{"id":29437,"date":"2026-03-17T03:29:37","date_gmt":"2026-03-16T14:29:37","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/philcook.net\/beerdiary\/?p=29437"},"modified":"2026-03-17T03:29:37","modified_gmt":"2026-03-16T14:29:37","slug":"beer-nytxw-2025","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/philcook.net\/beerdiary\/2026\/03\/17\/beer-nytxw-2025\/","title":{"rendered":"Ones wise on Weizenbocks \u2014 beer in the Times<\/i> crossword, 2025"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"Screenshot<\/a>
One from the bottom of the barrel, so to speak<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Keeping track of the beer references in the crossword has become as much a part of my daily routine as solving the puzzle itself.<\/span>1<\/sup><\/a><\/span> 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 care about) can tell us about the status of beer and its subculture in the wider public consciousness.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

There’s inevitably borderline cases of whether something is truly a “beer-related” clue. I skipped ‘Greek goddess whose name becomes a Mexican beer if you change the first letter to a T’ (hecate<\/span>), for example. And ‘Tavern of TV animation’ (moes<\/span>), as much as it pained me to cut a Simpsons<\/em> reference \u2014 although a later duff<\/span><\/a> one is<\/em> included. So your judgements may vary slightly, but I found a total of 110 this time, up about 10% from 2024. They are:<\/span>2<\/sup><\/a><\/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\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 2<\/td>Thu<\/td>61A<\/td>Miller option<\/td>LITE<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Jan 6<\/td>Mon<\/td>40A<\/td>Brewery offering<\/td>ALE<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Jan 10<\/td>Fri<\/td>50A<\/td>Rathskeller supply<\/td>STEINS<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Jan 12<\/td>Sun<\/td>66A<\/td>Publican's offering<\/td>ALE<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Jan 21<\/td>Tue<\/td>30D<\/td>Eats that pair well with beer<\/td>PUBGRUB<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Jan 23<\/td>Thu<\/td>1A<\/td>Tavern regular<\/td>BARFLY<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Jan 24<\/td>Fri<\/td>52D<\/td>Stock item in a brewery<\/td>KEG<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Jan 26<\/td>Sun<\/td>33D<\/td>Public house offering<\/td>ALE<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Feb 10<\/td>Mon<\/td>34D<\/td>Hoppy brew, in brief<\/td>IPA<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Feb 12<\/td>Wed<\/td>63D<\/td>Inexpensive beer, informally<\/td>PBR<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Feb 15<\/td>Sat<\/td>31D<\/td>Bitter brews, for short<\/td>IPAS<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Feb 25<\/td>Tue<\/td>51D<\/td>Adams in a bar<\/td>SAMUEL<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Mar 1<\/td>Sat<\/td>53A<\/td>Malty craft beer<\/td>RYEIPA<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Mar 1<\/td>Sat<\/td>107A<\/td>Beers advertised with the slogan \"La vida m\u00e1s fina\"<\/td>CORONAS<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Mar 7<\/td>Fri<\/td>44A<\/td>Cheep beer brand, for short<\/td>PBR<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Mar 9<\/td>Sun<\/td>93D<\/td>48oz beer glass<\/td>YARD<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Mar 12<\/td>Wed<\/td>4D<\/td>Lager alternative<\/td>ALE<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Mar 13<\/td>Thu<\/td>59D<\/td>Six-pack that might be in the \"Craft\" section, for short<\/td>IPAS<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Mar 18<\/td>Tue<\/td>23A<\/td>Pub drink<\/td>ALE<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Mar 19<\/td>Wed<\/td>4D<\/td>Schooner filler<\/td>ALE<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Mar 20<\/td>Thu<\/td>56D<\/td>Porter or pilsner alternative, in brief<\/td>IPA<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Mar 21<\/td>Fri<\/td>26D<\/td>Sierra Nevadas, e.g.<\/td>ALES<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Mar 23<\/td>Sun<\/td>106D<\/td>Some six-packs<\/td>ALES<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Mar 23<\/td>Sun<\/td>35A<\/td>It follows Oktober<\/td>FEST<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Mar 26<\/td>Wed<\/td>52D<\/td>I'd like a brewski<\/td>BEERME<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Mar 26<\/td>Wed<\/td>51A<\/td>Alternative to Stella or Sam Adams<\/td>PBR<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Mar 27<\/td>Thu<\/td>57D<\/td>Stout, for one<\/td>ALE<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Mar 28<\/td>Fri<\/td>12D<\/td>Ones wise on Weizenbocks, perhaps<\/td>BEERSNOBS<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Mar 29<\/td>Sat<\/td>14D<\/td>Brewer's