GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — Brewery Nyx’s operation may be small, but the brewery holds a big title.

“We are Michigan’s first dedicated gluten-free brewery,” Brewery Nyx Owner Jessica Stricklen said.

Inspired by her own intolerance for gluten, Stricklen spent more than a decade shying away from beers because of how they made her feel.

That all changed when she discovered two gluten-free options in her own town out west.

“I was able to go to a taproom and drink the flights and bring beer home,” Stricklen said. “It was so great to be able to have that experience again.

When this Michigan native returned home, only to find the area still didn’t have options for her gluten-free friends, she decided to take matters into her own hands. She had a vision and now needed a beer maker. That’s where Nick came in.

I’m not doing anything weird or special to it in order to make it gluten-free,” Brewery Nyx beer maker Nick LaVelle said. “I'm just using gluten-free ingredients to make regular beer.”

Together, they set out to create a craft beer taste they’d grown accustomed to, but without feeling sick after.

The names, the taste and even the look similar to what you see at other breweries, but the process is far from it.

"With normal barley, you take it, you throw it in the mash tun, you get it to the temperature that it needs to be at and the enzymes take over and they just convert it for you," LaVelle said. “But with millet and rice, you need to do several extra steps.

From grain to glass, the process can take up to three weeks.

“We’re going to be playing around with other food science flavors,” LaVelle said.

In December, they debuted their beers in multiple retail stores around Michigan, and now the brewery is set to open its doors to the public for the first time.

“You can have a flight, taste through and go to the cooler, grab what you want and bring it home, share it with friends,” Stricklen said.

Giving a taproom experience to those who haven’t enjoyed it in West Michigan until now.

Licensing is still being processed and they hope to be open in the next few months.

This story was first reported by Elliot Grandia at WXMI in Grand Rapids, Mich.

Sober October, Dry January and Dry July: For one quarter of a year, these campaigns provide a motivation for people to come together and challenge themselves to go without alcohol.

It isn't a surprise to Annie Grace that these periods to reduce alcohol consumption are becoming more popular. The author of "This Naked Mind: Control Alcohol" said she is seeing more and more people evaluate the relationship that alcohol plays in their lives.

How much is too much? The U.S. Center for Disease Control and Prevention classifies moderate drinking as two drinks or less in a day for men and one drink or less for women. But two-thirds of adult drinkers report drinking more than those levels at least once a month, according to the CDC.

And the pandemic didn't help. A December 2020 study found that 60% of respondents increased drinking over the year and more than a third said they engaged in binge drinking, which is defined as five or more drinks on an occasion for men and four for women.

Studies show that alcohol isn't good for healthy living. There is no safe amount when it comes to heart health, according to the World Heart Federation. And even moderate drinking reserved for the weekend can have social, emotional and psychological impacts, according to a 2022 study.

Sober October could be a step to cutting out alcohol entirely, but it doesn't have to be, said biological psychologist Aaron White, senior scientific adviser to the director of the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism.

Whatever your level of drinking, a monthlong sobriety challenge could help you be more mindful about your drinking, White added.

Who benefits?

You may think you might not need a break from drinking because you don't have signs of substance abuse disorder: your drinking causing serious impairment, health problems, disability or issues meeting responsibilities.

But problematic drinking is a spectrum -- not just a binary between addicted and fine, Grace said. You may drink a little but not feel good about why or how you drink. You may drink a lot but feel doing so functions well in your life.

Even people who don't drink heavily may find themselves with less control over when and how much they drink than they would like, Grace said.

She was one of those people. Grace didn't feel she needed treatment programs, but she found that reducing her drinking was a struggle, which to her was a sign that something needed to change.

Taking on a sobriety challenge doesn't mean you have to quit forever, but it can help you be more thoughtful in your decisions around drinking rather than doing it because it's what you usually do, White said.

"It gives somebody a chance to cultivate alternatives," he added.

How does it help?

Even in just a month, there is evidence that reduced alcohol consumption can be good for your physical health.

"Most people who drink excessively have fatty livers," White said. "Even taking a break for a month is enough to just bring your liver enzymes down and for your liver to look healthier."

