About

The Site

Collected notes, rambles, and general ideas related to beer and the intersection of brewing and science. Beer proudly stands on the shoulders of tradition, and finds rejuvenation in both innovation, and convenient failings of memory. The beverage is too easy a canvas for marketers, and yet well suited for artisans. I am fascinated by the tension between business, creative, and technological forces.

The Author

When Ben's not writing, researching, or otherwise experimenting with beer, Ben works as an engineer in the biopharmaceutical industry. His position offers some opportunity to travel to lands with diverse brewing traditions.
e-mail: ben@beerthoughts.com
Follow @Ben_Mcl

A few previously published pieces are included, and are so noted.

Greatest Hits

Losing Weight and Loving Beer

I wish I could share a secret technique to losing 40+ lbs in the span of three months, while drinking no less than 7 beers a week. I'd feel a lot better about having put myself in the position to make this claim, if the only way out was to become a joyless obsessive and eat nothing but kale between shifts on the treadmill. It hasn't been that hard at all. I've eaten cake and ice cream on both of my kids’ birthdays, and basically lived what I would have labeled a good life before I committed to dropping a few pant sizes. I don't feel like I've given anything up. Maybe french fries… Those could come back in moderation later. I'm just doing a better job of applying the simple guides to weight loss we've all heard before. I'm eating less and exercising more. There's still room in my nutritionist approved diet beer. The exercise part isn't entirely new. I liked to run about half an hour on weekday mornings, unless it rai...

Avengers: Infinity Beer - Pairing Brews with Heros

Marvel's great cinematic event Avengers: Infinity War is upon us. Let us not puzzle over where the coveted infinity stones are hiding, or even wonder who will survive this (or more definitively the next installment). Let us consider our heroes in their last hours of peace. What would the Avengers, Guardians of the Galaxy, and other heroes enjoy when they crack open a beer? Perhaps their last. What would they choose? Thor - Pilsner Urquel The go d of thunder demonstrated his love of drink in a scene so good, we got to see it twice. Naming the lager Dr. Strange conjures into the mug of endless refills would tell us more about the good doctor than Thor. The latter I'd say may be a bit indiscriminate in his tastes, with a preference for volume and a mythological willingness to steal brew kettles from giants to ensure uninterrupted supply for his follow gods and himself. Thor would want a beer that tastes great, yet is still enjoyab...

The Post-Malt Era of American Craft Brewing

Once seen as a key differentiation between better and mass marketed beer, the 2-row barley malt may now be the least important ingredient in a brewery. Malt has disappeared from our beer conversations. There are still palettes stacked high with 50 lb bags, and fork lifts. By weight, it's still beer's second largest ingredient, after water of course. However it's lost our attention, and its contributions intentionally minimized to better showcase on the other players - most typically hops and Yeast (or other microflora). The mighty hop has always been a lead character in American craft beer. There's something in our soil that makes hops express pungent aromas and aggressive flavors. European brewers traditionally considered these hops too vulgar to feature prominently in a beer's finish. They kept quiet about cost savings from the use of american hops to bitter. American craft brewers found ways to feature these piney, resinous flavors as virt...

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