Occasionally punctual, sometimes factual, almost never as funny as he thinks,Tony Budny pens SCREAMING INTO THE VOID and looks at the best in writing and social media conversation around the biggest issues in beer. If you feel something should be included, have a tip, or just want to sound off, feel free to look him up on Twitter @DrinksTheThings or email DCBeer.
Welcome to the void. You’ve always been here, of course, I’m just here to round up the best and worst of it for the week. The above tweet references the most recent brewing efforts of Omnipollo:
Looks pretty nasty. Look, if anyone who knows more about the very fine details of brewing could tell me what a beer gets from this process with these ingredients, I’ll keep an openish mind. But I guess the final product tastes good?
OK, fine. I once drank a beer with scrapple in it that I SAID I WOULDN’T drink, and liked it, because it was a roasty stout. Trouble is, I didn’t taste any scrapple or know what it imparted on the beer. So, you tell me what the appeal is. Whatever this beer is, I’m sure it could be made just as well without burgers and fries in the mash.
Maybe it was supposed to be a joke? Why would I think that? Well, the Brewer’s Association issued what was, apparently, supposed to be a funny joke. The problem is, it fell like a person looking at a phone walking into an open manhole.
Want some context? Bryan Roth always provides. And of course, everything old is new again. Here is the BA partnering with a huge corporate chain restaurant in the midst of this.
Here is something better from the BA, a profile of a bit of an unknown craft beer pioneer.
You know it’s been an extra void-tastic week when I go off script and talk about things outside of the DC area for the first grew graphs. Here is the annual Best of DC list from WaPo, with DC Brau taking home the top spot for best brewery and Churchkey once again taking home the crown for best beer program. There were, of course, some liberties taken, and one in particular that we at DC Beer take issue with each time. Mike Stein wrote a little about it.
Let’s check in on beer prices at the new Anthem concert venue.
Beer names have become a constant issue in this, the Void weeklyish roundup. Will this finally be the week where I can leave that aside, as things begin to improve?
Ha ha, no, of course not.
Not only is this beer name sexist, not only is it not funny, but it is also not original at all. How nice of them to change a few letters around and make it Roman though, right?
Of course, we all know this isn't a new issue and it isn't going away, so there will be space dedicated to it here indefinitely. Because we can’t have nice things.
Beervana hits the naming problem, in general. In a time with more beer competition than ever, shouldn’t a brewery invest time and money into every aspect of its business? Make better names.
Speaking of things that will have space here indefinitely, let’s talk JOOOOOOOOOCE. I… don’t know if this is what Other Half is going for. I guess if someone is drinking your beer it's good for business? Drink what you like or whatever.
Eventually all beer will be neipa. NEIPA stouts, NEIPA saisons, NEIPA mixed-fermentation ales. Get on the bandwagon before it crashes into a ditch. Wait just kidding, stouts will always be here to stay and put into more barrels.
While you’re at it, why don’t you read about how hop flavors change with age. Maybe genetically modifying beer ingredients is the next step, after all.
A Gainesville, Florida brewery did a good thing last week.
Fonta Flora will be making more beer soon.
Cider continues growing.
And finally, in the weekly long read, read about how Britain created the Public House concept through nationalizing pubs.
