To kick off 2011 in All About Beer (Vol. 32, Iss. 1) I looked at how beers today are conceived quite differently than when beer itself was still being created. Many generations and scientific breakthroughs later, some brewers strive to recreate traditional styles while others run shrieking from them. Authenticity versus innovation (or authenticity plus innovation) are factors allowing so deep a field of brewers to give birth to new beers.
I just remember getting an email from the editor of SF Weekly’s food blog, SFoodie, asking for a quote about some upcoming beer something-or-other and I responded, “I can certainly give you one, or how about I just write it up as your new beer writer?”
It was a great gig for a few years, one I happily relinquished when we moved to Portland. As such, I have no intention of archiving every blog post or print story I did for them, but below is a complete list of links to the most fun series I started, Tasting Blind, wherein once a month I lined up a panel of at least 4 local beer experts, including a publican to host it, and brought in many iterations of a beer style including, when possible, locally brewed ones, craft beers from other states, imports, and macro brands if they existed.
1. Pilsners (Feb. 2010)
2. Stouts (Mar. 2010)
3. Hefeweizens (Apr. 2010)
4. Pales (May 2010)
5. IPAs (June 2010)
6. Summer (July 2010)
7. Summer fruits (Aug. 2010)
8. Oktoberfests (Sep. 2010)
9. Pumpkins (Oct. 2010)
10. Coffee beers (Nov. 2010)
11. Holiday beers (Dec. 2010)
Bonus: Blind holiday beers for Willy Week (Dec. 2012)
Bonus 2: Blind holiday beers from the series as continued by my hand-picked replacement at SF Weekly, Jason Henry (Dec. 2011)
Brian Yaeger: Beer Writer 