Mutineer Magazine: An Improved New Issue

The latest issue, their sixth, of Mutineer Magazine (June/July 2009) is now available at local newstands. I previously reviewed their fifth issue and I was conflicted about it, liking some of it but also disliking other parts. I saw potential for the magazine so was very curious to see their next issue. Would it be any better, or would it just be more of the same?

Now that I have read the new issue, I am pleased to say the magazine has improved and I enjoyed it much more than the previous one. Like the previous issue, this one is 82 pages long and costs $4.50.

One of my most significant criticisms was that some of their articles about blogging were repetitive of what I had previously read online. I was not keen on paying for such articles, paying for what I had already read for free. The new issue though has little repetitive information and actually does not cover much about blogging. For example, their previous column, "From the Mutineer Blog," has been omitted. This is good as it only was excerpts from their online blog. There is another amusing bit of wine satire written by the Hose Master of Wine, which is good to see. There is also The Final Word by Tom Wark, of Fermentation, which is a repeat of one of his blog posts. That one-page article is basically the only repetitive one.

What else will you find within this issue? There is a Photo Log of pictures from all across the country including a photo taken at the Boston Wine School (though the photo misidentifies two people, Marc Bergeron and John Commando). Some of the other articles you will find include: Ask The Wine Adviser (wine Q&A); an interview with Shira Lane, the director of Got the Facts on Milk; book reviews; a restaurant review of Purple Cafe in Seattle; the architecture of Napa Valley; artisan distilleries of the Pacific Northwest (my favorite article this issue); information about Absinthe; an article on Maker's Mark; an interview with Max Riedel (of glassware fame); and much more.

There is also a compelling section on A Child's Right, a water relief organization which has been bringing clean, safe drinking water to children all over the world. There is a photo essay of children in Ethiopia as well as an interview with Eric Stowe, executive director of A Child's Right. Please check out this article and support this important organization.

Mutineer has also tried an experiment, using ScanLife EZcodes in some of the articles of the magazine. Your iPhone or Blackberry can take a photo of the ScanLife which will then be analyzed and take you to a website for additionl information. I found that it was not so easy to take a clear enough picture of the ScanLife so that my iPhone could decipher it. That might just be an issue of needing additional experience. But, I am not sure it is any easier to analyze the ScanLife than it would be to type in an URL into my browser.

This issue has once again provided a diverse selection of topics with plenty of good photography. I found many more articles in this issue that interested me. Plus there was very little that I had previously read online. I like that the magazine is clearly providing coverage for all types of beverages, and not just wine and beer. I hope that Mutineer Magazine continues to improve and I recommend you check out their latest issue.