May 2008
In Praise Of Older Beer
Posted by on Saturday, May 31, 2008 in - 2 comments
Recently I have beer drinking through the stash, getting rid of some older stock. Working on the adage that the stash is not a vault, it is important once in a while to get to the bottom of things or at least shelves and dust off the dusty to see how things are going on their way to going off …
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Posted by on Friday, May 30, 2008
Fire At Central New York's F.X. Matt Brewery At Utica
Posted by on Thursday, May 29, 2008 in - 1 comment
Our pal CNY blogger NYCO has broken the story in the comments: the F.X. Matter Brewery in Utica caught fire late this afternoon. WSYR TV, the source of the photo, reports: • “Fire crews in Utica are battling a fire at the F.X. Matt Brewery, also known as the Saranac Brewery. It reportedly …
Did I Ever Mention How Much I like My Readers?
Posted by on Wednesday, May 28, 2008 in - 5 comments
Well, I have to admit there are very few I am liking more right now than dear old Ian in Alberta who, noting I did not think you could get Scotland's BrewDog in Canada, wrote me this: • “Since I've enjoyed your blog and after reading about your sad lack of BrewDog beer in Eastlakia I'd like to …
Sour Beer Studies: Oude Kriek Vieille, Oud Beersel, Belgium
Posted by on Tuesday, May 27, 2008 in - leave a comment
What better for apres mow than a sour beer? I mowed and now I am owed. I don't see it mentioned in Great Beers of Belgium so maybe this actually is a lawnmower dry kriek. • Oud Beersel's kriek pours as deep a blood red as any I've had. It sits under a vibrant pink cream head. On the nose there …
Limited Viennese Support For Beer At Euro 2008
Posted by on Monday, May 26, 2008 in - 3 comments
It appears that the whole "beer is the new wine" thing has yet to make it to Vienna, one of the centers of the impending 2008 European Fitba Championships where prices and access to good beer are being...errr...managed: • “ • "It is crazy. Completely idiotic," said Christian Habermueller, 35 …
Belgium: Canaster, De Glazen Toren, Erpe-Mere
Posted by on Sunday, May 25, 2008 in - 2 comments
Here is a hint when you are traveling. If, after a tiring 600 km drive (to be followed the next day by another 600 km drive) you notice contract street sweeping equipment in the parking lot, get a new hotel. Street sweepers come and go in the night, you see. After idling their massive engines for …
No Beer In Any Canoe Without A Galley And A Head
Posted by on Friday, May 23, 2008 in - 1 comment
I know these police press releases are intended to help us all get through the weekend safe and and sound and in one piece more or less. However, this interview with a member of the Ontario Provincial Police contains an interesting concept - how to legally drink in a canoe in this fair province …
Belgium: Podge Belgian Imperial Stout, Alvinne, Inglemunster
Posted by on Thursday, May 22, 2008 in - 1 comment
Is this the worst label ever? It looks like it came off a black and white photocopier. Plus, how am I expected to fit the full name and brewery info in up there? That would be "Podge Belgian Imperial Stout, Picobrouwerij Alvinne, Ingelmunster." But these things are really unimportant and more than …
A Romp Around The Internet As The Red Sox Play
Posted by on Wednesday, May 21, 2008 in - leave a comment
Now that I have got some key relief for my case of internetum tremens, I can refocus on my other mild case of addiction and think about beer again. There's plenty going on this evening as Bartolo Colon starts his Red Sox career against the Royals. A shining model for all of we who are not wee …
A Good Beer Blog Goodbye?
Posted by on Tuesday, May 20, 2008 in - 6 comments
Not asking you to join in any great panic but something is happening with the good folk who are my server masters which has got me copying the archives on to WordPad files from the source code ten posts at a time. I am sure I just entirely misunderstand but you are warned - if things go badly all …
How Much Is Really Too Much For A Craft Beer Fan?
