Today marks the 80th anniversary of the Repeal of Prohibition in the United States! On December 5th 1933, Utah (ironic enough) was the final state to ratify the 21st Amendment, fulfilling the 1/3 majority vote needed for its passage. And thus, the 18th Amendment – banning the sale and manufacturing of alcohol – was repealed!

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The 21st Amendment

Ratified December 5, 1933
Section 1. The eighteenth article of amendment to the Constitution of the United States is hereby repealed.
Section 2. The transportation or importation into any State, Territory, or possession of the United States for delivery or use there in of intoxicating liquors, in violation of the laws thereof, is hereby prohibited.
Section 3. This article shall be inoperative unless it shall have been ratified as an amendment to the Constitution by conventions in the several States, as provided in the Constitution, within seven years from the date of the submission hereof to the States by the Congress.

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A little over 100 years ago there were over 3,000 breweries in the United States, but then along came Prohibition. But the American brewing spirit persevered. 5 years after its repeal there were several hundred breweries producing beer. (source: Dr. Bill Sysak, Stone Brewing Co.)

Today in America, there are over 2,136 breweries — a number which is rapidly increasing, according the Brewers Association.

Although today is a very happy day in the history of the U.S. (for alcohol lovers), the effects of Prohibition still live on 79 years later. Nearly half of Mississippi’s counties are dry. Alabama, Arkansas, Kansas, Kentucky, Virginia and Texas all boast a high percentage of dry counties. Alaska has nearly 129 dry towns. And then, there are the hundreds of, often contradictory, state alcohol laws across the country that regulate the manufacturing and sale of alcohol. Here are some examples of these laws.

But, at the end of the day, even with how annoying some state laws might be, we can still be eternally grateful that we are not, in fact, experiencing a complete Prohibition (although, some regions might feel like they are).

In celebration of the 21st Amendment and support of the craft beer revolution, I thought it was only appropriate to share with the world a video that I, personally, believe truly encompasses the craft beer mentality and the passion of its biggest advocates.

“We must educate the average beer drinker. We must illuminate the possibilities. We must help and support our local breweries. We must spread the message. Introduce, educate, and illuminate the choices. Spread the message and declare with conviction:

I AM A CRAFT BEER DRINKER.”

I am a Craft Beer Drinker from New Brew Thursday on Vimeo

Written by Stephen Johnson : @darthweef
Directed by John Holzer : @johnholzer
Produced by New Brew Thursday : @newbrewthursday

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Candy with beer? Why not! After some grueling and palate-intensive research and taste testing, I’ve come up with beer pairings recommendations for some of the most popular Halloween candies on the market. Whether your night consists of handing out candy, taking the little tikes out on a candy crawl, or partying like a rocktar — take a moment to indulge yourself in one of these tasty pairings!

5 Spooktastic Halloween Candy & Beer Pairings

Candy Corn

Beer Pairing: Belgian Tripel

According to many sources, Candy Corn tops the list as the highest selling and most popular Halloween candy. Essentially made entirely of sugar, this super sweet king of Halloween candy requires a beer pairing that won’t over power it. The sugar cookie-like malt flavors and fruity yeast characteristics in a Belgian Tripel pair nicely with the sweetness in the candy corn, while the dryness of the beer helps to cut through the overwhelmingly heavy sugar content of the candy.

Commercial Examples: Westmalle Trappist Tripel, Victory Golden Monkey, Allagash Tripel Ale, Flying Fish Exit 4, Anderson Valley Brother David’s Triple Abbey Style Ale

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Skittles

Beer Pairing: American IPA

Based on sheer volume of Facebook likes, Skittles are the most popular candy amongst social media users. (23.6 million likes is no joke). Once upon a time, my friend Michael Bussman of New Belgium Brewing recommended that I try pairing Starburst with IPA. Quite pleased with the pairing, I attempted the same pairing with the similarly fruit-flavored candy, Skittles. Oddly enough, it works. The bitter flavors in the beer contrasts the sweetness in the candy, while the tart fruity flavors in the candy pair nicely with the citrus-like character of the hops.

