In 1973, editor Mike Greenstein of the Syracuse New Times gave me the chance to write about beer. My career as a writer had its beginnings then and there. In 1985, Charlie Papazian gave me an opportunity to write for a national publication, Zymurgy, bringing my writing to the attention of people like Dan & Julie Bradford, Cinde Dolphin, Bill Metzger and others. The list that follows owes everything to their help and encouragement. I am grateful, and I say this in spite of the fact that Bill tried to have me killed. *
Newspaper & Magazine Articles
“A Connoisseur’s Guide to Beer from the Bottoms Up”
Syracuse New Times, April 12, 1973
Buffalo New Times, March 31, 1974
“Schlitz’s Expansion Intoxicates Local Officials”
Syracuse New Times, September 23, 1973
An article which noted, among other things, that Schlitz bought its famous slogan from a smaller brewery; it prompted a call to the New Times with the comment, “Mr. Uihlein (Schlitz CEO) has this on his desk right now and he is very angry. What is this paper anyway?!”
“Miller, the Beer that Could Make Volney Famous”
Syracuse New Times, June 1975
Arrival of new Miller brewery
“American Beer Stinks!” and “Beer: What to Drink & How to Drink It”
Syracuse New Times, September 28, p.12 & October 5, 1975
Story on the historical reasons for the lightening of American beer, with 70’s marketing ploys, and a guide to better drinking.
“Making Bad Taste Part of Growing Old”
Syracuse New Times, August 6, 1978
A critique of light beer
“H.L. Mencken, Homebrewer”
Zymurgy, v.8 no. 5, Winter 1985
Famous writer/editor’s thoughts on beer, Prohibition and home brewing, with notes from his unpublished brewing logs.
“For Advertising”
The New Brewer, v.3, no.1, January 1986
Essay on the importance of marketing to microbrewers
“Getting Their Share”
Central New York Business Journal, July 1986
Wholesaling and retailing of beer in Central New York
“The Beers of New York State”
Syracuse New Times, July 23, 1986
History of New York’s brewers and survey of those in business in 1986
“Seven Lucky Lagers”
Syracuse New Times, October 15, 1986
Success of contract brewers at Great American Beer Festival
“The Beers of Christmas”
Syracuse New Times, December 24, 1986
Origins of the holiday beer tradition
“Drafted for the Beer Wars”
Syracuse New Times, February 25, 1987
Draft beer in cans, bottles, etc.
“The Coors Boycott Comes to Town”
Syracuse New Times, March 25, 1987
Analysis of the AFL-CIO’s charges
“Black Patent Malt and the Evolution of Porter”
Zymurgy, Summer 1987
History of a key malting process and its effect on brewing of porter
“Clues to the Meaning of Beer”
Great American Beer Festival Program, 1987
References to beer in literature.
“Brewing Competitions of the Past”
Great American Beer Festival Program, 1987
History of early beer competitions with an illustration by Ken Renczenski
“The Evolution of American Beer: 1870-1970”
Speech delivered at American Homebrewers Association Conference, Denver, Colorado, June 6, 1987; published in Beer and Brewing, Vol. 7, Boulder, Colorado; Brewers Publications, 1987
“The Brewing of Bud”
Syracuse New Times, September 2-9, 1987
Anheuser-Busch brewery in Baldwinsville, N.Y.
“Hoppy Holidays: The Tradition & Marketing of a Christmas Beer”
The New Brewer, September/October 1987
“Long Nights, Strong Beers: The Holiday Beer Tradition”
Zymurgy, Winter 1987
Origins and examples of Christmas beers
“Brewing Competitions of the Past”
Zymurgy, Spring 1988
“Trends in American and Canadian Brewing”
North American Microbrewers Resource Handbook and Directory, 1988
A history of brewing in North America as seen through its trends, based on my speech of 1987 at the A.H.A. conference.
“How Dry We Might Be: Dry Beer, Malt Liquor and the Second Coming of Prohibition”
Syracuse New Times, September 21, 1988
Neo-prohibitionists and the posting of alcohol content
“The Quest for a Perfect Pint: Michael Jackson’s The New World Guide to Beer“
Syracuse New Times, March 15-22, 1989. (Nationally syndicated)
Review of Jackson’s book, with discussion of beer styles.
“Canadian Beer Run”
Syracuse New Times, May 31, 1989
Unique beers available north of the border
“Hops Through the Years: A Brief History”
Zymurgy, Special 1990
From gruit to the hops available to today’s homebrewers
“Tsunami: New Wave Beers from Japan”
Syracuse New Times, June 1991
Review of Japanese innovations, with focus on Dry Beer.
“Red Heads: Crimson-colored beer is the latest rage in brewing”
Syracuse New Times, February 15-22, 1995
George Killian’s, et al.
“Something’s Brewing: The Middle Ages Brewing Company”
Syracuse New Times, July 26-August 2, 1995
“Four Brewers”
Syracuse New Times, November 15-22, 1995
Profiles of brewers at Empire Brewing Company (brewpub), Middle Ages Brewing Company (micro), F.X. Matt Brewing Company (regional) and Anheuser-Busch (national); also All About Beer, May 1996;
Expanded version of New Times article; Honorable Mention in Beer Writers Guild 1996 competition.
