Phil Cook
@beerdiary.bsky.social
Beer diarist (at philcook.net), bartender, and various beer industry miscellany for a decade and counting. Continually disappointed optimist. He/him.
From: Te Whanganui-a-Tara / Wellington
Recently: Naarm / Melbourne
Now: Nacotchtank land / Washington DC
From: Te Whanganui-a-Tara / Wellington
Recently: Naarm / Melbourne
Now: Nacotchtank land / Washington DC
Pinned
Phil Cook
@beerdiary.bsky.social
· Oct 15
It's officially¹ Shandy On A Rooftop Season.
1: I mean, I say so. An excellent day wandering around a warm Melbourne has put me in the mood to declare it, and I'm claiming the authority. Any objections? Didn't think so.
1: I mean, I say so. An excellent day wandering around a warm Melbourne has put me in the mood to declare it, and I'm claiming the authority. Any objections? Didn't think so.
Reposted by Phil Cook
Can we talk about the software industry's weird refusal to use the word "no"?
DELETE EVERY FILE YOU'VE EVER CREATED? "YES / NOT NOW"
DO YOU WANT US TO SEND RUDE EMAILS TO YOUR MUM? "YES / MAYBE LATER"
THERE'S A MAN BEHIND YOU WITH A RED-HOT POKER "GOT IT"
DELETE EVERY FILE YOU'VE EVER CREATED? "YES / NOT NOW"
DO YOU WANT US TO SEND RUDE EMAILS TO YOUR MUM? "YES / MAYBE LATER"
THERE'S A MAN BEHIND YOU WITH A RED-HOT POKER "GOT IT"
February 5, 2026 at 7:14 PM
Can we talk about the software industry's weird refusal to use the word "no"?
DELETE EVERY FILE YOU'VE EVER CREATED? "YES / NOT NOW"
DO YOU WANT US TO SEND RUDE EMAILS TO YOUR MUM? "YES / MAYBE LATER"
THERE'S A MAN BEHIND YOU WITH A RED-HOT POKER "GOT IT"
DELETE EVERY FILE YOU'VE EVER CREATED? "YES / NOT NOW"
DO YOU WANT US TO SEND RUDE EMAILS TO YOUR MUM? "YES / MAYBE LATER"
THERE'S A MAN BEHIND YOU WITH A RED-HOT POKER "GOT IT"
Reposted by Phil Cook
I'm starting a series of pub dartboard reviews! First edition. The Bell:
fredcook.co.uk/2026/02/03/T...
fredcook.co.uk/2026/02/03/T...
🔔 Pub Dartboard Review - The Bell · Fred Cook
fredcook.co.uk
February 4, 2026 at 10:16 AM
I'm starting a series of pub dartboard reviews! First edition. The Bell:
fredcook.co.uk/2026/02/03/T...
fredcook.co.uk/2026/02/03/T...
A very fun @99pi.org episode here on the unfairly-maligned Em Dash — easily my second-favourite punctuation mark — covering its usage, history, and recent spurious association with slop.
The Em Dash - 99% Invisible
Last summer, Bryan Vance found himself in an argument with a stranger on Reddit. Vance, a Portland-based journalist who runs Stumptown Savings, a newsletter covering local grocery deals, had been accu...
99percentinvisible.org
February 4, 2026 at 7:37 PM
A very fun @99pi.org episode here on the unfairly-maligned Em Dash — easily my second-favourite punctuation mark — covering its usage, history, and recent spurious association with slop.
Reposted by Phil Cook
Thanks, Brewer's Art. We had a blast!
I wrote a piece regarding their closure.
#BrewersArt #Baltimore #brewpub #Resurrection #craftbeer #beer #brewery
I wrote a piece regarding their closure.
#BrewersArt #Baltimore #brewpub #Resurrection #craftbeer #beer #brewery
Bye-bye, B.A. – An obituary for a brewpub
Their bar stools worked their magic. Their interior design made them unique, and very attractive to a wide range of audiences. I was only actively part of two of their thirty years in existence, but they have been a small part of my identity for half of their life. On February 2, 2026, unexpectedly, The Brewer's Art in Baltimore decided to permanently close their doors.
tasteofcraftbeer.wordpress.com
February 3, 2026 at 1:33 PM
Thanks, Brewer's Art. We had a blast!
I wrote a piece regarding their closure.
