Happy Valentine’s Day! My valentine and I celebrated by making a delicious soup, bouillabaisse, full of lobster, clams, mussels, cod, and scallops. I paired it with a Saison Dupont, an uncommonly delicious farmhouse ale. Bon appetite!

On this very cold February Saturday, curl up in your favorite corner, crack open an interesting brew (might I suggest a Saison Dupont), and ponder these craft beer reads.

The Daily Beast, Can Craft Beer Survive the Hard Seltzer Craze? While visiting a local beer and wine store this summer, I asked what the latest craft beer trend was. The guy behind the counter said that sale of craft beer has dropped by 1/2, thanks to hard seltzer. Apparently, hard seltzer has shook the craft beer world to its foundation. Let’s hope my favorite beverage remains strong.

Wine Enthusiast, A Completely Serious Guide to Pairing Craft Beer with the Whitman’s Sampler. I recently read that pairing wine and food is so different for each individual as to be almost pointless. I do not believe that. I have had some success pairing beers with food based on common qualities, e.g. (chocolate beer and chocolate cake) or compliments of completely different tastes (Taddy Porter with scallops). That being said, these Whitman’s Sampler pairings seem ridiculous. Your thoughts?

NPR, Beer Waste Helps Montana Town Save Money On Water Treatment. Thanks to alert reader, John, for passing along this article about craft beer innovation.

MEL, The Science of Drinking Beer After a Workout — MEL Magazine. Call me skeptical.

Cheers!

Warren