Recent Articles

In Washington state, a new program is helping breweries and other beverage producers give reusable glass bottles a fresh look. Nationally, the cost and supply of new glass—and glaring weaknesses in recycling programs—could make such programs increasingly feasible.

Scott Jennings, Sierra Nevada’s innovation brewmaster in Mills River, North Carolina, offers a closer look at the brewery’s dialed-in approach to bottle conditioning.

Having a sensory panel to regularly evaluate your beer is good practice—but what about one to evaluate your hops? Brewers and hop-sensory experts share their best tips on starting up a specialized panel—and careful hop evaluation is something that even the smallest breweries can do.

As a small brewery devoted to cask-conditioned ale, Seattle’s Machine House is a rare bird in the United States—and it’s one that recently marked a decade of brewing, guided by the pragmatism of founder Bill Arnott and his “simple, primitive” approach to making their distinctive yet highly accessible beers

Whether farm breweries are out in the country or right downtown, state licenses for them depend on flexible benchmarks for local ingredients. There are lessons to be learned for any state considering similar privileges for breweries that aim to buy local.

In this clip from her video course, New Belgium wood-cellar director Lauren Woods Limbach explains how and why they brew their mixed-culture, wood-aged beers precisely to spec—starting with the beer that goes into the foeders.

One of the most effective ways to increase shelf life is one of the oldest tricks in the book: package conditioning with a bit of fresh yeast. Yet there are pitfalls. Here’s how “the biggest natural-conditioning operation in the world” goes about it.

New Belgium’s wood-cellar director and master blender Lauren Woods Limbach shares pragmatic advice based on years of experience developing and running a large-scale blending program

It takes more than a skilled brewer to consistently make great beer. It takes a holistic approach that extends from the top to every employee—and even to the drinkers themselves.

The beating hearts of a brewery aren’t glamorous and won’t impress casual visitors, but they can do a great deal to improve how brewers do their jobs. They can also make a lot of noise.

Research into the aroma compounds that best survive the brewing process—and which hops are high in them—has changed how brewers add hops to their IPAs and other beers. As more research emerges, so do more opportunities to improve hop aroma.

Brewers don’t typically lose sleep over Bacillus, despite it being ubiquitous throughout the brewery. Being aware of it and knowing when it can cause problems can help ensure better, more consistent beer.

In the battle against staling, understanding your malt’s free amino nitrogen content is a tactic worth deploying.

The eight-year-old Kentucky brewery is recentering on core principles while diversifying its revenue streams, aiming to get back to growth.

Three owners of very small breweries explain why running their businesses without investors—or even many employees—has helped keep them afloat.

Finding, keeping, and developing great hospitality staff has never been tougher. There are no quick-and-easy answers, but here are some practical measures for attracting and empowering a strong team—so they can better deliver the experiences that keep customers coming back.

Nonalcoholic beer is a growing category, and some smaller breweries are getting into that space. However, doing it properly may entail much more study, planning, and compliance than you expect.

Whether higher-maintenance or on easy mode, in the remote countryside or an urban parking lot, offering spaces to camp can bring in more revenue for breweries.

The owner and head brewer of Keeping Together—formerly of Chicago, now of Santa Fe, New Mexico—talks about leaning into farmhouse-inspired brewing and helping drinkers unlock their flavor memories.

With hop harvest behind us, now is the time to find unique new varieties (before everybody else knows their names).