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Alistair Reece

@velkyal.bsky.social

390 followers 350 following 370 posts

Scot living in the VA Piedmont. Corbynite, Mitteleuropaphile. Unbashed lager boy. Hiker, gardener, reader, writer, gourmand, all round fascinated by the world and life. Twin dad. Author of "Virginia Cider: A Scrumptious History" - https://a.co/d/8fVpwcZ

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Alistair Reece @velkyal.bsky.social · Nov 13

Influx of new followers, so introductions...

VelkyAl, "Big Al", was a nickname when I lived in Prague & it stuck.

Blog at fuggled.net about #beer, #homebrewing, and #beerhistory. I write for @pelliclemag.bsky.social sometimes.

Oh, my book is "Virginia Cider: A Scrumptious History", link in bio.

fuggled.net

Alistair Reece @velkyal.bsky.social · 5h

An honorable mention from @nagbw.bsky.social for "Virginia Cider: A Scrumptious History"!!

Look at the folks that placed though...I am thrilled beyond words!

List of awardees for the Best Other Beverage Reporting category at the 2025 North American Guild of Beer Writers awards.

Alistair Reece @velkyal.bsky.social · 6h

Had to look up the date, what on earth is with this timeline??

Alistair Reece @velkyal.bsky.social · 17h

Judged objectively, Devils Backbone are still one of the best breweries in Virginia, and Jason Oliver is an amazing brewer.

Alistair Reece @velkyal.bsky.social · 17h

As usual, the doctrinally pure of VA's craft beer community are pointedly ignoring the fact that Devils Backbone won multiple medals at #GABF, just as they did with this year's World Beer Cup results, just as they did with last year's GABF...you get the picture.

Alistair Reece @velkyal.bsky.social · 5d

A very young Carra?

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Alistair Reece @velkyal.bsky.social · 5d

Dominic Matteo.

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Alistair Reece @velkyal.bsky.social · 6d

Do love a Yarlington Mill cider, that leathery character is stunning.

Alistair Reece @velkyal.bsky.social · 11d

Glorious from @craftbeerchannel.bsky.social about @teamutopian.bsky.social - wish they were available in VA.

Love the bit showing the difference decoction makes, staggering there are still folks that believe it is unnecessary, dafties all of them.

Go watch, get thirsty.

youtu.be/H1HRhgPf5lw?...

Utopian Brewery changed how we think about British ingredients.

YouTube video by The Craft Beer Channel

youtu.be

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Alistair Reece @velkyal.bsky.social · 12d

New post on #Fuggled, no, really.

Another Old Friends post, this time revisiting the height of 90s beery cool, Boddingtons.

www.fuggled.net/2025/09/old-...

#beer

Old Friends: Boddingtons Pub Ale

a blog about beer, pubs and homebrewing. Based in Charlottesville but with a view of the world.

www.fuggled.net

Reposted by Alistair Reece

Evan Rail @evanrail.bsky.social · 18d

All-foam mlíko pours got trendy in craft beer circles. But now feels like the right time for řezané pivo, the Czech special pour layering dark and pale lagers. It’s perfect for fall.

(Illustration: 3 mugs of striped řezané pivo.)

vinepair.com/articles/rez...

After Mlíko, Could This Traditional Czech Beer Pour Be the Next Big Thing?

First came mlíko, which gave us “milk tubes,” “mlíko bombs,” and other variations on the all-foam beer serve. With bars and taprooms looking for new ways to attract customers, will the two-beer mix kn...

vinepair.com

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Alistair Reece @velkyal.bsky.social · 17d

Fantastic read! I often enjoyed a řezané back in Czechia, the Hostomice one at nelevarna stands out in my memory. One of my favourites to make at home, minus layering, is with Von Trapp Helles and their beautiful smoke lager, Trösten.

Alistair Reece @velkyal.bsky.social · 19d

New post on Fuggled (no, honestly)...in which I take a trip down a Belgian memory lane, with some horse racing thrown in too.

www.fuggled.net/2025/09/old-...

Old Friends: Leffe Blonde

a blog about beer, pubs and homebrewing. Based in Charlottesville but with a view of the world.

www.fuggled.net

Alistair Reece @velkyal.bsky.social · 29d

Hooves are they?

Alistair Reece @velkyal.bsky.social · 29d

Democracy Brewing have a decent helles.

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Alistair Reece @velkyal.bsky.social · Sep 9

Aldi without German stuff is lame.

Alistair Reece @velkyal.bsky.social · Aug 29

Tettnang grown Mittelfrüher is a cracking hop.

Alistair Reece @velkyal.bsky.social · Aug 28

And now I am homesick, thirsty, and plotting a homebrew version.

Kudos to @pelliclemag.com for such a great piece about an iconic beer.

www.pelliclemag.com/home/2025/8/...

The Vertigo of Bliss — Scotland’s Inseparable Relationship with Tennent’s Lager — Pellicle

It’s a Sunday, nearly midnight, and I’m in 8 Ball–a dilapidated yet bustling pool hall above the Scotia, an out-of-the-way folk bar in Glasgow city centre. Occasionally a buzzer sounds, signalling som...

www.pelliclemag.com

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Alistair Reece @velkyal.bsky.social · Aug 16

Looks are deceiving, it is beyond delicious, it is perfection. Josh is hitting home runs regularly with lagers.

This was my wife I at when we had from the lagering tanks a couple of weeks back.