Ryan Pachmayer
Ask the Pros: How Kros Strain Dialed in Its Flagship Hazy IPA, Fairy NectarBobby Kros, cofounder and head brewer at Kros Strain in La Vista, Nebraska, explains how they gradually shaped Fairy Nectar into an award-winning flagship—and also how they build the double-dry-hopped version differently.
Ask the Pros: Brewing Strong Red Liquid Nostalgia with CloudburstIn 2025, Seattle’s Cloudburst won World Beer Cup gold in the Strong Red Ale category for its throwback West Coast double red, Peaked in High School. Here, founder-brewer Steve Luke opens his yearbook to share the details.
La Fine Mousse in Paris Is a Moveable Feast for Beer LoversThere are no rude waiters here. From our Love Handles files on the world’s great beer bars: In central Paris, the Fine Mousse is a vanguard of the local beer scene, offering refined attention to French craft and world classics.
Ask the Pros: Brewing Rochefort’s Revered Dark, Strong, Lively AlesIn Belgium’s Namur province, at the Notre-Dame de Saint-Rémy abbey, head brewer Gumer Santos shares some of the methods that go into the Brasserie des Trappistes Rochefort’s highly regarded dark ales—as well as its newer blonde triple.
For Great Sandwiches and Beer, Stein’s Deli Is an Easy Call in the Big EasyFrom our Love Handles files on our favorite spots in the world to enjoy a beer: This New Orleans deli and market draws crowds for its sandwiches, personality, and surprising selection of cans and bottles.
Ask the Pros: How Did Scratch Put 131 Different Botanicals into a Beer that Still Tastes Great?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: How Mexico’s Hércules Brews and Bottles Export Stout that WinsFrom the Hércules brewery in Querétaro, Mexico, here’s the lowdown on Pueblito, the export stout that won gold at the 2024 World Beer Cup—including the brewery’s German-inspired method for bottle-conditioning, which kept the beer in top form at the judging table.
Ask the Pros: Belgian-Inspired, Hop-Forward, Crushable Pale Ale with Halfway CrooksTaking cues from modern Belgian pale ales such as Taras Boulba and XX Bitter, Sanguine is a balanced expression of ample hops and yeast character. “We chased this beer for four years, trying to find the flavor profile,” says Halfway Crooks cofounder Shawn Cooper. “This is where we ended up.”
Ask the Pros: Brewing Franconian Landbier with Brauerei-Gasthof BayerIn Bavaria’s lager-loving Franconian region, the Bayer family’s Theinheim Landbier is integral to their tradition of local hospitality.
Ask the Pros: How Von Ebert’s Volatile Substance Became a Stable LiquidOne of the best-loved IPAs in Portland, Oregon, is the product of careful evolution and the intentional embrace of particular hop flavors. Here, Von Ebert brewmaster Sam Pecoraro shares the beer’s inner workings.
Ask the Pros: Brewing a Smoked Lager that’s Fire, with Silver ReefBrewed on the edge of the Mojave in St. George, Utah, Silver Reef’s Más Fuego Rauchbier won gold at the World Beer Cup last year. Here’s what goes into the elegant smoked beer that’s gained a following among brewers and other beer-savvy visitors to Las Vegas.
Ask the Pros: Hoppin’ Broccoli with Other HalfFrom hop selection to dry hops, finishing gravity, and mouthfeel, Other Half cofounder and brewmaster Sam Richardson isolates the key elements of their popular, year-round imperial hazy IPA.