January/February 2004

Quiz your palate and interrogate your taste buds to decide on your personal list of America’s top beers and then vote.

Irish Red Ale, that is! Stout’s not the only beer the Irish have given us and indeed the traditions of the drinking of the red may pre-date stout itself. In this issue we not only tell you about where it came from and what it’s like, we give you the whole scoop for making your own tasty red ale.

Our roving reporter asks the Great American Beer Festival® what it has done for him lately and comes up with some pretty good answers. With new events and activities as well as a lot more space–but still the same great beers–GABF continues to rock. Also included: a complete listing of this year’s winners for easy reference.

While barley is the preferred grain for most brews, plenty of other starches can be used to supply–or supplement–the sugars needed for fermentation. You probably know about rice, corn, wheat and rye, but since we were doing our bit on Irish beers we figured why not take a good look at potatoes. Now you can amaze your friends with a little spud brew.