This week on Beer Buzz Erik and Eli pop the top on some very interesting (and potentially industry shattering) ABinBev news, some 4th of July beer stats, a few festivals and beer releases, and a new (and potentially awesome) new drinking game. Oh yes… and we have ourselves another winnah!
Beer Buzz is the weekly show that will keep you informed and updated on all the things going on in the beer world, from the noteworthy to the nutty. Know something we don’t (which is highly likely)? Email us at AlwaysHoppy@BeerTapTV.com and share the news… we just might use it.
Show Notes:
UPDATES
Last week we drew another name out of the keg, this time for a signed copy of Charles Bamforth’s book, “Beer: Tap into the Art and Science of Brewing.,” ArtVandely watched the show, heard his name and sent us an Email. He is this week’s winner! Up for grab’s this go round is a copy of Michael Jackon’s book, Beer. Watch the episode and find out if your name was called.
Foam Fest is Saturday, August 29. Not far away! Beer Tap TV is a sponsor of this event and will be on hand filming and taking part in the festivities. Come join us in helping to support the worthy causes it will benefit. Let’s all make this an event to remember!
This week on Beer Buzz Erik and Eli delve into beer can history, a few of the hundreds of summertime beer festivals, an auction, some beer awards… and one bad-ass breathalyzer.
Beer Buzz is the weekly show that will keep you informed and updated on all the things going on in the beer world, from the noteworthy to the nutty. Know something we don’t (which is highly likely)? Email us at AlwaysHoppy@BeerTapTV.com and share the news… we just might use it.
Show Notes:
UPDATES
Sadly, ole Butane never got in touch with us last week so he does not get a signed copy of Bob Skilnik’s book about big booties and beer. We draw another name out of the keg, this time for a signed copy of Charles Bamforth’s book, “Beer: Tap into the Art and Science of Brewing.” And this week’s winner is… you really didn’t think we would tell you here, did you? WATCH THE EPISODE!
THIS WEEK IN BEER HISTORY
Since we’ve been talking about how canned beer is making a comeback with craft breweries, we found this little tidbit very appropriate. This Week in Beer History… on June 24, 1935, canned beer was introduced for the first time by the American Can Company and Krueger Brewing Co. of Newark, New Jersey.
Ah, but was it?
While doing research on this we discovered two different dates for this historic moment in beerstory. Many websites have it listed as June 24 (many well known beer sites mind you), while many others say January 24. Then we stumbled onto KegLined.com - An illustrated History of the American Beer Can (http://keglined.pssht.com/main.html). The actual date is in fact January 24, 1935. Think of this as yet another Public Service Awareness spot from Beer Tap TV. If you recall, we also told you about the findings of Bob Skilnik who pointed out that Ben Franklin did NOT say: “Beer is living proof that God loves us.” We like busting beer myths. That’s just how we roll.
We found this article on Charlie Papazian’s National Beer Examiner column. Homebrewed beer is on the rise in Mexico. Elba Copado, AKA La Señora de la Cerveza, is an award winning brewster from Tlaquepaque. She reports that this year’s Mexican National Homebrewers Convention will be in San Pedro Tlaquepaque, in the area of Guadalajara. Activities planned include homebrew competition, a presentation of a Spanish language book about beer and the sampling of indigenous brews such as pulque and tequila.Last year’s event drew a mere 30 people, but this year they are prepping for 400 people and are now claiming to have 100 homebrewers in the Mexican homebrewing network. The Covey Restaurant scores big at 2009 LA International Commercial Beer Competition
The Covey Restaurant and Brewery took home five awards recently at the LA Int. Beer Comp. One gold, two silvers, and two bronze medals for its hand-crafted beer, according to Covey brewmaster Jamie Fulton, who fielded six beers at the competition last month. The Covey’s Scotch Ale brew aced the Strong Scotch Ale category, snagging a gold medal. Silver medal winners in the Belgian-Style Strong Specialty Ale and Smoke-Flavored Beer categories were The Covey’s “100″ and Smokestack Stout, respectively. The Covey was awarded bronze medals for their Texas Wheat in the American-Style Hefeweizen category and their Vienna Lager in the Vienna-Style Lager category. The Covey’s Vienna Lager also won a gold medal at the World Beer Cup in 2008.
Not to be left out of the medal count, Karl Strauss Brewing Company is giving new meaning to the phrase “Golden Years.” The company is celebrating their 20th Anniversary with winning six brewing medals, including two Gold Medals at the Los Angeles County Fair. The company’s flagship beer, Karl Strauss Amber Lager, placed first in the Vienna Style Lager category, while their Conquistador Doppelbock won the German Style Strong Bock class. In addition to taking home two Gold’s at the LA Fair, the company was also awarded a Silver medal for Woodie Gold and a Bronze medal for their Red Trolley Ale. In San Diego, Karl Strauss won Silver in the Amber Hybrid category for their Red Trolley Ale and Bronze for their Amber Lager. “There are some great breweries competing at the LA and San Diego Fairs and to medal with that kind of competition is awesome,” says Segura.
All remaining assets from Old Dominion Brewery will be sold at Auction on July 9th, 2009 at 11:00AM EST. The auction will be Live Onsite and Simulcast on the internet via www.bidspotter.com. Auction attendees may bid live onsite at Ashburn, VA location or via the PC Computer. Items up for sale include: Beer & beverage production support equipment (including forklifts), complete brew-Ppb restaurant & kitchen (over 150 lots), and a delivery van and refrigerated beer truck BEER RELEASES
First summer seasonal, which will be available across the Pacific Northwestern states. According to one of the brewery partners, Nikos Ridge, “Ninkasi Radiant is a clean finishing, 6% ABV Ale, and will be brewed through mid-October. It is dry hopped with liberty hops and the hop profile is slightly bitter vs floral in order to create a crisp clean finish.”
A massive brown ale base that is made from four fermentable sugars including Malted Barley, Raisins, Candi Sugar and Sour Cherries, this beer is fully fermented before being placed in Bourbon barrels where the beer ages for one year with the Sour Cherries and the wild Brettanomyces yeast that they inoculate the barrels with. One of the most complex and unique beers they make each year. ABV: 11.0%
BEER FESTIVALS OF THE WEEK
Because we’re in Beer Festival season, we’re adding a new segment to keep you updated on what’s going on in your area.
Date/Time: June 26-28th, 2009, Friday and Saturday 12-9pm, Sunday 12-5pm
Location: Overlook Park, Portland, OR
Why: To promote sustainable living and celebrate organic beer.
Price: Admission is free, to sample beer a $6 compostable tasting glass is required, a four-ounce sample is $1, and a full pint is $4. A $1 discount off the tasting glass is given for either 3 cans of organic food, or a valid Tri-Met ticket
The world’s largest selection of organic beer, the North American Organic Brewers festival is a celebration of the earth. This year the festival is powered by a combination of solar panels, waste vegetable oil and biodiesel generators. Festival is proud to feature beers from around the world brewed with organic ingredients. The event benefits the Leukemia Lymphoma Society, the Oregon Food Bank, Oregon Tilth, and Willamette Riverkeeper. For more information or to see this year’s beer list visit www.naobf.org
Date: Friday & Saturday, June 26 & 27
Time: Friday, 4:00-8:00PM; Saturday, noon-7:00PM
Location: Chevrolet Del Mar Arena
Prices: These prices include Fair admission (unless otherwise noted), a souvenir tasting cup and a wristband that entitles the wearer to unlimited one-ounce samplings of beer entered in the festival competition. You must be 21 or older to purchase wristband vouchers.
Advance purchase: Friday, June 26: $27.00, Saturday, June 27: $37.00, Two-day: $64.00
Day of event purchase, including Fair admission: Friday, June 26: $33.00, Saturday, June 27: $43.00, Two-day: $70.00
The reason we’re showing is this is because on past episodes of Beer buzz we’ve railed the current state of DUI laws and the fanaticism this country has on enforcing some truly bizarre laws while never bothering to actually EDUCATE anyone on how many beers it takes each individual to become “legally” intoxicated. Well, one very enterprising company has come up with what can only be described as the perfect solution. Leave it up to private industry to fix the problems of the government.
A forward thinking society would say: “Hey, this should be installed in every single establishment in the country that serves alcohol.” You know why the government doesn’t want to do this though? They want – no, they need - the revenue generated from DUI s. Fact.
So, since the government doesn’t want to do what they should be doing for the people (instead of bailing out asinine, greedy, imbecilic corporations like the car companies and banks)… use it to make your own damn money and install this machine in your local bar, club, bowling alley, restaurant, ball park, casinos, parking garage, strip club, valet stands, private party… well, you get the idea.
“Check yourself before you wreck yourself”
BREATH TESTER FEATURES:
•Digital display with 2 different colors to indicate the results of Blood Alcohol Concentration (red and green)
•4 graphic screens that guide you through the test (in case you can’t hear the voice instructions due to noise)
•Automatic calibration system: Starts every time the machine is powered on (calibrate every 2-3 months)
•Breathalyzer check-up system: Detects any malfunctioning of the machine
•Cleaning system: Eliminates any prior breath samples after each test
•Anti-condensation system: Prevents condensation from entering the machine after each test.
