Twenty years ago, the Brewers Association launched American Craft Beer Week as a national celebration of small and independent breweries. What began in 2006 as a coordinated effort to spotlight a growing but still fragile manufacturing sector has endured through massive changes in both the beer industry and American culture.
Malt is beer’s main ingredient. In a typical recipe, it outweighs hops by a ratio of 50:1 to 100:1. Still, even the most savvy beer consumers tend to be far more fluent in hop varieties and processes than those of malt. This is understandable considering that IPA
Last week, much of the brewing industry gathered in Philadelphia, PA, for the Craft Brewers Conference, where the 2026 World Beer Cup medals were awarded. Alongside the Great American Beer Festival (GABF), which takes place annually in October, the World Beer Cup (WBC) is one of the two most prestigious
A couple of quick items before we get to the main event of this week’s newsletter: Foxtale Fermentation Project Heads Back to Television Our friends at Foxtale Fermentation Project are apparently becoming fixtures on culinary television. Following last week’s national appearance on Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives, Foxtale will
Last week, we discussed how many small breweries are evolving into hospitality-driven destinations where exceptional food, culture, and community come together around great beer. Apparently, we are not the only ones taking notice. Over the past few weeks, two Bay Area Brewers Guild member breweries received visits from some truly
Last week, we explored applied descriptive sensory, the practice of translating what you perceive into clear, specific language. That skill doesn’t just help you talk about beer more clearly. It’s also the first step toward unlocking one of beer’s greatest strengths: its unmatched versatility at the table.
Brewers don’t just taste beer for pleasure. They taste it with purpose. At the brewery level, sensory analysis—the scientific process of putting beer in front of trained tasters—is one of the most important quality-control tools we have. It helps ensure that every beer leaving the brewery is
Two weeks ago, we shared a survey through this newsletter and our Guild social media accounts. We were very pleased with the response: about 100 of you took the time to provide feedback, and most of your answers were thoughtful and detailed. Overall, your feedback was overwhelmingly positive. • 84% of
If you frequent the Bay Area’s leading brewery taprooms and beer bars, you have likely noticed an unusual faucet with a long horizontal handle that pulls toward the bartender. These are side-pull faucets, most famously made by the Czech manufacturer LUKR. They are a defining feature of beer culture
Hello Beer Friends, As 2026 SF Beer Week comes to a close, we want to begin with two simple words: Thank you. Because of your curiosity, your enthusiasm, your willingness to explore new neighborhoods, new breweries, new small businesses, and, of course, new beers, this year’s Beer Week was
