Starting a Brewery

Hitachino Nest Japanese Classic Ale is, well, a hit! #craftbeer

2011-12-29T21:07:00.001-05:00

According to the bottle, this is the Japanese take on India Pale Ale and it's not half bad.

As you can see, it's a rich burned orange color with a quickly thinning crop of foam. There's a very subtle fruit aroma here (kiwi/under ripe mango? [Coincidentally, I have a cold]; Rachel says grapefruit) that carries no ill will.

It's a very smooth drinker too. A not too sharp bitterness fades away into a strong caramel backbone and very crisp dryness on the sides and back on the tongue. Overall, a very nice beer.

8/10

P.S. the dimple mug (in the photo) I received this Christmas; it was one of my grandfather's mugs. Saludos, mi abuelo!

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Well, I guess I'm on the nice list #craftbeer

2011-12-24T20:56:00.001-05:00

Mere Christmas everybody!

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What beer pairs with broccoli, fries, nuggets & salad?

2011-12-12T21:14:00.001-05:00

I don't know what can stand up against that line up, but I'm glad I had Old Peculier on-hand. This is a lovely ale from England. Fresh brewed coffee brown in color, subtlety hopped, and a very rich malt back, this was a fine beer ripe with chewy caramel and a bready baked zip.

I'm gonna give this a firm 8/10. I like it a lot.

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@duclawbrewing You have such Divine parties, you know...

2011-12-09T20:41:00.001-05:00

Well, it took 4 stores, but I am happy to say that I will be partying down with 167 of my friends as part of the lucky few who scored a bottle of Divine Retribution: a 60/40 blend of Retribution & Colossus!

Merry Christmas to me!

Now who's coming over for a tasting?!?

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Rodenbach Grand Cru, perfection captured

2011-12-04T22:37:00.001-05:00

I am simply amazed by this. I have had a bottle of Rodenbach Grand Cru in the fridge now, for a few months, and tonight with our pork tenderloin turned pork barbecue, this ruby beer embraced the sweet of the sugars, the tang of the vinegar, and the richness of the meat. I could not have selected a better brew to pair.

That exquisite flavor bolsters this beer into my pantheon of the top ten beers I have the honor of drinking. I almost want to cry.

10/10

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@NewBelgium One of the year's finest!

2011-12-02T22:26:00.001-05:00

Don't be fooled, this isn't black, it's mahogany! And, 1554 by New Belgium Brewing us one of the absolute finest beers I have had the pleasure of drinking in 2011! I encourage everyone to seek out this rich chocolatey ale, where the flavors of dried dark fruits- plums, prunes, raisins & cranberry- really shine. The beer has a pleasantly dry malt finish and I believe it's a solid drink for cold nights.

8/10. No less.

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@DuClawbrewing This is pretty badass!

2011-12-02T00:07:00.002-05:00

As it turns out, a selection from our very own DuClaw was targeted by Forbes.com as their Craft Beer of the Day!

Sweet, sweet Devil's Milk for the win!

I'll have at least two more posts tomorrow, promise!

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A hearty round of applause

2011-11-21T18:13:00.002-05:00

One of the breweries very local to me just received a wonderful honor - one of the top 25 beers of 2011!

Many congratulations to Brian over at Stillwater Artisinal Ales! There is a reason why I had bought three bottles of this elixir, it's amazing!

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I'm not so sure about these 1-gallon recipes...

2011-11-06T20:41:00.005-05:00

Don and I are trying this new-fangled idea this weekend of brewing micro, no, pico, no, femto, maybe, batches.

This is Brooklyn BrewShop's Mustard Brown Ale, and I use that loosely. I can't tell if the blame is mine or not. I guess I'll find out in 2 weeks.

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PS - now I'm drowning it away with the 21A's Monks Blood. Tasty craft can!

It's National Learn to Homebrew Day!

2011-11-05T08:43:00.002-04:00

Everyone, fire up those turkey fryer burners, get out the carboys, and call up the neighbors-it's AHA Learn to Homebrew Day!

Hopefully you are enjoying some wonderful weather and can pass along the knowledge of brewing wizardry this weekend. Even if you are unable, chilling out with a nice beer with friends is equally as nice!

(image courtesy of the AHA)
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Celebrate the day with something dark!

2011-11-03T05:42:00.001-04:00

November 3rd is International Stout Day! Take to the streets, Occupy the bars, and ask for some of the dark stuff.

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You call that an IPA?!?

2011-11-02T21:09:00.001-04:00

For me, this orange-hued beer is the true definition of India Pale Ale: a pleasant, dry biscuity malt backbone with a healthy dosing of English hops. Balanced in all directions, and an inspiration for many new styles.

8/10, and as they say, "the sun never sets on the British Empire".

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The way it's supposed to be done

2011-10-30T13:20:00.001-04:00

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A dinner with friends...

2011-10-29T19:02:00.001-04:00

So, we were snowed in today, and couldn't get out.

Instead, we had dinner with Brian Stillwater (by proxy), and I have to say this American Farmhouse Ale, otherwise known as Cellar Door, is excellent!

It's a stunning blonde, with an enticing & effervescent spiciness that greets you with a soft herbal note and a nice maltiness. The modest use of Citra hops follow through with bright note rather than an aggressive bite.

Worth seeking out and enjoying.

9/10

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Thanks for the memories!

2011-10-27T21:33:00.001-04:00

This was a promotional video produced with Clay Pipe Brewing Company, my former, unequivocal, favorite local brewery- until they shut their doors.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r4fcBo_SxJc&feature=youtube_gdata_player

Sure brings back the memories.

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Economies of Ale

2011-10-20T22:22:00.001-04:00

The Washington, DC edition of the City Paper has a very interesting article regarding the cost of pints of beer in the city (at various spots) compared to other regions- some local, some not.

It's a shame that beer brewed within the city limits is more expensive than a beer crafted on the other side of the continent, which has very far to travel to make if to the District.

On the same token of beer prices, expect to feel a pinch in your wallet soon, as beer prices are going up across the board.

Probrewer reported, recently, that barley production suffered a major blow in 2010, with crop yields lower than the total yield in 1936. You can certainly expect the brewers to pass the buck onto you, the consumer, as they have to in order to make the product we all love.

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Sierra Nevada Pinkfoot Pilsner

2011-10-18T22:44:00.001-04:00

A part of my own "Brewing for a cure" series.

I was going over my photo collection, and found this within:

Now, a fast scan through the Googles returns a Twitter hit from June, where this was on cask until tapped dry. The kicker is, I think it should be brewed & distributed nationwide during the month of October- for breast cancer awareness, and some proceeds going back to organizations researching & trying to find a cure.

Your thoughts?

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Double your pleasure

2011-10-15T23:21:00.001-04:00

This would be Ayinger Oktoberfest-Marzen, in a lovely 500 ml bottle.

The beer was quite refreshing with my lunch, of left-over pizza. The only knock against it would be a slight metallic taste I picked up, but very good overall.

If I left it at that, it'd get 7/10. What boosts this to 8/10 is the bottle cap.

You say, "What the hell? What is so special that it makes a beer score jump a point?" Well, my friends, this beer is the proud owner of the most beautiful beer cap I have ever seen. Judge for yourself:

I love the artwork on this cap, and honestly think it is worthy of the higher score.

Now, on to more dangerous things... Like another candidate for the

Most Dangerous Beer of 2011!

Ladies and gentlemen, I present to you: Guinness Black Lager.

First, I pulled it from the fridge, and poured it in my favorite pilsner glass.

Second, I observed that, while this beer is from St. James's Gate, it's not quite black, just a supremely dark brown.

Third, the aroma is devoid of hopping, but does display a nice chocolate roast that carries through on the tongue.

Fourth, I find it helpful to read the label, especially when directed to drink right out of the bottle. Really? What will that demonstrate? That I can pound these like Miller Lites? Please!

I wish I had a fifth point... Well, Diageo, heeding your advice (that is, read the back label); I started drinking from the bottle, and yeah, this sure is a smooth beer.

You know that base-6 math is pretty cool? Man these are some great cheese puffs that Trader Joes makes. Theryer rich and cheesy. and ruch; sooo good. I wish there was anorther bottle.

Damnit.

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If you are free tomorrow

2011-10-14T18:58:00.001-04:00

And even if you aren't!

Get down to Baltimore for the "crown jewel" of Baltimore Beer Week, the Chesapeake Real Ale Festival!

There will be an cask of characters, for sure!

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CAMRA: Stick to your guns!

2011-10-14T06:08:00.001-04:00

I found the following article on Probrewer's forum, where the local CAMRA folks removed themselves from a beer event after the organizers announced a switch from glass to plastic drinkware. Representatives of the CAMRA branch said such a shift defeats the purpose of such an event, and withdrew.

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Gotta wash that Genny Cream off

2011-10-10T21:06:00.001-04:00

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My first Genny Cream

2011-10-10T20:15:00.001-04:00

I think it's the perfect accompaniment to turkey on white with white cheddar Cheetos on a paper plate. Booyah!

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Get down to Max's!

2011-10-09T08:27:00.001-04:00

Hurry and be one of the lucky few to get one of the 101 bottles of Stillwater Artisinal Ales' Olde Bay Saison!

Bottles go on sale at 10 AM!

Get me one!

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I love pumpkin-inspired beers

2011-10-07T23:25:00.001-04:00

And I love fall!

Anyone know where I can find some baking pumpkins near central Maryland?

---

Also, tomorrow is the Maryland Brewer's Oktoberfest, at the Timonium Fairgrounds. It's always a blast, with a fun, family friendly environment. I will say it can get a touch crowded, but it's not unmanageable.

Of course, this is all a part of Baltimore Beer Week! I encourage everyone, go, support these local taverns, pubs, and breweries! They are doing their best by putting their passion into their product; do your part and say thanks!

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A.M.A.Z.I.N.G.