need<\/td>HOPS<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Apr 2<\/td>Wed<\/td>2D<\/td>Brew that generally has a higher-than-usual alcohol content<\/td>ICEBEER<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Apr 5<\/td>Sat<\/td>92A<\/td>Brown beer<\/td>DARKALE<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Apr 10<\/td>Thu<\/td>3D<\/td>Corona o Dos Equis<\/td>CERVEZA<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Apr 11<\/td>Fri<\/td>17A<\/td>Activity with pints and points<\/td>BARTRIVIA<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Apr 17<\/td>Thu<\/td>7D<\/td>Large cask for beer or wine<\/td>TUN<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Apr 26<\/td>Sat<\/td>97D<\/td>Beers that might punnily have \"hop\" in their names, for short<\/td>IPAS<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
May 2<\/td>Fri<\/td>56A<\/td>They might be red or blonde<\/td>ALES<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
May 3<\/td>Sat<\/td>19A<\/td>Bass output<\/td>ALES<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
May 3<\/td>Sat<\/td>27A<\/td>L\u00f6wenbr\u00e4u product<\/td>BIER<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
May 6<\/td>Tue<\/td>6D<\/td>Like some ales and health bars<\/td>OATY<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
May 6<\/td>Tue<\/td>58A<\/td>Disposable coaster at a bar<\/td>BEERMAT<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
May 7<\/td>Wed<\/td>39D<\/td>Hoppy bar choice, in brief<\/td>IPA<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
May 11<\/td>Sun<\/td>7D<\/td>Tavern offering<\/td>ALE<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
May 11<\/td>Sun<\/td>43A<\/td>Beers from Bremen, informally<\/td>STPAULIS<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
May 12<\/td>Mon<\/td>37D<\/td>Alternative to bottled<\/td>ONTAP<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
May 24<\/td>Sat<\/td>10D<\/td>Many Dogfish Head brews<\/td>IPAS<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
May 30<\/td>Fri<\/td>34D<\/td>Brown ___<\/td>ALE<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Jun 2<\/td>Mon<\/td>47D<\/td>Beermaking establishment<\/td>BREWERY<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Jun 4<\/td>Wed<\/td>55A<\/td>Divine medicine, per the Greek physician Paracelsus<\/td>BEER<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Jun 9<\/td>Mon<\/td>46A<\/td>Beermaker's supply<\/td>BREWERSYEAST<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Jun 11<\/td>Wed<\/td>55A<\/td>Craft drafts, for short<\/td>IPAS<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Jun 14<\/td>Sat<\/td>20A<\/td>Glass holding about three pints of ale<\/td>YARD<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Jun 15<\/td>Sun<\/td>100D<\/td>Colorful selection at an Irish pub<\/td>REDALE<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Jun 16<\/td>Mon<\/td>59D<\/td>Beer barrel<\/td>KEG<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Jun 17<\/td>Tue<\/td>7D<\/td>Word after ginger or pale<\/td>ALE<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Jun 18<\/td>Wed<\/td>45A<\/td>Brewer Coors<\/td>ADOLPH<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Jun 18<\/td>Wed<\/td>50A<\/td>Hit the pubs<\/td>BARCRAWL<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Jun 19<\/td>Thu<\/td>51A<\/td>Part of a beer name... or an instruction for answering 53-Across<\/td>ARTOIS<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Jun 22<\/td>Sun<\/td>101D<\/td>Blue Ribbon beer<\/td>PABST<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Jun 26<\/td>Thu<\/td>4A<\/td>Hoppy brew, for short<\/td>IPA<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Jun 30<\/td>Mon<\/td>16A<\/td>Certain draft picks?<\/td>ALES<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Jul 2<\/td>Wed<\/td>17A<\/td>Did you know?! The most common bar name in the U.K. is the Red Lion<\/td>PUBTRIVIA<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Jul 5<\/td>Sat<\/td>23D<\/td>They're not as sweet as porters<\/td>ALES<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Jul 12<\/td>Sat<\/td>15A<\/td>One might start fermenting in a kitchen<\/td>HOMEBREWER<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Jul 22<\/td>Tue<\/td>64A<\/td>Some hoppy drinks at happy hour, in brief<\/td>IPAS<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Jul 24<\/td>Thu<\/td>16A<\/td>It may be brown or blonde<\/td>ALE<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Jul 25<\/td>Fri<\/td>54D<\/td>It's off limits if you 59-Across (TEETOTAL)<\/td>ALE<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Aug 2<\/td>Sat<\/td>45A<\/td>European brewery with over 170 brands<\/td>HEINEKEN<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Aug 3<\/td>Sun<\/td>122A<\/td>Some draft picks<\/td>BEERS<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Aug 11<\/td>Mon<\/td>60A<\/td>Some