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Beer Culture

“Beer Culture is a documentary film about the growing trend in Craft Beer set in the epicenter of it all, Colorado. Beer Culture explains the cultural phenomenon behind the growth of craft beer telling it through the stories of struggles and successes of some top brewers in Colorado including, New Belgium, Oskar Blues, Avery Brewing Company, Tommyknocker, Upslope, including much more. This film is set to debut in the Summer of 2011.”

That had better pique your antenna up. There are a slew of beer doc’s in the pipeling. Personally, I can’t wait for them to hit theaters and DVD.

Beer Culture Trailer 1 from FM Productions on Vimeo.

Thanks to Jay Brooks for unearthing this for the world

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Beer Bloggers Conference # 2


Having been at the first conference in Boulder, I am pleased to announce the 2nd and 3rd are on tap!

“We are very pleased to announce the dates and locations of our two 2011 Beer Bloggers Conferences:

May 20-22: London, UK
August 19-21: Portland, Oregon

We hope to build on the success of our 2010 conference, which had 108 attendees this past November in Boulder, Colorado. While the London conference is designed to appeal to European beer bloggers and writers, we also hope it will attract bloggers from other geographies, including some intrepid traveling bloggers from North America.

Neither the Portland nor London conferences could exist without the support of our initial sponsors: Molson Coors (UK), Wells and Youngs, and Fuller’s in the UK and the Oregon Brewers Guild and BridgePort Brewing in Portland. These organizations make it possible to bring the Beer Bloggers Conference to you at extremely reasonable prices.

Registration is now open and space is limited due to our conference locations and the ability of our dinner hosts to accommodate large groups.

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Traquair 2020

Who would have thunk 20 years ago that people would be discussing craft beers that weren’t going to be released for months?

Well, here goes with a Scottish ale that arrives on our shores this month.

From the esteemed Traquair Brewery in Scotland comes 2020. Oddly named for a celebratory 2011 beer but if you have sampled their beer before, you know it will be good.

Here is the breweries description: “Traquair 2020 Ale has a deep brick-red color and an aroma of oak, caramel and toffee. Wonderful flavors suggesting plums, raisins, currants, chocolate and gently roasted malt are balanced by significant 10% ABV.”

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Gimme MORE!

Our craft beer distribution is an imperfect but workable system. But from time to time, I wish I could lay my hands on some beers that other folks take for granted. I was reminded of this when Great Divide Brewing started bringing their beers to Los Angeles last year. I was glad to see Hibernation and Claymore in the stores but it got me to thinking about other breweries that I would like to see here in SoCal.

So here is this months list:
Boulevard Brewing – They get to Oregon! How about some Double Wide IPA love here.

Nebraska Brewing – Again, seen them in Oregon. Move a bit south.

50/50 Brewing – I wish they could hop a lift on the Firestone-Walker supply train.

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Jolly Stone O

It seemed like the collaborative brewing trend has lost some of the steam and “cool” factor lately.  Thankfully this special brew is here to disprove that….

This version was brewed at Jolly Pumpkin so expect some sour or tart to it to accompany the juniper, chestnuts, sage and caraway. Sounds simialar to the Saison du Buff with the herbs.

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Session # 47

The first session of 2011 is hosted by Beer47. The topic? Cooking and Beer.

I wish that I had grand culinary exploits to wow the crowd with. Sad to say but my cooking skills are limited to following directions on boxes. So no Imperial porter foam on a beer soaked flourless chocolate cake nor IPA infused garlic mashed potatoes. (though I do have that Sean Paxton recipe printed out on my desk).

And since I do not have many beer dinners under my belt either, I can’t really comment on what works really well and what doesn’t. I do know a good amount about beer floats (but that really doesn’t involve cooking).

That leaves me with proposing my ideal and still unrealized dream beer dinner. Not all choices may be winners or even work but I would certainly like to try it.

So here goes….

APPETIZER
Sharp cheddar quesadillas
BEER TO USE:Strand Brewing Atticus IPA
I like the combo of cheddar and IPA and would like something bold to wake up the tastebuds. The Strand pale ale would work here as well if a lesser hop kick is warranted.

MAIN COURSE
Kobe Flank Steak in a Flanders Red spiked sauce.
BEER TO USE: Cascade Brewing’s Kriek
I don’t know how to make a sauce for steak and it might be sacrilege to use this Kriek but I would to see the contrast between the sour and the butter.

DESSERT
Apple Pie a la mode with an apple beer ice cream
BEER TO USE: Unibroue Ephemere
A double shot of apple. Scoops in Los Angeles makes great beer ice creams/sorbets and I would to have two wildly different forms of apple on the palate.

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Give me a Hickenlooper

Tomorrow, Wynkoop Brewing releases “Hickenlooper’s Inaugurale”.

This new draft-only beer commemorates Wynkoop founder John Hickenlooper being sworn in as Governor of Colorado on January 11.

The beer will be sold at Wynkoop Brewing Company until they run out, and the brew will be offered at the official inauguration dinner on January 11 at Denver’s Fillmore Auditorium. I have never heard of that happening so another first for craft beer!

The beer is a mix of brown ale and winter warmer which is appropriate for the weather in Colorado and around the country. Sounds good to me. Their should be beers for special occasions all the time.

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Don Younger (and other beery news)


If you want to hear one of the people that made craft beer drinking as easy and fun as it is today, then take a listen to part 1 of Lisa Morrison’s interview with Don Younger of Horse Brass fame.

You can listen on iTunes HERE or go to her website HERE to listen to Don as well as learn about Fort George Brewing’s expansion and Full Sail’s Bump in the Night.

To learn about where craft beer was back in the 1970’s is amazing. Most bars had one tap and that one tap had one beer. Their beer menu was the neon sign outside that said either Olympia, Blitz, Rainier or one of the other breweries.

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Bump in the Night

The Full Sail Brewmaster series marches on with a great beer name for what promises to be another great addition to the legend of Full Sail, Bump in the Night.

This is in the NW style of CDA (Cascadian Dark Ale) which is a big malty and hoppy hybrid beer that has really been a hit across the nation. If it is as good as the last reserve beer, Sanctuary then it is not to be missed.