From the beer blogs: Hugh Sisson's Clipper City Beer Blog
Happy St. Patrick's day from your designated driver through the beer blogosphere!
Today's stop is a place I'd recommend for anyone looking to learn about beer from the ground up - what it is, how to drink it, how to make it, how to make a living from it - Hugh Sisson's blog on the Clipper City Beer Website.
If you live in Baltimore and don't know Sisson, you're not paying attention. Sisson is ubiquitous in the local beverage community. He was instrumental in getting the state laws changed in the late '80s so that Maryland could have brew pubs. His Sisson's in Federal Hill was the city's first pub brewery. He started Clipper City Brewery in 1994, has headed several brewers' advocacy groups and is co-host, along with Al Spoler, of Cellar Notes, a weekly beer and wine show on WYPR FM.
Among the useful things you can find on the blog is a simple explanation of the difference between lagers and ales; instructions on the proper way to enjoy a beer; suggestions about what to drink and when; and numerous updates on social and business issues that affect craft brewers and their clientelle.
So, now that I've puffed it up, I'm going to toss a dart in Hugh's direction. Unless he's slipped one in during the past few hours, Sisson's blog has been dark since last November.
When I nailed him on it last week, he admitted that blogging has taken a back seat to the many other jobs he's juggling (see above). "I want this to be more than just a commercial for Clipper City and I want this to be more than just a place where the beer geeks go," Sisson said. "It takes about two hours for me to write the essays for the blog. And it's also a time commitment for the reader. I want to make sure if I'm going to put in the time and the readers put in their time, they get something out of it."
Sisson said that he recently hired a marketing assistant who will start in April. When she comes on, he anticipates having more time to devote to the blog. That will be a good thing, because his blog offers a thoughtful insider's perspective on beer and the business of making it.
Comments
Talking to him one on one at his brew tours is also a great way to get info. I've done the tour enough times to know it by heart, but I've found that to get the good info you need to talk to him after the tour.
Posted by: Steve | March 17, 2009 11:21 AM
I agree with Steve. I've taken the tour so many times that I can give it!
Hugh is very imformative and passionate about beer. I've learned a lot from him.
Posted by: Rick | March 18, 2009 8:25 AM
McHenry used to be a good reasonably priced lager that was amongst the best in it's price class. It's a shame the price went up $3 a 6-pack overnight and now it is amongst the most expensive lagers out there. So much for competing with Yuengling and Michelob, and being a slightly more upscale alternative to Natty Boh. Now it's just overpriced. It is a shame -- I thought the idea of providing a good Baltimore all-malt lager at a reasonable price was a winner. I used to enjoy picking it up from time to time, now I don't -- it just isn't priced competitively with the other lagers.
(It's not just Clipper City. I don't think I saw a craft brew last weekend that was under $7.99 a six pack. I spent just under $10 for a six of Clipper City's Holy Sheet, and while the price made me wince, it was soon forgotten.... Steve)
Posted by: John | March 24, 2009 4:37 PM