About this column:
Buzze's Barleyjuice Beat is a weekly column that delves into sophisticated beers, pairings and home brewing.While the current output of advertising would have you believe that barleywines, imperials and doubles were always commonly available beers in the U.S., they are relatively new to the country. In that horrible dark time during and after Prohibition—and until the present (the Dark Ages of Beer), it was more common to have a light beer filled with adjuncts and high water content. In fact, it’s possible that the current popularity of high alcohol brews is a reactionary backlash to that. But, prior to Prohibition, American beer was basically German and English styles brewed with local …
When I was younger I frequented the Electric Factory on a number of occasions. My friends and I would stuff my car full of beers, too many people and then sit in long line of traffic on the Schuylkill expressway. We would blare the radio, laugh at bad jokes and make unconvincing passes at the girls in the cars next to us. We were young, immortal and looking for a good time. I didn't remember much else about those times. Well, except the hangovers — and that no one ever sprang for gas. The Feb. 12 Winter Beerfest at the Electric Factory refreshed my memory of the feel of all those heavy …
February — a desolate time of year. The trees are barren, the mornings are cold, and there's only Presidents Day to ward off work (if you're lucky). The glitz of Super Bowl has passed, and the fun of March Madness has yet to come. It seems that all that's left to do is trudge through the dark frigid mornings into the gray glacial evenings and hope the monotony doesn't incite a harsh dose of cabin fever … and the resulting damage it creates. (I still owe my girlfriend a new blender and pillows.) But fear not! Beer is here. Libations of high alcohol, and equally high complexity, begin to …
Every year, as the Super Bowl approaches, so too does the frequency of the "Bro-based" ads; talking animals, beautiful women, and beer, beer, beer fill our television screens. They pour on the promises, the jokes and the marketing gimmicks. As I watch the variety of beer ads flash across my screen, I see mention of "noble hops," "triple hops brewed," "late hopping" and the characteristics of hop aroma or flavor. But what does that mean, really? What are they talking about? Are they just making stuff up? Beer as we know it today wouldn't exist without hops. Hops provide balance to our …
Are you apprehensive to learn to brew? Afraid you'll make a mistake? Perhaps a mold-filled swill, unfit for pigs? Something that tastes more akin to a generic can of corn than a malty concoction of amber beauty? Or perhaps you're just afraid of causing a miniature explosion that your insurance won't cover. Well, fear not. With time and patience, anyone can be a brewer. Brewing may be the second oldest technological process, other than domesticating agriculture, belonging to the human race. It is known that the process has been around for over 7,000 years, having its roots in the Sumerian …
Winter is a time of year when everything slows down. Well, maybe not intentionally. We hurry into work and get stuck behind that Honda with bald tires on an icy hill. We hurry to get that work done, but the sun is sinking too fast. And we hurry to get home to loved ones only to find that the day is done and it's almost time to begin again. Despite this, the natural inclination is to hunker down in your home by something warming. And that's something I can actually help you with. Not a fire though. I'm not allowed near those. Every season has its beer, and the winter ones call for …
