India Pale Ales

PHOTO by RUSS ROCA
Humulus Lupulus, or hops, are vine-grown flowers that give beer its bitter and often pungent aromatic qualities. Used for hundreds of years to balance beer’s malty sweetness, hops also have the benefit of acting as a natural preservative, as realized by the English in the 18th century: To prevent their [...]

One keg at a time at Beachwood BBQ

PHOTO by RUSS ROCA
I can’t say exactly when it happened, but at some point beer became like fast food—something consumed, but not necessarily enjoyed; something purchased not for flavor, but for price. Beer—Bud Light, Coors Light—was a drink whose very lack of taste was matched only by the [...]