{"id":26266,"date":"2025-03-21T07:59:13","date_gmt":"2025-03-20T18:59:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/philcook.net\/beerdiary\/?p=26266"},"modified":"2025-04-29T04:21:48","modified_gmt":"2025-04-28T16:21:48","slug":"beer-nytxw-2024","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/philcook.net\/beerdiary\/2025\/03\/21\/beer-nytxw-2024\/","title":{"rendered":"99 clues about beer in the Times<\/em> \u2014 a 2024 crossword survey"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"Screenshot<\/a>
One of the better clues of the year<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Since noticing a reference to modern hazy IPA in the New York Times <\/em>crossword<\/a>,<\/span>1<\/sup><\/a><\/span> and wondering what that “meant” in terms of beer’s currency in the popular culture, I’ve been keeping a tally of what else comes up. I recently realised I had a full calendar year worth of such records, and the urge to make a spreadsheet and go looking for patterns came on predictably strongly (for me) after that. The result: ninety-nine appearances, clumped around a few themes, with ale<\/span> and ipa<\/span> done to death, a few favoured brand names, some real clangers, and the occasional delight.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

I think<\/em> I got all the beer-related clues and answers. There were a few marginal calls; I skipped oast<\/span> (‘Kiln for hops’, which appeared twice) on the grounds it’s more of an agricultural term than strictly brewing-related one, and likewise didn’t include wider bar or drinking references that weren’t specific to beer. I also haven’t counted a few clever misdirects, like when ‘Brewers’ implement’ meant baseballbat<\/span> \u2014 as in the Milwaukee Brewers<\/a>. So let’s call it 99, and here they all are:<\/span>2<\/sup><\/a><\/span><\/p>\n

[Hopefully-temporary note, April 2025: there’s a minor glitch in the table, breaking the sorting function. The rest of it works and a copy of the data is here<\/a>, if you really want to muck around with it.]<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\t\n\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t
Date<\/th>Day<\/th>No.<\/th>Clue<\/th>Answer<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n
Jan 6<\/td>Sat<\/td>10D<\/td>Unfiltered brew<\/td>HAZYIPA<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Jan 8<\/td>Mon<\/td>22A<\/td>Source of draft beer<\/td>TAP<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Jan 11<\/td>Thu<\/td>30A<\/td>Hoppy medium?<\/td>ALE<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Jan 11<\/td>Thu<\/td>24D<\/td>Japanese beer<\/td>ASAHI<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Jan 17<\/td>Wed<\/td>23D<\/td>Sierra Nevada, e.g.<\/td>ALE<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Jan 20<\/td>Sat<\/td>54A<\/td>Brewery stock<\/td>ALES<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Jan 31<\/td>Wed<\/td>27A<\/td>Dutch beer named for a river<\/td>AMSTEL<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Feb 1<\/td>Thu<\/td>60A<\/td>Hoppy inits.<\/td>IPA<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Feb 3<\/td>Sat<\/td>2D<\/td>Pucker precipitators at a pub<\/td>SOURBEERS<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Feb 10<\/td>Sat<\/td>9D<\/td>Sierra Nevada or Lagunitas offering<\/td>IPA<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Feb 12<\/td>Mon<\/td>4D<\/td>Beer barrel<\/td>KEG<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Feb 13<\/td>Tue<\/td>34D<\/td>Beer dispenser<\/td>KEG<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Feb 14<\/td>Wed<\/td>2D<\/td>Popular Italian beer<\/td>PERONI<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Feb 14<\/td>Wed<\/td>11D<\/td>Popular Mexican beer<\/td>CORONA<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Feb 18<\/td>Sun<\/td>48A<\/td>Oktoberfest purchase<\/td>BIER<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Feb 21<\/td>Wed<\/td>58D<\/td>Some pub brews<\/td>ALES<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Feb 25<\/td>Sun<\/td>73A<\/td>Bitter brews<\/td>IPAS<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Feb 25<\/td>Sun<\/td>111A<\/td>___ beer (nonalcoholic beverage)<\/td>NEAR<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Feb 