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Craft-brewery consolidation is booming, but hidden maintenance issues cost acquired breweries big. Standardizing operations and leveraging asset-management tools are crucial for success.

A splash of lager goes into the cheese sauce for this Midwestern diner classic, traditionally served open-faced with a pile of fries.

Funky Fauna Artisan Ales in Bend, Oregon, ferments their light, quenching house saison with their own locally captured mixed culture.

Inspired by Wallonian farmhouse brewing but rooted in Oregon terroir, Funky Fauna in Bend makes its Wild Saison beers from local ingredients, fermenting them in oak barrels with their wild-caught house culture. Here, cofounder and brewer Michael Frith shares tips on leaning local, developing your own mixed culture, package-conditioning, and more.

There are many interpretations of modern saison. This one, from Oxbow in Newcastle, Maine, features local grains and multiple strains of yeast and bacteria—gently tart and funky, and highly drinkable.

Inspired by Wallonian farmhouse brewing yet distinct from classic saison, today’s modern, funky, mixed-culture creations—whatever you call them—enjoy a refined niche.

From our Love Handles files on our favorite spots around the world to enjoy a beer: There are few things we appreciate more than an airport bar that majors in craft beer; the Stone Arch at Minneapolis–St. Paul International Airport is worth planning a long layover.

For an indulgent breakfast or brunch—after a big night out, perhaps?—coffee stout contributes some depth to this simple French toast preparation. You’ll only need a half-cup for the dish, though. (The rest is for you.)

Besides having a nice red-amber hue and tasting great—earthy, malty, and spicy-bitter—this recipe shows how alternative base grains can make a significant difference in flavor.

Looking for something rich and impressive to bring to that holiday gathering? You can serve this stout-enriched torte simply—ideally, with fresh whipped cream—but you can you also use it as a base for mousses and ganaches.

From Scratch in Ava, Illinois, this saison recipe features 131 ingredients, all told—their use informed by deep expertise in what to forage, what to grow, and how the different components can safely be used to contribute worthwhile flavors to beer.

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.

Intense, complex, and punchy, the hops of New Zealand are special—so, making the best beer you can with them deserves some special consideration. From Aotearoa, the Land of the Long White Cloud—or Middle Earth, if you prefer—here are specific tips from the brewers who know New Zealand hops best.

Fun to make and fun to eat—and it makes for killer pairings—this cheesecake is a celebration of the season and the classic seasonal beer style.

From our Love Handles files on the world’s great beer bars: In the home of Bollywood, local fans of craft beer and burgers dance for this casual, cozy outpost.

Here’s how you can expand the distribution of your craft beer with data-driven selling stories.

From Dundulis in Panevežys, Lithuania, this recipe is based on their interpretation of traditional keptinis beer brewed from an oven-­baked mash.

This fresh, vibrant, spicy Thai dish is a powerhouse of flavor, from its lime-driven acidity to its fiery chiles, crunchy peanuts, and briny little sea creatures. Should you put it in beer? Yes, obviously, you cowards.

Both a light lager and a Belgian-style white ale join the party for this flavorful michelada-inspired riff on marinated chicken with a spicy-sweet sauce.

From Upright Brewing in Portland, Oregon, here’s a recipe for their light, easy-drinking saison that features a citrus-tropical fruit character balanced by yeast-driven earth and spice.