Some people may find with less or no alcohol they sleep better and make better food choices for themselves, White said.

And for emotional health, a short-term challenge can point out feelings and routines that could be improved, Grace added.

Many of the people she works with -- even moderate drinkers -- describe their relationship with alcohol as something they are not in full control of, she said.

She encourages people who are using a sobriety challenge to take note of when they feel the urge to drink and what purpose it serves. Does it make you feel part of a community to share a drink at a party? Is that glass of wine after a long day a reliable sense of comfort?

Maybe the drink is an easy way -- but not the best -- to get those needs met, Grace said. Taking note and trying to find those things without a drink could open you up to new ways of fulfilling those feelings, White added.

How to be successful

There are a couple of stumbling blocks to plan for during a sober month, Grace said.

One is overcoming the desire to drink, and experts had different approaches to solve that problem.

Reducing drinking can have a similar effect as dieting -- the more you tell yourself you can't have it, the more you want it, said Natalie Mokari, a registered dietitian nutritionist in Charlotte, North Carolina.

She recommends starting with one less drink than you would usually have at each occasion or breaking a daily habit by limiting drinking to certain days. You can also have a sparkling water in between drinks or make weaker cocktails than usual to reduce your alcohol consumption, she said.

White said it is important not to feel shame if you end up drinking during your sobriety challenge. Don't throw out the whole experience by beating yourself up over a glass of wine, he added.

Grace recommended leading with curiosity and information. Learning more about the psychology and biology of alcohol really helped reduce her desire to drink, she said, and approaching her urges with curiosity rather than judgment allowed her to learn more about the role alcohol played in her life.

There is also social pressure to drink. How do you not drink when everyone else is? Especially if friends get uncomfortable when they don't see you with the beer you always have?

The first thing is to remember that people may make you feel bad because they are uncomfortable about their own relationship with drinking, Grace said.

It often helps to have a nonalcoholic drink in your hand at social events, White said, so the offer to have a drink doesn't even come up.

Don't binge on Nov. 1

If you are hoping to curb your habits or boost your health, it is important not to see crossing the finish line as the time to overindulge, Mokari said.

Dramatically reducing your consumption over that time can lower your tolerance, and what was enough for a buzz today could result in a much higher level of intoxication than you expect 30 days later, White said.

You may also be undoing the changes in habit you have been building over the course of the month by going back even harder once it's over, Grace added.

"In our society, even saying 'I want to take a break' is super brave," she said. "If you don't change how you feel about it but white-knuckle it the whole month, it becomes like this forbidden fruit syndrome."

The San Antonio beer community represented at the Great American Beer Festival and one brewery brought home gold. The annual competition was held Oct. 6-8 in Denver, Colorado. Texas brought home 22 medals overall, three of which came from the Alamo City.

Roadmap Brewing took gold international-style pilsner with Alright, Alright, Alright. Mad Pecker Brewing claimed silver with Bitter Soul in the extra special bitter category, and Freetail Brewing brought home bronze for the Bowie Bock in the international dark lager category.

Johnson City claimed the most medals in the Hill Country. Pecan Street claimed two medals, gold for the Rye Lager and bronze German altbier with Road Devil Amber. Old 290 Brewery in Johnson City snagged bronze in the wood- and barrel-aged beer category with the Hell Raiser Bourbon Barrel Brown.

More golds for the Hill Country craft beer community were won by Alstadt in Fredericksberg with the Alstadt Lager in the Munich-style lager category and the top golden or blonde ale with Fireman's #4 by Blanco's Real Ale Brewing.

Austin's beer community snagged six medals overall, two golds from Lazarus Brewing with the Black Pearl in the herb and spice beer category, and in the German-style pilsner category with Industry by the Austin Beer Garden Brewing. Two silvers for Meanwhile Brewing in the American-style strong pale alec category with Secret Beach and Austin Beer Garden Brewing in honey beer with The Beeginning (not a typo!). Jester King and Pinthouse Pizza brought home bronze with Atrial Rubicite in Belgian fruit beer and Fresh Hop Training Bines in fresh hop beer respectively.

