Beer

Ale

Ale is a category of beer brewed with a top-fermenting yeast. [1]Saccharomyces cerevisiae Ale is one of the two main categories of beer made today, the other being lager, which is brewed with a bottom-fermenting yeast. Other beers are grouped under either Ale or Lager. For instance, stout is categorized under Ale. Alcohol content ranges…

American Beer Day

The 27th of October is American Beer Day. What is the first American beer you ever had? What is your favourite American beer now?

Arnold of Soissons, Patron Saint of Belgian Brewers

The 14th of August is the feast day of Arnold of Soissons, the patron saint of hop-pickers and Belgian brewers. Why not raise a toast to St Arnold today with a Belgian beer?

Bavarian Beer Purity Law Day

The 23rd of April celebrates the Bavarian Beer Purity Law. The law governs what ingredients can be used for beer made in Germany. There are only 4 ingredients allowed.

Beef in Beer

This is beef braised in beer. A good cold weather dish that is lovely with mashed potato and cabbage.

Beer Day Britain

The 15th of June is Beer Day Britain. Grab a beer from the British Isles to wet your whistle, so you’ll be ready to sing the Beer Day Britain song at 7 p.m.!

Black and Tan

Black and Tan is an alcoholic “beer” drink, made from a combination of Stout and Ale. The default beers used are Guinness for the stout, and Bass Ale for the ale. The Guinness used should be the Draught, not the Extra Stout. In America, bartenders are careful to pour the beers together in a manner…

Drunken Beans Recipe

More like a soup, it’s meant to be served in bowls. Best if made a day ahead of time then reheated for serving.

Eazy Cheezy Fondue Recipe

This is one of the cheesiest fondues you’ll come across. Cheddar cheese soup, processed cheese, liquid smoke flavouring — few things in life come cheesier than this, in every sense of the word.

Golden Buck Recipe

A traditional variation on Welsh Rabbit.

Gruit

Gruit is an herb mixture used in the making of beer, before the use of hops became common. It was used to add aroma, flavour and bitterness, as well as to act as a preservative. The combinations of ingredients varied (a blender would carefully guard his recipe as a trade secret.) The three most common…

Hops

Hops are an herb mostly known for their use in flavouring beer. They provide both bitterness and aroma. Beer made without hops will taste “fruitier.” Hops are also a preservative. They allow weaker alcohol content beers to have a longer storage life. Hops are a member of the hemp family: they are related to marijuana…

International Beer Day

The First Friday of August is International Beer Day. It celebrates all those involved in the crafts of beer making and distribution, from the hops growers to the brewers to the bartenders.

International Women’s Collaboration Brew Day

The 8th of March is International Women’s Collaboration Brew Day (IWCBD). The day is designed to help reclaim women’s place in the beer brewing world and provide networking opportunities.

Lager

Lager is one of the two main categories of beer, the other being ale. Lager is brewed with a bottom-fermenting yeast at lower temperatures; Ale is brewed at higher temperatures, with a top-fermenting yeast. The yeast most often used for Lagers is Saccharomyces carlsbergensis (aka Saccharomyces pastorianus.) Owing to the lower temperatures, Lagers in general…

Lager Day

The 10th of December is Lager Day. Try a lager that you’ve never had before, or find a recipe to make that calls for some lager in it! Cheers!

National Beer Day

The 7th of April is National Beer Day. It celebrates the day in 1933 when the sale of beer was allowed again in the United States.

Nitrogenated Beer

Nitrogenated Beer is beer that has been infused with a mixture of 25-30 percent nitrogen and 70-75 percent carbon dioxide. In the beer trade, they may be referred to as “Nitrobrews.” Nitrogen bubbles are more stable than carbon dioxide bubbles, because the atmosphere is already about 79 percent nitrogen. Consequently, a longer-lasting head is produced…

Ale