It's unavoidable. "New" is a word that so permeates my experience these days I find it hard to talk about anything else. Like the pungent aroma of fresh hops crushed in the hand, newness hangs in the air and wafts through the mind with a vitality that is palpable.

Business is good these days in the beer trade, bringing new developments to both brewers and consumers. Steve Johnson sent us recent word of the 60 new pubs and micros that began operation during just seven months of 1993, a development that necessitated publication of a 20-page Quick Guide (published in November) to update his two-volume set, On Tap: Guide to North American Brewpubs and Craft Breweries (published in April). New homebrew supply stores crop up every week, and many existing stores thrive as never before. Beer-of-the-month clubs proliferate, and now Brew on Premises are springing up in new American incarnations, too.

Innovation is alive and well in the products and supplies market as well. New manufacturers continue to enter the market with new products for both professional and home brewers, revealing a market that is open, competitive, and evolving. The possibilities for creative development seem endless.

How to keep up with all that is new and changing in the brewing scene? One way is to stay tuned to BrewingTechniques, which with this issue marks yet another milestone of innovation in publishing for small-scale brewers.

New Products. Beginning on page 56 of this issue we launch a new regular feature on new products for professional and home brewers. BrewingTechniques offers this section as a forum for announcements and technical descriptions of products released in recent months. It is open to all manufacturers and suppliers. Although this section does not presume to review product performance, strict editorial guidelines ensure that write-ups focus on objective descriptions and avoid the hazards of comparisons and superlatives. The New Products section is a first window to market developments. Watch for it in future issues.

Reader Service. Also new this issue is reader service. Reader service provides readers free information on products and services mentioned in the magazine, both those advertised and those described in the New Products section. Here's how it works: Find the perforated card and simply circle the number(s) that correspond to the "Circle" numbers published alongside the product(s) you're interested in. Complete the card and drop it in a mailbox. Postage is paid for U.S. readers (sorry, business reply is unavailable for international mail). We forward these requests to the host companies, and they send information at no charge to you.

Although we will process cards regularly and will always push to expedite delivery, if you need information today or tomorrow pick up the phone and call the company directly. Also note that some ads lack a number. These omissions are not by error on our part; some companies simply chose not to participate out of a preference for telephone contact (usually toll free).

Other changes at BrewingTechniques help usher in our new year. We are increasing our staffing to accommodate customer service needs and to continue to improve and expand the publication. Even our address is changing - we've outgrown two offices now and are moving into a beautiful new space in downtown Eugene. The address for regular mail remains unchanged (P.O. Box 3222, Eugene, OR 97403), but packages and express mail should be addressed to 1127 Lincoln Street, Eugene, OR 97401.

About the only thing going on that smacks of permanence is our commitment to publish the finest magazine possible for active small-scale brewers. We plan other novel features and services for upcoming issues. Keep in touch.

Stephen A. Mallery
Editor, Publisher