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Portland, Oregon
Joined June 2008
As of Monday, Jan 6 (make of that what you will), I will no longer be posting at this site. I won’t be deleting the account, which goes back 16 years, but I can no longer support Elon and provide content for his propaganda site. You can find me: @beervana.bsky.social
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Jeff Alworth retweeted
Responding to a recent overproduction of hops, U.S. growers scaled back the acres they cultivated in 2024 in dramatic fashion. Here’s a summary of how that affected the states and individual varieties—with graphs and tables.  beervanablog.com/beervana/20…
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Responding to a recent overproduction of hops, U.S. growers scaled back the acres they cultivated in 2024 in dramatic fashion. Here’s a summary of how that affected the states and individual varieties—with graphs and tables.  beervanablog.com/beervana/20…
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Opening the bidding here… “I just don’t see non-alc becoming much of a market. If it ever reaches 5% of the beer market, I will be shocked. I predict it tops out at 2%.”
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In recent years, many people have decided to spend the first month of the year on an alcohol hiatus. That’s not great for breweries—and holing up isn’t great for people, either. So this year, whether you’re drinking or not, try #PubJanuary instead. beervanablog.com/beervana/20…
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In the 18th and 19th century, Brits started using “merry” as a synonym for “drunk.” The state of merriment was considered base and vulgar by the upper classes. So in 1932, King George V started wishing his subjects “Happy Christmas.” We stuck with “merry.” beervanablog.com/beervana/20…
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In lieu of a year-end best-photos post, today I’m mixing it up. Here are nine photographs from 2024 with a mini-essay describing why I chose it. Maybe a picture with a hundred words is worth more than a picture with none at all. beervanablog.com/beervana/20…
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So people who “know” Portland from Portlandia should probably stfu when opining about it. It’s always been a blue-collar, working class town with lots of grit. I’ve actually lived in Wisconsin and Milwaukee and Portland share more than a passing resemblance.
1. Your Portland is showing or something, that’s not a dive bar. We can argue endlessly about what makes a dive bar (very subjective), but that’s not a dive bar even by objective standards.
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Jeff Alworth retweeted
Unexpected news—real, hard news—broke this week. Each one of three items was interesting, but they seem to have an even greater force when lined up together. Perhaps, if we look at them in just the right way, we can even discern a lesson. beervanablog.com/beervana/20…
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Unexpected news—real, hard news—broke this week. Each one of three items was interesting, but they seem to have an even greater force when lined up together. Perhaps, if we look at them in just the right way, we can even discern a lesson. beervanablog.com/beervana/20…
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This @Beervana piece reminded me of a conversation with @HHillsBeer a month-plus ago... why do so many brewery taprooms have the same feel, the same aesthetic? And why aren't there more that feel like dive bars, or even just ... BARS? Any thoughts? beervanablog.com/beervana/20…
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Jeff Alworth retweeted
They start filling up before five and buzz with the chatter of conversation, the clack of cue balls, and the clink of glassware until long after my bed time. Brewery taprooms are struggling, but my local dive bars are flourishing. Why is this? beervanablog.com/beervana/20…
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They start filling up before five and buzz with the chatter of conversation, the clack of cue balls, and the clink of glassware until long after my bed time. Brewery taprooms are struggling, but my local dive bars are flourishing. Why is this? beervanablog.com/beervana/20…
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This is very sad news. It’s always unfortunate when any taproom closes, but ForeLand’s Study was a unique place that scores a 100 on ambiance. Few places in the city equaled its pub y feng shui. My best to David and the team as they go forward. newschoolbeer.com/home/2024/…
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ICYMI
Molson Coors recently purchased a small Chicago brewpub called Cruz Blanca. This is a little counter-intuitive, since they have been getting out of the craft beer market. But to understand the move, look at a (domestic) Spanish lager killing it in Britain. beervanablog.com/beervana/20…
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I visited the new site of Away Days, the British-owned brewery specializing in milds and bitters and championing cask ale. Poking around the brewery, I espied a stack of books. Curious what brewer Marshall Kunz was reading, I found this. Thought you cask fans would appreciate.
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