•Alcohol Sensor replacement indicator: The machine indicates when the alcohol sensor must be replaced
(supplied by Alco-Checkpoint). Sensors last between 800-1100 uses and cost only $59!
•Holds up to 600 straws, dispensed from bottom of machine (standard straws can be used)5. Electronic
Get One Today Starting At Only $1099!! Think of it as a vending machine type of “route.” According to the website you can “realistically earn between $60-$125/week, which equals $3,120-$6,500/year, per machine.” For more info contact Alco-Checkpoint at info@alcocheckpoint.com or call 858-740-1660 BEER BLOG OF THE WEEK
The Honest Pint Project started in Portland, Oregon. or well over a decade, drinkers have known about the scourge of “cheater pints” thanks to pioneering reporting done by Back in the mid-1990’s Portland writer William Abernathy started taking a Pyrex measuring bowl into pubs, dumped his beer into it, and reported that “shaker pint” glasses were in fact largely 14-ounce glasses. In 2007, Jeff Alworth wrote about these “cheater pints” on his blog, Beervana (which we’ve featured on Beer Buzz before), sparking a new round of indignation. Alworth posted an online petition that garnered over 300 signatures in a matter of days demanding an honest pint. Members of the media picked up on the idea, and articles and stories have appeared on National Public Radio and the Wall Street Journal as well as a number of regional papers. Check it out and demand your own honest pint!
On this week’s episode of Beer Buzz we uncover the best beer gadget ever, period! Plus, an entire island of beer… and drinking your way towards a healthier prostate.
Beer Buzz is the weekly show that will keep you informed and updated on all the things going on in the beer world, from the noteworthy to the nutty. Know something we don’t (which is highly likely)? Email us at AlwaysHoppy@BeerTapTV.com and share the news… we just might use it.
Show Notes:
UPDATES
Congrats to Opstaz (Jeff) who actually contacted us and now has a way cool Beer Tap TV shirt.See, that wasn’t so hard now, was it?This week we’re giving away another signed copy of Bob Skilnik’s book “Does my Butt Look Big in this Beer.”And the winner is… what she show to find out!
The Beer Wars DVD is now available exclusively on the Beer Wars website for a mere $19.95.
What’s inside? The Beer Wars DVD (in English, Color 5.1 sound, 16:9 ratio)
SPECIAL FEATURES include:
* Beer Wars Live Panel Discussion (uncut)
* Deleted Scenes and Trailers
Some things you should know…
* Anat is Self-Distributing this film, so every DVD sale supports this independent filmmaker!
* This film will not be available on Netflix, iTunes or Amazon until next year.
* This BEER WARS DVD is available for purchase for home use only.
* If you’d like to set up a screening of the film for your film club, bar, brewpub, homebrew club any other group, please contact Anat Baron.
* This is an all-region NTSC DVD that is compatible with standard NTSC and all-region DVD players.
On June 9, 2009, Odell Brewing Company officially broke ground on its new expansion. The project, which includes an expansion of the existing manufacturing, office, and taproom facilities, will help the brewery accommodate increased and enhanced brewing operations. In addition to the building, the brewery will include improvements to its parking, shipping, and overall landscaping.
“While we are expanding capacity, we are really viewing this as an investment in innovation in both style and process,” said brewery owner Wynne Odell. Not only will the brewery gain much needed space, but it will also improve its creative brewing processes with investments such as a single-serve packaging line and a new barrel aging cellar.
The brewery has also incorporated multiple environmentally friendly installations and “green” considerations in its plans. Such as a roof mounted photovoltaic system that will generate 50 KW of energy, which is approximately 1/3 of the brewery’s summer daily peak demand. Solar tubes in the brewery’s new warehouse will provide natural lighting, and a day-lighting system will actually turn off light fixtures when this natural light is sufficient. The brewery will also include a water recovery system in its bottling line that will capture clean rinse water and use it for landscape irrigation. Odell Brewing expects to complete the expansion in early 2010.
The cardboard beer mat made its debut back in 1880. Friedrich Horn, a German printing and board mill company, created small cardboard mats and printed messages on them. Before long, their simple invention had become a firm fixture under beer glasses across the country. Bar keepers liked them as they protected their tables, didn’t need washing and didn’t cost them anything — advertisers footed the bill in a bid to reach new customers.
The world’s biggest beer mat company, Katz Group, declared bankruptcy at the end of April. Tucked away in Weisenbach in the south-west of Germany, Katz Group, which was founded as a sawmill in 1716, had been in the beer mat business since 1903. Katz International Coasters controlled around two-thirds of the European market and 97 percent of the US market.
Ska Brewing Company announced that two of its beers, Modus Hoperandi and the ESB Special Ale, both available in cans, won gold medals at the 2009 North American Beer Awards. Ska’s Modus Hoperandi IPA won gold in the American-Style India Pale Ale category, and their ESB Special Ale won gold in the Best Bitter category. A third Ska beer, the Buster Nut Brown Ale, won bronze in the English Brown Ale category.
The North American Beer Awards (NABA) is a prestigious annual event, now in its thirteenth year. Judges include brew masters from major national breweries as well as experts from small, independent breweries, beer journalists and certified judges. Judging is performed in a blind format, and all of the proceeds from the associated festival are donated to charity. Winners were chosen from an impressive field of more than 1,100 beers in 72 categories.
According to Ska Co-Founder Dave Thibodeau, the awards are especially notable because both the Gold Medal winners are available to the public in cans, with the Modus Hoperandi being Ska’s newest year-round release. “The cans are proving to be a great fit with our outdoor-loving culture here in Colorado. There are a lot of scenarios – a raft trip or backcountry journey for example — where cans work better because they’re light and they don’t break. Now people can have the convenience of a can, with a gold-medal winning craft beer inside,” says Thibodeau. “Just the thought of it makes me want to put a few in my backpack and take off right now.” Ska’s line of canned beers also includes the True Blonde Ale, a 2006 Bronze Medal winner at the Great American Beer Festival.
The NABA gold-medal wins come at an especially busy time for Ska, as they continue to increase production capacity to meet demand. Late last year Ska opened its new, $4.8 million, 24,000-square-foot world headquarters and tasting room, and added a larger canning line. Ska recently expanded its distribution to include Texas and Kansas and the beers can also be found throughout Colorado, Arizona, New Mexico, Nebraska, Illinois and North Carolina.
A refreshing neo-BerlinerWeisse fermented with honest-to-goodness peaches to (get this!) 4.5% abv! Because extreme beers don’t have to be extremely boozy! Available in 4-pack and draft during the sweaty months.
Sadly, there are only a few breweries left in Berlin still brewing the BerlinerWeisse style which is characterized by its intense tartness (some say sour). There were once over 70 breweries in Berlin alone making this beer! In addition to fermentation with an ale yeast, Berliner Weisse is traditionally fermented with lactic cultures to produce its acidic or green apple-like character. It is delicately hopped with a pale straw color and served as an aperitif or summertime quencher. To soften the intense sourness, Berliner Weisse is traditionally served with a dash of essence of woodruff or raspberry syrup.
In the Festina Peche since the natural peach sugars are eaten by the yeast, the fruit complexity is woven into both the aroma and the taste of the beer so there is no need to doctor it with woodruff or raspberry syrup - open and enjoy! ABV: 4.5; IBU: 8 Sunrise Weissbeir - Victory Brewing Company - Downingtown, PA
This unfiltered, Bavarian style Hefeweizen is true to its origins with all ingredients except for the water having been imported from Germany. It remains unfiltered to feature the tangy, fruity flavors of its unique yeast. The imported German malt contributes greatly to add a crisp, citric snap that makes this beer a superb summertime refresher.
Malts: 2 row German barley and wheat malt
Hops: German and Czech whole flowers
Yeast: imported, of German origin
Alcohol by volume: 5.7%
Availability: Draft and bottles, June through Autumn.
Welcome to the only Island in the world, where to get there, you don’t have to put your shoes through a metal detector. In fact shoes are optional. Coney Island welcomes something, that we all fantasize about a Beer Island! This family friendly resort, serves a wide selection of beer, wine and entertainment. We offer many bottled varieties and several premium beers on tap, and naturally they are served ice cold, a welcome refreshment on a hot day!
The crew on Revision 3’s show “System” updates the classic beer keg with motorized wheels and a remote control tap to build the ultimate robotic beer keg. Although the modern beer keg has been with us since the 1960’s the technology surrounding it has advanced much. The gang at System figured they would put a few 21st century bits of technology on the thing and turn it into a mobile and easily controlled beer dispenser. Watch and learn! BEER BLOG OF THE WEEK
Rick Lyke is a veteran drinks journalist who writes about beer, wine and spirits. His work is published regularly in a number of magazines including DRAFT and All About Beer. Read about beer, wine and spirits; travels to breweries, distilleries and wineries; festivals and events; alcohol issues; beverage marketing; and have fun along the way.