#BrewersArt #Baltimore #brewpub #Resurrection #craftbeer #beer #brewery
I wrote a piece regarding their closure.
#BrewersArt #Baltimore #brewpub #Resurrection #craftbeer #beer #brewery
Reposted by Phil Cook
"Stick to sports" is the ur-text here but "stick to beer" is all that and more, because the booze trade exists within a highly politicized regulatory framework that is being constantly being renegotiated by powerful public and private institutions. It is *the embodiment* of politics!
Do people not understand how alcohol is not immune from politics?!
February 2, 2026 at 8:11 PM
"Stick to sports" is the ur-text here but "stick to beer" is all that and more, because the booze trade exists within a highly politicized regulatory framework that is being constantly being renegotiated by powerful public and private institutions. It is *the embodiment* of politics!
Reposted by Phil Cook
Wrote a brief note to free readers about this, the upshot being hope you'll upgrade, but more importantly hope that if you have a problem with my approach to opinion journalism you'll get the fuck off my list:
![Beer, wine, and liquor are all exceptional in many ways. But they are not exempt from the forces that shape the country. To pretend otherwise is a category error, and people/companies that ignore that reality, do so at their peril. Just ask Anheuser-Busch InBev, which is just now clawing its way back to baseline after sleepwalking into the Bud Light fiasco earlier this decade. Naturally, you never hear these same commenters screech when right-wing pander-brands explicitly embrace politics as a marketing strategy. Funny, that.
I’ve never been coy about my approach to journalism. For years, I’ve described Fingers as “an independent newsletter about drinking in America […] about how, what, and why we drink—and the money, power, and politics that shape the answers to those questions.” Put another way: I will never, ever “stick to beer.”](https://cdn.bsky.app/img/feed_thumbnail/plain/did:plc:7keeiuhmqfxim42c6tibwvzw/bafkreihqr742ls65kg3vv2awb54hg3oj4otvnpr7wgamnezwsbz7t7fsna@jpeg)
February 2, 2026 at 8:07 PM
Wrote a brief note to free readers about this, the upshot being hope you'll upgrade, but more importantly hope that if you have a problem with my approach to opinion journalism you'll get the fuck off my list:
Reposted by Phil Cook
Reposted by Phil Cook
New Blog Post! Where I once again get lost in the backwoods of pedantry with just my torch of self-rightousness to guide me out ...
That Bass Pale Ale Label - Why It Wasn't the First Trade Mark Registered in the UK
There is an enduring story that Bass’s Red Triangle was the first registered trade mark in the United Kingdom in 1876 – and with 2026 being the 150th
beerfoodtravel.blogspot.com
January 27, 2026 at 2:56 PM
New Blog Post! Where I once again get lost in the backwoods of pedantry with just my torch of self-rightousness to guide me out ...
Reposted by Phil Cook
Our January newsletter is a pep talk: you – yes, you! – should write about beer and pubs.
boakandbailey.substack.com/p/you-should...
boakandbailey.substack.com/p/you-should...
You should start writing about beer and pubs
There’s always room for more people visiting pubs, drinking beer, and sharing their thoughts and observations.
boakandbailey.substack.com
January 27, 2026 at 9:40 AM
Our January newsletter is a pep talk: you – yes, you! – should write about beer and pubs.
boakandbailey.substack.com/p/you-should...
boakandbailey.substack.com/p/you-should...
Reposted by Phil Cook
Realised I haven’t done shill post for coshop.nz, my food startup co-op platform, which just kicked off this year!
If you’re in Wellington check it out.
Newtown, Miramar, Haitaitai and Berhampore coming onboard from next week!
Peaches 🍑 at $3.31/kg! 👀
If you’re in Wellington check it out.
Newtown, Miramar, Haitaitai and Berhampore coming onboard from next week!
Peaches 🍑 at $3.31/kg! 👀
$15 on average for a dozen of free range eggs?!
We sell them in the food coop for $8.60 a dozen 😵💫
We sell them in the food coop for $8.60 a dozen 😵💫
January 25, 2026 at 6:35 AM
Realised I haven’t done shill post for coshop.nz, my food startup co-op platform, which just kicked off this year!
If you’re in Wellington check it out.
Newtown, Miramar, Haitaitai and Berhampore coming onboard from next week!
