This Saturday, May 5, Sam’s Quik Shop in Durham is hosting Smoke Out! from noon–6 p.m. Explore 14 examples of beer brewed with smoked malt, from the most potent and traditional Bavarian varieties to new American interpretations—then take a break for brisket and barbecue. Free admission, with samples for sale by the pint and half […]
Julie Johnson
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Posted inFood & Drink
Session Beer Day celebrates low-alcohol beers
Lew Bryson is as fine a bar companion as you could ask for, a man who rewards a well-told yarn with a laugh that can be heard in the next room. Standing 6-foot-and-a-lot, the Philadelphia-based beer writer looks like a man who can hold his liquor. The trouble is, sometimes he’d rather not have to. […]
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Fullsteam is a Beard semifinalist
Triangle residents, known for their outsized enthusiasm for good food and drink, can take pride in seeing familiar names among the semifinalists for this year’s James Beard Foundation Awards. Magnolia Grill in Durham, whose owners, Ben and Karen Barker, both hold individual awards, has been nominated again for Outstanding Restaurant. Ashley Christensen of Poole’s in […]
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Super Bowling for beer: Brooklyn vs. Boston brews for Giants and Pats fans
We’re just days away from the Super Bowl, one of the beer-drinkingest days of the year. Beer and football are natural companions, and not just because of the salt-of-the-earth, all-American image both enjoy. Because of its relatively low alcohol content, beer is also the best choice for a sports marathon of this sort, when viewers […]
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A resolution for 2012: Discover beer
Is 2012 the year you discover great beer? If so, you’re in an optimal place. North Carolina leads specialty brewing in the South, and we stand at the perfect intersection in time when commercial capacity meets public enthusiasm. Since our state has a fairly thin brewing history, this is our Golden Age. Of course, given […]
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Here we come a-wassailing
“Here we come a-wassailing, among the leaves so green/ Here we come a-wassailing, so fair to be seen.” What an odd song for Christmastime, when the leaves are off the trees. And most of us aren’t even sure what “wassailing” is. In fact, the “leaves so green” in this cheery carol probably refer to pre-Christian […]
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Homebrewing’s renegade pedigree
A healthy dose of anarchy has fueled the American beer revolution. In the 1970s and ’80s, a handful of people rejected the notion that all beer had to taste the same. They flocked to any new imports on the shelves. They sought novel beers wherever they traveled. And if that didn’t satisfy the desire for […]
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Put your pumpkin in a pint
If you’ve ever cooked with pumpkin, you know that the glunk you spoon out of the can (or the fruit) gives your pie texture and color, but very little else. Yes, pumpkin has a delicate, fresh scent, and a roasted pumpkin takes on some nice caramel notes, but the big gourd serves mainly as a […]
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A new way of thinking about drinking: Use, not abuse
Some years ago, I used to teach undergraduate freshmen. When the subject matter failed to fascinate, I knew that my flagging hipness would get a boost when the students found out that my other job was writing about beer. Two questions always followed that discovery: “What’s the best beer?” and “Can you get us some?” […]
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How a beer gets to you: Clarifying the three-tier system
Pliny the Elder, a double IPA, is the best beer in America for the third consecutive year, according to a readers’ poll in Zymurgy, a magazine for home brewers. Sadly for North Carolina beer lovers, it’s not available here. Neither is Deschutes’ The Abyss or New Glarus’ Belgian Red, which appear on the list of […]