Pints for Prostates is a grassroots effort to reach men with a critical message about prostate cancer screening using the universal language of beer. Started by prostate cancer survivor and drinks journalist Rick Lyke, the goal of the program is to communicate with men in a friendly and non-threatening way about the need for regular PSA testing. All funds raised by Pints for Prostates go directly to Us TOO International (http://ustoo.org/) to assist with that group’s support, education and advocacy efforts.
It’s a big week for the Pints for Prostates campaign. First off as part of Father’s Day weekend they have seven events going on around the country. If you are near Stanley, Iowa; Issaquah, Wash.; San Francisco, Calif.; Raleigh, N.C.; or Newport, Eugene and Portland Oregon, plan to come out and help raise funds for Us TOO International. Details are on our Facebook page and we’ll also be announcing some more events shortly, so the chances are we’ll be coming to a town near you soon.
Secondly, late last week they received word from the Lance Armstrong Foundation that Pints for Prostates has been invited as one of a limited number of groups to participate in the Livestrong Global Cancer Summit taking place in Dublin at the end of August.
Their Facebook page hit 900 members this week and they’d love your support in reaching more guys as Father’s Day approaches. Please help in their quest to reach men using the universal language of beer by going to the Pints for Prostates page and clicking on the Share+ button along the right side. From there you can post a message on your Facebook page or send an email to your friends. The more men we reach, the more lives will be saved.
Beer Buzz is the weekly show that will keep you informed and updated on all the things going on in the beer world, from the noteworthy to the nutty. Know something we don’t (which is highly likely)? Email us at AlwaysHoppy@BeerTapTV.com and share the news… we just might use it.
Show Notes:
UPDATES
We have a brand new WINNER this week! We’re scrapping the Beer Gloves this week ‘cuz really, who the hell wants to wear mitt toasters in the middle of summer? This week we’re giving away… a Beer Tap TV shirt! The winner is… watch the show to find out!
We received the following letter from the Brewers Association…
Dear Beer Enthusiast,
Small brewers are facing an imminent an extremely serious threat to their businesses. The Senate Finance Committee in Washington, DC is currently considering a proposal to increase and equalize the excise tax for alcohol beverages as part of healthcare reform deliberations. This proposal would triple the excise tax for 4.5% ABV beer and impose even higher excise tax rates for higher ABV beers. If such a proposal becomes reality, there is no question that many small brewery businesses will suffer, some will close and consumers will face higher prices and diminished choice in the marketplace. The Brewers Association brewery members and leadership have been actively engaged in building the case against an excise tax increase, recently submitting a letter to the Committee outlining our opposition. We need you to speak out now. Today or tomorrow at the latest.
For the of the letter be sure to check out our forum thread, where every shred of info you need to contact your Senator is listed.
Back in Episode #26 we talked about how much the beer industry helps support the economy by providing nearly 1.9 million jobs and generating nearly $62 billion in wages and benefits. Guess what’s going to happen should this excise tax actually go into effect? Those numbers will decrease dramatically, especially for the small breweries who can’t afford to pay anymore taxes on their beer.
Back on Saturday, May 30, over 1,900 attendees enjoyed craft beer and food pairings from 68 craft breweries at the sold-out SAVOR: An American Craft Beer & Food Experience at the National Building Museum in Washington, D.C. A post-event survey conducted by the Brewers Association finds that demand for quality beer remains high despite the economy. An overwhelming 91.4 percent of surveyed attendees said the economy has not affected the quality of beer they purchase. In addition, 98.8 percent of respondents cite “high quality” as their main priority when purchasing beer, as opposed to “low price” or “brand recognition.”
“A total of 68 craft breweries, each small and independent, participated in SAVOR, the premiere beer and food pairing event in the U.S. These breweries are succeeding despite a number of challenges including access to market, rising cost of raw materials and ingredients, and tax issues on both the federal and state level—not to mention the economy,” stated Charlie Papazian, President of the Brewers Association. “We’re happy that interest in craft beer is so strong that SAVOR, as a second year event, sold out 8 weeks in advance.”
Other Results from the SAVOR Survey
When it comes to spending habits, over half (54.9 percent) of surveyed SAVOR attendees said they spend more than $50 per month on beer, while 36.6 percent spend between $25 and $50 and only 8.6 percent spend less than $25 per month. And contrary to popular belief, many beer lovers enjoy other fermented beverages as well. Nearly half of respondents (46.9 percent) claimed to look outside the beer glass and consider themselves to be cross drinkers (enjoying a combination of beer, wine and/or liquor), while 51.6 percent identify themselves as beer lovers exclusively.
Survey Methodology: The Brewers Association survey of SAVOR: An American Craft Beer & Food Experience attendees took place online from June 1-2, 2009, with data derived from 257 respondents.
The Brewing News is pleased to announce the 2nd Annual Global Warming Open, a contest pitting refreshing summer beers against one another to determine the most refreshing beer in America. Like the National IPA Championship, beers will be accepted by any brewery choosing to enter the competition. Participating breweries will be placed randomly into the competition brackets. Judges will be choosing the winning beer on a single elimination basis. Winners of the each round will advance to the next round. The judges, all craft beer connoisseurs, will sample your beer in summer conditions. They will be sitting in a hot tub while making their determinations.
At the same time, beer lovers will choose their winners for each round on-line. They will log onto their website locker room (brewingnews.com/gwo) and read a brief description of each beer as well as view an image. They will then fill out their brackets. A grand prize will be awarded to the person who gains the most bracket points. The top prize will be a free case of the winning beer. Results of each round will be posted on-line within twenty-four hours. Winners will be published in our August/September 2009 issues.
As mentioned above, the Global Warming tournament will be interactive. Readers will be able to make their own choices as to who they think will win each round. The readers will be able to log onto the web and read a brief description of each individual beer as well as view an image. They will then fill out their brackets and choose a winner. A grand prize will be awarded to the reader who predicts the most correct GWO brackets. The top prize will be a free case of the 2008 Global Warming Open Champion beer and a $100 gift certificate for Brewing News Beerware! Results of each round will be posted on-line within twenty-four hours. Final results and winners will be published in our August/September 2008 issue.
Check out their website and join them for what will be one of the most fun events this summer!
On a side note… the new issue of the Rocky Mountain Brewing News should be out right now. Pick it up as he’s the new Lower Front Range Columnist, talking about all things craft beer related in Southern Colorado.
Sometime last month Arctic Craft Brewery closed their doors. I found out about this while stumbling around on another beer website. I sent an Email to both John Dunfee, brewing mad man of Arctic, to find out what happened, but I haven’t heard back from him yet. Apparently Duane Lajun of Rocky Mountain Brewery in Colorado Springs already has Arctic’s bottling line and word has it that he’s buying some of John’s other brewing equipment as well.
In addition to that, Duane is in fact opening a new brewpub in the Springs… it will be called the “Rocky Mountain Brewing Company,” and will be located next to the newish Hollywood Theatre on the north side of town, just off Interquest & I-25. It will be a sit down restaurant brewpub with 6 beers brewed on site with 4 taps featuring various Colorado beers. The original site will continue to be a production brewery where Duane brews his cutting edge beers
Alaskan White Ale is based on a Belgian-style witbier, literally translated to “white beer.” White beers, or “witbieren,” are named for the suspended wheat proteins creating a cloudy appearance in this unfiltered beer. It has a soft, slightly sweet base with the unique spice aroma of coriander and crisp, citrus finish of orange peel. A light and effervescent body combined with the smooth palate creates a complex and delicate beer that is deliciously refreshing in any season. ABV: 5.3%, OG: 1.047, IBUs: 15
Confluence Ale is created with a mixed fermentation; utilizing a house primary Belgian style yeast in combination with a proprietary Brettanomyces strain. Confluence is brewed with a blend of both imported pilsner and domestic pale malts as well as a portion of caramel malt, resulting in a complex malty profile. Tettnang and East Kent Golding hops are added in the brew process to balance the intricate malty profile while adding a sweet and spicy citrus aroma.
After fermentation, Confluence undergoes a lengthy aging process in stainless steel tanks to enhance the flavors. Prior to bottling, it is dry hopped with a Glacier hops, providing a pleasant balance of aromas. Confluence is then bottle conditioned and aged in our cellar prior to release. ABV: 7.5%, OG: 1064, Recommended Cellaring Temp: 50°F, Recommended Serving Temp: 40-50°F
Sin City Brewing opened a second location inside the Flamingo Hotel in Las Vegas. All of SC’s beers are on tap. Their new location is open from 11am until 2am. Sinners can watch sports on three plasma screen televisions, surrounded by etched red metal surfaces, and a patio adjacent to the 15-acre pool and wildlife complex.
BEER GADGET OF THE WEEK
Due to “technical errors” - like inebriation, Beer Gadget of the Week will return next week. We hope.
