Rick’s Original Pils, non-alcoholic beer from Rick’s Near Beer

Rick’s Original Pils, non-alcoholic beer from Rick’s Near Beer

Rick’s Near Beer is a relatively new non-alcoholic beer brand out of Austin, Texas, which hit the scene this year with Rick’s Original Pils as its entry into the lifestyle NA space. Since the launch of Original Pils, Rick’s has also introduced a non-alcoholic Hazy IPA, though the website indicates … Continue reading

Public Coast Brewing celebrates summer with a beer trio (received)

Public Coast Brewing celebrates summer with a beer trio (received)

This week I received several beers from Public Coast Brewing, representing a summertime trio with two seasonal specialties and a year-round standard. They were sent as part of the company’s summer marketing, and accompanied by the press release below. The beers are the year-round ’67 Blonde Ale, what I’d probably … Continue reading

Schilling Cider Excelsior Imperial Pineapple Cider (Spaceport)

Schilling Cider Excelsior Imperial Pineapple Cider (Spaceport)

Schilling Hard Cider of Seattle offers a line of imperial ciders under its Excelsior series, all at least 8% alcohol by volume and branded with a space theme (or “Space Giraffe” might be a better descriptor, based on the labels). The latest in the series is an imperial pineapple cider, … Continue reading

Firestone Walker Brewing Parabolita Barrel-Aged Stout: Salted Caramel

Firestone Walker Brewing Parabolita Barrel-Aged Stout: Salted Caramel

Parabola is the signature barrel-aged imperial stout from Firestone Walker Brewing, a massive, vintaged beer released each year, sometimes aged in bourbon barrels; I believe I may have a bottle squirreled away among my boxes of beer. The brewery also releases variants based on Parabola, and one of those is … Continue reading

Ayinger’s spring bocks

Ayinger’s spring bocks

In my opinion, you cannot go wrong with any beer from Germany’s Ayinger, no matter what time of the year you drink it. I happen to think Celebrator Doppelbock is one of the world’s best beers, and the rest of the Ayinger lineup is a world class selection of German … Continue reading

Hopworks Brewery – new cans, new branding (reviews)

Hopworks Brewery – new cans, new branding (reviews)

Portland’s Hopworks Brewery is celebrating 15 years this year, and as part of the milestone the brewery announced a branding revamp and a name change, dropping the “Urban” from its name. The first two new packaged beers under the new identity are Beer Time Pils and Overland IPA, both of … Continue reading

Reviewing three beers from Switchback Brewing

Reviewing three beers from Switchback Brewing

Switchback Brewing is located in Burlington, Vermont, and offers several core beers with a range of specialties including its DIPA Cat series of double IPAs that highlight a single hop variety. Switchback beers are available throughout Vermont and New England, and the company sent me samples of three of its … Continue reading

Latest print article: Wheat beer styles

Latest print article: Wheat beer styles

My latest article for The Bulletin, out this week to wrap up June, talks about common wheat beer styles and local breweries who create them. To accompany the article I picked up a growler of Heffen N’ Peffen Hefeweizen from Kobold Brewing in Redmond, which is brewed in the German … Continue reading