News, nuggets and longreads 1 August 2026: African Psycho

Every Saturday we round up the best writing about beer from the past week. This time, we’ve got warmer Guinness, Italian pils and the Good People. First, a rare example of a story from a retail technology vendor press release that is actually interesting: payment provider Dojo has provided a granular breakdown of exactly when and how the World Cup increased spending in pubs. Being a football fan, and having done quite a bit of work with electronic point-of-sale (EPOS) systems and retail data over the years, this is right up Jess’s alley. Check out this nugget in particular: Hydration breaks saw peaks throughout the tournament. The second half hydration break saw spend jump by 204% as fans rushed to the bar to calm their nerves while England tried to hold onto their lead. While it wasn’t to be for England again, spending stayed strong and near double typical levels well past the final whistle, remaining up 99% at 11pm. Fans stuck around for around half an hour after full-time for a…