Category: Opinion

my humble and correct opinion

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Craft Beer clothing

Do you need a cool beer t-shirt to go with the great craft beer in your hand?

Then check out the craft beer clothing website to see some imaginative designs.

Oh and here is what they say about themselves…
“This website was created to sell clothing just for craft beer enthusiasts. Craft beer is about flavor, color, complexity – it is an art to the thousands of brewers in the world. So, we decided to design a clothing line worthy of the craft beer industry’s passion for good beer. We will have new designs once these sell out, so tell your friends and help us spread the word!”

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Hops not Hoops

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Attention Bracketologists! Get ready to hop it up on the way to IPA Final Four. If you love IPA’s like I do then this is a fun diversion to check on inbetween college basketball games. Check out the rules and how you can play along HERE

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Session # 36 – Cask Ale

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“I’d like to return to essays on a beer style, or more precisely, a beer procedure: Cask-conditioned ale.”

I am not an expert on the intricacies of cask-conditioned ales by any stretch of the imagination, not due to a lack of desire to sample but rather because the choices available on the carbon dioxide side of the fence are just so much greater.

And that, to me, is the core of the issue. Cask conditioned is not yet at the tipping point. It is an embraced novelty. And until it becomes ubiquitous that is where it will stay.   Two of the excellent beer bars that I frequent have exactly ONE tap for casks.  Playing the percentages means that the cask ale will not get selected.

So the cask converted can sing the praises until their vocal cords collapse but will only succeed in pushing themselves into the lunatic fringe alongside the high alcohol, barrel aged double imperial stout crowd and the fruit beer haters.

So here is my own modest proposal: What needs to happen is actual head to head, Coke vs Pepsi style tastings.  The same beer from the same brewer.  One crafted for the regular tap and one for a cask.  No need to blindfold the participants. This isn’t about guessing which is which. It is about discerning what style hits all the right spots on your individual palate.  I had the opportunity recently to try a Blonde Ale then a slightly different version of the same beer from a cask. The difference was night and day and not just because one had extra hops added. I can now explain how one was fizzy while the other had a creamy mouthfeel and I can explain why I liked it more.

Because in the end, a movement will start only if enough people can clearly communicate why they love cask ale not only with words but with examples. Refreshing liquid examples.

Check all the responses to the cask ale conundrum HERE

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The Firkin for January 2010

At the end of each month, I will open up the firkin and pour out what I’m thinking about. It may be a rant, it may be a rave, it may be odds and ends. I hope you enjoy…..the First Firkin
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2009 saw Alabama free the hops and raise the ABV limit on beers sold in that state. I say that is about time even more unrational beer distribution and retail laws get phased out if for no other reason than they are economically prohibitive. The City of Los Angeles has 1, that’s right, 1 brewery within city limits. It can’t be a conicidence that there are breweries ringing the outskirts of Los Angeles from El Monte to Torrance. Unfortunately, LA county is not alone in hindering craft beer. Here are some other egregious examples of laws restricting capitalism and our craft beer rights.

In Pennsylvania, no more than two packages of beer at a time may be purchased, unless you are buying from an official “beer distributor”. Great breweries abound in the Quaker state and yet they can’t truly fill a customer’s needs.

There are still some states that ban on off-premises sales of alcohol on Sundays. Tough luck if you want to tailgate and you didn’t buy your beer the day before.

In Kentucky it is illegal to send a bottle of beer, wine, or spirits as a gift to anyone in Kentucky – this can result in a 5-year term in prison. Really? Thanks for ruining Christmas Kentucky Grinch.

It is time to revisit these restrictive laws and find out the true reason they were enacted. What is to gain by restricting sales? or ABV? You are basically telling beer geeks, “nothing to see here, move along”. Is that the slogan you want on your Visit Us in ______
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HopCast

As you have noticed from my video reviews, I am not a big fan of the straight one shot pointing at a guy drinking beer. Hence, you can only hear me in my spontaneous reviews.

Every rule has exceptions and one I make is for HopCast. They mix it up with interviews, beers of the month and profiles of home brewers.

They have been duly added to my favored links.
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Beer + Chocolate =

from Wisconsin (home of a great beer scene) comes two great tastes that taste great together…
“We’re sure you’ve heard of pairing wine and chocolate, but did you know that chocolate and beer work well together? Introducing Great Dane Beer Chocolates, handcrafted exclusively for The Great Dane Pub and Brewing Company by David Bacco Chocolats. These amazing creations are made with Great Dane brews and each chocolate complements the flavors of a distinctive Great Dane beer. Four chocolates are available including Black Earth Porter, Crop Circle Wheat, Stone of Scone Scotch Ale and Tri-Pepper Pilsner.
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4-piece box (one of each flavor) $10
8-piece box (two of each flavor) $18

You can also experience these chocolates with the beers that inspired them! Great Dane Beer Chocolates are available in the bar or restaurant of the Great Dane Pub & Brewing Company’s locations in downtown Madison, Fitchburg and at the Hilldale shopping center. When you dine in, each chocolate is served with a four-ounce sample of the paired beer. Order individually – or as a delicious dessert flight of four chocolates and beers!”

Valentine’s Day is 2 weeks away. Order up!

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Two of these breweries…

…are not like the others. According to the Wall Street Journal, there is problem in beer land.
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But after looking at the graph and then reading this…
“Domestic beer brands need to reinvent themselves and get that appeal back,” said Ron Vaughn, co-owner of Argonaut Wine & Liquor, a Denver liquor superstore. He said his beer sales rose by 2% last year, helped by strong sales of “craft” brews popular in Colorado, but mass-market brands such as Miller Lite “have taken a hit.”

It appears that crap beer is losing ground and craft beer is rising.

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Drinking with George

One of your New Year resolutions should be to read more beer books. There are a plethora out there. Tasting Beer, The Naked Pint or anything by Pete Brown. And here is another to pick up…
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…it is certainly on my list.

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Brought to you by the # 5

Recently added to the “About” page (just below my smiling face drinking beer in France) are…

My Top 5 Favorite Beers
My 5 Most Desired Beers
My 5 Top Breweries

As usual, I shamelessly welcome any comments or discussion regarding these choices. And they will be updated as I get my hands on more beer. So just go look already.