Peaches 🍑 at $3.31/kg! 👀
If you’re in Wellington check it out.
Newtown, Miramar, Haitaitai and Berhampore coming onboard from next week!
Peaches 🍑 at $3.31/kg! 👀
Reposted by Phil Cook
The AI Slop is winning.
The AI Slop is winning
YouTube video by Tweedy Misc
www.youtube.com
January 24, 2026 at 3:54 AM
The AI Slop is winning.
Reposted by Phil Cook
Our idea for a low ABV ‘boilermaker’ - Stoup Brewing’s 3.3% Quibble Dark Mild (left) and 11% Sticks and Stones BBL-Aged Stout (right, duh).
#beer #photography #blackandwhite #seattle #washington
#beer #photography #blackandwhite #seattle #washington
January 23, 2026 at 11:41 PM
Our idea for a low ABV ‘boilermaker’ - Stoup Brewing’s 3.3% Quibble Dark Mild (left) and 11% Sticks and Stones BBL-Aged Stout (right, duh).
#beer #photography #blackandwhite #seattle #washington
#beer #photography #blackandwhite #seattle #washington
This is an excellent illustration of the sadly declining relevance of the Hottest 100 Beers survey. Brewery participation is plummeting in Australia — and in New Zealand, it seems only sixteen (16!) have entered this year.
A Prelude to Predictions for the GABS Hottest 100 Craft Beers of 2025
A data-driven prelude to my GABS Hottest 100 2025 predictions. Participation is down, entries are tighter, and I’ve identified which 2024 Top 100 breweries are missing.
www.beerreflections.com.au
January 21, 2026 at 8:39 PM
This is an excellent illustration of the sadly declining relevance of the Hottest 100 Beers survey. Brewery participation is plummeting in Australia — and in New Zealand, it seems only sixteen (16!) have entered this year.
Reposted by Phil Cook
And, for anyone like me who is a New Zealander living overseas, if you have been back to NZ at any point in the last 3 years, you are eligible to enrol and vote in this election
(the extension of this provision to 6 years was for the 2023 election *only*)
(the extension of this provision to 6 years was for the 2023 election *only*)
As the date for Election 2026 has been announced (November 7), now is a good time to check if you are enrolled to vote, and to update your details if needed. vote.nz/enrolling/en... #election #decision2026 #nzPol
Enrol or update online
Enrol to vote or check and update your enrolment details. Get ready to have your say in New Zealand’s elections and referendums.
vote.nz
January 21, 2026 at 5:48 AM
And, for anyone like me who is a New Zealander living overseas, if you have been back to NZ at any point in the last 3 years, you are eligible to enrol and vote in this election
(the extension of this provision to 6 years was for the 2023 election *only*)
(the extension of this provision to 6 years was for the 2023 election *only*)
Reposted by Phil Cook
Aurora moments, captured last night from The Horn at Mount Buffalo, on Taungurung country.
She was a big one! Often easily visible to the naked-eye. It was all so magical.
📷 Sony a7RIV with 14mm f1.8 GM lens.
She was a big one! Often easily visible to the naked-eye. It was all so magical.
📷 Sony a7RIV with 14mm f1.8 GM lens.
January 21, 2026 at 12:08 AM
Aurora moments, captured last night from The Horn at Mount Buffalo, on Taungurung country.
She was a big one! Often easily visible to the naked-eye. It was all so magical.
📷 Sony a7RIV with 14mm f1.8 GM lens.
She was a big one! Often easily visible to the naked-eye. It was all so magical.
📷 Sony a7RIV with 14mm f1.8 GM lens.
Interesting discussion on a post about a NZ brewery seeking a bailout from its existing crowdfunding backers. Some of it is admittedly fairly 'inside baseball' but it's always worth observing that while a lot of beer's troubles are macroeconomic, other problems are very specific to each company.
From the auckland community on Reddit: Behemoth Brewing ask shareholders for more cash to pay debts
Explore this post and more from the auckland community
www.reddit.com
January 16, 2026 at 8:41 PM
Interesting discussion on a post about a NZ brewery seeking a bailout from its existing crowdfunding backers. Some of it is admittedly fairly 'inside baseball' but it's always worth observing that while a lot of beer's troubles are macroeconomic, other problems are very specific to each company.
Reposted by Phil Cook
This is the sort if meme that gets my group chat howling, if you ever wanted to know exactly what type of nerd I am.
