This content was originally published by The Hop Review, a digital magazine that joined the Hop Culture family in March 2020.
This piece was written by Tom White.
In this week’s Hoplinks, you’ll soon be able to pour your own beer at the bar, beer design trends are explored, a legendary brewer steps aside, an east coast brewery goes on tour, unique names are in short supply, and the cheapest countries to drink beer are listed. All of this and more in the links below.
LINCOLN SQUARE, CHICAGO — Jared Saunders, one of the owners of Brew Camp, a much loved Chicago homebrew supply shop, announced he’ll be stepping away from the business until September in order to donate his liver to his mother. Certainly a worthy cause and we wish a quick recovery to Jared and his mother. [DNA Info]
WICKER PARK, CHICAGO — Ever got frustrated with the long wait at the bar and wished you could just pour your own? Well, you’re in luck. Tapster, a pour-it-yourself bar concept, is slated to open in Wicker Park in early 2017. The space will also serve bartender made cocktails and shots. [Eater]
USA — There’s a lot of beautiful and unique graphic design in beer nowadays… and a lot of less than inspiring work too. Design firm CODO delves into some of the bigger trends and calls out some great examples of each. If you’re as big a fan of beer design as we are, check out our weekly series Beer and Branding. [CODO Blog]
CHICO, CA — Longtime Sierra Nevada Brewmaster Steve Dresler has announced he’ll retire in 2017. Starting with the brewery in 1983, Dresler has contributed hundreds of beers to their portfolio, brought wet hopped beer to the US, and overseen the growth of Sierra Nevada into one of the biggest craft producers in the world. If you think you have the chops to take his place, the company plans to hire a new Brewmaster immediately. [THR Wire]
CHICAGO — Brooklyn Brewery has announced their annual Mash Tour will be stopping in Chicago August 11-14. The east coast brewery has partnered with local artisans to feature their beer in the form of a meal, beer festival, bar crawl, and concert. Tickets for each event are available now. [THR Wire]
GLOBAL — Anyone who’s into craft beer can tell you beer names have gotten longer and more ridiculous in recent years. The WSJ digs into the brewer’s “brawl” over trying to find unique names for the quintessential IPA. With unique names in short supply, why not go back to basics and call your beer <Brewery Name> IPA? [Wall Street Journal]
GLOBAL — Looking for your next beercation? If your goal is to cram as many pints of beer into your trip as possible, look no further than this list of the cheapest local beers in 70 cities from around the world. We’re not vouching for the quality of any of these beers, but at least you can save money while you explore. [GoEuro]
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Photograph by Jack Muldowney from our May 2016 interview with Dovetail Brewery in Northcenter.