North Texas showed up with a spread of medals. The gold American amber lager was won with Sonidero by Windmills, which is located in the Colony. Carrollton's 3 Nations Brewing won silver in chocolate beer with Devour Imperial Milk Stout: Mexican Chocolate. First of His Name was crowned bronze robust porter, brewed in Weatherford by Edgewise Eight Brewing.

Dallas won two medals, silver in juicy or hazy India Pale Ale with IPO IPA from White Rock Alehouse & Brewery and bronze non-alcholic beer with Nada IPA by Community Beer. Fort Worth claimed bronze American fruit beer with Raspberry Fields from Maple Branch Craft Brewery.

Houston grabbed silver in light lager with Heights Light Lager by New Magnolia Brewing.

CINCINNATI —

Don Everett is a Cincinnati Bengals fan determined to take as much Who Dey spirit with him as possible when he leaves Cincinnati in a couple days and returns to his adopted hometown near Denver.

"I got a local bar in Parker, Colorado, that has turned out to be a Cincinnati Super Bowl bar for this one," Everett said.

The bar's owner asked Everett, in the Queen City on a business trip, to bring back whatever he can to make Sunday's showdown against the Los Angeles Rams special.

"The bar is, like, bring me all the jerseys, bring me all the decorations, bring everything you can bring me," Everett said.

That's turned out to be a tall order.

"We got here on Saturday. You couldn’t find anything," Everett said.

Finding food for the perfect party can also be a challenge.

"It seems like everyone ran out of everything on Super Bowl week," Victor Visciani said. "Probably because everyone's ordering everything on Super Bowl week."

Visciani helps run the Holy Grail at The Banks. He said demand for staples like chicken wings means restaurant and bar owners have had to adapt.

"We've had to go with different food options that we didn't go with before, things like that," Visciani said. "So you can find a way around it. It's just a little bit harder than it has been in the past and especially during Super Bowl week."

The fact businesses are being forced to adapt comes as no surprise to Chuck Sox, who studies supply chains in his role at the University of Cincinnati's Lindner College of Business.

"It's concentrated in Cincinnati, in particular, this year, for obvious reasons," Sox said. "Your local store might run out of your favorite brand of beer or might run out of chicken wings. So, you know, it's just important for us to get out early and shop around, see what we can find."

Fortunately, Sox said from an industry standpoint the nation's supply chain is improving and that in-demand food items are generally available. But he said local lines of supply could remain tight since so many Bengals fans are in the market for so many similar items.

SANTA FE, N.M. —

A man was arrested in Santa Fe, New Mexico, after police said he broke into a home where he drank some beer, ate some shrimp and took a bath.

Police said the homeowner found the intruder inside his home on the city’s southwest side.

The man told the homeowner he needed a warm place to stay, apologized for breaking in and left $200 on a chair to pay for the window he broke to get inside, police said.

The intruder then left the home, taking his bag with him that the homeowner said contained an AR-style rifle.

The next day, Santa Fe police received a call about a man matching the intruder's description trying to steal a vehicle.

Police said they found the man identified as Teral Christesson and took him into police custody. When asked about the incident the day before, he said he was trapped in a blizzard and was scared he would freeze to death.

Christesson was arrested and charged with aggravated burglary, larceny and criminal damage to property.

Watch the video above for the full story.

Customers are still sitting down for a cold beer at Joyride Brewing in Edgewater, Colorado.

“We always talk about stopping and smelling the hops. It’s all about the joy ride of life,” said Grant Babb, the owner of Joyride Brewing.

That’s despite new state rules that state bars must serve food to stay open, and Joyride doesn't serve food.

“It makes you lose a little sleep at night, not knowing every day when you wake up if you have to do something different. It’s trying to shoot at a bullseye and just watching it constantly move,” said Babb.

Babb had to make arrangements with multiple food trucks and the restaurant down the street to stay open. That’s because the recent spike in COVID-19 cases has led the state to put its economic restart plans on hold.

