All posts by DG Barrett

Faith, Family and Beer always in that order. "We don't take serious beer too seriously"

Stress and Brewing Innovation

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Exploring just what makes some breweries innovate while others stagnate Winemakers for centuries have known that a “stressed vine makes good wine”.  Too much comfort (lots of water, good soil, moderate temperature) and the grape vine will focus on making big green leaves, long branches or extensive roots.  Grape plants need just a bit too much heat or limited water for the plant’s resources to be diverted to the grape. Simply put, it needs stress to make luscious wine producing grapes.  This concept has always…

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Focus on Beer Style: White Stout

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I’ve been told that smoking in the dark is a rather shallow experience. Your brain is deprived of the sensory feedback it normally gets when you watch the smoke exit your mouth. Without this visual image, you’re really just huffing and puffing with your lips pursed. You get the buzz but not the satisfaction. Not sure how true this is, but it’s a concept I fully understand. My kids have offered me “toy” candy in the past that is mis-colored and it was an equally…

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Licor 43 – Liqueur Review

Liqueur, Nightcap Series Leave a comment

Sommbeer Nightcap series continues with a review of Licor 43, Spain’s most popular Liqueur What makes Licor 43 exceptional? Nothing really. It’s just a super smooth, medium bodied liqueur with a mild complexity that glides down your throat without much effort at all. That’s what makes it exceptional. I discovered this liqueur when travelling to Germany.  Oddly enough, it’s made in Spain but is very popular in Germany and the rest of Europe. I’m told the Germans mix it with cream for added softness. This…

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Scott Sullivan from Greenbush – Describes Mental Health Issue in Craft Beer Industry as a Cancer

Debate & Commentary 13 Comments

Scott Sullivan from Greenbush Brewing discusses the mental health issue within the craft beer industry. Note: a follow-up article has been published by the team at “Better Drinking Culture“ Recently a brewery owner from Vermont was quoted in an article citing the mental health issues that exist in the brewing industry. It was a powerful and candid statement that brought the subject into focus and opened up debate.  In a subsequent post however, the brewer attempted to step back from the subject.  This was, in the opinion of…

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Frangelico – Hazelnut Liqueur Review

Liqueur, Nightcap Series Leave a comment

Frangelico, the Italian liqueur from Italy, reviewed on Sommbeer’s Nightcap Series. Smell this! Isn’t something you want to hear from a fellow partygoer.  I’ll tell you the truth though, nobody has ever sniffed Frangelico once, it’s always 2,3 multiple times until it gets awkward. But first…This post is the first of what will be the Sommbeer Liqueur series. So to begin, let me first explain the difference from liquor and liqueur (it’s more than an extra vowel). Liqueur is sweet, often heavy bodied and emphasizes…

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Sommbeer – Nation’s Top 20 Beer Sites again for 2019

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Sommbeer is delighted to have been listed in the Nation’s top Beer sites again.  We owe it all to you, our loyal readers and writers. Cheers! Craft brewing has experienced a serious growth spurt in recent years. Cities like Denver, CO, and Asheville, NC have established such a strong brewery culture that tourists from around the world flock to these destinations to have a pint. Craft brewing is about more than business though. Home brewing has become a popular hobby among beer lovers. In fact,…

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Stone Brewing Issues Statement Regarding MillerCoors Lawsuit

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STONE BREWING STATEMENT RE: MILLERCOORS’ “RESPONSE” TO STONE LAWSUIT For those of you not familiar with this comically inspired ride of hopped up gamesmanship, allow us to bring you up to speed; MillerCoors changed their beer can labeling from “Keystone” to simply “Stone”.  The west coast brewery Stone Brewing, referred to often themselves as “Stone”, took offense to this play on their name. Some viewers have cynically remarked that it may all be hype. A legal battle inspired by marketing gurus to benefit both sides…

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Ripples – Put your Logo on every Pint

Debate & Commentary, Misc, Product Review Leave a comment

Don’t miss your chance to market your brand on top of every Pint –> Checkout the Sommbeer Logo on a Pint of beer here   Rockville, MD, March 16, 2018 –Ripples TM, the innovative marketing platform for powerful and dynamic customer engagement, has unveiled its newest creation, Beer Ripples, which puts personalized content onto pints in seconds. Designed to help bars, restaurants, clubs, hospitality owners and brands increase their engagement with their customers, Beer Ripples turns any foam-topped beer into a joyful and Instagramable moment…

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The Marriage of Beer and Temperature

Debate & Commentary 1 Comment

The importance of beer and serving temperature. As we debate the merits of barrel aging, hop varieties and “mouthfeel”, I think it’s time we explored the importance of a beer’s serving temperature. It’s a critical factor and yet oddly enough, when a beer is served at the correct temp nobody seems to notice, whereas beers served at the wrong temp just can’t be forgotten. From my personal experience; I was in Indiana for a business dinner last year and was served an otherwise  wonderful Scotch…

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