One of the best parts about being a craft beer fan is that you never know when an unexpected surprise awaits. This of course can come in many forms: a new hop character, a new malty taste, maybe a wild new aroma. In the case of Southern Tier's Live American Pale Ale, it was a bright n...  more »

In the lands of better beer, the pale ale is perhaps the most widely recognized baseline brew. Almost every brewery you come across will have their own version of the APA (American Pale Ale) which is often their most popular beer. This is simply because the pale ale as a style is extr...  more »

An important part of being a craft beer fan is opening yourself up to the entire quality spectrum. It's all too easy to get caught up in the quest for the mountain top. Beer fans will often turn a blind eye to otherwise tasty beers because they feel they have progressed on to greener...  more »

Every now and then a beer will leave you speechless, but not because it's a world-class wonder or because it's on par with rancid toilet water, but rather because it possesses a unique trait that smacks you in the face. In the case of SweetWater's 420 Extra Pale Ale, it's drinkability...  more »

Ever since the Foothills Brewing Company acquired the Carolina Beer Company in the not too distant past, it has been interesting watching the Cottonwood line of brews morph into new products. Foothills is perhaps the highest regarded brewery in the region, and it's easy to see why whe...  more »

Let it be known, I think I may have finally found the picture perfect bridge into better beer. So many Americans drink those wretched toilet waters and defend them with the most asinine justifications. One of the more common refrains is that ''I only drink American products''. This is...  more »

The 21st Amendment Brewing Company out of San Francisco, CA has made a name for themselves in many ways. Perhaps their most recognizable trait is the utilization of those familiar aluminum cylinders. They are one of the few can-based trailblazers that are showing the world that great...  more »

In today's craft beer world, it is generally understood that when pale ales are done right, there's not much to say about them. They are straight forward brews that are easy to understand with flavor profiles that are rarely complex. Unfortunately for brewers, this can be misconstrued...  more »

So what beer do you drink when you are waiting on beer? Bull City Burger and Brewery seems to know the answer to this question, and they call it the Litten Horny Session Ale. This is wee 3.7% baby brew that they craft using the same grain supply for their Youngen Horny Barley Wine. Sa...  more »

The Lagunitas Brewing Company out of Petaluma, CA is nothing if not adventurous. They have a ''why the hell not'' attitude and a remarkable skill for brewing that produces delectable delights with names like Undercover Investigation Shut-Down Ale. Sampling new Lagunitas brews is alway...  more »