brandon-hernandez

Scratch in Ava, Illinois, has won a national reputation for its combination of foraging and flavor finesse. Here’s how the brewery’s duo ended up putting 131 different botanical ingredients into one (very tasty) beer.

• Ask the Pros
• Botanicals
• Herbs

You can’t capture the essence of zoigl by brewing the beer. Franz D. Hofer, longtime zoigl enthusiast and author of the Tempest in a Tankard blog, shares insights into what makes the family-run zoiglstuben so special.

• Zoigl
• Zoiglbier
• Zoiglstube

A federal ban on hemp-derived THC products will take effect in months unless this young, $30 billion industry can find a way forward. Christopher Lackner, meanwhile, is making the case for common-sense rules that build trust in a product that—if properly regulated and produced—is “no big deal.”

• Podcast

“There is no recipe for the real zoigl,” says brewer Reinhard Fütterer of the Schafferhof-Zoigl pub in Neuhaus. “Everyone has their own—that’s one of the things that make it so special.”

• Beer Recipe
• Kellerbier
• Märzen

To brew a beer that’s bursting with great hop aroma and flavor, it’s critical to choose and use the very best you can get. North Park founder and head brewer Kelsey McNair explains their own discriminating approach.

• Video
• Video Tip
• IPA

From shared breweries to shared tables, the zoigl tradition of northeast Bavaria is unlike anything else in modern brewing or hospitality.

• Zoiglbier
• Zoigl
• Lager

The incisive mind behind dontdrinkbeer and the Malt Couture podcast shares his highlights of the past year.

• Best in Beer
• Critic’s List

The cofounder, editorial director, and podcast host shares his most memorable beers and experiences from a busy year of events, recordings, and travels.

• Best in Beer
• Critic’s List

The British beer writer and founder of Pellicle Magazine shares his joyful beers from the past year and hopeful thoughts for the next.

• Best in Beer
• Critic’s List

Call it black IPA, Cascadian dark, or anything else—whatever you call it, this American black ale goes all-in on flavor with dark malts and robust hopping.

• Make Your Best
• Black IPA
• American Black Ale

Khristopher Johnson of Green Bench, Bob Kunz of Highland Park, and Evan Price of Green Cheek share thoughts on building texture and body, controlling sulfur character, and maximizing hops in West Coast pils.

• Podcast

Hazy IPA edges out pilsner by a single vote for the No. 2 spot this year. Where do your other favorite styles to brew and drink fall on the list?

• Best in Beer
• Readers’ Choice
• Beer Styles