Generated by All in One SEO v5.0.0.1, this is an llms.txt file, used by LLMs to index the site. # WeirdBeerGirl.com the many and various things Lisa Grimm overthinks ## Sitemaps - [XML Sitemap](https://www.lisagrimm.com/sitemap.xml): Contains all public & indexable URLs for this website. ## Posts - [Weirdo Guide to Dublin Pubs: The Underdog](https://www.lisagrimm.com/2023/02/02/weirdo-guide-to-dublin-pubs-the-underdog/) - Edit: hop over to this more recent post for the entry on the re-reborn Underdog. I broke down and Did The Thing - for this week's Weirdo Guide to Dublin Pubs, I asked ChatGPT about a pub, and here's what it said when I asked it to describe The Underdog: The Underdog is a popular - [Weirdo Guide to Dublin Pubs: Underdog 3.0](https://www.lisagrimm.com/2023/06/22/weirdo-guide-to-dublin-pubs-underdog-3-0/) - And…it's back! Yes, as of this very week, The Underdog has been reborn again, and all 20 taps are now present and accounted for at the top of Capel Street. Happily, the iconic yellow neon sign is also now in place above the door, offering that extra little level of comfort and security. In the - [Weirdo Guide to Dublin Pubs: Cassidys](https://www.lisagrimm.com/2023/06/15/weirdo-guide-to-dublin-pubs-cassidys/) - I must admit, the immediate vicinity of this week's pub is something I typically speed through as quickly as possibly - the visual clutter from its side of Westmoreland Street is not the most inviting vista, featuring, as it does, the National Wax Museum (NATIONAL WAX MUSEUM), lots of plastic major-brand logos, and CCT Dublin's - [We Went to Köln (and Dusseldorf)…](https://www.lisagrimm.com/2026/03/27/we-went-to-koln-and-dusseldorf/) - It's been a quiet start to 2026; no real work travel, a relatively calm slate of youth activities and some miserable weather meant that there had not been many occasions to venture outside beyond our immediate neighbourhood, much less further afield. Happily, though, we finally had the chance to tick Köln off the list of - [2025 Golden Pints (and a Year-end Wrap-up)](https://www.lisagrimm.com/2025/12/22/2025-golden-pints-and-a-year-end-wrap-up/) - 2025 has been something of a wild year, not just in beer, but personally and professionally: lots of travel (mostly, yay!), races run injured (bad idea!), new jobs started and lost (boo!), and a favourite pub closed (sadness!), with the community it created scattered and more than a bit forlorn. But we close out the - [A Visit to Antwerp, and Billie's Craft Beer Fest](https://www.lisagrimm.com/2025/11/17/a-visit-to-antwerp-and-billies-craft-beer-fest/) - Beer festivals aren't to everyone's taste, especially the very large ones. And while there are many similarities to these bigger festivals wherever you go - larger blokes with beards, queues for the hype beers, crowds - there's one way they do things differently in Antwerp. I speak, of course, of cheese and charcuterie. A few - [The Session #149: Pub Food (Pub Food!)](https://www.lisagrimm.com/2025/07/24/the-session-149-pub-food-pub-food/) - Exciting times: I have successfully remembered that #TheSession is happening! We've made it to #149: Pub Food (Pub Food!)* David Jesudason is our genial host this time, and his entry on pizza is an inspired start. I do love a good pub pizza: here in Dublin, we have some excellent options: MeMa's and The Morris - [Up-and-coming Beer Destinations: Copenhagen](https://www.lisagrimm.com/2015/03/05/up-and-coming-beer-destinations-copenhagen/) - This month's Session - or, Beer Blogging Friday - asks us to identify those under-the-radar locations that are about to become the next big thing on the beer scene. This presents an ideal opportunity to finally blog about our trip to Copenhagen in 2013; yes, this blog post is nearly two years late, but better - [The Session #145: The Nuances of Critique in a Small Market](https://www.lisagrimm.com/2025/03/28/the-session-the-nuances-of-critique-in-a-small-market/) - Another entry for The Session - this time, Matthew Curtis has set an interesting challenge for #145. Ireland is, in a word, small. The craft beer industry here is, unsurprisingly, also not large, and because of the size of the market, it is even more difficult for smaller producers to get tap space at most - [Yards Brawler: An Appreciation](https://www.lisagrimm.com/2018/12/07/yards-brawler-an-appreciation/) - It's hard now to cast my mind back and recall when I first became aware of The Session; it was relatively early in my beer blogging 'career' that much is certain - beyond that, seven years ago? Perhaps eight or nine? I do know that back then, I had considerably more time on my hands: - [The Session: Where Are We?](https://www.lisagrimm.com/2020/05/01/the-session-where-are-we/) - It's a fair question. Even if we weren't in the midst of a global pandemic (and, beyond the obvious, the archivist/historian in me gets both very excited about the level of documentation of this 'experience,' as well horrified the thought of what it means for digital preservation librarians of the near-future), it's probably time for - [The Session #120 - Brown Beer, At Home & Abroad](https://www.lisagrimm.com/2017/02/02/the-session-120-brown-beer-at-home-abroad/) - Musings on brown beer - [The Session 129: O Porter, Where Art Thou?](https://www.lisagrimm.com/2017/11/03/the-session-129-o-porter-where-art-thou/) - It's been far too long since I've participated in The Session, but this month was one I couldn't pass up - really, what beer nerd would pass up the chance to pontificate about talk missing local beer styles? Were I still a Pennsylvania resident, I'd have ample opportunity to talk about Pennsylvania Swankey in all - [The Session #144: A Welcome Return](https://www.lisagrimm.com/2025/02/27/the-session-144-a-welcome-return/) - The Session is back! I missed its most recent return last month (I blame holidays) and nearly missed it again (general life stuff), but managed find a brief window to put something together. The question posed is quite a simple one, and thanks to Ray & Jess for the prompt: What’s the best beer you - [Book & Beer Year in Review, 2024](https://www.lisagrimm.com/2024/12/22/book-beer-year-in-review-2024/) - When I began compiling the annual summary, I quickly realized that nearly every trip, whether work-related or extracurricular, had a significant library- or bookshop-related element. Yes, there were a fair few beer-led short holidays, but things of a literary nature also took up space in the diary (and luggage). The first little break away in - [Talking Terror at Gladstone's Library](https://www.lisagrimm.com/2024/12/06/talking-terror-at-gladstones-library/) - In late November, I had the pleasure of traveling to Wales for Talking Terror - two days of MR James scholars, enthusiasts and all-around good folk getting to nerd out over the ghost stories and academic interests of James and his circle. The location was Gladstone's Library in Hawarden, and what a glorious site it - [Newcastle: The Great North Run, and Some Great Little Pubs](https://www.lisagrimm.com/2024/09/13/newcastle-the-great-north-run-and-some-great-little-pubs/) - It had been a while since my last half-marathon, the Great Limerick Run in 2022, so I set a goal this year of signing up for a 'big' half and actually training properly. This was largely inspired by how incredibly painful I found the last bit of the race in Limerick, although it remains my - [Bristol, Bath, Books & Beer](https://www.lisagrimm.com/2024/08/15/bristol-bath-books-beer/) - We recently had the opportunity to take a child-free long weekend, and our destination criteria were simple: a short, direct flight from Dublin, reasonably affordable hotels and access to excellent bookshops; good beer was a bonus. Having previously missed the chance to visit Persephone Books for their anniversary festival earlier in the year, Bath was - [In Praise of the Pale Ale](https://www.lisagrimm.com/2016/07/27/in-praise-of-the-pale-ale/) - We seem to have reached Peak IPA, at least in the US, and while there are certainly many fine IPAs available nationwide, it can be more and more difficult to find other styles, whether at a bar or restaurant that is known for their great beer lineup or at your local dive, which nowadays is likely to have at least one local (or not so local) IPA on tap. Indeed, it can seem that the more ‘curated’ selections are nothing but a mix of high-octane IPAs and whatever variety of ‘sour’ is popular this week. Simply finding a well-crafted beer that is neither a high-ABV hop bomb nor something peculiar – lovely as those are when the mood strikes – can be something of a chore - [[Another] Wildly Subjective 'Best Beers' of 2017](https://www.lisagrimm.com/2017/12/21/another-wildly-subjective-best-beers-of-2017/) - In the Pacific Northwest and elsewhere... - [Manchester: Literary Locations, Libraries and (Some) Libations](https://www.lisagrimm.com/2024/06/20/manchester-literary-locations-libraries-and-some-libations/) - Despite a not-fun health wobble, we managed a quick weekend trip to Manchester recently, for music and literary purposes. As ever when traveling, I have to take a Professional Interest in not just all the unique local bookshops, but in any unusual or historic libraries. And although I spent a lot of time in and - [A Eurovision