Bigger isn’t always better when it comes to beer, especially when you are planning a night out with friends. Lower alcohol “session beers,” though often maligned in this country, can sometimes be a homebrewer’s—and beer drinker’s—best friend.

The names may not promise much excitement, but well-crafted ordinary bitters, milds and Scottish 60 shilling ales can pack plenty of flavor into an extraordinary lower-alcohol package.

Looking for a crisp, refreshing session beer that won’t tax your palate? Try your hand at one of the many styles of wheat beer.

New Zealand combines all the charm and culture of Great Britain with the natural beauty and rugged, unspoiled scenery of Hawaii’s less populated islands. It also boasts a thriving beer culture with plenty of pubs and breweries.

Even before the Pilgrims put ashore at Plymouth Rock because they were out of beer, people have been brewing in America. Indigenous Colonial brewers made beer from maize, wheat, peas, corn stalks, pumpkins, and dozens of other ingredients. In light of present-day food science, a lot of what was brewed was pretty inspired.

Coming to Baltimore for the National Homebrewers Conference? You will find plenty of great beers and a whole cadre of local homebrewers eager to slake your thirst.

The tiny African country of Burkina Faso is home to rammoora, a red sorghum-based beer brewed in just two days and consumed immediately upon fermentation. Visit a local brewery, where a demanding brewster makes sure customers always get an honest beer.

Making your finest homebrew for competition is only half the battle. Getting it from Point A to Point B can be a tangled web of dealing with shippers skittish about transporting alcohol. But perseverance usually pays off.

The Prairie Homebrewing Companions created their own Award of Beer prgoram to improve members’ brewing skills. Can it work for your club?

The idea of intentionally introducing wild yeasts, bacteria and other known beer spoilers may seem crazy, but brewers from Belgium to Santa Rosa, Calif. are finding success and fans for their “bug beers.” Check out their tips for making your own.