Celebrating the breweries owned and operated by underrepresented groups in no way diminishes the accomplishment of White, male brewers. Our celebration of Tonya Cornett does not come at Ken Grossman’s expense.

The past year has been so tough because it forced us into bubbles of stasis. We are creative, social beings who crave the way new experiences rewire our brains. We hunger to mix our minds with others. Few places are as good as breweries in delivering that charge of electricity we need to live.

An embryonic start on a resource for finding breweries led by underrepresented groups.

Hazy IPAs are the style that launched a thousand breweries. Yet their fusty old predecessors haven’t been banished entirely, and Fremont’s new release, Ollie, shows why.

The Covid pandemic, for all its ravages, did create a few positive opportunities. A year ago, as breweries looked at their empty tanks and blank brewing schedules, many launched long-term projects like barrel-aging stouts. They were able to fire up the kettles to replenish, expand, or even start new barrel-aging programs, salting away stores for later release. Breweries like Breakside are just now putting out the first fruits of these projects, and the coming year will present drinkers with a bounty of these specialty ales. We thought this was a good time to have a look at what they’re doing.

Breweries managed to survive the pandemic far more ably than anyone expected a year ago. They did it by retrenching and focusing on core customers rather than chasing those tantalizing customer just beyond reach. The “fan service” approach may be Covid’s greatest legacy.

The blossoms have begun to scent the air, which is turning warmer and drier, all sure signs that winter is going. That means more time drinking lighter, more summery beer. On today’s show, we’ll discuss one of the all-time great session ales, and a fine spring and summer beer to boot—kölsch, that specialty of Cologne. As much as a beer style, it’s an amazing cultural force. We’ll discuss its history, the beer and the way it’s made, and all of those cultural elements that have grown up around it.

A new documentary looks at craft brewing through a familiar lens—scrappy, unorthodox risk-takers setting out to make their mark. The movie brings in founding figures and places their story in a familiar narrative. It’s a fun movie and well-told. But what if the story is all wrong?

Hammer and Stitch has been open seven months, but debuted in October, just as the pandemic entered its most debilitating phase. For most people venturing out with the spring sunshine, it is a brand new brewery. Here’s a first look.

Audioblog: The Complex, 500-Year-Old Story of Reinheitsgebot by Jeff Alworth & Patrick Emerson