Pilgrimage, with Beer Side-quests](https://www.lisagrimm.com/2024/06/04/a-eurovision-pilgrimage-with-beer-side-quests/) - At long last, a quick summary of a Eurovision-themed trip to Malmö and Copenhagen, complete with beer side quests - this was rather delayed by life/an unexpected hospital visit/work/some fun travel, but finally, it's ready for your perusal. While I've spent a fair amount of time in Denmark in the past, I'd never had the - [A Long-overdue Return to Sheffield](https://www.lisagrimm.com/2024/03/08/a-long-overdue-return-to-sheffield/) - After a thirty-year absence, I made it back to Sheffield. My last visit was to interview for the University of Sheffield's then-top-ranked PhD program(me) in archaeology, and although they offered me a tempting research opportunity, I opted for the bright lights of London and a master's degree instead…and, alas the powers that be decided that - [Happy New Year: Some Housekeeping](https://www.lisagrimm.com/2024/01/18/happy-new-year-some-housekeeping/) - Welcome to the first post of 2024, and it's a very brief one - I've spun off Weirdo Guide to Dublin Pubs to its own home, and will be posting those stories over there, but there will be new content here as well, just not quite so specific; apologies in advance if I do things - [Beer Year in Review, 2023](https://www.lisagrimm.com/2023/12/28/beer-year-in-review-2023/) - It's that time of year again - the annual round-up of Notable Beers (and some miscellaneous activities) of the Year, 2023 edition. Things didn't kick off in the most auspicious way; I began the year with a layoff from a job I was very much enjoying, so the semi-regular trips to Denmark quickly came to - [Will Travel for Cask (But You Knew That)...](https://www.lisagrimm.com/2023/11/23/will-travel-for-cask-but-you-knew-that/) - It's been a minute, and while we have no new Weirdo Dublin Pub this week, thanks to an epic period of work/kid/theatre/music travel that isn't quite done yet, I did get to indulge in one of my favourite things a lot last week - cask ale! Just, well, not in Dublin. The first bit of - [A Theme for 2023: My Weirdo Guide to Dublin Pubs](https://www.lisagrimm.com/2023/01/09/a-theme-for-2023-my-weirdo-guide-to-dublin-pubs/) - It's a new year, and as I've become wildly undisciplined about writing outside of work, I'm giving myself a prompt for 2023: semi-regularly writing about some of my favourite pubs here in Dublin. Now, there are already several excellent, long-running blogs that focus on the full spectrum of Dublin pubs: Every Pub in Dublin and - [Weirdo Guide to Dublin Pubs: Spring Break](https://www.lisagrimm.com/2023/04/01/weirdo-guide-to-dublin-pubs-spring-break/) - No, no new entry this week, but fear not - the Guinness Enthusiast story is still coming! I'm taking a brief break for the offsprings' Easter holidays, and I'll be doing a bit of travel over to London as part of my NEW JOB (full details to follow in due course for those who are - [Weirdo Guide to Dublin Pubs: The Gravediggers](https://www.lisagrimm.com/2023/10/26/weirdo-guide-to-dublin-pubs-the-gravediggers/) - It had to be done. Although I'm a relatively short walk away, I rarely make it up to The Gravediggers (aka John Kavanagh's), but as it's That Time of Year, it seemed only right and proper. My more usual area haunts (I know) have a few things going for them: they are a bit more - [Weirdo Guide to Dublin Pubs: The Botanic](https://www.lisagrimm.com/2023/10/19/weirdo-guide-to-dublin-pubs-the-botanic/) - We're back to normal Weirdo Dublin Pubs service this week, and we're back in our normal Northside haunts (so seasonal!) with a new entrant to the field: The Botanic. Previously known as The Botanic House, this lovely early-20th-century pub had been dormant for some time, but it's now very much back open, and very much - [Weirdo Guide to (Some) Kilkenny Pubs: A Weekend in the Country](https://www.lisagrimm.com/2023/10/12/weirdo-guide-to-some-kilkenny-pubs-a-weekend-in-the-country/) - We're back in my busy travel time of year, so this week, it's a quick selection of pubs from Kilkenny, rather than anything more local-to-me in Dublin. And I'm sure Kilkenny residents will rightly point out that these are all touristy in one way or another, but hey, you have to at least tick some - [Weirdo Guide to Dublin Pubs: The Brickyard Gastropub](https://www.lisagrimm.com/2023/10/06/weirdo-guide-to-dublin-pubs-the-brickyard-gastropub/) - This week in Weirdo Guide to Dublin Pubs, we're not just crossing the Liffey - we're going Far Away, to the suburbs (though still via public transit - we're not monsters here). While I had been told by many people that The Brickyard was a must-visit, not just for the beer selection but for the - [Weirdo Guide to Dublin Pubs: The Old Spot](https://www.lisagrimm.com/2023/09/28/weirdo-guide-to-dublin-pubs-the-old-spot/) - I had every intention of writing something about the couple of new-to-me bars I had a chance to pop into in New York while I was over for work - Beer Run, for obvious running-nerd/beer-nerd reasons was a standout to me, and I was thrilled to have a few festibiers from around the region (I'm - [Weirdo Guide to Dublin Pubs: The Porterhouse Temple Bar](https://www.lisagrimm.com/2023/09/08/weirdo-guide-to-dublin-pubs-porterhouse-temple-bar/) - They don't have German beer on tap any more. While The Porterhouse has been serving its own beer in Temple Bar since 1996, it used to highlight more overseas craft and traditional beers as well; or, at least, that is how it seems to stick in everyone's memory - 'everyone' here being the group I - [Weirdo Guide to Dublin Pubs: Piper's Corner](https://www.lisagrimm.com/2023/08/30/weirdo-guide-to-dublin-pubs-pipers-corner/) - Piper's Corner is very much a trad bar, and while I end up there not so infrequently, I've oddly never been in when a session is on, despite being something of a folk music nerd. And while at some point I will have to remedy that, I enjoy the pub for a variety of other - [Weirdo Guide to Dublin Pubs: The Palace Bar](https://www.lisagrimm.com/2023/05/25/weirdo-guide-to-dublin-pubs-the-palace-bar/) - I know it's been a minute, but between offspring, work, Eurovision and work travel, I had a lot on, so going out anywhere in Dublin wasn't happening over the past few weeks, though going out in London for delicious cask mild and bitter was a nice bonus of the work travel. On a side note - [Vienna: We Did Not Walk in the Cold Air](https://www.lisagrimm.com/2023/08/23/vienna-we-did-not-walk-in-the-cold-air/) - We'll return to our regularly scheduled Weirdo Dublin Pubs programming next week, but first, some notes on a holiday. Last week, we went to Vienna for the first time, and in between the usual tourist spots like the Spanish Riding School, the Natural History Museum and the Haus der Musik, we managed to grab a - [Weirdo Guide to Dublin Pubs: The Stag's Head](https://www.lisagrimm.com/2023/08/10/weirdo-guide-to-dublin-pubs-the-stags-head/) - Look! We've gone south of the river! It does sometimes happen, if the right opportunity presents itself. And so, to The Stag's Head. While I had been to the pub at some point in the dim and distant past, long before I moved here, it was very much as a tourist. And while it does - [Weirdo Guide to Dublin Pubs: Kimchi Hophouse](https://www.lisagrimm.com/2023/07/28/weirdo-guide-to-dublin-pubs-kimchi-hophouse/) - Is it a pub or a Korean restaurant? Why not both? Indeed, the Kimchi Hophouse is resolutely two things at the same time - a slightly scruffy, traditional Irish pub, and a thriving Korean restaurant, in one slightly-creaky building. The former Shakespeare Pub still bears its previous branding, with the small addition of a small - [Weirdo Guide to Dublin Pubs: Bonobo](https://www.lisagrimm.com/2023/07/13/weirdo-guide-to-dublin-pubs-bonobo/) - While I very much consider Underdog the only 'true' craft beer bar in town, we do have some pubs here in Dublin that reside comfortably in Craftonia, and this week, we're heading to one of those: Bonobo. Bonobo is part of what seems like an ever-growing team of bars with animal-themed names - Caribou in - [Weirdo Guide to Dublin Pubs: The King's Inn](https://www.lisagrimm.com/2023/07/07/weirdo-guide-to-dublin-pubs-the-kings-inn/) - I was busy doing Important Work Stuff in London last week (only time for one half-pint of cask, alas, but at least it was a lovely Sussex Best), but we're back at it with Weirdo Dublin Pubs this week. It would be hard to think of a pub with a more lived-in, traditional interior than - [Weirdo Guide to Dublin Pubs: The Oak](https://www.lisagrimm.com/2023/04/26/weirdo-guide-to-dublin-pubs-the-oak/) - The time has come. Yes, it's the Guinness Enthusiast story, at last! And it takes place at one of my favourite city centre pubs - The Oak. The Oak is a bit of a hidden gem, despite being physically attached to its fellow Galway Bay pub, The Beer Temple (one we'll cover separately in a - [Weirdo Guide to Dublin Pubs: The Beer Temple](https://www.lisagrimm.com/2023/06/08/weirdo-guide-to-dublin-pubs-the-beer-temple/) - This week, we are back to a Galway Bay pub - The Beer Temple. Opened in late 2021, it is the bright, Shiny and Chrome conjoined sibling to The Oak, whose dark wood and deep colours we've discussed previously. Somewhat ironically, as