The Don of Beer

The Beer Flowed During The 2025 Oktoberfest, And So Did The Chicken An estimated 6.5 million people attended the world’s most famous beer festival and an estimated 6.5 million liters (1.7 million gallons) of beer was served

Here is my latest for @forbes.com , a fun look at the 2025 Oktoberfest statistics.

www.forbes.com/sites/dontse...

16 Breweries To Visit During Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta Albuquerque is home to the world’s largest hot air balloon festival and many good breweries. New Mexico’s most populous city offers both visual and culinary delights.

Sometimes it's fun to write a roundup of breweries to visit in a particular area - a beer travel guide of sorts. So, here is one about breweries to visit during Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta, the world's largest hot air balloon festival.

www.forbes.com/sites/dontse...

The state of the beer industry. “It’s Rough Out There” - All About Beer What can we learn from positive trends to take beer into the future?

The newest episode of the All About Beer Podcast is here. We talk with two industry analysts about WTF is going on. But it's not all doom and gloom. Strap in, friends. It's a wild ride.

allaboutbeer.com/the-state-of...

In September 2025, I tried 123 new (to me) beers. My top five were:

Black Mad Crawler NEIPA Demory Audacieus
Jester King Urban Mutation Batch #2
Original Pattern Yamagata Rice Lager
Schutzengarten Kaugbier
Sierra Nevada Ruthless Rye Aged In Ruthless Barrels

Meet The Artist Who Paints With Beer Since 2008, Karen Eland has been painting with beer as one of her preferred pigments, taking the occasional sip for inspiration.

I wrote this fun piece for @forbes.com about a cool artist who paints with beer!

www.forbes.com/sites/dontse...

The Most Underappreciated Part of the Oktoberfest Experience - All About Beer The tables are so closely identified with German beer culture, one is tempted to yell “Prost” upon seeing them.

I wrote this fun piece about German beer garden tables for All About Beer Magazine.

Prost!

allaboutbeer.com/biergartens-...

How To Celebrate Oktoberfest Like You’re In Munich For those who can’t make the trip to Munich for the world’s largest beer party, there are ways to celebrate with Oompah in North America.

My latest for @forbes.com is a fun piece about celebrating Oktoberfest in North America.

www.forbes.com/sites/dontse...

AAB 080: How Evaluating Beer Enhances Your Life Podcast Episode · All About Beer · 2025-09-18 · 49m

New podcast episode!!!

In episode 80 of the All About Beer Podcast, we talk with two tasting experts and educators about evaluating beer. Tasting beer is fun and getting better at it enhances your life!

Have a listen!

podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/a...

3BR Distillery in New Jersey Is Giving Peas A Chance Based on a family recipe, 3BR Distillery makes vodka from peas, which has the added benefit of making it the only carbon-neutral distillery in New Jersey.

Here is a short article about a distillery in New Jersey doing something unique and cool: www.forbes.com/sites/dontse...

Should Czech Lager Feature Diacetyl? - All About Beer Petr Kosin, Budvar's Deputy Brewmaster talks about how Budvar goes from Czech ingredients to your local shop.

We interviewed the Deputy Brewmaster from Budvar! He has interesting theories about decoction mashing, whole leaf hops, diacetyl and many other things. Czech this out!

@allaboutbeer.bsky.social

allaboutbeer.com/should-czech...

In August 2025, I tried 84 new (to me) beers. My top five were:

@WeAreBrewsters Railjet Czech Dark Lager
Godspeed Skelpnik
@LindemansBeers Cuvée René Oude Gueuze 2020 Vintage
@SierraNevada Trip In the Woods Rum Barrel-Aged Quad
@VanHenionbrew Leichtbier

#TheDons5

St. George Spirits Made A Whiskey For Sierra Nevada Beer Lovers St. George Spirits is releasing only 750 bottles of Ruthless, a whiskey made from distilled Sierra Nevada Ruthless Rye IPA and aged for almost a decade.

My latest for @forbes.com is about a cool whiskey made by @stgeorgespirits.bsky.social from @sierranevadabeer.bsky.social Ruthless Rye IPA.

www.forbes.com/sites/dontse...

Forbes Forbes is a global media company, focusing on business, investing, technology, entrepreneurship, leadership, and lifestyle.

My latest for @forbes.com is an update on the one-year anniversary of the Estate Whiskey Alliance.

Read it here: www.forbes.com/sites/dontse...

A Deep Dive Into Uncommonly Good Kentucky Common - All About Beer It is similar to cream ale, but features darker color.

In the latest episode of the @allaboutbeer.bsky.social Podcast, we take a deep dive into Kentucky Common. It's a cool regional, historic beer style. Have you had one? Did you like it?

allaboutbeer.com/a-deep-dive-...

There’s Nothing Like a Good, Cold Beer in the Summer - All About Beer What really makes a summer beer fit for summer?

In the latest episode of the @allaboutbeer.bsky.social Podcast, we talk about summer seasonals. What makes them "summer"? Is it just marketing? Or do these beers evoke something special?

Listen here!
allaboutbeer.com/summer-ipa/

My latest for the Brewing Industry Guide published by Craft Beer and Brewing Magazine is about loxless barley. Shorten boil times and extend the shelf life of beer? Sounds great, right?

brewingindustryguide.com/loxless-barl...

In July 2025, I tried 104 new (to me) beers.

My top five were:

6° North Fettercairn Scotch Ale
Ammonite Cuvée Vendange Cassis 2020 Vintage
Antigua Panza Verde New England IPA
I Lupi Bella
Quetzal Pacaya Chocolate Stout

#TheDons5

How A Bourbon Distillery Helped Save A Heritage Corn Variety There were only two cobs left of Jimmy Red corn. High Wire Distilling of Charleston, SC helped revive the variety of tall corn, now prized in the culinary world.

My latest for Forbes.com is a cool story about how a small distillery helped save a heritage corn variety.

www.forbes.com/sites/dontse...

Tasting Whiskey: An Insider's Guide to the Unique Pleasures of the World's Finest Spirits Tasting Whiskey: An Insider's Guide to the Unique Pleasures of the World's Finest Spirits eBook : Bryson, Lew, Wondrich, David: Amazon.ca: Kindle Store

I just noticed that Lew Bryson's book "Tasting Whiskey" is on sale (Kindle edition). If you haven't read this book yet, or want a mobile version for your phone or Kindle, it's a measly $2.99!

in Canada: amzn.to/4kTPoiB
in America: amzn.to/4mjdHaZ

Poured Canada • Winter 2025 • Vol 7, No 3 In this issue: How Canadian distillers are transforming honey into spirits, Icons of the Okanagan, 'Buy Canadian' movement benefiting craft distillers, and more!

I also wrote this profile of the founders of Holyrood Distillery for @PouredCanada.

www.poured.ca/issues/2025/...