The first contest of 2007 for the readership of A Good Beer Blog has been a huge success. You will recall the top three winners each get a paperback cop of Beer School, the story of the making of the Brooklyn Brewery by its founders, Steve Hindy and Tom Potter. I recently reviewed the book here. Because there is no first, second or third class of prizes I am not declaring any winners so much as recognizing three great entries - thus creating a class of fungibles which, as we all know, is why in Canada the plural of "beer" is "beer" and not "beers":

• One definitely has to go to the anonymous poster "mallace" who - despite his foreboding name - wrote a very natty five stanza poem which even includes an introductory section and a conclusion, the proper names of which structures I seem to have left behind with my 1985 BA in English Lit.
• Another has to go to Stan whose entry came in on the last day. Stan bought into the game of the desert Island and even remarked upon the value of context and did his research. Stan has also, I might add, done great things to ignite the conviviality of beer blogging - at best otherwise an isolated obsession - with his creation of The Session not to mention the taking up of the asking of questions. But the entry stands on its own - his plan to make accompanying blue cheese on a desert island was a master stroke.
• Finally, the other prize has to go to Jonathon of BeerMapping as he has taken the rules and made them mortal. In his world, the desert island will do what it would do - it kills. But the dead have smiles on their faces...and not just because their faces have shriveled in the unforgiving sun. He give them three beers I have not had and made me want them, too.

So there you are. Please email me directions for the mailing of the books. The email, as always, is beerblog@gmail.com. And we know that some will cheer and some will shed tears. Gird your loins, however, for another contest is always out there being planned and, with any luck, announced soon. I am hoping it will be connect to our newest sponsor, TAP New York 2007.