it's very much a Craft Beer with a capital Craft pub, you can - [Weirdo Guide to Dublin Pubs: The Flowing Tide](https://www.lisagrimm.com/2023/06/01/weirdo-guide-to-dublin-pubs-the-flowing-tide/) - We're sticking near the city centre in the series this week, though on the Correct Side of the river, with The Flowing Tide. While likely best known as a theatrical pub - it's right across from the Abbey Theatre, and has been associated with actors, writers and other ne'er-do-wells since the early 20th century - - [Weirdo Guide to Dublin Pubs: Rascals HQ](https://www.lisagrimm.com/2023/05/04/weirdo-guide-to-dublin-pubs-rascals-hq/) - Dublin is not - and this may shock some - a pizza destination. When we first moved, finding halfway-decent delivery pizza was something of a challenge. Granted, as ex-New Yorkers, we are picky; it was probably equally challenging when we lived in Seattle, so perhaps there's some kind of damp weather equals mediocre pizza law - [Weirdo Guide to Dublin Pubs: JR Mahon's](https://www.lisagrimm.com/2023/04/19/weirdo-guide-to-dublin-pubs-jr-mahons/) - I tend to do most of my pub-going on the north side of the Liffey because it's, well, just better over here, and it means I usually avoid most of the more touristy areas of Dublin. However, the city centre is so called for a reason, and it cannot be denied that the south side - [Weirdo Guide to Dublin Pubs: Fidelity](https://www.lisagrimm.com/2023/04/14/weirdo-guide-to-dublin-pubs-fidelity/) - And…we're back! After a brief Easter break, which included starting a new job and a quick trip to London (two not-unrelated activities - although I am mostly remote, my new office is a short stroll from the Bermondsey Beer Mile, and I am not *cough* remotely *cough* mad about that - sorry/not sorry), it's back - [Weirdo Guide to Dublin Pubs: The Black Sheep](https://www.lisagrimm.com/2023/02/09/weirdo-guide-to-dublin-pubs-the-black-sheep/) - As promised last week, we'll be visiting a number of Galway Bay pubs in this series; while one of the things I really enjoy about their various bars is that each has a bit of its own character and style, I'm particularly lucky that one of my favourites happens to be a relatively short walk - [Weirdo Guide to Dublin Pubs: BRÚ House Fairview](https://www.lisagrimm.com/2023/03/23/weirdo-guide-to-dublin-pubs-bru-house-fairview/) - While I do have a few pubs closer to the city centre in the Weirdo Dublin Pubs backlog, this week, we're heading a bit further out to BRÚ House Fairview - (now) a part of the Galway Bay family that's less likely to be intruded upon by tourists and/or the special type of Guinness Enthusiast - [On Sondheim, and 'Big' Craft Beer](https://www.lisagrimm.com/2015/01/09/on-sondheim-and-big-craft-beer/) - The swirl of discussion generated by the recent Boston Magazine article suggesting that Sam Adams and its creator, Jim Koch, have been bypassed by a burgeoning movement within the beer world has been interesting to observe. While there has been more than an element of hipster-bashing (not always unwarranted, but certainly overstated), I'm firmly on - [Weirdo Guide to Dublin Pubs: The Hut](https://www.lisagrimm.com/2023/03/16/weirdo-guide-to-dublin-pubs-the-hut/) - In contrast to last week's visit to The Big Romance, this time, for the week that's in it, as they say here, it seemed appropriate to share a pub that doesn't serve any real craft beer, and isn't much on the tourist trail, but does tick all the boxes for what people from elsewhere - - [Weirdo Guide to Dublin Pubs: The Big Romance](https://www.lisagrimm.com/2023/03/09/weirdo-guide-to-dublin-pubs-the-big-romance/) - This week, we're venturing over to Parnell Street to The Big Romance. This is our first visit to what I would class more as a 'beer bar' vs a 'pub' - whether traditional or otherwise - indeed, on their Instagram, The Big Romance describes itself as 'A vinyl bar with a Hatchett Soundsystem serving craft - [Will the 'Librarification' of DAM Demographics Affect Salaries?](https://www.lisagrimm.com/2015/04/03/will-the-librarification-of-dam-demographics-affect-salaries/) - This year’s always-fascinating and very valuable DAM Foundation Salary Survey came out in February, and there were some interesting – though also, possibly worrying – trends to analyze. First, though, the positives... - [Weirdo Guide to Dublin Pubs: L. Mulligan. Grocer](https://www.lisagrimm.com/2023/03/03/weirdo-guide-to-dublin-pubs-l-mulligan-grocer/) - I have a relatively small list of 'must visit' pubs that I recommend to overseas visitors, but, especially for those who are looking to sample local ingredients, craft beer and unique Irish whiskies, this week's pub is very much in the top portion of that shortlist. My first visit to L. Mulligan. Grocer, back in - [Weirdo Guide to Dublin Pubs: The Back Page](https://www.lisagrimm.com/2023/02/24/weirdo-guide-to-dublin-pubs-the-back-page/) - Yes, we're back in Phibsborough again. I promise we will visit other parts of Dublin, but hey, I like convenience, and, as of this writing, am badly jet-lagged for nerd reasons. This week's pub: The Back Page. In my home country, I have an aversion to most sports bars; they tend to blare sports I - [Weirdo Guide to Dublin Pubs: Juno](https://www.lisagrimm.com/2023/02/15/weirdo-guide-to-dublin-pubs-juno/) - I'll be honest, my expectations were not high. I only had a passing familiarity with The Red Parrot as it was - an awareness of its reputation as an old-man pub, saw it absolutely packed outside on Croke Park game days and had picked up the odd takeaway pint during the no-wet-pubs time, but that - [Weirdo Guide to Dublin Pubs: Doyle's Corner](https://www.lisagrimm.com/2023/01/26/weirdo-guide-to-dublin-pubs-doyles-corner/) - We're heading back to Phibsborough/Phibsboro this week, with a visit to Doyle's Corner. Dublin pubs - and, to be fair, other businesses - have a habit of lending their names to road conjunctions. In the case of Doyle's Corner, this has happened twice: originally known as Dunphy's Corner from the 1870s, with the requisite Joycean - [Weirdo Guide to Dublin Pubs: The Cat & Cage](https://www.lisagrimm.com/2023/01/17/weirdo-guide-to-dublin-pubs-the-cat-cage/) - The sign outside The Cat & Cage declares that it has been trading here since 1690; its website repeats this assertion, though footage of the pub from the 1960s gives the founding date as 1750. While I am typically not inclined to take the 'ancient' claims of most Dublin pubs at face value, I'm more - [Weirdo Guide to Dublin Pubs: The Bald Eagle](https://www.lisagrimm.com/2023/01/11/weirdo-guide-to-dublin-pubs-the-bald-eagle/) - It's time for the first instalment of my Weirdo Guide to Dublin Pubs. You guessed I'd start off with my own local, right? While *technically* I have several other pubs within much easier strolling/stumbling distance, one of the many benefits of city living to someone like me who is essentially incapable of living anywhere non-urban, - [Top 15 Beers of 2022](https://www.lisagrimm.com/2022/12/26/top-15-beers-of-2022/) - This is nothing like as long-winded as my annual wrap-up; instead, a short-and-sweet list of my favourite beers of 2022, and what made them stand out. While some were simply objectively well-made beers, for others, it was about the people, places and experiences they accompanied that made them stand out. Without further ado, my top - [Annual 2022 Year in Beer (and Life), Part 4](https://www.lisagrimm.com/2022/12/23/annual-2022-year-in-beer-and-life-part-4/) - Welcome back to the fourth and final part of a very wordy annual review. I know, Oktoberfest should be in September, but the one in Dead Centre happened in early October, and good fun it was, too. Fellow Beer Lady Katie and I made the trip to Athlone, where we recorded an interview with the - [Annual 2022 Year in Beer (and Life), Part 3](https://www.lisagrimm.com/2022/12/22/annual-2022-year-in-beer-and-life-part-3/) - Welcome back to Part 3 of what would be an even-more-unnecessarily-long post than usual. You are in luck - this part has cats. We kicked off July with the arrival of our new kitten, Ruby (the object of my side trip to Salisbury from last time) - and she brought the heat with her. It - [Annual 2022 Year in Beer (and Life), Part 1](https://www.lisagrimm.com/2022/12/20/annual-2022-year-in-beer-and-life-part-1/) - At long last, it's time for the annual beer-y wrap-up, this time with some actual context thrown in for the casual reader. Out of consideration for your valuable time (and, let's be real, because I haven't had time to edit everything properly in one go), it will be broken up into multiple entries. We moved - [Annual 2022 Year in Beer (and Life), Part 2](https://www.lisagrimm.com/2022/12/21/annual-2022-year-in-beer-and-life-part-2/) - Welcome back (or, if you've joined in media res, simply welcome) to the second part of a beer-y and life-y roundup of 2022. In April, we discovered that our little beer podcast not only had listeners, but they had voted for us to be included in a card game, which is a very specific kind - [A Belfast Beer Break](https://www.lisagrimm.com/2022/08/25/a-belfast-beer-break/) - After nearly two and a half years of living in Dublin, we finally had the chance to take the train up to Belfast. We had been told that it was a magical city full