28<\/td>Wed<\/td>49D<\/td>Michelob ___ (light brew)<\/td>ULTRA<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Feb 29<\/td>Thu<\/td>9D<\/td>Ingredient in some batter<\/td>BEER<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Mar 3<\/td>Sun<\/td>63A<\/td>___ Equis<\/td>DOS<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Mar 9<\/td>Sat<\/td>15A<\/td>It's handled at a bar<\/td>STEIN<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Mar 10<\/td>Sun<\/td>51A<\/td>Spot for food and craft beer<\/td>BREWPUB<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Mar 11<\/td>Mon<\/td>4D<\/td>Grain used in beer making<\/td>MALT<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Mar 14<\/td>Thu<\/td>27A<\/td>Part of 10-Down [IPAS]<\/td>ALES<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Mar 14<\/td>Thu<\/td>10D<\/td>Some craft drafts, for short<\/td>IPAS<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Mar 25<\/td>Mon<\/td>30D<\/td>The \"A\" of I.P.A.<\/td>ALE<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Apr 3<\/td>Wed<\/td>52A<\/td>Brews made with heavily roasted malt<\/td>DARKALES<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Apr 3<\/td>Wed<\/td>45D<\/td>Anheuser-Busch product whose ads once featured a penguin<\/td>BUDICE<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Apr 6<\/td>Sat<\/td>20A<\/td>Eponymous Milwaukee brewer Frederick<\/td>PABST<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Apr 16<\/td>Tue<\/td>3D<\/td>Drink aptly found in \"medieval era\"<\/td>ALE<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Apr 23<\/td>Tue<\/td>41A<\/td>Purchase for a college party<\/td>KEG<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Apr 28<\/td>Sun<\/td>128A<\/td>Necessity for beer or bread<\/td>YEAST<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
May 3<\/td>Fri<\/td>3D<\/td>Beverage brand whose name translates to \"morning sun\"<\/td>ASAHI<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
May 9<\/td>Thu<\/td>51D<\/td>Like the smell of a pub<\/td>BEERY<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
May 15<\/td>Wed<\/td>19A<\/td>Budweiser beer is aged using this wood<\/td>BEECH<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
May 15<\/td>Wed<\/td>65A<\/td>Barley brew<\/td>ALE<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
May 21<\/td>Tue<\/td>30D<\/td>Nonalcoholic beer brand<\/td>ODOULS<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
May 21<\/td>Tue<\/td>53D<\/td>\"Blue Ribbon\" brewer<\/td>PABST<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
May 23<\/td>Thu<\/td>45D<\/td>Popular brews<\/td>IPAS<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
May 25<\/td>Sat<\/td>27A<\/td>Beverage at une brasserie<\/td>BIERE<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Jun 2<\/td>Sun<\/td>36A<\/td>Drinker's structure made from stacked cans<\/td>BEERAMID<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Jun 5<\/td>Wed<\/td>21D<\/td>Brew that might be \"double dry-hopped\", for short<\/td>IPA<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Jun 7<\/td>Fri<\/td>24D<\/td>They might be pint-size<\/td>BEERS<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Jun 9<\/td>Sun<\/td>17A<\/td>Bar order that's dairy-free, despite its name<\/td>CREAMALE<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Jun 10<\/td>Mon<\/td>34A<\/td>Draft beer receptacles<\/td>KEGS<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Jun 17<\/td>Mon<\/td>9D<\/td>Locale for beers on draft<\/td>TAPROOM<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Jun 18<\/td>Tue<\/td>52D<\/td>Summer ___ (Samuel Adams offering)<\/td>ALE<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Jun 20<\/td>Thu<\/td>38A<\/td>Name associated with blue ribbons<\/td>PABST<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Jun 20<\/td>Thu<\/td>27D<\/td>\"Wild\" ingredient in some beers<\/td>YEAST<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Jun 23<\/td>Sun<\/td>51D<\/td>Bock or Dunkel<\/td>LAGER<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Jun 24<\/td>Mon<\/td>32D<\/td>What gives beer its bitterness<\/td>HOPS<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Jun 24<\/td>Mon<\/td>33D<\/td>Bitter beer in brief<\/td>IPA<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Jun 