I'm on my way home after three weeks of travel in Germany and Belgium. It would be absolutely ace to get back to some new orders of my zine A Place To Be! If you've not got yours yet, please take a look here: www.pelliclemag.com/shop/a-place...

The new round of bigotry against AI discourse is legit the dumbest shit I've heard this decade

I first saw Night of the Living Dead in a hotel room with my dad when I was 10. Did not sleep well after.

Somewhere in America, a young Hispanic girl is hiding in an attic writing a diary.

"zines have no algorithm" 💘

Two truths: 1. It is next to impossible to care right now about beer and the other leisure pursuits I cover. 2. Covering beer and other leisure pursuits is how I make my living.

Folk faith knows the hop as plant of luck, a thing to be slipped into a sleep pillow. The witch knows it as a sower of bitterness. A fuel for breakup spells, cock-drooping sorceries. We have its secret names, how to use its claws in our bindings. – #EmilyCBanting, 1982 #WitchSky

One of my favorite books ever. Heart, humor, horror.

i was not born to work i was born to make weird and pointless zines

New blog post! Naviluna’s new Velvet Stout-Infused bar is made with nibs reclaimed from brewing a chocolate stout, and also utilized candied banana. It’s a fascinating bar with an even more interesting story. www.beantobarstool.com/blog/navilun...

The biggest challenge of packing for work travel: deciding with craft chocolate bars to bring to share with colleagues when we hang out.

There's a zine series all about dumplings, y'all. Above the Fold: abovethefoldpress.com/collections/...

New episode of Bean to Barstool! In pt 2 of my talk w/cacao agronomist Sarah Bharath, we continue our conversation about cacao farming & fermentation, & also discuss overlaps w/the ingredients & brewing of beer. www.beantobarstool.com/episodes/sar...

Sunday! www.eventbrite.com/e/brews-with...

Thinking tonight: may small presses/journals/zines and grassroots/local arts spaces be oases of truth and creativity in a time where the media & social media are becoming more and more state controlled.

We were at this show and it was the most fun I've had at a concert in a while. I've been wanting to see them for years and they did not disappoint.

Please help us make our October rent! We've had too many 0 weeks lately: www.wizd-az.com/store.html

Since many of us are cancelling streaming services, now might also be a good time to support writers and artists. Times are extremely tough for creatives, so why not buy a book, commission an art piece, sign up for a Patreon, tip your favorite creators. Everything helps.

In our new HopLit episode, we're celebrating Oktoberfest by discussing books with German authors, settings, or characters. You can listen now at the link below, or on your favorite podcast service. www.buzzsprout.com/2500369/epis...

September is Craft Malt Month, and this is just a post to say craft malt is cool as hell. Write articles about craft maltsters, read articles about craft maltsters, use craft malt in your beer, seek out beer that does.

My friend & colleague Luke Owen Smith interviewed me about hops-infused craft chocolate for the Chocolate Professor. These bars are so much fun: www.thechocolateprofessor.com/blog/hops-ch...

What are the most notable dog whistle beer sensory terms you're still seeing pop up in reviews & descriptions? These can be terms that are just poorly defined ("hoppy"), terms that are often divorced from familiarity w/the original reference ("horse blanket"), both ("barnyard"), or something else.

Three bars, three fascinating flavor explorations. I taste a lot of spirits-infused craft chocolate bars, and these were among the most surprising I’ve had in a while. Which would you try first?

I don't really care if the future is short videos. I like words. Words have gotten me this far and I'm gonna stick with 'em for the duration

What do we do with the tension in craft chocolate and other artisan food and drink industries between the romance of terroir and agricultural variability and the business need for consistency and agronomic predictability?

My hometown school librarian is now being counter-sued... Here's how to donate to the GoFundMe to help legal fees: www.gofundme.com/f/legal-supp...

In the new episode of Bean to Barstool, cacao agronomist Sarah Bharath talks about cacao farming & fermentation, and the challenges faced & opportunities offered by small-holder farms in the cacao space. www.beantobarstool.com/episodes/sar...

Just had a man at a bar explaining to me what Czech lager is by telling me it's from Denmark 💀

If you're in the Miami Valley, cap off MV Craft Beer Week with our field trip to Full Circle Brewgarden this Saturday! Q&A, tour of their four-seasons garden, guided tasting. And it's their anniversary, so they'll have special beers on tap. More info here: www.facebook.com/events/12126...

Idea: Comet single-hopped beer Name: Less of a Question, More of a Comet

I really, REALLY wish people would internalize the absolute stranglehold voter suppression and gerrymandering have over many red states with high BIPOC populations (who reliably vote blue) before consistently writing off these entire states and saying shit like “they deserved it”.

Freelancing is hard.

At ChocolateSpiel, chocolate maker Angi creates colorful, visually stunning craft chocolate bars, highlighting the role of visual appreciation in the tasting experience. www.beantobarstool.com/episodes/cho...

Remember the Bud pumpkin peach ale ad? Well, it seems craft chocolate is finally having its craft beer moment as an industry giant pokes fun in a new commercial: www.beantobarstool.com/blog/craft-m...

Northwood Cider in Norwood on the north side of Cincinnati is making rustic ciders in a city better known for its craft beer. As recently as 2022, Cincy was the 3rd largest metro area in the country without a cidery. mydigitalpublication.com/publication/...

New HopLit episode! We’re celebrating the imminent arrival of Hispanic Heritage Month w/a Bookstack 6-pack of fiction by Hispanic authors. We also get into some recent reading, check out upcoming book & beer events, and briefly discuss the history of Oktoberfest. www.buzzsprout.com/2500369/epis...

Some critics say that America's rapid decent into fascism is unfortunate.

Oh yeah, well could a depressed person do THIS? *sips barleywine through a Twizzler*

I enjoy what I do.

In the new episode episode of Bean to Barstool, we talk with Angi at ChocolateSpiel about how and why she uses chocolate as a canvas for color, as well as pairing chocolate with beer, cider, wine, coffee, tea, and cocktails. www.beantobarstool.com/episodes/cho...

Queers of Minneapolis and Queers who will visit Minneapolis: stop googling what to do!! We now have a zine for that!!! I put years of first-hand knowledge into routes around the city your and your friends can take! Scrounging Instagram for local events is OVER! Snag here: Archiebongiovannishop.com

What are your favorite horror novels set at summer camp or on camping trips?

I'm happy to see more NA options in taprooms, but what I wouldn't give for more low-alc options. Give me something flavorful at 2.5-3.5%.

To me, seeing someone announce art or good news during terrible times isn't like trying to sell balloons at a funeral, it's like getting hugged at that funeral. When maybe you didn't know how much you needed that hug. From anyone. Or everyone. Folks need all the soul fuel they can get.

🖤 (Art by @sonnyross.bsky.social)

The new episode of HopLit is out now! Emily & I celebrate the end of summer w/books about disastrous camping trips & summer camp vacations gone horribly wrong. We also discuss how the pandemic & other recent world events have affected our reading habits. www.buzzsprout.com/2500369/epis...

We are proud and grateful to publish this piece that echoed so much of what we were both already feeling.

I think about this essay every day atm - of having the privilege to both write it and have it published, navigating the guilt and frustration of being so powerless in the face of constant human rights violations while trying to be positive & do nice things to stay sane

In her article for FG09, @amethystheels.bsky.social writes passionately about the surreal professional challenge of trying to cover leisure pursuits like beer & travel when basic rights & services are being maliciously dismantled around us. www.beantobarstool.com/shop/p/final...