One of the things
that I like about the craft beer industry are the names – the names of the beers and the names of the breweries that brew them. The industry is full of clever and amusing names. For beer this includes Hoppy Ending (yes, that’s a hop getting a massage), Polygamy Porter (“Why Have Just One?”), Blithering Idiot (at 11.1% ABV this English style barleywine may turn you into Continue reading What’s in a Name?
There has been much discussion in the growing literature on craft beer about neolocalism. Usually that fancy term ‘neolocal’ means the homage paid to the inclusion of local ingredients such as locally produced hops or grains used in the products of microbreweries that have a geographically limited distribution range. Used in this sense, neolocal is similar to the French term terroir usually associated Continue reading The Art of the Beer Label
I make presentations about the geography of the American craft beer industry to academic audiences all around the world. Earlier this month I spoke about the industry at the Jubilee Workshop of the Tinbergen Institute in Amsterdam, the Netherlands. The day after my presentation Continue reading A Glass Half Full?
Those who frequent brewpubs know that part of the experience of drinking craft beer is the “connection” with the brewer(s) and pub’s staff. The brewer(s) and staff are generally proud of their product and eager to talk about it and the local scene of which they are part. Continue reading Community Supported Ale
The Black Cloister Brewery in Toledo, Ohio has a motto – Brew Good Do Good. I have been a regular patron of the Black Cloister since it opened in March of this year. I have tasted every single one of the beers Continue reading Brew Good Do Good
On April 8 of this year I went to Mutz Bar at the Maumee Bay Brewing Company. Maumee Bay is an excellent brewpub that appeared on the Toledo scene in 1995. There I met up with Mike Moore, a doctoral Continue reading Michael’s Memory
This week I am in Amsterdam, the Netherlands. The city is home to one of the most recognizable and iconic beer brands in the world – Heineken. Heineken has operations in 70 countries and has a global Continue reading Going Dutch
Last week I had the opportunity to visit two breweries in Chicago – Lagunitas Brewing Company and Vice District Brewing Company. Both breweries are recent additions to the city’s brewing landscape, having Continue reading Little and Large
There is a new microbrewery in the city where I live – Toledo, Ohio. It is called Black Cloister and it has been open for about a month. One thing I noticed after my first couple of visits to the Black Cloister was the Continue reading Building Community
So I’ve decided to start a blog about beer. Those of you who are friends with me on Facebook know that I post a daily beer fact there. People seem to enjoy these – at least that is what they tell me when I see them in person. As an economic geographer Continue reading The Beer Professor