January 16, 2026 at 2:35 AM
This is the sort if meme that gets my group chat howling, if you ever wanted to know exactly what type of nerd I am.
Reposted by Phil Cook
This week's 2000AD has co-opted The Bridge Tavern in Newcastle for the ancient goddess of northern England.
January 15, 2026 at 11:32 AM
This week's 2000AD has co-opted The Bridge Tavern in Newcastle for the ancient goddess of northern England.
I think if a "beverage data intelligence firm" tells you that Dampfbier has "21% awareness" — and thinks the only bars worth talking about are "Tequila bars" — then you can assume that their sense of this year's beer trends is completely worthless. (Thanks(?) to @will.craftypint.com for the link.)
Three beer trends for 2026 - Beer & Brewer
Global food and beverage data intelligence firm, Datassential, has outlined three key beer trends for the coming year.
www.beerandbrewer.com
January 15, 2026 at 3:27 AM
I think if a "beverage data intelligence firm" tells you that Dampfbier has "21% awareness" — and thinks the only bars worth talking about are "Tequila bars" — then you can assume that their sense of this year's beer trends is completely worthless. (Thanks(?) to @will.craftypint.com for the link.)
Reposted by Phil Cook
Best TikTok thing going is the two dudes trying food from every country without leaving NYC. If you haven’t seen them yet, it’s incredible. My favorite so far is last week’s. Legit got me emotional.
January 9, 2026 at 1:50 AM
Best TikTok thing going is the two dudes trying food from every country without leaving NYC. If you haven’t seen them yet, it’s incredible. My favorite so far is last week’s. Legit got me emotional.
Incidentally, I knew two of these because of contributions to the "beer in art and fiction" round of The Session which I hosted last year. (Although, ironically, I never finished my piece for the "pub trivia" theme which followed it. I should do that, nevermind the long-gone deadline.)
January 6, 2026 at 9:38 PM
Incidentally, I knew two of these because of contributions to the "beer in art and fiction" round of The Session which I hosted last year. (Although, ironically, I never finished my piece for the "pub trivia" theme which followed it. I should do that, nevermind the long-gone deadline.)
As with a lot of "pub etiquette" problems, it's up to the staff. Which means it's up to owners and managers to make them feel empowered to tactfully and tactically intervene; to stop the inconsiderate one (or few) ruining the experience of others. Part of "hospitality" is drawing a line like that.
BLOG POST: No, don't put your mate on speaker in the pub. What are you doing? Why are you doing that? What is *wrong* with you?
boakandbailey.com/2026/01/ill-...
boakandbailey.com/2026/01/ill-...
I’ll put you on speaker, mate
Why on earth do people in pubs keep using their phones in speaker mode? And how do we stop it happening?
boakandbailey.com
January 6, 2026 at 9:33 PM
As with a lot of "pub etiquette" problems, it's up to the staff. Which means it's up to owners and managers to make them feel empowered to tactfully and tactically intervene; to stop the inconsiderate one (or few) ruining the experience of others. Part of "hospitality" is drawing a line like that.
Reposted by Phil Cook
THE MUPPET SHOW could take an obscure album cut by Harry Chapin & use it to explore character, here building on Scooter’s insecurity while also delivering the show’s underlying ethos about these characters having each other’s backs, & the unifying nature of art.
January 5, 2026 at 12:18 AM
THE MUPPET SHOW could take an obscure album cut by Harry Chapin & use it to explore character, here building on Scooter’s insecurity while also delivering the show’s underlying ethos about these characters having each other’s backs, & the unifying nature of art.
From the beer-in-quiz-culture file: an excellent little set of bonuses on "Beer in Fine Art" on a recent episode of University Challenge.
University Challenge Christmas 2025 - Exeter College, Oxford v Trinity Hall, Cambridge
YouTube video by CosmicPumpkin
youtu.be
January 1, 2026 at 6:44 PM
From the beer-in-quiz-culture file: an excellent little set of bonuses on "Beer in Fine Art" on a recent episode of University Challenge.
I'm always going to +1 a Steinlager recommendation. (And, honestly, the rest of it sounds pretty great too.)
December 31, 2025 at 12:19 AM
I'm always going to +1 a Steinlager recommendation. (And, honestly, the rest of it sounds pretty great too.)