30<\/td>Sun<\/td>12D<\/td>Black and ___ (beer cocktails)<\/td>TANS<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Jul 1<\/td>Mon<\/td>36A<\/td>Big beer order<\/td>KEG<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Jul 2<\/td>Tue<\/td>50D<\/td>Imperial ___ (beer order)<\/td>IPA<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Jul 7<\/td>Sun<\/td>28D<\/td>Flight selections<\/td>ALES<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Jul 20<\/td>Sat<\/td>48D<\/td>Historic Milwaukee brewer<\/td>PABST<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Jul 21<\/td>Sun<\/td>81D<\/td>Noise at a beer festival<\/td>GLUG<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Jul 28<\/td>Sun<\/td>108D<\/td>Hoppy choices at happy hour<\/td>IPAS<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Jul 29<\/td>Mon<\/td>3D<\/td>Where beers can be found at a tailgate party<\/td>COOLER<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Jul 30<\/td>Tue<\/td>4A<\/td>Voodoo Ranger, e.g., for short<\/td>IPA<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Aug 5<\/td>Mon<\/td>58D<\/td>Hoppy brew, for short<\/td>IPA<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Aug 25<\/td>Sun<\/td>119A<\/td>Official beer of the Boston Red Sox, familiarly<\/td>SAMADAMS<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Sep 3<\/td>Tue<\/td>19A<\/td>Pub pints<\/td>ALES<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Sep 4<\/td>Wed<\/td>67A<\/td>Bartender's valve<\/td>ALETAP<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Sep 27<\/td>Fri<\/td>47D<\/td>Source of a draft<\/td>ALEKEG<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Oct 5<\/td>Sat<\/td>16A<\/td>Beer whose name means \"morning sun\"<\/td>ASAHI<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Oct 6<\/td>Sun<\/td>62D<\/td>Bier holder<\/td>STEIN<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Oct 9<\/td>Wed<\/td>48A<\/td>Ready to be drawn<\/td>ONTAP<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Oct 9<\/td>Wed<\/td>63A<\/td>Drink aptly found within \"social event\"<\/td>ALE<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Oct 11<\/td>Fri<\/td>31A<\/td>German beer historically consumed by monks<\/td>BOCK<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Oct 11<\/td>Fri<\/td>42D<\/td>Competitor of Kirin<\/td>ASAHI<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Oct 13<\/td>Sun<\/td>78D<\/td>Lead-in to brewery<\/td>MICRO<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Oct 13<\/td>Sun<\/td>90A<\/td>Barrel-shaped containers<\/td>CASKS<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Oct 26<\/td>Sat<\/td>9D<\/td>Drink mentioned four times in the prologue of The Canterbury Tales<\/td>ALE<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Nov 6<\/td>Wed<\/td>26A<\/td>Shot dropped into a glass of beer, in a popular cocktail<\/td>SAKE<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Nov 8<\/td>Fri<\/td>3D<\/td>Pricey flight options, perhaps<\/td>CRAFTBEERS<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Nov 11<\/td>Mon<\/td>20A<\/td>Michelob ___ (light beer)<\/td>ULTRA<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Nov 11<\/td>Mon<\/td>66A<\/td>Pub purchase<\/td>PINT<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Nov 14<\/td>Thu<\/td>11D<\/td>Brits may refer to them as \"boozers\"<\/td>PUBS<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Nov 14<\/td>Thu<\/td>26D<\/td>Offerings from 11-down [PUBS]<\/td>ALES<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Nov 20<\/td>Wed<\/td>30D<\/td>\"For a quart of ___ is a dish fit for a king\": Shakespeare's Winter's Tale<\/td>ALE<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Nov 22<\/td>Fri<\/td>26D<\/td>\"Hazy\" beverage<\/td>IPA<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Nov 22<\/td>Fri<\/td>35D<\/td>Oktoberfest establishment<\/td>BEERHALL<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Nov 24<\/td>Sun<\/td>123A<\/td>Where Molson Coors is TAP<\/td>NYSE<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Nov 24<\/td>Sun<\/td>124A<\/td>Beer buy<\/td>CASE<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Nov 25<\/td>Mon<\/td>29D<\/td>Brewery barrel<\/td>KEG<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Nov 