At the time of this writing, various parts of our country are opening back up, while other regions are still under severe Covid-19 quarantine. A map of the Nation shows a patchwork of states with varying degrees of restrictions and infection trends. It’s a mess and we all want it to end. We are going to emerge from this, God willing sooner than later. I wish we didn’t lose 100k lives, millions of jobs and our ability to live freely. For me personally, I miss…
I don’t understand why rye doesn’t get more love. It’s a grain that adds a new dimension to both my liquor and my beer. Rye whiskey, for example, just seems smooth and spicy at the same time. How can any flavor component do that? I marvel at how it adds depth without being obnoxious. Like an added instrument in a band that brings depth to the harmony but plays in the background. The instrument is there but you don’t really notice it unless you focus…
What is a brand? For beer it’s a label, a name and maybe a logo that identifies something unique. A brand’s purpose is to drive consumer confidence towards obtaining some expected consistency. A consumer grabbing a new beer release from a brewery brand known for making stellar beers will have some confidence grabbing that new bottle sitting on the shelf. Diving deeper, a brand can also harbor shallow qualities that we subconsciously assign to it. Marlboro cigarettes, in their day, were made for those that…
Exclusive interview with Kelly Meyer founder of New Braunfels Brewing Company and author of “How NOT to start a F@ck!ng Brewery: Ten Lessons From The Front Lines of The Craft Beer Industry“ The Emotion Behind the Book David: Why would a brewery owner write a book telling other people not to open a brewery? Kelly: The short answer to that question is, I assume you can sense the anger that was in the book. A lot of what my motivation stemmed from was the idea…
I had an opportunity to try some beer from a monthly beer delivery service called “The Rare Beer Club” and I couldn’t pass it up. Rare beer delivered to your door excites me. A few days pass and I’m working in my home office when all of a sudden my dog starts losing his mind. He’s standing, literally standing, at the door window barking at the delivery man who I now see running away from my house. His arms in the air, running back to…
It started with a gift from my wife. We were staying at the family summer cabin, running out to the local brewery every night. It was my birthday so I was opening, those “Dad presents”. All were lovingly purchased and wrapped just for me – all were very sensible practical gifts.There was one last present, so I opened it with care. I peered into the partially opened box to see just the red top of a lighthouse! It’s not often grown men get to enjoy…
Beer secrets from a man who works at brewery and a liquor store. I had the pleasure of meeting Griffin one Saturday afternoon driving through northern Indiana. I knew Chapman’s from the brown they distributed in the region and I finally had a chance to visit the place. I had an amazing experience that afternoon. Not just from the good beer but also from a guy that really understands the art of being a good bartender. He has a unique background working at both a…
Brewery Review Old Nation Brewing, Williamston, MI NEIPA: New England IPA is a style that is characterized by it’s hazy appearance and hopped up flavor. Breweries all over the nation have copied it since its NE origins. Nothing wrong with that in my opinion. This is especially true with Old Nation Brewing, as they have made a name for themselves by taking this style, ramping it up and improving upon it to an extent that they have made it their own. Their flagship M43 has…
Mike Stevens, co-founder of Founders Brewing, speaks on the current state and future plans for his brewery.Sommbeer is tracking and posting updates on the Founders lawsuit by plaintiff Tracy Evans for racial discrimination A charge of racism was levied against one of the nation’s prominent brewers. We are going to leave the final resolution of this matter to the lawyers however. Rather, we want to use this event as opportunity to reveal what a company should be. To this end, we contacted Founders Brewing to hear…
How I converted a mini-fridge into an affordable Beer fridge for brews on-tap at my home bar. The whole thing started because I wanted to enjoy homebrew on tap in my garage. I was getting tired of that medium range class of beer I call “garage brew”. What could be better than a pint of home brew with the boys in the garage? So I dusted off my old home brew equipment, but it had been years since I used it. Most of the equipment…