Posts

Posted on

The Firkin for April 2010

Crazy beer laws that affect what is brewed and where it is brewed are cringe inducing headaches. But if you truly want a whopper of a migraine then the world of craft beer distribution is for you. The only comparable source of hope squelching frustration is the political fillibuster.

Ponder this: Kansas, Nevada, Louisiana, Texas and Oklahoma are required to sell their beer through a distributor.

Or chew on this: Brewpubs in Texas can only sell their beer in house. A distributor or retailer can’t even touch it.

Lastly: Shipping companies will ship wine any time of day but now seemed scared by someone or something from shipping your favorite brew.

I am not a big fan of a large federal government. What I am a fan of is uniform and level playing fields. Wanna know why you can get Deschutes and Rogue in California but not Surly? Oregon has enlightened (in comparison) distribution laws. Minnesota? Not so much.

Here is my modest proposal:
1. Beer and wine allowed to be shipped anywhere in the country. There is no reason why anybody should not be allowed to buy a beer from any state in the US.
2. Each state can tax it as they see fit. Let’s do the math. No beer shipped X state tax = ZERO. Any beer shipped X state tax = revenue.
3. Breweries should be allowed to choose whatever form of distribution they want. If they want to be small and distribute to a few local stores, they should be allowed to. If they want to Stone it up to national levels they should be given that choice.

Right now distributors and states are getting in the way. The goal is not political viability or creating monolithic distributorships. The goal is for the brewer to get the beer into the hands of the drinker.
4048338621_dd0b3c5c1b

Posted on

Hair of the Dog tasting room

I saw this quote from Alan Sprints (who is a great guy) about HOTD floating around and since tomorrow is May, thought it might come in handy

“I will be open this May and will have a tasting room with a small food menu and regular hours. The new space is very close to downtown Portland and will provide Beer lovers with a chance to taste Beers still in the experimental stage.”

For more information and beers check out the Hair of the Dog Brewing Facebook fan site.
hair-of-the-dog-logo

Posted on

North by NW Brewing

On Sundays in May, I will post a snapshot of a southwestern US brewery along with a suggested beer or two to try. I will give you a sneak preview of one brewery now.

North by Northwest Brewing in Austin, Texas.

2642
Duckabish Amber
Pilsner, Caravienne, and Chocolate malts give this beer its beautiful, deep amber color. It is soft and creamy and balanced by Horizon hops.

Pyjingo Pale Ale
Brewed in the style of the great ales of the Pacific Northwest, this complex combination of Pilsner and Caravienne malts and Horizon, Cascade and Amarillo hops make it a great session beer.

Okanogan Black Ale
This rich, malty dark ale is reminiscent of the smooth ales produced by the Weltenberg Brewery in Northwestern Germany. The Pilsner, Caravienne, Munich, Chocolate, Black malts and Roasted Barley give this great dark ale a creamy, roasted malt flavor, which is perfectly balanced with Cascade hops.

Posted on

Batemans Mr. George’s Ruby Porter

MrGeorgePorter
In England the Ruby Porter is known as Batemans Dark Lord, but is has been re-named for the U.S. market due to a trademark conflict.

Dark Lord has a deep black color with reddish hints and is capped by rich creamy foam. The aroma features roasted grain notes with spicy-citrus hop notes. The palate is roasty with hints of coffee and licorice and an underlying fruit accent and long finish. A mere 5% alcohol by volume.

In both 2007 & 2008 it was named among “The World’s Fifty Best Beers” at the Drinks International Beer Challenge.

Posted on

Hop degradation

There is so much good beer reading out there that sometimes (OK, a lot of times), I read something that was posted months ago and get all excited only to hear the dreaded words, “Yeah, I read that already. Where have you been?”

The Captain’s Chair blog had this fascinating article on hops and how the aroma can fade and why it does. Required reading in my book, as is the rest of the blog. Check out the info HERE

While you are there, take a peek at his personal Top 20. See how many you’ve had. I have had 7! And it would be more if I could any Minnesota beer in Southern California!

Posted on

Redhook Eisbock

Both Karl Strauss and Redhook were craft pioneers who seemed to get passed by or considered too big and not micro cool.

Well now both are coming out swinging. Strauss with some good IPA bombers and Redhook with their 8-4-2 Expedition and now with this…
redhook-eisbock-28-bottle

It is described on the label as, “Aged for months at temperatures well below freezing, Eisbock 28 is extraordinarily smooth and malt with a bittersweet complexity achieved by ice processing.”

Posted on

Hot Knives – Greatest Sips

Have you ever wondered what cheese and what song go with Russian River Pliny the Elder?

Then you had better get this wicked cool book….
hot knives

It really has a DIY vibe to it. From the manilla folder recycled cover to the photos on the inside. But looking past that, you get some awesome ideas for beer and cheese pairings. You can see their blog and buy the book HERE

Posted on

Brewpot

logo2
Another new beer-centric website has sprung up that you might want to peruse and see if it will help you in your beer journey. Brewpot allows you to rate beers, find beers you might like if you like “Beer A” and also has some brew news.

It is still a toddler so don’t expect all the information in the world, yet.

Posted on

Tripel Perfection

The Belgian beer keeps coming from the Cooperstown folks at Ommegang. I have been hearing about their new BPA for a couple of weeks but since I have a fellow beer geek whose first choice is always a tripel then the release of the Tripel Perfection is even better news.
ommegang_logo_banner

This beer is three years in the making and clocks in at 8.9% alcohol. So it is not for the weak.

Posted on

Stuffed Sandwich

One of the forerunners of craft beer in Los Angeles is the Stuffed Sandwich east of Pasadena tucked into the corner of an uassuming little mall. Sam and Marlene Samaniego moved from the distribution side to the restaurant side and haven’t looked back.
logoc

from their website: “Everyone was so excited about trying new beers that Sam decided to go for a selection of 100 beers. Since then it has not stopped! They now sell over 700 bottled beers from 40 different countries, specializing in Belgian Ales (over 130) and American crafted “Micro” brewed beers.”

Due to the vagaries of liquor laws, you have to (poor us) buy some food to go with the beer.

Their theme for the month of April is anniversary beers. Here is a list of what they may still have pouring:
AVERY BREWING COMPANY’S 16TH ANNIVERSARY 2009 (Saison brewed with Jasmine, Peaches & Honey)
KONINGSHOEVEN’S 125TH ANNIVERSARY 2009 (La Trappe Isid’or Trappist Ale)
ROGUE BREWERY’S 20TH ANNIVERSARY 2008 (Rogue St. Red Dry Hopped Red Ale)
CORONADO BREWING COMPANY’S 13TH ANNIVERSARY 2009 (Smoked Brown Ale)
LAGUNITAS BREWING COMPANY’S 13TH ANNIVERSARY 2006/2007 (Red Ale brewed in 2006/ keg released in 2007)
ANDERSON VALLEY BREWING COMPANY’S 20TH ANNIVERSARY 2007/2008 (Imperial IPA brewed in 2007/ keg released in 2008)
SIERRA NEVADA BREWING COMPANY’S 28TH ANNIVERSARY 2008 (Hoppy Anniversary Ale)
FLYING DOG BREWPUB’S 20TH ANNIVERSARY 2010 (Raging Bitch Belgian Style IPA)
MAD RIVER BREWING COMPANY’S 20TH ANNIVERSARY 2009 (Wheat Wine Barleywine Style Ale)