timing: one week after Octoberfest, affording beer adventurers the opportunity to attend both events in rapid succession. [...]

Good beer comes in many shapes and sizes.  In the past few years, some sensational suds have made their way into the once maligned aluminum cylinder.  Not just for Bud or Coors Light anymore, craft brews have increasingly been coming to the can.  Offering maximum protection from sunlight, it’s actually the best way to preserve precious perishables.  And now, with the advancement of internal coating technologies, canned beer is as tasty as ever.  Here’s a list of the tastiest ten on the market today: 10.) Oskar Blues Dale’s Pale Ale Bitter yet surprisingly crisp with a bold and refreshing finish, Dale’s Pale is a medium-bodied ale well-suited for the summertime.  Pop a couple in a cooler and enjoy a day out by the lake or on the beach. 9.) 21st Amendment Brew Free! or Die IPA One of San Francisco’s most popular brewpubs makes this slightly sweet India Pale Ale [...]

Have you noticed that more and more beers are coming in fewer bottles and—gasp—coming in the same packages as mass-market beer (albeit two four-packs of craft can equal a suitcase of the industrial stuff)? It’s because breweries have finally cottoned to the fact that cans are superior to bottles. Here’s why. Brown glass reduces the amount of UV light that passes through the bottle; cans block it out completely. Bottle crowns, over time, allow some oxygen to seep in. A sealed can never does. Hold that bottle and what do you notice? It’s cooler? Perhaps. But it’s also heavier! It takes more fuel to get it to the store, so cans save money, not to mention they stack better so more in a pallet and further reduce transportation expenses. Glass costs more than aluminum, so again cans save you money. Aluminum is 100 percent recyclable (unlike glass), and on the [...]

The Craft of Stone Brewing Co.: Liquid lore, epic recipes, and unabashed arrogance Authors: Greg Koch and Steve Wagner with Randy Clemens Subject: Craft beer and the history and lore of Stone Brewing Co. Synopsis and Review: Any beer drinker worth their hops is going to be a fan of Stone Brewing Company’s beers.  And as is so often the case, any company with such a following is going to be run by some pretty interesting characters.  Greg Koch and Steve Wagner certainly don’t disappoint, as their newly-released book is a fairly intimate glimpse into their philosophies on life, high-fructose corn syrup, and beer.  With a big dose of focus and organization from Randy Clemens, they’ve pulled together a beautifully illustrated and quite exhaustive look at how Stone has trail blazed a path for craft brews. These guys make a beer called ‘Arrogant Bastard,’ so it’s no surprise that there [...]

The human body is almost 62% water, and we can all agree that people are pretty important. The Earth’s surface is 75% water, and clearly, the planet is very important. Beer is roughly 93% water, so clearly it must be the most important thing in the world. Given my inscrutable reasoning, it pains me to say that there is one thing more important than beer, and that is water itself — which, given the amount of various compounds it contains, is roughly 99.985% H2O.  Because of this remaining 0.015% , not all water is the same, and I don’t mean to sound bigoted, but some waters are better than others. Various brewing styles around the world weren’t initially dictated by marketing campaigns but rather by a region’s respective natural water supply. The differences in the beers are often black and white, or in brewing terms, black and light. For example, [...]

First came the steam engine, then refrigeration, and then lager beer… and lager beer became damn popular. Shortly after the California Gold Rush, the pioneers gave the world steam beer. You see, lager beer is aged briefly, or “lagged” at cold temperatures. But there was no refrigeration yet in San Francisco in the 1850s, and all those thirsty miners wanted lager. So the brewers tried making lager beer without refrigeration — at ale temperatures. At first it was a total flop. By the time the hot brew of hops and barley cooled, wild yeasts and other buggers had gotten in and spoiled the batch before the lager-style yeasts could be added. Some nameless, innovative brewer came up with “cool ships”: long shallow pans into which the beer was poured, allowing the wort (unfermented beer) to cool much more rapidly. Once the temperature had dropped to where the lager yeasts could [...]