of cask ale (OK, I confess, that’s a slight exaggeration – we were told we could find some without looking around - [Hagstravaganza 2022](https://www.lisagrimm.com/2022/08/10/hagstravaganza-2022/) - Another beer festival, just weeks after the first in years? Yes, indeed! We’ve previously participated in Hagstravaganza via their virtual/at-home Boxtravaganza option, but being in person is a very different beast, in all the best ways. Well, most of the best ways – there were so many people to catch up with and so many - [A Beer Festival? In *This* Economy?](https://www.lisagrimm.com/2022/07/19/a-beer-festival-in-this-economy/) - After the better part of two years of anticipation, Fidelity, the Dublin beer festival brought to us by Whiplash Beer and their sister bar, The Big Romance, finally happened! The last beer festival I attended was not just in the Before Times, but was in our previous city and country: Seattle’s annual Women in Beer - [London: Cask, Cake, Cabaret & Cats](https://www.lisagrimm.com/2022/06/29/london-cask-cake-cabaret-cats/) - As I’ve already mentioned the top-notch work stuff from my London trip, it’s on to the fun stuff – cask ale, book shopping, prehistory and theatre. Beer Twitter did not steer me wrong when it came to pubs near my hotel; although I have lived in and/or spent considerable time in much of north London, - [Henry Stewart DAM Europe 2022: Thoughts](https://www.lisagrimm.com/2022/06/27/henry-stewart-dam-europe-2022-thoughts/) - At long last, London! Finally, the DAM community was back together in person for the first time since 2019, and it was a much-needed meetup. While some things never change - for example, do we still need to talk about metadata all the time? Answer: absolutely - other themes at this year's Henry Stewart DAM - [Out & About in Odense](https://www.lisagrimm.com/2022/04/13/out-about-in-odense/) - (Occasional) business travel is BACK – at least, for me – and with it, a little bit of beer travel on the side. I am fortunate enough to have not just an exciting new role, but one that’s based in one of my favourite countries to visit: Denmark. While I primarily work at home in - [Musings on the Inevitable(?) Resurrection & Generification of IPA](https://www.lisagrimm.com/2022/01/18/musings-on-the-inevitable-resurrection-generification-of-ipa/) - While Beer Twitter occasionally likes to lament that ‘IPA’ has become something of a generic for ‘craft beer’ (whatever that might mean), I’ve been mulling over how we got here. Not so very long ago, IPAs barely registered a blip on the beer radar, even for old-school nerds. My early memories of ‘microbrew’ – and - [Annual Year-end Beer-y Round-up, Much-hyphenated 2021 Edition](https://www.lisagrimm.com/2021/12/19/annual-year-end-beer-y-round-up-much-hyphenated-2021-edition/) - It’s that time again - the always somewhat free-form wrap-up of my favourite(u)rite beers of the year. But rather than a properly ranked top 20, it’s going to be (sort of) grouped by brewery, as for a few of them, the hits just keep coming. Lough Gill Brewery Five Candles, ESB, 5% I love a - [Hop-picking at Ballykilcavan](https://www.lisagrimm.com/2021/10/19/hop-picking-at-ballykilcavan/) - This is very much a ‘late’ report, but only now, some weeks after the event, have I managed to scrounge any free time to write up some notes on what a delightful time we had going out to Ballykilcavan to help out with their hop picking effort. But first, some context for those outside Ireland - [Brewery Tours Are Back!](https://www.lisagrimm.com/2021/10/05/brewery-tours-are-back/) - I tried to recall my first brewery tour, and, although the memories are hazy – not, I should point out, for any drink-related reason – I think it must have been the Anheuser-Busch tour in my non-beloved hometown of St. Louis, back in the early 1990s. I had no particular interest in beer at that - [Strange Times in Stout-land](https://www.lisagrimm.com/2021/09/13/strange-times-in-stout-land/) - It seems to be New Megacorporation Stout Season here in Ireland, with Heineken recently releasing Island’s Edge, and Guinness rolling out their new Guinness 0.0. Island’s Edge has been expressly positioned as a stout for people who don’t typically drink stout, and to that end, it includes tea and basil in the recipe to make - [We Went to Limerick! Crew Brewing Company](https://www.lisagrimm.com/2021/08/30/we-went-to-limerick-crew-brewing-company/) - Yes, it's true - we managed to get together for what looks like an annual Ladies Craft Beer Society of Ireland* long weekend Outside Dublin. We split up into two groups and made our respective ways to Limerick via car; while it's theoretically possible to get to many places in Ireland via public transit, we - [We Left Dublin!](https://www.lisagrimm.com/2021/08/10/we-left-dublin/) - Well, for a long weekend, that is. We had planned a trip to Cork last year, but it had to be cancelled when the second lockdown began, so it was very much an overdue visit. For those keeping score at home, we moved to Dublin in February of 2020, and, of course, Things Happened, so - [A Trip to Western Herd (and Some Lovely Horses)](https://www.lisagrimm.com/2021/09/03/a-trip-to-western-herd-and-some-lovely-horses/) - The Ladies Craft Beer Society weekend fun didn't end in Limerick, though it's fair to say we could have all used more sleep. We were rejuvenated by a trip to the Milk Market and its great variety of food options; it deserves especially high marks for the selection of cheeses as well as baked goods, - [Brown Is the Colo(u)r...](https://www.lisagrimm.com/2021/04/23/brown-is-the-colour/) - The most recent Irish Beer Snob podcast, featuring Brian from Craic Beer Community, included not just a shout-out to our little podcast (cheers, lads! - obviously, 'lads' is gender-neutral here - Janice is very much a part of this picture), but also a discussion about how they’re Quite Serious about wanting to see more brown - [A Little Psychogeography for Flagship February](https://www.lisagrimm.com/2021/02/26/a-little-psychogeography-for-flagship-february/) - Come for the pretentious title, stay for the opportunity to praise some fantastic - and thoroughly unpretentious - Irish beers. It’s our second February in Ireland, and we’ve now been around long enough to determine some favourite local breweries (all without leaving leaving the house). I know I sound like a broken record, but I - [Beers for a Tenner](https://www.lisagrimm.com/2021/01/15/beers-for-a-tenner/) - here’s a quick post to that ties to this week’s Beer Ladies Podcast, where we discussed beers on a budget and hangover cures, both real (?) and spurious. The brief for the cheap(er) beer was to see what we could find for under €10... - [Annual Beer-y Roundup, 2020 Edition: Highlights](https://www.lisagrimm.com/2020/12/29/annual-beer-y-roundup-2020-edition-highlights/) - You've skipped the longer 2020 summary narrative (fair enough) or arrived here after slogging through it, so well done. And, really, well done in any case for making it through 2020. Without further ado, and in no particular order, here are my favo(u)rite beer and whiskey discoveries of the year. The Breweries Hope Beer I - [Annual Beer-y Roundup, 2020 Edition: Preamble](https://www.lisagrimm.com/2020/12/29/annual-beer-y-roundup-2020-edition-preamble/) - It would probably be more accurate to include 'whiskey' somewhere in the title as well, since the various lockdowns here in Ireland have had the useful side effect of introducing me to many interesting whiskeys as well as beer through numerous virtual tastings. But before we dive in to an (almost) entirely non-hierarchical 'favo(u)rites of - [Beer-y Anniversaries and Pandemic Musings](https://www.lisagrimm.com/2020/10/29/beer-y-anniversaries-and-pandemic-musings/) - a visitor. I'd landed my new job in August 2019, and as we knew we would be moving to Ireland for said role when all our paperwork was sorted out, so this trip was a combination of local work meetings and advance neighbourhood reconnaissance. - [Back at the Pub](https://www.lisagrimm.com/2020/06/30/back-at-the-pub/) - So, what was it like? Irish pubs were allowed to re-open, with COVID-19 precautions in place, on 29th July – and we were very much there. I’ll confess - [2019's Completely Subjective Favorite Beers List](https://www.lisagrimm.com/2019/12/31/2019s-completely-subjective-favorite-beers-list/) - I spent much of 2019 on planes, which was both lovely and exhausting; perhaps, in response, some of my favorite beers of 2019 were very straightforward, perfectly-brewed 'basics' - there's a lot of pale ale: Flying Bike Tangled Webb English Amber, 5% Flying Bike is our local co-operative brewery, and, full disclosure, my charming - [A Tardy Decade Wrap-up of Travel, Beer, Running, Etc.](https://www.lisagrimm.com/2020/01/04/a-tardy-decade-wrap-up-of-travel-beer-running-etc/) - As ever, I’m very much late to the party, but I did finally get around to looking back at my last 10 years of beer and travel. Apparently, I drink a lot of pale ales, porters and black IPAs when left to my own devices. And weirdly, as a runner, I keep getting faster and - [Beer Travels: Kennett Brewing Company](https://www.lisagrimm.com/2019/09/23/beer-travels-kennett-brewing-company/) - It's been nearly four years since we