Continuing Education with Beer Magazine

Christmas is rapidly approaching and perhaps you're in the market for something beer related. As an alternative to all that beer, I'm going to spend a little time this week attempting to inform you about some of the beer specific magazines available by subscription or in your local bookstores. Next up is the brand new Beer Magazine - let's take a look.

Magazine: Beer
Byline: Drink Laugh Learn Enjoy
Subscription Information: $19.99 for six issues (bimonthly)
Source Issue: Nov/Dec 07
Cover: A busty bleached-blonde opening a beer bottle with her teeth.
Look: Slightly Juvenile, but professional. Semi-gloss Paper.

Non-beer ads: None.
Mainstream Magazine Equivalent: Beer is the Maxim Magazine of Beer.

Content:
The Buzz - Short beer-related news items, including news about Miller Chill
Calendar featuring various tastings and the birthdates of Teri Hatcher, Billy the Kid, Elisha Cuthbert, and "National Noodle Ring Day"
"Ask Beer" section - What's the 33 on Rolling Rock, Why are Hefeweizens so cloudy, What is Gravity as it pertains to beer, What is a Craft Brewer?
"Beer Anatomy" - the story behind Pilsener, with variations and characteristics
"Beer Kitchen" - various Thanksgiving beer based recipes
"Handle with Care" - A guide to beer storage
"Beer Shootout" - Blue Collar Beer - see Hoosier Beer Geek's Retro Beer Challenge, but with different results - #1 Budweiser, #2 Coors, #3 PBR. I don't believe they actually drank these beers.
"7 Ways to Open A Beer" article featuring 7 or so girls in bikinis standing around a pool and opening beer bottles with other bottles, folded paper, teeth, and the power of combined stupidity
"Beer Glass Class" - article about drinking from something other than red plastic cups
"Homebrew 101" - what you need to become a homebrewer
"10 Funniest Beer Commercials" - with YouTube addresses. Whassup?!?!?!?
"How to Get Free Beer" article. Tip #1 - Be Attractive.
"Cab It" - tips on avoiding driving drunk
"Homebrew" - Should You Homebrew?
"Taste Test" - Quarter page beer reviews with photos of bottle and beer in glasses, scores, graphic for temperature range, and availability map for the beers. A good idea, just a little graphic intensive.
"Beer of the Month" this month's beer? Michelob's Cherry and Chocolate celebrate lagers
"Beer Games" - the bikini girls are back, and they're playing beer pong
"Wipe Out" - toilet paper rankings. I'm not making that up.
"Tapped Out" - closing section. Random Facts about the making of Beer Magazine.

Pluses: For the fellas, there's the prominent use of breasts. Maybe that's for some of the ladies, too.
Minuses: Nothing on the website except how to subscribe. Target market may not be old enough to drink yet.

This is the premier issue, so perhaps it's a little early to cast judgment.. but.. This magazine seems to be targeted to guys who express their love of beer by drinking it as fast as possible. Not that there's anything wrong with that. All of the educational intro to beer kind of articles are nice, but it sort of reminds me of taking cooking lessons from Ronald McDonald.

Since they've exhausted quite a few of the "intro to craft beer drinking" lessons in issue #1, I wonder what's in store for issue #2. If I had to guess, I'd say more girls. If you've got a friend or relative that's just getting into craft beer from the BudMillerCoors side, this is a magazine that is sure to keep the articles at layman's level.

Website: www.thebeermag.com