2011-10-03T22:52:00.002-04:00

Oh my--strike up the band, I have found an absolutely incredible Fall ale.

A friend recently bought a pack of ale that he described as "Fall in your mouth". I can't agree more!

I'm talking about Weyerbacher Imperial Pumpkin Ale.

This beer is burned orange in color with a shortbread tan, rocky head. It's aroma is straight pumpkin pie. I think I even get the caramelized pumpkin sweetness in the body. Also, a very nice effervescence that carries the spices through every sip.

It very well may be too much for some; but I think, for the craft beer drinker, this beer is spot on.

This beer is a rock-solid 9/10! If I gave half points, doubtless it'd get 9.5.

Double your pleasure...

2011-10-02T22:42:00.002-04:00

Let's start with Secret Stash, which I found to be a wonderful compliment with black beans and habanero-lime soft tortillas.

It's a lovely honey gold that greets you with a floral, grapefruit nose. The underlying beer is very well built and toasty. Certainly worth a second buy. 8/10

And for dessert, I enjoy having a coffee; so, tonight, why not indulge with a Cappuccino Stout, from Pasadena, California?

Darker than an inkwell, fantastic roast both from the coffee and the ale, it just needs a hit of cream & sugar to be complete.

Lagunitas has presented a sweetly constructed beer. It's evident in the grain bill, with a healthy focus on some caramel malt to balance the roast, the hops, and the alcohol.

I want to add that this is a highly carbonated stout, which is uncharacteristic for the style, but is wonderful for this beer.

All put together, this is a great beer. A solid 8/10.

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Winner, winner; chicken dinner!

2011-10-01T19:50:00.001-04:00

Hey everyone! Here is the link to the list of 2011 Great American Beer Festival winners.

Let me congratulate everyone who won in their respective categories, with special attention to Rock Bottom Brewery, Bethesda; Gordon Biersch, Rockville; & Flying Dog for winning medals and bringing them back to Maryland!

Cheers to all, and here's to next year!

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Fat Tire!

2011-09-30T21:20:00.001-04:00

@newbelgiumbeer

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So, do you have $80B sitting around?

2011-09-27T22:35:00.001-04:00

This is insane, absolutely insane-courtesy of Reuters:

- AB-InBev is looking to buy SABMiller for $80B, yes $80 billion.
- It would be the largest cash takeover in world history
- The megalith would then be responsible for brewing 33% of the world's beer.

Reuters: AB InBev seen brewing up final mega deal

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Brewing for the Cure

2011-09-24T10:10:00.002-04:00

Sorry I didn't post this earlier, but Maryland Homebrew and Flying Dog are holding a ladies-only home brewing competition, with the proceeds going to the Susan G. Komen Foundation for the Cure.

I think the competition is still open, with it being held on October 9.

The winners get a ride on the FD Winnebago and a personal tour of the brewery-pretty sweet!

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Cancelled: Maryland Microbrewery Festival

2011-09-23T23:06:00.002-04:00

Unfortunately, Mother Nature doesn't want you to enjoy the 6th annual Maryland Microbrewery Festival, always held at the lovely Union Mills Homestead.

The organizers had to pull the plug due to the record rainfall we've experienced this month, and the threat of flash flooding.

Any advance ticket sales will be refunded through PayPal.

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How awesome is this?!?

2011-09-23T22:23:00.005-04:00

Next locally grown craze: beer hops

In our try to really keep things local, I found this link yesterday from CNN where there is a resurgence on local hops farming.

The video focuses on a farm in NY, but here in MD, we have our own farmers starting hops.

As a matter of fact, Flying Dog like I said in a previous post, they just released Secret Stash, an ale that they intend to tweak every year; and gor the inaugural release, they used hops from Stillpoint Farm, where we paid a super brief visit.

I haven't had the opportunity to drink it yet, though I'll write a blurb on the beer shortly. I will say that the bottles I've given out from this sixer have landed rave reviews.
But, come out to Frederick, on Sunday to attend the FD yard sale: it's sure to be a hell of a party, rain or shine.

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1/10

2011-09-23T22:05:00.002-04:00

This beer is the only one in my drinking career that has earned the most coveted position of being

The Worst Beer

I have ever had.

It has beaten Taj. It has beaten Fischer. It is a raw abomination.

I don't think I can blame the brewery, I simply think the bottle was done: the first sign of trouble: the cork pulled right out of the bottle with zero resistance. (I offer the evidence by the fact, in the photo, I have replaced the cork in the bottle.)

It smelled like wet, stale corn flakes, tasted like it was filtered before bottling by being poured through roadkill, and had an exceedingly delicate, light strawberry aftertaste.

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(Don't) Get some Sweet Action

2011-09-23T20:44:00.002-04:00

Zero head retention on this one, and the same for the aroma. But, the first big gulp hits you with some nice grassy hops, followed by a very dry, crisp, almost astringent like finish without any aftertaste.

I have to say that this brew from Brooklyn, NY is very underwhelming; it has very little by the way of mouthfeel and seems thin.

Find some action elsewhere.

5/10.

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This one's a keeper

2011-09-21T06:15:00.001-04:00

Last night, my night cap consisted of Great Divide Titan IPA, which was bought on the suggestion of a friend.

The beer poured a brilliant honey-orange color with a dense beige head that lingered for a long time.

The aroma that is kicked off is, at first, like Greek yoghurt flavored with honey, which transforms into this resiny pine that you get when you walk into an older house, where the framework has dried out long ago.

Titan's flavor is very cracker like, with a dose of caramel sweetness. Overall very enjoyable.

I think this Greek earns a solid 8/10.

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It doesn't get any more local than this

2011-09-18T18:28:00.002-04:00

Flying Dog and a few other breweries have started to use locally grow Maryland hops in their beers. I'm happy to say that I rushed as fast as I could to 1311 Beer & Wine in Mt. Airy to pick up a six-pack yesterday. I'm very excited and happy to see local wares going into a product I love.

Rachel and I try our best to source our breads, produce, and dairy as close to home as we can. Try it out yourselves, you may be very happy with the results.

I'll post a review on Secret Stash later on.

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Happy Oktoberfest!

2011-09-18T08:19:00.002-04:00

Ein Prosit, ein Prosit
Der Gemütlichkeit
Ein Prosit, ein Prosit
Der Gemütlichkeit

Prost! Prost!
Prost!

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Data dump!

2011-09-10T23:38:00.002-04:00

Olney Alewerks Catatonic light ale.

My kind of dinner: pancakes, sausage patties, Libbyland maple syrup and Westmalle tripel to cut through it all. Money.

Session lager from Full Sail; decent, little head retention, fruity. 6/10.

1634 Ale from Brewer's Alley, of Frederick, Maryland.

I loved the color on this beer! It was a very rich, clear, mahogany; but the frothy white head quickly collapsed.

The beer was 2 years old (though I purchased it last week), and it showed in the flavor and aroma departments. A lot of the spiciness from the rye dropped out, and there was nil hop presence. All I got was a mouth full of molasses.

5/10, as time is a cruel mistress.

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Well, AB-InBev can't be happy about that...

2011-09-10T23:06:00.001-04:00

I found this through Facebook, an it's a very, very interesting article on the 8 beers Americans no longer drink. Once you read it, you'll understand the post title.

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Yeah, not of this world...

2011-09-04T22:47:00.003-04:00

So, tonight after we put the kiddies to bed, and scrubbed the baseboards, I asked Rachel to pick something from the fridge. She picked out Southern Tier Unearthly Imperial India Pale Ale.

This beer is a science-fiction convention's worst nightmare.

SoTi's site claims 9.5% ABV, and the bottle claims 11.0%; I'm inclined to believe the bottle.

As you can see, the Romulan Ale pours a red-tinged, clear orange color, crowned with an ivory head--that fades away fast, owing to the ABV.

Rachel actually took the first three sips and said that it was a beer she didn't exactly enjoy, but for an (I)IPA, it was very good. This is due to the initial sweetness fading away to expose some very pungent hops, which vacate the palette at warp 9, allowing for a wonderful tropic finish-of pineapple (at first) then coconut.

Letting the snifter warm up, empty, for several minutes unlocked some very interesting aromas:
Nick- Terry's Chocolate Orange, at Christmas and a ferocious catty pineapple--emphasis on FEROCIOUS PINEAPPLE;
Rachel- sweet apples and caramel.

One non-terrestrial beer, which will leave your gaze toward the heavens.

8/10

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Amazing

2011-09-01T22:48:00.002-04:00

I'm sorry that I missed the meet, greet & tasting with Mikkel of Mikkeller. So, in honor of his visit to The Perfect Pour, I poured a bottle of 1000 IBU: a wild child of an Imperial IPA, that has so much bitterness it becomes sweet. I would have loved to ask how he got the malt to counter the hop extract, and criminal use of Simcoe hops, but that's what email and plane tickets are for.

8/10.

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The Zen master of brewing

2011-09-01T06:03:00.002-04:00

I recently decided to go back through The Brewing Network's Sunday Session archive and start from the very beginning- and I laughed my ass off until I met Brian Hunt, the owner and brewer of Moonlight Brewing Company. He just turned my world on its axis, 180 degrees.

Brian engaged the original crew, and the original listeners, on a touch of controversy regarding brewing and brewing to style, or should I say not brewing to style.

I will echo Jon Plise's comment that homebrewers should brew to style in order to understand flavor and how different ingredients/steps/temperatures affect what you're trying to accomplish. (Not that I am any kind of expert, far from it; but, I have read thousands of pages of brewing publications and listened to hundreds of hours of fairly high quality podcasts about brewing.)

Brian is a complete and total advocate of brewing what tastes good to you, and not pigeon-holing yourself into a style. That kind of philosophy completely goes against the grain of what it means to be an American homebrewer; an opinion that I share with the Brewcasters.

