Beer Buzz 025: Hopfenpflucken, Robots, Beer Wars and cans
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:
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?
BEER NEWS
Utah Legalizes Homebrewing
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.
The Samuel Adams Hopfenpflucken Adventure
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
- Dine at Augustiner Keller, one of Munich’s most famous biergartens
- Visit the Schlenkerla Brewery Tavern in Bamburg, makers of traditional smoked beer
- Dine at Weinhenstephan Brewery, the world’s oldest brewery
- Tour the world-famous Weyermann Specialty Malting Company
- Check out the BMW Museum
- 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.
Colorado’s Steamworks Brewing Co. earns 5 medals at Australian International Beer Awards
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!
BEER RELEASES
Kellerweis Hefeweizen – Sierra Nevada Brewing Co. – Chico, CA
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.
UFO White – Harpoon Brewing – Boston, MA
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
BEER GADGET OF THE WEEK
Asahi Beerbot Beer pouring robot
Features:
- Stores and refrigerates 6 cans
- Programmable voice (male, female, or custom)
- Cleaning mode
- Child lock
Included in Delivery:
- 2 custom glass mugs
- 6 Foam cup bases
- Plastic floor protector
- Instructions in Japanese and English
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!
BEER DOUCHE OF THE WEEK
Arkansas funeral wake turns into brawl over beer
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.
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