Category: Beer in the news

Great articles that you should read.

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Limited Release


A new beer show has arrived on Vimeo, it is called Limited Release. And it chronicles the craziness and passion of those highly sought after beers. They start with Kate the Great (which may be slightly less hyped since the head Portsmouth brewer has now left), they move on to Dark Lord and then to one closer to home, Black Tuesday.

They videos are a fun which I wasn’t expecting since I am not a big fan of these hyper hyped brews when there are so many other great beers out there. Nice chunks of history of the style of beer and the brewery. Check them out. It is much better than some of the new shows that will be airing later this year. Plus now you don’t have to brave the crowds.

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FoodGPS Teaser – Ohana interview & more

Ohana Brewing is featured tomorrow in my weekly column over on FoodGPS. I e-mailed some questions over to the crew that are working hard to get some Ohana beer into our pint glasses. Some of which you can see on their blog post HERE.

You will also see a lemony beer of the week from a certain brewery in Escondido and your homework will involve logging into the interwebs and reading about what Girls Who Like Beer

andThe Beerista

have to say about craft beer.

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Define Beer for the State of California

Here in the state of California on the political craft beer front comes this piece of news….

“Before the Governor for action, A.B. 1812 seeks to clarify that beer aged in empty wooden barrels previously used to contain wine or distilled spirits will continue to be defined as “beer” in order to protect the existing regulatory and licensure structure in California. The California Craft Brewers Association, the sponsor of this bill, sought this clarification due to concerns that current law creates ambiguity on how wooden barrel-aged craft beers are defined and categorized for purposes of regulation, distribution, retail sales and taxation.”

Seems obvious to me and many other craft beer geeks but you know politicians, they would have trouble finding a piece of their anatomy with two hands and a flashlight (one of my dad’s favorite political jokes). But seriously, there are so many tiny underwritten sections to state laws regarding beer that it can be frustrating that a little common sense can’t be applied and either have a fast track for fixing things or a way to just ignore it and not enforce it. Thankfully Governor Brown signed this so now we can move on to more legal tweaks to the twisted mess of beer laws in this country.

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Green Flash is Brewing it Forward

To be blunt, I have had a few more misses than hits* from Green Flash Brewing but I do highly applaud there new charitable action like the…..

“Brewing It Forward initiative, a charitable program built to benefit grassroots humanitarian organizations. On June 26, Green Flash will hold a kick-off event for Brewing It Forward where the San Diego series beers will debut, and a portion of proceeds from sales of all three will be donated to local charities.”

You can read more HERE at the San Diego Reader.

* Linchpin White IPA with Founders was quite delicious

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Rare Beer at GABF

What are you doing tomorrow? If you are planning on going to GABF this year, then you should probably buy these tickets too..
Denver Rare Beer Tasting IV (Tickets Go On Sale June 17, that’s tomorrow!) and the event is set for October 12th.

“The Denver Rare Beer Tasting IV, an awareness event and fundraiser for the Pints for Prostates campaign, will be held on Oct. 12 from 1-4 p.m. at the Wynkoop Brewery in Denver.

Tickets for the event go on sale on Father’s Day, June 17, at Noon (ET) and are $100 each. They include the chance to sample rare, exotic and vintage beers from 32 of America’s top craft breweries and meet the men and women who made them. Each attendee receives a commemorative tasting glass, t-shirt, program and pen. Guests also receive a three issue trial subscription to the award-winning All About Beer Magazine. A buffet lunch is included in the ticket price and guests will have the chance to bid in an exciting silent auction that includes a variety of unique beer experiences and collectibles.

Presented by All About Beer Magazine, tickets for the event are among the most sought after of any beer tasting. The event is held while the Great American Beer Festival is taking place in Denver. The first three Denver Rare Beer Tastings each sold out several weeks in advance.

“The Denver Rare Beer Tasting brings together America’s best craft breweries in a relaxed format where brewers and beer lovers get the chance to talk and taste a unique collection of beers,” said Daniel Bradford, publisher of All About Beer Magazine. “This is the quintessential rare beer tasting and gives people in Denver for the GABF the chance to experience a true boutique-style tasting.”

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Teachings from the Tap


The craft beer books show no sign of abating. Which is good because I need something to read while I am drinking!

Here is one that focuses more on the journey than travel tips or brewing how-to….
“After several years of hard work, we are so pleased to announce the release of Merideth’s first book, Teachings from the Tap: Life Lessons from our Year in Beer.

In 2008, after nearly 20 years of visiting breweries as a hobby, Merideth Canham-Nelson and her husband Chris embarked on their most ambitious adventure yet: a year-long journey discovering the world through beer culture.

Aiming to fulfill their fantasy of becoming professional beer travelers, the couple spent a year visiting a major beer event or destination each month. What started out as a lofty escapade turned into a year of Canham-Nelson’s self-discovery, conquering insecurities and coming into her own.

Narrated in the first person, Teachings from the Tap explores the journeys of each month and pairs those beer travel tales with a corresponding life lesson. The result is a detailed account with one-of-a-kind stories that cover the range of emotions created by interesting encounters and new experiences.”