How he reached this 10th level of beer-godliness is beyond the scope of my post. What is within, though, is a feeling that once you get your system and process dialed in, you should go ahead and branch out. If you're into North American competition, go ahead and brew to style; but use that knowledge and mish-mash of flavors to inspire your own special brew.

It's worth your while to listen to the episode, from late 2005. While you're at it, listen to the show from the following week, they interview Dan Gordon, of Gordon Biersch, who is the polar opposite of Brian Hunt. An excellent contrast,as Gordon adheres to the Reinheitsgebot.

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Location:My car

What is strange?

2011-08-31T21:23:00.003-04:00

Odd. How very, very odd. This is one of the most insane beers I have had in a long, long time. I'm talking about Brouwerij Stubbe's Ichtegem’s grand cru.

As you can tell from the beautiful pour, it has stunning ruby highlights around the edges, and darkens-but remains clear-through the center, eventually growing to a rich brown. My nose was then assaulted by a vinegary tone followed with some malt.

On taste, she plays the part of insane girlfriend well. Dry. Crazy. No hops. Funky (like she needs a shower). Tangy (like she needs a shower). This is clearly one wild brew; and goes well with macaroni and cheese, with a light balsamic dressing with it (don't knock it till you try it).

For my first Flemish red, she earns 8/10.

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The best library is the one you can drink

2011-08-30T22:39:00.000-04:00

So, I have a whole mess of beer that I have drunk and need to write about. All of this was really over the course of the past week, but I have just had so many other things to attend to, that I haven't been able to write. Well, who has the time now? And who has your attention? That's what I thought!

I will have to note, that I won't provide a tasting score for these. I remember them all, but without the beer in front of me it wouldn't be fair to rate them. However, I will provide my observations.

Quickly, what goes better with macaroni & cheese than a fine smoked porter from Stone Brewing? Answer: a whole lot of nothing! I encourage all to find this beer, as it is really quite smooth and the smoke doesn't make an appearance until the finish, where it is crisp and dry. I really prefer that in a dark style.

Ah, well, perfection can't last, and I have to say I found a Stone beer that simply isn't for me. That would be Stone Sublimely Self-Righteous Ale. It was a very nice pour, as evident by my Boston Beer Company glass filled with a very rich brown brew and dense tan head. My only qualm with this beer is it had too much. It was overly roasty, overly alcoholic and overly hopped. Which, for me, a crazy-ass IPA lover, is nuts. Stone got this bad boy to ferment out dry, I mean dry! For something like this, it just didn't work. Now, it could be that the beer had to enjoy a 2,700 mile trip across the country to find it's way into my fridge, but for a brewer of such high demand I would imagine the bottle I bought was a fresh representative of what they intended.

So, of course I had to cleanse my palatte. How better to do that, than opening up a lambic! Specifically, a faro!

I found a bottle of Lindemans Faro from The Perfect Pour, and was very giddy. (My purpose for that trip was to find some goofy, off the wall Belgians; while Lindemans may not be, necessarily that wild, it was the first time I found a faro.)

I'll tell you, there is nothing better to drink while you are washing the dishes. The beer is very sweet--a nice dessert beer--and crystal clear with an amazing funk and nil hops. This would make for a terrific gateway beer into funny Belgians.

I have been waiting for years to get a hold of something fresh from Fort Collins, Colorado. Yes, that's right, New Belgium is finally being shipped to the <sarcasm>The People's Republic of Maryland</sarcasm>.

If I were to brew an Oktoberfest, this would be my model. Hoptober is a homebrewing hop-lover's paradise ale, especially if you're limited in the ability to make lager beer. NB has you covered with this golden ale. I was shocked how tasty it was and I will most definitely attempt to clone this bad boy.

The following is the description right from NB's website, and I encourage you to a. visit their website, b. visit your local liquor store and buy this beer.

Five hops and four malts make Hoptober Golden Ale a veritable cornucopia of the earth. Pale and wheat malt are mashed with rye and oats to create a medium-bodied ale with a creamy mouthfeel.

Centennial, Cascade, Sterling, Willamette, and Glacier hops form a bonfire of citrus notes, fruity cheers and a bold finale.

...doesn't that make you thirsty?

Thank your Beer Ranger! Toasty and biscuity with a fresh floral nose, spicy and citrusy hop flavor, this is yet another beer to seek out. It is a good example of an American IPA (probably not the best representative of the style) that is a smooth talker and a very smooth drinker. It would be extraordinarily easy to drink 6 too many of these. Don't ask me how I know.

And, we close out the night with Westmalle Dubbel a dark, sticky ale that my pal, Sean Paxton, has a wonderful, wonderful marshmallow recipe for. I made it; they are wonderful! But back to the beer, I think I may have either drunk it too fast and experienced some cold shock on my tongue, or the bottle had taken a turn for the worse. The beer was good, but for Westmalle, I have most certainly had better. None the less, I was thirsty, and boy did it hit the spot. I only long to have had a nice piece of milk chocolate to go with it. Or chocolate cake with a nice light dusting of powdered sugar. Or a double dark chocolate, double chocolate stout pudding. Just let me say, that this is another fine dessert beer.

And that wraps up my essay for this evening. Thanks for popping in and reading. I hope I haven't bored you to death.

Let me ask a question of the masses: should I pursue becoming a BJCP judge? It may help me to better educate myself on the flavors and profiles of beer, and offer you some more accurate descriptions of what's going on inside of that bottle. Just a thought.

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Little black dress

2011-08-29T06:55:00.002-04:00

The makers of Guinness, in effort to appeal to the North American lager drinker, are rolling out with Guinness Black Lager (read, I think, Schwartzbier) in early September.

I think that anything from Guinness may incur the same kind of "dark beer stigma" that always seems to follow it. Regardless, I will be trying it, as I like all styles of beer, the black pilsner, and stout, in particular.

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It's no bumper crop, part deux

2011-08-26T22:39:00.002-04:00

First 2011 collection of Cascade hops.
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Prost!

2011-08-25T21:21:00.004-04:00

Ein Prosit, ein Prosit
Der Gemütlichkeit
Ein Prosit, ein Prosit
Der Gemütlichkeit

Prost! Prost!
Prost!
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Location:Meine Küche

A couple of nice articles

2011-08-22T23:35:00.001-04:00

My aunt shared this article with me, regarding a quasi-local surge in the beer scene. It's practically a micro thesis on how to start a nano/micro brewery; though there's no guarantee of success, I still wish the best to everyone, because quality brewers can only help the cause. This is courtesy of WTOP.

Now, this I got from The Brewing Network's Facebook page. The secret, unknown organism, making up the missing half of the lager genome was found in the Patagonia region of Argentina. How did this funky thing mingle with ale yeasts? Who knows; however the case, I'll drink to that.

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When you need some help falling asleep...

2011-08-21T21:16:00.003-04:00

Turn to a double IPA. This animal is Serum from DuClaw Brewing Company, and was in a growler given to me by The Flyin' Wop as thanks for helping him out with a move.

Even though he had the growler for two weeks before he saw me again, I'd say this style can take a lot of what time can dish out.

The growler popped when I opened it and held a wonderful orange colored, "thick" liquid, like a honey liqueur- with no head, really. The pour was nice, viscous like a liquor, sending up waves of aromatic lupulin straight into your sinuses.

At first sip, you get something different, though. It's really quite sweet, with a rounded hop finish that plays the line between astringent and bitter and is a sneaky beer where the alcohol lingers on the outside, never peeking in, but letting you know it's there.

For some of you who know me, for a very long time, I was unimpressed with the beers of DuClaw. I thought a few years ago the brews were watered down and lacking in body and flavor. But, a couple of weeks ago, we had a little gathering at DuClaw Arundel Mills and, this time around, I found the beer to be radically changed for the better. (That particular night I was drinking Venom.)

So, this all tallied up earns this beer an honest 7/10. Having it fresh well could see it earn more on my scale.

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Trub-ble

2011-08-18T18:44:00.001-04:00

Oh, Nico and Sully, you crazy guys! What is this monster?!? It's the wrong beer to come home to, after a long day at the office, because you'll be asleep long before dinner.

I poured, without looking at any of the packaging, a 12 ounce can of 21A Hop Crisis, in anticipation of a delicious IPA.

Yeah, buyer beware.

Instead I unleashed a 9.7%, 94 IBU animal, which has this absolutely fan-freaking-tastic pineapple/star fruit aroma and just a ridiculous lacing that clings and sticks to the side of the glass like a spider web.

For being such a high gravity beer (read: high alcohol) it is incredibly pale. I mean I have had Weiss beers darker than this! And it's clear too! No nutso cloudiness that typically comes with the DIPA/Imperial IPA style.

A first sip, while still fairly cool, yields some of that tropical flavor and zippy bite from heavy use of bittering hops-my guesses: Amarillo, Tomahawk, Citra?

Letting it warm for 10 minutes allows a lot of the oak it was aged on to really come through and deliver a French vanilla note and a quite pleasant smoothness, rounding off that initial bitter edge.

Letting it sit for another 40 minutes while your pizza cooks unlocks something amazing too! A blinding smoothness that makes this simply irresistible.

9/10, and guaranteed not to disappoint!

(Must appreciate a disturbing use of hops and heavy-handed amount of alcohol.)

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Night & Day

2011-08-15T22:12:00.007-04:00

I wanted to show everyone two very excellent beers, that are delicious representatives of their styles.

A coworkers' first attempt

2011-08-13T00:07:00.003-04:00

I enjoy the fine hobby of homebrewing and it is truly my dream that, one day, I will have the ability to take it to the level of professional brewery. In the meantime, I have been encouraging several of my coworkers to start or get back home brewing--at least 5. (It was several of those folks who got on my ass to restart brewing too, essentially putting my foot where my mouth is).

