Hombrewers BPA: Behind the Scenes at Al’s of Hampden

At the early time of 8 AM on a Saturday, a dozen local homebrewing enthusiasts showed up to a quiet Al’s of Hampden, ready to help contribute to a brew day. The beer, aptly called Homebrewers Belgian Pale Ale, is slated to be tapped on National Homebrew Day on May 3. I was one of the homebrewers eager to attend and help out. We started out by learning how automated the system is compared to what … Read entire article »
Filed under: Al's of Hampden, Belgian Pale Ale, Pizza Boy Brewing Co.
Bitter Brew – Book Review

Occasionally we at The Beer Circle put down our beers and pursue other activities but often those, too, are centered around beer. I have just read “Bitter Brew” by William Knoedelseder. It is billed as a book about “the rise and fall of Anheuser-Busch and America’s Kings of Beer.” There are already many reviews that deal with the book in its entirety but I will concentrate more on the items in the book that deal … Read entire article »
Filed under: Anheuser-Busch, Books
Voodoo Brewery – #22oztofreedom (Hashtag Series)

For best effect, play this in the background as you peruse this post: And now, for something completely different. I’m no stranger to malt liquors, having even reviewed one previously. What we have here is Voodoo Brewery‘s craft malt liquor, offered up as part of their ongoing “Hashtag Series”. A nod to the popular Sublime song, #22oztofreedom was available at Voodoo during my Christmas trip back home to Northwest PA, tempting me with thoughts of what mysterious … Read entire article »
Filed under: Voodoo Brewery
Bluejacket Moving On Without Head Brewer

Megan Parisi is no longer the head brewer at Bluejacket, as the two have amicably parted ways only three months after the brewery’s official opening. Megan, formally of Cambridge Brewing Company, spent the better part of the year spreading the Bluejacket name by brewing collaborations with everyone from Cigar City in Florida, The Bruery and Stone in California to De Struise in Belgium–experience that Bluejacket won’t be quick to recreate. Bluejacket’s beers haven’t hit the DC … Read entire article »
Filed under: Bluejacket
Cellar: Victory Storm King 2011-2013

Back in 2011, when I was fresh into beer, I decided that Victory’s Storm King Stout would be a nice beer to start my cellar. When I lived in Pennsylvania, it was a local beer that was relatively easy to find, so it all came together. A lot has happened since then, including the decision by Victory to sell Storm King in four packs, instead of six packs. I was so taken aback by the … Read entire article »
Filed under: Beer, Cellar, Russian Imperial Stout, Victory Brewing Co.
DC Breweries Tour Recap

This past Saturday, despite a continuous deluge of wintry mix in the Washington area, a car full of good friends drove across our nation’s capital to see five different breweries: DC Brau, Atlas Brew Works, Chocolate City, Right Proper, and Bluejacket. A testament to the success of craft beer right now, the longest drive between breweries was 15 minutes. The fun breweries paired with almost everyone being a bit sleepy and hungover made for a … Read entire article »
Filed under: Atlas Brew Works, Bluejacket, Breweries, Chocolate City, DC Brau Brewing Co., Right Proper Brewing Co.
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