Brooks on Beer

Jay R Brooks

Jay Brooks is a freelance beer writer who lives and drinks in Northern California. Contact him at BrooksonBeer@gmail.com.

While beer consumer preferences have shifted away from and back to hazy varieties, the hefeweizen has remained cloudy, with its signature banana and clove notes and an undertone of bubble gum. (Courtesy Getty Images/iStockphoto)

Is hefeweizen the original hazy?

August 19, 2025 at 10:24 a.m.

Hefeweizens add unfiltered clove, banana and bubble gum flavors to each sip.

Ken Grossman, co-founder of Sierra Nevada Brewing, was inducted into the inaugural class of the American Craft Beer Hall of Fame on Feb. 15, 2025. (courtesy of Sierra Nevada Brewing)

Introducing the first-ever American Craft Beer Hall of Fame

February 21, 2025 at 12:46 p.m.

From Fritz Maytag to New Albion, these are the inductees of the inaugural American Craft Beer Hall of Fame.

This holiday season, pair your feast with beer set to enhance the flavor profiles of each dish. (Courtesy Getty Images/iStockphoto)

Beer pairings for your holiday feasts

November 21, 2024 at 1:04 p.m.

With Thanksgiving and the holiday feasting season on the horizon, it's time to pick up the perfect beer pairings for your seasonal feast.

When the weather gets cold, occasion calls for a warm fire and a hearty beer. Here are a few suggestions on what to sip. (Courtesy Getty Images/iStockphoto)

Fireside sippers: The 5 best beer types for cozy times

October 11, 2024 at 12:42 p.m.

Pour one of these hearty brews to stay toasty, when the weather chills down.

Beer and ice cream can be paired in a range of beer float combinations, like this ice cream float made with an Irish stout. (Courtesy Getty Images)

Got ice cream? Got beer? Here’s how to make the best beer float this summer

June 11, 2024 at 1:26 p.m.

Witbier and orange sherbet? Hefeweizen and strawberry ice cream? We have some thoughts on the perfect combination.

The art of pairing beer and spicy foods has a lot to do with one’s baseline tolerance of and appreciation for spiciness. (Getty Images)

IPAs, hazy, kolsch and stouts — which beer goes best with spicy foods?

April 25, 2024 at 12:58 p.m.

Whether it's jalapeno poppers or spicy chili, hot foods go best with cold drinks. But which beer is works best to tame the heat? Psst, it's not an IPA.

This beer-themed version of Monopoly called Brew-Opoly, made by Late for the Sky, is $25 and among a selection of suggested gifts for beer fans this year. (Courtesy Late for the Sky)

18 great holiday gifts for craft beer lovers

December 8, 2023 at 12:28 p.m.

With Thanksgiving in the rearview mirror and more holidays — whether it be Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa or Yule — ahead, it’s time to start thinking about the perfect gift for...

It’s hard to go wrong when pairing beer with pizza. (Getty Images/iStockphoto)

How to pick the perfect beer to pair with your pizza

November 8, 2023 at 12:41 p.m.

Is there a better combination than pizza and beer? Nope.

Munich’s first Oktoberfest was held in 1810 to celebrate the wedding of Bavaria’s Crown Prince Ludwig to Princess Therese. (Getty Images)

Oktoberfest: It starts sooner than you think

September 8, 2023 at 12:08 p.m.

Despite its name, Oktoberfest actually starts well before October.

Radlers are just one variety of fruit-spiked beer. (Getty Images)

5 ways to mix fruit and beer, from lambics to radlers

July 28, 2023 at 12:33 p.m.

Brewers have mixed fruit and brews for millennia, but modern drinkers have some delicious options, from German radlers to Bay Area microbrews.

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