Drinking Undercover
BeerAdvocate magazine|#127 (August 2017)

It all has an air of film noir: You enter the brewery tasting room, order a beer, and settle in. Inconspicuously, you note everything that’s going on around you: how the beer is poured, how the glassware is handled, how you and others are treated by the staff.

Lisa Morrison
Drinking Undercover

But that’s a day in the life of a Secret Hopper—a decidedly beery twist on the secret shopper, someone who acts like a typical customer to report back to the client about their experience.

This story is from the #127 (August 2017) edition of BeerAdvocate magazine.

Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.

This story is from the #127 (August 2017) edition of BeerAdvocate magazine.

Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.

MORE STORIES FROM BEERADVOCATE MAGAZINEView All
Scientists Sequence Complete Barley Genome
BeerAdvocate magazine

Scientists Sequence Complete Barley Genome

After more than 10 years of research, the complete barley genome has been sequenced by a consortium of researchers from 11 countries.

time-read
1 min  |
#126 (July 2017)
Beer On Wheels
BeerAdvocate magazine

Beer On Wheels

What arrives on three wheels, keeps your kegs cold, and pours fresh beer out of two taps on its side? The Coaster Beer Trike.

time-read
1 min  |
#126 (July 2017)
Aftermath Pale - Ale Black Market Brewing
BeerAdvocate magazine

Aftermath Pale - Ale Black Market Brewing

The zombie apocalypse might be a product of contemporary culture, but for Randy Mosher, “red-sky dreams of The End at night” lingered for many years.

time-read
1 min  |
#126 (July 2017)
Strength in Numbers
BeerAdvocate magazine

Strength in Numbers

Will Mergers Help Small Breweries Compete with Big Beer.

time-read
3 mins  |
#116 (September 2016)
Far from the Field
BeerAdvocate magazine

Far from the Field

Downtown Breweries Embrace Urban Farmhouse Beer.

time-read
9 mins  |
#116 (September 2016)
Cast In Stone
BeerAdvocate magazine

Cast In Stone

Brewers Experiment with Equipment that Has Winemaking Origins.

time-read
4 mins  |
#115 (August 2016)
The Dram Shop
BeerAdvocate magazine

The Dram Shop

As a creative writing major, former touring musician, and the son of two entrepreneurs, it was only a matter of time until Zach Millar started an interesting business of his own. After spending 11 years at Missoula’s Big Sky Brewing, first in the taproom, then as a distribution manager for the brewery’s 26-state wholesaler network, he decided to apply his skills to the only one of the three tiers he hadn’t dipped his toes into. The Dram Shop was born.

time-read
2 mins  |
#115 (August 2016)
Lucy Session Sour - Indeed Brewing Company
BeerAdvocate magazine

Lucy Session Sour - Indeed Brewing Company

While bars and beer gardens in Europe are typically child-friendly, in the US, many of these businesses remain for adults only. At Indeed, however, kids are welcome in the taproom, and the brewery sells soda and sparkling water in addition to ales and lagers. The only rule? Minors must be accompanied by a parent or guardian after 8 p.m.

time-read
2 mins  |
#124 (May 2017)
Tiffany Fixter & Tanner Schneller - Founder and Head Brewer, Brewability Lab
BeerAdvocate magazine

Tiffany Fixter & Tanner Schneller - Founder and Head Brewer, Brewability Lab

Tiffany Fixter, a special education teacher with a master’s degree from the University of Kansas in autism spectrum disorders, moved to Denver to run a day program for adults with special needs.

time-read
2 mins  |
#124 (May 2017)
Feral Ones
BeerAdvocate magazine

Feral Ones

The Unlikely Origins of Firestone Walker’s Barrelworks.

time-read
10+ mins  |
#122 (March 2017)