July 2006
New York: Porkslap Pale Ale, Butternuts, Garrattsville
Posted by on Monday, July 31, 2006 in - 11 comments
...piggies...everywhere with the piggies... • Alan wrote glowingly about the Heinnieweisse from the new Butternuts brewery near Cooperstown New York last month so I was happy when finally I found their other brew, Porkslap, at Finger Lakes Beverage in Ithaca. There has been discussion here at …
Sleeman Auctioned Today
Posted by on Monday, July 31, 2006 in - 1 comment
An end of an era today as Canada's bar turned micro turned regional turned mini-national macro goes on the block: • “Four brewers are expected to belly up to the bar today and pitch offers for Sleeman Breweries Ltd. as the auction of the $220-million beer maker enters its final stage. The two …
Stash Expansion
Posted by on Sunday, July 30, 2006 in - 7 comments
With the expansion of beer blog HQ into new quarters comes the additional benefit of proper sub-surface cold storage. Some work needs to be done raising the corked bottle necks - and a few cases of vintage port would not go amiss - but suffice it to say staff morale is very high. Perhaps a …
New York Ditches Blue Laws
Posted by on Saturday, July 29, 2006 in - 4 comments
I have no idea why the laws were called the blue laws but they are history: • “You can now buy beer at breakfast time on Sundays, as New York says bye-bye to the blue laws. Gov. George Pataki signed into law Thursday a bill allowing beer sales to start at 8 a.m., superseding the former start …
Five Mainly Western US Pale Ales
Posted by on Thursday, July 27, 2006 in - 8 comments
Four really western pale ales and one of my favorites, Southern Tier IPA, from western New York...that counts, right? I don't know what I am expecting to find from this selection. The Rouge Seahorse as well as both Mojo and Hazed & Infused are new to me. But it is time to do another random cross …
Is This The Worst Beer Ever?
Posted by on Thursday, July 27, 2006 in - 3 comments
I got this note from our man in Shanghai, Myrick of Newfoundland aka Asiapundit. He is working very hard to find good beer in Asia and sends a link from a blog from Cambodia: • “The initial aroma wafting from my Khmer smelled as if it had been created with moldy bread strained through a sock. A …
Festival Report: Empire State Brewing Fest 2006, Syracuse, NY
Posted by on Wednesday, July 26, 2006 in - 2 comments
Actually, it was the 2006 Empire State Brewing and Music Festival down in Syracuse in central New York and I sent my pal Paul on special assignment. Click on his pictures for a better view: • “Many a good sprout of inspiration hath sprung forth nurtured by the dung of a boring meeting. During …
Another Ontario Beer Blog
Posted by on Tuesday, July 25, 2006 in - 2 comments
Greg Clow of the Big Smoke has started a beer blog. This is a very good idea. The Weslakerians need the insight that this end of the lake has enjoyed for eons now through this my blog. Easlakerians rejoice at their cousins move into the 21st century. • If you are not aware of whom I speak, Greg …
Blood For Beer
Posted by on Tuesday, July 25, 2006 in - 2 comments
This is a great community-focused idea: • “The Central Pennsylvania Blood Bank’s Walnut Street Donor Center will hand out vouchers for a free pint of beer for those who donate blood today through Friday.” • Apparently it is a couple of fine establishments that are honouring the vouchers, Molly …
Beer Science: Pabst Against Pabst
Posted by on Monday, July 24, 2006 in - 15 comments
Ever since my pal portland came up with the phrase beer-tasting water, I have been a little too obsessed with Pabst Blue Ribbon. But then I realized I had a unique opportunity to perform my sort of science experiment: a side-by-side comparison of a PBR from the US against one brewed under license …
Quick Note: Éphemère, Unibroue, Quebec, Canada
Posted by on Sunday, July 23, 2006 in - leave a comment
A pal brought me this Unibroue seasonal after a jaunt to Quebec - you know, Quebec...that part of the country over 200 km away from here that would unleash sure destruction of the very fabric of Ontario's cultural identity were its seasonal fruit ales, among other things, released upon hapless …
US Craft Beer Leaps Ahead
Posted by on Friday, July 21, 2006 in - 1 comment
Big news today from one brewing industry analyst: • “According to a report by Merrill Lynch analyst Christine Farkas, in June, No. 1 U.S. brewer Anheuser-Busch Companies Inc. volume fell 1.9 percent, brewer SABMiller plc volume fell 5.7 percent, and fifth-largest brewer Molson Coors Brewing Co …