Commercial Examples: New Belgium Ranger IPA, Bell’s Two-Hearted IPA, Ten Barrel Apocalypse IPA, Bear Republic Racer 5, Sweetwater IPA, Dogfish Head 60 Minute Ale

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M & M’s

Beer Pairing: Chocolate Stout

Whether your vice be peanut or plain, its hard to deny the M&M’s popularity amongst people of all ages. This fairly simple and colorful candy demands a beer that shares its love for chocolate. Like M&M’s, the Chocolate Stout has many variations. From Imperial Stout, to Sweet or Milk Stout, to Dry Stout — there is a perfect Chocolate Stout for everyone. I recommend pairing the sweeter versions with milk chocolate M&M’s and the drier version with dark chocolate.

Commercial Examples: Rogue Chocolate Stout, Bison Organic Chocolate Stout, Southern Tier Chokolat, Young’s Double Chocolate Stout.

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Snickers

Beer Pairing: Nut Brown Ale

Thirsty? Why wait! This nougat candy topped with caramel and peanuts, covered in milk chocolate is a perfect match for the toasty, caramel and toffee flavors of brown ales — especially versions where nuts have been added in the brewing process. This power pairing is sure to give you that energy boost needed to power through a night of trick-or-treating. 

Commercial Examples: Samuel Smith’s Nut Brown Ale, Goose Island Nut Brown Ale, Rogue Hazelnut Brown Nectar, Tommyknocker Maple Nut Brown Ale, AleSmith Nautical Nut Brown Ale.

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Sour Patch Kids

Beer Pairing: Kriek/ Cherry Lambic

Known for their abrasively sour, tongue destroying sugar crystals, Sour Patch kids are a favorite among kids and adults alike. Since you are already killing your palate by eating the candy, why not completely annihilate it by drinking a sour cherry beer? The Kriek is a style of Belgian beer that uses cherries in the fermentation process. Some are sweeter than others, some more sour. Makes a killer pairing for Sour Patch kids.

Commercial Examples: Lindeman Kriek, Hanssens Oude Kriek, New Belgium Transaltantique Kriek, Cantillon Lou Pepe, New Glarus Wisconsin Belgian Red, Cascade Kriek

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HAPPY HALLOWEEN!

The craft beer industry is quite possibly the best industry in the world.  From vendors to distributors to brewers to the media–I am constantly blown away by the amount of kindness, generosity and love that is given and shared amongst our amazing community.

Last week, I broke the very sad news to my friends and followers that, for the first time in 5 years, I was unable to attend the Great American Beer Festival. Unfortunately, the brewery I work for was unable to participate this year and I didn’t have the budget to go on my own.

No beer for Wenchie = #sadface

Upon posting my sad news, an angel of beer named Micha Rains appeared. She told me, “the Great American Beer Festival cannot happen without The Wench. We must make this happen!” And then she proceeded to pitch her company, AGA Marvel, on a partnership between our two brands. They offered to buy me a plane ticket and put me up in a hotel room in exchange for helping to work their booth during GABF. A chance to go to GABF and all I had to do was help promote amazing kegerators? My answer was obvious.

My Fairy Beermother Micha

And so, I hopped on the first plane out to Denver, rolled my sleeves up and became a mini-ambassador for AGA Marvel. And let me tell you, I had a blast. And because I’m so grateful for AGA Marvel’s kindness, I want to take this opportunity to tell you about their awesome beer dispensers, which I had the honor of “playing” with all weekend.

If you’ve never seen them before, the AGA Marvel beer dispensers are a glorious sight to be seen. And I’m not just saying this because they were so kind to me, I’m completely honest when I tell you how versatile, efficient, easy-to-use and just plain old pretty these things are. We were showing off the outdoor models, which were wrapped entirely in super shiny stainless steel. I love shiny objects, so I was instantly enamored.

I heart shiny objects

Each 24″ system comes ready to go with all necessary tapping equipment – draft tower, hoses, 5 lb. CO₂ tank and regulator, drip tray, and interior floor shield to protect the inside liner. They all provide the option to store one half, one quarter (plus bottles), or two 1/6 barrel kegs–or can be converted to a full refrigerator with metal shelves that easily store inside when not in use.