moved to Seattle (with our next move on the horizon), and in that time, there have been some fine additions to the brewing scene in our old Pennsylvania stomping grounds. While we had been to the Kennett Square outpost of Victory Brewing Company before, our most recent trip was our first opportunity to try Kennett Brewing Company, and they are a very welcome addition indeed, both on the beer and atmosphere fronts. - [Beer Travels: Noble Ale Works](https://www.lisagrimm.com/2019/08/12/beer-travels-noble-ale-works/) - We’ve had the good fortune to find ourselves in Southern California relatively frequently over the past several years, and have discovered a few local favorites when we’re in the area - Three Weavers, Karl Strauss and Noble Ale Works. We had the opportunity to get to Three Weavers earlier in the year, and, more recently, - [Oga's Cantina in Galaxy's Edge](https://www.lisagrimm.com/2019/07/29/ogas-cantina-in-galaxys-edge/) - Reader, I loved it. Yes, it was crowded, even with the required reservations, but the atmosphere in Oga's Cantina is pure Star Wars, which, for me, is pure bliss, with the added bonus chuckle that those who wring their hands over KIDS IN BREWPUBS will find them standing at the bar here; they may not - [My Brilliant Amazon Career, By The Numbers](https://www.lisagrimm.com/2019/07/25/my-brilliant-amazon-career-by-the-numbers/) - What was working at AWS and, later, Amazon's mothership in Seattle like, you ask? As with any time at a huge corporation, especially one for which you relocated yourself and your family*, it's complicated, but if you're looking for pure metrics, which would be very Amazonian of you, have at it. Presented without (much) further - [Annual Entirely Subjective Beer Roundup, 2018 Edition](https://www.lisagrimm.com/2018/12/24/annual-entirely-subjective-beer-roundup-2018-edition/) - The year is not quite over – we still have our holiday trip back to Philadelphia coming up, which means I will get to have some of my beloved Brawler (fresh, no less), and perhaps some Tired Hands joy - but I did have quite a few beers that stood out this year (spoiler alert: - [Hawaii: Oahu Beer Options - Waikiki and Beyond](https://www.lisagrimm.com/2018/08/13/hawaii-oahu-beer-options-waikiki-and-beyond/) - Thanks to advantageous flight and Airbnb pricing because of the still-erupting volcano several islands away, we recently made our second trip to Hawaii. While we also went back to Disney Aulani, because the pull of The Mouse (and included babysitting) is strong, we spent some time in (suddenly-affordable) Waikiki, and got to know a bit - [We Wants It, Precious: Real and Manufactured Scarcity in Craft Beer, 1992-2012](https://www.lisagrimm.com/2018/05/24/we-wants-it-precious-real-and-manufactured-scarcity-in-craft-beer-1992-2012/) - I’ll confess: I'm fully aware that’s a ludicrous title, but it’s absolutely what I’d use if I were to write a slightly overwrought academic monograph on the subject. We’ve arrived here because I kept intending to write something about beer and ‘authenticity,’ but that was too pretentious even for an overloaded title like the one - [Disney Aulani: Water, Entertainment & Spa Delight](https://www.lisagrimm.com/2018/05/07/disney-aulani-water-entertainment-spa-delight/) - Welcome back to the final installment of our Disney Aulani musings and protips. Today's wholly-unsolicited-but-largely-positive thoughts are on the pools, beach, entertainment and (amazing) spa. Dive in. Pools & Beach The pools and hot tubs at Aulani are set around the ‘volcano’ in the center of the resort; the volcano in question houses two waterslides - [Disney Aulani: Aunty's Beach House, Tech & Merchandise](https://www.lisagrimm.com/2018/04/30/disney-aulani-auntys-beach-house-tech-merchandise/) - Welcome back to another batch of unsolicited Disney Aulani protips and suggestions. We last reviewed (mostly) food and drink, but today is where we really get into the Disney 'tribal knowledge' end of things - knowing When to Line Up and What to Buy. Aunty’s Beach House Aunty’s Beach House is the kids’ club - [Disney Aulani: Getting There, Eating & Drinking There](https://www.lisagrimm.com/2018/04/24/disney-aulani-getting-there-eating-drinking-there/) - We’ve just returned from a much-needed (if barely-planned) trip to Aulani, Disney’s Hawaiian resort. Although we’re relatively recent coverts to the Disney vacation lifestyle, having a bit of Disney-specific knowledge helps make the vacation even more stress-free and relaxing for the whole family. In that spirit, I offer more than a few entirely unsolicited protips - [Beer Places: ChurchKey, Washington, DC](https://www.lisagrimm.com/2010/08/24/beer-places-churchkey-washington-dc/) - After previous highly-successful visits to their sister restaurant, Rustico, in Alexandria, VA, we finally managed to fit in a visit to ChurchKey, which opened last year to great acclaim.  Unlike some revered beer destinations that don’t quite live up to perhaps unrealistic hype, ChurchKey exceeded all expectations. The interior is laid-back in design, yet sleek, - [You Should Try This: The New York Distilling Company](https://www.lisagrimm.com/2012/01/27/you-should-try-this-the-new-york-distilling-company/) - Over the holidays, we had the opportunity to get a behind-the-scenes tour of the New York Distilling Company - [A Very Brief British Beer Round-up](https://www.lisagrimm.com/2012/08/30/a-very-brief-british-beer-round-up/) - While on our recent trip to the UK we did the usual touristy things – took in a play the Globe as groundlings, went dowsing at Avebury, flew the TARDIS (well, one of us did, and yes, it was bigger on the inside) – we also kept a watchful eye out for interesting (mostly) cask - [Portland Flights of Fancy (and Beer, and Tea)](https://www.lisagrimm.com/2017/06/01/portland-flights-of-fancy-and-beer-and-tea/) - Portland beer, spirits, tea, ice cream and more - [What Does a Beer Festival Look Like, Anyway?](https://www.lisagrimm.com/2017/09/28/what-does-a-beer-festival-look-like-anyway/) - I’ve been overthinking beer festivals lately; mulling over the idea of developing a taxonomy of beer events, then abandoning the idea as Not Useful. But some questions stick in my mind: when is a beer festival a ‘festival’ and when is it an ‘event’ (in the ‘Facebook event’ sense)? - [More Beer & Tea: Victoria, BC](https://www.lisagrimm.com/2017/12/01/more-beer-tea-victoria-bc/) - Victoria, BC, has a bit of a reputation for being ‘more English than England,’ and we put this reputation to the test on our most recent trip across the border. - [London (Beer) Loves](https://www.lisagrimm.com/2018/01/04/896/) - The jet lag may still be lingering, but getting back to London is always worth it. While much has changed since I first moved there in the 1990s – most notably, that everything is so clean, which was absolutely not a feature of so-called Britpop London – it was lovely to see some of my - [Beer, Tech & Institutional Memory](https://www.lisagrimm.com/2018/03/20/beer-tech-institutional-memory/) - Tech and brewing have the same problem. No, it’s not sexism or a general lack of diversity (though there’s plenty of both, in both) – it’s the near-total absence of historic and digital preservation. As an ex-archivist, this has long irked me, and it’s striking how similar many of the barriers are in two... - [Hyperlocal Seattle Beer: The Shambles](https://www.lisagrimm.com/2018/02/06/hyperlocal-seattle-beer-the-shambles/) - After a long period of construction and, one presumes, permit and license application bureaucracy, The Shambles finally opened a few weeks ago, just a short walk from my house. Although it was initially disappointing for us that it wasn’t going to be an all-ages venue - the state of Washington has very peculiar square-footage requirements - [A Tech/Humanities Peanut Butter Cup](https://www.lisagrimm.com/2017/08/11/a-techhumanities-peanut-butter-cup/) - "Hey, you got your peanut butter in my chocolate!" "You got your chocolate in my peanut butter!" What does a vintage candy commercial have to do with tech employment? Plenty. A recent Forbes article described the hot new trend of tech companies hiring newly-minted holders of liberal arts degrees. In my 20+ years of experience, - [Stonehenge, Shoes & Shared Workplace Experiences](https://www.lisagrimm.com/2017/06/28/stonehenge-shoes-shared-workplace-experiences/) - I recently had the good fortune to geek out on corporate culture with the wonderful people of Zappos (full disclosure, we are ‘cousins’ within the Amazon ecosystem, though I include my usual ‘Not Speaking for AWS’ disclaimer here), and while they had a full spectrum of fascinating, positive things about their culture to latch onto, - [Why Your Tech Company Needs an Archaeologist to Fix Your Corporate Culture](https://www.lisagrimm.com/2017/04/24/why-your-tech-company-needs-an-archaeologist-to-fix-your-corporate-culture/) - It’s been difficult to miss stories of tech and startup culture fails of late, whether it’s Uber or Thinx, and there have been many excellent suggestions on how to improve diversity and the employee experience, but I’ll throw another one into the mix: hire an archaeologist*. No, it’s not a joke, though I fully admit - [An Unabashedly Subjective ‘Best’ Beers of 