Beer-articles 930

Two Milwaukee beer sign collectors reported that thieves took their large and historic Schlitz beer sign that was displayed on the front porch of their building.

“`html

The world’s best NA beer was awarded to an Oregon brewery at this year’s World Beer Cup.

The top non-alcoholic/NA beer at this year’s World Beer Cup was awarded to Black Butte Non-Alcoholic from Deschutes Brewery, in Bend Oregon.

World Beer Cup — known as the Olympics of the beer world — is presented by the Brewers Association. Judges blind taste-tested beers in more than 100 categories this spring in Las Vegas. Forbes contributors have previously written about many of the winning beers in the most popular categories including IPAs and pilsners. However, due to the massive surge in NA beers in recent years, NA is an increasingly competitive category and this year’s competition saw more than 140 entries.

Interestingly the winning beer is a non-alcoholic take on the brewery’s original Black Butte, a porter that helped make the famous Oregon brewery a success and is named for an extinct Oregon volcano. The brewery’s description notes flavors of coffee and chocolate and “a luscious creaminess and roasted finish.” The brewery also notes that the beer doesn’t just have fans, “it also has followers.” The NA version of this beer was designed to replicate those sought-after flavors and by all accounts, it’s done just that. Black Butte Non-Alcoholic has won more than 8 international NA awards including this recent win.

“`

Because the beer is NA, it ships directly from the brewery to most states, so most U.S. beer drinkers can give this a try if they want. In addition to Black Butte, which took the gold medal award in the NA category, two other beers medaled. Silver went to Soul Sour, by Athletic Brewing Co. in Milford Connecticut, and Bronze went to Night Strike, Leader Brewing, Palm Bay, Florida.

A small Florida NA brewery, Night Strike has been making big waves in NA beer circles since being founded in 2022. In addition to this recent award, it’s won previous medals at other prestigious beer competitions and earned mentions in national media. You can have the brewery’s beer shipped directly from the brewery.

Meanwhile, Athletic Brewing Co. is arguably the biggest name in NA beer and the brewery that more than any other put U.S. NA drinking on the map. The brewery’s Soul Sour, a fruit-forward sour brewed each year in honor of Black History Month. You can also order it online and be happy knowing that 100% of the profits from the beer are donated to causes that support BIPOC scholarships in brewing.

One Community. Many Voices. Create a free account to share your thoughts.

Our community is about connecting people through open and thoughtful conversations. We want our readers to share their views and exchange ideas and facts in a safe space.

In order to do so, please follow the posting rules in our site’s Terms of Service. We’ve summarized some of those key rules below. Simply put, keep it civil.

Your post will be rejected if we notice that it seems to contain:

User accounts will be blocked if we notice or believe that users are engaged in:

So, how can you be a power user?

Thanks for reading our community guidelines. Please read the full list of posting rules found in our site’s Terms of Service.

The best pilsner in the world this year comes from Colorado.

Pilsner was one of the most popular beer categories at this year’s prestigious World Beer Cup, which is often referred to as the Olympics of the beer world. More than 600 pilsners were submitted across four subcategories, but only four pilsners took home gold medals.

These elite and crisp beers were selected by an expert panel of judges this spring in Las Vegas at the annual beer competition presented by the Brewers Association — an organization representing small and independent brewers. I previously wrote about German-style pilsners awarded at the festival, as well as several IPA categories and other Forbes contributors have taken a closer look at IPAs overall.

Even though the IPA still reigns supreme as the most popular beer style, pilsners are getting more and more attention, and are probably the most popular current beer style with brewers themselves. It’s not hard to see why. They are complex yet easy to drink, and pilsners really highlight a brewer’s skill because you can’t hide any imperfections behind loads of hop flavors or aroma. Plus with sub-styles ranging from German to Boehmian to American and more, different types of pilsners can appeal to different drinkers.

Here are the four pilsners deemed the world’s best for 2024.

The brewery describes Venga as a traditional Mexican lager “fermented cold with Mexican lager yeast,” and as a “light and easy drinking beer.” The brewery recommends serving the refreshing beer “Chelada-style with rimmed salt and a lime wedge.”

