Welcome back to the crypt, boils and ghouls for another fiendish installment of hedonism and horror here at Masters of Brewtality. This month, we’re continuing our proud tradition of having no solid format and jumping straight into something completely different. See, we recently had a few experts in the booze industry down in the squalid depths of the MOB crypt for some strong beers and good conversation. The topic turned to the so-called armchair experts that have begun to plague them at every turn. We empathize with their plight as we, as a crew of specters, freaks, geeks, and other assorted creeps who staff this column, frequently have to deal with entry-level wizards and witches who claim to be in the know thanks to a bevy of Hollywood distortions. What is hurled screaming into the zeitgeist seems to only give the masses enough information to sound credible to the totally ignorant and completely off-base to the experts. It’s obnoxious and pointless across the board and needs to be stopped.
But what can we do to help the situation, you ask? How do we help people become less bombastic while still savoring these things that we all love? The answer is a change of focus. We don’t need to be or sound like experts in everything. One of the earmarks of an advanced society is specialization and that’s absolutely to be celebrated. Let the science of beer be left to the scientists who make the beer and just look at every glass as a work of pure magic, we say. And it is with that spirit in our goopy little minds, we present to you our official Masters of Brewtality Tasting Course So We Don’t Have To Feign Pretentiousness Anymore And Just Enjoy Beer. Or, MOBTCSWDHTFPAAJEB for short. Go ahead, just try to say it out loud. You know you want to. No one will judge.
The spring season brings diverse weather, so it is ideal to have a wide variety of wines on hand. John Vankat tasted more than 100 wines from various grapes for this column, and narrowed down his favorites across a broad range of prices. Read morePine Wine: Wines for spring
Masters of Brewtality reviews a haunted grocery store, a board game haven, gourmet sandwiches, delicious street dogs and a classic sports bar. A night of fun awaits! Read moreMasters of Brewtality's boozy venue voyage
John Vankat's curated list of fine wines across various price ranges, with detailed descriptions and recommendations for Thanksgiving through New Year’s Eve. Read morePine Wine: Wines for sharing and celebrating
Summer is the peak time for outdoor grilling, and the wines recommended here are excellent choices for now and into the fall. Read morePine Wine: Wines for Summer
John Vankat highlights a range of exceptional wines for every budget, providing detailed tasting notes and recommendations. Read morePine Wine: Wines for Spring
Romantic wines express captivating aromas and flavors ideal for celebrating love and are exceptionally pleasing throughout the year. Below are my recommendations across a broad range of grapes… Read moreBy the bottle: Wines for the big day and beyond
Happy holidays, boils and ghouls, this month, the festive freaks and gluttonous geeks down here in the Masters of Brewtality crypt are bringing you the definitive guide to drinking up December… Read moreMasters of Brewtality drinks up December