But the fun doesn’t stop there. The Marvel beer dispensers come with several custom options.

First, you can opt for the indoor model, which comes in black, stainless steel or wood; or the outdoor model, which is built with corrosion resistant commercial grade stainless steel. Next, you can decide between a single tap tower or a duel tap tower. Then, you can choose between an exterior drip tray or a drip tray that empties into a plastic bottle inside the refrigerator, for easier cleaning.

Double the beer, double the fun!

There is also a portable outdoor version that comes with heavy duty casters and mug rails, pro-style handles and stainless steel toe kicks so you can wheel it around in style. Both versions can either be free-standing or built under existing counter-tops and bars. Cooling temp ranges from 33° – 52° F, so you can keep your beer chilled at the most optimal serving temperatures.

Bottles and kegs, oh my!

When it comes to price, which I’m sure you all are curious about, these systems run upwards from $1,899, depending on the model and variations chosen. Naturally, extra perks like drip trays and wheels cost a bit more. As far as buying concerns, AGA Marvel has a national network of independent dealers, servicers and fitters that sell, install, repair and maintain their products. To locate a dealer, enter your zip or postal code here.

All in all, these systems were easy to setup and use. On the floor, we used an a portable outdoor beer dispenser to pour rootbeer and DRAFT Magazine used two of the portable outdoor systems to pour special beers in their VIP lounge. Everyone who came across the systems were wickedly impressed–as was I. And if you are in the market for a kegerator, the AGA Marvel beer dispensers come highly recommended by none other than yours truly!

Super sleek design.

In closing, I just want to send a super shout-out to my friend Micha and her team at AGA Marvel who gave me the wonderful opportunity to attend the Great American Beer Festival. It was officially the best GABF I’ve been to yet and it would never have been possible without the amazing folks at AGA Marvel! Thanks Art, Micha, Dick and Leah! XOXO!!!

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This morning, Sierra Nevada announced that is ready to open its new swanky taproom–The Torpedo Room–in Southwest Berkeley this November.This is a very exciting announcement for those of us (ahem *me*) that live, work and play in the neighborhood.

I work around the corner, suckers!!

Okay, so it is probably important to note that Sierra’s new taproom is literally, literally one block from my work. As in, I walk out the door, take approximately 20 steps, and BOOM. I’m there. And if I skip, I can get there even faster. And who are we kidding, I will be skipping, if not running, over there everyday after its opening. No passing go, no collecting 200 dollars.

The Torpedo Room will have 16 taps, all pouring unique and limited Sierra Nevada beers. Sierra Nevada will host educational tastings in the taproom, as well as the occasional craft-centric event dedicated to beer science. Because of licensing requirements (I assume), all draught beer will be served in taster flights. Guests will also have the option of filling growlers to go, as well as purchasing six-packs, cases and individual specialty bottles. Light snacks will accompany beer flights, but there won’t be a full food menu.

Cause ghosts dig beer too.

But the opening of Sierra Nevada’s new taproom isn’t the only beeralicious project that has got Berkeley beer geeks sitting on edge. Southwest Berkeley is also the very proud home of a new all-sour barrel-aged brewery aptly named The Rare Barrel. Oh, The Rare Barrel, how do I give thee the justice thou deserves?

I love unicorns.

Picture a fantasy land where the sun is always shinning, rainbows are always in the sky and unicorns are playing freely and peacefully with dragons and fairies. Imagine a world where dreams really do come true and sour beer runs through the land like water. This is The Rare Barrel.

Oh yes, they fancy.

Okay, but for real. The Rare Barrel is going to be a magical place. The entire focus of The Rare Barrel will be on sours and they have created a space specifically dedicated to the conditioning of barrel-aged sour beers. High ceilings, a moderate climate and plenty of space–the barrels will have an ideal home for developing amazing and unique sour beers.

