September 2010
Albany Ale Project: Now We Have A Logo
Posted by on Thursday, September 30, 2010 in - 13 comments
It is always good to have a graphic designer on your side. Craig of Albany is an Exhibit Graphic Designer with the NYS Museum and, frankly, seems to taken on the hobby of making this project idea look far better and be better researched than I could ever have achieved. It may be a bit less than …
Other Writing: "More Tips For Making Your New Small Brewery Succeed"
Posted by on Thursday, September 30, 2010 in - 1 comment
From time to time I do a little writing elsewhere including over at the blog of my great sponsor WorldLabel.com. Here is a recent article I wrote for them, a second in a series on issues to consider when thinking about starting a new craft brewery. You can find the original posting here. • More …
Five Really Great New Rules For Drinking Good Beer
Posted by on Tuesday, September 28, 2010 in - 13 comments
So, somone with some funny new beer words behind their name has set out five rules for beer drinking in Esquire. I love these rules for obvious functions... and the guides, too, especially the ones that hover between being patronizing and passively hostile. These things are always fun as there is … read more »
Now That It's "The Albany Ale Project" It's Serious.
Posted by on Monday, September 27, 2010 in - 35 comments
OK, if you have been following these comments, you will know that Craig of the New York State museum has taken a mad interest in the idea of Albany Ale. Which means it is now a "project" as opposed to a mere idle obsession. To that end, I have started to organize things a bit more: • First, I …
Why Can't A Full Moon Make Better Beer?
Posted by on Sunday, September 26, 2010 in - 4 comments
Someone out there was blogging against this idea that beer brewed at the full moon tastes different. I say "boo" to that and "boo" I say again. Here is the idea: • In Peruwelz, a sleepy town in Belgium, a family-owned brewery has produced its first batch of beer brewed by the light of a full …
Scotland: Paradox Islay #004, BrewDog, Aberdeenshire
Posted by on Saturday, September 25, 2010 in - 2 comments
What a mess. I hadn't realized the label was made of hard card stock stuck on with two-sided sticky tape. I might take it down to the lab and get James' near teen DNA off of it. Bottle 131 of 200. By opening it, I probably just threw away the 100 bucks I could get from some guy in Kansas on eBay …
Who Else Is Trying To Figure Out Albany Ale?
Posted by on Thursday, September 23, 2010 in - 11 comments
Is it a team? I dunno. Maybe it is a project. But Craig "X" is on the job: • Craig - September 23, 2010 3:05 pm • I work at the NYS Museum and I am about to go find a book at the NYS Library to get "Ale in prose and verse" Gray, Barry, New York, N.Y. : Russell's American Steam Printing House …
Maine: Sea Smoke, Manly Men Beer Club, Bah Ha-Bah
Posted by on Wednesday, September 22, 2010 in - leave a comment
A smoked barley wine. It pours deep orange chestnut under a light pale cream froth and rim. At first, it tastes like something I would have made as a fairly unreliable home brewer getting rid of ends of specialty malts. Yet it's not unattractive. In fact, as sips are sipped it gets a little more …
Three Tales Of Beery Negativity Today
Posted by on Tuesday, September 21, 2010 in - 1 comment
It is a rare day that I do not feel that I am a little too negative. I should, frankly, find more reason to cheer up when thinking about beer. So, it was with some pleasure that I read others being crankier than me or at least turning a critical eye on good beer events and news: • Pete Brown is …
Toronto Beer Week Has Made Me Envious
Posted by on Monday, September 20, 2010 in - leave a comment
Well, the lack of satellite events a mere two hours drive to the east does disappoint me a little but seeing as the planning and now holding of Toronto Beer Week has gone from zero to sixty in such a short period of time it is hard not to be impressed. It's even on TV. Troy Burtch, one of those …
Units And "Man Walks Into A Pub", 2nd Ed.
Posted by on Saturday, September 18, 2010 in - 10 comments
You know, I have often wondered about the odd measurement of alcohol strength that the UK uses - aka "the unit" - because it is so obscure. For me, I would like to see the number of ml of pure alcohol listed on every bottle. Wouldn't that be the easiest thing to do? Instead, we in Canada get …
Are These Short Run Beers Actually "Rare"?
