Aloha is one of those words that has multiple meanings. It is a Hawaiian word, of course, and in the native language of America’s fiftieth state it can mean both hello and goodbye. My wife and I just spent eight days on the Big Island of Hawaii. It was a trip that mixed
business and pleasure. I was there for the 55th Annual Meeting of the Western Regional Science Association. We arrived a few days before the meetings started so that we could Continue reading Aloha
Norwalk This Way: Back To The Barley Future
In the 1840s, newspapers in Norwalk, Ohio, published numerous advertisements for breweries begging farmers to sell the beer makers more malting barley. Today, over 170 years later, Norwalk home brewers and craft brewers alike could make the same largely
unanswered request. In fact, in most places in the U.S., local malting barley production does meet the needs of beer makers. The same could be said for hops, but that is a story for another blog entry. Continue reading Norwalk This Way: Back To The Barley Future
Global Beer Trends in 2016
The global beer industry has grown significantly in the past two decades, with global beer production rising from 1.3 billion hectolitres (34.3 billion U.S. gallons) in 1998 to 1.96 billion hectolitres (51.8 billion U.S. gallons) in 2014. That growth has levelled off slightly in the past few years as consumption levels have declined in some developed countries. Fortunately, that decline has been offset by an increase in Continue reading Global Beer Trends in 2016
Nya Carnegie Bryggeriet
I was in Stockholm, Sweden a few weeks ago. I wrote about my visit in my last entry. It was a great trip that allowed me to sample some fine Swedish craft beers. The Swedish craft beer industry is growing steadily. New breweries are opening up every year and one in particular had peaked my interest – Nya Carnegie Bryggeriet (New Carnegie Brewery). The brewery is a joint venture between New York’s Brooklyn Brewery and Danish brewing giant Carlsberg. Continue reading Nya Carnegie Bryggeriet
Taking Stock of the Swedish Beer Scene
I was in Stockholm, Sweden last week. I was there attending a meeting of the Regional Science Academy. The Academy meetings only lasted for two days but due to the vagaries of airfares I was able to save over a thousand dollars on my plane ticket by arriving three days before the meetings started. This of course could have meant two extra nights in a hotel but my good friend Hans Westlund came to my rescue on that score. Hans has an apartment in Stockholm’s Gamla Stan (Old Town) and as he was not going to be there during the first three days of my visit he generously gave me the keys to his place. This proved to be an excellent base from which to explore Stockholm’s beer scene.
Beer and Bagpipes
My local brewpub, The Black Cloister, had a couple of bagpipers entertain patrons last Tuesday evening. These weren’t your run-of-the-mill bagpipers (if indeed there is such a thing). Andrew Bova and Dan Nevins are World Champion bagpipers – both members of the Shotts and Dykehead Caledonia Pipeband who were crowned the Grade 1 World Champions at the 2015 World Pipeband Championships. Continue reading Beer and Bagpipes
School Days
Beer and college tend to go together. Those of us who attended an institution of higher learning, in all likelihood, consumed huge volumes of beer while pursuing our studies. I know I did. But then again I was in college for ten years straight while amassing an undergraduate and two graduate degrees. So between 1981 and 1991 I had plenty of time to drink beer. And like most college students on a tight budget it was Continue reading School Days
Community Space
Community space. Lots of craft breweries have this – a space where members of the local community can come together for the purposes of hosting or attending some kind of event. At my own local craft brewery, The Black Cloister, this space comprises a room. It is called the Wittenberg Room. You see, the CEO and Founder of The Black Cloister Brewing Continue reading Community Space
Around The World in 800 Beers
Last week I got a visit from two fellow Geographers – Mark Patterson and Nancy Hoalst Pullen. Mark and Nancy are faculty members at Kennesaw State University which is located about twenty miles north of Atlanta, GA. I first met Mark and Nancy in New York City in 2012 at the annual conference of the Association of American Geographers. I was Continue reading Around The World in 800 Beers
1873 and all that
November 2015 was an auspicious month for the American beer industry. According to data provided by the Brewers Association the number of breweries in the United States reached 4,144. At no other time in our country’s history has America had so many breweries. The previous high was 4,131 in 1873. The current number of breweries in the Continue reading 1873 and all that