And where is this magical land of sours and pixie dust? Three blocks from my apartment and about 1 mile from The Torpedo Room. Yes, kids. That’s right. I can hop, skip, jump, run, bike or walk to both places in a matter of minutes. And that is a beautiful thing.

Brewers on barrels. Doesn’t get much sexier than that.

But sour beers and rare Sierra samplers are not the only beertastic things going on down in Southwest Berkeley. It is also home to the largest craft beer cooler in the East Bay. And we aren’t talking about a few refrigerators. We are talking about a beer cooler the entire length of a grocery store isle. It is so big, I can’t even capture it all on my camera phone.

ZOMG! Beers for days!

Southwest Berkeley also boasts an eclectic range of bars, from dive to fancy, that feature awesome and, often times, very special craft beer selections. In fact, my really good friend Josh was recently hired to renovate the beer program at an Old-Fashioned Hofbrau and Sports Bar located in the the historic Southern Pacific Railroad Depot on Berkeley’s 4th Street. Josh is well-known amongst local craft beer drinkers for his previous work, revamping the craft beer list at a popular NY-style pizza place near the UC Berkeley campus.

This is what my hometown beer world will look like.

Speaking of weird and awesome things that happen in Southwest Berkeley–my favorite dive bar within stumbling distance of my apartment recently tapped Firestone Walker’s Parabola. Not sure who exactly was in charge of tapping the keg that night, but let’s just say there may have been a bit of miscommunication with the staff. Said bar ended up pouring $5 pints of Parabola–and news of it spread like wild-fire throughout the local beer geek community.

Don’t ask me how that night ended, cause I don’t remember.

And there is always the fact that I live in Southwest Berkeley, with a rather healthy beer cellar. Not saying that everyone and their mother is invited to come drink my cellar, but I’m always willing to pop open a few fun bottles with friends who visit the area. Especially, those who bring tasty treats for my mouth in either the form of suds or pig parts.

Supplication for days.

As hip and cool as Southwest Berkeley is becoming, I probably should tout the awesomeness of the other neighborhoods in Buzzerkeley as well. Just a wee bit north from all the Southwest Berkeley beer action, you can find two of our city’s more well-known breweries–Trumer and Pyramid. Technically speaking (for all the sticklers out there), Pyramid is no longer privately owned, so by definition of the Brewers Association, they are not a *craft* brewery. But, I still feel that their presence in the area should be noted.

IPAX FTW!

But the beer fun doesn’t stop below San Pablo Ave. Head up towards Central Berkeley, where the UC Berkeley campus is located, and you will find a mecca of craft beer offerings including Berkeley’s oldest brewery–Triple Rock–the only East Bay bar to receive weekly keg shipments of the ever-coveted Pliny The Elder and the oldest liquor store in Berkeley (76 years and counting), which boasts one of the most extensive craft beer bottle selections in the area (including weekly shipments from RRBC).

It’s always Pliny o’clock in Berkeley.

Well, as you can tell, I have mad pride for Berkeley’s craft beer scene. And if you think the beer scene sounds cool, you should also check out our food scene. Some say California cuisine and the Slow Food movement were born in Berkeley. And I believe them. Berkeley: come for the beer, stay for the food.

Mmmmm fried things.

Let me know if you ever come to my neck of the woods! I’d be more than happy to show you around! Hit me up on Twitter @TheBeerWench, on Instagram @thebeerwench, or send me a message on Facebook! Cheers!

Hey friends! Its been a really long time since I’ve posted content on my blog–something that is both sad and exhilarating. Over the past few months, my personal life has undergone some bittersweet changes. As a result, I have refocused my energy on self-reflection and introspection, spending less time on the internet and more time on both personal and career growth.

Today, I’m proud to share with you all a project that I have been working hard and diligently on over the past few months with my team over at Bison Organic Beer. Allow me to introduce THE BEER WAGON–a community-focused, sustainable mobile beer garden that donates 100% of its profits to local charities.

The Beer Wagon will raise money by selling draft beer (and other organic beverages) at food truck gatherings, festivals, farmer’s markets, and various charity functions. Our mission is to educate the public about organic and sustainable issues while our customers are having fun and socializing with delicious organic beverages in hand.