Tonight, a coworker of mine who is very new to the hobby, offered me two bottles of his inaugural brew: Brewer's Best Irish Stout. This is where I think everyone cuts their teeth. Get a few kits under your belt, then go bonkers. (At least, that's what I did.)

He expressed concern that his brew was under carbonated. When I got home, I immediately set forth to open a bottle that was the PERFECT temperature--just about 55 degrees.

Fzzt! Sounded about right to me.

The stout poured a thin black into my glass, and built a very fast tan head that quickly dissipated (see my previous post for similar conditions). I held it to the light and could clearly see through the beer--it wasn't easy but it was possible. So, at that point I'd call it a porter. It was just not opaque enough. I read the instructions and have some issues with their description, calling it deep brown. It should be black. Even the BJCP guidelines say "jet black (to deep brown)". Seems like BB is missing one whole part of the spectrum...oh well.

(I did look at the bottle and in the bottle afterward--I was shocked to see that there was only a trace amount of yeast on the bottom of this bottle. Somewhere in his process he was able to either get this yeast to drop out, and not transfer it between fermenters, or has some voodoo-like filtration skills.)

The aroma seemed spot-on: heavy coffee/roasted notes. Not any hops presence, and no detectable grains (boo). I sniffed and sniffed and sniffed. There was something else going on in here. And I can't pin point it, yet. When I open the other bottle, I'll post a comment to this one to identify what it was I smelled.

Tasting the beer was fun, because it's someone who is new to the hobby, eager to learn and willing to try their hand at being a janitor. I found the flavor to be really thin and found a note of fusel alcohol--probably from fermenting in the mid to high 70's (F).

I'm going to pass judgement on this beer, given it a first try, and these kits aren't exact. This stage of the game is familiarizing yourself with the concept of brewing. Getting your equipment together. Finding kits that interest you. Then dialing it in.

The first thing I learned about brewing with a kit is to not trust the yeast that comes with the kit, as you really don't know the age of the packet; I would go with a vial of While Labs or pack of Wyeast instead.

When I post tomorrow's comment, perhaps I will have enough information to give some additional suggestions.

Until then, dial it in!

I miss Clay Pipe...

2011-08-12T18:14:00.002-04:00

At work, I participate in a semiannual baking competition that happens after lunch, every payday. It's tiered like the NCAA Basketball Championship, and is quite fun. This iteration of the game, I decided to make Kriek marshmallows, Witbier cookies and a dark chocolate-stout drizzle sauce. As part of the potential "ingredients" for my chocolate sauce, I bought a series of stouts: Dragonhead, Bourbon Barrel Chocolate Oatmeal Stout, Chocolate Indulgence, Cappuccino Stout and Double Chocolate Stout. Per Rachel's suggestion, I went with Orkney Brewery's Dragonhead Stout given the lower alcohol content, 4% ABV.

That left me with a quandary of what to drink, after I made the sauce. (Because the Dragonhead was long gone...) I decided that Pub Dog would be my first stop.

At the local beer festivals, I have never been impressed with their stuff; but I saw the "artisanal limited" release part and thought what the hell, perhaps they have made improvements?

Well, what the hell?!?

I poured it into my pint glass, because I was not going to go anywhere last night. It came out black and imparted a pretty dense tan head with absolutely no retention. I held it up to the light and was able to catch ruby notes around the edges of the beer--not good for this style (which I would call a foreign extra on oak), in my book.

I took a quick few sniffs and caught some roast, some vanilla and not much else. What comes after sniffing? Tasting!

The beer is overwhelming; strictly by flavor. Putting beer in a bourbon barrel imparts a ton of flavor on its own; adding vanilla, cocoa nibs and spices are unnecessary, let the beer speak for itself. Well, this one was screaming at me in a very unpleasant way. It really shocked my palette with this crazy acidic burn, which I think would come from too much roasted grain. I didn't get any off flavors from it, which is why I am discounting it being infected. The beer was also very thin in the mouthfeel, and not creamy at all, which I would have most certainly hoped for in this ale.

You may ask, what on Earth does the title of this post have to do with the text I've written? Well, Clay Pipe was my favorite local brewery (as I do live in Maryland); and I lived for some Backfin Pale Ale and Hopocalypse. Those were my guaranteed go-to locals. When the owner of Clay Pipe decided to start contract brewing out of a Flying Dog, in Frederick, Md, he sold the Clay Pipe facility to Pub Dog, so they could provide beer to their two brewpubs. And truth be told, they do not hold a candle to the beer that Clay Pipe put on the market: Backfin, Blue Tractor, Hopocalypse and Pursuit of Happiness (which I have one of the last 6-packs of!).

So, Pub Dog still rides in the bed of the truck.

Overall: 3/10.

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Back in the saddle!

2011-08-07T17:08:00.007-04:00

Tis the season for Saison!
After a nearly 3 year hiatus, I fired up the stove, threw a bunch of grain in a sack, mashed it up, started a boil, tossed in some Hallertau and some Saaz, and buttoned it all up to the tune of 1.062 (1.065 target).

I found the most simple recipe from Briess' website: Create-a-Brew.

I want to thank the following people for riding my tail to get out and do this again:

my wife
my parents, especially Papi
my friends Jeff, Jon, Ron and Steve
my neighbors Darrell and Jeff
and Don, my coworker/cobrewer.

I want to give a special thanks to the crew at The Brewing Network, Jamil Zainasheff and Sean Z. Paxton.

Without their encouragement who knows how long I would have gone without brewing.

...begs the question, who's going to be here for bottling day? :)

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Happy IPA Day!

2011-08-04T21:10:00.003-04:00

Go on out and celebrate this great day with a great beer style!

Photos courtesy of Stone Brewing & United Nations of Beer

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A beautiful summer match

2011-08-03T20:06:00.002-04:00

When it's hot as Hell outside, and your family is driving home from visiting friends, and you're hungry, what do you do? You fire up the frying pan, whip out the tortillas, get the shredded cheddar, pull a bottle of Hennepin, kick back and enjoy!

I love Saison. It's spicy, tangy, funky and clean. It's such a wonderful beer, and Brewery Ommegang's Henne is a great example of the style.

I have thoroughly enjoyed this beer for years- and can completely understand why Duvel went forward and bought the brewery; Ommegang is a class-act, all the way around.

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Hot summer nights

2011-07-26T22:39:00.001-04:00

What's better on a hot & sticky Maryland summer night than a good-old American mass production lager?

I haven't seen Schlitz in a thousand years, and after a rough day at the office, it goes down smooth.

Best served very cold, and consumed quickly. It has a mellow scent, and a slightly lemony/cereal-y flavor that is not wholly unappealing.

6/10.

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It's a Belgian summer

2011-07-22T20:01:00.002-04:00

This is one of the most delicious beers that I have enjoyed. It's Fleur, from Goose Island. It is a Belgian ale brewed with tea and hibiscus flowers.

It has a phenomenal malt back bone, which pours a blazing orange, with sweet notes in the nose.

The flavor is a toasty, delicate sweetness, that finishes clean, and I mean clean!

She's good. She exceptional, but she can't shake Choklat from 5th place.

9/10

(My bottle was packaged in August, 2010, and bought recently.)

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Stone Cali-Belgie IPA

2011-07-21T18:20:00.000-04:00

Wow, this beer shines from coast-to-coast!

She pours a lively straw-honey color with just a bit of haze. Sitting firmly on top is a dense, rocky white head, that leaves gobs of lacing as the pint is drained.

My nose was served with a triple entente of Centennial, Chinook and Colombus. (I think.) It is a wonderful medley of citrus hops.

And do those Chinook hops slap you around when you sip. Not only do you get slapped, but the bready and sweet notes from the malt come through, with an extraordinary, and appropriate, dry finish.

I've read reviews where folks say the yeast is present in the nose, or at very first sip. I don't get the typical yeastiness, but I do get the wonderful layering of spiciness that can only come from a Belgian strain.

Overall, this is an excellent experiment, and worth your time seeking.

Overall, 9/10.
Oh yeah, dinner was leftover taco salad; I thought the spice would go well with the ale, and it certainly did.

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The Venerable Bede 2: Sorghum Strikes Back

2011-07-19T23:19:00.004-04:00

So, maybe I was a tad unfair to Bard's Gluten-free Sorghum Ale...

I said to myself, "you paid for it, go drink it", which I did.

Cause on the right, effect on the left.
To be fair, the session was split across 2 days. I would never advocate binge drinking; it's reckless and stupid.

I poured the Venerable Bede...um, Bard, into one of my Boston Beer Co. Turbolator glasses, to help form the beer, and took a long draught from it. I found caramel, biscuit and a bit of "earth". The finish, though, remained that bizarre alcoholic/astringenty dryness that just can't be shaken off. Shame. I also found no hops, but I'd be willing to bet they were in the brew.

Upon further examination (read: reading the label) it states the sorghum is malted. That's pretty keen.

From my previous review of this beer, to this one, I'm gonna have to grade it 6/10. And I think that may be just a touch generous.

Again, if you suffer from Celiac disease, you may be able to look no further to quench your thirst- this may float your boat, once you get accustomed to the finish.

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Location:The kitchen

A day of field trips

2011-07-18T08:17:00.001-04:00

Saturday sure was a busy day-I woke up early to go help my dad pick up some furniture and move it to my parent's house. After we did that, my mom treated us to an absolutely wonderful hot Italian sausage pizza. Man, that was so tasty.

Afterward, I cut out and had the chance to visit Olney Ale Werks. While there was nothing on tap, per se, I was treated to imbibe on a magical brew by the name of Weyerbacher Insanity. And I fully understand why this beer earned an A- from Beer Advocate.

