Thrillist: Anyone working in the Asia Pacific beer biz knows that the average craft-curious drinker very likely can not describe with confidence the difference between, say, a West Coast IPA and Double IPA—and that’s nothing for such drinkers to feel bad about. I like this breezy explainer of four popular IPA styles not only because it’s helpful, but also because it doesn’t wade too deeply into the type of overly technical waters that often turn off a general audience.
Pellicle: It’s no small feat to score a bottle or two from Mills Brewing, a small-batch brewery in the UK that specializes in barrel-aged and spontaneously fermented ales. In fact, last November I was one of just six people whose name Hop Burns & Black picked out of a lucky draw hat for a 750ml bottle of Mills’ Saison Cider Cask (Blend #2)—and the prize was simply the opportunity to purchase it. I did, happily, and this feature story from Lily Waite and our friends at Pellicle elucidates in lovely detail just what makes this special brewery worth the hype.
Beer & Brewer: This goddamn pandemic has changed everything, and in many ways its impact on craft beer is only just now beginning to crystallize. To the surprise of nobody, buying trends in the hellfire that is 2020 point strongly to more at-home consumption in most places around the world, including Australia. Here Beer & Brewer catches up with Experienceit, one of the country’s most successful importers, and finds the company expanding its portfolio, increasing sales, and working with bigger retailers.
Good Beer Hunting: Set against the backdrop of Hong Kong’s ongoing cultural and political wars with Beijing—2020 has truly gone down a treat—Christopher DeWolf details Young Master Brewery’s ascent to the city’s craft beer throne. This is a good time to tip our hat to the force of nature that was the original TAP — The Ale Project, a joint venture between Young Master and other partners that closed in September following the landlord’s rent gouge. It was one of our all-time favorite beer bars in Hong Kong, but fortunately there are still plenty of good ones left.
Crafty Pint: I’m so glad I stumbled upon this short profile of Dollar Bill Brewing, a new-to-me brewery located in the central highlands of Victoria, Australia. Like aforementioned Mills Brewing, Dollar Bill deals in wild, naturally fermented ales and ciders and has earned a cult following in a very short time. The brewery’s name is in part a wink to Wu-Tang Clan, and apparently co-founder Ed Nolle is as ready to talk Pharcyde as he is beer—these folks sound like my kind of people.
HonestBrew: This one is a bit of a tease since none of the beers will likely find their way to Asia Pacific, but I love the concept and spirit of collaboration in this “Tastes of Tomorrow” series. Here HonestBrew, one of the UK’s best online craft beer retailers, teamed up with six European breweries to create beers they think “could be the tipples of choice for tomorrow’s drinkers.” In this version of the future the average ABV is about 8.3% and one third of beers are double dry-hopped—who said humankind was doomed?
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“Six Pack” is our escapism series of beer- and travel-related stories that are on our radar and also belong on yours. Read (or write) something great? Drop us a line at brian at beertravelist dot com.
This edition is dedicated to Eddie Van Halen and Riley Gale. RIP.