hoppy brews, in brief<\/td>IPAS<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Aug 17<\/td>Sun<\/td>99A<\/td>Czech brew<\/td>PILSENER<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Aug 20<\/td>Wed<\/td>7D<\/td>Dutch bier<\/td>AMSTEL<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Aug 21<\/td>Thu<\/td>56A<\/td>Brew designed to survive trips to the subcontinent, in brief<\/td>IPA<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Aug 23<\/td>Sat<\/td>55A<\/td>Type of alcoholic beverage that originated in the U.K., despite its name<\/td>IPA<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Aug 26<\/td>Tue<\/td>1A<\/td>Something tapped at a bar<\/td>KEG<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Sep 4<\/td>Thu<\/td>14A<\/td>Tap it<\/td>ALE<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Sep 5<\/td>Fri<\/td>50D<\/td>Cold one<\/td>BREW<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Sep 7<\/td>Sun<\/td>57D<\/td>Bar with drafts<\/td>TAPROOM<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Sep 12<\/td>Fri<\/td>34A<\/td>Case load?<\/td>BEERS<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Sep 13<\/td>Sat<\/td>44A<\/td>Beer alternative to a 38-Down<\/td>LAGER<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Sep 13<\/td>Sat<\/td>38D<\/td>Beer alternative to a 44-Across<\/td>PORTER<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Sep 16<\/td>Tue<\/td>14A<\/td>Pub pintful<\/td>ALE<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Sep 20<\/td>Sat<\/td>13D<\/td>Drink drunk the morning after, maybe<\/td>STALEBEER<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Sep 25<\/td>Thu<\/td>48A<\/td>Bit of fraternity party headgear<\/td>BEERHAT<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Sep 28<\/td>Sun<\/td>26A<\/td>Contents of a flagon<\/td>ALE<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Sep 28<\/td>Sun<\/td>15D<\/td>Brewski<\/td>COLDONE<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Oct 1<\/td>Wed<\/td>42A<\/td>Japanese beer brand<\/td>ASAHI<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Oct 1<\/td>Wed<\/td>42D<\/td>Dutch beer brand<\/td>AMSTEL<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Oct 3<\/td>Fri<\/td>56A<\/td>Something raised during Oktoberfest<\/td>BEERTENT<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Oct 6<\/td>Mon<\/td>66A<\/td>Cold one<\/td>BEER<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Oct 11<\/td>Sat<\/td>36D<\/td>Spot to order a witbier or hefeweizen<\/td>BRAUHAUS<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Oct 15<\/td>Wed<\/td>9D<\/td>Artisanal brewers' offerings<\/td>CRAFTBEERS<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Oct 20<\/td>Mon<\/td>23A<\/td>The \"A\" of IPA<\/td>ALE<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Oct 21<\/td>Tue<\/td>60A<\/td>Pub order<\/td>ALE<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Oct 30<\/td>Thu<\/td>41D<\/td>Beer brand on \"The Simpsons\"<\/td>DUFF<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Nov 2<\/td>Sun<\/td>97A<\/td>Quarter barrel containers of beer<\/td>PONYKEGS<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Nov 4<\/td>Tue<\/td>14A<\/td>It can be blonde or brown<\/td>ALE<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Nov 5<\/td>Wed<\/td>62A<\/td>Blue Ribbon beer<\/td>PABST<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Nov 9<\/td>Sun<\/td>10A<\/td>Popular Japanese beer<\/td>ASAHI<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Nov 12<\/td>Wed<\/td>55A<\/td>Beer brand discontinued in 2021<\/td>BUDICE<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Nov 30<\/td>Sun<\/td>2A<\/td>Brooklyn Brewery's Special Effects, e.g., in brief<\/td>IPA<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Dec 2<\/td>Tue<\/td>47A<\/td>Blue Moon, for one<\/td>ALE<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Dec 3<\/td>Wed<\/td>6D<\/td>Drink that may come in a yard<\/td>ALE<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Dec 4<\/td>Thu<\/td>34D<\/td>Stein's contents<\/td>ALE<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Dec 6<\/td>Sat<\/td>5A<\/td>Winter quaffs<\/td>SPICEDALES<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Dec 9<\/td>Tue<\/td>12D<\/td>Light lager<\/td>PILSNER<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Dec 9<\/td>Tue<\/td>8D<\/td>Asahi Super Dry or Kirin Lager<\/td>RICEBEER<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Dec 16<\/td>Tue<\/td>28A<\/td>It may be blond or pale<\/td>ALE<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Dec 19<\/td>Fri<\/td>6D<\/td>Yard sale?<\/td>ALE<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Dec 24<\/td>Wed<\/td>31D<\/td>Convenient spot for a pint<\/td>CORNERPUB<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Dec 28<\/td>Sun<\/td>56D<\/td>Blue Ribbon brand<\/td>PABST<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n\n