2016](https://www.lisagrimm.com/2016/12/22/an-unabashedly-subjective-best-beers-of-2016/) - We’ve been in Seattle for just over a year now, and I’m finally beginning to develop a consistent list of favorite local breweries and beers, though I continue to discover new (or new-to-me) options on a regular basis. I’ve also been fortunate enough to have a fair amount of travel this year – mostly for work, but with some fun family trips thrown in as well – and while it is certainly possible to find mediocre IPAs across the globe, there are some real gems as well. - [#GHC16, Avoiding Gatekeeping and Expanding Opportunities for Women in Tech](https://www.lisagrimm.com/2016/10/25/ghc16-avoiding-gatekeeping-and-expanding-opportunities-for-women-in-tech/) - After years of following along on Twitter, not to mention 20 years simply existing as a woman in tech, I finally made it to my first Grace Hopper Celebration of Women in Computing in Houston (#GHC16 for you Twitter nerds) this year. And on the whole, it was a fabulous event — great keynote speakers, especially Dr. - [On the (Hamil)Tonys](https://www.lisagrimm.com/2016/06/10/on-the-hamiltonys/) - The (Hamil)Tonys are fast approaching, and this year promises to be an especially spectacular edition, not just because of the Hamilton juggernaut, but because of the diverse range of talent on display across all the nominated shows – can you imagine another Tonys year in which there was so much quality that the always-brilliant Audra - [DAMNY 2016: All the Thoughts](https://www.lisagrimm.com/2016/05/06/damny-2016-all-the-thoughts/) - Another DAMNY is in the books, and once again, there were a few too many thought-provoking sessions than one could attend without bilocating, but to my mind, that is the sign of a healthy conference agenda and a maturing field. While there were still discussions on choosing the right DAM and making the vendor-vs-roll-your-own decision - [A Many Years Ago, When I Was Young and Charming...](https://www.lisagrimm.com/2016/01/27/a-many-years-ago-when-i-was-young-and-charming/) - Twenty years ago this month, I landed my first tech job, quite by chance – and fell headfirst into a career I neither planned for nor expected, yet here I am, two decades later, enjoying my standing desk in a gleaming tower. The setting for this serendipitous accident was London, and London in January of - [The Dogfish Dash at 10: An Appreciation](https://www.lisagrimm.com/2015/09/10/the-dogfish-dash-at-10-an-appreciation/) - September for the beer nerd may herald the welcome return of fresh festbiers and pumpkin beers (presuming you weren’t already tripping over them... - [The Craft Beer Cycle, Bookended by HMHB and Gilbert & Sullivan](https://www.lisagrimm.com/2015/07/24/the-craft-beer-cycle-bookended-by-hmhb-and-gilbert-sullivan/) - I’ve been to a post-punk postcard fair, in my Joy Division oven gloves – Half Man Half Biscuit, 2005 Throughout college and grad school, it seemed everything was post-something. As a student of archaeology, that meant for me, largely post-structuralist, post-feminist, post-processural and the like; fast-forward 20 years, and Jeff Pickthall muses about whether he - [Excavating (My Own) Websites Past](https://www.lisagrimm.com/2015/05/04/excavating-my-own-websites-past/) - I fondly recall my very first URL – it wasn’t a GeoCities site, though that would follow along in due course – but just the few KB (indeed) of web space every postgrad student was allotted by the Institute of Archaeology, University College London. Unfortunately, there’s no trace of the content now, though the URL - [In Which I Take Terrible Photos of Interesting Programs](https://www.lisagrimm.com/2015/03/15/in-which-i-take-terrible-photos-of-interesting-programs/) - All sorts of things might make a post, and this certainly qualifies in that regard. Throughout the 1950s and 1960s, my dad spent a lot of time in New York as part of his long career with 7Up. When I was a small child in the 1970s and '80s, I enjoyed going through his collection - [What’s Holding DAM Back: Musings](https://www.lisagrimm.com/2015/02/20/whats-holding-dam-back-musings/) - Having read and considered the three recent articles on the lack of innovation in the digital asset management space, I can only agree that there are certainly issues with... - [Stuck in the Middle: On Being Neither an Abused, Nor Ultra-elite, Woman in Tech](https://www.lisagrimm.com/2015/02/11/stuck-in-the-middle-on-being-neither-an-abused-nor-ultra-elite-woman-in-tech/) - This post also appeared on Medium. A bit of background is in order: I fell into my first coding job in 1996. I was meant to be working on my MA in archaeology in London, but I discovered that HTML, even back in those days before tables, offered a sense of instant gratification that is - [The Digital History Department Facebook Didn’t Know It Needed](https://www.lisagrimm.com/2015/01/12/the-digital-history-department-facebook-didnt-know-it-needed/) - Although I presume Facebook is aware that they can further enhance the value of the content users share - photos, documents, videos and a huge amount of text - with consistent metadata and semantic linking, the opportunity exists to document, preserve and curate what must be the world’s largest corpus of modern social history material. - [Best Beers of 2013](https://www.lisagrimm.com/2013/12/26/best-beers-of-2013/) - There's a little bit of everything this year - lots of local beer, and for many of the non-local ones, I got to enjoy them reasonably close to their sources, both at home and abroad. In roughly chronological order, please enjoy this year's top 10: Mrs. Pigman, Tired Hands Brewing Company, Imperial / Double IPA, - [Book Review: D.G. Yuengling & Son, Inc.](https://www.lisagrimm.com/2013/12/23/book-review-d-g-yuengling-son-inc/) - The good people at Arcadia Publishing sent me a copy of one of the newest additions to their Images of America series, and a very interesting one it is indeed. D.G. Yuengling & Son, Inc., by Robert A. Musson, MD, covers the family brewery from its 1829 origin as the Eagle Brewery to its current - [Barren Hill Tavern - Opening Tap List](https://www.lisagrimm.com/2013/11/07/barren-hill-tavern-opeing-tap-list/) - While in general I like to avoid just putting up the press release, time and the occasion sometimes warrant it. It's been a long time coming, but it's finally time for Barren Hill Tavern and Brewery to open its doors to the public. The former General Lafayette Inn lives again at last, and with a - [Beer Events: Dogfish Dash 2013](https://www.lisagrimm.com/2013/10/01/beer-events-dogfish-dash-2013/) - While I don't necessarily improve my time year after year, the Dogfish Dash does, indeed, get better and better. Thinking back to my first (and the second overall) Dogfish Dash back in 2008, it's worth marveling at how the race has evolved. Back then, it seemed there were only a few hundred runners, and one - [The General Lafayette Inn to Barren Hill Tavern Transition is Official!](https://www.lisagrimm.com/2013/05/16/the-general-lafayette-inn-to-barren-hill-tavern-transition-is-official/) - It was already good news to hear that the brains behind Devil's Den and Old Eagle Tavern - owner Erin Wallace and her team - were aiming to revive the too-long-vacant General Lafayette Inn & Brewery. But today, the reports got even better - not only is the ownership of the site done and dusted, - [Finally, Some General Lafayette Inn News](https://www.lisagrimm.com/2013/03/07/finally-some-general-lafayette-inn-news/) - At long last, there's some official news about the General Lafayette Inn; it is to be reborn as the Barren Hill Tavern, under the able ownership of the crew behind Devil's Den. There will be house-brewed beers again (huzzah!) and one hopes that it will once more become a regular host for beer-centric events - - [The General Lafayette Inn: Resurrection Required](https://www.lisagrimm.com/2011/02/07/the-general-lafayette-inn-resurrection-required/) - Update (August 16, 2011): The sheriff's sale is scheduled. As was reported last week, the General Lafayette Inn is still on the block -- the original sale fell through, and it remains on the market for $1.8 million. While the location, although handy in the 18th century and through the streetcar era, leaves much to - [An Update: Want to Buy the General Lafayette Inn? ](https://www.lisagrimm.com/2011/08/16/an-update-want-to-buy-the-general-lafayette-inn/) - The fate of the General Lafayette Inn seems to be of ongoing interest to beer drinkers and potential business owners far and wide - our previous post on the topic is constantly receiving heavy search traffic and many return visits.  