Named simply “pilsner” this beer “shines brilliantly gold with fluffy white foam,” and features “Aromas of fresh grass, spring flowers, with a touch of lemon zest quaffs from the glass,” according to the brewery. As I previously wrote: “Good news for Oregon beer lovers: This beer ships statewide. Bad news for the rest of us: It isn’t available for shipping outside of Oregon.”

Made with Moravian malt and Saaz hops this beer is all about creating authentic Bohemian pilsner flavors. Per the brewery: “The ‘bublina’ or bubbles in this beer are best experienced in Tubinger tankards from Czech side-pull faucets.”

Perfect for pilsner fans who want a little bit of hop bite, this hopped pilsner is clean and crisp with loads of Amarillo and Strata hops. You can find out more about 401K at the brewery’s website, though there’s no word if it also comes with a dental plan.

One Community. Many Voices. Create a free account to share your thoughts. 

Our community is about connecting people through open and thoughtful conversations. We want our readers to share their views and exchange ideas and facts in a safe space.

In order to do so, please follow the posting rules in our site’s Terms of Service.  We’ve summarized some of those key rules below. Simply put, keep it civil.

Your post will be rejected if we notice that it seems to contain:

User accounts will be blocked if we notice or believe that users are engaged in:

So, how can you be a power user?

Thanks for reading our community guidelines. Please read the full list of posting rules found in our site’s Terms of Service.

As a local, Jim Greene is very excited about Disney Springs’ newest sip, SunShine Stroll Orange Pilsner — because it’s local, too. The beer’s July 1 release pairs neatly with the return of Flavors of Florida, which offers visitors to the Springs a taste of the Sunshine State.

Greene, general manager operations for Disney Springs, hails from Satellite Beach. SunShine Stroll Orange Pilsner, a light and citrusy offering, is custom crafted by Playalinda Brewing Co. from Titusville, an old rival city of Greene’s.

“We used to play them in football!” he notes with enthusiasm, but he reserves the bulk of his excitement for the beer itself — the refreshing result of years’ worth of visitor queries.

“Both domestic and international travelers ask about local beer all the time and ask, ‘What do you have that I can’t get anywhere else?’ We never had an answer.”

Now, they do — the Pilsner is a Disney Springs exclusive — and it joins the fourth annual Flavors of Florida lineup of more than 80 items, found at more than 40 locations from kiosks and fast-casual offerings, to storefront stop-ins, to fast-casual and full-service restaurants.

This hazy 4.5% ABV offering, with its touch of Florida orange, fits right in.

“It’s what you call a walking beer,” Greene says, and beginning July 1, visitors can grab a 16 oz. can or a draught at any number of outposts on property and walk it end to end. It will be sticking around after the summery event ends on Aug. 11.

In fact, the beer has even been incorporated into some of the festival’s offerings, such as the orange pilsner goat cheese dip (available at Jock Lindsay’s Hangar Bar) and crispy pork-topped St. Augustine datil pepper frites (at The Daily Poutine).

Over at Morimoto Asia, where past Flavors of Florida events have seen proteins like gator and frog legs giving folks a taste of former Executive Chef Yuhi Fujinaga’s penchant for thinking outside the box, this year’s take by Executive Chef Takeshi Ikeuchi speaks to something more familiar to most: Key West shrimp.

“He enjoys using this in his Cantonese-style cuisine,” says Fujinaga, now director of culinary for Patina Restaurant Group, “but also wanted to bring in his Japanese heritage by bringing in chilled soba noodles. They are infused with green tea, too, which is very unique.”

The dish also employs vegetables from local growers, such as carrots, cucumbers and purple daikon from small-scale, organic Sugar Top Farms in Clermont. This is an element the festival has been tapping into, Springs-wide, as the event has grown, says Disney Springs Vice President Matt Simon.

“It’s no longer just ingredients that are Florida-familiar,” he says. “We’re bringing in the farmers of our community and showing our guests, in a very special way, how to enjoy these flavors in a truly authentic way.”

Part of this is encapsulated in an all-new pairing series that will connect guests with their food and drink, says Michael Reiss, general manager of Disney Springs business relations and food and beverage.

The series will be hosted at The Edison, Chef Art Smith’s Homecomin’, Paddlefish, Wine Bar George, City Works Eatery & Pour House and Jaleo.

