Flying North for the Winter, the Beer Traveler column (Vol. 31, Iss. 6, 2010) in which I migrate northward to such beer locales as Anchorage, Montreal, and the Twin Cities. Bundle up.
Beer Traveler: North for the Winter
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Author Archives: Brian Yaeger
Turning Beer into Booze
I only knew of Charbay Distillery since they make the best infused vodkas–flavors like green tea–so while I don’t recall how I first heard about their experimental whiskey made from distilled pilsner, I knew I had to try it and get the story (for DRAFT, vol 5.5, 2010). Days after reaching out to them, I found myself on their Napa Valley property, talking to the father-son duo of Miles and Marko Karakasevic, master distillers, and, yes, sampling an array of beers spun into golden whiskeys (and some white ones).
Beer in Good Spirits
Photo: Kyle Bursaw
Thinking back, I honestly don’t remember how Tom Griffin, aka the Barrel Guy, even landed on my radar. He flies under almost every radar. This one guy–he doesn’t like the term barrel broker because spent barrels are more like a canvas to him than a commodity–helped shift the direction of the craft beer business in the 21st century but no one outside the brewers really knew about it. Certainly no one had written about him. Nor was he trying to be written about. I think it was an off-handed comment by Matt Brynildson, Firestone-Walker’s brewmaster, where I casually heard his name and some time later that set me off looking for him, but he doesn’t have a website or anything. That’s why how we first met face to face is part of this story, my first for DRAFT Magazine (vol. 5.4, July, 2010). Of course, it’s just the tip of the iceberg, but this remains one of my favorite stories.
Cheers to Tom, wherever he may presently be driving.
Beer Traveler: Mountain towns
Beer Into Thin Air is my Beer Traveler column (Vol. 31, Iss. 5, 2010) exploring some of the best beer towns at high elevations, so naturally they’re along the Continental Divide, in order from north to south: Jackson (WY), Durango (CO), and Flagstaff (AZ).
Beer Pilgrimages
This story on Beer Pilgrimages for All About Beer’s travel issue (Vol. 31, Iss. 5, 2010) tackles not just some venerable and historic breweries at the top of a solid Beer Bucket List, but the places to go once you’ve naturally checked those off. Places such as McSorley’s in NYC, the National Brewery Museum (in Potosi, WI, donchya know), and the fields (barley and hops) in which our beer grows across the Northwest.
Beer Traveler: Follow the Music
Follow the Music, my second Beer Traveler column (Vol. 31, Iss. 4, 2010) pairs my 3 faves: beer, travel, and music by exploring some of the coolest musicfests in beer towns such as Telluride (CO), Chicago, NYC, and Quebec City.
Beer Traveler: It’s the Beaches
This beach-themed Beer Traveler was my first submission taking over this long-running column and as such represented a dual honor. It’s fair to say beer + travel were already front-of-mind for me. Now if only I could rack up enough miles to fly front-of-plane. Served up for this theme: Orange County (CA), Virginia Beach (VA), Honolulu (HI), and Tampa/St. Petersburg (FL).
Gray Market/White Whale
Gray Market/White Whale wasn’t just a fun story to write for All About Beer (Vol. 31, Iss. 2, 2010), I got to expense three beers at the top of my own personal Wants list! Livin’ and drinkin’ the dream. The story about the pursuit of so-called “white whales” also opens with the line I’m happy to say amused editor Julie Johnson to pieces: Call me BeerMail.
A Beer a Day (book review)
A Beer a Day is the first book review I did for All About Beer (Vol. 30, Iss. 6, 2009). As a nascent beer author, reviewing the work of fellow beer author Jeff Evans felt pretty post-modern. Evans later thanked me for my, uh, honesty.
The Ticker story
Dedicated Drinkers and Their Drive to Document (a.k.a. “The Ticker story,” Vol. 30, Iss. 4, 2009) is about the most prolific RateBeerians and BeerAdvocates and begins with this suitable quote from Simon Pegg (who, the best of my knowledge, is not a beer ticker). “Geek is just another word for enthusiastic… We keep loving stuff and remain unembarrassed by our enthusiasm.”
Brian Yaeger: Beer Writer 