And if you are one of those looking to re-open the bar, your chance has - [Got $1.25 Million for the General Lafayette Inn?](https://www.lisagrimm.com/2012/10/04/got-1-25-million-for-the-general-lafayette-inn/) - Yes, your favorite defunct colonial brewpub, the General Lafayette Inn, is still on the market, but at least now there's a real estate listing to encourage potential buyers. It took a bit of digging to find it, though an ad in the print version of Mid-Atlantic Brewing News pointed the way to the firm attempting - [Best Beers and Suchlike of 2012](https://www.lisagrimm.com/2012/12/28/best-beers-and-suchlike-of-2012/) - I was lucky enough to try a lot of new and interesting things this year, and having an amazing brewery open up just a short walk away has been especially lovely (but more on Tired Hands in a moment). My highlights this year cover a range of styles, but as always, I have a soft - [Beer Events: Dogfish Dash 2011](https://www.lisagrimm.com/2011/09/27/beer-events-dogfish-dash-2011/) - Another year, another Dogfish Dash – and another PR. This marked my fourth (and fastest) time competing in the event; it’s easy to stay motivated mid-race when you know that a good finish will ensure a shorter line for great beer (even if the hill at the end of the course seems steeper than it - [Halloween Music & Beer Pairing](https://www.lisagrimm.com/2011/10/27/halloween-music-beer-pairing/) - There are a number of great beers that seem made for Halloween – Wychwood Hobgoblin, The Lost Abbey’s Witch’s Wit or just about anything... - [Beer Review: Tommyknocker Hop Strike!](https://www.lisagrimm.com/2010/08/19/beer-review-tommyknocker-hop-strike/) - While Ninkasi's Spring Reign and Black Raven's Tamerlame were both fabulous, this entry from Colorado's Tommyknocker Brewery is now also a serious contender for my favorite new (or at least 'new to me') beer this year. I won't go through the entire BJCP checklist (aroma, appearance, etc.), I will say that it's got a particularly - […Said George Pal to his Bride](https://www.lisagrimm.com/2011/08/12/…said-george-pal-to-his-bride/) - Finally, two of my favorite activities are coming together, not unlike an existential Reese's Peanut Butter Cup: a festival celebrating local beer is being held at the racetrack. The brains behind Philly Beer Week and TrackPackPA, the quite-entertaining people who have been working hard to raise the profile of Pennsylvania horse racing, are holding the - [A Musical Update](https://www.lisagrimm.com/2009/02/20/a-musical-update/) - In honor of our new design, I'm posting a hopefully-comprehensive if rather sad list of every band, artist and/or comedian I've ever seen live (not including theatrical appearances - that would be an entirely separate and altogether too-geeky list). Without further ado, the music/comedy list - an asterisk indicates multiple shows for each artist in - [Beer Events: Project Venus](https://www.lisagrimm.com/2011/05/18/beer-events-project-venus/) - While American Craft Beer Week may not get people as motivated around these parts as Philly Beer Week, Victory Brewing Company chose this week to host their first all-women event: Girls Just Wanna Have Suds, featuring the female-brewed collaboration beer, Project Venus.  At the appointed hour, the brewpub's back room was quite full – there's - [Handy Recent Craft Beer Writing Roundup](https://www.lisagrimm.com/2011/04/07/handy-recent-craft-beer-writing-roundup/) - Another new WeirdBeerGirl post  is coming shortly, but here's a quick roundup of recent articles I've written elsewhere: Serious Eats: Drinks Old American Beer Styles, Lost and Found Beer History: Craft Beer Survivors and Vanished Brands Beer History: Swapping Homebrew Recipes with the Founding Fathers And a few other articles from earlier in the year, - [Beer Destinations: The Farmer’s Cabinet](https://www.lisagrimm.com/2011/04/08/beer-destinations-the-farmer’s-cabinet/) - It might seem a bit premature to anoint a venue that has been open only a few short weeks a must-visit for craft beer fans, but The Farmer's Cabinet is simply that good - in fact, it's really quite amazing, and not just for the beer. The restaurant and bar is latest venture from the - [All Hail Kegasus? Sure.](https://www.lisagrimm.com/2011/03/31/all-hail-kegasus-sure/) - For those of you who don’t know I blog about horse racing, yes, I do that too – and for those of you who don’t know I blog about craft beer, see the previous answer. It’s about time a story brought the two together. It would be hard to argue that Pimlico has much to - [A Comparison: Pliny the Elder vs Pliny the Younger](https://www.lisagrimm.com/2011/03/11/a-comparison-pliny-the-elder-vs-pliny-the-younger/) - Both highly sought-after beers from California's Russian River Brewing Company are a deep golden color, and are loaded with hops (and alcohol), to be sure - but the differences between the two are rather interesting. They do, however, both share one common characteristic: neither one really lets on quite how potent it is, especially when - [Recent Beer Writing Elsewhere](https://www.lisagrimm.com/2011/03/02/recent-beer-writing-elsewhere/) - While I've got a few new reviews coming soon (including a comparison of Russian River's Plinys Elder and Younger), I've been busy elsewhere - here are a few recent projects for other sites: Serious Eats Drinks: Ghosts of Beers Past: Reviving Historical Brews and A (Very) Brief History of Women in Beer Ladies of Craft - [BrewDog Tokyo*](https://www.lisagrimm.com/2011/01/16/brewdog-tokyo/) - Scotland's BrewDog has garnered many a headline for their incredibly high-octane beers over the past few years; while it might have seemed that they were caught up in the high-gravity-for-the-sake-of-it craze, I am happy to report that their substance more than backs up the style. First off, a little about the beer's origin - and - [White Birch Barrel Aged Elysium](https://www.lisagrimm.com/2010/12/06/white-birch-barrel-aged-elysium/) - As a rule, I'm not a huge fan of barrel-aged beers. I realize that may count as heresy to some in the beer geek community, especially when it can seem that every brewery out there is doing a barrel-aged version of something, but with a few exceptions, they tend not to be to my taste. - [Beer Review: Pretty Things KK](https://www.lisagrimm.com/2010/11/09/beer-review-pretty-things-kk/) - A few weeks ago, A Good Beer Blog asked whether brewing historic beer styles was becoming a new trend, and pointed to Pretty Things KK as one example. The beer, a recreation of a dark-yet-hoppy ale originally brewed in London in 1901, was a collaboration with Ron Pattinson. Pattinson's blog, Shut Up About Barclay Perkins, - [Halloween Beer - A Land Beyond Pumpkin](https://www.lisagrimm.com/2010/10/29/halloween-beer-a-land-beyond-pumpkin/) - While I am certainly a fan of some pumpkin beers, notably Dogfish Head's Punkin Ale, there's a wider variety of Halloween-appropriate craft beers worth seeking out. No doubt Rogue sees an uptick in sales of their Dead Guy and Double Dead Guy Ales, and both are fine beers indeed (although I'm partial to the DDG), - [Beer Review: Victory Pursuit Pale Ale](https://www.lisagrimm.com/2010/10/20/beer-review-victory-pursuit-pale-ale/) - I enjoyed this on cask at the brewpub recently, and it was very tasty indeed - eminently drinkable, but with plenty of representation from both the hop and malt components. There was plenty of hop aroma (it's a limited-time single-hop offering from the Downingtown brewery) and a thick, creamy white head over a deep straw-colored - [Dogfish Head Chicha](https://www.lisagrimm.com/2010/10/11/dogfish-head-chicha/) - Last year, Dogfish Head's Chicha proved to be much more difficult to produce than anticipated; the brewing of this year's installment of the latest 'new/old' beer apparently went a little more smoothly, thanks to a bit more experience and research. However, it's still not easy to make this beer in any sort of quantity, since - [Beer Review: The Bruery Autumn Maple](https://www.lisagrimm.com/2010/10/05/beer-review-the-bruery-autumn-maple/) - I'm quite a fan of The Bruery; the Belgian-flavored California brewery just seems to get things right, and often from unexpected corners. My only complaint is that on most occasions, their beers are only available in enormous bottles. There's good reason for that - everything they make is bottle-conditioned, and bottling lines are expensive - - [Beer Events: Dogfish Dash](https://www.lisagrimm.com/2010/09/30/beer-events-dogfish-dash/) - This year's Dogfish Dash was bigger than ever - more than 1000 runners descended upon Milton, DE for the race (and for the free food and drink afterward). I was taking part for the third consecutive year, and had a great time once again (placing 277 out of 537 in the 10K run - reasonably - [Beer Culture: Post-GABF Thoughts](https://www.lisagrimm.com/2010/09/21/beer-culture-post-gabf-thoughts/) - No, I wasn't there, but I did enjoy watching the awards stream, and it was quite pleasing to see some favorite breweries and beers (both local and those from further afield) hailed. Stoudt's has been turning out incredibly well-crafted German-style beers since long before it was trendy to do so (and I would argue that - [Beer Review: Erie Brewing Company Derailed](https://www.lisagrimm.com/2010/09/14/beer-review-erie-brewing-company-derailed/) - As a very general rule, I dislike fruit beers. Of course, there are some exceptions – Dogfish Head’s Festina Peche is a refreshingly unusual take on the Berliner Weisse style, and  Walking Man’s Black Cherry Stout is one of the few fruit/stout combinations I’ve found effective (and I’m happy to report it’s very effective indeed). - [Beer Places: Pinocchio's, Media, PA](https://www.lisagrimm.com/2010/09/10/beer-places-pinocchios-media-pa/) - Media is a bit off the beaten track even for local Philly-area beer geeks – yes, there's an Iron Hill brewpub that typically