Hype can be a very potent weapon in the craft beer world. All it takes is for a handful of beer aficionados to single out a particular nectar as something truly special. Just like that, a beer craze is born. Of course, there is one very big drawback to this process: beer crazes rarely...  more »

Few brews reach legendary status in the craft beer world. They are the brews that every beer geek knows about and only a handful have experienced. Beer names like Pliny The Elder and Sink the Bismarck adorn this exclusive list and they are treated like the Loch Ness Monsters of the be...  more »

Ask any beer geek what their favorite seasonal nectar is and they are bound to have an instant response. For this beer fan, it's the Bell's Hopslam Imperial IPA. Seasonal brews are those special concoctions that only appear on the market once a year at a specific time, often as small...  more »

Memorable moments. Every craft beer journey is full of them. Your first beer festival, meeting a world renowned beer expert, hanging with one of your favorite brewers, sampling a rare specialty brew, the list goes on and on. One of the more entertaining moments is the ''holy crap on a...  more »

The concept of Mikkeller can be very difficult to describe to novices. For anyone familiar with the Mikkeller experience, really think about how to convey it. How do you describe the calculated insanity? We have all experienced Mikkeller brews that pucker faces, scrunch eyebrows, stea...  more »

When products are shrouded in mystery, it can make them even more enticing. This is the story of the Rochefort Brewery (Brasserie de Rochefort), located inside the Abbey of Notre-Dame de Saint-Rémy in Belgium. The brewery is not open to the public and only a handful of monks reside on...  more »

''Look for the smiley monk.'' This is often my advice to any craft beer newbie who yearns to explore the wonderful world of Belgian beers. The reason, of course, is that you simply cannot go wrong with a St. Bernardus brew. Every single beer in their delectable arsenal is of world cla...  more »

If honing your craft beer palate was a linear quest, I would imagine that the Rauchbier would be one of the final stops along the way. Rauchbiers, better known as smoked beers, are some of the most mind-bending concoctions on the planet. When you have to use descriptors like ''bacon''...  more »

Sometimes you just have to try a new beer for silly reasons. To be perfectly honest, this very philosophy is what got me into craft beer in the first place. I came across Rogue's Dead Guy Ale on a beer menu and had to try it based solely on its amusing name. I had no idea what it was,...  more »

It's the Rye of the Tiger. It's the thrill of the malt. Rising up to the challenge of a rye ale. Yes, that just happened. I hope you enjoyed that glorious jaunt back through 80's pop culture. I also hope you enjoy that virulent tune now stuck in your head for the rest of the week....  more »