The over-reliance on ale<\/span> and ipa<\/span> (and their plurals) has increased. They were about a quarter of last year’s references<\/a>; now it’s 40%. That kind of frequency means there’s an impossible choice between repeating the same clue over and over, or reaching for one that’s only less common because it’s not very good. ale<\/span> appeared on successive days several times \u2014 often with grim setups like ‘Pub drink’ or ‘Pub order’ \u2014 and one bleak fortnight<\/span>3<\/sup><\/a><\/span> had five of them, interspersed with two ipas<\/span>, none with great clues.<\/p>\n

Between the two of them,\u00a0ale<\/span> is taking a much greater share. That’s understandable given it’s the broader term<\/span>4<\/sup><\/a><\/span> and contains fractionally more-common letters \u2014 but they were about even in 2024. Given that I started<\/em> this endeavour by noticing that a certain kind of IPA (i.e.<\/em>, “hazy”) had achieved whatever legitimacy inclusion in the crossword bestows<\/a>, I can’t help but note that it seems to be crashing out a little. There’s only been one IPA reference in the last six months, last November;<\/span>5<\/sup><\/a><\/span> 2026 hasn’t had one yet.<\/p>\n

That said, one of the more surprising style-specific answers was ryeipa<\/span> as a ‘Malty craft beer.’ That struck me as fairly niche and under-described; my first guess was porter<\/span>, especially since the clue lacked the usual hints that an abbreviation was in the mix \u2014 like “in brief” or “for short.” Red, blonde, brown and “dark” ales were all included in various ways, and spicedales<\/span> made an appropriately seasonal December appearance. icebeer<\/span> and ricebeer<\/span> rated a mention each; the former mostly exists as catchy branding these days (though the clue alludes to a real and interesting history<\/a>), while the latter is popping up on shelves increasingly often \u2014 at least as “rice lager.” But there weren’t any debuts of new terms that seemed to signal any kind of shift in the zeitgeist, this time around.<\/p>\n

\"Screenshot<\/a>
12D: “Ones wise on Weizenbocks, perhaps” (from 28 March 2025)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Describing stalebeer<\/span> as ‘Drink drunk the morning after, maybe’ is weirdly dire. There’s an obscure old sense in which “stale beer” simply meant “aged”<\/a> (in a good way), but even if that’s way too technical for a modern crossword (and it is), why imagine someone drinking<\/em> that neglected beer rather than just finding it and throwing it away? Yikes. That weizenbock reference though? Sublime. I usually flinch from using “snobs” as a shorthand for subculture enthusiasts (except if you really do mean it as a pejorative), but here the sassy sense of “wise” has things covered. Clue of the year. The obvious choice for my title, here.<\/p>\n

Sadly, the opposite award is equally easy to assign, and takes us back to ales<\/span>. ‘They’re not as sweet as porters’? Madness. Rubbish. Nonsense. A category error akin to saying “fruits aren’t as red as tomatoes.” On the usual understanding, a porter is a kind of ale<\/span>6<\/sup><\/a><\/span> just as a tomato is a kind of fruit.<\/span>7<\/sup><\/a><\/span> And they’re not all sweet; a bracingly bitter one is about as easy to find as a green or yellow heirloom cultivar for your BLT. Besides that \u2014 and noting that hops<\/span> aren’t strictly speaking a ‘Brewer’s need’<\/a> \u2014 I feel like I have fewer factual quibbles than last year. So perhaps that’s progress.<\/p>\n