Nate and Mike both share the goal of teaching and brewing. One of Mike’s goals for the site is to get you (the reader) to be passionate about beer. He wants to see you exploring and pushing your normal expectations for a beer. Nate and Mike both want you to learn and find something new each week. Speckled throughout their site is their mission statement. According to the sudsy duo “there are millions of pretentious pseudo-intellectual pen wielders across the blogosphere (beter not be talking about me!) many of whom may be the curators of a beer blog much finer than this.” They say they aren’t on a mission to be different or claim to be some esoteric knowledge of beer that can only be found on THFB. They just love beer. So check ‘em out!
Beer Buzz is the weekly show that will keep you informed and updated on all the things going on in the beer world, from the noteworthy to the nutty. Know something we don’t (which is highly likely)? Email us at AlwaysHoppy@BeerTapTV.com and share the news… we just might use it.
Show Notes:
UPDATES
We want to know what you did for American Craft Beer Week… what events you attended, what your local brewery was doing, etc. Drop us a line at AlwaysHoppy@beertaptv.com.
This years Great American Beer Festival will take place September 24 - 26 at the Colorado Convention Center in Denver. Tickets for American Homebrewers Association members went on sale May 19. The Members Only Tasting Session has a two-ticket limit per member. In order to attend the Members-Only Tasting Session your membership must be valid through September 30, 2009. Tickets for everyone else will go on sale on June 1. Buy them quickly as every session of last year’s GABF sold out two weeks in advance of the event.
The second annual SAVOR: An American Craft Beer & Food Experience takes place on Saturday, May 30, from 7:30 PM – 11:00 PM, at the National Building Museum in Washington, D.C. The cream of the crop from the craft beer world will be in attendance. Sadly, we couldn’t make it this year but if do we’d love to hear how it turns out, so drop us a line at AlwaysHoppy@beertaptv.com
Wat Lan Kuad or ‘the Temple of a Million Bottles’, is in Sisaket province near the Cambodian border, 400 miles from the capital Bangkok.
The Buddhist monks began collecting bottles in 1984 and collected so many that they decided to use them as a building material. Altogether there are about 1.5 million recycled bottles in the temple, and the monks intend to reuse more. They have created a complex of around 20 buildings using the beer bottles. The bottles do not lose their color, provide good lighting, and are easy to clean. A concrete core strengthens each building. Green bottles are Heineken and brown are the Thai beer Chang.
The monks are so eco-friendly that mosaics of Buddha are created with recycled beer bottle caps. The beer bottle temple is now on an approved list of eco-friendly sight-seeing tours in southeast Asia. Shmaltz Brewing Company wants your picture!
America’s smallest, biggest and most award-winning Jewish Beer Company will celebrate its 13th year of existence with the special release of JEWBELATION BAR MITZVAH - their 13th Chosen Beer in 13 years of Shmaltz. Brewed with 13 malts, 13 hops and soaring to 13% alc, Bar Mitzvah will be nationally available in 22 oz. bottles and a very limited amount of draft for select bars. The national launch of Jewbelation Bar Mitzvah will take place at the Great American Beer Festival in Denver, CO from September 24-26, 2009. This winter, HE’BREW will host special Jewbelation Bar Mitzvah parties in New York City and San Francisco, CA.
Shmaltz Brewing turns 13 this year, which in Judaism marks the year of the Bar/Bat Mitzvah, the coming of age for a Jewish boy or girl. Shmaltz embraces this monumental occasion by inviting consumers to submit Bar/Bat Mitzvah photographs for potential inclusion on the label of Jewbelation Bar Mitzvah. The national contest runs from now until July 4, 2009; photos can continue to be submitted until Chanukah 2009 as all images will be posted on the Shmaltz website.
The “winning” photos in each of these categories will receive a HE’BREW Bar Mitzvah Gift Set and be featured on Shmaltz’s website: “Best Hair,” “Best Family Photo,” “Most Awkward Moment,” “Youngest-Looking Adult,” “Funniest Shot,” “Best-Dressed,” “Best Braces,” and “Best Dance Moves.” Please send photos with your name, date and location of event to info@shmaltzbrewing.com. If you are on Facebook, join their group “The Jewbelation 13 Project,” and check out some photos they’ve collected, post your picture, and become a fan of Shmaltz Brewing and HE’BREW Beer.
And we want you to send us your Bar/t Mitzvah video, which we’ll put up here on BTTV.
Consumers in the United States may have to hand over nearly $2 more for a case of beer to help provide health insurance for all. Details of the proposed beer tax are described in a Senate Finance Committee document that will be used to brief lawmakers Wednesday at a closed-door meeting.
Taxes on wine and hard liquor would also go up. And there might be a new tax on soda and other sugary drinks blamed for contributing to obesity. No taxes on diet drinks, however. Beer taxes would go up by 48 cents a six-pack, wine taxes would raise by 49 cents per bottle, and the tax on hard liquor would increase by 40 cents per fifth. Proceeds from the new taxes would help cover an estimated 50 million uninsured Americans.
Go to “Don’t Tax Our Beer” and get all the facts, such as… did you know that almost 44% of what you pay for beer is already taxes?!
Here’s our beef: if the government wants to provide health care for all, which we’re not against, why are they taxing products we already pay taxes on? Isn’t that double taxation? What’s more, if they want to provide health care for all… why aren’t they going after the root of the problem – pharmaceutical companies? We all know this and oil companies are the biggest rackets going and are two of the “special interest groups” that really run this country. They make money hand over fist… let THEM fork out the dough for a national health care system. After all, the side effects of their products are more lethal then all the beer in the world.
New Belgium Brewing announced that 22-ounce bombers of Fat Tire, 1554 and Mothership Wit will be available in South Carolina beginning June 1. The Fort Collins-based brewery is widening its reach this spring, adding South Carolina as one of four new states.
“South Carolina is famed for its natural beauty and for having an appreciation for the good life” said Bryan Simpson, New Belgium spokesperson. “We’re rolling out three of our favorite beers there, so hopefully the good life just got a little better.”
South Carolina residents looking to learn more about New Belgium can check out the New Belgium newsletter, The Tinkerer: or New Belgium’s site. For those who love man’s greatest invention (the bicycle) as much as New Belgium, join Team Wonderbike.
Since we’re talking about New Belgium… we heard a rumor a few days ago that is, shall we say - very interesting. And potentially very disheartening. We heard that NBB may be up for sale and AB-InBev is interested. Now, we obviously have no way of knowing if this is true, or that NBB is even selling, but the person who we heard this from was not the cousin of a best friend’s boyfriend’s sister’s brother. We’d love for New Belgium to give us a call or send an Email giving us the scoop, because if any part of this is true… the depth of our disappointment can not be overstated. AB-InBev would DESTROY NBB. Period.
To celebrate 10 years in biz Japanese microbrewery Tosa Kuroshio Bakshu has introduced Karyudo Beer. Karyudo is a low malt concoction brewed with rice flour and hops in an 8 to 2 ratio. What makes it unique is that it also contains dashi, the fish (bonito) stock that’s critically important to making Japanese soups like miso shiru. You can apparently order Karyudo over the phone (tel. 0887-55-4111). They are selling six-pack gift sets containing 2 bottles of Karyudo and 4 bottles of their other beers for a mere 2,937 yen (about $30).
To celebrate their milestone 30th Anniversary, Boulder Beer Company will release Flashback Anniversary Ale. The commemorative brew will be available in 6-packs and on draft through September in all markets where Boulder Beer Company brands are sold. An India Brown Ale, Flashback is single-hopped with five separate additions of Cascade hops. Citrusy with a prominent hop aroma, highly hopped like an IPA but dark and roasty like a Brown. Boulder Beer Company plans to serve Flashback Anniversary Ale at events throughout the summer, culminating with our 30th Anniversary Celebration, which is planned for mid-September.
This new beer bar and restaurant is inside the new Sundance Mountain Lodge located just off I-25 in Monument, Colorado. It used to be where the old Falcon Inn used to be. Fran actually found this while perusing the Sunday paper. Their ad says they have 83 different beers, well… they actually have over 100 now. Most are in bottles, as they only have 8 taps. The food is top-notch (their Executive Head Chef worked at Blue Star in Coloradon Springs). Whoever is behind this sunk a ton of cash into the remodel - we’re talking millions. There bar has 3 flat screen HD TVs, 2 pool tables, a huuge comfy lounge area, pinball and Pac Man machines, and some of the best views of the Front Range you could ask for. CHECK IT OUT!
A new drinking board game, Pukes and Staggers, launched May 20, 2009 along with a “STAY HOME TONIGHT!” a campaign promoting safe and responsible drinking.
“We were starved for a new drinking game and so were our friends and neighbors … so we decided to do something about it to end the drinking game famine,” said Pukes and Staggers creator Jeffrey Barber.