“It’s one of those things we’ve layered in to give more options and value to the guests,” Reiss explains. “These will have a limited number of seats, with two events per location.” Tickets for these events, which span multiple courses and run from 1.5 to 3 hours, drop July 1 at disneysprings.com/pairingevents.

“It’s exciting for guests to be able to have this personal connection with the chefs in Disney Springs,” says Simon. “They’re such an important part of our story and what we do. And for them to be able to get together and have an amazing food experience that nobody else in the world can have.”

History, too, plays a role. As Florida is the birthplace of the Cuban sandwich, several venues will be doing takes, from the Tampa-style Cuban at Chef Art Smith’s Homecomin’ to an Ybor City-style dog at B.B. Wolf’s Sausage Co.

The beverage teams have been getting in on the fun, too. At Morimoto Asia, the orange shiso mocktail allows guests of all ages to get in on Florida flavors with a house-made orange shrub. Frontera Cocina has a Sunshine State margarita. Gideon’s Bakehouse‘s orange mocha nitro cold brew will be jet fuel to its queued-up fans while eet by Maneet Chauhan’s Sunny Days brings them back down, its ice pop-laden, whipped vodka delight is a cocktail in dessert disguise.

And of course, there’s that beer, the one Flavor of Florida that’s sticking around past Aug. 11.

“It’s here for good,” says Greene.

Want to reach out? Find me on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram @amydroo or on the OSFoodie Instagram account @orlando.foodie. Email: amthompson@orlandosentinel.com. For more foodie fun, join the Let’s Eat, Orlando Facebook group.

“`html

If you drink beer—any beer—you’re probably familiar with the craft beer explosion that began in the late 2010s, and you likely fall into one of two camps: IPA warrior or lager loyalist. The great thing about a beer-related revolution is that there is no wrong side. Whatever your preference, cheers to you.

The brewery business is indeed a revolution by many counts. According to the Brewers Association, the number of breweries in the United States grew by 567% from 2003 to 2023—all while beer consumption, on average, was declining. For the first time since 1999, beer shipments fell below 200 million barrels in 2023, making it the lowest amount of beer consumed in the U.S. in a generation.

Like all revolutions, this began as a desire for change—as an overthrow of the old and the monopolistic. When combined, Anheuser-Busch InBev and Molson Coors (formerly MillerCoors), two of the largest beer companies in the world, comprised roughly 72% of total beer sales in the U.S. around 2013. A decade later, that share dropped to 65.7% in 2023, with smaller brewers claiming a larger share.

📧 Have breaking news come to you: Subscribe to News 2 email alerts →

“`

With a taste of the innovations and variety coming out of craft breweries, consumers are demanding a higher-quality product—and are willing to pay more for it. Over the last decade, between May 2014 and May 2024, beer prices have risen 21% overall.

But how can you determine the best craft beers in an increasingly crowded market? If you’re curious about the most popular beers in the Volunteer State, Stacker compiled a list of the highest-rated beers in Tennessee using ratings from BeerAdvocate. A maximum of five beers per brewery were included.

Read on to plan your next local beer tour!

– Rating: 4.15 (40 ratings)
– Type: Brett Beer
– ABV: 6.20%
– Brewery: Yazoo Brewing Company
– Read more on BeerAdvocate

– Rating: 4.33 (10 ratings)
– Type: New England IPA
– ABV: 6.50%
– Brewery: Xül Beer Co.
– Read more on BeerAdvocate

– Rating: 4.12 (902 ratings)
– Type: Smoked Porter
– ABV: 9.00%
– Brewery: Yazoo Brewing Company
– Read more on BeerAdvocate

– Rating: 4.2 (30 ratings)
– Type: Sweet / Milk Stout
– ABV: 6.50%
– Brewery: Southern Grist Brewing Co.
– Read more on BeerAdvocate

– Rating: 4.17 (50 ratings)
– Type: Imperial IPA
– ABV: 7.90%
– Brewery: Southern Grist Brewing Co.
– Read more on BeerAdvocate

– Rating: 4.17 (52 ratings)
– Type: American IPA
– ABV: 7.50%
– Brewery: Southern Grist Brewing Co.
– Read more on BeerAdvocate