This 11% monster is made by letting their Blithering Idiot barleywine soak in oak barrels, formerly used for aging bourbon, and boy does it shine! After pouring the beer, letting it sit out for a good few minutes and admiring the tight tan head and blood orange/ruby body, I plunged my nose into the glass, and was assaulted (in a good way) by this freak of the wood. Notes of oak, caramel, bourbon and alcohol went right up the old sinus passageways. And after sipping, oh man, it was an all-out assault on the senses: BAM-toffee, BAM-vanilla, BAM-oak, BAM BAM BAM. It was so tasty.

I'll have you know this is an extremely dangerous beer! If one didn't know better, that 11% could sneak right up on you like a ninja, and roundhouse kick you in the medulla oblongata. Say goodnight, Gracie. I'm very glad I a. read the label, b. only had a half-pour.

We bobbled about the brew house for a little while chatting, and decided to take a convoy to Annapolis Homebrew. I hadn't been there in over two years, and Mrs. Olney Ale Werks pulled up a recent review saying that they recently renovated and expanded their shop. Sweet!

When we got there, we could see that business had been good. The old half of the shop was still there with kits, extract, adjuncts, gear, etc. But the new half of the shop was a real beauty! Sampling stations, brewing/demonstration area, hops & yeast coolers, big-ass brewing sculpture (for sale): it was swanky indeed. Brooks & crew have been hard at work transforming that place.

I picked up some ingredients, some yeast, some champagne bottles and a recharge on my CO2. I'm happy to do business there--though it is a bit out of the way. As they say, support your local brewery. The same philosophy applies to your local homebrewing supply shop too.

Once I get this summer brew going, I will be sure to post photos & the like.

Until then, keep on brewing!

It's gonna be a two post day

2011-07-17T13:44:00.001-04:00

First, I wanted to review a beer over lunch.

Last night, I popped into Cranberry Liquors and picked up a variety of things including Bard's Tale gluten-free sorghum beer.

I feel so incredibly sorry for those afflicted by Celiac Disease, and those who may live in regions of the world without the benefit of the flavor of barley. This beer may be an outlet for them, but is certainly no outlet for me.

The brew poured a beautiful amber color, with a white head that didn't retain for any amount of time. I imagine that's due to a lack of compounds that help build lacing and assist with head retention. (Like those found with using wheat malt.)

Then there was the aroma and the flavor...

At first whiff, I was smacked in the face with rubbing alcohol. I don't know what would cause that kind of scent, but was not nice. I then took a sip and tasted more of what I'd call a rubbing alcohol note, with a very, very dry finish. Don't get me wrong, it's not horrible, just unpleasant. There are grassy hops in here too, but they play second fiddle to the rest. The body and mouthfeel are very thin: This beer could be refreshing if they could give it a bit more chew.

Easy first: The beer really needs a bit more sweetness to knock the dryness out.

Then, there's that aroma (& flavor). I can't fix that, and I don't know where to even try.

For my first gluten-free beer, I guess it's okay. But it's nothing that I'd buy again.

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Jumbo shrimp?

2011-07-15T18:07:00.001-04:00

Hey everyone,

All About Beer posted part of a press release from the Ball Corporation, who leads the American market in aluminum can manufacturing. Ball is coming out with an 8 oz. can, that they say can run on existing packaging lines!

AAB posed the question if the new size will be adopted by the brewing industry. I would think it to be a very good size vessel for housing some high-gravity beer. Think about it, you won't have to feel bad opening a can and getting two servings out of it; instead of opening a 12 oz. can, trying to find some folks to share it with or let the remainder go to waste, you can enjoy the smaller form factor without getting blotto.

Here's a link to AAB's original post.

Cheers!

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Umm...Raiders of the Lost Ark?

2011-07-12T17:08:00.004-04:00

So, this has been entombed in my basement for over 2 years, where it was enclosed next to the furnace, drywalled over (as evident by the white dust adorning the carboy), sitting idly while the room was painted and decorated.

You may ask, "what the hell is that"? It's cider that I bought, fermented and absolutely, unequivocally neglected.

I brought it upstairs for two reasons:
1. To make Rachel happy (when it gets dumped)
2. To make Rachel happy that I'm brewing again.

If I dare try it, and don't go blind, I may keg it (violating #1, above). But, as you can tell, that airlock has been mighty dry for a while, so who knows what beasties are swimming in there.

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Oh boy, leftovers!

2011-07-05T20:34:00.001-04:00

Retried black beans, Evermore Farms ground beef, Mom's Mexican Caviar, and Barley & Hops Hoptopsy in the Frederick Oktoberfest glass stein.

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Vinnie Cilirzo seals the deal, again!

2011-07-05T08:03:00.001-04:00

The public has spoken: the AHA announced the top 50 beers, as selected by the readers of Zymurgy magazine.

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Who?

2011-06-30T22:21:00.003-04:00

I have never heard of Butternuts Beer and Ale, but their cans caught my eye at the local liquor store. When I was there, I picked up a six-pack of Heinnieweisse and Snapperfish IPA.

Last night, Snapperfish accompanied our all-natural hotdogs (oxymoron, I know) from Evermore Farm.

The beer is a decent IPA from a tiny operation. It has a good hop nose and flavor, but not the afterbite I would expect of the style. The malt is round and chewy, like a good molasses cookie. I have a photo below.

All in all, it gets 6/10. A good attempt, and with a touch more refinement it could be great.

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The End of an Era

2011-06-28T18:48:00.002-04:00

I had to buy some due to the fact I recently learned that AB InBev intends to start brewing this in the US, for US consumption. I wanted to drink it while it retained some semblance of English honor.
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Review: Beer Is Proof God Loves Us

2011-06-02T11:54:00.001-04:00

Beer Is Proof God Loves Us by Charles Bamforth

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I thoroughly enjoyed Bamforth's book, Beer is Proof God Loves Us. It's an excellent, short journey into one man's livelihood, the world's social contract, and history's keen eye on beer and brewing.

He presents this book is something part history lesson from a favorite childhood teacher, to that of an autobiography. It reads much like you are having a conversation with a friend, with who you haven't spoken too in a long time. As a matter of fact, that conversation is with Bamforth; especially if you read the endnotes as you encounter them.

The tone of this book is not to educate the masses on beer and beer production, there are scores of other books out there that accomplish that. This book is merely one man's reflection on a product that he has spent over three decades learning about, working with, educating all, and the societal impacts and impasses he's encountered with beer along the way.

View all my reviews

Updates Galore!

2011-05-31T21:55:00.005-04:00

First, let me say thanks to everyone who has kept pestering me about updating this virtual real estate. I wish I could say that I was backpacking across Europe, or exploring the barley plains of Idaho or even visiting every brewery in North America--alas, that stuff can wait! I have been busy playing 15 months of clean up.

So, you want to start a brewery or a brewpub, huh?

Let me go out on a limb and advertise a book that I read a while back:

It's basic, but really helps you establish the groundwork for what you will need to build your own establishment.

Also read Sam Calagione's Brewing Up a Business: Adventures in Entrepreneurship from the Founder of Dogfish Head Craft Brewery and Brooklyn Brewery founders Steve Hindy and Tom Potter's Beer School: Bottling Success at the Brooklyn Brewery; both books will launch you down the path of opening up your business--from business plan, funding, first sales trips, and then success.

More official business

And what do they always tell you about real estate, regardless of the enterprise? LOCATION, LOCATION, LOCATION! Before you venture into that old dairy and buy up all the gear, make yourself familiar with any local laws pertaining the establishment you want to run. I suggest heading over to the list of Alcohol Beverage Control Boards. From here, you will be redirected to your state's office concerning the creation/selling/distribution of alcoholic beverages.

Here, the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau, TTB, are truly there to help. Don't get them confused with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, or ATF, they are the law enforcement side of the house, and you certainly don't want to warrant a business visit from them.

The TTB is part of the Executive branch, and the applicable laws are listed under the Code of Federal Regulation, Title 27 - Alcohol, Tobacco Products and Firearms; Chapter I--ALCOHOL AND TOBACCO TAX AND TRADE BUREAU, DEPARTMENT OF THE TREASURY; Subchapter A--Liquors; Part 25--Beer. Please don't try to open your brewery or brewpub in your house, § 25.21 says you can't, go rent a commercial piece of property with enough floor space for food stuff and more than enough space for your brewhouse.

The TTB is the agency that grants all permits to operate an alcohol-related business. They even have a clever little how-to get started in the industry, found here.

Next, comes a whole bunch of fun stuff: paperwork! What, you thought you signed your life away on the commercial property you just agreed to a 12-month lease on? You hands are going to cramp even worse after this run! Again, the TTB succinctly provides you with a quick list of the forms you need to complete, depending if you are going the brewery/brewpub route. And all the while, you should have thoughts of insurance running wildly through your head. You cant do ANYTHING without insurance. (Under TTB's Beer FAQ, item 7.)

I'll check back in with more information later.

(Big ups to Baying-Hound Aleworks.)

I know what you're doing this weekend

2011-05-27T23:46:00.003-04:00

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Location:Frederick & Baltimore

Hot fun in the summertime

2011-05-26T21:01:00.002-04:00

Apple cider salad with local asparagus, paired with Victory Headwater. Queue the summer!

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10 Reasons to Drink Craft Beer in a Can

2010-05-29T21:08:00.003-04:00

This is a great article that Nick's aunt sent to him a couple of days ago! We suggest that everyone try to find Oskar Blues' Ten Fidy, the stuff pours like motor oil! It's so delicious, especially on top of vanilla bean ice cream!

10 Reasons to Drink Canned Beer

Gripes

2010-05-22T21:36:00.003-04:00

What is the spirit of homebrewing? Isn't it about sharing the knowledge, and the love of such a great hobby? Where one can go into their kitchen, their garage, or their back yard and fire up the burners with their friends and neighbors and create something amazing tasty and, well, magical.

