This month’s edition of The Session is hosted by Ted Duchesne of the Barley Vine, and his oh-so-seasonally appropriate pick for December’s theme is “Let it snow, let it snow, Winter Seasonal Beers.” (more…)

There’s a terrific new book out on the market, one which I first noted back in October in the ‘Bright Beer’ section of World of Beer. It’s called “My Last Supper” and details the imagined final meals of fifty great chefs from the world over, supplemented by mostly heroic, sometimes whimsical portraits of the cooks in question. (There is a section of recipes at the back of the book, too, but these feel like nothing so much as an afterthought, even an obligation.) (more…)

It’s inescapable, immovable and just around the proverbial corner. Yes, folks, holiday season approaches, and with it seemingly endless opportunities to entertain and be entertained. If you prefer the former to the latter, you’ll want to make certain that your beer fridge is well stocked, but with what? (more…)

Every once in a while, a story arises that makes even me shake my head in bewilderment at the odd alliances and relationships that exist, indeed almost define the global brewing industry. The latest in this series is this week’s announcement of a “strategic alliance” between Mexico’s largest brewery, Grupo Modelo, and Molson Coors. (more…)

It’s late Monday morning and I’m sitting at my desk with six beers poured and ready for tasting. This isn’t the way I normally do things. Under conventional circumstances, I pour the beers I’ll be tasting one at a time, unless I’m doing a side-by-side comparison of a single style, and try to serve each at a temperature appropriate to its style, allowing ales to warm a bit before pouring, keeping most higher alcohol beers in my wine rather than beer refrigerator, and serving lighter lagers more-or-less straight out of the fridge. (more…)

The theme that Port Brewing/Lost Abbey brewer Tomme Arthur has chosen for this month’s edition of The Session, our beer blogging Friday, is beer and music, which frankly makes me wonder if we’re ever going to return to tasting by style. (For the record, four of the last five Sessions had no specific style specified beyond such vague ideas as locality and atmosphere.) Still, I am a beer blogger and this is the mandate provided, so let’s have at it. (more…)

In the weeks since I spent some time musing on the price of beer over at World of Beer and Stan expended more than a few words comparing the cost of beer and wine at Appellation Beer, a veritable storm of discussion has ensued over the new breed of higher priced brews. The ratebeerians and Beer Advocates got into it, of course, but where the discussion really took off was over at A Good Beer Blog, where several writers, brewers and aficionados, including yours truly, waded in to debate the pluses and minuses of high priced beers. (more…)

Over the weekend, I was fortunate enough to take in an event called “Cask Days,” which spanned three sessions over two days at Toronto’s Bar Volo. It was, as is the norm at Volo, a beautifully planned and executed event, and a testament to the dedication and beer enthusiasm of Volo owner Ralph Moana and his staff and family. (more…)

I notice on the front page of thatstheSPIRIT that everyone is beginning to get revved up for Halloween, with “Spooktacular Cocktails” and “halloween SPIRITS” and the like. The implication being that you need to wait until the 31st to get a real scare. (more…)