My eyes are watering now, stinging from the cold and wind. A brief moment more, and the doors of the Glacier Brewhouse beckon with amicable hospitality.

For many, spring marks the season of sacrifice �Ea time when devout Christians make a vow to give up a special indulgence for Lent. Often, that indulgence is beer.

Totally devoid of light, the rich black body stands encased in a robe of darkness, momentarily shimmering with mahogany hues as the persistent aficionado searches for a glimmer of color beneath its tawny, tan head.

Garrett Oliver of Brooklyn Brewery is internationally recognized as an expert in traditional beer styles and food-beer pairings. In The Brewmaster´s Table - Discovering the Pleasures of Real Beer with Real Food, he entertains the beer lover with his passion for epicurean pleasure.

This year, at the 25th Great American Beer Festival 2006, a coupling of forces catapulted both commercial brewer and AHA brewer to the heights of beer Nirvana.

In a glassed-in haven in the center of the festival floor, beer enthusiasts can take a break while observing the most well-versed beer chefs, brewmasters and authors as they teach about what works.

As I was paging through my little black journal, I came across a list of impressions I had noted at some point during that week - probably on the day I judged 55 beers.

The Great American Beer Festival 2008 Photo Gallery – Winners Circle showcases some of the extraordinary accomplishments that emerge within the very dedicated community of professional brewing.

Photos from the Beer and Food Pavilion will pique your appetite to explore the adventure and creativity that is possible when exquisite food is merged with fine beer.

On the North side of the River Thames, a slate footpath, dotted with hitching posts on the far end, leads the curious pub-seeker through a lapse in time, into a narrow alleyway of classic brownstone and stucco.