January 2013
Cabernet Sauvignon 2010, Devil's Wishbone, PEC
Posted by on Wednesday, January 30, 2013 in - leave a comment
Picked this up at the winery a few weeks before Christmas on a cloudy Monday off work. The Riesling and Cab Franc I bought the same day are gone already. The Devil's Wishbone winery is a thirty minute drive west followed by a wait for the ferry followed by a five minute ferry and another five …
What Do You Call It When A Beer Style Bullies?
Posted by on Tuesday, January 29, 2013 in - 18 comments
An interesting flurry of ideas on Twitter this afternoon triggered originally by this statement by Halifax, Nova Scotia's Propeller Brewing Co.: • It was a tough decision. We can only sustain 1 brand (full time) at the @lcbo-Our IPA is our best selling brew... • It was part of a conversation …
New Brunswick Sends Beer Police To Borders
Posted by on Monday, January 28, 2013 in - 2 comments
It is fun having a giggle at the expense of New Brunswick. It's sort of a cultural requirements for Nova Scotians like me. But this news today seems to be pointed stick to any fun one might find in the beery border war taking place in eastern Canada: • A northern New Brunswick lawyer is …
Can Good Taverns Succeed Doing Good Works?
Posted by on Sunday, January 27, 2013 in - 2 comments
From The Times of India comes this NYT wire story on a new thing if only new to me: • "More people will want to support your business than if you're just doing it to pay for your second home," said Ryan Saari, a minister and a board member of the Oregon Public House, which is preparing to open …
Considering The Value Of Good Wine V. Good Beer
Posted by on Saturday, January 26, 2013 in - 4 comments
While the LCBO, this province's monopoly, may be still a bit of a head scratcher when it comes to good beer there is no question that it is certainly getting better. There is no doubt about that. Even so, popping in a main outlet just now on a Saturday night an hour before close I was a bit … read more »
Book Review: For The Love Of Hops, Stan Hieronymus
Posted by on Thursday, January 24, 2013 in - 23 comments
Bought this. Got a review copy, too. Read through it but pretty sure I can't really give a review. See, it's sitting at a distance from where I find myself. • What do I mean by that? There are many paths, many routes to understanding. Stan is either on another route from me or so far ahead of me …
Are Contract Brewers Posing As Gypsy Brewers?
Posted by on Tuesday, January 22, 2013 in - 39 comments
Because we are having so much fun with terminology and meaning, I thought I would mention this: • As the name suggests, all the breweries involved, save for one (the host), are gypsy brewers. The Brewers Association (BA) defines this type of brewery as a contract brewing company—essentially a …
Having A Go At Beery Long Writing With Max
Posted by on Monday, January 21, 2013 in - leave a comment
I have a few things burbling away. First in line, as you know, Albany ale needs to be properly addressed - especially given Craig's more detailed research and clearer organization of the topic. Having stumbled upon the forgotten center of brewing of America before the lager invasion, it's worthy … read more »
What Does A Critique Of Beer Culture Look Like?
Posted by on Sunday, January 20, 2013 in - 44 comments
I've been thinking more and more about the framework of the beery discourse and what has gotten us to this point. Still no comprehensive US history of beer. Still we live with the very language of beer controlled by organizations with middle managers, accountants and committees. And a growing … read more »
Book Review: How To Love Wine, Eric Asimov
Posted by on Friday, January 18, 2013 in - 3 comments
I picked this book up in the pre-Christmas self-gifting spree and, as I mentioned, am glad I did. I have followed Eric Asimov for sometime probably starting with some of his studies of beer styles that, at the time, were hailed as something of a break through for good beer. Not that I always … read more »
What Is "Upscale" And Why Do I Want It?
Posted by on Thursday, January 17, 2013 in - 9 comments
Surfing around the beer news articles on Google News I came across the odd headline "BEER: Raleigh’s New Yardhouse Is Pricy But Upscale". I would have thought the "but" might have been an "and" and the story was about something unfortunate. As I read, I realized I was wrong: • If you’re looking …
Pass Peter's Pewter Pottle Pot, Please!
Posted by on Tuesday, January 15, 2013 in - 16 comments
In my quest for objects out of which to drink ale, I have a 1940s ceramic part pint, an 1840s pewter quart pot and have declared 2013 the year of the 1700s etched ale glass. But, what ho! Something came before my eye today that I had not only never seen before but never had heard of - the pottle …
But What Is "Influence" When It Comes To Beer?
Posted by on Monday, January 14, 2013 in - 16 comments
Martyn has cornered the market. As I noted on Facebook, he is attempting to suck all beer knowledge into one singularity of a comments thread. I now dub this "black hole" blogging. But it is of the highest order and I do trust this will be bronzed for preservation over time. A classic post and …
Ontario: Headstock IPA, Nickel Brook, Burlington
Posted by on Saturday, January 12, 2013 in - leave a comment
I suppose I should write from time to time about what is actually in my fridge. I suppose I should also check out what is in that brown paper bag back there. • Nickel Brook's Headstock IPA has become my "go to" beer which, to be fair, is because that can of Narragansett Porter back there is the …
Your Friday Night Beery Thoughts And Links
Posted by on Friday, January 11, 2013 in - 1 comment
I was going to write some half-baked post about comparing that beer to that other beer but I don't have the heart. I am a third of the way through and really enjoying How to Love Wine by Eric Asimov and he is still telling me about what isn't important. Blind tastings? Not that I do them but I …
A Call For Beeronomics 2013 Papers Announced
Posted by on Tuesday, January 8, 2013 in - leave a comment
I don't often just cut and paste PR news releases but one of the few gathering of beery people I truly wish I could attend is that of Beeronomics 2013, a conference on the economics of beer and brewing, as described in the email from the fabulously named Dr. Ignazio Cabras, University of York in …
Please Treat Your Beer Only As You Are Told
Posted by on Monday, January 7, 2013 in - 4 comments
It's like a new sort of temperance - making sure you treat good beer with the deference we are told is clearly due... and only the deference we are told it is due - as this article preciously represents in any number of ways: • Brewers spend a great deal of time labeling, even hand-numbering …
Ideas, Analogies And Observations From Other Places
Posted by on Sunday, January 6, 2013 in - 2 comments
The world of beer thought is a bit of an echo chamber. This is natural given how, until relatively recently, few have written about good beer in a way that actually invites consideration and discussion. The good thing about this as we go forward and good independent beer writing continues to … read more »
More New Words For Things Beer and Beery
Posted by on Saturday, January 5, 2013 in - 11 comments
Out of all the fuss over the foolish "craft v. crafty" PR embarrassment for the Brewers Association has come some amazingly level heading thinking about terms and terminology in response. Just look at Twitter this morning. In September 2011, I proposed new words but think we can now nail down a …
Session 71: What If We All Brewed Our Own?
Posted by on Friday, January 4, 2013 in - 4 comments
For this month's edition of The Session, John of Home Brewing Manual asked questions about a drinker's understanding of brewing. A lot of questions: • Do you brew? If so why? If not, why not? How does that affect your enjoyment of drinking beer? Here are some things to think about if you’re …
Giving It Up For January... Or Tuesdays... Or...
Posted by on Wednesday, January 2, 2013 in - 2 comments
While I am not in the set that sees neo-prohibitionists behind every hedge and, frankly, do believe talk of a good beer break is a way of deferring one or two ills, I never thought it would come to this: • Alcohol Concern, the charity, is encouraging people to abstain from drinking this month in …
