Beer Here:When the 26th Great American Beer Festival came to its noisy close Saturday night in Denver, the granddaddy of American beer events had chalked up another set of records.

Beer Here:It's strange that the Triangle has become such a hot region for craft beer sales, and yet has been home to only three brewing businesses recently -- and none in thirsty Durham.

Beer Here:In your refrigerator, are there any unusual beers, anything besides mainstream light lagers?

Beer Here:Earlier this summer, I found myself at a table in a small room in Montreal with a collection of beer experts.

Beer Here:Back in the bad old days before North Carolina beer laws were modernized, there was a theory floating around -- OK, I was probably the only one floating it -- that operating under legal and cultural constraints had actually inspired our state's beer enthusiasts to greater excellence.

Beer Here:One of the best-known beer chefs in the country settled in North Carolina a couple of years ago, but I had to travel clear to Canada to meet him and sample his fare.

Beer Here:Where I grew up, we called it "barbecue." This was a verb that described an activity pursued by suburban dads in the summertime.

Beer Here:Call it The Mouse That Roared. Or The Little Engine That Could. It's American craft beer, and it keeps chugging along each year at a healthier clip than bigger players.

Beer Here:The hallmark of modern brewing is the brewer's control over the brewing process, especially which sort of microorganisms get into the beer.

Beer Here:Travelers don't usually end up in airport hotels as a first choice. At best, these hotels offer luxury without character, divorced from any local reference.

Beer Here:Call it The Little Engine That Could. Or The Mouse That Roared. It's the American craft beer industry, which keeps chugging along each year at a healthier clip than bigger players.

Beer Here:Starting in the 1970s, two businesses -- one on the East Coast and one on the West --paved the way for the American beer revolution by introducing American drinkers to a handful of rare European beers.

Julie Johnson Bradford:Imagine Goliath taking David into a business partnership. That would be about as stunning as the news in the beer world that mighty Anheuser-Busch, brewer of Budweiser, will soon be distributing a Czech beer in the United States.