Bison Organic Beer (a 100% certified organic brewing company headquartered in Berkeley, CA) already owns this 1986 Winnebago. We have installed a solar array on the roof, which currently powers its bumping sound system and lights. Several interior modifications have already been welded. And we have purchased a 1996 Turbo Cummings Diesel engine, which means we can convert The Beer Wagon to biodiesel and make it even more sustainable.

But before we can take this shiny red charity chariot on the road, she needs a lot more work. The Beer Wagon still needs to be pimped out with all the essentials. In order to do this, we need outside support—and this is where YOU come in. We need at least $15,000 to get off the ground.

The breakdown is as follows:

• $6,000 to outfit the rig for keg handling, cooling, and the exterior and interior tap systems
• $5,000 for an exterior truck wrap
• $2,000 for brakes
• $2,000 for startup party supplies, crowd control, office stuff and first year insurance

But that’s not all…. If we can raise even more money, we can do even more cool things with The Beer Wagon (such as converting the engine!).

In order to raise the capital needed to put The Beer Wagon on the road, we have chosen to launch a crowd-funding campaign on Indiegogo. In just 2 days, we have already raised 17% of our 15k goal. We still have 40 days to not only meet our goal, but completely destroy it. And so, I’m reaching out to all of you–all of my friends and fans–for help. Help us make The Beer Wagon a reality. Be among the first of many to be part of this mobile movement for years to come.

 How YOU can help The Beer Wagon:

1. Visit the Indigogo site (here!) pick one of our AWESOME perks and donate now!
2. Spread the message about The Beer Wagon on social media!
3. Follow @The_Beer_Wagon on Twitter, @thebeerwagon on Instagram, and like The Beer Wagon on Facebook!

Cheers!

Well, it is quite apparent that SOME breweries did not attend the Social Media seminar during the 2013 Craft Brewers Conference—where we clearly and quite strongly advised AGAINST using social media to wage a war, legal or not, against another brewery. And if said breweries did attend the seminar, they obviously were not listening. So let me state it again, loud and clear:

Keep your battles offline.

Do not use social media to wage a war against another brewery. I don’t care how pissed off you are at them. I don’t care how many laws you think they broke. I don’t care if they flat out stole your branding, your beer name, or your recipe—DO NOT post about it online.

And why not? Besides getting an ego boost from your adoring fans, nothing good can come from public wars between companies. You are guaranteed to lose existing fans as well as lose any potential fans who are first exposed to your brand in this fashion. And at the end of the day, it’s not fair for you to put your fans and followers in this position. You do not have the right to ask your fans to fight your battles. Hire a lawyer. It’s their freaking job to fight your battles—NOT mine.

Keep the fight between your lawyers—NOT your fans.

The Law of Attraction states that like attracts like. Whatever vibrations we radiate attract more of the same. Negative energy only attracts more negative energy. The more negative energy you put on social media, the more you will get. And trust me, you do not want your brand to be viewed as one that emits and attracts negative energy.

Not to mention, breweries putting out negative energy only makes the craft beer industry look bad as a whole. You might think that the battle is solely between you and the other guy, but it’s not. You just brought the entire craft beer community into the lime light. Your actions reflect negatively upon our entire industry—not just your two brands. You make craft beer look immature and childish. You make it look like we can’t get along with each other. You are destroying the collaborative, harmonious and united image that we have worked so hard to project.

Social media is an extremely powerful tool. And with great power, comes great responsibility. And trust me, I’ve learned this the very, very hard way. Breweries and beer fans, please heed my advice:

Don’t use social media as a weapon.

If you need justice, then by all means go and get it. But do it in a courtroom, NOT on Facebook and Twitter. Besides, I’m pretty sure that the judge making the final ruling over the case won’t be swayed by internet petitions or “how many followers and fans” you got to post on your behalf.

I did NOT ask to be put in the middle of this battle. None of us did. Sure, I might have opinions on what is right and wrong in this situation, but I reserve the right to stay out of the fight. Don’t make me chose sides. And don’t make me fight your battles.

