Joe Stange
Case Study: Fig Mountain Is a Brewers’ BreweryBy Joe StangeLeaning into classic styles while focusing on its regional market, Central California’s Figueroa Mountain Brewing is sticking to its game plan: keep brewing approachable beers of uncompromising quality.
Editor’s Notebook: Lager and Hops, Best Friends ForeverBy Joe StangeKevin Ashford, the award-winning brewmaster at Central California’s Figueroa Mountain, has some thoughts on the future of lager and New World hops. Are we already looking at the next pivotal moment in the evolution of craft beer?
Case Study: Talea BeerBy Joe StangeFor an industry that struggles to attract new kinds of customers, there are lessons to be learned at Talea Beer. Cofounded by Tara Hankinson and LeAnn Darland, the brewery and its taprooms are building a strong following among the women of New York City.
Case Study: Notch Brewing Leans into a Strong Point of ViewBy Joe StangeIn Massachusetts, Notch has carved a niche for traditional lagers and ales of modest strength and for bar service that honors those traditions—and, along the way, its confident approach has had an outsized influence on the industry.
Case Study: Suarez Family BreweryBy Joe StangeIn New York’s Hudson Valley, one of the country’s most respected family-run breweries is keeping it small and intentional, making deliberate choices aimed at better living.
Wild Fields Wins AgainBy Joe StangeThis tiny brewpub on California’s Central Coast recently put the beer world on notice when, at the World Beer Cup, it pulled off what should have been impossible—then very nearly did it again at GABF. Here’s how it happened.
As the CO2 Shortage Drags On, Is Nitrogen an Option for Your Brewery?By Joe StangeCO2 prices are spiking, allotments are limited, and suppliers don’t expect the shortage to let up until late fall at the earliest. Is it time to consider shifting to nitrogen in the cellar? Boston’s Dorchester Brewing offers an example and some guidance.
Packaging Trends: The Digital Printing Revolution Is Coming for CraftBy Joe StangeOngoing supply-chain problems and concerns about recyclability make digital can printing a promising option in the years to come—which is why packaging companies are investing in printers and banking on growth.
For Craft Brewers, Mixed Signals on Higher Beer PricesBy Joe StangeEveryone’s costs are up, with no return to “normal” in sight. Big Beer is raising its prices and profiting. So, is it time to raise your own prices? Not necessarily.
Q&A: 3 Fonteinen’s Werner van ObberghenBy Jamie BognerThe business of supporting a creative brewing and blending enterprise is always delicate, but in the case of 3 Fonteinen, the weight of history and the expectations that come with brewing inside a storied tradition can create additional challenges.
Campaign Invites Brewers Worldwide to Brew in Solidarity with UkraineBy Joe StangeLed by Ukraine’s first Cicerone, an international effort aims to rally brewers and drinkers to raise funds for humanitarian relief.
Case Study: Otherlands Embraces Lager & HospitalityBy Joe StangeIn Bellingham, Washington, the cozy Otherlands brewery-café offers a lesson in Old World–inspired hospitality—as well as the risks and potential rewards of sticking stubbornly to a vision for your business.