Pukes and Staggers is a drinking board game in which players must perform tasks and drink in “creative” ways. According to the website, tasks may include chugging a beer upside-down, mixing drinks or telling an embarrassing story.
But, Happy Beer LLC., the creators of Pukes and Staggers, had another message to go with the release of the game. “We know there is a lot of controversy right now over binge drinking, legal drinking ages, and drinking and driving, so we thought it appropriate to simultaneously release a campaign that promotes safe drinking with a designated game host in a safe environment. We want to keep young adults off the roads and curb excess spending in a mad economy,” said Brad Thayer, Managing Member of Happy Beer LLC.
The campaign includes using online social networking outlets to educate the public on safe and responsible drinking practices. Examples of campaign videos can be viewed on You Tube at http://youtube.com/stayhometonight.
BEER BLOG OF THE WEEK
The Foaming Head
http://www.thefoaminghead.com
http://domesticcraftbeer.blogspot.com/
http://newyorkbeer.blogspot.com/
The ultimate website(s) for all things New York Craft Beer!
Kevin Burns, Chris Rowley, and Marcus Guiliano are the heads behind these sties. Kevin is the Bar Manager at Aroma Thyme Bistro in Ellenville, NY, where he oversees a beer list of over 150 different beers and 6 taps. He has organized and presented seven beer dinners at the award winning restaurant and has helped make Aroma Thyme a destination for beer lovers. In 2009, Kevin was a judge on The Matthew Vassar Cup panel at TAP-NY where he helped to selected the three best beers in the Hudson Valley. Marcus is an award-winning chef and owner of Aroma Thyme Bistro. Marcus was a guest chef at the 2008 TAP-NY festival as well as a judge for the prestigious F.X. Matt Memorial Cup and Matthew Vassar Brewers’ Cup.
CLOSING
Remember, we will not have an episode of Beer Buzz next week as Eric will be replacing Eli as the biggest beer drinker in Jamaica, David will be in Las Vegas, and Dusty will be dealing with the horde descending on Old Chicago’s as their latest mini-tour – COLORADO (specifically New Belgium Beers: Fat Tire Amber, NBB Specialty Draft, Biere De Mars - Limited Release, Sunshine Wheat, Trippel, Abbey Dubbel) begins and runs from May 27th through June 14th.
GIVEAWAYS!!! Two weeks ago we started our weekly giveaways. What do you need to do to win? Be a registered member… and watch this show. That’s it. Each week our super duper automated random name picker machine will pick someone to be the winner… of something FREE! You have one week to get in touch with us. We’re not getting in touch with you.
Beer Buzz is the weekly show that will keep you informed and updated on all the things going on in the beer world, from the noteworthy to the nutty. Know something we don’t (which is highly likely)? Email us at AlwaysHoppy@BeerTapTV.com and share the news… we just might use it.
Show Notes:
UPDATES
GIVEAWAYS!!! Two weeks ago we started our weekly giveaways. What do you need to do to win? Be a registered member… and watch this show. That’s it. Each week our super duper automated random name picker machine will pick someone to be the winner… of something FREE! You have one week to get in touch with us. We’re not getting in touch with you.
Two weeks in a row… no one wants free stuff. But we have one this week! Jonathan Beckel… you are the first weekly winner of a SIGNED copy of Bob Skilnik’s latest beer book: “Does My Butt Look Big in this Beer.” It’s an insanely cool book that lists the nutritional values (carbs, calories, ABV, Weight Watchers points) of 2,000 beers from around the globe. This weeks pick… watch the show!
Plus, we pulled another name out of the hat for a pair of Beer Gloves. Watch the show to see if you won!
Boulder, Colorado • April 28, 2009 – America’s small and independent craft brewers (see Craft Brewing Statistics) are making special plans for the annual American Craft Beer Week (May 11-17), a national celebration highlighting the culture and contributions of craft beer. These brewers want the week to inspire beer enthusiasts to declare their independence by supporting breweries that produce fewer than 2 million barrels of beer a year and are independently owned. In the works are special brewery tours, beer and food pairing events, special release craft beers and festivals all across the U.S. The Declaration of Beer Independence is available on the program web site and the American Craft Beer Week fan page on Facebook, which has more than 2,000 fans thus far.
According to the research published in the Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health, Dutch researchers followed 1,373 men for more than four decades, noting their eating and drinking habits. Men who had about 20 grams of alcohol daily — equivalent to a half a glass of wine — had 2 1/2 years added to their life expectancy at age 50, compared with men who didn’t drink at all. Men who consumed only wine had twice as much added longevity. Light alcohol intake was linked to lower cardiovascular, cerebrovascular and overall mortality in the study. Researchers had known that moderate drinking is tied to a lower risk of heart disease, possibly because of an increase in good cholesterol as well as a reduction in platelet clumping, making it more unlikely for clots to form. It is the first study to show that one kind of alcohol is superior to others in prolonging life, the researchers said.
“In this study, 70% of all wine consumed was red wine,” the researchers, led by Marinette Streppel of the University of Wageningen in the Netherlands, said in the paper. “This suggests that the cardioprotective effect of wine could be due to a protective effect of polyphenol compounds in red wine, but other explanations cannot be ruled out.”
Polyphenols are chemical substances found in plants such as tannins and flavonoids.
The research, dubbed Zutphen Study after the Dutch town from which the participants were recruited, followed men born between 1900 and 1920 and examined them several times between 1960 and 2000.
Great Divide’s 2nd Annual Big Beer Homebrew Competition
Great Divide Brewing Company of Denver, Colorado is hosting its Second Annual Big Beer Homebrew Competition. Great Divide employees will be judging the entries based on appearance, body, aroma, taste, and overall drinkability. Official awards ceremony will take place on Friday, June 5th, 2009 at 6:00 pm in the Great Divide Tap Room. Prizes will be awarded for first, second, and third place. The brewers of all three winning beers will receive an official certificate of merit as well as their choice of any one case of Great Divide beer. First and second place brewers will be awarded a fifty-dollar gift certificate redeemable in the Great Divide taproom for merchandise or beer. The brewer of the first place entry will also be given the opportunity to assist in the brewing of one 50-barrel batch of Great Divide beer.
Official Rules and Regulations:
Entries must be delivered in person to Great Divide Brewing Company.
Entries must be at least 8% alcohol by volume.
Entries must be in 12- or 22-oz. bottles with hand-written labels attached by rubber band or tape.
Information on labels must include brewer’s name, beer style, and percent alcohol by volume.Four full 12-oz. or two 22-oz. bottles are required for judging.
There are no style limitations.
Original recipes only.
Recipes may be extract, partial mash, or all grain.
Beer cannot be brewed using any commercial brewing equipment, or in any facility in which beer is commercially brewed.
Brewers must be at least 21 years of age.
Entries are limited to one per person.
Each entry may have only one official brewer.
Entries must be received between 2:00 pm and 7:00 pm Monday through Saturday, from Monday, May 4th, 2009 to Saturday, May 30th, 2009.
Tthe infamous Howard Stern turns the beer pong world on its ear with the introduction of Strip Beer Pong. Players follow all official beer pong rules with the addition of three pink “Strip Cups.” One dancer on each team will be from Rick’s Cabaret and will disrobe if… There’s even a Virtual Strip Beer Pong Game available online. http://www.howard.tv/
The Roman name for the Low Counties - is a marriage of the best in American and Belgian brewing traditions. Belgian pilsner malt, a generous amount of American and European hops and a unique Belgian yeast strain combine to give Belgica big notes of citrus and spice, creating a lively concoction perfect for spring in the Rockies - or the Ardennes.
Dunkelweizen – Upslope Brewing – Boulder, CO
Upslope is proud to release its new seasonal variety Saturday, May 2. Our dark wheat beer is brewed with Special B and de-husked Carafa Specialty II malts, and then hopped with Hallertau. We combined these ingredients to produce a dark, complex beer with a sweet, nutty aroma. Our Dunkelweizen has a roasted, caramelized and chocolaty taste with hints of banana, nutmeg and other spices. Who knew such a dark beer could be so refreshing! Upslope Dunkelweizen is available at the Upslope Brewing Company tasting room while supplies last. IBU: 60, ABV: 6.0, Original Gravity: 16.0
Beer Buzz is the weekly show that will keep you informed and updated on all the things going on in the beer world, from the noteworthy to the nutty. Know something we don’t (which is highly likely)? Email us at AlwaysHoppy@BeerTapTV.com and share the news… we just might use it.
Show Notes:
UPDATES
GIVEAWAYS!!! Two weeks ago we started our weekly giveaways. What do you need to do to win? Be a registered member… and watch this show. That’s it. Each week our super duper automated random name picker machine will pick someone to be the winner… of something FREE! You have one week to get in touch with us. We’re not getting in touch with you.
Two weeks in a row… no one wants free stuff. Both jons9761 and Benson failed to to receive a SIGNED copy of Bob Skilnik’s latest beer book: “Does My Butt Look Big in this Beer.” It’s an insanely cool book that lists the nutritional values (carbs, calories, ABV, Weight Watchers points) of 2,000 beers from around the globe. This weeks pick… watch the show!
