Category: Opinion

my humble and correct opinion

Posted on

Session # 42

session_logo_all_text_300

Beer has been so tightly linked to geography throughout it’s long history, we tend to forget. Many beer styles are named after the cities, countries, and regions they originally came from. Two of the best ways I’ve found to explore a new place are to run around in it, and to sample the beer from it. And like many in the craft beer community, I constantly exhort anyone who will listen to support their local brewery, while simultaneously seeking out beers from distant lands that are new, novel, and exotically foreign. The Session provides a unique opportunity to explore this connection between the beer in our glasses and the place it comes from with perspectives from all over the world

So I ask for this 42nd Session that you write about a special place in your life, and a beer or brewery that connects you to that place. It can be the beer from your childhood home, a place you once lived, your current hometown, a memorable vacation you once took, or a place you’ve always wanted to go to but never had the chance. Please take a few moments to think about the how the beer connects you to this place, and share this with us. Of course, the definition of “place” is rather open ended, and in some cases, highly debatable, so it will be interesting to see the responses on what constitutes a place.

You can either provide the link to your Session contribution with a comment to this post, or you can e-mail it to me at “derrickwp (at) earthlink (dot) net”. E-mailed submissions in text form will be posted on this site with credit given to the author should anyone wish to participate this way.

I look forward to what you all write on August 6th, and will post the summary a few days later. And don’t forget, The Session is always a great reason enjoy a bottle or two from that special place and tell us about it. Cheers!

Whether you are in your hometown or on vacation halfway across the world, there is good beer to be found and plenty of stories about finding an unexpected great beer or getting a bad brew handed to you. This session will trigger many fond memories. It will also lead people to re-create past magic or replicate someone else’s golden times.

For me though, beer is the safe haven wherever I am at. Whether it be at home after work. At the Blue Palms here in Los Angeles for a special tapping. In Gorlitz, Germany on a foggy late night or with my dad at the end of the tour at Brooklyn Brewery.

Beer allows me to slow down, take stock and make sure that I am enjoying all that I can. Because I value beer, I automatically relax and enjoy how I got to that point in time in my life. We don’t get to do that enough in life so I treasure when I can get it.

I wish I could pick just one but I can’t. You can argue (validly) that Asheville is better than Portland or that the Pliny tastes better in Santa Rosa but to me the beer allows me to immerse in the place, if only for a moment. So thanks to the beers that have opened my eyes.

Posted on

The Firkin for July 2010

cash

We have all heard the saying, “You get what you paid for”. Problem is, here in the land of plenty (yes, even a land of plenty in a recession), it can be hard if not near impossible to know how much something should cost. And that includes craft beer.

Take a regular craft beer for instance and let’s stick to basics. Some of your costs are: ingredients, facility, wages, packaging, marketing, distribution, taxes to name some of the bigger bills.

Even the most math oriented of the beer geek community wouldn’t be able to parse the data stream and come up with a per bottle estimate without the context of how that brewery operates and their financial statements. You can try to extrapolate across the country from there but a brewery in Los Angeles will have higher land costs than Portland and eastside Portland may be less in some areas than the westside. And who wants to go to all that trouble while in your local beer emporium?

Why am I talking about the accounting side? Because it plays into the enjoyment side for many people. A six-pack that is a B+ and $8.00 is better than a B+ bomber that is $5.00. Right? Because we expect the bomber to be an A.

I would like to turn that thinking upside down. We, in the beer loving community, need to recalibrate our selection criteria. Instead of focusing on price as an indicator of enjoyment, we need to answer a simple question.

Why am I buying beer today?

Is it for the BBQ? Is it for the cellar? Is it for after work on a Friday? I believe that when we buy with a purpose and a clear head, the chance of disappointment goes down.

You might get a soured IPA or a porter that is not thick and chewy enough but even if that happens, you will have given yourself the best chance to have a satisfying beer.

Posted on

Flagship

As I have mentioned before (and I will probably mention repeatedly), I cannot possibly keep up with the variety and opinions on the interwebs when it comes to beer writing.

So sometimes, I run across well written pieces that I think, “I have got to share this”. Then I see that it was posted three months ago.

Anyway, that is not going to stop me. This article on Flagship Beers was fascinating in early June and is fascinating now in late July.

