December 2004
Beer Of The Year?
Posted by on Thursday, December 30, 2004 in - 11 comments
Does such a thing exist? If speaking of the North American market, is it the low carb stuff which I doubt I will ever try or is that the boondoggle of the year? Personally, I will have to review my notes in the review archives but suspect it will be American and it will be hop-heavy. Maybe it was … read more »
US Beer Will Be 51%...Beer
Posted by on Wednesday, December 29, 2004 in - 5 comments
In a shocking but true accouncement as reported in the New York Times, the US government has passed a regulation that will require what is taxed as beer to be at least 51% beer twelve months from now: • “Popular flavored malt beverages must have the majority of their alcohol come from the … read more »
Temperance Today
Posted by on Tuesday, December 28, 2004 in - 2 comments
The BBC has a good piece in its Magazine section on the British temperance scene today. Apparently: • “the British National Temperance League (BNTL), as it is known, has two staff and a mailing list of 1,200 people including social workers, teachers and police.” • What is the connection … read more »
Second Opinion: Sleeman Fine Porter
Posted by on Monday, December 27, 2004 in - 13 comments
[Ed.: Here is a second take on this brew. See our first here.] • Sleeman's Brewery has released a special limited edition Porter, called "Fine Porter," available for a limited time only in the Canadian provinces of British Columbia, Alberta, Ontario, Quebec, and Nova Scotia. I don't know how … read more »
He Is The Beerman...Goo Goo Gachoob
Posted by on Saturday, December 25, 2004 in - 1 comment
From the annals of the great cases in beer jurisprudence comes this recent ruling: • “"Bob the Beerman" has lost his battle against Coors. Bob Donchez, known as "Bob the Beerman," was the first licensed vendor at Coors Field in Denver. He trademarked his character in 1993. He sued Coors about …
Last of the Speakeasies?
Posted by on Wednesday, December 22, 2004 in - 4 comments
Big news from a little place. One of the last vestiges of the prohibition-era speakeasies of the first half of the last century has left the scene in Canada's smallest province. CBC PEI reports: • “In 1900 Prince Edward Island became the first province to ban alcohol. It was the last to end …
Nominations Abound
Posted by on Tuesday, December 21, 2004 in - 1 comment
We have been nominated in the Wine, Beer and Spirit category of the 2004 Food Blog Awards - vote here - as well as for the best non-political blog in the 2004 Canadian Blog Awards - voting to take place in the first half of January. Such honours. What will we all wear for the gala?
Samuel Smith, Yorkshire England
Posted by on Monday, December 20, 2004 in - 10 comments
I was hoping I would run into one of the gift packs with the nut brown ale, pale ale and oatmeal stout. $13.95 CND at the LCBO in addition to the Imperial Stout and the previously reviewed Winter Welcome which go for $3.95 CND each. Samuel Smiths was founded in 1758 and still uses the open top …
Five from Scotland
Posted by on Sunday, December 19, 2004 in - 1 comment
Jim Barr, our correspondent from Ayrshire Scotland, has forwarded some great notes on five brews from the old country, three of which are organic. • Harviestoun Bitter and Twisted: Apparently Champion Beer of Britain, 2003 in its cask conditioned form. This is a honey coloured beer with a lot of …
Homebrewing In Singapore In The News
Posted by on Sunday, December 19, 2004 in - 5 comments
Homebrewing has received a welcome endorsement from an unlikely source. In its Sunday editorial, Singapore's state-controlled Straits Times newspaper (reg' req') has praised homebrewing as a hobby - noting that drinking at home may have an added advantage in reducing rates of drunk driving …
Christmas Ales
Posted by on Saturday, December 18, 2004 in - 12 comments
The siblings are in town for early uncles and auntie first Christmas. I stocked in well over the last month or so...and then we all get sleepy after a big sherry trifle and only open a couple. I will just have to work through these over the next few days - a Belgian, three English, two central New …
Quick Note: Sinebrychoff Porter, Finland
Posted by on Saturday, December 18, 2004 in - 3 comments
Chocolate, licorice and heat. 7.2% Baltic porter, an artifact of a style. Heavy malty dark with a strong woodsy hop edge over the roast. $2.99 USD at the Party Source, Syracuse.
Stone Brewing, San Diego, California
Posted by on Saturday, December 18, 2004 in - leave a comment
Two devils for two snowman • Two more from Stone Brewing of San Diego: Double Bastard Ale and Smoked Porter. A couple of months ago, I reviewed Arrogant Bastard here and Ruination IPA here. • The Double Bastard poured deep tea in colour with a beige head. It has the richness of Arrogant … read more »
Posted by on Friday, December 17, 2004
National Six-Pack VI: 1892 Traditional Ale, Newfoundland
Posted by on Wednesday, December 15, 2004 in - 6 comments
One golden summer more than a decade ago, I had a job that meant I had to spend some time visiting various parts of Atlantic Canada. This included my only extended stay in St. John's Newfoundland and with it a meal allowance that got me to and through The Ship Inn, Erin's Pub, Water Street and a …
A Great Links Post
Posted by on Wednesday, December 15, 2004 in - leave a comment
A great links page about one person's love of beer from the blog Grow A Brain.