Today, at a community festival, I ran into the local homebrew club who were making something for the spirit of May. This was not the first time I have run into them, there have been several festivals over the past 5 years that I've attended and they have had a tent brewing and chatting it up with folks. That is everyone but me. I truly don't know what their issue is--every time I see them I get the cold shoulder, which is a crock! Today it was so bad, that the folks who were with me commented how rude the homebrewing club president was to me. What the hell did I ever do to him? Well, let me tell you: I have visited their webpage, thereby supporting them; I have talked about them to colleagues and friends saying, "hey, guess what? My town has a homebrew club;" I have read their newsletters that they publish several times a year online; I offered my condolences when one of their members passed away; and when I asked about joining their club, I was treated as if I were a second-class citizen.

I have been upset before--who hasn't? But, I have never been so incensed as I was today. I will not give them another shred of a another second of my time, and this blog entry will be the last thought that I invest in discussing anything about them--and I will not divulge the name of the club--why bother?

I'm all about supporting your local brewery/brewclub/homebrew supply store. But, when you treat people like their time and business are unwanted, then you have serious social flaws, and you should take a hard and serious look at yourself and re-evaluate your philosophy.

I'll start my own club. I'll call it, "this club is for anyone who enjoys beer and is not an asshole." All are welcome to join, even those who will remain unnamed.

Living Social

2009-09-13T16:19:00.005-04:00

I have to say, I have really become accustomed to the Living Social: Beer application available through Facebook.com and LivingSocial.com. It's a pretty cool place to enter in all of the beers you may have sampled over the years and post a simple review, flag your favorites, and check out photos of different containers, etc. It is a more organized version of something I was trying to do myself a couple of years ago through Flickr.com. I like LS:Beer for it's ease of use. I know there are several other review sites--and they have their positives as well as their negatives--but LS:Beer just plugs into my toolkit seamlessly. I suggest you check it out.

http://beer.livingsocial.com

'Tis the start of the season

2009-09-12T10:02:00.002-04:00

And on with the fall beer festival season!

Today, in Bel Air, Maryland, DuClaw is holding their real ale festival. There is a limited number of tickets available for those who didn't buy them ahead of time.

Real ale is defined as a beer brewed from traditional ingredients (malted barley, hops water, and yeast), matured by secondary fermentation in the container from which it is dispensed, and served without the use of extraneous carbon dioxide. Typically the beer is served by hand-pump or dispensed by gravity, where the cask is above ground and is tapped at the bottom. Some really extraordinary beer is made and served this way.

Unfortunately, we won't be able to attend, but I would love to hear from some folks who do! Just drop us a line by clicking contact at the right hand side of our page.

Saranac Brewery's New Blog

2009-08-20T21:30:00.002-04:00

The Matt brothers at Saranac Brewery just turned on a redesigned blog. It has some pretty spiffy information regarding the history of the brewery and events that are going on in, and around, Utica, NY. Go ahead and check it out by following the link on the right-hand side of the page, under "Blogs We Like."

Well, it's no bumper crop

2009-08-14T20:00:00.000-04:00

Last year, I decided to venture out and buy some hops rhizomes from Maryland Homebrew. The varieties I bought were Cascade and Hallertau. I planted them in large planters around Mother's Day, and let them run wild.

Well, they didn't run that wild.

Both popped up out of the soil, but didn't grow beyond 12 inches tall. I cut them back in mid-September, and covered them with spent grain.

This spring I noticed my Cascade planter shooting up like crazy! Well, wouldn't you know, it has grown about 10 feet tall on a trellis I built. Wouldn't you guess the Hallertau wasn't as fortunate: I decided to dump it in the back of our back yard.

Tonight I harvested my Cascade cones--they feel papery to the touch, and have a fantastic aroma of spicy grapefruit! Below you will find pictures of my "first harvest."

P.S. That Hallertau plant I pitched in the back, back yard--I think it rooted itself in some of my grass clippings and wild flowers and has simply exploded behind our bird feeders. Perhaps I will be harvesting some Noble hops in September...

Ah, The Brewer's Art

2009-08-12T20:39:00.004-04:00

So, we went out to dinner recently to The Brewer's Art, located in downtown Baltimore. It has stood as one of our absolute favorite restaurants to visit whenever there is a performance we're going to attend or if we're celebrating a special occasion.

Why would the place be called The Brewer's Art unless they (you guessed it) brewed their own beer!

With my appetizer, I enjoyed a great beer they call Twelve Labors, in honor of their 12h anniversary, as well as the 12 labors of Hercules. From what I was able to tell, TL is a very tasty, savory potion, made from an interesting mix of wheat, some coriander, some generous hopping that offered a citrus kick, and the herbaceous/floral notes I believe provided by the yeast. I heartily recommend this beer to anyone who can get there in time. It's a limited seasonal, and once gone, I'm sure it's gone.

The beer selected to accompany my entree was their Beacon Ale. Unfortunately, it didn't have enough complexity to cut through the TL. However, I am confident, on its own, it is a wonderful session beer!

I can't tell you how much I missed this place--it had been a good 2+ years since we last visited. I hope we don't wait another 2 years to go back.

Special Offer

2009-07-28T21:31:00.006-04:00

To everyone out there on the Etherwebs:

I received an email from the publisher of The Beer Guide, Savory House Press, stating if you order the book through their website, you'll get a dollar off the cover price! It's all ready a great value at $9.95, but to get it for $8.95 is simply icing on the cake.

I forgot to mention in my review that the bulk of the entries from RateBeer.com are from average people--not everyone who writes these reviews and rates these beers are BJCP certified.

Again, for those of you who are on the run often, or go exploring to new beer/wine/liquor stores, and encounter a lot of bottles that you may have questions about, this is a sweet book to have on-hand.

Here is the link right to the product page: The Beer Guide @ Savory House Press.

Book Review: The Beer Guide

2009-07-27T21:59:00.007-04:00

The Beer Guide, edited by Josh Oakes

Published by Savory House Press, Fort Worth, Texas.

Have you ever had the experience of walking into your local beer purveyor, checking out their selection, settle in on a sixer and ask yourself, "is this a good beer?" For most of you, I would imagine the answer is a big fat yes. Luckily, I received a copy of The Beer Guide, from Savory House Press, and it seems to solve this very issue!

Josh Oakes, the editor of RateBeer.com, pulled together 2,700 reviews based on user feedback (30,000+ members) from the website, into a well thought-out and portable hand guide. Imagine what the Zagat Survey is to restaurants, this is to beer. What makes it neat, is its size; it can easily fit into the glove box of your car (or your back pocket) making it really handy to take into the store.

The majority of the reviews are spot-on and very witty. "This is the only beer that managed to travel through my esophagus in both directions at the same time," Corona Extra; and of Dogfish Head World Wide Stout, "something to be savored."

There are some hits and misses, such as reviews that don't match the rating (a one to five-star system), or missing ABV figures, but they don't detract from the overall book.

The selected entries do a great job of covering a wide selection of beer. Not every beer makes a showing in the book, but with nearly 3,000 unique reviews, you would be hard-pressed to find a brewery that is not represented. And, let's be honest, this book would be HUGE if it had everything.

At the end of the book are three nice appendices: updates & corrections, and two pairing guides, written by Stan Hieronymus. The first for pairing food to beer, and the second for pairing a beer style to food. Both have an easy to use cross-index by style and cuisine/drink. This is very, very handy if you are going to a restaurant that caters to a specific style of food. Crab for dinner? Try a Belgian blond. Only have porter on hand? How about steaks, or some Gorgonzola cheese for a tangy twist?

Overall review
It tastes great: super convenient size, extremely affordable ($9.95, The Beer Guide @ Amazon.com), makes for a clever gift.

It's less filling: minor grammar/spelling issues, a few mismatched ratings--all of which can be corrected in a future edition.

It's last call: Buy. A must-have for those on the go and who are serious about their beer.

Let's get it started, in here

2009-07-18T20:40:00.002-04:00

New times, new posts, new awesomeness. Everyone, sorry for the hiatus, things happen, you know.

So, back to starting your own brewery, the brewing industry, homebrewing, and all stops in between!

Expect a book review this week--I'll drop a hint, it's The Beer Guide, built from input provided by RateBeer.com's member base.

Ladies and Gentlemen, Introducing: Joy's Jinger Ale!

2008-06-17T21:13:00.003-04:00

It took 2 months, but it was well worth the wait! In honor of our daughter's birth, I brewed a special ale. It was originally going to be a gingerbread ale; however, I didn't go with all of the spices one would include in a gingerbread. Instead, I made a straight ginger ale (6% ABV), where I added 1.5 ounces of freshly ground ginger (courtesy of our microplaner) in the last few minutes of the boil. Even though I was outside, and using a propane burner, the aroma of ginger was powerful, wafting through the air, piquing my neighbors interest in what I was making.

Last fall, I had gone to Annapolis Home Brew, where Jim (one of the owners) was nice enough to stay with me to get me set up with the right keg kit.

I also went to Best Buy and bought a small fridge that came without a freezer. This became my little project - to convert it into a homebrew kegerator - when Rachel took our daughter to visit the grandparents.

With the ginger ale fully fermented, I noticed that it was a bit cloudy in the car boy, sooooooo, I remembered back to Lonnie M. over at Ale Nuts.com using unflavored gelatin as a filter in his kegs. Armed with a little more research and knowledge, I filtered and carbonated 5 gallons of awesome beer. I know it's good because it got the official Rachel Seal of Approval!

I think tomorrow may lead me to brewing a Bitter for the 4th of July...

Holy smokes, that calendar is full!

2008-04-02T21:30:00.004-04:00

Hey everybody,

As an aside from some knowledge on starting a brewery, check out the link on the right-hand side of the page and click on the Calendar of Upcoming Events. There is a ton going on in Maryland and D.C. for the next several months. I'll be updating the events that have limited information listed. I guess it's too early to know everything. But, I'm pretty sure the dates a rock solid.

It's Awesome, Baby!

