Alcohol-free April: A Month In Review
Well, I did it folks. One whole month without booze. It wasn’t pleasant, but I learned a whole lot about what abstaining is like (SPOILER: it sucks.) I have an enormous amount of respect for people recovering from alcohol addiction, and I’m going to try…
German Beer Purity Law: The History (and Future) of the Reinheitsgebot
With a half millennia of history, the Reinheitsgebot (commonly anglicized to German Beer Purity Law) is as deeply ingrained in beer culture as, well, grains. It turned 500 years old on April 23rd 2016, celebrating a law that for many decades made “German beer” synonymous…
German Beer Purity Law: 500 Years Old & Time to Die
If you’ve ever had the dubious pleasure of tilting back a can of Holsten Premium, you’ve probably noticed the proudly displayed banner at the can’s bottom that reads “GERMAN PURITY LAW OF 1516.” This purity law doesn’t refer to, uh, other infamous German purity laws,…
Alcohol-free April 2016: Update #1
Two weeks in to no-alcohol April. You probably expect this post to be relatively uplifting and – at its essence – I think it is. But the reality of not being able to drink when you A) want to and B) can’t… well frankly it sucks….
Yellow Rose Rye Is a Tasty Texas Whiskey
Many people sipping American whiskey can get stuck in a rut bouncing between two states — namely Kentucky and Tennessee. But there’s amazing whiskey being produced all over America (one of my favourites is Rittenhouse Rye, made in Pennsylvania.) Recently I added to this list with Yellow Rose…
‘What’s a Wine?’ Part VI: Getting to Know Your Wine Grapes 2.0
While every single wine is different, and their flavours dependent on a multitude of factors, the type of wine grapes used generally has an enormous impact and can provide deep insight into the wine you’re drinking. It shouldn’t be taken as gospel truth, but rather…
Burgeoning Scene For Taiwan Beer Drinkers
I’ve been living in Taiwan now for nigh on seven years, and although I love the place, up until recently the lack of drinking culture has been a real downside. Taiwanese people are not huge social drinkers, and this had a real knock on effect…
Dewar’s 12 Year Delivers a Delicious Dram
Among casual scotch snobs, blends are so often summarily dismissed you might think none are worthy of any attention. Even a casual run through of your local liquor store stock will likely provide evidence of their inferior status – they’re a lower price, on a…
Warming Winter Cocktails to Get Toasty on Cold Nights — Fix.com
Check out these cool cocktails, perfect for warming up a winter evening. Source: Fix.com
Molson’s 1908 Historic Pale Ale Shows a Crafty Evolution
It’s a rare day I bother to review a beer made by one of the Macro-Domestic mega-corps. I am universally uninterested in their golden lager styles and have been consistently disappointed with their beers that attempt to emulate craft styles. But, like all people too entrenched…