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Interlock

I saw this in the Los Angeles Times (would have added a link, but they are in a pay for everything mode currently). Take a quick read and then below is my take on the topic.

I was all set to rant against the interlock device but after reading and re-reading this opinion piece, I think I semi-support it. If changes are added.

If the machine is set to the legal limit and not ratcheted down to protect against the almost drunk and as long as that information stays in the car, I could support this. But here is the BIG if: it must be set uniformly across the country. I do not want to deal with 50 different versions. Beer laws are already needlessly complex.

A piece of electronics that would save lives and the cost to the driver (other than the cost of adding it to a car) is simply time and nothing else? The only thing a craft beer fan would have to do is change their drinking habits by adding water and food (if they don’t already) and then if they are over the limit. Guess what? Take a walk. Find a coffee house. Wait it out.

Of the percentage of drivers that this would affect, craft beer drinkers would be the minority. Just as they are now. And of that minority, I would like to think that craft beer customers are smarter. (They already pick better beer). Smart enough that the percentage affected among the small percentage should be smaller than the typical BMC water lager drinker. And I think it would do us all good (myself included) to learn what our limits are occasionally. Lest we forget.

It would force so many people to re-evaluate and change their behavior. More designated drivers would be on the road. More taxis called and more people staying alive. And I don’t think it would stop people going out all that much. Because, craft beer fans love beer on tap and won’t be able to get some of it in bottles, so they will HAVE to go out.

Here is the kicker. If deaths caused by drunken drivers falls, the oft repeated complaint of road danger would be weakened. How could an anti-alcohol crusader use a statistic that was being addressed to stop future craft beer locales from sprouting? It takes a big arrow from their quiver.

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Session Day!

This post is another of the read THIS first, then come back variety.

So are you gonna do it? Can you stay below the 4.5%? Is there anything at your local that is that low? Or are you going to have to find something bottled (probably from England) to celebrate with.

I will do my level best to stay below the limit and I will add an update to this post with what I have found.

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The Next Great American Brewer


The Next Great American Brewer is a reality competition television series, produced by Main Gate Visuals.

“The best amateur and professional craft brewers across the United States are brought together to compete against each other in challenges related to brewing beer and running a successful brewing company. The winner of the competition will have their beer brewed, bottled and distributed to beer drinkers across the country!”

I knew eventually that another occupation themed reality show would be foisted onto the American public that has tired of Ice Truckers and Gator grabbers. But, I didn’t think that they would actually head into the world of craft beer. This could be an interesting and educational show. Or it could be a string of nonsensical challenges tangentially related to brewing. As the great A.V Club website often says though, I remain “cautiously optimistic”.

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The History of Beer in NY

“The fascinating yet largely unknown legacy of the cultural history of beer in New York is uncovered in Beer Here: Brewing New York’s History at the New-York Historical Society. The exhibition traces 350 years of the production and consumption of beer in the city—from colonial New York, when beer was a vital source of nourishment and tax revenues, to the current artisanal revolution occurring in microbreweries throughout the state. This exhibition is on view at New-York Historical through September 2, 2012.

Beer has been brewed in New York City since the days of its earliest European settlement. Beer Here: Brewing New York’s History will begin with an exploration of the colonial period in New York when beer was often safer to drink than water, and noted citizens brewed beer as just one aspect of their business activities. It will then take the visitor up to the present popularity of microbreweries and homebrewing. Topics include the nutritional properties of colonial beer and early New York brewers in the age of revolution; infrastructure innovations and the importance of access to clean water; large-scale brewing in nineteenth-century New York and the influence of immigration; temperance movements and the impact of prohibition; bottling, canning, refrigeration and other technological advances; and the promotional efforts of the City’s breweries in the age of mass production. These topics will be highlighted through a display of historical objects and documents such as a 1779 account book from a New York City brewer who sold beer to both the British and patriot sides; sections of early nineteenth-century wooden pipes from one of the city’s first water systems; a bronze medal that commemorates an 1855 New York State temperance law; beer trays from a variety of late nineteenth-century brewers; souvenirs from the campaign to repeal prohibition; and a selection of advertisements from Piels, Rheingold and Schaefer, beloved hometown brewers. The exhibit will conclude with a small beer hall that features a selection of favorite New York City and State artisanal beers.

“Beer is an important cultural influencer,” explained Debra Schmidt Bach and Nina Nazionale, curators of Beer Here: Brewing New York’s History, “and is not a topic typically covered in an exhibition at an Historical Society. We were intrigued by the longevity and popularity of beer in New York throughout the past 300 years, and wanted to bring together objects and documents of historical and cultural importance to investigate this venerable tradition.”

New-York Historical will host a special summer public program, “Beer Appreciation: The History and Renaissance of Beer,” featuring experts Garrett Oliver and Steve Hindy from Brooklyn Brewery, at which local craft beers will be served on Tuesday, July 10, 6:30 pm. Beer Here: Brewing New York’s History curators Debra Schmidt Bach and Nina Nazionale will join the conversation.”

You can also find more information on the Facebook page and on Youtube too.