Courtney Iseman
Beer Lovers in Northampton, Massachusetts, Know the Dirty TruthFrom our Love Handles files on beer bars we love: Hip but unpretentious, the Dirty Truth in central Massachusetts draws a crowd of students and bartenders there for a stacked selection of local lagers, saisons, Belgian gueuze, and more.
The Beer Witch of Brooklyn Casts an Inviting SpellFrom our Love Handles files on the world’s great beer bars: This shop and tasting room in Brooklyn, New York, offers deep knowledge and a place to chill while exploring the magic of great beer.
Boston’s Publick House Melds American Craft and European Vibes in Classic FashionFrom our Love Handles files on the world’s great beer bars: In Brookline, Massachusetts, the Publick House is a chapel for the enjoyment of classic and contemporary beers.
Critic’s List: Courtney Iseman’s Best in 2024The New York City–based writer, tarot enthusiast, author of the Hugging the Bar newsletter, and noted metalhead shares her beery high points from the past year.
Gut Check: Gauging the Potential of Probiotic BeerFunctional beverages—those that claim a positive effect, usually health-related—are booming. It’s a challenging area for beer, legally and scientifically, but could gut-friendly, probiotic beers win people over?
Critic’s List: Courtney Iseman’s Best in 2023The New York City–based writer, tarot enthusiast, author of the Hugging the Bar newsletter, and noted metalhead shares her beery high points from the past year.
Balance & Danger: Brewing Heavyweight IPAsWhether aiming for soft and hazy or lean and bitter, successful brewers rely on some bedrock strategies for building higher-strength IPAs with sneaky drinkability.
Brooklyn’s BierWax Gives Beer a Great SoundtrackFrom our Love Handles files on beer bars we love: This community-minded, audiophile bar stacks the walls with vinyl and the taps with quality.
The Cider World Is HoppingOne of beer’s signature ingredients is adding interest and depth to one of the world’s great fermented drinks. Here’s how and why some cidermakers are embracing hops.
Meet MakgeolliIn Korea, a new generation has revived a folk drink made from rice and mixed-culture fermentation. Now, two small-batch producers are making makgeolli on American shores, celebrating their heritage while introducing many more to its depth of flavors.
Critic’s List: Courtney Iseman’s Best in 2022New York City–based writer Courtney Iseman, a Craft Beer & Brewing contributor and author of the newsletter Hugging the Bar, shares her highlights from the past year.
Pushing Hop Flavor to Its Outer LimitsBrewers are experimenting with a variety of ways, old and new, to squeeze even more aroma and flavor from their hops and cram it into their beers. But how much hop saturation is too much for drinkers?