Transform your winter warmer with this centuries old tradition! My favorite local beer store, Beer Study, was having a special release of the seasonal Cold Mountain beer from Highland Brewing along with some special releases to kick off the holiday season. As if this wasn't exciting enough, they were pairing it with a Bierstacheln event! Wait...what the heck is a Bierstacheln? Read on... Bierstacheln is a centuries-old German beer tradition where a red-hot metal rod is p

Thanksgiving Day Pairings

When the cold settles in and the hearth beckons, Winter Warmers and Spiced Ales take center stage. These beers are brewed for comfort — rich malt, gentle strength, and aromas of holiday spice that evoke memories of candlelight and celebration.

Raise a glass to the season, and let your brew reflect the changing light of autumn.

Comparing Malty Classics by Body, Bitterness, Strength, and Seasonality

Hop Harvest is here!

"Final half day in Munich before heading back to the Flughafen (airport). We found some epic beer to-go for the plane and had a beer as well (of course)..."

"Another full day of beer, history, mountains, and gemütlichkeit. This time in Tegernsee on a lake, visiting historic breweries, the Beer and Oktoberfest Museum and a classic Bavarian (or Austrian?) dessert"

"Beautiful train ride, exploring the old town of Salzburg Austria, then a scenic hike, castle visit, Sound Of Music Abbey and world class beer gardens"

“A full Munich day: rivers, gardens, scooters, steeples, lederhosen, and one unforgettable lineup of beers.”

“A long train ride, a surprise reroute, and a whirlwind evening of Kölsch in Cologne — Day 4 was one for the books.”

“From the storybook town of Aying to hiking Freising and ending at the world’s oldest brewery, Day 3 was pure Bavarian magic — schnitzel, riverside walks, and our first Festbier of the trip.”

“From a Bavarian breakfast feast to climbing a hill for mass at Kloster Andechs, sipping doppelbock with views of the Alps, and ending at the world’s largest biergarten — Day 2 was unforgettable.”

“Landed in Munich, dropped our bags, and within an hour had our first helles lager in hand. From Ayinger to Augustiner, here’s how our Bavarian adventure began…”

Fall Beer Season Is Finally Here!! Day 0: Wilkommen to the Germany / Austria travel log for September 2025. We hope to post pictures and...

Why not have an IPA today? From National Day Calendar : NATIONAL IPA DAY National IPA Day on the first Thursday in August celebrates the...

I was thinking about what to brew here during the middle of another hot and humid NC summer (forecast high of 100F with heat index of 110...

After hearing some very positive reviews of the fairly new hop terpene products called Abstrax Quantum , I started thinking about ways to...

No More Fizzy Yellow Beer!

I've been thinking about how to get more people interested in homebrewing and was talking to some friends and co-workers about it. Some...