Category: Beer Gear

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Beer Sneaks

A shoe store. A shoe maker. A Brewery.

Craft beer collaborations extend far beyond just the beer. It can be music or charity or even what is on your feet. (If you are in Sweden).

Adidas has teamed with Sneakersnstuff and Stockholm Brewing Co. in the creation of brewing equipment-inspired sneakers plus three limited edition craft beers.

The press release describes the “Adidas Originals “Brewery Pack” come in three lager-inspired designs: The EQT Running Guidance ’93 ”Malt,” a light grey sneaker with hints of aqua; Stan Smith ”Copper Kettle,” a head turning shoe in metallic copper; and ZX Flux ”Aged Copper,” a light blue and black sneaker with metallic copper splatters. Each shoe takes its design inspiration from different parts of the production process.”
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The shoes probably won’t replace the steel-toed boot of the brewery floor and they look pretty flashy for taproom couture.

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A Cooler Tube

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For those who want to be the Robin Hood of craft beer, then the quiver-like Cooler Tube might be for you. I can’t vouch for how useful this might be, because I don’t camp/surf/beach very much (at all). I can see though how it can be helpful to have one less item in your hands but I would think that the regular old cooler would be a more flexible item. A cooler can hold both bottles and cans plus it can be used as a seat in a pinch.

 

The thought process to get to this end product and the creativity is admirable though.

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Growler Cleaning

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I should have known that something like this had been invented and I probably should have blogged about it before this.

Growler get gunky. I have seen horrified faces at breweries when a dirty growler has been brought in for more beer. I have heard tales of some growlers so bad that they were immediately put into the recycle bin.

Now those people, and me, can simply drop Growler Tablets from Craft Meister in a tablet add water and let sit for a nice clean piece of glass.

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Advent All Year

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Well, I don’t quite know what else to call this cool gift idea for the beer geek in your life from the Case For Beer. It literally is like an advent calendar but in the shape of a box built for beer bottles. Open one a day or invite 23 people over and let them all (plus you) pick a number and see what everyone gets.

The moniker Flight Pack is cool and I like the aeronautic theme but who is going to compare and contrast 24 beers? And in this beer litigious age, won’t Hangar 24 sue?

My second question is, how expensive a gift is this? If you got 24 $5.00 bottles that is $120.00. Even at $3.00 it is $72.00. I know I am worthy of that (on a good year) but is Uncle Phil deserving? And doesn’t it encourage over drinking a bit?

I would like to see boxes with less slots. Make a 7-pack for a week of beer gift. Or a canned version that can hold 4 different 16oz cans.

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Think and Drink

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One of the facets of modern beer drinking life is the lit screens that everyone is holding in one hand while drinking with the other. I bemoan TV’s in bars because it pulls focus but it doesn’t matter if the screen is tiny and brought in from the outside or is huge and part of the bar environment.

One aspect of craft beer taprooms though are games. Jenga being a popular one but I have seen card games being played including the current fave, Cards Against Humanity.

Now another card game by the name of Thinking & Drinking “will feature profiles of 300 craft breweries” on each card. Plus a question designed to get the table talking to each other and not to someone at another location via text.

My pull quote from their press release, “Instead, enjoy the moment you’re in and enjoy the people you’re with,” and any game that can do that is a step in the right direction.

Thinking & Drinking launched on Kickstarter this month.

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Put your Glass Down

Coasters.  Beer geeks have a ton of them.  Usually the cardboard kind.  They eventually fall apart and get tossed.  But what if you could remember a favorite beer or brewery for a much longer time?

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As if Firkfest wasn’t already great with the beer and the chili but then they had Nick Gingold with copies of California Brewmasters on hand but you could also get some high quality, SoCal made coasters.  I even spied a Brew 102 coaster in the “classic” section.  Check out Stella Divina for your next beer gift.

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Booze Calculator

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A bit of whimsy mostly with a hint of education on the drinking habits around the world. Follow this LINK, then enter your drinking activity of the last week of beer, wine and spirits and you get a country equivalent. And if nothing else, you might become a little less ethnocentric.

Kinda spooky that I got Namibia since my family hosted a student from there for a brief time. One of those crazy convergences.

Beats a Buzzfeed quiz any day of the week though.

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Beer Cap Maps

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I have a plastic tub with hundreds of bottle caps and corks in it. I also have a shadow box with some of my favorites inside.

But if you want to show pride in your home state or your favorite brewing state, then might I suggest Beer Cap Maps. Lovely wood in the shape of a state or the whole US that you can plug your bottlecaps into.

I see them as perfect for your part of the home that is dedicated to beer décor. Much prettier and less gaudy then a neon sign.

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Sippy Cup

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I had to laugh at the beer bottle shaped sippy cup that I read about in the L.A. Times because I knew it would cause a minor kerfuffle amongst the keep your baby in a bubble crowd. If your child is “harmed” by faux beer images, well then I don’t know what to tell you.

It really is no different from any other adult passions we foist on kids. If I remotely wanted kids I would dress my imaginary one in Blazer and Linfield attire to the point of comedy. Will the kid end up being a Blazermaniac like his old man? Who knows? My dad was a Celtics fan and you don’t see parquet floor in my apartment.

Save the outrage for bigger things.

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Topography and glassware

Combining data from the United States Geological Survey and 3D printing.  You can add Mt. Hood to the bottom of your beer glass.

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Now what landmark would be perfect for the City of Angels.  Walt Disney Concert Hall? Randy’s Donuts?