“In our case, we schedule out food trucks about a month and a half in advance, and we’re working with only the food trucks we’re trusted partners with,” said Babb.

Colorado isn’t the only state backtracking due to the surge. According to a tracker from the New York Times, 15 states are pausing plans to reopen and six are reversing course and shutting some things back down.

Arizona is one of those states where bars, gyms, and theaters have been ordered closed once again. Restaurants there fear the same might happen to them soon if new COVID-19 cases aren’t curbed.

“You can’t simply turn off and turn on a restaurant operation,” said Steve Churci, the head of the Arizona Restaurant Association.

He says the toll of shutting down those businesses for a second time would be crushing.

“If you were to shut down, what happens to the suicide rate? Does that go up? What happens to the homelessness rate, people losing their homes? So, there’s a whole other sad and unfortunate contingent that would be impacted by this,” said Churci.

Churci says service industry workers employ almost a quarter-million people and the state has lost $815 million in revenue from food sales. He says in a normal year, US restaurants sell $900 billion worth of food.

“Almost a trillion-dollar industry. So, we often say we’re the cornerstone of our communities. We’re the heart and soul of America in the restaurant industry, and we are,” said Churci.

For Joyride, the losses have been heavy as well.

“We, we’re down 80 percent in the month of March, April, May. And then June, we’re still seeing a significant decrease, we’re down definitely 40 percent,” said Babb.

For Babb, the money hurt, but letting his staff go was harder.

“It’s the most painful thing you can do is tell an employee that we don’t have any work for you,” he said.

He says it will hurt even more if he has to send his staff home again.

Samuel Adams is launching a new, limited-edition beer, and it packs such a potent punch it's illegal in 15 states.The brewer releases a new version of its Utopias brand every two years, and the twelfth edition will be on shelves starting Oct. 11. But don't bother looking for it in Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, Idaho, Missouri, Mississippi, Montana, North Carolina, New Hampshire, Oklahoma, Oregon, South Carolina, Utah, Vermont or West Virginia. Utopias are illegal in those states because they contain 28% alcohol by volume, more than five times the potency of typical U.S. brews.But even in places where the brew can be sold, it might still be difficult to get your hands on it. Samuel Adams only brews around 13,000 bottles of Utopias every two years, according to its website. And it's expensive — the suggested retail price is $240 for a 25.4-ounce bottle."We pioneered the barrel-aging and blending process of Utopias almost thirty years ago and continue that time-honored tradition today," Jim Koch, founder and brewer of Samuel Adams, said in a statement.Utopias were first introduced in 2002, and have increased in price over the years. The 2017 version cost $199, 2019's cost $10 more than that. This year's version is also notable as it is finished with 2,000 pounds of cherries and some batches have been aged for up to 24 years in a variety of barrels.Samuel Adams was the official beer of Inspiration4, the first fully civilian tourism mission to space that returned from orbit Saturday. The mission served as a fundraiser for children's cancer hospital St. Judes, and a Utopia bottle signed by Koch and Inspiration4 crew members will be up for bid at the hospital's upcoming charity auction.

Busch is sniffing around for a new CTO — "chief tasting officer" — and it wants your very good boy to apply.The beer brand is expanding its "Dog Brew," a canine-friendly, alcohol-free bone broth it launched last year. According to Anheuser-Busch, the brew sold out within 24 hours.The role comes with a $20,000 paycheck, which is a lot in dog dollars."Don't be fooled by this comedic portrayal — the role will have very important responsibilities, including leading the expansion of Dog Brew's flavor portfolio," Busch wrote in a press release. The job will also include "taste-testing, quality control, and fulfilling duties as an ambassador for the product." The chosen pup will also be "a featured content creator on Busch's social channels," the company said.Along with the salary, the role will come with perks for the pup, including pet insurance and, of course, free Busch Dog Brew."In order to fetch this position, some qualifications include a refined palate, an outstanding sense of smell, and while not required, proficiency in English would be remarkable," Busch said.Here's how to apply: Pet parents can post a picture of their dog on social media along with their qualifications and the hashtag #BuschCTOcontest.This announcement is just the most recent example of pups becoming more prominent in the food and beverage space. In January, Martha Stewart launched a line of CBD-infused dog treats. And Ben & Jerry's is now making non-dairy frozen dog treats.