– Rating: 4.3 (15 ratings)
– Type: American Imperial Stout
– ABV: 13.20%
– Brewery: Blackstone Brewing Company
– Read more on BeerAdvocate

– Rating: 4.27 (22 ratings)
– Type: Wild Ale
– ABV: 5.90%
– Brewery: Yazoo Brewing Company
– Read more on BeerAdvocate

– Rating: 4.4 (12 ratings)
– Type: Wild Ale
– ABV: 6.00%
– Brewery: Yazoo Brewing Company
– Read more on BeerAdvocate

– Rating: 4.31 (20 ratings)
– Type: Quadrupel (Quad)
– ABV: 10.00%
– Brewery: Tennessee Brew Works
– Read more on BeerAdvocate

| Check out more lists and rankings from across Tennessee →

– Rating: 4.2 (114 ratings)
– Type: American Imperial Stout
– ABV: 13.20%
– Brewery: Blackstone Brewing Company
– Read more on BeerAdvocate

– Rating: 4.22 (69 ratings)
– Type: Saison
– ABV: 6.30%
– Brewery: Blackberry Farm Brewery
– Read more on BeerAdvocate

– Rating: 4.24 (50 ratings)
– Type: New England IPA
– ABV: 8.00%
– Brewery: Southern Grist Brewing Co.
– Read more on BeerAdvocate

– Rating: 4.27 (45 ratings)
– Type: Imperial IPA
– ABV: 8.30%
– Brewery: Southern Grist Brewing Co.
– Read more on BeerAdvocate

– Rating: 4.21 (530 ratings)
– Type: New England IPA
– ABV: 6.00%
– Brewery: Bearded Iris Brewing
– Read more on BeerAdvocate

– Rating: 4.24 (213 ratings)
– Type: New England IPA
– ABV: 8.20%
– Brewery: Bearded Iris Brewing
– Read more on BeerAdvocate

– Rating: 4.27 (75 ratings)
– Type: New England IPA
– ABV: 6.80%
– Brewery: Bearded Iris Brewing
– Read more on BeerAdvocate

– Rating: 4.28 (149 ratings)
– Type: New England IPA
– ABV: 7.50%
– Brewery: Bearded Iris Brewing
– Read more on BeerAdvocate

– Rating: 4.33 (252 ratings)
– Type: New England IPA
– ABV: 8.20%
– Brewery: Bearded Iris Brewing
– Read more on BeerAdvocate

– Rating: 4.36 (218 ratings)
– Type: American Imperial Stout
– ABV: 12.20%
– Brewery: Wiseacre Brewing – Broad Ave OG
– Read more on BeerAdvocate

⏩ Read today’s top stories on wkrn.com

This story features data reporting by Karim Noorani and is part of a series utilizing data automation across 50 states and Washington D.C.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WKRN News 2.

A number of years ago, Foster’s ran a commercial claiming that its brand name was “Australian for beer” and that, along with the fact that Paul Hogan (aka Crocodile Dundee) once served as a pitchman, helped to cement the idea in American minds that it really was the premier Australian beer. Down Under, however, they’d probably laugh at the notion, since if the island-nation-continent has an unofficial beer, it would be far more likely to be XXXX than Foster’s. Unlike Foster’s, which is produced in such far-flung locations as Manchester, England and Fort Worth, Texas, XXXX is Australian born and brewed in Brisbane since the late 19^th century.

Even though the name might sound like an extra-raunchy porn movie — either that, or the Most Interesting Man in the World double-fisting his signature Dos Equis — XXXX’s moniker actually has a more mundane meaning behind it. The letter X was originally meant as a quality rating, somewhat akin to Amazon stars, and the first beers produced by the Castlemaine Brewery managed to garner three of them. In 1893, however, the brew had improved sufficiently to earn a fourth star, so the brewery changed the name to honor the accomplishment (Pabst Blue Ribbon has a similar origin story.)

Read more: Kopi Luwak Is A Very Expensive Cup Of Poop Coffee

The XXXX brand today offers several different lager-style beers, among them XXXX Dry, XXXX Bitter, and XXXX Summer Gold (the last-named also available in lime and mango flavors) as well as the nonalcoholic XXXX Zero. Top of the chain, however, is XXX Gold, a beer that was the number two seller in all of Australia for 2023 — and in a 30-pack, no less. (Guess which beer didn’t even make the top 10? Fosters may actually be Australian for “meh.”)

