Most domestic beer is around 4-6% alcohol by volume. Personally, that’s enough alcohol for me. I, believe it or not, actually like the taste of beer and drink it more for the flavor than for the amount of alcohol in it. I appreciate the subtle yeasty, citrus flavor of a hefeweizen on a beautiful, sunny [...]

“Lousy Smarch weather.”-Homer Simpson. The NCAA March Madness tournament is in full swing. Do you know what that means? It means that spring is quickly arriving and it’s time to start thinking about barbeques, yard games and the lighter side of beer. I know in some parts of the country snow is still a possibility, [...]

For those of us in the northeast, it may seem like winter is not even remotely close to ending. But, the first day of spring is March 20th, also known as the Vernal or March Equinox. It is now less than a month until spring technically begins. What styles of beer is spring known for? [...]

One of my favorite non “holiday” days of the year is Super Bowl Sunday. It really doesn’t matter if you like either of the teams. All that matters is that it’s party time.  Most people throw a party or better yet, attend some else’s (no post game clean up). Everyone I know, regardless of their [...]

“In the year 2000, Pete Rose goes on national television to admit for the first time that he bet on the Reds. Not the Cincinnati Reds, he bet that the Soviets would win the Cold War“-Conan O’brien. This is not the usual happy New Year column. Usually, I write about how another year has passed [...]

I’ve delayed this article for a long time. Some years ago, I promised myself that I wouldn’t write an article about Pumpkin Ales for thefatherlife. My reasoning was because I always felt that a Halloween themed article about beer brewed with flavors of this gourd-like squash was a little bit cliché. It seems like every [...]

Where the heck did the summer go? I’m pretty sure that in the northeast we only had a one week stretch that really felt like summer. This was actually the fifth coldest summer in the history of the city I live in. I’m fairly sure the rest of the northeast didn’t fair any better. Regardless, [...]

So you’re not much of a beer drinker, eh? Is it because all you know about the frothy stuff is fizzy, yellow, mass produced water beer full of corn and rice?  Don’t you worry, there’s still hope for you to join the ranks of the beer drinkers and possibly even the beer enthusiasts. But how [...]

What’s the deal with flavored beers? It seems like the biggest trend in recent brewing is the flavored beer. What’s a flavored beer, you say? It’s taking a nice honest brew like pale ale or wheat beer and adding a fruit (or other) flavor to it. I’ve tasted many styles and brands that have had [...]

Since this column is once-a-month, I usually touch upon an important date or event. This month is no different. I wanted to write about big craft bottles, but that will have to wait until next month. So, look forward to eventually seeing an article comparing larger bottles of beer to champagne. Why? Who knows, but [...]