26<\/td>Tue<\/td>43D<\/td>Beer brand named for a Dutch river<\/td>AMSTEL<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Nov 27<\/td>Wed<\/td>22A<\/td>Part of IPA<\/td>PALE<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Nov 29<\/td>Fri<\/td>25A<\/td>Light lager variety, casually<\/td>PILS<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Dec 2<\/td>Mon<\/td>8D<\/td>Popular Japanese beer<\/td>ASAHI<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Dec 3<\/td>Tue<\/td>47A<\/td>Frat party offering<\/td>BEER<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Dec 7<\/td>Fri<\/td>40D<\/td>Beer buy<\/td>SIXPACK<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Dec 10<\/td>Tue<\/td>56D<\/td>Czech lager, informally<\/td>PILS<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Dec 24<\/td>Tue<\/td>25A<\/td>Available from a keg<\/td>ONDRAFT<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Dec 28<\/td>Sat<\/td>20D<\/td>Strong draft<\/td>STOUT<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Dec 29<\/td>Sun<\/td>75D<\/td>Hefeweizen, e.g.<\/td>ALE<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Dec 30<\/td>Mon<\/td>42A<\/td>Some beers<\/td>ALES<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n\n

10 are ale<\/span> and 8 are ipa<\/span>, and if you include their plurals then together they make up more than a quarter of the whole set. The way American-style crosswords are constructed,<\/span>3<\/sup><\/a><\/span> they need a lot<\/em> of shortish words as “fill”, so those \u2014 with their two vowels and pretty-common consonants \u2014 are real utility-words. They’re not quite<\/em> as overused as ode<\/span> and ssn<\/span>, or aloe<\/span> and oreo<\/span><\/a>, but they’re in danger of getting close. So there’s a real need to keep the clues fresh, and I think ale<\/span> is struggling on that front, while ipa<\/span> at least now has nuances like “hazy” and “double dry-hopped” (making its debut in June) to add some variety.<\/p>\n

sourbeers<\/span> also made their first appearance in the\u00a0Times<\/em> puzzle in 2024 (as ‘Pucker precipitators at a pub’),<\/span>4<\/sup><\/a><\/span> which feels a bit late in zeitgeist-monitoring terms; I’d have thought they were fair game long before, but no one seems to have referenced them earlier. And hazyipa<\/span> graduated to being an answer<\/em> in its own right, not just part of a clue, further cementing this particular sense of it being “a thing”.<\/p>\n

That creamale<\/span> clue in the header image (‘Bar order that’s dairy-free, despite its name’) struck me as pretty tricky but fun and gettable, and I initially thought bock<\/span> was really difficult and obscure (it also appears as part of the clue for lager<\/span>) but it seems like the word has much more currency here in the U.S. than back home, with loads of historical examples and a few currently on the market.<\/span>5<\/sup><\/a><\/span><\/p>\n

In the brand-recognition stakes, asahi<\/span> narrowly beats pabst<\/span>, 5 to 4, its more-useful combination of letters probably winning out over national pride. A few others \u2014 Sierra Nevada, Voodoo Ranger, Amstel, Peroni, Corona \u2014 appear once or twice each as either clues or answers, with samadams<\/span> apparently versatile enough to be both. odouls<\/span> (‘Nonalcoholic beer brand’) was the only one I’d never heard of, so if something is widely-known enough for inclusion in the NYT<\/em>, it’s likely also reached the awareness of a relatively plugged-in Antipodean \u2014 though your mileage may vary on the two servings of ‘Michelob ___’ (ultra<\/span>), and budice,<\/span> with its long-winded clue referencing ads from thirty years ago<\/a>.<\/p>\n

