You best be ready to shake some tail feathers when you bring this extra-special beer to the party, my friends. It's a blend of not one, not two, but a grand total of six different beers from Shmaltz Brewing Company, each of them individually-aged for anywhere from a month to over a year. Just go ahead and wrap your head around that as you open the bottle and pour yourself a big ol' glass. More

"This is the violet hour, the hour of hush and wonder, when the affections glow and valor is reborn, when the shadows deepen along the edge of the forest and we believe that, if we watch carefully, at any moment we may see the unicorn."
from The Hour by Bernard DeVoto

The violet hour, that time of day roughly starting at 5pm when cocktail hour begins and we start the transition from day into evening, from work to home, from labor to (hopefully) relaxation. Unicorns spotting or not (I'll have what he's having!) it can be a magical time, especially if there is some deliberateness, some sense of ritual in your actions. The violet hour doesn't have to involve alcohol, of course, although it is nice to make an effort and concoct something special to drink. More

Growing up, I would always laugh at my dad after he drank a beer or a glass of wine. He is Thai-Chinese and even one drink makes his face turn bright red. "You're red!" I'd say, pointing and laughing. It never stopped being funny.

Until the first time I drank alcohol. My face turned beet-red and felt feverishly hot. It wasn't funny at all. More

History tells us that, broadly speaking, Americans generally prioritize low price over everything else. Or, as Salon writes, "discounts and quantity over premium prices and quality." But in the battle between macrobrews and craftbrews, that might be about to change. More

Beer cocktails have come a long way since the Irish Car Bombs and Black & Tans of our college days. These new beer-based mixed drinks are sophisticated affairs made with craft brews, seasonal ingredients, and top-shelf liquors. Here are a few that are worthy of your next dinner party. More

Green's is among the old-guard of gluten-free beers. I have no doubt that their brews have saved many newly gluten-intolerant beer lovers from going thirsty. This is their "Endeavor" ale, a gluten-free version of a traditional Belgian dubbel brewed with rice, buckwheat, and sorghum in place of barley. Let's see how it stacks up, shall we? More

It's nearly May, and for beer lovers, translates directly into maibocks. With their soft malty flavors and hint of hoppy bitterness, these traditional spring lagers mark the shift away from dark winter brews to the crisp golden brews of the warmer months. Here are five worth seeking out. More

Sour ales with their funky aromas and tart apple flavors are the up-and-coming thing with brewers here in the US. But of course in Belgium, they're old news. Which really only means they've had a few more centuries to get it right. In the pantheon of sour beers, Rodenbach is a classic. More

If you've ever tried home-brewing beer, you've probably felt bad about tossing out all the spent grain left at the end of the process. It turns out there is a way to reuse that grain — and these moist spent grain muffins from the blog Love & Olive Oil are just the beginning. More

You love beer. I love beer. But do you know if your guests love beer? If you're facing a big crowd with lots of different tastes, here are five great brews to have in the fridge. More