Free beer is the latest White House-backed incentive for Americans to get vaccinated for COVID-19, as President Joe Biden is announcing a "month of action" Wednesday to get more shots into arms before the July 4 holiday.Speaking from the White House, Biden is set to update the nation on the vaccination rollout and his plans to get 70% of adults partially vaccinated by Independence Day — essential to his goal of returning the nation to a pre-pandemic sense of normalcy this summer. The latest vaccine sweetener, provided by Anheuser-Busch, builds on other incentives like cash giveaways, sports tickets or paid leave, to keep up the pace of Americans getting shots. The beverage company said once 70% of American adults are at least partially inoculated, it'll buy a round of beer for anyone 21 or older. Consumers will have to upload a picture of themselves in their favorite place to grab a beer — whether it’s a bar or their backyard — to Mycooler.com/Beer to get a free beer, seltzer, non-alcoholic beverage or other A-B product.The White House said Biden's "month of action" will continue to use public and private-sector partnerships to encourage Americans to roll up their sleeves, drawing in businesses, social media influencers, colleges, celebrities and community organizations to help spread the word about the benefits of vaccination and to encourage them to get shots.To date 62.8% of the adult U.S. population have received at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine and 133.6 million are full vaccinated. The rate of new vaccinations has slowed again to an average below 600,000 per day, down from more than 800,000 per day when incentives like lotteries were announced, and down from a peak of nearly 2 million per day in early April when demand for shots was much higher.

President Joe Biden on Wednesday previewed what he called a "Month of Action" — a series of programs designed to encourage Americans to get vaccinated against COVID-19 ahead of a July 4 goal to have 70% of adults partially vaccinated.

"Today, we're announcing a month-long effort to pull all the stops to free ourselves from this virus," Biden said.

As of Tuesday morning, the CDC reports that about 63% of adults in the U.S. have at least one vaccine shot.

"We're getting closer, but we still have work to do," Biden said Wednesday.

Biden added that while more than half of Americans are fully vaccinated against COVID-19, more work needs to be done to get more shots in arms — particularly among people younger than 40. While 75% of Americans 75 and older are fully vaccinated, that number falls to just 52%.

In order to make it easier for people to get vaccinated and to incentivize Americans to do, Biden previewed Wednesday several new programs his administration will institute in the coming weeks.

• Free child care for those seeking vaccinations — Four of the largest child care providers will offer free drop-in appointments for those getting vaccinated or recovering from vaccination. More than 500 YMCAs across the country will also offer drop-in care.
• Extended hours at pharmacies — Albertsons, CVS, Rite-Aid and Walgreens have agreed to stay open late on Fridays in June to allow for more vaccinations.
• Community outreach — The White House launching several programs to encourage community vaccinations: A national vaccination contest among city mayors, a program that will offer vaccinations at Black-owned barbershops and a push among broadcasters to play vaccine PSAs during commercial breaks.

Incentives with private companies

On Wednesday, Anheuser-Busch announced it was the latest company to partner with the Biden administration, offering Americans a free beer for a full week after the country reaches the 70% threshold.

To participate, Anheuser-Busch says Americans need to upload a photo of themselves "in their favorite place to grab a beer" at MyCooler.com/Beer. A limited number of people that upload a photo to Anheuser-Busch's website will receive a $5 "virtual debit card that can be used to purchase one Anheuser-Busch product" — be it a beer, a seltzer or any of the company's alcoholic or non-alcoholic drinks.

The company did not immediately respond to an inquiry about how many prizes it would be distributing. The promotion is not open to residents of Alabama, California and Texas.

During remarks in April, President Joe Biden called on America's big businesses to find creative ways to get Americans excited about getting their shots. During those remarks, he suggested businesses offer "discounts for vaccinated individuals, product giveaways or brand rewards" to those who have gotten their shots.

