Hop Chatter

On your 21st birthday, you wake up in your downtown Albany apartment with one question in mind: "Where are we going?” You start to make breakfast, and your buddy comes over with a birthday present and a beer. He tells you of this awesome bar crawl, and one word that he utters catches your ear… "free.” Yes, you heard right, "free.” Your buddy then mentions that several bars in the downtown Albany area offer free vouchers for 21st birthdays, and immediately you turn the stove off, abort breakfast and order up an Uber. Your first destination is Bomber's Burrito Bar and you're nothing less than excited when you arrive.

One of the most obvious things to anyone when pouring a beer might not always be the type of glass or working on the proper pour.

Halloween is only a few days away and that means the costumes are coming! Nothing pairs better with a great costume than the perfect beverage in hand.

It's Friday night, and instead of putting your go-to vodka soda on a pedestal, you decide to venture out into the wilderness and drink beer. You go to the local grocery store and are straightaway bored as you walk by the uninspiring Budweiser selection.

It's at this point in the series that I am excited to cover possibly the most iconic beer glass in modern day drinking: the shaker pint glass and the slightly newer nonic pint glass. If you have ever ordered a beer at a local pub or sports bar, chances are it was served in a shaker pint glass. The shaker pint is a standard sixteen ounce glass with smooth walls that opens up a bit at the top. It's simple, strong and utilitarian in its purposes.

When choosing a beer, International Bitterness Units, or IBUs, are often indicated right below the ABV. While some people may ignore both entirely and others focus solely on ABV, IBUs are worth noting as an interesting feature to beer that is often overlooked and misunderstood.

There are few things in the beer world as traditional and characteristic as the stein glass or the modern rendition often called the beer mug. I find that there's nothing better than drinking beer out of a stein when on a night out with friends. As soon as I see the server coming to the table holding a round of beer in steins, I cannot help but feel merry. It's a glass that demands a group of friends to start cheering and seems to embody the roaring good time that will ensue.

Oktoberfest is a celebration of the changing seasons and the best way to celebrate is with friends! That’s why 4 years ago the Sierra Nevada Brewing Company set out to revamp the concept of the brewing collaboration by selecting authentic German brewers to partner with. This year’s partner Weihenstephan, the world’s oldest continuously operating brewery, might prove to be the best yet.