As to why Australians love XXXX beer, we can’t speak for all of them, since around 27 million people are living there and it’s possible that some prefer to stick with Milo, a Nesquik-like chocolate drink, while other non-beer drinkers would rather Tim Tam Slam a cup of coffee. To be honest, we can’t really speak for any of them since we’re not Australian ourselves, nor can we render an American’s take on the brew since it’s not imported to this country. (Or anywhere else.) From what we do know of it, though, it seems to fall into the category of what you’d call an “easy drinker” — only 3.5% ABV, and with a slightly sweet, not too bitter flavor and a decent amount of fizz. IPA-sipping hipsters are clearly not the intended market for XXXX, but it’s been a best seller since it launched back in the 1990s so it’s doing just fine without the endorsement of craft beer snobs.

One sign that XXXX may be the quintessential Australian beer is the fact that in some quarters it is literally synonymous with the country, or a close facsimile thereof. In Sir Terry Pratchett’s Discworld series, which spans 41 books and also spawned a number of movie and video game adaptations, “The Last Continent,” which is clearly based on Australia, goes by the name of Fourecks.

Not only does XXXX have this literary legacy, but it is even more strongly associated with sports since it’s been sponsoring the Queensland Maroons rugby team since 1991. The annual National Rugby League State of Origin series between the Maroons and New South Wales is one of the country’s premier sporting events, kind of like a Super Bowl where the same two teams play every year, only without Taylor Swift dating any of the players (yet). XXXX, of course, is the de rigeur brew for Maroons supporters during the series, and at other times as well, After all, no true fan would be caught drinking a Toohey’s because this rival beer brand sponsors the NSW Blues.

For more food and drink goodness, join The Takeout’s newsletter. Get taste tests, food & drink news, deals from your favorite chains, recipes, cooking tips, and more!

Read the original article on The Takeout.

Wednesday’s game between the New York Mets and New York Yankees was forced to go into a brief rain delay. Luckily for Mets fans, one famous figure found something to do to help pass the time.

With heavy thunderstorms rolling through Queens, McDonald’s mascot Grimace could be seen chugging a beer as a sea of fans on the Shea Bridge cheered him on.

pic.twitter.com/JG50CGnKPG

Grimace has become quite the good luck charm for the Mets in recent weeks. Since throwing out the ceremonial first pitch on June 12, the Mets have put together an 11-2 record.

The contest ended up being delayed for over an hour, but Mets fans didn’t seem to mind too much as they were being entertained by Grimace’s antics. The Mets went on to beat the Yankees 12-2, taking the latest Subway Series.

About this rating

On June 26, 2024, an X user named Keaton Patti (@KeatonPatti) posted, “Normal day in Florida.” His post featured an image appearing to originate from a local news station in Florida. The broadcast showed the state’s Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis with the headline, “Gov. DeSantis Signs 3 New Bills.”

According to the image, the three bills purportedly were: “June 27th is now ‘Bible Day,'” “certifies ‘male’ as the official state gender of Florida” and “hospitals can sell beer and wine.”

The website 10TampaBay.com was displayed in the bottom-right corner of the image, referencing the CBS TV affiliate WTSP in St. Petersburg, Florida.

One of the most-liked replies under Patti’s post read, “At least I can have one final beer on my death bed.”

Another user asked, “Is this real?,” as did a different person who replied, “Is this real? That last one is based af.”

Other people mentioned satire, including one user who said, “It’s sad when you can’t tell if it’s satire or facts … halp.”

We also found at least one person who responded to the post, “Florida Man… checks out.”

However, as some users correctly guessed, Patti’s post was a satirical joke aiming to make light of DeSantis’ politics, perhaps specifically including several new Florida state bills reportedly set to go into effect on July 1.

The original broadcast uploaded to WTSP.com on June 25 displayed the three genuine bills, including “increased security for Jewish schools,” “definition of antisemitism” and “banning balloon releases.”

