Inspiration and Information for your Tabletop

If you look at just about any data source and analyze their beverage trends, there's one glaring fact you'll see in just about every single one of them: the non-alcoholic beverage market is growing at record pace.

There are few articles of faith in my admittedly jaundiced worldview, precious few things that I believe to be right and true and basically unimprovable by man or God. This, however, is one of them: a properly poured beer or ale -- in my case, a hand-cranked Guinness -- in a clean pint glass of correct temperature is God's Own Beverage, a complete and nutritious food source, a thing of beauty to be admired, a force that sweeps away, for a time, all the world's troubles.

Many would argue that beer is always in season. And those folks would be correct. Seasonal beers are an example of the transformation of beer drinkers over time. The craft beer movement opened the door for breweries of all sizes to create unique seasonal beers specific to every day on the calendar. But what separates a “fall beer” from a “summer beer?”

Last week, the Brewers Association, a non-profit trade group dedicated to promoting and protecting America’s small and independent craft brewers, launched a new label that differentiates beers brewed by independent craft brewers from those that are mass made.

Everyone has heard “The 12 Days of Christmas” before. But for all those drummers drumming and turtle doves, they forgot the best gift of all – beer! Seasonal beers come and go, but Christmas craft beers are always an extra special addition to an already special time of the year. Before you send that list to Santa, make sure you add some holiday “spirits” to that wishlist.

Just as the leaves change in the fall, so do the season’s flavors. Look around, and you can find just about anything with pumpkin spice added to it. With summer ending and fall flourishing, it means there are plenty of classic fall dishes being cooked, baked, roasted, and served for gatherings of family and friends. But you can’t have an empty glass next to all of that delicious food! This is when pairing your food with the right beer becomes important.

As long as humans have been around, there has been beer. Or at least it seems that way. According to BeerAdvocate, the ancient Sumerians likely discovered beer by accident nearly 13,000 years ago. What a magnificent accident that turned out to be!