Hope we see you at BBC 16

One of the best things about doing this blog over the past 4 years has been getting to know other beer lovers sharing their own perspective on social media. We enjoy keeping up with you through your blogs, Instagram and Twitter feeds and your podcasts. We love seeing y’all during the year at beer events around … Read more

Failure Never Felt So Good

It has been a while since my last post about taking the Advanced Cicerone exam in Chicago. I realize now it wiped me out more than I thought. I was kind of a beer burnout, definitely beer braindead. I feel I’m coming out of it and want to get back to regular posts, and I’ve got … Read more

Thoughts on the Advanced Cicerone Exam

So, optimistic Certified Cicerone, you think you are ready to take the Advanced Cicerone Exam? Be afraid. Be very Afraid. I was in the inaugural group of suckers candidates to sit for the first exam on February 2nd in Chicago, but held this post publication until now, March 30, 2016. Today, a group from the … Read more

Krewe de Shaffer: King Cake in a Glass

When Rachel Schaffer Lawson wanted to celebrate her law firm’s fifth anniversary, she knew a special release beer was the way to do it. Schaffer Law Firm practices law in a variety of areas, but alcohol law accounts for over one-third of the business and is growing, so beer just makes sense. Rachel got the … Read more

Bubble, Schmuble

Congratulations, America. You now have more breweries than anytime in your history. We finished 2015 with 4,144 breweries (Brewpubs plus Local/Regional/National breweries). Almost every day you’ll hear someone say we have too many breweries now. They’re wrong. And why does no one ever says we have too many restaurants? Openings of new restaurants are celebrated. … Read more