My Submission on the Beer Trade War
Posted by on Tuesday, December 14, 2004 in - 1 comment
Some weeks ago, I referred to the impending proposal to include beer in a trade retaliation against the US. Here is my submission sent by email today to the International Trade Policy Division of the Canadian Federal Department of Finance. I encourage you to send a similar note to the email … read more »
Union Street Revival Ale, Harpoon, Boston, Mass.
Posted by on Monday, December 13, 2004 in - leave a comment
Harpoon Brewery is one of my favorite New England micros and one that Dipietros in South Portland thankfully carries. Based in Boston with a branch brewery in Windsor Vermont, they consistently produce interesting quality brews. It was nice, then, to find this small batch brew available during my …
Beer Belly
Posted by on Monday, December 13, 2004 in - leave a comment
Here is some sensiible advice from the BBC on the beer belly. What I like about it is it does not say quit but cutback and get exercise. I have battled weight since childhood, long before my first beer so I appreciate the non-judgemental tone. • One thing I have done this year is upped my …
Posted by on Saturday, December 11, 2004
Homebrewing in Singapore
Posted by on Saturday, December 11, 2004 in - 7 comments
The recent • legalization of home brewing by Singapore authorities has hit the • shopping malls. Previously, prospective home-brewers needed to turn to on-line supplier I-brew. However, yesterday at Carrefour, I was pleased to see this:
Oregon: American Amber Ale, Rogue, Newport
Posted by on Wednesday, December 8, 2004 in - 7 comments
Picked this up for 3.79 USD for 650 ml over the other side. A big beige merengue head, leaving rings of foam rather than lace. A heavy layer of lime rind hops cuts though rich cream raisin crystal malt with a sugar cookie biscuity thing. A hint of smoke maybe? A nice red amber. A really good beer …
I nominated us in the wine blog category.
Posted by on Wednesday, December 8, 2004
An Introduction to Singapore's Beers
Posted by on Wednesday, December 8, 2004 in - 2 comments
Alan kindly invited me to join the league of good-beer bloggers. I quickly accepted. Regrettably, Singapore and the rest of Southeast Asia are not the best places to find good local brews. Most regional beers are uninspiring international lagers or worse - such as the syrupy-sweet and metallic …
The Dark Beers of Red Beijing
Posted by on Monday, December 6, 2004 in - 13 comments
Beer aficionados who plan to visit Beijing should not expect to find a great variety of local products. All restaurants will invariably provide you with bottled or draft pale lagers such as locally brewed Yanjing Beer (燕京啤酒) and much familiar Tsingtao Beer (青岛啤酒) and their countless variations. A …
Belgium: Thinking About Four Sorts Of Brown
Posted by on Monday, December 6, 2004 in - 5 comments
Continuing in the style of Four Belgian Blondes and Four Wittes, I am going to try to work through the Belgians I have squirrelled away over the last few months style by style. I also want to avoid one problem that arises doing a side-by-side, especially when you are looking at triples and strong …
Upcoming Tasks
Posted by on Sunday, December 5, 2004 in - leave a comment
Collecting these little bottles - as often as singles as I can find them - has created a bit of a daunting list of tasks to be done by way of style and beer comparison reports. These five pending articles are just the Belgian style ones: • Dubbles - Borneu, Chimay Red, Maudit.Triples - Borneu …
Barley Wine: Old Foghorn, Anchor Brewing, San Fran., Cali.
Posted by on Saturday, December 4, 2004 in - leave a comment
A quick note on a tiny beer. Many but not all Christmas barley wines come in small bottles - this one being 7 oz, a lovely little thing. The bottle promises big, however: "Old Foghorn is dry hopped in the classic ale tradition and aged in our cellers until it attains the perfect balanace of malty …
Le Poulpe
Posted by on Saturday, December 4, 2004 in - 1 comment
He was born in 1993 and he drinks beer. No, he's not too young... He turned 40 on the year 2000, on march 22nd, more precisely. His name is Gabriel Lecouvreur, he lives in Paris, in the 11th "arrondissement" (district). His favorite bar is on Ledru-Rollin avenue, "Le Pied de Porc à la …
Tales of Two Winters
Posted by on Friday, December 3, 2004 in - 6 comments
Two expressions of an English winter's ale, to the left Winter Welcome from Samuel Smith's, one of the most ancient of brewers, and to the left Winter Ale from St. Peter's the great modern traditionalists. Winter beer is not a style so much as a harkening. Each is actually a recollection of a …
Lew's News
Posted by on Thursday, December 2, 2004 in - leave a comment
I got a few interesting emails today and one was from one of my favorite beer writers Lew Bryson announcing an update to his website setting out what he has been up to lately. He has down the right side of this is 13th news letter digest of sort a great feature "What I've Been Drinking" which is …
