News

Date

July 22 2013

Written By

Maxwell Arndt

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Too Buzzed: Beer Drinkers More Attractive to Mosquitos

Written By Maxwell Arndt - July 22 2013

According to an article by Smithsonian Magazine: “Just a single 12-ounce bottle of beer can make you more attractive to the insects."

Researchers suspected this was because drinking increases the amount of ethanol excreted in sweat, or because it increases body temperature - two things that are attractive to the tiny pests.

But are mosquitos looking for a bump? According to an article by Popular Science, mosquitos can indeed get drunk. However, they are much more likely to become inebriated from drinking fermented fruit or flower juices than from sucking the blood of someone who has had a few too many.



Date

June 05 2013

Written By

Swag Brewery

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Welcome to the Light Side: 7 Summer-Worthy Craft Beer Styles

Written By Swag Brewery - June 05 2013

Summertime activities don't always merit cracking open an 11% ABV Barleywine or a 13% ABV Russian Imperial Stout. So we have compiled a list of lighter, more easily quaffable craft beers that still offer tons of flavor and will allow you to retain your beer geek status.

 

Saison

A refreshing, medium to strong fruity/spicy ale with a distinctive yellow-orange color, highly carbonated, well hopped, and dry with a quenching acidity. ABV: 5-7%
Commercial examples: Ommegang Hennepin, Saison Dupont, Goose Island Sofie, Boulevard Tank 7, Brooklyn Sorachi Ace, Bruery Saison Rue, Stone Saison Du Buff

 

 

 

American Wheat

A medium-light to medium bodied style that typically focuses more on hop character and less on yeast flavor than its German cousin, the Weissbier. ABV: 4-5.5%
Commercial examples: Bell's Oberon, Three Floyds Gumballhead, Pyramid Hefe-Weizen, Widmer Hefeweizen, Sierra Nevada Wheat, Anchor Summer Beer
 

 

 

Blonde Ale

An easy-drinking, approachable, malt-oriented American craft beer. ABV: 3.8-5.5%
Commercial examples: Victory Summer Love, New Belgium Somersault, Deschutes Twilight, Shipyard Export, Redhook Blonde, Widmer Brothers Blonde, Bell's Third Coast

 

 

 

 

 

English Bitter

Low gravity, low alcohol levels and low carbonation make this an easy-drinking beer. Drinkability is a critical component of the style. ABV: 3.2-4.6%
Commercial examples: Fuller's London Pride, Goose Island Honker's Ale, Young's Special, Surly Bitter Brewer, Anchor Small Beer, Rogue Younger's Special Bitter, Newcastle Summer Ale

 

 

 

 

Belgian Witbier

A refreshing, elegant, tasty, moderate-strength wheat-based ale that often utilizes additional spices like coriander and orange peel. ABV: 4.5-5.5%
Commercial examples: Hoegaarden Original White Ale, Allagash White, Unibroue Blanche De Chambly, Avery White Rascal, Ommegang Witte, Harpoon UFO White

 

 

 

 

 

Berliner Weisse

A very pale, sour, refreshing, low-alcohol wheat ale that was referred to as the "champagne of the North" by Napoleon's troops in 1809. ABV: 2.8-3.8%
Commercial examples: Bell's Oarsman, New Glarus Thumbprint Berliner Weiss, Dogfish Head Festina Pêche, Bruery Hottenroth, Bear Republic Tartare, Grand Teton Snarling Badger

 

 

 

Fruit Beer

A harmonious marriage of fruit and beer, some styles are brewed with actual fruit, while others utilize extracts and syrups to maximize fruit profile.
Commercial examples: Magic Hat #9 (Apricot), Abita Purple Haze (Raspberry) New Glarus Serendipity (Apples, Cranberries, Cherries), Dogfish Head Aprihop (Apricot), Unibroue Éphémère (Apple), 21st Amendment Hell Or High Watermelon

 

 

Compiled using lots of good style information from our friends at the Beer Judge Certification Program.

 

 

Date

July 06 2012

Written By

Maxwell Arndt

Comments

3 Comments

Suds and Sun - 5 Craft Beer Styles to Help You Beat the Heat

Written By Maxwell Arndt - July 06 2012

Thanks to this wonderful gift of sun and humidity, we're hot right now. Really hot. So hot that we've swapped our t-shirts for beer, in fact. Since the shirts are off and the beers are in hand, we thought we'd throw together a list of 5 craft beer styles that pair perfectly with heat and sun. Put these on your to-drink list for the summer!

American Pale Lager

Sometimes referred to as "all-malt," this category of beer refers to lagers brewed without cereal adjuncts (mainly rice or corn). Though often still yellow and fizzy, these beers will display a broader depth of malt flavor and a more complex bitterness vs. their adjunct counterparts (like those produced by Anheuser-Busch, MillerCoors, etc.). A lot of these beers are known as "gateway" beers for their ability to convert people into craft beer drinkers!







Cream Ale

Spawned from the American light lager style, cream ales are brewed as an ale (using top-fermenting ale yeast) but are often cold-conditioned like a lager. Adjuncts (as would be used in a lager) such as corn or rice are used to lighten the body. It is not uncommon for smaller craft brewers to brew all malt Cream Ales. They are often pale straw to pale gold in color with low hop bittering and some hop aroma though some microbreweries have given the style more of a hop character. They should be well attenuated and highly carbonated.




American Wheat

These beers range within the pale to golden range in color and are reminiscent of a Hefe Weizen in appearance, unless filtered. They typically have a long-lasting head with a light to medium body with higher carbonation. Often served with a lemon wedge (popularized by Americans) to either cut the wheat or yeast edge, which many either find to be a flavorful snap ... or an insult and something that damages the beer's taste and head retention!

Examples: Bell's Oberon, Magic Hat Circus Boy, Smuttynose Summer Weizen


Fruit Lambic

Fruit beers can include a wide range of styles and brewing processes, from American wheat beers with fruit additions to Fruit Lambics. In the case of Fruit Lambics, whole fruits are traditionally added after spontaneous fermentation has started. Kriek (cherries), Frambroise (raspberries), Pêche (peach) and Cassis (black currant) are common fruits, all producing subtle to intense fruit characters respectively. Once the fruit is added, the beer is subjected to additional maturation before bottling. Malt and hop characters are generally low to allow the fruit to consume the palate. Alcohol content tends to be low. 


Saison/Farmhouse Ale

Saison (French for season) is a farmhouse ale that was traditionally brewed in the winter, to be consumed throughout the summer months. Not long ago it was close to being an endangered style, but over recent years there's been a massive revival; especially in the United States.

This is a very complex style; many examples are very fruity in the aroma and flavor. Look for earthy yeast tones, mild to moderate tartness. Lots of spice and with a medium bitterness. They tend to be semi-dry with many only having touch of sweetness.







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