Joe Sixpack columns appear Wednesdays in the Appeal-Democrat. For more beer news, visit www.joesixpack.net. E-mail: joe@joesixpack.net.
Joe Sixpack
- 2012 brings fresh new crop of IPAs
- Black IPAs are so 2011. Last year's hot new style — which exploded in popularity before beer gurus could even settle on a proper name (Cascadian Dark Ale? American Black Ale?) — is already getting shoved to the side by a new crop of Indi... Full story
- Products go all-in for the big game
- When did the Super Bowl become an excuse to sell junk to beer drinkers? I'm not talking about beer itself, for it goes without saying that plenty of cold suds are a necessary lubricant for the 12 or so hours you'll be spending in front of the widesc... Full story
- Recalling the legendary Swedish Bikini Team
- Twenty years ago this month, America lost what might've been the greatest beer commercial of all time. It was a sly, funny advertising campaign that, despite running for just seven months, generated a ton of publicity and became an instant icon of A... Full story
- Malt liquor an iconic American classic
- "Minimal taste profile, minimal hopping, lacking in hop bouquet and threshold hop levels ..." — Fred Eckhardt, The Essentials of Beer Style, 1989, describing the style characteristics of malt liquor. "Get your girl in the mood quicker, get you... Full story
- Get ready for a great year in beer
- Your new year's resolutions better include a promise to clean out the fridge, because you'll need to make room for a lot of new beer. Get ready for some exciting new flavors in 2012, from one-of-a-kind collaborations to the first-time domestic appear... Full story
- The year Miller saw the light
- Two thousand eleven will go down as the year that Miller Brewing finally repented. Here is a company whose top seller, Miller Lite, forever stands with McDonald's and "American Idol" as the archetypes of dumbed-down American culture, whose pursuit o... Full story
- Hair-of-the-dog remedies for the morning after
- When you load up the cooler this week for your New Year's Eve soaking, take a moment to think about what you're going to drink on the morning after. Ah, yes, the hair of the dog that bit you. Hard-earned experience has taught us that the best hango... Full story
- Shmaltz brews are so much more than shtick
- "Don't Pass Out, Passover." When Shmaltz Brewing launched in 1996 with that slogan, you'd be excused if you assumed it was just another gimmick, like Billy Beer of the 1970s or J.R. Ewing Beer of the '80s. Its He'Brew Messiah Bold and Genesis Ale ("... Full story
- Something for every beer lover on your list
- How to tell your Aunt Sarah you don't need another knitted sweater this holiday season? Clip out this all-purpose gift list and slip it into her handbag — maybe she'll get the hint. For the DIY-er: "The Complete Homebrew Beer Book" by George H... Full story
- Coming soon: The World's Greatest Beer
- Coming to America in 2012: The World's Greatest Beer. It's Westvleteren 12, a Belgian rarity brewed at the tiny St. Sixtus Trappist monastery by a brotherhood of notoriously secretive monks. Packaged in a plain brown bottle with no label, Westvlete... Full story
