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Editors’ Picks: From Foraging to Infusing (But Don’t Forget the Snacks)

Here are four recent finds that will help you to make better beer—or to better enjoy it, with snacks.

Jamie Bogner Oct 9, 2022 - 3 min read

Editors’ Picks: From Foraging to Infusing (But Don’t Forget the Snacks) Primary Image

Photo: Jamie Bogner

The Botany of Beer

by Giuseppe Caruso, $34.95, cup.columbia.edu

Beautifully illustrated and thoroughly researched, The Botany of Beer is a an absolute must for any brewer’s library. In 600-plus pages, Caruso (a PhD botanist and college professor) exhaustively catalogues the plant kingdom, referencing past uses of plants in beers and brewing literature, while outlining potential beer-style applications and functional traits of the plant itself. The foreward by Scratch Brewing’s Marika Josephson says it all: “The book you have in your hands is the book I wish we’d had 10 years ago.” If you enjoy brewing with foraged or natural ingredients, this book is essential.

Alchemy Hopp Sauce

Single bottle $12.95, three-pack $38.85, alchemypeppers.com

Hot sauce, meet Hopp Sauce. This trio of hop- infused flavor enhancers unites two of our favorite things—spicy peppers and new-school American hops—in a delicious package. The three varieties span the heat gamut, from mild jalapeño and Citra to medium Fresno and Simcoe to hot Scotch bonnet and Mosaic. The hops come across a bit grassy and herbal in the context of the sauce, but the sauces lead with flavor before settling into heat, giving you some pleasure with the sweet, sweet pain.

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Boozy Jerky

Single bag $6, flight of three $18, boozyjerky.com

Jerky might be the perfect snack while drinking (who needs extra carbs when you get plenty from the beer?), and with six varieties that run from sweet to peppery to full-on hot pepper, Boozy Jerky has all your noshing needs covered. The flavors are well-constructed, and the handy pairing guide on each flavor is a great place to start.

Growler Bro Mini Beer Infuser

$16.99, find a retailer at bouncer.beer

Dosing beer with ingredients—whether that’s coconut, cacao nibs, herbal tea, or other types of herbs—is increasingly popular with craft brewers, but doing it on a smaller scale has generally been a messy endeavor. The infusion specialists at Bouncer have taken what they’ve learned building inline filters and infusers for professional brewhouses and scaled that way down to a size that will fit through the neck of a growler. The tube features silicone stoppers on both ends, for ease in cleaning, and the 250-micron screen lets liquid through while keeping your microdose of ingredients safely inside. Just be cautious about technique when using it, as it will bring along plenty of oxygen if you don’t purge before filling. Whether trialing dry hops or creating a one-off growler for friends, the Growler Bro is a sanitary and functional way to dose your beer.

Jamie Bogner is the cofounder and editorial director of Craft Beer & Brewing Magazine®. Email him at [email protected].

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