‘Pricey flight options, perhaps’ (craftbeers<\/span>) was one of my favourite clues of the whole year, and ‘Noise at a beer festival’ (glug<\/span>) just absolutely sucks. There is, I mean to say, a real range in quality on display here. The bulk are fine<\/em>, my enjoyment mostly coming from appreciating the reference rather than the clue itself. But nitpicking is itself a source of fun,<\/span>6<\/sup><\/a><\/span> so: alekeg<\/span> and aletap<\/span> are clunky and unnatural; a keg<\/span> isn’t a “dispenser” on its own; pils<\/span> probably doesn’t need the “informal” or “casual” qualifiers; and the “black and tan” reference is a big yikes<\/a>, as is the continued use of ‘Imperial ___’ (ipa<\/span>) \u2014 though that one’s on us, as an industry<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Meanwhile malt<\/span> isn’t quite<\/em> right for ‘Grain used in beer making’,<\/span>7<\/sup><\/a><\/span> ‘Strong draft’ for stout<\/span> and ‘Brews made with heavily roasted malt’ for darkales<\/span> both get an emphatic not necessarily<\/em> from me, and ale<\/span> as the solution for ‘Hefeweizen, e.g.’ annoys me even more, for reasons almost too pedantic to explain.<\/span>8<\/sup><\/a><\/span><\/p>\n

Looking at the actual constructors of the crosswords themselves, there’s a few repeat names responsible for beer-themed stuff, but it’s not like one rogue geek is doing all the heavy lifting.<\/span>9<\/sup><\/a><\/span>\u00a0 That initial thought I had that its frequent use in the puzzle pages was a nice signifier of how beer (and certain things\u00a0within<\/em> beer \u2014 like Hazy IPA, now) is just part of the cultural background seems borne out by its spread.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>
2024 all at once \u2014 which simultaneously sounds like a nightmare and<\/em> a relief compared to 2025 so far<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The NYT<\/em> crossword traditionally gets harder through the week, and then finishes with a bigger grid on Sunday, reverting to about “average” difficulty. So maybe there’s a slight<\/em> sense in the data that a beer reference can make for an “easy” answer \u2014 but it’s weak, and you can always clue the same word more or less obtusely; look at the different roads taken to get to pabst<\/span> in the table above, for example.<\/p>\n

The patterns through the year<\/em> are stronger, and more mysterious. That lull in August-September is striking \u2014 just five beer references, most of them pretty dire.<\/span>10<\/sup><\/a><\/span> Maybe there’s something in the thought that a puzzle takes a few months to go through the pipeline, so there’s a lag between good beer-drinking weather and that increased inspiration actually making it to print. But now we’re into too much speculation from a small dataset even for me, so that’ll do for now.<\/p>\n

\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Since noticing a reference to modern hazy IPA in the New York Times crossword, and wondering what that “meant” in terms of beer’s currency in the popular culture, I’ve been keeping a tally of what else comes up. I recently realised I had a full calendar year worth of such records, and the urge to … Continue reading 99 clues about beer in the Times<\/em> \u2014 a 2024 crossword survey<\/span> →<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[55],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-26266","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-interesting-finds"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":20386,"url":"https:\/\/philcook.net\/beerdiary\/2023\/07\/21\/nyt-crossword-mainstreaming\/","url_meta":{"origin":26266,"position":0},"title":"The New York Times crossword as a measure of mainstreaming","author":"Phil","date":"July 21, 2023","format":false,"excerpt":"Like any New Zealander excited when the country is mentioned out loud in overseas media or just actually included on a map, I'm always interested when beer pops up in unexpected places. Last Friday's NYT crossword had\u00a0ipa among its solutions, which itself isn't uncommon \u2014 the crowded design of American\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Mediawatch"","block_context":{"text":"Mediawatch","link":"https:\/\/philcook.net\/beerdiary\/category\/interesting-finds\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Excerpt of the New York Times Crossword, featuring \"sour beers\" as an answer","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/philcook.net\/beerdiary\/wp-content\/uploads\/Sour-beer-in-the-NYT-crossword-slight-grey.png?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/philcook.net\/beerdiary\/wp-content\/uploads\/Sour-beer-in-the-NYT-crossword-slight-grey.png?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/philcook.net\/beerdiary\/wp-content\/uploads\/Sour-beer-in-the-NYT-crossword-slight-grey.png?