Posted by on Monday, May 19, 2008 in - 5 comments
Boak...or is it Bailey...have a good post up tonight about the issue for non-drinkers in relation to drinkers. They/he/she ask how much is too much?. I think about this a fair bit. I try to find a guideline I can live with - and have found that I haven't needed to resort to either those Czech or …
Nothing Says "Yum!" Like Third-Category Beer
Posted by on Sunday, May 18, 2008 in - 2 comments
While little translates as badly as regulatory text in another language from another country, there is a special place in my heart for Japan and its "third-category" beer which are described as nonmalt beerlike alcoholic beverages. Not third-rate. Third-category. Mmmmm. But apparently the average …
Book Review: Table Talk by A.A. Gill
Posted by on Saturday, May 17, 2008 in - 2 comments
You should know from the outset that this book is not about beer. And don't expect there to be much discussion of beer as the author explains how he was, as he puts it, a drunk: "...I would assiduously get up every morning and go to a pub, the way my grandfather went to the bank." So why do I …
Another Variation On Nutty Nutty World Of Fearmongery
Posted by on Friday, May 16, 2008 in - 4 comments
This stuff is too unbelievable to not post for your consideration - with a big tip to Paul: • “In a letter to the company, the Portman Group has warned that BrewDog's products are potentially in breach of its official code of conduct. David Poley, the Portman Group's chief executive, told The …
Refusing To Sell A Dad Beer, Tesco Embarasses Tesco
Posted by on Thursday, May 15, 2008 in - 3 comments
Pete has this story today but I think it is so unbelievable I am going to play the role of oath bolsterer: • “A cashier told Dominic Zenden, 45, that he could not leave with the Budweiser bottles in case he gave any to his 15-year-old daughter, Devon. Mr Zenden said that the alcohol was for his …
Vermont: Ridge Runner, Rock Art Brewery, Morrisville
Posted by on Wednesday, May 14, 2008 in - 6 comments
Ah, the new issue of Beeradvocate magazine and its cupie doll tap handles. There was quite an outrage over this among circles so small that they might not even form circles. Funny no one thought that they were in drag or just detritus of toy box. • Anyway, this is a very light take on barley …
Book Review: CAMRA's Good Beer Guide West Coast USA
Posted by on Tuesday, May 13, 2008 in - 6 comments
This is a funny book. Guide books can be. You see they are to guide people from "X" around about a little old place we like to call "Y". If you are from "X" or "Y", you are likely going to understand what's going on but if you are not it gets to be a bit of an exercise in cultural anthropology …
Porter Season: Nightmare, Hambleton Ales, Melmerby, England
Posted by on Monday, May 12, 2008 in - leave a comment
There's plenty to read on this label. The beers full name seems to be "Nightmare Yorkshire Porter" and it's brewed by "Nick Stafford's Hambleton Ales" - there's even a subtitle "Legend of the White Horse" plus a blurb on the side about the damn white horse. In the UK it appears to be labeled as a …
Wired's Good Summary Of Price Inputs Got Me Thinking
Posted by on Sunday, May 11, 2008 in - 2 comments
It's just a short article in Wired but it provides a good summary of where we are with the hop and barley price jumps and gets me thinking about that other elephant in the room - value: • “"My jaw hit the floor when I saw the price," Ansari says. And next year, he'll have to reformulate his …
Craft Or Kraphtt: Sam Adams Summer Ale, Boston, Mass.
Posted by on Friday, May 9, 2008 in - 3 comments
I got to spend my work day in another country today and be home in time for supper. Not a bad Friday on a loverly spring day. And what better for a spring day than summer ale. I picked up a 12 of Sam Adam's Summer Ale at the Watertown Hannaford for 13 bucks which, when the Canadian customs duties …
Ron Meets Zoigl And Zoigl Meets Ron
Posted by on Thursday, May 8, 2008 in - 3 comments
Ron's plate o' meat • Ron's Spring '08 central European road trip with Andy has been fun to follow but today's installment has to be the best. In it he uncovers a local brewing tradition played out in one small German region, watches people eat a lot of meat, finds a new hop-based spirit to …
Place Your Photo Captions Here: That Man In The Basement
Posted by on Wednesday, May 7, 2008 in - 11 comments
Some days are just slow for beer news but this photo caught my eye. What dramatic perspective...and a natty choice of slippers. A classic from the school of "nutty old guy in basement" art. Whippersnapper irony? Bah! To me, he's a sort of hero - but what would the caption be? Here are my best …
Holland: Columbus, Brouwerij 't IJ, Amsterdam
Posted by on Tuesday, May 6, 2008 in - 4 comments
So far with this Dutch brewer, I have liked Zatte more than Struis. Why must these things be? BAers, approvingly, tell me this is a Belgian pale ale and the bottle tells me it's a 9% brew. So far so good. • This beer pours an attractive orange amber with a huge fine cream head and a wicked case …
Single Cask Brews: Manufacturing Scarcity Or Pure Genius?
Posted by on Monday, May 5, 2008 in - 11 comments
I just about flipped out when I saw this post over at 2 Beer Guys (from the April 16, 2008 issue of The Coloradoan) about the Odell Brewing Co. (with whom I am not familiar but which I am sure is nice and run by fine folk, and all) doing a limited run of a series of single cask beers - each brew …
Pepsi To Supply Indian Brewing Industry With Barley
Posted by on Sunday, May 4, 2008 in - leave a comment
While I proudly hold on to the title of the last place you want to go for your brewing trade information, even my eye caught this bit of news from The Economic Times of India: • “Pepsi enables farmers in Rajasthan to grow two-row barley as "it is the best variety to get good malting quality" …
Book Review: Part II, "Brewing Battles" By Amy Mittelman
Posted by on Saturday, May 3, 2008 in - leave a comment
Well, I am now coming up to half way through Amy Mittelman's book Brewing Battles and I have to tell you that as far as I am concerned this is the best book on US beer history I have had my hands on. That being said, I admit I have not got a copy of 1962's Brewed in America The level of research …
Session 15: How Did It All Start For You?
Posted by on Friday, May 2, 2008 in - 5 comments
I want to say one thing. Where the heck did the days of whatchure fayvrit bock go? All these questions like who's your beer friend, what's your best beer place? I wish we'd get back to beer and a lot less about me...or you if you are another beer blogger. But at least this one is about me and beer …
Germany: Korbinian, Weihenstephaner, Freising, Bavaria
Posted by on Thursday, May 1, 2008 in - leave a comment
Why not? Why can't I have two new-to-me brews by Weihenstephaner in one week? The last one was a bit of a puzzle as I figured I knew what a weizenbock was but then realized I was off. Now I face a label that says "doppelbock and "dunkles starkbier" - maybe this is the replicant of …