Posted on

Oregon Craft Beer Month – For the Love of Beer

for the love

For the Love of Beer is a new documentary about brewing in the NW. And, more importantly, it’s about women who are re-shaping a male dominated industry.

Here is a summary to pique your interest further…” “For the Love of Beer” is a documentary devoted to the stories and passion of the women at the forefront of the Pacific Northwest beer community. The craft beer industry is exploding; as of July 31, 2009, there are 1,482 craft breweries operating within the United States, and sales continue to rise upwards of 6% annually. While brewing is traditionally a woman’s job, the modern brewing industry is a heavily male dominated field.

However, in the Pacific NW, women are fighting their way to being some of the most influential people in the brewing industry. From the farm to consumption, Pacific NW women are setting new standards for brewing and changing the way the nation looks at women and beer.

These inspiring women are not afraid to fight discrimination and make sacrifices for the sake of their craft. While these women acknowledge that their struggles are opening doors for females everywhere, they’re not doing it for feminism or equality…they’re doing it for the love of beer.”

Posted on

Brewed on Discovery Channel

This sounds interesting. No Reservations is done well by this production company, so I am cautiously optimistic.

“EXPERIENCING THE WORLD ONE PINT AT A TIME DISCOVERY CHANNEL RAISES A GLASS FOR BREWED, NEW SERIES ON THE WORLD OF BEER ANNOUNCED FOR FALL 2010

(Silver Spring, Md.) Beer is the drink of the masses. If you look into a glass of beer you can see the past, present and future of mankind. Cicero lauded it, Genghis Khan fought for it and now Discovery Channel celebrates it with a world premiere series, BREWED, exploring the culture, history and variety of beer.

Meet Sam Calagione: maverick entrepreneur, family man and owner of Dogfish Head Brewery in Rehoboth Beach, Delaware. As an ambassador to the world of craft beer, Sam travels the world to experience what every culture brings to its own special brew.

In BREWED, Sam shows viewers the other side of the bottle, sharing the stories of beer sub-cultures as well as exploring life inside The Dogfish Head Brewery. BREWED goes behind the scenes at Dogfish Head as Sam’s merry band of creative brewmasters concoct new taste varieties.

“BREWED taps more than just kegs and barrels, it unlocks a fascinating history of beer making, showcasing the ingenuity and passion behind our love affair with those alluring suds and how it played a role in building civilizations,” said Clark Bunting, President and General Manager of Discovery Channel.

Running a successful business also requires inspiration, so BREWED hits the road for the ultimate beer tasting road trip. Along with archeologist and beer expert Pat McGovern, Sam sets out to recreate “ancient ales” that have been discovered at sites around the world from Egypt to Peru. He travels to Rome to research old world Italian beers as inspiration for a new site in New York with Mario Batali. A visit to New Zealand introduces the idea of making the “first tomato based beer.” And back home, Sam is tasked to come up with a commemorative beer called “Bitches Brew” to celebrate the 40th anniversary release of Miles Davis’ famous recording.

“Beer has always been my passion. It is so much more than what you see in the glass. I’m excited to share the diligence, daring and creativity that we pour into our work,” said Calagione.

BREWED is produced for Discovery Channel by Zero Point Zero Productions. Chris Collins and Lydia Tenaglia are executive producers. Tim Pastore is executive producer for Discovery Channel. “

UPDATE!!!
This won’t be airing until next year and the format has changed though it appears the focus on world class craft beer remains. More as the details become clear. Still remaining cautiously optimistic.

Posted on

Ancient Chinese beer secret

It can be hard to keep up with all of the interesting tidbits on NPR. So when I find beer stories, I feel it’s my duty to pass them on to you…
Click HERE for the story
…I am on the fence on whether I would like Chateau Jihau. No matter how changed it is for modern tastes.

Posted on

Mystery Brewing UPDATE!

Here is the latest news (VERY GOOD) from Mystery Brewing…

“We hit our goal – and with 10 days to go! A huge, hearty, and hefty thanks to everyone who donated – in the past two days, including the matching funds, we’ve raised over $17,000. That is just phenomenal. I cannot describe how difficult it will be to sit through the rest of my work day.