According to a GitHub page, Patti is a writer and comedian who has contributed to “Jimmy Kimmel Live!,” The New Yorker, Comedy Central, The Onion and others. He also authored the book, “I Forced a Bot to Write This Book: A.I. Meets B.S.”

We reached out to Patti via email to inquire about his inspiration for the post. We will update this article with more details if we receive a response.

Beer sales at chain restaurants kicked up between 2022 and 2024 according to newly released data.

The last few years have been tough for beer.

After more than a decade of nothing but growth, the post-pandemic reality set in. People are drinking less beer overall—largely because they are drawn to cocktails and spiked seltzers, news of craft breweries closing seem commonplace and some have dared to suggest craft beer is…I can hardly type these words…cringe.

But don’t count beer out just yet.

Recent data from CGA by NIQ’s On Premise Measurement service provided some news beer lovers can finally toast.

Beer increased its share of total sales at chain restaurants by 1.52% between 2022 and 2024. With craft, import and below-premium accounting for most of those gains. Beer’s gains came at the expense of spirits, which lost 1.4% and wine lost 0.3% percentage points during the time period.

“It’s encouraging to see drinks sales through chains have recovered well since the upheaval of COVID-19—especially for beer brands,” said Matthew Crompton, CGA by NIQ’s regional director – North America, in a statement released with the new data.

Chains are a very specific type of U.S. restaurant but they’re not without influence and this data could be a sign that trends around beer have changed, though the reasons why are a bit complex.

“Pressure on disposable incomes has made for a hyper-competitive beer category in recent months, but our research confirms there are still many opportunities for growth,” Crampton wrote previously. “The resilience of the below-premium segment indicates the importance of value at the moment, while interest in imports and styles like stout suggests some beer consumers are looking beyond tried-and-trusted domestic brands for new flavors.”

I agree value/price point is playing a role. Cocktails have surged in price over the years and anecdotally more and more people I know are opting for beers when they go out for financial reasons. Yes, many restaurants have good cocktail programs but as those programs have become more common and cocktail prices have soared, ordering a cocktail out has become less appealing for some. At least that’s the case for me. After switching briefly to cocktails, I’ve returned to my first love of beer as my dining-out go-to, unless I’m at an establishment that is incredibly well-known for its cocktail program.

Of course, there’s no real proof this trend extends beyond my social circle or that the spike in beer sales at chain restaurants isn’t just a statistical fluke. But it seems like these might be among the first numbers that beer, much like the mustache is making a comeback.

One Community. Many Voices. Create a free account to share your thoughts.

Our community is about connecting people through open and thoughtful conversations. We want our readers to share their views and exchange ideas and facts in a safe space.

In order to do so, please follow the posting rules in our site’s Terms of Service. We’ve summarized some of those key rules below. Simply put, keep it civil.

Your post will be rejected if we notice that it seems to contain:

User accounts will be blocked if we notice or believe that users are engaged in:

So, how can you be a power user?

Thanks for reading our community guidelines. Please read the full list of posting rules found in our site’s Terms of Service.

The Muenster Chamber of Commerce has announced it will no longer host the city’s biggest festival.

“The Chamber felt it was in the best interest of all our vendors, volunteers, and most especially our guests at Germanfest, to let all know the Chamber has decided not to host Germanfest 2025,” a news release from the chamber said.

The chamber has hosted the event for the past 48 years.

In April, one of the festival’s primary sponsors, the Muenster Jaycees — who for years provided labor and beer — held a competing festival called “Party in the Park” on the dates — the last full weekend in April.

Jared Flusche, president of the Muenster Jaycees, said he was stunned and saddened to hear the news.

“This decision was made with considerable thought and much angst. For most of us, it has become a significant part of our lives that will be greatly missed,” the chamber’s statement said.

“Party in the park” was birthed out of a contract dispute between the Chamber and the Jaycees on how much of the beer sales the Jaycees and the Chamber would split.

The split caused a rift in the community of just under 1,700 and drew the attention of national and regional media.

“The Chamber would like to thank all who have in some way participated with us over the years. Especially, we would like to thank the founders who had the foresight to start this tradition and remind us of our heritage,” the statement said.

The statement concludes by saying, “The Chamber would also like to thank most essentially of all the guests, both local and those who have come from afar to celebrate with us. A huge THANK YOU too.”