Because I refuse to get involved, I’m intentionally leaving the details of this particular “War of the Roses” out of this post. If you wish to learn more about the brewery vs. brewery conflict I’m referring to, you can read the House of Lancaster arguments here and the House of York arguments here.

And you can guarantee that a case study will be made of this incident, highlighting it as the quintessential example of what not to do on social media, at the 2014 Craft Brewers Conference.

Oh yes, folks. It’s that time of the year again.

It’s time to objectify showcase the extremely talented, charming and ever-handsome single men in the craft beer industry.

Every year, I team up with a group of kickass women (and some men) from all corners of the country and various facets of the craft beer industry to present “Most Eligible Bachelors of Beer” competition. We are now in our third year, which means that the kinks have been worked out.

Bachelors of Beer Nominations

Anyone can submit a nomination. Because the competition is stiff, we are asking that when and if people submit nominations, they give us as much information on the nominees as they can, including photos and brewery bios if possible. Although I will accept nominations from the comment section on this site, I prefer if nominations are submitted via this Survey Monkey poll.

Bachelors of Beer Qualifications

The basic, bare minimum qualifications for nomination are as follows:

1. Must work for a craft brewery (all positions considered)
2. Must NOT be married or engaged (other relationship statuses accepted)

Bachelors of Beer Judging Criteria

All men being considered will be individually judged (and ultimately, scored) on the following three measures:

1. Industry Talent: Although many of the men excel at other hobbies, this measure strictly speaks to the “industry impact” that these individuals have made. This can be evidenced by number of awards won, books written etc… The main question is: are they important and relevant in the craft beer industry? And how important and relevant are they?

2. Personality: Let’s face it, brewers (although adorable in their awkwardness) are not known for being social butterflies. However, a select few stand out from the crowd. These are the speakers that can steal a room, the men that can sweet talk you into drinking anything….the men that draw you like a moth to the flame.

3. Appearance: Being in the beer industry is less than glamorous, and those who make it look glamorous deserve a little bit of credit. Drinking beer for a living can adversely affect one’s health and physical fitness. Yet, there are some men who have gone above and beyond to ensure that they keep a beach-ready physique. And well, then there are those that are just adorable in their own awkwardly geeky ways.

Bachelors of Beer FAQ

Lastly, there are always questions and criticisms about this concept. Here is my attempt to address them:

Q: Why would a self-empowered, self-proclaimed feminist start a silly beauty pageant-like competition highlighting men in the beer industry?

A: Because I can. Because it’s fun. And because the boys deserve the promotion and praise.

Q: What about the Eligible Bachelorettes of Beer?

A: I’m totally down with supporting a Bachelorette of Beer competition and would gladly help anyone who wants to do it start it and execute it.

Q: What if the nominee has a girlfriend?

A: This is the complicated part of the entire competition, and one that either offends or flatters the girlfriends. The best bet is to ask the nominee or even the girlfriend of the nominee if they are cool with being nominated. Heck, I’ve had several girls even nominate their own boyfriends.

Q: What if I work in craft beer, but not for a brewery?

A: Opening up the search to include bartender, writers, distributors and bloggers would be overwhelming and extremely time consuming. This is why we are strictly focused on employees of breweries.

Q: Does age matter?

A: Of course not! Although younger men might be perceived as cuter, the older gents usually score higher on the talent portion, as a result of experience. We love featuring men from all different age brackets!

Q: Does sexual orientation matter?

A: Of course not! We don’t care if he is gay or straight, if he is single, we want him!

Enough of this rambling! What are you waiting for? Get nominating!!!!!!

Five years ago today, I launched this website.

If you asked me back then, where I thought I would be in five years, I would never have thought I’d be where I am today. But, that is a good thing – a very good thing.

The embarrassing truth is that I really, really wanted to start a wine blog called Confessions of a Vinophile. And even though I knew a lot about wine for my age, intimidation got the best of me and crushed my dream of becoming the next Jancis Robinson.

Dying to express my love of something, heck anything, through writing, I decided to start a blog about my second favorite subject: craft beer.