AB 1019 is a proposal to impose a fee on the beer, wine, and liquor industries to mitigate the billions in costs to Californians for alcohol-related problems
“The Regulatory Mitigation Fee” levied by AB 1019 amounts to an increase of $1.07 per gallon of beer; $2.56 per gallon of wine that contains 14 percent or less in alcohol; $4.27 per gallon of wine and sparkling hard cider that contains more than 14 percent alcohol; $8.53 per gallon of distilled spirits.
The fee breaks down to about a dime per drink for a 12-ounce serving of beer; 1.5 ounces of distilled spirits; and 5 ounces of wine. It is levied on distributors. They and the retailers have the option of whether to pass the cost onto consumers.
Revenue from the fee would be used to establish a program to be administered by state Department of Alcohol and Drug Programs that would help mitigate the $38.4 billion cost of harm that alcohol creates in accidents, deaths, illnesses, injuries, and crime - such as domestic violence.
“The industry must start paying its fair share for the problems their products cause,” said Assemblyman Jim Beall, Jr., D-San Jose, author of AB 1019, the Alcohol Related Services Act. “If this fee and the program it pays for prevents another child from being born with Fetal Alcohol Syndrome or prevents another senseless DUI fatality it will have paid for itself and more.”
AB 1019 generates $1.4 billion in revenue to fund alcohol-related emergency medical and trauma care; hospitalization and rehabilitation services; treatment and recovery services; prevention, education, and research to prevent alcohol abuse; and criminal justice and enforcement programs.
“Now is the time to charge Big Alcohol for the $38.4 billion dollars in harm their products cause every year in California,” said Bruce Livingston, executive director of Marin Institute, the alcohol industry watchdog. “There is no better way to hold the industry accountable than a mitigation fee to fund the state’s critical programs of treatment, prevention and recovery.”
AB 1019 has been amended to be enacted as a fee, which can be passed by the Legislature with a majority vote. The state levy on alcohol has not changed in more than 17 years.
This is asinine. Are we making the fast food industry pay for the treatment of obesity, because if you’re going to force makers of alcohol to pay for things they supposedly cause, you better be making the heart stop, artery clogging fast food giants pay for obesity treatment. It’s the ame EXACT thing. What are your thoughts?
On April 13 the Brewers Association announced the annual list of top 50 brewing companies.
“In 2007, 35 of the top 50 brewing companies were small and independent craft brewers. In 2008 there were 37,” states Paul Gatza, Director of the Brewers Association. “Craft brewers continue to have success and generate excitement behind the flavorful beer movement, but not without recent challenges including price increases for raw materials and supplies, as well as access to market issues.”
A more extensive analysis of statistics on the craft beer segment in 2008 was released April 22 during the Craft Brewers Conference in Boston, Massachusetts. The Association’s full 2008 industry analysis, which shows regional trends and sales by individual breweries, will publish in the May/June issue of The New Brewer on May 19.
Top 50 Craft Brewing Companies by Beer Sales Volume (Based on 2008 sales)
Rank Brewing Company City State
1 Boston Beer Co. Boston MA
2 Sierra Nevada Brewing Co. Chico CA
3 New Belgium Brewing Co. Fort Collins CO
4 Spoetzl Brewery Shiner TX
5 Pyramid Breweries Inc. Seattle WA
6 Deschutes Brewery Bend OR
7 Matt Brewing Co. Utica NY
8 Boulevard Brewing Co. Kansas City MO
9 Full Sail Brewing Co. Hood River OR
10 Magic Hat Brewing Co. Burlington VT
Top 50 Overall Brewing Companies by Beer Sales Volume (Based on 2008 sales)
Rank Brewing Company City State
1 Anheuser-Busch InBev St. Louis MO
2 MillerCoors Brewing Co. Chicago IL
3 Pabst Brewing Co. Woodridge IL
4 Boston Beer Co. Boston MA
5 D. G. Yuengling and Son Pottsville PA
6 Sierra Nevada Brewing Co. Chico CA
7 Craft Brewers Alliance, Inc. Woodinville WA
8 New Belgium Brewing Co. Fort Collins CO
9 High Falls Brewing Co. Rochester NY
10 Spoetzl Brewery Shiner TX
Three predominant members of the brewing community were recognized with awards for their dedication and service to the industry at the opening session of the Brewers Association’s annual Craft Brewers Conference.
The Brewers Association Recognition Award went to Ken Allen, founder of Anderson Valley Brewing Co. in Boonville, CA and former chair of the Association of Brewers, a precursor organization of the Brewers Association.
The Brewers Association presented the Russell Schehrer Award for Innovation in Brewing to Steve Parkes of the American Brewers Guild. Parkes received this year’s award for demonstrating creativity, excellence in brewing and substantial contributions to the craft brewing community, as well as serving as lead educator for hundreds of today’s craft brewers.
The Russell Schehrer Award for Innovation in Brewing was first given in 1997 to honor Russell Schehrer, who died in 1996 at 38 years old, for his contributions to the brewing industry. Schehrer was a founding partner and original head brewer at Colorado’s first brewpub Wynkoop Brewing Co. He was also one of the first brewers to produce mead, doppel alt, cream stout and chili beer.
The Brewers Association presented the F.X. Matt Defense of the Industry Award to Eric Wallace of Lefthand Brewing Co., in Longmont, CO. Eric led the charge to successfully preserve beer drinker choice and selection in helping defeat damaging legislation in Colorado.
The F.X. Matt Award is given in honor of a champion of small brewers, F.X. Matt (1933-2001), president of the F.X. Matt Brewing Co. in Utica, New York from 1980-1989 and Chairman from 1989-2001.
Pyramid Breweries, brewers of the award winning Pyramid Hefeweizen and the 2008 Brewery of the Year¹, announces the introduction of a refreshed brand positioning and bold new packaging.
“As a craft pioneer, Pyramid is extremely passionate about our brewing and we are continually inspired by the cities where we brew, live and play everyday. We believe we have successfully distilled that enthusiasm into our beer and our new packaging,” said Mike Brown, President for Pyramid Breweries.
The updated brand will launch with bold new packaging that builds upon Pyramid’s rich heritage, icons, and color palette. Created with a “Windows of the World” theme, the updated packaging captures the recognizable Pyramid icons complete with bright new illustrations reflecting the active and dynamic urban environments Pyramid brews its variety of year round, seasonal, and specialty beers.
With the new packaging, Pyramid will introduce new names for two of its best selling ales. Their Hefeweizen will become Haywire Hefeweizen, and Apricot Ale will become Pyramid Audacious Apricot Ale.
New packaging began shipping in early April and is expected to reach stores shelves by the beginning of May.
Releasing this month as a permanent addition to its lineup of beers
Summit’s Red Ale will be sold as six-packs and on tap at Twin Cities restaurants and bars.
Summit founder and President Mark Stutrud characterizes it as a cross between their IPA and an amber beer. The name stems from the use of the Horizon hop, a rare and expensive hop that he said is pungent, spicy and bitter. 3 other types of hops are included in the new brew to help mellow the flavor.
Retail prices will range between $7 and $7.50 per six-pack.
Whole Foods stores in the Rocky Mountain region are now carrying Old Chub Beer Bread.
Each loaf of Old Chub Beer Bread is made with nearly a full can of Old Chub, in a wheaty sourdough base enhanced with a touch of honey and a hearty dose of sunflower seeds. The loaves are then rolled in the same beechwood-smoked malts used in Old Chub, then baked to perfection.
The bread can be found at Whole Foods stores across Colorado, and stores in New Mexico, Kansas and Utah for $3.99 a loaf.
Each of the 7″ tall x 3″ (diameter) glasses are hand-blown, so no two are exactly the same. The double walled design will ensure your hands won’t heat up the beer. Retails for $19.99.
When I think of Cincinnati, having lived in Indiana for 6 years (a lot of my dad’s family was born in and around Gary, Indiana) I think of the humidity, Pete Rose and the rest of the Big Red Machine from the early 70’s. And of course King’s Island. Not beer.
And that’s why the beer blog Hoperatives: Believers in Better Beer (In Cincinnati and Beyond) is good to see. Tom Streeter and Carla-Gesell-Streeter are the heart and soul behind this Cincinnati, Ohio, based beer blog. And according to them Cincy is actually one of the world’s great beer towns. Who knew? They focus on the people, places, and events that make it great. So if you live I the mid-west, be sure to check out their very informative blog.
Beer Buzz is the weekly show that will keep you informed and updated on all the things going on in the beer world, from the noteworthy to the nutty. Know something we don’t (which is highly likely)? Email us at AlwaysHoppy@BeerTapTV.com and share the news… we just might use it.
Show Notes:
UPDATES
GIVEAWAYS!!! Two weeks ago we started our weekly giveaways. What do you need to do to win? Be a registered member… and watch this show. That’s it. Each week our super duper automated random name picker machine will pick someone to be the winner… of something FREE! You have one week to get in touch with us. We’re not getting in touch with you.