Anheuser-Busch is now the latest company to offer such an incentive and will reward the country should the U.S. meet the Biden administration's latest vaccination goal.

"At Anheuser-Busch, we are committed to supporting the safe and strong recovery of our nation and being able to be together again at the places and with the people we have missed so much. This commitment includes encouraging Americans to get vaccinated, and we are excited to buy Americans 21+ a round of beer when we reach the White House goal," said Anheuser-Busch CEO Michel Doukeris in a statement.

Anheuser-Busch joins a growing number of companies that are heeding the White House's call to offer incentives to Americans who get vaccinated. Kroger and CVS are both offering sweepstakes for those who get vaccinated in their stores, with prizes ranging from $1 million to Super Bowl tickets.

Krispy Kreme offered a free donut daily to anyone with a CDC-issued vaccination card. Baseball teams like the Milwaukee Brewers and the Cincinnati Reds are offering free or discounted tickets to fans who have been vaccinated.

Other companies-- like American Airlines, Kroger, and Publix--are offering cash or extra days off of work to employees who get vaccinated.

Even state governments are finding ways to motivate their constituents. For example, West Virginia is offering its younger residents a $100 savings bond to anyone who gets vaccinated, while Ohio is giving away five $1 million prizes and five full-ride college scholarships in a lottery giveaway.

One woman's honest discussion about misogyny in the workplace has brought a #MeToo-style reckoning to the world of craft beer.

By sharing the stories from hundreds of mostly anonymous women from across the country, Brienne Allan has forced dozens of breweries to grapple with workplace culture in the industry.

Allan, a production manager at Notch Brewing in Salem, Massachusetts, said she took to social media earlier this month after she returned to work from the pandemic.

She told VinePair that just days after she returned to work building Notch's new brewery location in Boston, she had two men question her work credentials in a single day.

"The second time I leave the f****** house, I got two in one day," Allan told VinePair.

Allan took that frustration to Instagram, where she solicited stories from other women in the industry.

"What sexist comments have you experienced?" Allan posted to Instagram on May 11.

Since that day, Allan has received hundreds of messages from women worldwide about the harassment and misogyny they've faced while working in breweries.

"One person speaks up [and] more and more happen, it becomes a, 'We should probably start paying attention and taking people seriously' [moment]," Allan told Good Beer Hunting. "I feel like our society is conditioned to know that women get abused, and we're all just kind of OK with it because we're expecting it."

Amid the movement, Allan's Instagram account has attracted thousands of followers. According to VinePair, she had 2,200 followers on May 16; as of Friday afternoon, her follower count had surpassed 50,000.

On May 19, Good Beer Hunting reported that Allan had received more than 1,000 mostly anonymous submissions. She's still receiving dozens of messages a day, all of which she's saved on a 10-part Instagram story highlight.

Several top brewers have resigned as a result of the allegations.

Jacob McKean, the CEO and founder of Modern Times Beer — a large brewery with several locations in the Northwest — resigned on May 18.

"I'm sorry that anyone has ever had to face harassment at Modern Times. No one should ever have to be traumatized at work, and it guts me that people have under my watch," McKean said in a statement. "I take full responsibility for that. My heart aches for anyone who came to work for us—full of hope for the career they expected to have with us—only to have that experience marred by harassment."

The allegations have also made an impact internationally. Søren Wagner, the founder of Denmark-based Dry & Bitter Brewing, also resigned following accusations made to Allan.

Several other breweries have promised change.

Workers in the craft beer industry skew heavily male and heavily white. According to a 2019 survey by the Brewer's Association, a trade association representing small independent breweries, just 7.5% of brewers are women (though female employees make up 37% of "non-production, non-service" staff roles in breweries). According to that same survey, 88% of people who own breweries are white.

On Wednesday, the Brewer's Association released a statement saying that it "condemn(s) any act of assault, harassment, violence, bigotry, discrimination, or inequity." They encouraged member brewers to implement anonymous employee reporting tools, share HR resources with the association and review past seminars regarding harassment in the workplace.

The Brewer's Association has published steps on its website for employees to file formal complaints regarding violations of its code of conduct.