features some solid offerings, but on the whole, the town gives off a suburban, 1950s vibe that does not scream 'beer destination.' But Pinocchio's is changing that, first, by adding an ever-more-interesting - [Beer Review: Left Hand/Terrapin Oxymoron](https://www.lisagrimm.com/2010/09/07/beer-review-left-handterrapin-oxymoron/) - Colorado’s Left Hand Brewing and Terrapin Beer of Athens, GA may not be terribly close to one another geographically, but they share a creative impulse to go beyond ‘official’ beer styles. In this, their third collaboration as part of their Midnight Project series, they’ve done something unusual indeed – Oxymoron is an IPA, but it’s - [Beer Review: Dogfish Head Bitches Brew](https://www.lisagrimm.com/2010/09/01/beer-review-dogfish-head-bitches-brew/) - Yesterday was the release of Dogfish Head’s latest one-off creation, Bitches Brew. The beer was previewed at SAVOR in Washington, DC, earlier this summer, and its official debut this week even garnered an NPR feature. Brewed to commemorate the 40th anniversary of the seminal Miles Davis album, it’s as unique as Dogfish Head’s other specialty - [Beer Review: Great Lakes Oktoberfest](https://www.lisagrimm.com/2010/08/30/beer-review-great-lakes-oktoberfest/) - Back in the day, I thought I didn’t like lagers. It probably happens to a lot of American beer geeks early on – after all, the macro lagers that dominate the brewing industry in this country are what gave North American brewing its poor reputation – one that is still clearly held by many people - [Beer Review: Coronado Black Perle](https://www.lisagrimm.com/2010/08/27/beer-review-coronado-black-perle/) - San Diego’s Coronado Brewing Company makes some tasty West Coast-style IPAs, but their Black Perle was something a little different – a schwarzbier from the other coast.  It’s evident from many online reviews of this beer that even many beer geeks don’t come across schwarzbiers terribly often, so perhaps a brief introduction to the style - [Beer Review: 21st Amendment Back in Black](https://www.lisagrimm.com/2010/08/24/beer-review-21st-amendment-back-in-black/) - Let me start off by saying I’m a big fan of the 21st Amendment (both the brewpub and the amendment, of course); we go way back. They’re one of my two favorite brewpubs in San Francisco (the other being Magnolia) – heck, there’s even video evidence of my past hanging out there at a F*ckedCompany.com - [Beer Review: Brewster's Brewery Mata Hari](https://www.lisagrimm.com/2010/08/26/beer-review-brewsters-brewing-mata-hari/) - Brewster’s Brewery is a small, independent brewery in the UK, founded by Sara Barton (who is also the head brewer – or, more correctly, brewster); they are one of a growing number of woman-powered microbreweries around the world. From their base in Grantham, Linconshire, their reputation for high-quality beers has continued to spread – it’s - [Welcome to WeirdBeerGirl.com (yes, another domain)](https://www.lisagrimm.com/2010/08/19/welcome-to-weirdbeergirl-com-yes-another-domain/) - Why, you may ask, have you added yet another domain? Why not just update your Philadelphia Beer Bars Examiner blog more often, as you used to? The answer is twofold: first, I want to write about beer from beyond Philadelphia (even if I've most likely consumed it in a great Philly-area bar or restaurant), and, - [General Superlatives: 2009](https://www.lisagrimm.com/2009/12/23/general-superlatives-2009/) - Yes, it's that time of year again. Rather shamefully, I have no books on this list; while I read many, not a one was published in 2009 - my excuse is that I'm waiting for the new Nick Hornby novel to come out in paperback. So, in fractured order, here are this year's Things I - [New Things, Old Things](https://www.lisagrimm.com/2010/01/26/new-things-old-things/) - After much CSS/PHP/JavaScript wrangling, DVAG Wire is finally up and running. I have no doubt, dear reader, that you have been desperate to know what has been going on behind the scenes at a number of Philadelphia archives: now you can keep track automatically. Sticking with redesign mode, I've finally migrated Superfectablog from Blogger and - [I Am Everywhere, Like the Latest Meme](https://www.lisagrimm.com/2009/09/15/i-am-everywhere-like-the-latest-meme/) - Luckily THATCamp Austin is done now (although I continue to manage the THATCamp Austin twitter account, to help promote the other regional THATCamps that are springing up), for I have added yet another new writing outlet to my ever-expanding stable. I'll be blogging for the NTRA leading up to the Breeders' Cup, with a focus - [30 Notable Beers of 2008](https://www.lisagrimm.com/2008/12/10/30-notable-beers-of-2008/) - Allagash Fluxus 2008 This year's Fluxus was a ginger-spiced witbier. It was rather tasty. Brasserie Dieu Du Ciel Rosée d'Hibiscus Another wit - but this one is flavored hibiscus. This is possibly the only 'girly' beer I've ever enjoyed. Brooklyn Brewery Flemish Gold A saison from Garrett Oliver's arsenal - lots of flavor. Brouwerij de - [Year-End Music Roundup](https://www.lisagrimm.com/2007/11/25/year-end-music-roundup/) - This year, I have been mostly listening to: Crowded House - Farewell to the World, Time on Earth Eliza Carthy - Rough Music The Divine Comedy - Victory for the Comic Muse, Absent Friends Liam Finn - I'll Be Lightning, Live@Spaceland Hoots and Hellmouth - Hoots and Hellmouth The Lucksmiths - Spring a Leak, Warmer - [Because You Can Never Have Enough...](https://www.lisagrimm.com/2009/07/29/because-you-can-never-have-enough/) - I have yet another new blog, this one in my capacities as a BJCP judge, Beerdrinker of the Year semi-finalist and Lady Beer Geek About Town. Granted, it's not as pretty as one I would have designed myself, but I decided to go ahead and give the Examiner model a try. So far, I have - [Mint Condition](https://www.lisagrimm.com/2009/04/28/mint-condition/) - Did I mention how awesome it is to be on a trading card? It's right up there with being a Shover and Maker. Beyond the archives/library/information science world, I have my BelmontStakes.com blog debuting shortly - you know you want to check it out! - [Awards Season](https://www.lisagrimm.com/2009/03/25/awards-season/) - I'd just like to say that I'm honored - very honored! - [Award-Winning](https://www.lisagrimm.com/2008/05/19/award-winning/) - Yes, it's true; I'm officially an award-winning brewer. Here are some ways to celebrate this accomplishment: Beer Dieu du Ciel! Rosée d'Hibiscus Gasthaus Gosebrauerei Bayerischer Bahnhof Gose Reissdorf Kölsch Victory St. Boisterous Victory Braumeister Pils Books Home: A Memoir of My Early Years by Julie Andrews A Good Horse Has No Color: Searching Iceland for - [Snow Day Lists](https://www.lisagrimm.com/2008/02/22/snow-day-lists/) - The icy weather affords an opportunity to broadcast a few recent favorites, many of which admittedly have not changed much since November: Music Sweden - The Mountain Goats Laid - James The Life Pursuit - Belle & Sebastian Company - 2006 Broadway Revival Cast Recording Fourteen Autumns and Fifteen Winters - The Twilight Sad February - [Year-End Beer Roundup, Take One](https://www.lisagrimm.com/2007/11/25/year-end-beer-roundup-take-one/) - In no particular order, here's my first crack at my top ten beers for 2007 -- and yes, there are more than ten at this point: Troubadour Obscura - Belgium Bell's Batch 8000 - USA Berliner Kindl Weisse - Germany Dogfish Head Fed-Extra Mild - USA Dogfish Head Baltic Porter - USA Russian River Pliny ## Pages - [Lisa Grimm's CV](https://www.lisagrimm.com/about-2/) - super-high-level 'what I do' Accomplished senior leader in digital asset management (DAM), master data management (MDM), data governance, content operations, compliance, digital transformation and information management with 30+ years of diverse experience in highly-regulated, global technology environments. Seasoned in building, growing, and leading high-performing DAM, enterprise content management, digital transformation, and taxonomy products, programs and - [Interviews & Podcasts](https://www.lisagrimm.com/interviews/) - When people ask questions, Lisa Grimm has opinions. About things. Podcasts, YouTube, online & even print - discussions about DAM, beer & much more. - [Freelance Writing](https://www.lisagrimm.com/freelance-writing/) - I write about beer, beer history, horse racing and (very occasionally) other exciting and totally-not-arcane topics. I don't do it for free (beyond my own blogs - I got sick of doing The Examiner as the time vs pay calculation wasn't great there) unless it's a Very Special Favor, but you are, of course, most ## Categories - [beer](https://www.lisagrimm.com/category/beer/) - [books](https://www.lisagrimm.com/category/books/) - [links](https://www.lisagrimm.com/category/links/) - [music](https://www.lisagrimm.com/category/music/) - [updates](https://www.lisagrimm.com/category/updates/) - [work](https://www.lisagrimm.com/category/work/) - [theatre](https://www.lisagrimm.com/category/theatre/) - [travel](https://www.lisagrimm.com/category/travel/) - [#beerylongreads](https://www.lisagrimm.com/category/beerylongreads/) - [Weirdo Guide to Dublin Pubs](https://www.lisagrimm.com/category/weirdo-guide-to-dublin-pubs/) - [The Session](https://www.lisagrimm.com/category/the-session/)