“Gusto Lives: Beer on the Pacific Rim”
All About Beer, November 1995
Beer and beer drinking in Japan
“One Year Closer to the Renaissance: Middle Ages Brewing Celebrates First Anniversary”
Great Lakes Brewing News, June/July 1996
“Beer Buddha Samples Local Brews”
Syracuse New Times, October 1996
Beer writer Michael Jackson visits Syracuse
“Champions: The World of Beer Competitions”
All About Beer, November 1996
Worldwide beer competitions, history and examples.
“Write It Right: The Essence of Good Copywriting”
Brewing Techniques, November/December 1996, p. 86-91
Marketing column for craft brewers, co-written with Dan Bradford.
“Season’s Brewings”
Syracuse New Times, December 18-25, 1996
Current holiday beers
“New Law Prompts Formation of Craft Brewers Association”
Great Lakes Brewing News, December 1996/January 1997
Anheuser-Busch’s role in crafting New York State legislation and the threat to New York’s microbrewers
“Trouble Brewing: New state law leaves bitter taste with New York’s craft brewers”
Syracuse New Times, January 1997
Consumer-oriented version of the above
“Good Cheer and Good Beer”
All About Beer, January 22-29, 1997
One of 10 beer writers commenting on holiday beers
“Beer Cocktails”
All About Beer, March 1997
History of blended beers and beer cocktails
“A Breath of Fresh Ale”
Syracuse New Times, March 5-12, 1997
Homebrewer replicates his best at local microbrewery
“Horses in Brewing History”
All About Beer, May 1997
The role of the horse in brewing history
“A Brush with Beer Greatness”
Syracuse New Times, June 18 – 25, 1997
Belgian brewer Pierre Celis visits the Blue Tusk
“Saints and Sinners: The American Homebrewers Association Brew-ha-ha”
Southwest Brewing News, June/July 1997
The AHA faces its critics and the future
“New York Brews: Empire State brewing comes full circle.”
Song Mountain Brew Fest Official Program, June 1997
“Fruit Beers: A Natural Temptation”
Syracuse New Times, August 20-27, 1997
“Brewers/Bikers”
All About Beer, September 1997
Brewers who rode motorcycles, and why.
“The Beers of Martin Luther” (1997)
“Father Knows Best: The State of State Beer Laws”
All About Beer, January 1998
Review of “Sam Adams Triple Bock” in “Vintage Beers”
All About Beer, January 1998
“How to Drink a Yard of Ale”
All About Beer, July 1998
“Beer Frames: The Meanings of Malty Movie Memories”
All About Beer, November 1998
“Three Millenia of Beer Styles”
All About Beer, March 2000
“F.X. Matt: Brewer, Poet”
January 2001
“Octoberfest”
Syracuse New Times, 2001
“Kitchen Green”
A visit to Pittsburgh’s Church Brew Works
April 2004
“A Story without Heroes: The Cautionary Tale of Malt Liquor”
Web published, November 2004; appeared condensed in All About Beer, May 2005; reprinted in the U.K.’s Brewery History, Winter issue, 2015
“A Beer Footnote”
April 2006
“Revere Your Beer”
May 2012
“Black Heart Stout”
February 2013
Articles for Press Kits
“Batter Up!”
April 1996
To accompany a press kit for Coors’ bat-shaped bottle, an article on the history of beer packaging with an aside on Heine Groh, who wielded a “bottle bat” in the early years of baseball
“Holiday Beers and the Winterfest Tradition”
September 1996
To accompany press kit for Coors Winterfest, an article on the history and tradition of holiday and winter beers, with examples from U.S. and England
“The Origins of Abbey Ales”
January 1997
To accompany press kit for Blue Moon Abbey Ale, an article on the role of the monastic movement in brewing and Abbey Ales available from Belgium and the Netherlands
Letters to the Editor
“Oldest Import”
All About Beer, February 1986, p. 6
Correcting a claim that Wurzburger was the oldest available import in U.S.; Whitbread predated it by more than a century.
“Beer’s Image”
Advertising Age, September 21, 1987, p. 20
Reaction to article on objections to the posting of alcohol content
“Sex Object Objection”
Zymurgy, Spring 1989, p. 9
Outrage over the use of beer writer Fred Eckhardt as sex symbol
***
About Bill Metzger trying to have me killed: Bill was a good and charming fellow, but my first assignment for him was to write about behind-the-scenes lobbying by Anheuser-Busch that was aimed a throttling the craft beer movement in New York. It was an important article to write, but it got me blacklisted by America’s largest brewer. The next assignment from Bill was an article on the American Homebrewers Association; I thought, “Oh, this will be fun.” Except the list of interviewees included bitter enemies of the AHA and I realized I’d been hired to write an “exposé.” If I punted, someone else would do it, so I spent weeks on the phone to shed light on all sides; I wrote what I hoped was a balanced piece, and got knocked off the AHA Christmas card list. Bill then asked me to write a piece about the Mafia moving in on beer wholesalers in Chicago. Fairly certain of the kind of criticism that might prompt, I declined.
Faithful Readers 