For our first winner we picked user jons9761 to receive a SIGNED copy of Bob Skilnik’s latest beer book: “Does My Butt Look Big in this Beer.” It’s an insanely cool book that lists the nutritional values (carbs, calories, ABV, Weight Watchers points) of 2,000 beers from around the globe. Jons… you failed. So we picked another name. This week’s winner is… watch the show!
BEER NEWS
Beer Wars post event report
Before we delve into the movie itself let me just say how much we HATE Los Angeles. The UCLA campus was 13 miles from the Four Points Sheraton LAX - which by the way has 110 beers at their bar called Brewsters (kudos to CBO Scott Kermans). Anywho… it took us 2 hours to get there, and another 2 hours to get back. How people live in that cess pool of traffic and smog is beyond us.
We met up with our winner Matthew Becker at the hotel. Matt is a seriously cool cat whose as passionate about beer as I’ve ever seen. Plus, he knows his stuff! Matt was totally stoked about the trip, and got to meet the entire cast and crew of the show. We’ll have some pictures up today or tomorrow.
Now for the movie… it was really, really good. We actually learned quite a lot about the tactics the macro conglomerate beer companies use to - shall we say - “manhandle” the indy brewers. What’s more, we learned a ton about the archaic and apparently corrupt three tiered alcohol and beer distribution system used in this country. There was a brilliant segment that had a number of so called fans of Bud, Miller and Coors do a blind taste test. As one might expect… none of them could pick their beer from the lineup. Apparently they all taste so much alike “fans” can’t even tell them apart. We may end up doing something like this on a future episode of Taste Buds!
Now, there’s not a ton of new stuff in there for folks like us – Beer Geeks neck deep in beer culture, but this is a GREAT movie for those who aren’t initiated into the world of craft beer. This is a MUST see for them. During the reception after the movie we spoke briefly with Doug Blush, the editor of the movie, and he said there will be hours of extras on the DVD release (coming later this summer). There are entire storylines not included in the final version that will be included with the extras, so be sure to buy it when it comes out. We all plan to, and we’ll very likely have copies for sale here at BTTV, and probably some we’ll be giving out.
We also spoke with Charlie Papazian, who has a very cool behind the scenes report from his perspective, running on this Exmainer.com blog. We also spoke at length with Greg Koch, who we will be having on Beer Buzz in the not too distant future. Greg is a great guy. They brought a bus load of employees up for the show too.Well known and respected beer writer Jay Brooks (who I sadly didn’t get to speak with while at the event – my fault, not Jay’s), was at the LIVE event in LA. He wrote a very interesting article called, On The Nature Of Criticism: Beer Wars Becomes Blog Wars. It’s about all the so called “Beer Geeks’ out there in the blogosphere who, without actually ever seeing the movie, jumped on the “Hate Wagon.” It’s a must read. I could list off a few of those people who have – without ever seeing the movie – thought it “cool” or incisive to bash the movie, bash it for being too hyped or being this, or being that. Again, without ever seeing the movie. But as Jay wrote in his article… why bother? What I will reiterate from Jay’s article is this: This was a chance for the craft beer community to come together and make some noise in SUPPORT of our passion. What the haters did was the exact opposite. Good job guys!
A new economic impact study shows America’s beer industry contributes more than $198 billion annually to the U.S. economy. The study, commissioned by the Beer Institute and the National Beer Wholesalers Association also shows that the industry provides nearly 1.9 million jobs — generating nearly $62 billion in wages and benefits. The industry also paid $41 billion in business, personal and consumption taxes in 2008.
“America’s brewing industry continues to play a pivotal role in supporting this nation’s economic viability,” said Tom Long, president and chief commercial officer of MillerCoors and chairman of the Beer Institute
According to the study, the beer industry directly employs more than one million people, paying $28 billion in wages. Beer sales help support roughly 888,000 retail jobs, including those at supermarkets, convenience stores, restaurants, bars, stadiums, and other outlets and generate more than $25 billion in economic activity in agriculture and manufacturing sectors.
“These numbers demonstrate that our industry is essential to several sectors of the U.S. economy, particularly as the nation struggles to regain its footing in this uncertain climate,” said Jeff Becker, president of the Beer Institute. “For this reason, it is important that state and federal officials consider equitable tax policies that do not unduly harm an industry that provides so many domestic jobs and so much economic growth.”
The Economic Impact study was conducted by John Dunham & Associates based in New York City and covers data compiled in 2008. The complete study, including state-by-state and congressional district breakdowns of economic contributions, is available at Beer Serves America.
New Belgium Brewing, the third-largest craft brewer in the U.S., announced that 22-ounce bombers of Fat Tire, 1554 and Mothership Wit will be available throughout Indiana beginning yesterday - April 20. Indiana is one of four new markets for New Belgium this year.
“We’re excited to be rolling into Indiana,” said Bryan Simpson, spokesperson from New Belgium. “There’s a savvy bike scene and an appreciation for good beer so it should be a great fit all around.”
The same beers will be available in the Milwaukee and Madison, Wisconsin areas beginning May 4. The roll-out will begin with bomber bottles for approximately 60 days, to be followed by draft. Wisconsin is one of four new states that New Belgium is entering in early 2009.
“Wisconsin has a legendary and rightfully proud brewing tradition,” said Bryan Simpson, spokesperson from New Belgium. “We’re excited to join that scene and become a fully engaged member of the community.”
On May 30, 2009, Odell Brewing will release the first Twitter community inspired brew. Followers had until April 19, 2009, to tweet their suggested beer styles for the first Twitter Brew poll. The top beer suggestions will be voted on, and subsequent polls will be conducted to determine beer qualities like color, strength, body, and hop character. Twittering beer lovers can also tweet ideas for beer names and tap handle designs.
The voting will end on May 8, 2009 and brewer, Jeff Doyle will then brew the Twitter Brew on Odell Brewing’s Pilot brewing system. “There are so many people who are interested in brewing but don’t really have the means to do it,” said Doyle. “The Twitter Brew will give them the chance to get involved with the whole process.”
Twitter brewers can try their beer at the brewery’s Tap Room during the tapping party on May 30, 2009.
BEER RELEASES
Woodcut No. 2 Oak Aged Golden Ale –Odell Brewing – Fort Collins, CO
On April 20, 2009, Odell Brewing released the second barrel aged beer in its Woodcut series. Woodcut No. 2, an oak aged golden ale, was brewed over six months ago on the brewery’s pilot brewing system. The golden ale has been aging in virgin oak barrels and will bottle condition in cork finish, 750 ml bottles. Crafted with fine specialty malts and hops, Woodcut No. 2 is a golden copper color. The rich toffee-like malt character is balanced by soft tannins. Freshly cut wood and vanilla bean aromas compliment the beer’s smooth finish.nly 175 cases of the Woodcut No. 1 were released, and the beer sold out in one week. The second release will be limited to 350 cases, all hand signed and numbered. Available for purchase for $24.99
Harpoon Summer Beer – Harpoon Brewing – Boston, MA
This Kolsch style ale is brewed with ale yeast, like other northern German light ales it is straw gold in color and light bodied with a mild flavor Available in 6-packs, 12-packs, and on draft. OG: 13 P – ABV: 5.0% — IBU’S: 28
NEW BREWERIES
Hobo Brewing (from the “Beervana” blog by Jeff Alworth)
A new brewery will open in Portland soon called Hobo Brewing, run by Kiley Hoyt and Elan Walsky who are recent graduates of Siebel Institute. Hobo will be a microbrewery in the old sense - 3.5 to five barrels. A maple IPA may be one of the breweries first offerings - Kiley is from Vermont
NOLA Brewing (from our good friends at The Beer In Me)
NOLA Brewing Company in New Orleans brewery now open. Their first beers went out March 3rd in a little over 50 bars and restaurants in New Orleans. Grand Opening of the brewery was on April 2nd and they are planning a variety of events over the next few months to get the beer into people’s hands. Currently they have two beers — NOLA Blonde Ale and Brown Ale (actually a British mild). Only on tap in the Greater New Orleans area, but looking to be in Baton Rouge sometime this month.
A Beer Tube is a 100-ounce beverage dispenser with a sports-themed base that keeps beverages colder than a traditional pitcher. The Beer Tube is easy to fill and easier to enjoy, with a removable tube for easy fill-up and a non-drip spout for easy dispensing. Each Beer Tube stands approximately 3.5 feet high and the sports-themed base weighs between 4 and 8 pounds, depending on the design you choose. This makes these “power towers” of beverage extremely stable and durable. Traditional conical base - $119; Sports (balls, helmets, etc.) - $129; some are on sale for less.
This blog carries on a tradition of writing about beer that Jeff started almost ten years ago at the Portland weekly Willamette Week. Jeff also once wrote a regular column for the Celebrator Beer News. Check it out… he’s worth reading, especially if you’re into the Portland beer scene.
