Ye Olde England Inne is a pretty good example of how underrated Stowe’s beer scene is.

Beer gardens are not just about drinking outside. There is a sense of place about them — inviting, friendly and unthreatening.

For months, a buddy of mine in Jersey City had been telling me about this “beer garden” that had opened a few blocks from his apartment.

We hear a lot about homebrewers who’ve taken their passions to “the next level” by jumping into the business and starting a brewery. Josh Hoehl is in the process of doing just that.

Scott Kerner is co-owner of the Three Penny Taproom in Montpelier, Vt., one of the kickingest-arse beer bars I’ve had the pleasure of visiting.

This past weekend, I longed to catch up with a few beer buddies and have them burp in my face. Why? Because they’d just returned from the Vermont Brewers Festival.

It’s been so long since I’ve been to a decent southern BBQ place. At least since I left Texas in 2001. Add decent beer menu to the equation, and it’s even longer.
The wait ended this weekend when Val and I met up with my brother in Somerville, Mass., just outside of Boston, and went to Redbones. The brisket was about as tender as I’ve had, and while the sauce could’ve used a little extra tang, I wasn’t complaining. Especially not after sampling from beers that included the SixPoint Righteous Rye …

The dirndls were confusing.
Hours after my brother in law graduated from Buffalo State, we found ourselves at Cole’s in the Elmwood Village part of this rust belt city. The pub had a working class vibe and world class taste, and when I saw the Smuttynose Abbey Single on the menu, my mind was made up.
Then, after grabbing my beer, I turned around to see two women wearing dirndls and offering my father in law a round on the house. They were standing next to a bag piper who was pretending …

Northampton, Mass. is one of my favorite places in the northeast, if not the continental U.S., for two simple reasons — music and beer.
Pound for pound, this town has better taste in those two areas than just about any place I’ve been. And, so it was, this weekend that Val and I found ourselves there for a Neko Case concert, preceded by stopovers at The Moan and Dove in Amherst and The Dirty Truth in Northampton.
Now, what kind of reporter would I be if I didn’t take notes on everything …

True to form, the NY Times cast a skeptical eye this week on a beer trend that began years ago when American brewers began going nuts, especially with hops.
In its survey of extreme beers, the article consults its favorite local zymurgist, Garrett Oliver of Brooklyn Brewery. While I really respect Oliver’s taste and see him as the logical successor to Michael Jackson (don’t even ask which one I mean), he seems a bit stuffy on the subject.
“The hoppiest beer?” Garrett asked. “It’s a fairly idiotic pursuit, like a chef saying, …