Joshua M. Bernstein

Columbus

Contributing Editor at SevenFifty Daily

Journalist. Dad. I write stories and books. The tenth anniversary (!) edition of The Complete Beer Course is out now. (https://t.co/VPYQAyzSPA).

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Articles

The Cutting-Edge Ingredients Making IPAs More Pungent Than Ever

1 day ago | vinepair.com | Joshua M. Bernstein

On a recent weeknight, I asked my wife to smell my beer. She sized me up with a skeptical side-eye, stepping back. “I swear, this isn’t a pull-my-finger prank,” I said, cracking open a tall, trophy-gold can of Hazicus Maximus, a new double IPA from Lagunitas Brewing in Petaluma, Calif. “Just one sniff.” She warily accepted the can and inhaled deeply, her eyes widening with each whiff of dank grapefruit — like smoking high-grade cannabis in a Florida citrus grove.
5 Good Reasons to Save Money on Store-Brand Beer-from Costco to Trader Joe’s

1 week ago | wsj.com | Joshua M. Bernstein

The price is certainly right, and chains have gotten serious about their private-label beers. These are the cans to stock your fridge with now. Grocery shoppers regularly buy store-brand cereal to save several bucks, but for many, private-label beer seems a step too far. It’s understandable, said Arlin Zajmi, director of national buying for adult beverages at the discount grocer Aldi: “In the past, from a private-label perspective, many retailers focused on price and forgot about quality.
How Costco’s Kirkland Signature Beer Finally Hit the Mark

1 week ago | wsj.com | Joshua M. Bernstein

By Joshua M. Bernstein / Photography by Elizabeth Coetzee April 16, 2025 7:00 pm ETDuring a recent Costco run, I filled an oversize shopping cart with my family’s favorite bulk buys. Pirate’s Booty for my daughter. Protein powder for my wife. For me? I wheeled to the beer aisle and grabbed a 12-pack of Kirkland Signature Helles-Style Lager, a Costco-only release by Deschutes Brewery of Bend, Ore. Copyright ©2025 Dow Jones & Company, Inc. All Rights Reserved. 87990cbe856818d5eddac44c7b1cdeb8
3 new spots to drink this spring: Sweeney's, Campfire Brewing and Firefly Winery

2 weeks ago | dispatch.com | Joshua M. Bernstein

Joshua M. BernsteinSeveral new bars, breweries and wineries have recently opened in and around Columbus. These new establishments offer a variety of experiences, from cozy taverns to family-friendly breweries. Many of these businesses focus on creating a sense of community and providing a place for people to gather. If you hibernated this winter, you may have missed a compelling crop of bars, breweries and wineries taking root in and around Columbus.
Three New Spots to Drink This Spring: Sweeney's, Campfire Brewing and Firefly Winery

3 weeks ago | columbusmonthly.com | Joshua M. Bernstein

If you hibernated this winter, you may have missed a compelling crop of bars, breweries and wineries taking root in and around Columbus. These fresh concepts are creating new ways to gather and unwind. Here’s where to say cheers this spring. Sweeney’s Walnut Street TavernThe friendliest bars feel like you’re hanging out inside someone’s home.
Drafting a Solution: Inside the Dirty World of Cleaning Tap Lines

4 weeks ago | craftbeer.com | Joshua M. Bernstein

As the owner and operator of the gloriously named Draft Punk, a Seattle company that installs and cleans draught systems, Ryan Downey is overly familiar with filth. (Ed. note: Our house style uses “draught” instead of “draft.” The two terms have the same definition and pronunciation. We like to keep it olde school.)During calls to restaurants, bars, and taprooms, he’s found evidence of rats chomping through insulation to build nests or gnawing tap lines to lap up sugary beer.
What Happened to Magic Hat #9?

1 month ago | vinepair.com | Joshua M. Bernstein

It’s shocking to hear about an old friend’s supposed death on Reddit. A couple months ago, coffee in hand, I found myself reading about the purported end of Magic Hat’s flagship beer, the apricot-scented pale ale #9. According to the post, the brand’s parent company, FIFCO USA, was ceasing production of the trailblazer born in Burlington, Vt., in the mid-1990s. The brand and its psychedelic aesthetics helped introduce generations of New England beer drinkers to flavorful beer.
Nonalcoholic Beer Is Becoming Essential to the Success of Breweries

1 month ago | imbibemagazine.com | Joshua M. Bernstein

Enter Two Frays Brewery’s cozy Pittsburgh taproom on the first Monday of any month, and it might take some minutes to figure out what’s missing. The neighborhood brewery will hum with chatty customers, cheerful bartenders filling pints with dark porters and aromatic IPAs—a lively scene found at taprooms far and wide. The buzz obscures the fact that customers aren’t visiting Two Frays to get one.
Craft breweries in Columbus: Where to find food, what to drink and more

2 months ago | dispatch.com | Joshua M. Bernstein

There are dozens of breweries and taprooms around greater Columbus. A beer expert shares where to start in this guide to the region’s craft brewing scene and its continuing evolution. Joshua M. Bernstein | Columbus MonthlyShow Caption Hide Caption What is a pilsner? How the lager type differs from alesHere's what makes pilsners stand out. The frigid doldrums of January and February are not boom times for most brewery taprooms.
Perk Up With These 5 Coffee-Infused Columbus Beers

2 months ago | columbusmonthly.com | Joshua M. Bernstein

In Columbus, it’s tough to launch a latté without hitting a beer infused with coffee. The trend began percolating in 2015 when Chris Davison, then the head brewer at Wolf’s Ridge Brewing, infused the brewery’s golden cream ale with both vanilla and One Line Coffee beans, creating a golden beer with an unexpectedly roasty fragrance. “There’s this element of wondrous surprise built in,” Davison has said.