Follow Sean Inman to the best in craft beer
It seems unpopular now, but infusing beer with hops or other spices was a mini-trend and now it is a mini-infuser.
Growler Bro (not the name I would pick) has this tool to add a little va-voom to a beer in a growler.
Now, bear in mind that the description also includes a warning of explosion. But for the constant George Lucas tech tinkerer, this might be a useful tool. So, mark as slightly needed.
It can be a big step and investment to get a kegerator or a home craft beer dispensing system. There are weird bulky tanks that can be filled with Heineken but what about something for the technically challenged beer fan who want something more than just a growler that they have to drink once it is opened.
Well that is where GrowlerWerks could fill a niche. It is simple to use and can keep beer fresh and cold. It looks a little too steampunk for me in this iteration but if they are successful you might see other designs down the road. It seems to have a chord as the Kickstarter is blasting through the roof at over 1,000% funded. That’s a lot.
Adding another level to growlers. (For those who can fill any growler anywhere.) And if you want to create a history of different beers much like passing a book on from person to person and writing your name in it or putting a code on a dollar bill, then Journey Jug is up your alley.
You fill it and log it. Then pass the empty on. Or you fill it and pass it on to a friend with the instructions for them to do the same and then start tracking the progress. It will be interesting to see if this takes off.
Those who like smashing names together will probably quickly get the new name. 1/2 can and 1/2 growler from Oskar Blues in Colorado. I have had insanely big cans from Mission Brewing in San Deigo but these you re-use instead of recycle.
Here is their quickie description, “A Crowler™ (CAN + growler) is a 32-ounce CAN filled with fresh craft beer from the source. Yep, draft beer in a portable growler-sized CAN. It’s the newest innovation coming from the Oskar Blues Brewery taproom and their development partner Ball Corporation, the pioneers of the American craft beer-in-a-CAN movement.”
So this happened. Yup, petition all you want. Put up a Facebook page and all it really takes is someone to re-interpret the rules and boom! Growler law changed. But more on that tomorrow on FoodGPS.
To get back into grade school book report mode. “What I learned at the Beer Blogger Conference about changing beer laws”
So here goes. Craig Hendry (who I sat next to for a few sessions during the conference) from Raise Your Pints Mississippi painted a grim picture of craft beer in his state. First to sign up for prohibition and last to repeal on the state level. Hovering around 40% of the counties are dry and ridiculously low ABV and ABW limits on beer created and brought into the state.
But as he talked, the tone grew ever hopeful. Beer festivals are taking place. Some government officials are willing to buck the religious dogma and back craft beer. Even Tennessee is pushing hard to be the eastern home of Sierra Nevada.
Now Raise Your Pints even has a lobbyist! Fine tuning a law here hopefully won’t require that level of pushing and shoving but what I gleaned most was that if this challenge is to succeed I need the California Small Brewers behind the cause to get this done.
And more importantly, I learned that you REALLY have to listen to the people on the other side of the argument. Because we all want to be heard and maybe there is a compromise to be found that can move forward speedily whereas an “all or nothing” mentality will just stall. Sound like anyone in Washington DC we know?
This one session really created hope. There are people in this country fighting bigger fights against entrenched foes and all we in California need to do is nip and tuck a little here and there.
These look really cool and nobody would know you have great tasting craft beer in your hand! Good at
“We have new growlers available for sale. Wait, isn’t that a stainless steel water bottle? Sure, but why can’t it be both? These 40 ounce bottles are perfect for filling up any of your favorite liquids. We’ll fill them up with our standard price beers for $7.50. Take it home and enjoy. Clean it and then fill it up with water and take it to the next beer festival. Come back and we will fill it up with other great beer. These bad boys are selling for $22. It looks like you have some drinking to do.”
One of the new terms craft beer terms of 2010 is Nano-Brewery. And Baranof Island, fits that bill in my mind.
Here is their main list:
Silver Bay IPA
Lord Baranov’s Dark Ale
Baranof Brown Ale
Halibut Point Hefeweizen
Redoubt Red Ale
Peril Strait Pale Ale
They are based in Sitka and they brew with a 1 3/4 barrel system and handcraft their beer in 45 gallon batches. They sell growlers to go too!