Follow Sean Inman to the best in craft beer
I saw this new device on Food Beast and wondered, “Why do people need beer chilled so goddam fast?
I am sure that it works but why do you need another device on your counter for ONE task. A task that a ‘fridge can do if you are organized. Or a bag of ice, if you are desperate.
I received this press release in my inbox about the Sonic Foamer and I have to comment on it. I don’t have one, so I don’t know if it works as advertised. But it has the look of a gadget that gets used once and then is forgotten. Anyway, let’s dissect the release….
“Starting this week, a new product will come to America that allows beer drinkers to enjoy a great beer more fully by enhancing flavor and aroma. It is widely accepted in the beer community that the first taste of a properly poured beer is the best taste. The turbulence of the pour creates the head and opens the beer’s aromatic qualities for a full burst of flavor. The dilemma has been that the beer’s aroma and taste diminishes as the head dissipates.”
I appreciate the fact that the discuss aroma and taste without mucking it up. But is it a problem? And a widely accepted one at that?
“Anyone can appreciate an ice cold beer after a hard day at work or with a great meal, but to really enjoy that beer, you need to be able to smell it! Up to 90% of taste actually lies in our ability to smell, a link that has tremendous impact on how we experience our favorite flavors, according to Dr. Alan Hirsch and other scientists at the Smell & Taste Treatment and Research Foundation in Chicago.”
Again, kudos for reiterating how important aroma us to beer. But how am I to know who and what the Smell and Taste Treatment Foundation is legit?
“This means you can’t fully experience a great beer without a great head. California Creations knows this and that’s why they are launching the SONIC FOAMER”
A) bad name
B) of course it is from California
www.sonicfoamer.com
“This incredible new device uses finely tuned, ultrasonic sound or vibrations to create ideally small sized bubbles in a beer’s head. It can do this multiple times throughout one beer. This means it can revive the head as needed and maintain the aroma for the best beer drinking experience possible.”
Really? Vibrations.
“The owner of California Creations, Mark Dinges regards the new product as a revolution for beer drinkers everywhere: “I’ve never been involved with a product quite like this one that inspires so much excitement and enthusiasm in customers. Once the consumer tries the product, they want to share it with their friends, take videos and pictures on their phones, it really transforms the experience of enjoying your favorite beers.”
No more cat videos. YouTube and Vine will be filled with sonic beer snippets.
“Not only is the Sonic Foamer useful, but it’s also fun to use. The ultrasonic sound is transmitted through an activation tray on top of the unit. A small amount of water placed on the tray conducts the vibrations through the glass and into the beer. The result is an almost magical explosion inside the beer. Within seconds, a perfect head appears on top. Even non-beer drinkers love to watch the Sonic Foamer in action!”
Of course it has sound. But how exactly is that fun?
“It uses a precisely tuned, ultrasonic vibration to excite the gases in the beer. It creates consistently sized small bubbles for a custard-like mouth feel and an ideal structure to last a remarkably long time. What’s more amazing is that you can manage the head throughout the entire beer. When the head dissipates, you can recharge it with the Sonic Foamer at any time. This process causes the beer drinker to concentrate on the head and the aroma, which is very significant to the craft beer industry. It is hard to fully appreciate this process unless you try it for yourself.”
Drop the science on us.
Like I said, maybe this works and works well. They have an endorsement from the Denver Beer Co. And they seem more interested in the craft beer market which is another plus but for $39.99 a pop it would have to work wonders plus it would have to leap over the As Seen on TV / Shark Tank vibe the press release sends to me.
As a beer geek, I have a few bottle openers. Not as many as I have taster glasses. But let’s just say, that I have one holding my keys. For emergency only, obviously. But now I have the ultimate, thanks to Custom on It, who reached out to me earlier this month, I know can professionally open my bottles! All the while, gazing fondly on my logo.
As you can see (and will see in many photos from now on), it shows off a logo pretty well, doesn’t have to be mine. Might make good Christmas gifts for the beer geeks in your life. And after my Consumer Reports type testing, I can say that it opens bottles like a champ!
Pretentious Beer Glass Company which you can find over on the Etsy site has created a Dual Beer Glass, an idiot proof way to pour a ‘half and half’. I certainly don’t do it with either flair or grace.
But this tongue-in-cheek named glassware outfit also does quite a few other playful glasses. One specifically for hops and one designed for maltier offerings and most intriguing to me, an aroma glass. All look really cool and different from the norm.
I have a LOT of branded glassware but that unmarked aroma glass might come in handy.
I love ordering flights of beers. Taking a sip from one and then the other and comparing is one of the joys of my life and….
You don’t need to go to a craft beer bar to have a flight of beers. You can do it at home!
Take a look at the results from a quick Google search for tasting glasses.
Or get this personalized taster from the gift site Red Envelope.
You can construct a great glassware collection that optimizes your beer sensory experience but a nice taster set shouldn’t be overlooked.
I like the Uncommon Goods catalog. Lots of wacky stuff from artists with seemingly no boundaries. And they usually have stuff beer stuff too. Like the Chillsner and the One Hand Bottle Cap opener!
“Warm beer. Could there be a bigger buzz-kill?
You’ll never have to knock back another lukewarm bottle when you chill with this clever drinking buddy. Simply store this set of chillers in your freezer for at least 90 minutes, then when you’re ready to have a drink, take a swing and insert one into your bottle. The Chillsner’s ingenious design allows you to drink and chill simultaneously, so your beer, soda, or juice will stay crisp and delicious to the final sip.
Great for impromptu get-togethers, sizzling summer picnics, tailgating, and those times when the fridge just can’t fit a six-pack. Made in China.
Sold as a set of 2.”
“Charleston architect Rush Dixon’s innovative throwback lets any host handle the drinks and entertainment with just one hand. Inspired by the long-forgotten Theodore Low bottle opener from the 1930s, Rush’s one-handed marvel references the old while meeting the demands of the modern entertainer. With the squeeze of its thumbhole trigger, this seamlessly designed device pries tops and catches detached caps with the help of an ingenious magnetic fulcrum.
This sophisticated interpretation of the classic bottle key is cast out of polished stainless steel, giving it a little sparkle. Plus, each stylish accessory comes in a keepsake tin case with an old fashioned aesthetic that evokes the nostalgia and charm of the soda fountain.”
Which would you buy first?
If you head to the Atlantic Farms website, you will be confronted with a choice of which hoppy lip balm to buy. I have seen hops in lip balm as swag from Sierra Nevada at some beer events but this is the first that I have seen Double IPA and grapefruit. Grapefruit works well with beer so that would be my choice.
I am going to make a blanket statement. Most beer shirts (barring brewery logo offerings) are a bit juvenile. Representing the we are here to get drunk segment. Frankly, I do not need to see any shirt with any innuendo about beer goggles, ever again.
Thankfully, I was recently contacted by the folks behind Fermented Tees and they make quality designed shirts that would make great gifts for the home brewer in your life.
The site is in it’s infancy with hopes of adding more designs, so check it out now and bookmark it for quick reference the next time you need a shirt that says, “Add more hops!”
So this is not an actual brewery. But the swag part is correct. Do you want some classy and cool craft beer items. Then Swag is a good interwebs stop.
You can get some hop candy. (Weird and interesting)
You can buy some cool art prints with beer themes
and they even sell beer soap too.
Perfect for the beer geek in your life.