Having had a short, yet insightful, experience in advertising, I understood the value of creating a brand and a brand voice. Thus began the path of self-branding. It took several hours of googling and brainstorming, but ultimately, I found the perfect name: The Beer Wench.

Many people ask me why I chose the Beer Wench moniker, but, to this day, I don’t have a better argument other than I just like the name.

Wait no, I love the name.

As a slave, errrrr employee of the restaurant industry for nearly 6 years, being a beer wench seemed pretty fitting. And now that I’ve been using the name for five years, I’d like to think that I’ve helped redefine the term. In my mind, the term beer wench no longer stands for a busty, scantly clad woman that serves beer. In today’s modern world, a beer wench is an educated and skilled craft beer evangelist on a mission to revolutionize the beer industry through education, innovation & advocacy.

Over the past five years, every job I’ve had and every person I’ve met and worked with have all had an integral role in developing me into the person I am today. Today, I sit before this computer as a craft beer professional, gainfully and gratefully employed for two years by Bison Organic Beer. Today, Drink With The Wench is one of the highest ranked, most read beer blogs on the Internet. Today, I am honored to be a freelance writer for both CraftBeer.com (run by the Brewers Association) and the Whole Foods blog. This March, I will be presenting at the Craft Brewers Conference for the first time – quite possibly the most important and pinnacle event of my, albeit young, career in craft beer.

I’m extremely grateful for all the people who have inspired and helped me along the way. Without even so much as one of these people, I might never have gotten to where I am today. I hope you all know who you are when I say this: Thank You.

Thank YOU for supporting me. Thank YOU for believing in me. And thank YOU for being my inspiration, my mentor, and my friend.

Xoxo,

The Wench

Look out red wine and Champagne, chocolate beer is Cupid’s new favorite liquid of love. Just in time for Valentine’s Day, Whole Foods Market Global HQ and I have teamed up to co-host a chocolate beer tasting love fest – LIVE on Twitter.

On Feb. 7 from 7-8 p.m. CST, join Whole Foods Market (@WholeFoods) and myself (@TheBeerWench) as we chat about chocolate beers, cooking with beer recipes, and perfect beer pairings for Valentine’s Day. Taste and tweet about four tantalizing chocolate beers with the breweries that make them.

To participate, pick up one or all of the featured chocolate beers and tweet your experience using the hashtag #WFMBeer. Every 15 minutes, the focus of the tasting will shift to a different beer. The schedule is as follows:

5:00 p.m. PST: Samuel Smith’s (@merchantduvin) Organic Chocolate Stout

5:15 p.m. PST: Odell Brewing (@OdellBrewing) Lugene Chocolate Milk Stout

5:30 p.m. PST: Bison Organic Beer (@bisonbrew) Organic Chocolate Stout

5:45 p.m. PST: Southern Tier (@stbcbeer) Choklat

Skip the diamonds and the pearls this Valentine’s Day and woo your special someone with a velvety smooth, rich and chocolate-y craft beer.

Participation is limited to those 21 years or older.

Although Twitter still remains my favorite and preferred social media platform, Instagram is quickly becoming one of my favorite guilty pleasures.

There is a great community of craft beer enthusiasts and craft breweries on Instagram – but often times the two don’t always connect. Instagram users are more likely to tag pictures with a brewery’s hashtag rather than the brewery’s user name. Whereas hashtags are a necessary search tool for both Instagram, but my experience suggests that the @ sign works better when trying to connect with brands.

With the goal of increasing engagement in the community, especially between breweries and fans, I’ve developed a working list of all the craft breweries that I know of that are on Instagram. Each brewery is linked to their static instagram page. As long as you are signed into Instgram.com, you should be able to like the brewery from your computer. If you experience any issue, please let me know!

The next time you share an awesome #craft picture on Instagram, don’t forget to tag the brewery!

Craft Breweries on Instagram

Note: Breweries, please don’t be offended if I leave you off at first. Instagram does not allow for key word searches. If I missed a brewery, I encourage you to mention them in the comment section below so I can edit my list accordingly.