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/philcook.net\/beerdiary\/wp-content\/uploads\/Sour-beer-in-the-NYT-crossword-slight-grey.png?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":29437,"url":"https:\/\/philcook.net\/beerdiary\/2026\/03\/17\/beer-nytxw-2025\/","url_meta":{"origin":26266,"position":1},"title":"Ones wise on Weizenbocks \u2014 beer in the Times crossword, 2025","author":"Phil","date":"March 17, 2026","format":false,"excerpt":"Keeping track of the beer references in the crossword has become as much a part of my daily routine as solving the puzzle itself. So it's time again to take stock, see what made the cut, what patterns emerge, and consider what their sense of what people might know (or\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Mediawatch"","block_context":{"text":"Mediawatch","link":"https:\/\/philcook.net\/beerdiary\/category\/interesting-finds\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/philcook.net\/beerdiary\/wp-content\/uploads\/NYTXW-2025.png?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/philcook.net\/beerdiary\/wp-content\/uploads\/NYTXW-2025.png?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/philcook.net\/beerdiary\/wp-content\/uploads\/NYTXW-2025.png?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/philcook.net\/beerdiary\/wp-content\/uploads\/NYTXW-2025.png?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/philcook.net\/beerdiary\/wp-content\/uploads\/NYTXW-2025.png?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":27588,"url":"https:\/\/philcook.net\/beerdiary\/2025\/05\/06\/the-session-147-invite\/","url_meta":{"origin":26266,"position":2},"title":"A break from the real \u2014 your invitation to The Session #147","author":"Phil","date":"May 6, 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"I'm hosting the May 2025 edition of The Session, and I'd like to take us out of the 'real world' for a moment to share the beers and pubs in art and fiction that have grabbed our attention, whether they were sublime, surprising, moving, amusing, somehow significant, or symbolic of\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "The Session"","block_context":{"text":"The Session","link":"https:\/\/philcook.net\/beerdiary\/category\/session\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/philcook.net\/beerdiary\/wp-content\/uploads\/Kroyer-Interior-of-a-Tavern.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/philcook.net\/beerdiary\/wp-content\/uploads\/Kroyer-Interior-of-a-Tavern.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/philcook.net\/beerdiary\/wp-content\/uploads\/Kroyer-Interior-of-a-Tavern.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/philcook.net\/beerdiary\/wp-content\/uploads\/Kroyer-Interior-of-a-Tavern.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/philcook.net\/beerdiary\/wp-content\/uploads\/Kroyer-Interior-of-a-Tavern.jpg?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":26811,"url":"https:\/\/philcook.net\/beerdiary\/2025\/04\/23\/beer-in-games\/","url_meta":{"origin":26266,"position":3},"title":"Here, 252 years from now \u2014 and other unreal places I’ve had a beer","author":"Phil","date":"April 23, 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"Ever since reading an excellent travelogue through, and review of, all the bars in The Witcher 3, I've been taking better notes about the beer I find when I play games. It's the same impulse that leads me to document the relevant clues in the crossword; where and how beer\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Mediawatch"","block_context":{"text":"Mediawatch","link":"https:\/\/philcook.net\/beerdiary\/category\/interesting-finds\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Screenshot from Fallout 4, showing the Gwinnett Brewery taproom, with stools up on the dark bar and brewery gear visible through an open door and window behind the bar","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/philcook.net\/beerdiary\/wp-content\/uploads\/FO4-Taproom.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/philcook.net\/beerdiary\/wp-content\/uploads\/FO4-Taproom.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/philcook.net\/beerdiary\/wp-content\/uploads\/FO4-Taproom.