San Diego, with its mild climate and relaxed attitude was new to me. The delicate fragrance of roses, growing in abundance around the Town & Country Resort, took a back seat to the mild aroma of fresh beer.

Natalie DeChico could pass as the poster girl for all that is right about beer. As her reign as Philly Beer Geek 2011 rolls into its final weeks, she has added a surge of creativity to a year filled with accomplishments.

A cemetery may seem like an odd place to have a beer event, but in Philadelphia beer has earned a position of respect.

Every welcome sign of spring tells me it’s time to get out the gas-fired smoker. Smoking food takes a little longer than using a grill, but the results can be juicy and satisfying.

Here's a little primer that lays the seven deadly sins of beer on the line.

If it were possible to ride the wind, Urbain Coutteau of de Struise Brouwers in Belgium would be there, straddling it like a cowboy, enroute to fields made of gold and spices. It is apparent in the way he brews.