…We go on raising money for the next 10 days. Anything above goal means we’re that much closer to our first batch of beer and that much more of it. Kegs get ordered, ingredients are lined up, we look at warehouse space and refrigerated storage. We’re already on the path through licensing and getting ready to make beer.”

Just because they reached their goal doesn’t mean you shouldn’t become a backer. Think of the great beer you could help make a reality.

untitled

Posted on

Oregon Craft Beer Month – Green Dragon

cbm

Oregon is full of ideas in the beer world. Here is one that should make any home-brewer cry with joy:

“For many homebrewers it’s a dream to brew their own recipes on a large scale brewing system. Well not only do the members of the Oregon Brew Crew (OBC) have the opportunity to do just this, but the beers are sold commercially and the club is receiving some money for it.

Thanks to the OBC’s efforts, Green Dragon Bistro & Pub in Portland has grown to the 94th largest brewery in Oregon since the club began brewing there. Led by the Green Dragon Project Committee (made up of OBC members John Heasley, Todd Beach, Rich Hawthorne and Josh Blender), the OBC has been brewing at the Green Dragon for the last year and have consistently put out big new beers every couple weeks including Alpha Dragon IPA, Golden Dragon Ale and the recent 5-Point Exploding Palate Technique.

Designated as The Green Dragon Project, the joint venture between the Oregon Brew Crew and the Green Dragon Bistro & Brewpub is more than just allowing club homebrewers to brew recipes for public consumption. The emphasis of the project is aimed at the educational aspects of all-grain brewing techniques, recipe formulation, marketability, as well as quality control. Furthermore, the group is hoping that the project will help improve the link between craft breweries, their customers, and the homebrewing community.

The Green Dragon Project Committee is responsible for nominating brewers and their recipes in order to meet the goal of releasing a new beer from Green Dragon every two weeks. This means that the OBC is brewing a batch of beer two to three times a month, with one of those slots typically filled by the winner of the club’s monthly homebrew competition.”
greendragonpdx

Posted on

Session # 41

session_logo_all_text_300

The chosen topic: Craft Beers Inspired By Homebrewing. How has homebrewing had an affect on the commercial beer we have all come to love? Feel free to take the topic in any direction your imagination leads you.

Write about a beer that has its roots in homebrewing. Write about a commercial beer that originated from a homebrew.

Write about a professional brewer you admire who got their start in homebrewing before they went pro. Write about a professional brewer who still homebrews in their free time.

Write about a Pro-Am beer tasted either at a festival or a brewpub. Write about an Amateur / Professional Co-op you’ve had the pleasure of experiencing (such as The Green Dragon Project).

Write about commercial brewers using “Homebrewing” as part of the marketing. Write about the Sam Adams LongShot beers, whether good or bad.

With this opportunity, I would like to rant about an imbalance that I feel needs to be focused on to keep the craft beer world lively and engaging and most importantly, growing.

We need more female home brewers. Alot more. I know most homebrew clubs have female members, maybe even sub-groups comprised solely of women. That’s great. Keep it up. But this industry is tilted far to the male side and we need to get the percentages rising on the female side of the ledger.

I have my personal reasons why the craft beer community needs to embrace this idea and it stems from a theory of mine.

My theory is that home brewing is the minor leagues for the craft beer world. That means the more women brewing at home means the better the chance that they might go pro. If your club has 20 active members and only two or three are women, the chances that one might start a brewery are not good. But if there is a large and active female membership then the odds become better. And there is no better time than now, there is mentoring available through the Pink Boots Society, there is publicity available through great writers like the Beer Wench, Lisa Morrison and Christina Perozzi, there is even a documentary in the works about female brewers.

I say all this in enlightened self-interest. I love craft beer. Spend way too much money on it. Spend way too much time writing and reading about it. But if we don’t expand our horizons to recipes from a new perspective, new styles or re-imaginings of current favorites then the world of craft beer will crash into the reef of Double IPA’s and Russian Imperial Stouts and not be able to extricate our way out. We might end up, god forbid, stagnating. Not only as an industry as a whole but in individual beers.

We as bloggers need to push, cajole, entreaty as much as possible for more women in home brewing and more women drinking and creating a big craft beer tent as big as a Munich beer Hall in September.

P.S. I just know the best beer of 2011, 2012 and beyond are out there so keep it up homebrewers!

P.S.S. Click HERE to see the Session hosts posting on the topic.