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/philcook.net\/beerdiary\/wp-content\/uploads\/FO4-Taproom.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":29240,"url":"https:\/\/philcook.net\/beerdiary\/2026\/03\/17\/guinness-drinks-business\/","url_meta":{"origin":26266,"position":4},"title":"A pint of stout, and a can of worms","author":"Phil","date":"March 17, 2026","format":false,"excerpt":"\"Guinness isn't the highest rated stout anymore,\" declared a headline in The Drinks Business. \"New data,\" they said, reveals \"which brand comes out on top.\" I soon spotted that the source of their fresh numbers was Untappd, the beer logging and rating app \u2014 hardly a representative sample \u2014 so\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Mediawatch"","block_context":{"text":"Mediawatch","link":"https:\/\/philcook.net\/beerdiary\/category\/interesting-finds\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/philcook.net\/beerdiary\/wp-content\/uploads\/Stock-image-header-centered.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/philcook.net\/beerdiary\/wp-content\/uploads\/Stock-image-header-centered.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/philcook.net\/beerdiary\/wp-content\/uploads\/Stock-image-header-centered.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/philcook.net\/beerdiary\/wp-content\/uploads\/Stock-image-header-centered.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/philcook.net\/beerdiary\/wp-content\/uploads\/Stock-image-header-centered.jpg?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":23397,"url":"https:\/\/philcook.net\/beerdiary\/2024\/07\/12\/beeramisu-imperial-stout\/","url_meta":{"origin":26266,"position":5},"title":"Beeramisu \u2014 and a brief note concerning “Imperial” stout","author":"Phil","date":"July 12, 2024","format":false,"excerpt":"Tiramisu, but with a nice strong stout instead of the liqueur or fortified wine the recipe might call for, has become one of those things that I'll make at the slightest provocation. As a staff treat for a looming busy night, if some newly released beer seems like it might\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Rambles and rants"","block_context":{"text":"Rambles and rants","link":"https:\/\/philcook.net\/beerdiary\/category\/blahblah\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/philcook.net\/beerdiary\/wp-content\/uploads\/Berramisu-crop-wide.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/philcook.net\/beerdiary\/wp-content\/uploads\/Berramisu-crop-wide.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/philcook.net\/beerdiary\/wp-content\/uploads\/Berramisu-crop-wide.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/philcook.net\/beerdiary\/wp-content\/uploads\/Berramisu-crop-wide.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/philcook.net\/beerdiary\/wp-content\/uploads\/Berramisu-crop-wide.jpg?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x"},"classes":[]}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/philcook.net\/beerdiary\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/26266","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/philcook.net\/beerdiary\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/philcook.net\/beerdiary\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/philcook.net\/beerdiary\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/philcook.net\/beerdiary\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=26266"}],"version-history":[{"count":64,"href":"https:\/\/philcook.net\/beerdiary\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/26266\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":26453,"href":"https:\/\/philcook.net\/beerdiary\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/26266\/revisions\/26453"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/philcook.net\/beerdiary\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=26266"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/philcook.net\/beerdiary\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=26266"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/philcook.net\/beerdiary\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=26266"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}