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.
The Void has returned from a brief slumber, back by popular demand?
Yeah, ok. You can already tell today is going to be weird one, so let’s just get right into the weeds. What more reason to dive right in than that beer is poison. Look, I don’t know about you, but 15 minutes per extra beer seems like a worthy cause. By my best estimation, if this is true, I should be dead in… (counts fingers). Hmm. Yeah.
In better news, the BA heeded advice that had been hurled at it for years and hired its first Diversity Ambassador, J. Nikol Jackson-Beckham. And that isn't it for their efforts. It will take a mighty effort to tackle this problem, in addition to what’s already occurred. But that won’t stop that energy from being used on takes instead!
Can you think of a worse person to accuse of being a “coastie,” whatever that is, than Jeremy Danner, who spends his days in Kansas City and semi-regularly attends Monster Jam with his kids? Seriously, there are some mediocre-to-bad beer-related accounts online, but David Bardallis is the worst for me. And the fact he says that beer doesn’t need more diversity because the diversity is already in the industry just shows how out of touch he really is.
Anyway, here’s a thread from the BA’s newest ambassador about her passion for beer. But I’m sure beer will be made much worse because she now has an official role in it, right, David? Remember, it’s the long-running position of this blog that there is politics in your beer, whether you like it or not. Mr. Bardallis and his type just prefer their politics at the exclusion of others. Anyway, it seems like people are pretty interested in this subject. You can see more about the industry from Bryan Roth here. And if you want to participate in the industry and add to its diversity, good news, a brewery has a starting point.
But not everything the BA did was positive. Sober curious, eh?
Ugh. That was gross and annoying. Let’s talk about something more positive, like dark Czech lager. Also, here’s a post on how to actually talk to craft outsiders about beer and get them interested.
Also, see these pics and leave your body for a moment:
Ah craft beer, so creative!
In the first of two posts this week from Beervana, Jeff Alworth discovers beer clubs and thinks that every brewery will eventually have one. We’re almost there already. Also, Budweiser exhibits tone deafness.
There have been a lot of corporate shake-ups and new plans revealed lately. First the bad news: Green Flash barely exists any longer. This piece sheds light on just how that happened and where they go from here. But one brewery’s bane becomes another’s boon, as their now-empty VA Beach brewing facility immediately received a new tenant: Atlanta's New Realm, with former Stone executive and brewer Mitch Steele part of the team.
Speaking of Stone, they have their eyes set on a much larger market: China, with a new Shanghai taproom and all the difficulties that come with it.
In raw beer goods news, Cargill says it will shutter one of its three North Dakota six-row malting plants.
In expansion news closer to home, Virginia will get its own member of the Pint family.
If you’re into beer while petting cute animals, Virginia has you covered there, too.
Last edition, we had the news that Britain’s CAMRA had voted down expanded support for keg beer. Here's a long read on where they should go next. Staying in Britain, take a look at Yorkshire's beer scene.
Finally, what's the proper glass for beer? There’s an answer here other than “the one you’re currently drinking out of," so read up.
And a good luck to the most ardent of Caps fans out there on another attempt to cross the uncrossable threshold. Have a beer.
