Hop and Malt. Introduction to brewing.

The genesis of this article can be traced back to the uncorking of a bottle of Belgian ale—a rich, robust, and aromatic concoction, skillfully brewed with a trio of hop varieties. The effervescent sip of hop-laden ale stirred a cascade of memories, guiding my musings toward the sanctum of brewing. Herein lies the foundational essence of the brewing process.

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Sake

October 1st marks World Sake Day, a celebration of this revered Japanese libation. This introductory article endeavors to unveil the technological intricacies of sake production and shed light on the valuable information concealed within the sake bottle’s label.

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Dandelion Wine

“Dandelion wine. The words were summer on the tongue. The wine was summer caught and stoppered…. Hold summer in your hand, pour summer in a glass, a tiny glass of course, the smallest tingling sip for children; change the season in your veins by raising glass to lip and tilting summer in.”

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Apples in a glass

cider

Summer past its peak; rather-ripe apples appeared on a market, this seems like the perfect time to talk about cider, about fresh, sparkling apple cider. For centuries, this beverage has delighted people. Technologically speaking, cider is essentially an apple wine. In fact, the Germans call their version “Apfelwein,” staying true to its wine-like nature. North Americans, however, have a habit of assigning old European names to unrelated things, while giving new names to the original items. So in North America, unfiltered apple juice is called “cider,” and alcoholic cider is known as “hard cider.” But we’re focusing on the real deal: alcohol-based cider.

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