A councilman from Galloway Township, New Jersey faces shoplifting charges. Police say Bill Ackerman stole beer from Philadelphia Liquors on Philadelphia Avenue in Egg Harbor City. The store owner says the councilman would go in three or four times a day since November. Each time, he would allegedly buy one can of Budweiser and stuff two more cans in his pockets. Each can costs $1.16. But if the owner’s story checks out, Ackerman may have stolen more than thousand dollars worth of beer. Make sure you follow us on twitter:
Beer Buzz is the weekly show that will keep you informed and updated on all the things going on in the beer world, from the noteworthy to the nutty. Know something we don’t (which is highly likely)? Email us at AlwaysHoppy@BeerTapTV.com and share the news… we just might use it.
Show Notes:
UPDATES & CORRECTIONS
If you’re in far Southern Colorado on Friday, May 1, come on down to Ska Brewing Company’s World HQ. We’ll be there for a live party (and shooting an episode of Taste Buds and Brewmaster Chronicles as well).
GIVEAWAYS!!! This week we are kicking off our weekly giveaways. What do you need to do to win? Be a registered member… and watch the show. That’s it. We’ll randomly pick someone from our super duper automated random name picker machine for the winner. Thing is… that person has to get a hold of us to let us know they watched the show. If you don’t get in touch with us, we don’t get in touch with you. This week we have a SIGNED copy of Bob Skilnik’s latest beer book: “Does My Butt Look Big in this Beer.” It’s an insanely cool book that lists the nutritional values (carbs, calories, ABV, Weight Watchers points) of 2,000 beers from around the globe.
THIS WEEK IN BEER HISTORY
So, do you know what happened on this very day (April 7) back in 1933? The Volstead Act was modified by the Cullen-Harrison Act. And what is the Cullen-Harrison Act you ask? Well, it was a little thing that changed the legal alcohol percentage of a beverage from .05% to 3.2%, which allowed beer to be served again. So on April 7, 1933, beer flowed through the streets of America, letting hard working folks quench their thirst with beer after some 15 years of Prohibition. Over 1.5 million barrels of beer was consumed during the first 24-hours after the modification of the Act. That’s a lot of beer!!!!
Guess what else today is? Eli’s birthday! We find it ironic that The Mad Man of Beer was in fact born on this very beer-storic day. Was it destiny for him to write about beer then?
On March 24th Governor Jon M. Huntsman, Jr. of Utah signed into law making homebrewing beer legal.
“Home-brewing is a healthy and vibrant hobby in Utah as evidenced by the outpouring of support HB 51 received in the 2009 Legislature,” commented Rep. Christine A. Johnson. “Many thanks to the American Homebrewers Association for thorough education, great committee testimony and association members who flooded elected officials with emails of support.”
The American Homebrewers Association estimates that there are approximately 750,000 homebrewers in the United States - 7,000 in Utah. Utah is the only state to legalize homebrewing in the last ten years. Believe it or not… Alabama, Kentucky, Mississippi, and Oklahoma still don’t allow it.
Jim Koch has traveled to Bavaria each hop harvest for the last quarter century to personally hand-select the best noble Hallertau Mittelfrueh hops for Samuel Adams Boston Lager. This year, Samuel Adams (in conjunction with high-end travel agency, Abercrombie & Kent) is offering craft beer lovers the ultimate Bavarian experience - “The Samuel Adams Hopfenpflucken Adventure.”
From July 31st- August 6th 2009, beer lovers will get to experience a true beer adventure that includes:
Kickin’ it through the ancient hop fields of Stanglmair Farms, led by one of the owners and a Sam Adams brewer
Special tasting of Sam Adams beers in those same hop fields
Travel by cable car to the top of Germany’s highest mountain
Granted, it’s not free… but at $3,000 a person you’re getting a week’s vacation in Beer Heaven. Not a bad price to pay for this amazing beersperience if you ask us. Check out the Abercrombie & Kent site for all the details.
As we mentioned in an earlier episode of Beer Buzz, the Australian International Beer Awards is a world class showcase for premium beer and brewing excellence in the Asia Pacific Region. For 2009, 1,140 from 39 countries were received. The results were announced on March 19, 2009.
Competing against large and small breweries from throughout the world, Steamworks Brewing Co. from Durango, Colorado earned five (5) medals at the AIBA.
Colorado Kölsch and Conductor Imperial IPA earned Silver
Steam Engine Lager, Backside Stout and the seasonal Spruce Goose each received Bronze
“This is a tremendous honor for the Steam Team and cheers to our brewdogs,” said Kris Oyler, Steamworks co-founder and CEO. “The AIBA is internationally recognized as the second largest beer awards of its kind in the world, established to reward excellence in the field of brewing and to assist in promotion of the brewing industry. We are ecstatic to have five medals.”
Further information on who won what on the AIBA website.
As you’ve seen here at Beer Tap TV, we are big fans of the canned beer. And based on our findings, more and more craft brewers are starting to use them. We stumbled across a great article on AskMen.com (written by John Chilson) that makes the argument for canned beer. Not only that, but they give full props to craft beer as the leader of the band. In a nutshell:
The biggest misconception about canned beer is that the aluminum can imparts a metallic taste to the beer. It absolutely does not. With today’s technology the insides of the can (including the lid) gets a sprayed coating that guarantees there is absolutely no contact between the beer and the aluminum.
Canned beer has an advantage over bottles in that cans actually protect beer from light and oxygen. Cans are airtight and can’t get light struck. As we all know… when light consistently hits a bottle of beer, it turns it skunky. No matter how good the bottle caps are, oxygen does leach into a bottle and affect the taste. That doesn’t happen with sealed cans.
Canned beer is good for the outdoors because you can pack in the brew, drink it and crush the can into a tinny little disc. Can’t do that with bottles. Bottles break, cans don’t. Plus, bottles weigh more. Shipping costs are lower because… cans weight less then bottles. Cans chill faster than bottles. Many cities forbid bottles in public spaces such as parks and beaches, but cans are cool.
According to the article there are more than 20 microbrewers currently canning their beers. Colorado has at least five breweries that can - which we know of:
New Belgium (Fat Tire Amber Ale introduced in cans last summer).
Oskar Blues, actually the first “craft brewer” in the country to can their beer.
Ska Brewing in Durango.
Arctic Craft Brewery in Colorado Springs
And just recently Upslope Brewing in Boulder
The article also cites Ashland, Oregon-based Caldera Brewing Company
Let us know if a brewery in your area cans their stuff!
This is the second new year-round release from the brewery in 2009.
While Sierra Nevada may be known for lots of hops, Kellerweis is an exception to that rule. Several years ago, the brewers began working with a unique Bavarian hefeweizen yeast strain unknown in this country. This amazingly flavorful yeast was so exciting that they began working on a recipe for a traditional German hefeweizen with the Sierra Nevada twist. Bavarian wheat breweries use shallow open fermentation, giving the yeast space to build layers of flavors and aroma that would otherwise be impossible in closed, stainless-steel tanks. After seeing this technique in use in Germany, the inspiration to make Kellerweis in the open system took hold. The name is an homage to the German Keller, meaning cellar—the name breweries give to their fermentation systems, and weis, or weiss—the German name for “white” or wheat beer, hazy with suspended yeast.
Kellerweis is a light and refreshing beer with deep complexity of flavor. The yeast provides hints of fruit flavors and spices, including ripe banana and clove. This hazy-golden beer glows with suspended yeast creating a velvety texture. Kellerweis Hefeweizen will be available in 6-packs and on draft starting in early summer 2009.
Light, crisp, refreshing UFO White follows in the tradition of spiced wheat beers that have been brewed in Belgium for well over 300 years. Brewed with orange peel and a unique blend of spices. Like UFO Hefeweizen and UFO Raspberry Hefeweizen, they leave UFO White UnFiltered for a more natural taste and appearance.
Style: Belgian White
OG: 12 P
ABV: 4.8%
IBU’S: 10
Available: April - October
Apparently, and sadly… this thing is sold out. However one of our Tap Heads (Brian Becker) found them on the Interwebs for $799. We want one of thse R2-DS looking beerbots as our mascot here at Beer Tap TV!
MAGNOLIA, Ark. (AP) - Sheriff’s deputies say a Texas woman started a brawl at a wake in Arkansas when she arrived with a beer can in her hand.
Anna Sindelar, 52, of Splendora, Texas, faces a third-degree domestic battery charges, as does Cynthia J. Hall, 46, of Magnolia, over the fight March 29. Deputies say Sindelar arrived at the Christies Chapel Church with a beer can in hand and that she refused to leave.
Sindelar allegedly grabbed a man by the face, leaving scratch marks on his lower right cheek and causing him to bleed. Hall, the man’s mother, then allegedly slapped Sindelar and kicked another woman in the chest.
A sheriff’s report claims Sindelar became “passively aggressive” with deputies and said that “no backwood country cop” was going to take her to jail.
