Kevin Kain

Oasis…the Peroni of rock bands 😂

Yeah, but even Italians will argue between each other about what the right recipe is.

Sort of surprised it wasn’t already a thing and it makes think of how it’s lager/ale hybrid cousin Cream Ale had/has its darker version in Kentucky Common.

Hulk Hogan in Oktoberfest garb.

Oktoberfest beers are starting to hit shelves. Who’s excited?

Though I’m looking forward to drinking amazing wine in Tuscany and cask ale in Rome in a few weeks, I can’t stop thinking about Ichnusa Non Filtrata. Maybe it’s the heat.

This week’s beery news notes were brought to you by many including @boakandbailey.bsky.social @amethystheels.bsky.social @stanhieronymus.bsky.social @thebeernut.bsky.social @totalcurtis.bsky.social @casketbeer.bsky.social @velkyal.bsky.social and a whole lotta stinking humid heat!

Thanks for sharing!

I’m doing research for a post and I’m kinda stunned by the amount of hand pumps found all over Italy. If you know anything about this, I’d love to hear about it.

I totally get that. It’s just different here. And there are pros and cons. We expect the establishment to serve us an appropriate volume at an appropriate price, and that can fluctuate a little bit. If we’re not satisfied with what they serve, we just don’t patronize them anymore.

Day 1 lesson on the job for a server should convey that foam is your friend.

It doesn’t bother me that bars can use their discretion to serve what they see fit (let the market keep them straight), but getting a beer served in a glass that is commonly associated with a certain measure and it falls short is irritating.

Not regulated here in the US. So, you can sell a glass/beer that people may see and associate with a certain measure, but it’s not. This glass, for example, is probably 14-16 ounces.

“Pint” glass of Guinness at Colony Grill.

This may be beyond ridiculous, but coming from a culture that doesn’t reg service size for beer, I don’t have a strong opinion on that issue. But, to me, certain glass styles suggest a certain measure. I don’t like a “pint glass” that is not a pint. Esp when it’s made in that new textured style. 🤮

Jeff's blog post inspired me to write about how I think that the "Reinheitsgebot" and its effects are deeply misunderstood, making it one of these "romantic facts" that don't really hold up to closer scrutiny.

dafteejit.com/2025/07/why-...

#beerhistory

Thanks for the heads up! I will be investigating 🕵️

What really caught my attention was when I was booking a reservation at a pizza spot in Rome and I saw a hand pump in pictures of the place. That’s when I realized there’s something going on there. There’s easily over a dozen places to get cask beer in Rome alone.

Italian bar, in Germany, selling cask ale? Mamma mia!

I’m heading back to Italy next month and while it will be my fourth time there, I’m just now realizing how many hand pumps there are. I’m kinda shocked. I will definitely have a blog post about about it when I get back.

Modern British Beer book by Matthew Curtis.

Still a valuable and available book, btw:

Pint of Five Points ale being pulled from a hand pump into a conical glass.

Settling pint of cask ale in a Rooster’s conical glass under a dripping swan neck with a black sparkler

Two pints on a bar. One conical glass and one nonic.

A Redwillow branded conical glass on a table.

Some tasty looking pints in conical glasses (or shakers. Or straight glasses) from Modern British Beer:

😂

Modern British Beer Glasses — Casket Beer British beer culture has changed. So has its accompanying glassware. While you may still find a dimple mug or nonic, you're more likely to find a straight glass (shaker), a Willi Becher, or a Teku.

Also, I kinda wrote an article on this a few years ago, which I neglected to remember before. 🤦‍♂️ www.casketbeer.com/home/2021/7/...

All good. And Libbey sure does. I’m just a big Sahm fan.

I’m envisioning an ad for the Tübinger…for the cook. I like it!

I think this is a great minimalist list for if you want to have sets of glassware for guests, but at least one Tübinger for the cook (me) is needed simply because I'm going to break (and have broken) any of those other ones while entertaining, defeating the value of minimalism.

Thank you. And FWIW, I’m not a conical hater. Just…there are better choices IMHO. Also, apologies for the geographical reference. As someone with primarily Irish ancestry, I must do better. 🇮🇪 🍻

I would say for 90% of my at-home beers I use a Willi Becher or a tulip of some kind while the rest of my ridiculous glassware collection scoffs at me from the cupboard.

Same.

🤤