I love having friends that have beer! And what’s better is I love having friends that have Whiskey! And what’s better still is I love having friends that have beer and whiskey that I can’t get, and they are willing and eager to share. So it went last time I went into my local bottle […]
From the Cellar
Close, but No Craft Beer
If you’re a kid who lives in New Jersey, you know that a nirvana of finger-popping fireworks lies just across the Pennsylvania border. But if you’re a beer nerd who lives in New Jersey, you hardly notice all of the FIREWORKS signs as you cross the Delaware, because you’re not looking for bottle rockets, you’re […]
Poll: Does Quality Trump Ownership When it Comes to the Beers You’ll Buy?
Okay, so this might look like an SAT question, but it’s actually pretty simple, and it’s about beer (BONUS: and bacon!). Stay with me here. I’ve been thinking about how the quality of a craft beer and who owns the brewery that made it affect my purchase-making decisions. It’s easy for me to say “no” […]
How Too Much Hype Can Spoil the Brew
Beyond TODAY is an extension of our weekly column for the TODAY Show food blog. Over there, I talk about my hunt for the much-hyped Pliny the Elder on a recent trip to California. Over here, we’re sharing one from the archives about how hype can effect your perception and enjoyment of a beer. Click […]
Off Topic: How to Get Out of Shopping with Your Wife or Girlfriend
When I was a kid, I’d “accidentally” break dishes while unloading the dishwasher so I could get out of doing that particular chore. Below is a clipping from a British newspaper that’s been making the rounds, and if true (and I really hope it is), this fella has turned getting out of mundane duties into […]
My Two Week Road Trip
I know I’ve not been around too much lately. I’ve been trying to secure employment, and my journeys over the last two weeks have brought be all over the State’s of Oregon and Washington. I told you about the Cascade Barrel house in Portland a while back, but I also went to Good Life Brewery […]
There’s No Winning for This Beer Geek on St. Patrick’s Day
I find St. Patrick’s Day increasingly difficult to deal with as I’ve become more and more of a beer geek. Years ago, I would drink Guinness or Harp, wear green, get hammered and go with the flow. It was the one day of the year where I could flaunt my surname with pride: G…A…double L-I…G-A-N […]
FYI: Don’s not Dead
I just wanted to let all of you folks know that relief is on the way from the Jim-fest that’s been happening here lately. Donnybear ™ has been swamped the past week or so with employment seeking and so forth, but should be back in the groove here soon. And that’s a good thing. I […]
Beyond TODAY: Three Flavor Notes that Make a Good Beer Go Bad
Beyond TODAY is an extension of our weekly column for the TODAY Show food blog. Over there, I talk about how an off flavor ruined my last chance with a very highly regarded beer. Over here, we’re looking at other flavors that make a good beer taste bad (at least to me). Click here to […]
LEGO Beer Opening Machine Gives Me a Nerdgasm
. . I loved tinkering with LEGOs as a kid. I used gears and pulleys and axles to make some neat stuff, some of which were pretty resourceful feats of kiddie engineering. Look mom, the helicopter blade AND the tail rotor spin when I turn the handle! I’m totally a genius! Well, looking at the […]
Coffee by the Numbers, or How Starbucks has Given Up on America
I was at the grocery store to pick up a bag of coffee last week, only to be deeply disheartened by what I saw. Let’s start with a disclosure; at my last job I worked on the Starbucks and Seattle’s Best Coffee accounts as a copywriter, particularly in the grocery channel. I loved working on […]
Cascade Barrel House: I Have Found Nirvana, And It Is In Portland
I am enlightened. I know this because I have found Nirvana, or maybe that should be Beervana at the Cascade Barrel House in Portland, Oregon. As some of you know I’ve been unemployed for several months now, and looking for work in a bunch of different places. A friend of mine and I went to […]
Whatcha Drinking This Weekend?: Spring Forward Edition
I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but you’ll have one less hour to enjoy delicious craft beers and artisinal spirits this weekend. That’s right – it’s time to “spring ahead” and change your clocks from 2am to 3am in the wee hours of Sunday morning. I usually don’t mind this, as I’d […]
Beyond TODAY: My Drunken Train Ride from Hell
Beyond TODAY is an extension of our weekly column for the TODAY Show food blog. Over there, we’re talking about our experiences at the New York City American Craft Beer Festival. Over here, we’re talking about the train ride from hell I had to take to get there! The first sign that it wouldn’t be […]
The Brothers
Beer & Whiskey Brothers 