Posts in Beer
Everything You Need to Know About Fancy Cider
Everything You Need to Know About Fancy Cider

AS PUBLISHED BY THRILLIST

Cider is seemingly everywhere these days, going well beyond its antiquated status as a tap option for the gluten-averse or people who say they don't like beer. Still, most people don’t think to order cider when out for a nice dinner, and that's a shame. Good ol’ fermented apple juice can be as complex (and expensive) as any craft beer or fine wine. The best stuff -- often “heritage cider,” made with cider-specific heirloom apple varieties and produced with traditional winemaking techniques -- is incredibly nuanced, with plenty of regional differences and unique flavors to go around.

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BeerEthan FixellCider
5 Uniquely Japanese Beers You Can Actually Buy in the U.S.
5 Uniquely Japanese Beers You Can Actually Buy in the U.S.

AS PUBLISHED BY THE DAILY MEAL

In Japan, unique ingredients define many of the country’s best beers. And thanks to America’s unquenchable thirst, more and more of these beers are being exported to the United States. I’ve traveled from northern Iwate all the way down to Ishikawa in search of beers made with special ingredients native to the Pacific island nation, and rounded up the best of those that can also be found in the United States. Seek out the following five delicious, intriguing brews to enjoy a taste of Nippon from the other side of the world.

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BeerEthan FixellJapan, The Daily Meal, Beer Recs
The World's Coolest Beer Labels
The World's Coolest Beer Labels

As published by Mr. Porter

To stand out from the crowd, today’s breweries are going the extra mile with incredible bottle and can artwork. In the US, where there are about 6,000 breweries, brands such as Montauk Brewing Co. and House Beer owe much of their success to their suave labels. And as beer quality continues to improve, aesthetics is becoming more important in setting the phenomenal apart from the merely great. So which breweries’ containers are most worthy of placement on your mantelpiece after you’ve drained them of their sweet nectar? We’ve rounded up the five best examples of label art from around the world, so that you can drink in style wherever you are.

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BeerEthan FixellBeer Labels, Mr. Porter, Marketing
Hop of the Class
Hop of the Class

As published by Tasting Table

With standards of beer education and connoisseurship at all-time highs, a drinker can be made to feel like he or she must possess a Master Cicerone certification to appreciate a craft brew. (Is a “horse blanket” aroma a good or bad thing?) Fortunately, we have a network of knowledgeable friends who can help keep you afloat: After consulting some of the beer world’s leading experts, we’ve compiled a cheat sheet with their best insider secrets.

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BeerEthan FixellBrewers, Beer Advice, Tasting Table
24 Hours in the Life of a Dad Desperate For a Beer
24 Hours in the Life of a Dad Desperate For a Beer

As published by Fatherly

As a full-time beverage writer, I drink quite a bit. (Sorry, honey: research. I research quite a bit.) But even in my profession, I found that sitting down to enjoy even a simple beer in the first month of my new life as a dad proved impossible. Facing this challenge, I documented a particularly harrowing 24-hour period of involuntary abstinence that occurred three weeks after my daughter’s birth. So I’d like to share my experience to commiserate with fellow dads who may be able to find solace in my struggle — and tell future dads who might like to know what they’re in for….

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BeerEthan FixellFatherly, Kids, NarrativeComment
BeerWatch 2017
BeerWatch 2017

As published by Beverage Business

Beer has had an incredibly turbulent year, from the Big Guys down to the little ones. Buyouts, mergers and unprecedented growth in both breweries and SKUs have made the marketplace a confusing one for beer consumers and producers alike. In the process, the oft-abused term “craft” inches closer and closer to the brink of losing all meaning with respect to beer—even as wine-centric glassmaker Riedel delivered a stamp of approval to the beer biz by designing a special Riedel beer glass. Perhaps the only certainty in 2016 was change. But amidst all of the tumult, a few undeniable trends have arisen that promise to carry over into 2017.

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BeerEthan FixellBeverage Media, Beer News, Industry