Terminology raised a few small red flags, though. They can’t decide between pilsner<\/span> and pilsener<\/span>, but that feels like a “both is fine” situation and the puzzle does reach for variant spellings when it’s convenient. Using the German word brauhaus<\/span> as the answer to ‘Spot to order a witbier or hefeweizen’ is a little odd since one of its two examples is a Belgian style.<\/span>8<\/sup><\/a><\/span> And ‘Stein’s contents’ as yet another clue for ale<\/span> feels a bit off, mixing a different German term with an Anglophone word that’s sometimes a synonym for “beer” in general, but more often used for one of its two main sub-types \u2014 and you’re more likely to see the other<\/em> one (lager) in a stein.<\/p>\n

\"Bar<\/a>
2025’s beer appearances; a little more evenly spread than 2024’s but still pretty noisy<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

About a quarter of all the beer-related clues (or their solutions) namedrop a specific brand and they range from local to international \u2014 if only Mexican, Japanese and European. Thanks to the ambiguity of the British brewery’s name<\/a>, ‘Bass output’ made for one of the more refreshing ways to get to ales<\/span>. And among mostly mass-market names, a few larger “craft” breweries also featured: Sierra Nevada, Brooklyn, and Dogfish Head \u2014 though the youngest of those was founded in 1995, so even if the puzzle-solving public is expected to keep up with new kinds<\/em> of beer occasionally<\/a>, it seems it’s been a while since a producer has graduated to that level.<\/p>\n

pabst<\/span> is easily the 2025 winner in the trademark stakes. Its five-letter name and three-consonant abbreviation (pbr<\/span>) must be very useful when trying to fill out an American-style crossword. And you can’t deny its fame, even if (according to the clues) the fact that it’s cheap is as memorable as its distinctive blue ribbon. One clue has pbr<\/span> as an ‘Alternative to Stella or Sam Adams,’ which feels like either an accidental(?) compliment or simply confused. Those are three very different propositions, not least because the latter is a brewery that makes a lot<\/em> of varieties<\/a>.<\/p>\n

And that got me thinking about the odd sense of “alternative” that popped up a few times:<\/span>9<\/sup><\/a><\/span> is an ale<\/span> really a ‘Lager alternative’? Or ipa<\/span> a ‘Porter or pilsner alternative…’? Are lager<\/span> and porter<\/span> ‘Beer alternative[s]’ to each other? (They intersected\u00a0in the Sep 13 puzzle.) Only kind of<\/em>, right? I mean, is a tomato an “alternative to” a banana? That very much depends on context. They’re gettable enough clues, I suppose, but it was a jarring new format that didn’t sit well with how I usually think about beer.<\/p>\n

Meanwhile, my 2026 spreadsheet is underway and has collected several oddities already. So let’s meet back here in a year or so for a debrief. We’ll see if IPA can stage a comeback or if the crossword really is an omen for some kind of category collapse.<\/p>\n

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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 care about) can tell us … Continue reading Ones wise on Weizenbocks \u2014 beer in the Times<\/i> crossword, 2025<\/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-29437","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":29437,"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":26266,"url":"https:\/\/philcook.net\/beerdiary\/2025\/03\/21\/beer-nytxw-2024\/","url_meta":{"origin":29437,"position":1},"title":"99 clues about beer in the Times \u2014 a 2024 crossword survey","author":"Phil","date":"March 21, 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"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\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-2024.png?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/philcook.net\/beerdiary\/wp-content\/uploads\/NYTXW-2024.png?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/philcook.net\/beerdiary\/wp-content\/uploads\/NYTXW-2024.png?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/philcook.net\/beerdiary\/wp-content\/uploads\/NYTXW-2024.png?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/philcook.net\/beerdiary\/wp-content\/uploads\/NYTXW-2024.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":29437,"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":23397,"url":"https:\/\/philcook.net\/beerdiary\/2024\/07\/12\/beeramisu-imperial-stout\/","url_meta":{"origin":29437,"position":3},"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":[]},{"id":26811,"url":"https:\/\/philcook.net\/beerdiary\/2025\/04\/23\/beer-in-games\/","url_meta":{"origin":29437,"position":4},"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":29437,"position":5},"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":[]}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/philcook.net\/beerdiary\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/29437","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=29437"}],"version-history":[{"count":120,"href":"https:\/\/philcook.net\/beerdiary\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/29437\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":29620,"href":"https:\/\/philcook.net\/beerdiary\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/29437\/revisions\/29620"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/philcook.net\/beerdiary\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=29437"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/philcook.net\/beerdiary\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=29437"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/philcook.net\/beerdiary\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=29437"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}