Belgium: Three From Affligem Brouwerij, Opwijk
Posted by on Wednesday, July 19, 2006 in - leave a comment
Back in 2000 Heineken bought half of the shares of the brewer, De Smedt, which started operations in 1790. This little brewery was renamed as key to the purchase was De Smedts license to the abbey ales of the monks of Affligem, who trace their history and brewing back to an original founding in …
Beer Science: Building A Better Beer Cozy
Posted by on Tuesday, July 18, 2006 in - 1 comment
I got a great link in the email bin this morning from the author of a great website called My Science Project letting me know about their latest project, building a better beer insulation thingie: • “Beer drinking is one of the world’s favorite pastimes. So as the weather started heating up, we …
Four Perfectly Good US Wheats For A Hot Day
Posted by on Monday, July 17, 2006 in - 1 comment
Here I am back from a week and a half roaming New England and eastern New York State and I have been struck how this is the year of wheat - everyone is brewing a wheat beer and calling it that or "summer ale" or some such thing. Time was a summer ale was just a crappy light beer. Now it means …
Quick Note: Pabst Blue Ribbon, Everywhere, USA
Posted by on Friday, July 14, 2006 in - 6 comments
I once had a client who owned the copyright to Pabst Old Style font. I always liked that idea, owning something elemental like that. Anyway, stinking hot it is here in Maine and I have had a bunch of the great down east micros but the thing I am really liking is PBR. My pal portland's review is …
The Price Of Beer
Posted by on Thursday, July 13, 2006 in - 1 comment
I don't know if I was so surprised until I twigged that this was an average of all UK men: • “The average British male spends £1,144 per year cultivating his beer gut, research shows. That equates to 5% of the average take home pay spent on beer and post-booze snacks such as kebabs. The study …
A Beer Of Peace
Posted by on Tuesday, July 11, 2006 in - 5 comments
A beer in time of conflict, a beer of peace...but is it any good? • “According to the unofficial laws of how to be “hip,” if you are a youthful fashion-conscious Israeli who wants to keep informed of the latest trends, this summer you will be listening to the Black-Eyed Peas, wearing Crocs shoes …
Why Do You Homebrew?
Posted by on Monday, July 10, 2006 in - 15 comments
I'm working on a series of articles on popular beer culture (mainly reactions to Ken Wells's book Travels with Barley which was reviewed by Alan a while back) that will appear on The Spirit World over the next few weeks. My audience over there is mainly mixed drink people; the sort of folks who …
Southern Tier's Phin and Matt's Extraordinary Ale
Posted by on Saturday, July 8, 2006 in - 1 comment
I am on special summer assignment so I am very grateful to have received this review from Gary in Ithaca NY along with a picture of the beer next to one of Gary's own steins: • “Ever been making a cheese sauce and the whole thing blobs into a big sticky mess in the center of the pasta, like a …
Steam Whistle Needs Its Bottles!
Posted by on Wednesday, July 5, 2006 in - leave a comment
Here is an interesting notice from the good people at Toronto's Steam Whistle Brewing on a very important matter: • “Hope your week is going well. Steam Whistle Brewing is asking for the media’s help! Steam Whistle is short on empty glass bottles this month and they know that there are lots of …
Australia's Disappearing Country Pubs
Posted by on Tuesday, July 4, 2006 in - 4 comments
I've never been to Australia but I have been to a few Canadian country bars - in the Ottawa Valley or the Maritimes - and some we even legally licensed. But in Australia their equivalent are apparently going fast: • “Australia's country pubs are dying at an alarming rate, figures show. The …
Quick Note: Hefeweizen, Widmer Brothers, Portland, OR
Posted by on Monday, July 3, 2006 in - 1 comment
Another hefeweizen to add to the research project. • This beer pours cloudy orange caramel with white rim. Fairly twiggy hops presence over creamy wheat ale with notes of orange and/or lime, banana and allspice more than clove. I think that twigginess places it behind Butternuts' Heinnieweisse …
Canada Day In Afghanistan
Posted by on Sunday, July 2, 2006 in - 2 comments
Good to see Canucks being Canucks on the nation's holiday even when doing a very tough job: • “More than 1,000 soldiers from the Princess Patricia's Battle Group defied the Taliban Saturday by celebrating Canada Day near where a rocket attack critically wounded one of their comrades on Friday …
