Beer Buzz 012: Beery Clauses Elves
Beer Tap TV News:
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:
In this special Christmas episode of Beer Buzz Erik and Eli — Santa’s Lil Beer Buzzed Helpers — provide you with 12 Gifts for Christmas…
#1. YouGotBeer.com ($5 a beer)
YouGotBeer.com allows you to buy someone a beer… online. This $5 gift certificate, which they receive by Email, can be redeemed for any type of brewski (domestic, craft, import, micro, bottle, draft) at any of the thousands of local, participating restaurants, including Friday’s, Old Chicago’s and Rock Bottom Brewery.
#2. Beer Smarts Game ($16.95)
This board game is perfect for beer newbs and full blown beer geeks alike. Questions cover everything from the different types of beer to the regions they are brewed in, including the history of beer and everything in between. It even comes with a beer tips booklet.
#3 EdgeStar Deluxe Mini Kegerator & Draft Beer Dispenser ($150 at Kegerator.com)
An advanced beer dispensing system that uses DraughtKeg carbonator pressure technology to deliver a pub-quality pour of beer every time. This mini kegerator can easily be modified to tap and serve any (non-Heineken) standard size 5-liter keg using the optional CO2 accessory kit.
#4 Beer Pong Table ($50 – $150)
Don’t let the stigma stymie your enjoyment of this highly hilarious and competitive game! Pong tables come in all shapes and sizes. Pong A Long makes several portable tables that range from $75 – $120. Port-o-Pong makes an inflatable, waterproof, floating beercraft carrier for 50 bones.
#5 Hoodie with a beer pouch (around $40)
Brew City hoodies have pockets for your hands should the weather outside be frightful. But what if you’re holding a beer? How about a marsupial like pouch dedicated to your beer! Slide the bottle into its protective cocoon and your worries are over. BRILLIANT!
#6 Brew-Opoly Monopoly Board Game ($22 from Amazon.com)
Much like Monopoly, BREW-OPOLY is a property game that allows players to own their favorite brands and trade their Cases for Brew Houses. Along the way, they will learn about the unique and wonderful brews featured on the game board, and try to become the richest player in the game to win.
#7 Subscription to a beer magazine ($20 – $30)
Several good beer magazines exist. Here are some of our favorites:
All About Beer (1-year subscription; 6 times a year; $19.99) – The most respected beer magazine in the business includes industry news, a ratings section, and tons of articles about beer’s storied past.
Beer Magazine (1-year subscription; 6 times a year; $19.99) – The new kid on the block has the exact opposite “feel” of All About Beer. This one has successfully incorporated frat boy humor with knowledgeable articles.
Draft Magazine (1-year subscription; 6 times a year; $19.99) – This gorgeous mag focuses more on mainstream beer drinking culture — “Life on Tap.” Provides good coverage of the beer world, but doesn’t go as in depth as some of the others.
#8 Books about beer (around $20)
Great Beers of Belgium 6th Edition by the late, great Michael “The Beer Hunter” Jackson ($24.39 at Amazon.com). The definitive guide to Belgian beers and brewers.
The Ultimate Beer Lover’s Cookbook: More Than 400 Recipes That All Use Beer ($21.13 at Amazon.com) has taken more than ten years to complete and really does have more than 400 food and drink recipes, each of which contains beer as an ingredient.
The Beer Journal by Chris Wright ($17.05 from Amazon.com) lets you track your beer journey and changes in your tastes in different beers. Other sections of the book let track visits to beer festivals, brewery tours, and food pairings.
#9 Tailgating Jockey Box ($130 – $520 at KegWorks)
For as little as $130 (for a kit for handy types) you can get your tailgating beer buddy a single tap jockey box. Jockey boxes are regular coolers converted into keg coolers, perfect for day long events or parties.
#10 Homebrew kit ($94 at the Homebrewer’s Outpost)
As the old proverb goes: “Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime.” Well, the same can be said for beer. “Give a man a beer and you quench his thirst for a day. Teach a man to brew and quench his thirst forever.” So buy your Beer Geek a homebrew kit!
#11 365 Bottles of Beer for the Year Page-A-Day Calendar 2009 ($9.59 at Amazon.com)
With a fantastic new author for 2009— Charlie Papazian, president of the Brewers Association and one of the most prominent names in the world of beer and brewing—this calendar features hundreds of award-winning ales, stouts, lagers, and seasonal brews, plus in-depth discussions of beer styles, weekly homebrew recipes, beer facts, trivia, and more.
#12 Beer Vacations (thousands of dollars)
The ultimate gift: a vacation focused on beer.
BeerTrips.com has beercentric trips that go to Germany, Belgium, France, Scotland, the U.S., and more.
Visit Belgium has a phenomenal page of breweries, festivals and beer tours specific to their beer making country.
The Beer Lovers Tour Company, located in Toronto, Canada, designs and hosts international and local specialty tours for those who love scenic travel, great beer, food, history, and culture.
If you want to plan your own trip and you’re headed to the Franconia region of Germany, there is no better resource to help you plan that trip than
Private Braugasthöfe is an invaluable website (and guide book) that lists detailed information on 65 private inns and breweries with hotels. Most are located in the Franconia region of Germany, but there are some from Denmark, Switzerland, Austria and Italy.
Beer Blog of the Week:
Chipper Dave Butler’s Fermentedly Challenged (http://www.fermentedlychallenged.com)
Dave Butler is a good friend of Beer Tap TV. He’s been a Colorado resident since 1982, trading in the lakes and humidity of Michigan for the mountains and sunny (not to mention beer) climate of the Centennial state. You can usually find him searching for his favorite craft beer.
Beer Douche of the Week:
We’re not doing the Beer Douche segment this week because we don’t want to be Scrooges.
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