Posted by on Friday, September 17, 2010 in - 3 comments
A pretty good story in the The Patriot News of the efforts some go to to get one time release beers and the lengths people go to get them... or even to be left disappointed. • The brewery planned to sell only 400 bottles to the public. Cochran, who came from Farmington, N.M., after hearing about …
Belgium: Scaldis Blond Triple, Brasserie Dubuisson
Posted by on Wednesday, September 15, 2010 in - 2 comments
Enough of the art: "...more Bergman than Fellini."!?! What a thing to say. I can't believe it. What a comment. I simply can't believe it. I am simply gutted. Only one thing to do. Have a beer. • I got this one a couple of months ago at Finger Lake Beverages as part of The Attack of the Gueuze … read more »
Fellini's "I Am A Craft Beer Blogger" Found!
Posted by on Tuesday, September 14, 2010 in - 4 comments
[Ed.: We are stunned to discover we were not the first to present a scripted response to "I am a Craft Beer Drinker" and applaud Reluctant Scooper for no doubt leading the charge. While we wait, we are happy to report that the following story board was found in the records of the Museo di …
Beer Stings In Kanawha County And Beyond
Posted by on Monday, September 13, 2010 in - leave a comment
Hats off to the working with the Sheriff's Underage Drinking Division in Kanawha County, West Virginia who rolled out their beer sting strategy over the weekend: • Lt. Bryan Stover said deputies working with the Sheriff's Underage Drinking Division went out Friday evening with three juveniles …
I Am A Craft Beer Marketing Consultant...
Posted by on Saturday, September 11, 2010 in - 40 comments
... or sales manager or bar owner or... or... or... • The wonderful and ever posting Jay Brooks has posted the latest version of this odd video meme (pronounced "me-me" for obvious reasons) and it has me scratching my head as much as that Craft Brewer video of a year ago. Here it is: • As I …
Tolerance Just When You Don't Expect It
Posted by on Friday, September 10, 2010 in - 2 comments
People rant. Have you noticed? And people think the ranters represent the rest of the people ranters rant in favour of. Or at least don't rant against. Ranters need to be separated from the rest of us. Then things like this happen and we glimpse what is what - and what remains a puzzle …
Beau's Makes One Beer For One Ontario
Posted by on Thursday, September 9, 2010 in - leave a comment
Brilliant. I was back at the Kingston Brew Pub for lunch today after yesterday's get together with Ian Coutts. Chicken Vindaloo special today. And with it I had a half of Beau's special one day offering of Festivale Plus Sticke Alt: • Brewers of Alt Beer in Düsseldorf will occasionally, and …
Book Review: Brew North, by Ian Coutts
Posted by on Wednesday, September 8, 2010 in - 1 comment
I had lunch with author Ian Coutts at the Kingston Brew Pub today after finding out we lived in the same town. He provided me with a review copy of his new book, Brew North as well as an invite to the book launch a couple of Sundays from now. It was all like living in Toronto - the Big Smoke … read more »
Book Review: In Mixed Company, Julia Roberts
Posted by on Monday, September 6, 2010 in - 6 comments
Anyone interested in beer in Canada - or even colonial North America - really ought to have this book on the shelf. 2009's In Mixed Company: Taverns and Public Life in Upper Canada is a series of essays on topics related to the structure, regulation and use of taverns in what later became Ontario …
What Price Principle When Talking Beer Styles?
Posted by on Sunday, September 5, 2010 in - 3 comments
This is almost the opposite side of the coin compared to the minor Black Bitter dispute in the US. In the case of Black IPA or whatever it will end up being called, people have plenty of pet names and hope they might even have a style to match them up with. Conversely, beer fans in New Zealand are …
Session 43: Let Them Know You're There
Posted by on Saturday, September 4, 2010 in - leave a comment
Premise: • My challenge to you is to seek out a new brewery and think about ways in which they could be welcomed into the existing beer community. • This is tough as I have never understood what is meant by a phrase like "the existing beer community" and even if I did my role in the … read more »
Pennsylvania, Flying Mouflan, Troegs, Harrisburg
Posted by on Thursday, September 2, 2010 in - 1 comment
Bought this at Kappy's last week for $6.99 for the bomber. There was some statement that this beer blew away last year's Nugget Nectar in terms of hops and lavished the discerning palate with a face filling bunch of other flavours. I was sold at the $6.99 myself given the sad lack of Troegs beer … read more »
Why Do Names For This New Beer Style Kinda Suck?
Posted by on Wednesday, September 1, 2010 in - 20 comments
Forget the question of whether styles are real and essential. Forget the question of whether beer styles have been accurately described and traced historically. The real issue is that the names of beer styles are a mess and cause consumer confusion. Andy raises the question of the name of one … read more »
