Overall, it’s been another great year for beer, at least from my perspective here in North Texas. If I didn’t suspect reader list burnout, I could probably do another top 10 piece on the best developments of the past year, and even another on things I’m most looking forward to…
This week, I’m looking back on 2010 with a couple of lists. First, I’ll share my 10 favorite beers of the year. They’re not my top 10 of all time, but rather 10 brews I tried (and in many cases, subjected to the Hophead Ranking System) this year and really…
Thanks to all who shared their tales of holiday embarrassment, trauma, blackouts and illness in our latest commenting contest. It was a lot of fun (and sometimes just sad) reading them, and also oddly comforting to know that I’m not alone in finding that the holidays aren’t just a nonstop…
The Libertine Bar sent along details about its December 29 holiday beer dinner, as well as a pair of tickets for one lucky City of Ate reader. Or rather, for the purposes of this contest, “one unlucky City of Ate reader” would be more accurate. Winning the tickets would be…
My only complaint about the Idle Rich Pub and Monday night’s Winter And Christmas Beer Tasting is something outside the control of the bar: Resident Parking Only areas are one of the most idiotic ideas shortsighted Dallasites have ever come up with, and they’ve spread like a cancer from a…
Sink the Bismarck! from BrewDog on Vimeo.Scotland’s Brewdog brewery made headlines early this year with Sink The Bismarck!, a 41-percent ABV quadruple IPA that surpassed German brewery Schorschbrau’s 40-percent ABV Schorsbock 40% as the world’s strongest beer. Schorsbock 40% had earlier one-upped Brewdog’s 32-percent ABV Tactical Nuclear Penguin as the…
Winter hasn’t even officially begun, but winter beers and holiday seasonals have already been on the shelves and bar taps long enough that I thought I’d offer a quick rundown of those I’ve particularly enjoyed so far this year — and one that gave me a good laugh. This is…
According to Samuel Adams press material included with a sample bottle of Infinium (and an ice bucket and pair of flutes — aww, you shouldn’t have!), 60 percent of men would prefer to toast with beer instead of Champagne if given the choice. Whether or not that’s a good reason…
Now that we’re into December, Christmas beers, winter warmers and other special seasonals are showing up in stores and beer joints. It is truly the most wonderful time of the year if you’re a beer lover, and year after year, Anchor Christmas Ale, also sometimes called “Our Special Ale” (and…
Earlier this month I spent a weekend in Austin for Fun Fun Fun Fest, where I was able to spend some time in the very cool Black Star Co-op brewpub and also bring back a few beers that I hadn’t seen in Dallas. One of the Austin-made brews that really…
One of the most exciting bits of beer-related news I’ve received in the last year came in an interview with Guinness brewmaster Fergal Murray at Trinity Hall in March as he was touring the country making the case for celebrating St. Patrick’s Day with his products. Intrigued by outstanding Beer…
We’re coasting into the best time of the year, beer-wise, with winter and holiday seasonals and luscious stouts starting to edge out summer session beers on retail shelves and tap walls. At Hophead HQ, we’ve already nearly finished off our first (but likely not last) six-pack of Anchor’s 2010 Christmas…
To the three people on the waiting list behind me for Park Lane Whole Foods’ last six-pack of Saint Arnold Divine Reserve 10 in hopes that I wouldn’t show up to claim it, sorry. I hope you were able to find it elsewhere. And now I understand why the Houston…
One of my purchases during Central Market’s Brewtopia deal (when you could get 25 percent off beer purchases of $25 or more) was Dubuisson Scaldis Belgian Ale, ounce-for-ounce one of the most expensive beers I’ve ever bought. But I had a feeling it would be good, considering how great Scaldis…
Last night, as part of the three-pub cooperative Avery push we mentioned Monday, the Meddlesome Moth cracked open three kegs from Avery’s Demons of Ale series. The three beers in the series are all over 16 percent ABV and are not cheap. But given how uncommon they are, at least…
This week’s special Avery events at the Libertine Bar, The Common Table and the Meddlesome Moth are putting a special emphasis on the Colorado brewery’s Salvation Belgian-style golden ale. The Libertine and Common Table have already offered up food pairings especially made to go with the beer, and the Moth…
All photos by Jesse HugheyThough you may not have known it, as the brewery’s products are carried by fewer than 20 retailers and pubs in the area, Boulder, Colorado’s Twisted Pine Brewery has made its way into North Texas. In Dallas, you can find Twisted Pine brews at Pogo’s, Trinity…
Held in the store’s upstairs classroom kitchen, Friday night’s “Stone Brewery Gastropub” at Central Market was more cooking class than gastropub beer dinner. It provided such intriguing samples of food and Stone beers that it was impossible not to go downstairs and immediately head to the store’s beer cooler in…
Jesse HugheyOur cloning technology is clearly in the early stages of development.This Sunday as part of Central Market’s Brewtopia beer marketing drive, the Dallas location is offering a homebrewing workshop from 3 to 5:30 p.m. The class is only $10 and offers the opportunity to purchase Central Market’s homebrew kits…
Last week, the Boston Beer Co. sent along a free sample mixed 12-pack, the company’s Harvest Collection, which includes the new Samuel Adams Harvest Pumpkin Ale along with a few other varieties and a couple bottles of the flagship Boston Lager. Also included in the package was a loaf of…
Bavarian attire strongly encouraged but not required at Addison Oktoberfest.With Oktoberfest and other fall styles hitting shelves and taps and a slew of beer-related events on the horizon (not to mention the chance to try deep-fried beer), it is starting to be a good time of the year to be…
Great news for fans of Fort Worth’s Rahr & Sons Brewing Company this week, as the brewery is just about ready to open up to the public again for its raucously fun brewery tours. The news comes more than six months after February’s snowstorm collapsed the brewery roof, temporarily halting…