2008-03-11T23:06:00.012-04:00

It's that time of year again - the Washington Post is holding their second annual

March "Beer Madness" Tournament!

I invite everyone to go and fill out a bracket (you can print them from the website) and follow over the next several weeks to see if your favorites moved on to the next round.

Brooklyn Lager is last year's reigning champion, and they have a first round battle with our near and dear (if you are a Maryland traditionalist) National Bohemian! (Now brewed by Miller, in North Carolina.)

Click here to take a look at last year's tournament.

What does it mean to have a brewery license in Maryland?

2008-02-26T20:41:00.004-05:00

I was scouring our Maryland code on beer and breweries (Article 2B), and finding our "code" is a hell of a lot harder than I expected. If the legislature were smart, there would be a direct link to the general code on the main page - an easy to navigate code, to boot.

§ 2-206. Brewery license.

(a) In general.- A Class 5 manufacturer's license:

(1) Is a brewery license; and

(2) Authorizes the holder to:

(i) Establish and operate in this State a plant for brewing and bottling malt beverages at the location described in the license;

(ii) Import beer from holders of nonresident dealer's permits; and

(iii) Sell and deliver beer to any wholesale licensee in this State, or person outside of this State, authorized to acquire it.

(b) Restrictions on service and sale.- A licensee may:

(1) Serve up to 6 ounces for a sample of beer brewed at the licensed premises to anyone who has taken a tour of the brewery, if that person is of legal drinking age; and

(2) Sell beer brewed at the brewery for off-premises consumption to anyone who participates in a guided tour of the brewery, subject to the following restrictions:

(i) The purchase is limited to 144 ounces of beer per person each year, based upon records kept by the brewery and forwarded to the Office of the Comptroller at intervals specified by that Office; and

(ii) The person has attained the legal drinking age.

Following the lead taken by Saranac

2008-02-18T20:09:00.003-05:00

I received an email today from DuClaw written in a similar style to Saranac Beer announcing price increases across the board for their beer. Not only that, but there will be no Venom this year, which is their American Pale Ale.

Instead of reformulating the Venom recipe, it was announced that there will be a new American IPA called Hellrazer. I'm pretty sure that it will have a similar grain bill to Venom, however they will just use a different variety (or varieties) of hops.

I'm also anxious to hear the results of today's hearing at the Maryland House of Delegates. They were hearing the direct wine shipping bill, HB 1260, and hopefully it passed with flying colors. It would be tremendously beneficial for home consumers and for the liquor stores, by providing a wider selection.

I appreciate the effort of Saranac Beer announcing the price increase

2008-02-15T22:19:00.003-05:00

The Saranac Beer monthly email came today with their announcement of a price increase coming soon.

Not the greatest of news; however, I truly appreciate Nick and Fred Matt coming forward and informing their customers that this is something they have to do and their hands are tied.

We are all aware that prices everywhere are increasing; we see it every time we fill-up our cars. Unfortunately Saranac is being affected too and thus we are writing to explain why you are going to experience a significant increase in the price of our beers over the next few weeks.

We have heard from literally hundreds of our loyal drinkers over the years that you appreciate the fact that Saranac is somewhat more reasonably priced than other craft beers. Thus we know you are going to be sensitive to the fact that the price of Saranac is going to increase about 8%-10% in the upcoming weeks. This at retail will translate to an increase of $.50 for 6-packs and $1.00 for 12-packs. We recognize it is a big increase and we wish it was avoidable.

Unfortunately it is not. We are experiencing dramatic cost increases for malt and hops, the basic ingredients we use to make our beers. In 2008 the price of malt will go up over 100%, and the price of hops, depending on the variety, will increase from 40% to more than 100%. These price increases are unprecedented! They are the result of a number of factors we have no control over including a poor harvest in 2007, increased world wide demand, a decline in the acreage devoted to growing malt and hops and increased demand for that acreage for making ethanol. All in all, these tremendous increases in malt and hops are going to nearly double the cost for us to make our beer. This combined with the rising cost of package materials, energy and labor, is putting us in a position where we have no choice but to increase our prices.

We regret having to take such significant price increases. We have made every effort to minimize the amount that we pass along to you. In fact this increase will not offset all the cost increases we are facing. We have made the decision to absorb some of the increases ourselves, but we must take a significant price increase if we are going to be able to continue to make the quality beer you expect as a Saranac drinker.

We certainly hope you understand and will continue to support us. As always we thank you for your loyalty and support. If you happen to be in our neck of the woods, please come visit us. We hope to see you soon!

Sincerely,

Nick Matt Fred Matt
President Vice President

It might not be the beer you normally pick up, but I suggest you support these guys, go out and buy a sixpack of Saranac Pale Ale. While you're at it, buy a sixer of your local beer. They are feeling the same pinch.

One step toward greatness!

2008-02-14T21:56:00.003-05:00

Check it out gang,

As a Valentine's Day gift to me, I'm stopping by Best Buy tomorrow to pick up a Sanyo 4.9 cubic foot refrigerator. I'm going to convert it to a kegerator to hold my two soda kegs and CO2 tank. I figure I can brew up my Gingerbread spice ale and still have a free tap for a stout (maybe?).

It's a step toward opening a brewery, in a convoluted kind of way... baby steps, keg my beer and serve it on draft.

I'll do my best to post pictures and details of the conversion once all of the pieces are in play.

-Nick

Hot on the heels of the SABMiller news

2008-02-09T22:30:00.000-05:00

Courtesy of the ProBrewer.com's forum:

A-B, InBev Talks Heat Up
Reports speculate that deal may happen this year

InBev, the world's second-largest beer producer by volume, and Anheuser-Busch are in advancing talks that could lead to a merger of the two, Belgian business magazine Trends said on Thursday.

InBev, whose key brands are Stella Artois, Beck's, Brahma and Leffe, and Anheuser-Busch have been the subject of consistent merger speculation over the past year.

Last week, the Wall Street Journal said talks between the brewing giants had become more serious and that a deal was possible this year.

Both brewers have repeatedly declined to comment.

InBev was formed from the 2004 merger of Belgium's Interbrew and Brazil's AmBev.

Biofuels Deemed a Greenhouse Threat

2008-02-09T10:45:00.000-05:00

Keep plowing that land for biofuel production. Not like we need other staple grain to survive.

Courtesy of the NY Times,

"Almost all biofuels used today cause more greenhouse gas emissions than conventional fuels if the full emissions costs of producing these “green” fuels are taken into account, two studies being published Thursday have concluded.

The benefits of biofuels have come under increasing attack in recent months, as scientists took a closer look at the global environmental cost of their production. These latest studies, published in the prestigious journal Science, are likely to add to the controversy.

These studies for the first time take a detailed, comprehensive look at the emissions effects of the huge amount of natural land that is being converted to cropland globally to support biofuels development."

Click the link highlighted above the quote for the full article.

Speaking of a site to help the beer and wine industry...

2008-02-08T11:59:00.000-05:00

Check out Marylanders for Better Beer and Wine Laws.

The following comes directly from their "About Us" section.

"Marylanders for Better Beer and Wine Laws was formed in 2005 to advocate for beer and wine laws that: 1) benefit consumers; 2) promote competition; 3) protect the environment; and 4) support Maryland's brewers and wineries.

MBBWL represents all Marylanders -- consumers, retailers, producers, distributors, and just regular folks -- who share our values.

Specific reforms that we support include allowing consumers to order wine through online retailers like wine.com, and buy beer and wine at grocery stores.

To join our campaign for better beer and wine laws in Maryland, contact:

Scott Ehlers
Executive Director
Marylanders for Better Beer & Wine Laws"

If you are seriously considering opening/starting your own brewery or winery in Maryland, I would give this site a visit. It's almost a lobby for beer and wine consumer in Annapolis.

Marylanders, tell your Delegates to say no to Senate Bill 232!

2008-02-07T21:51:00.001-05:00

Citizens of Maryland, join me and let's consign this silly bill into the deep!

Courtesy of the Beer Advocate email alert system:

"Attention MD BEER DRINKERS:

Senate Bill 232 - recently introduced in the MD General Assembly by Senator Forehand (Montgomery County) will increase the MD tax on beer 6 times - from .21/ case to $1.22/case. As you are no doubt aware, recent dramatic increases to the cost of brewing raw materials have already added about a dollar to the cost of a sixpack.

And the recent 20% increase in sales tax has also increased the cost of beer. If the proposed legislation is passed a six pack of beer will go up at least another 50 cents, on top of the increases noted above, and will make Maryland's beer taxes more than twice our neighboring states!

Enough is enough! Just Say NO!

This bill is opposed by our local (to the brewery) Delegates - Jimmy Malone and Steve DeBoy. But tell your local representatives to oppose Senate Bill 232 and any other bill that increases beer excise taxes.

1) Click here http://mdelect.net/electedofficials/

2) Enter your address and city and hit "Find Elected Officials"

3) The next screen will give you email links to both your State Senator and Delegates.

4) Send them an email today! Please be respectful, but tell them what you think!"

SABMiller the largest brewer in the world?

2008-02-07T11:18:00.000-05:00

The giant global conglomeration, SABMiller, who provide thirsty drinkers around the world with Miller Genuine Draft, Leinenkugel's, Golden Pilsener, Carling Black Label, and Pilsner Urquell, among several other brands, are positioning themselves to be the largest brewer in the world, overtaking the mega-brewer InBev.

According to the ProBrewer Interactive forum with the take over of Grolsch, and Heineken buying out Scottish & Newcastle, SABMiller will position itself as number 1.

InBev is best known for providing us with beers such as Becks, Stella Artois, Hoegaarden, and Labatt. Their portfolio consists of approximately 200 brands spanning the globe.

Heineken, the number 3 brewer, owns a little more than 120 brands; including the ever-popular Heineken, Amstel, and Murphy's Irish Stout.

