Does the cold weather and the pandemic quarantining have you dreaming of travel and adventure? Does the prospect of crisscrossing a foreign country in search of one of the world's most sought after beers sound enticing? If so join Mark, Pat, and our Belgian-beer loving friend Hans Gorsuch, as we embark on a virtual tour... Continue Reading →
Brewing a Fruited Berliner Weisse
Among the scores of historic beer styles, Berliner Weisse has one of the more interesting back stories. Like many styles it was for many centuries largely confined to a specific place, the Prussian capital that later became the capital of Germany. Once lauded by Napoleon as the “Champagne of the North”, by the early 21st... Continue Reading →
Beer Glassware Illustrated
This post accompanies Episode 24 of the Pat’s Pints/Mark’s Mugs - All Things Beer Podcast. Despite our best efforts to describe the appearance of these glasses, a picture is worth a thousand words. As such the content here is limited to a series of pictures with brief descriptions of each glass. For more details we... Continue Reading →
Pat’s Pints/Mark’s Mugs Podcast Episode 24 – Glassware Gameshow
Ever confuse a stange with a Willi Becher, or wonder why the Belgian’s have a different glass for every beer? Have you ever pondered the technology behind the newfangled Spiegelau’s craft beer glasses? If so, this is the episode for you. We are joined by Land Grant brewer Justin Reik and Canadian connoisseur Chris Mercerhill... Continue Reading →
Columbus Brewing Company’s Inaugural Wood Aged Sour Bottle Release
Back in January I toured the Columbus Brewing Company Production Facility with Tony Corder for a story that I published a few weeks later. Of the many wonderful things on offer at CBC, the nascent sour beer program was perhaps the most exciting. At that time there were boxes and boxes of recently filled 500... Continue Reading →
Searching for the Origins of the Spiced Winter Warmer
The tradition of releasing a special beer for the cold, short days of December is centuries old, a tradition that has only intensified with the shift of the craft beer industry toward a rotating mix of seasonals and one offs. In the latest episode of the Pat’s Pints Podcast, Mark and I sat down with... Continue Reading →
Pat’s Pints Podcast Episode 23 – Winter Warmers and Festive Holiday Ales
‘Tis the season to be jolly and in this episode we do our best to spread some holiday cheer. We look at the evolution of Winter Warmers and other seasonal winter offerings stretching from the dark ages to the modern day. We are joined by our friend and Barley’s brewmaster Angelo Signorino, who has been... Continue Reading →
Little Fish announces plans to open second location in Dayton
Yesterday I received a press release from Jimmy Stockwell, co-owner of Little Fish Brewing, announcing plans to open a second location in Dayton. Founded in 2015 by Stockwell and longtime friend Sean White, the Athens brewery has enjoyed considerable critical acclaim for their farmhouse ales and barrel aged sours. Notable awards include medals from the... Continue Reading →
Pat’s Pints Podcast Episode 22 – Saisons
In this episode Mark and I are joined by by homebrewer and Pat’s Pints Podcast veteran Hans Gorsuch for an in-depth discussion of an underappreciated gem of the beer world, saisons. We sit outside on a warm summer evening and enjoy a range of saisons while the cicadas serenade us as the evening turns to... Continue Reading →
Ohio Breweries Snag Nine Medals at 2020 GABF
Awards were given out at the 2020 Great American Beer Festival last night. Given the dumpster fire that is 2020 you can be forgiven if you didn’t realize that the GABF was being held this year. I must admit I didn’t realize awards were being given this year myself until the award show was wrapping... Continue Reading →
Pat’s Pints Podcast Episode 21 – Oktoberfest Metalfest
Given the unfortunate cancellation of 2020 Oktoberfest, we invited fellow beer lovers Jamie Gentry and Chris Davison of Wolf’s Ridge Brewing to join us for a celebration of the glorious German beers of fall—märzen and festbier. We go deep on the history and characteristics of these beers, and Chris shares a cornucopia of tips for... Continue Reading →
Pat’s Pints Podcast Episode 20 – History of the IPA (Part 2)
In this episode Nick Smith from Steam Machine Brewing in the UK joins us to talk about the rebirth and surge in popularity of IPAs over the past 40 years.
Akronym, Jackie O’s Medal at 2020 Honey Beer Competition
Two Ohio breweries, Akronym and Jackie O's, had a strong showing at the National Honey Beer Competition earlier this month. The competition, which is sponsored by the National Honey Board, features 13 different style categories. BJCP-certified judges use the standard criteria (aroma, appearance, flavor, mouthfeel) for evaluating the beers, plus take into account the role... Continue Reading →
Six Central Ohio Crushers to Beat the Summer Heat
Despite the recent respite from the heat, it has been a long hot summer in more ways than one. When the mercury rises, there’s nothing like a nice cold beer to slake your thirst. Beers that fill this role, sometimes called lawn-mower beers, tend to be light bodied, neither too bitter nor too sweet, with... Continue Reading →
Pat’s Pints Podcast Episode 19 – The History of the IPA (Part 1)
In this episode we take advantage of our newfound remote recording skills to go international for the first time. Mark and I are joined by Nick Smith, founder and brewmaster of Steam Machine Brewing in County Durham. In the first of a two part episode we explore the history of the India Pale Ale from... Continue Reading →
Pat’s Pints Podcast Episode 18 – Going for the Gueuze with Dan Reeve
In this episode we are joined by Columbus sour beer aficionado Dan Reeve for a virtual voyage to Pajotenland. Join us as we take an in depth look at a style that many feel represents the pinnacle of brewing art, blended lambic gueuze. We crack open gueuzes from Cantillon, Drie Fonteinen and Lindemans and share... Continue Reading →
Pat’s Pints Podcast Episode 17 – American Sour Beers and Wild Ales with Sean White (Part 2)
In the second half of our interview with Sean White, co-owner and head brewer at Little Fish Brewing, we continue our exploration of the fascinating world of sour beers. The episode kicks off with with a candid discussion of the challenges of spontaneous fermentation. As the pod progresses we talk about the important role of... Continue Reading →
Pat’s Pints Podcast Episode 16 – American Sour Beers and Wild Ales with Sean White (Part 1)
In this episode we sit down (virtually) with Sean White, co-owner and head brewer at Little Fish Brewing in Athens, Ohio, for an expansive discussion of sour beers and wild ale brewing. With two World Beer Cup medals for their barrel-aged sours (a bronze for Petit Poisson in 2018 and a gold for Barrel Aged... Continue Reading →
Ohio Breweries Try to Weather the Corona Virus Pandemic
Life over the last month is like nothing I’ve experienced. As I write this, the sun is shining, flowers are coming into bloom, and crimson red cardinals fill the air with song in hopes of attracting a mate. Hardly the stuff of a Hollywood pandemic movie. In some ways the world seems normal, but in... Continue Reading →
Pat’s Pints Podcast Episode 15 – Talking Pandemic Beer Blues with Dan Eaton
With a statewide stay at home order in effect across Ohio, some of us have a little more time on our hands, enough to record a new episode of the Pat's Pints Podcast. In this episode we connect (remotely) with Dan Eaton who covers the beer and food industries for Columbus Business First. Dan shares... Continue Reading →