A

18th Street Brewery: @18thstreetbrewery

Against the Grain: @atgbrewery

Alaskan Brewing: @alaskanbrewing

Allagash Brewing: @allagashbrewing

Almanac Beer: @almanacbeer

Anchor Brewing: @anchorbrewing

Anderson Valley: @andersonvalleybrewing

B

Beachwood BBQ Brewing: @beachwoodbbq_brewing

Bear Republic: @bearrepublic

Bells Brewery: @bellsbrewery

Bellwoods Brewing: @bellwoodsbeer

Big Bend Brewing Co: @bigbendbrewing

Bison Organic Beer: @bisonbrew

Bootlegger’s Brewing: @bootleggersbrew

Boulevard Brewing: @boulevardbeer

Breckenridge Brewing: @breckbrew

Brooklyn Brewery: @brooklynbrewery

C

Captain Lawrence: @cptlawrence

Carton Brewing: @cartonbrewing

Center of the Universe Brewing Company: @COTUBrew

Cigar City: @cigarcitybeer

Court Avenue Brewing Company: @courtavebrew

D

Deep Ellum Brewing Company: @deepellumbrewco

Descutes Brewery: @deschutesbeer

Dogfish Head: @dogfishbeer

Drake’s Brewery: @drakesbrewery

E

Eagle Rock Brewery: @eaglerockbrew

Epic Beer: @epicbeer

Epic Brewing: @epicbrewery

F

Fireman’s Brewing: @firemansbrew

Firestone Walker: @firestonewalker

Flying Dog: @flyingdogbrewery

Founders Brewing: @foundersbrewing

Frog Hair Brewing: @froghairbeer

G

Great Lakes Brewing Co: @glbc_cleveland

Green Bush Brewing: @greenbushbrew

Green Flash: @greenflashbeer

H

Half Acre: @halfacrebeer

Hangar 24 Brewery: @hangar24brewery

Hardywood Brewery: @hardywood

Harpoon Brewery: @harpoonbrewery

Hopworks Urban Brewery: @hopworksbeer

J

Jackie O’s Brewery: @jackieosbrewery

Jolly Pumpkin: @jollypumpkin

K

Kane Brewing: @kanebrewing

Karl Strauss: @karl_strauss

L

Lady Face Ale Co.: @ladyfaceale

Left Hand Brewing: @lefthandbrewing

Licking Hole Creek: @lickingholecreekcraftbrewery

Lost Abbey: @lostabbey

M

Magnolia Brew Pub: @magnoliapub

Maui Brewing Co.: @mauibrewingco

Migration Brewing: @migrationbrewing

Mikkeller Brewing: @mikkellerbeer

Mothers Brewing: @mothersbrewing

N

New Belgium: @newbelgium

Newburgh Brewing: @newburghbrewing

New Holland: @newhollandbrew

Night Shift Brewing: @nightshiftbeer

Ninkasi Brewing: @ninkasibrewing

Noble Ale Works: @noblealeworks

O

Odell Brewing: @odellbrewing

Ommegang: @breweryommegang

Oskar Blues: @oskarbluesbrewery

P

Peak Organic Beer: @peakorganicbrewing

Pipework Brewing: @pipeworksbrewing

Pizza Port: @pizzaport

Philips Brewing: @philipsbeer

R

Rogue Ales: @rogueales

S

Samuel Adams: @samueladamsbeer

Schafly Brewing: @schaflybeer

Sierra Nevada: @sierranevadabeer

Six Point Brewery: @sixpointbrewery

Shmaltz Brewing: @shmaltzbrewing

Ska Brewing: @skabrewing

SocieteBrewing: @societebrewing

Solemn Oath Brewery: @solemnoathbeer

Speakeasy Beer: @speakeasybeer

Stone Brewing Co: @stonebrewingco

Sun King Brewing: @sunkingbrewing

Sweetwater Brewing: @sweetwaterbrew

T

The Bruery: @thebruery

Thomas Creek Brewery: @thomascreekbrewery

V

Victory Brewing: @victorybeer

W

Wynkoop Brewing: @wynkoopbrew

Z

Zauber Brewing: @zauberbrewing