The Homebrew Summer Slump

Good morning. Happy Bastille Day to any French brewers out there. Harness that revolutionary energy and transfer it into a revolutionary homebrew while the rest of us sweat through a heatwave.

-Brandon Copeland

The Homebrew Summer Slump

Summer is the perfect time of the year to enjoy a beer. Sitting in a chair, soaking in the sun on the beach is always paired with a cold beer in your hand. However, when it comes to brewing during the summer, I find myself slowing down significantly.

There is always a summer slump when it comes to my homebrewing - life gets much busier during the summer months. The weather is warm and there are very few weekends where we aren’t out and about enjoying life with family and friends. It’s much harder to find a free day to dedicate to brewing up some liquid gold.

For me, it’s also difficult brewing during a heatwave, which has pretty much characterized the whole summer so far in New York. I don’t have central air in my apartment and boiling 5 gallons of liquid for an extended period of time really heats things up in here.

The thing I’m excited about that will get me out of the summer slump is an early harvest of the Cascade hops that are growing at my mother in law’s house. This is year 2 for the plants and they are absolutely thriving, so much that an initial harvest is imminent. Fresh hops are the perfect excuse to brew during a heatwave.

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Beer Trivia Question

🍺 What is the number 1 selling craft beer brand in the United States?

Read to the end to find out if you're right!

Brewgr Recipe of the Week

Fruity Pebbles Cream Ale

Looking for a recipe that infuses a childhood enthusiasm? Look no further than this Fruity Pebbles Cream Ale, which has a grain bill that is 9% composed of literal fruity pebbles. If you want to get experimental and make a beer that will delight your family and friends, this is the one.

Credit: billballer13

Poll Results: Have You Been To A Brewery In Another Country?

In the last issue, I discussed a few breweries we visited in Porto, Portugal and posed the question - how many people have been to a brewery in another country? The responses were overwhelming - clearly my wife and I are not the only ones who seek out breweries when we travel.

Just to name a few, readers have been to breweries in the following countries: Britain, Greece, Spain, Croatia, Germany, Tahiti, Austria, Switzerland, Czech Republic, Ireland, Nepal, New Zealand, Iceland, Cook Islands, Sweden, Mexico, Panama, and many more! Didn’t realize this was such a well traveled group - may need a separate segment where we allow readers to submit their favorite travel & beer stories.

And the Answer Is...

🍺 New Belgium. Led by massive expansion in their pervasive IPA, Voodoo Ranger, as well as the classic Fat Tire Amber Ale, New Belgium topped the craft beer charts for 2023.