"Savor" the date

2008-02-06T18:35:00.000-05:00

Savor, an event being presented by the Brewers Association, is coming to Washington, D.C. It is a two-day event in May with three sessions. The first one will be Friday night, May 16, from 6:30-10:00 PM. Garrett Oliver is the featured speaker.

The second session is Saturday, May 17, from 12:30-4:00 PM. Featured speakers Randy Mosher, Jim Koch, and Rick Martin will be talking about pairing beer and food.

The final session, Saturday, May 17, will start at 6:30 and end at 10:00 PM. The first seminar will be about "cross drinking". Lauren Buzzeo, Wine Enthusiast Magazine; Ray Isle, Food & Wine Magazine; Ken Wells, CondeNast Portfolio; and Julia Herz, Craft Beer Program Director, Brewers Association will be the speakers at that event. The second seminar will have hosts Sam Calagione and Marnie Old duke it out over beer and wine.

Tickets are $85 a pop for one of the three sessions, but I think it's worth it. I'm trying to convince Rachel that it's worth it too. :)

Crisis in Beer

2008-01-09T20:17:00.000-05:00

Part II: Are we going to have to mash Grape Nuts?

What has not been widely reported through mainstream media is the actual shortage of grain; barley, specifically. Barley is grown for food products, livestock feed, and malt. As mentioned in my previous post, malted barley is one of the four main components in beer. The grains impart flavor, color, and body to the liquid. The opening Grape Nuts reference comes from the fact that the cereal is made from malted barley, and, theoretically, could have fermentable sugars extracted from it.

Whether a mega brewery (A-B, Molson-Coors, SABMiller) or a micro everyone uses malted barley, in one form or another.

What are the culprits behind the shortage? Once, the same storms that sacked the European hops crops, did the same to their barley farms. Second, ethanol. Yes, ethanol - the catch-all alternative-energy savior of the United States.

American farmers are receiving substantial Federal subsidies to grow corn, to support corn-derived ethanol as the fuel of choice. The same applies to farmers in Mexico. Their government is paying them handsomely to cultivate corn; which is hurting the tequila distillers.

Unfortunately, you cannot blame the farmers. If you owned a farm, and were getting paid a king's ransom, you would grow corn too.

So, the US government is willing to pay, pay, pay for corn. And guess what, they don't care what quality of corn you grow, so long as it ferments into ethanol. It has been proven that corn-derived ethanol is grossly less efficient than standard gasoline. Not only that, it requires more energy to produce corn-based ethanol than what is rewarded back to the user. How about using switchgrass or poplar trees which produces approximately 540% more renewable energy that energy consumed in their production?

Instead of forcing the consumer to use a more expensive and inferior product, how about forcing the automobile manufacturers to redesign the internal combustion engine? Give them the subsidies! Or, adopt diesel engines as a viable work horse. Diesel technology has come a very long way in the past 25 years. Companies like Volkswagen, BMW, and Mercedes-Benz have practically perfected the diesel engine. They have also adhered to more strict guidelines for automobile emissions than those of the United States!

So, not only are the barley prices going up for brewers & breweries, but a similar pain is being absorbed by the livestock farmer. They can't afford to feed the herd! If they can't feed the animals, than the price of food in the stores goes up due to dwindling supply. To you this may seem like a bit of stretch, but it makes perfect sense to a lot of us.

I fell that, as Americans, we are going to experience a major impact on beer and foodstuff prices. I can see several fine local establishments going out of business because they have to raise the price of their goods due to the increasing price of the resources they need to survive.

Support your local, if you can afford it.

Crisis in Beer

2008-01-02T22:00:00.000-05:00

Foreword: This is a multi-part post on the impending beer crisis. I am not, by any means, a professional journalist, nor do I claim to be. However, I have an opinion that I want to share on the subject. It is based on information that I have read in newspapers, magazine articles, podcast interviews, and brewery consolidations.

Part I: Where are my hops?

It has been reported, over the past several months, that the brewing industry is facing a shortage in the availability of many of the popular hop varieties. News outlets like the Associated Press, the Wall Street Journal, and National Public Radio have picked up on the tremors in the trade.

As most of the folks reading this know, hops are one of the four major ingredients that brewers user to make beer. The other three being malted barley, yeast, and water.

Hops have been used in beer for close to a millennium, while beer in one form or another has been around for close to 5,000 years. Prior to the inclusion of hops, an amalgamation of herbs and spices were used to "preserve" the beer. Unfortunately, some of the ingredients used were actually psychoactives. Once hops were "discovered", the monks, who were the brewers, found the cones to offer a better preserving factor, act as a slight bittering agent, and impart a delicate floral flavor.

If we fast forward to the present day, we find that the most popular style consumed around the globe is that of a Pilsner-type of light lager. By light I mean in color and body. The Big Three (Anheuser-Busch, Molson-Coors, and SABMiller) predominantly focus on this style, and their dedication to consistently and quality control are executed extraordinarily well. Most of these beers are very clear, crisp, and have a low-to-moderate alcohol content. They are also low on the amount of hops used - these beers aren't super-bitter. A lot of the bite comes from the carbonation within the beer. On the flip side, modern American microbreweries tend to use an abnormally high amount of hops in their beer, in order to put their own unique twist on a well-known style, or to experiment with something new (e.g. Watermelon Wheat and Imperial Pilsners). Their beer may range from the moderate lager that the mega-companies produce, to over the top, lip puckering, tongue twisting, mouth-scraping IPAs. For them, the latter generally requires a high amount of hops to be used so they can deliver a well-balanced beer.

The ironic part is both the mega-scale breweries and craft breweries have to use a large amount of hops. You are probably thinking, "in the last paragraph, you said the big guys don't use a lot of hops in their beer; what gives?" It is all about production scale. Whether you brew 5, 200, or 100,000 gallons at a time, you will encounter a time where you will need a lot of hops.

There was a series of events in 2007 that are easily identified as sources of the hops shortage. The first was a series of terribly devastating storms in Europe that destroyed approximately 40% of their hop crop. Now, assuming that Germany alone counts for 25% of the total, global, hop supply, a 40% drop in their yield results in supplying 15% of the world's hops. That is a reduction in availability of 10% on the world-scale. The second event was one of the worst droughts to strike Australia and New Zealand, that allowed them to barely grow enough hops for their own domestic brewing use. New Zealand is known as the world's foremost supplier of certified organic hops. The third event was the abandonment of growing hops in the United States, poor yields in the Pacific Northwest, and ravaging wildfires in the hops-growing region of the US. The sum of these events has led to a skyrocketing increase in price per pound. What the brewer could get for $5 USD a pound now costs in excess of $20 USD per pound. Homebrew supply stores are running out of perennial favorite hop varieties, as are the hop distribution companies who are responsible for providing the essential ingredient to breweries around the globe.

All told, the consumer can expect to see a 10+% price increase, per pint, based on the lack of hops alone.

Within the brewing world, this seems to follow a 7 to 10 year cycle. Unfortunately, something on this scale has never been encountered before.

Updated reading list & a website acting funny

2007-12-22T01:12:00.000-05:00

Hey everyone, out there on the InterWebs, I got through my issue of Ale Street News and am halfway through the first of the Beer Advocates. Too bad I picked up the latest Ale Street News and Mid-Atlantic Brewing News last night... :)

Tomorrow, I aim to go to my local super market and buy 5 gallons of pasteurized apple cider to make a hard apple cider. I want to see if the yeast that I have is still viable (the expiration date is coming up, fast). I'll pitch the yeast and let it run.

Anyway, I remember 8012 years ago stumbling upon The U.S. Beer Drinking Team's website. Not to glorify binge drinking, but it catered itself to being a MySpace or Facebook of the beer world. Meet up with folks in the real, physical world at a bar or whatever. I registered and looked at their posts, and what they had. It was simple, but hey, not like I have done anything better. It seems that over the past few weeks they updated the website, completely, and now you have to re-register. I just find that to be a real thorn in my side. They could have kept the old profiles and not make everyone re-reg. Geez. They also used to have a nice screensaver which you could download for free. I have it on my machine, it scrolls through very artistic photos of beer. I'm going to see if they still have it on the site to download.

Good lord, look at the reading list I have to catch up on...

2007-12-15T22:26:00.000-05:00

I have been so busy at work that I haven't had any time to take a break, even just a five minute one, to catch up on any of my beer reading. Here's my back log:

Ale Street News: 10-11 2007
Beer Advocate: October 2007
Mid-Atlantic Brewing News: October/November 2007
Zymurgy: November/December 2007
Beer: November/December 2007
Great Lakes Brewing News: Best if read by Oct/Nov 2007
Brew Your Own: December 2007
Beers of the World: December 2007
Draft: November/December 2007
Beer Advocate: November 2007
Brew Your Own Magazine: January/February 2008
All About Beer: January 2008

Phew...quite the list. And me, being "Mister Anal-retentive", I have to read every single word in any book or any magazine that I lay my hands on. I even use the carpet bombs as bookmarks.

I'll let you know if I can ever catch up.

Flying Dog closing down the Denver brewery - moving to Maryland

2007-12-13T22:34:00.000-05:00

I just caught wind of this through ProBrewer.com's forum.

Flying Dog is closing down the Denver brewery to move all production to Frederick, Maryland (right down the street from us). If you don't know the story behind that, Flying Dog bought the revamped Frederick Brewing Company in early 2006, and now produces 70% of their beer from that brewery (which is a statistic I did not know).

The really, really nice thing that the company is doing for the Denver's production employees is there will be no layoffs - the company is offering them positions at the Frederick brewery, including relocation packages. I'll tell you what, given the real estate prices around here, now, that's going to be quite a pinch in the old Flying Dog wallet...

Check out the Flying Dog homepage and this message from Flying Dog President and CEO, Eric Warner.

Nick

Eric, send me some oaked Gonzo for Christmas, please.