Lew Bryson
the award-winning, beer-drinking, whiskey-sipping, brewery-visiting, cask-tapping, thirst-creating drinks writer.

Looking for Philly Beer Week event information? 

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Click here for more information about all of 

Lew Bryson's Philly Beer Week events!

Not enough new Lew for you here every day? Click on over to my new blog: Seen Through A Glass. It's updated multiple times per week with fresh beer sassiness, tasting notes, and -- finally -- a chance for you to talk back.

The Brewery Guidebooks

Click 
to 
order 
thru 
Amazon.

Pennsylvania Breweries Update
Get the latest on closings, moves, brewer changes, and new breweries. Updates, 6/6: Voodoo is licensed and brewing; Rivertowne Pourhouse opens on Monday; Hofbräuhaus Pittsburgh still not under construction yet, and Dock Street has a brewer and a brewhouse. 

Click 
to 
purchase 
thru 
Amazon.

VMDDC Breweries Update  
You can also get a sample of the book with these short excerpts, or click on the cover image to order a copy through Amazon. 6/6/07: Rams Head removing their brewhouse; a new brewery coming to Salisbury, MD.

Click 
to 
purchase 
thru 
Amazon.

New York Breweries Updates
Get the latest on closings, moves, brewer changes, and new breweries. 5/25 update: Custom BrewCrafters expands into new facility!

Click 
to 
purchase 
thru 
Amazon.

Michigan Breweries Now Available!
No, I didn't write it, but it's the same format, and Paul Ruschmann was our hand-picked choice to do Michigan Breweries. Buy it now.

Schnitzel's Tavern Tribute Page

Interviews
Check out these interviews with brewers: some very good stuff here, some of it available nowhere else.

Travel Log
Short Snorts: half-pint trips
The Latest: short trips
Formerly Latest: the archives
Major Trips

Other Writing
Book Reviews: My reviews of beer and whiskey books other folks have done.

The launch of Philadelphia Distilling's Bluecoat Gin. Read all about it.

Articles that I've sold that are up on the Web.

Epinions: Epinions is a product review website. I don't write there any more, but I did about 80 beer and whiskey tasting notes there in an effort to regain my writing style. I was pleased with the result, and moved on, but the tasting notes are still pretty good. Well, some of them are.

Okay, the Twelve Days of Christmas are over.  I'm going to put The Twelve Spirited Days of Christmas down here. Think of it as 12 really brief tasting notes on spirits.

Other Passions, 
Other Places
Death to Chain Restaurants!

Lew Loves Pears  

O Canada! We love traveling in Canada, and here are some great Canadian (okay, Ontarian and Quebeçois) travel and beer links.

Canadian Whisky Page  Get hold of the best of Canadian Whisky.

Drinks Links -- My favorite links. Mostly booze-related, but not all. I don't link to just anyone, or link to breweries or distilleries just because I know what the link is. These are good stuff.

Sign the Team Twin Towers petition to say you want the Trade Center rebuilt, and the Manhattan skyline restored... without some architect's folly.

How (and why) I've lost 62 pounds (so far) (Yes, it's honest, & it changes -- gotta get back on the wagon!)
I didn't have to give up great food, beer, or whiskey. You can do it, too. 

The Occasional Pint
is still on hiatus. With as busy as I've been with the blog, it's likely to stay that way till another book comes out. Sorry.

Just a note: This site is changing. Complete overhaul coming up.

If any brewery or brewpub or bar is interested in a signing, tasting, or beer dinner, drop me a line and we'll schedule something.

The 21 Legal Drinking Age is STILL a Mistake. Here's why. New stuff! 9/6: All that talk about New Zealand raising their LDA? Sound and fury, signifying nothing.

The Buzz: A Six-Pack of Thoughts. Six things to thrill and annoy you. 

HammerFall: Perkuno's Hammer lives!  I've added first brewday stuff for the reborn Hammer at the blog.

Farewell to Barley: I've lost my dog, after 14 years. It's a rough transition. 
Update: we got a puppy. Not to replace Barley -- never -- but to fill the dog-sized hole in our family. He's a sweetie. See Penderyn's picture here.

Guest Buzz: Ignorance... My daughter writes on teaching kids about drinking. Hey, Nora got re-printed on Stephen Beaumont's site! Way to go, babe!

The Czech Republic Trip (updated 1/10) -- Part IV of the Czech Republic trip: recent Czech history, a little Semtex in the night, and an explosive finish to the night. Plus more pictures. Take a look.

Radio Lew, Part II: During my last book tour in western PA, I dropped in at the studios of Craft Beer Radio and did an interview with co-host Jeff Bearer. Take a listen.

More Vintage Stuff, (7/8 update) Another old trip report, my first Kentucky Bourbon Festival, back in 1998. All the bourbon you can drink, steamy tents, battery-operated whiskey toys, and a zipper that wouldn't close.

Go Pro: I got a breathalyzer, and for $75, you can too. The CA2000 is FDA-certified, and shirt-pocket small.

Seven Years of Lew! Beverage Business has 8 years of my writing on their Archive page, from 1998 to last month. Some good stuff here, including classics like my malt liquor piece "It Works Every Time," my fabulously wrong predictions about malternatives, and "How to Ruin a Good Beer." (Hey, one piece, a favorite on stupid beer rumors that won't die, is no longer live on the site: you can find that one here.) Do me a favor, will you? If you particularly like one of my Beverage Business pieces, click on the "Contact Us" link and tell my editor. Thanks!

Still working on the microdistilling/home distilling page; more to this than I thought, and I want to get some reasonable stuff on legalities for you.

Radio Lew: I've been doing commentary and interviews on Jim Coleman's A Chef's Table syndicated NPR radio program. I've got instructions on how to listen to archived appearances (on New York Breweries, stout, bourbon, picnic beer choices, and entertaining for the Super Bowl) here. 

If you've never heard of me, here's a quick résumé.

Drinks writing doesn't pay well, involves lousy hours and lots of dull travel, and doesn't get much respect. Here's why I do it.

Brewers and Distillers: If you'd like to send me samples, please check out this advice.