Month: September 2011

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Brew Biz: Werts and All


North Country Brewing
141 S. Main Street
Slippery Rock, Pennsylvania
(412)974-2337
Brewer: Sean McIntrye

Written by Ken Carman for Professorgoodales.net

Ken Carman is a BJCP judge; homebrewer since 1979, club member at Escambia Bay and Music City Homebrewers, who has been interviewing professional brewers all over the east coast for over 10 years.

Apologies for any errors that may have slipped into this edition of Brew Biz, or lack of decent pictures. I have been visiting with the Professor just about edit time and the Wifi dumped where we were posting: the only source of Internet here. He asked me to go ahead and post anyway as soon as I could.

A few years ago Millie and I were visiting Sprague Brewing in Venango, PA. I had enjoyed Brian’s brews earlier in the year and wanted Millie to try them. We were outside, gazing over the farm, chatting with Minnie the brewer’s wife, when Brian came out to chat too. Brian Sprague; brewer, chainsaw sculpture artist and deep space astronaut. (Yes, I’m kidding about the deep space stuff, though one picture I’ve seen of him has him looking out from a brew kettle looking much like he’s in a space capsule.) Brian recommended we stop by North Country Brewing in Slippery Rock. Being teetotalers at heart we went straight home. End of story.

What? You’re still reading? Don’t you have anything better to do? Maybe drink craft beer?

Well, you’re in luck because I just told a fib. We did go to North Country, but for some reason what they had on tap that day did nothing for us. Perhaps we were just “beer-ed out.” I know that happens sometimes in competitions and festivals we help with, or judge at. And it couldn’t have anything to do with spending too long at Sprague, right? Nah, not that.
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Tacoma LOVES Beer!

DELICIOUS BEER: There will be plenty at the Tacoma Craft Beer Festival.

Written by Joshua Swainston for weeklyvolcano.com

What magic fermented yeast, grain and water can become when proportioned correctly. Pilsners, lagers, Hefeweizens, ales (of all sorts); wheats, barleys, stouts and all the other delicious brews.

It’s enough to make a grown man cry. The triumph of the ages: BEER.

To celebrate the fabulous concoction the third annual Tacoma Craft Beer Fest will take place Sept. 3. This year the Craft Beer Fest will go down at the 21st Street Park on Dock Street. Those who purchase a ticket and gain entry receive a 5.5-ounce tester glass and 10 drink tokens to sample the plethora of brews that await. Additional drink tokens are $1.50. All profits this year will go to support the Boy and Girls Club of South Puget Sound.

But it’s not ALL about beer. Some of the things that go great WITH beer will also be on hand. Assorted grub will be available to soak up the alcohol. And rock, bluegrass and acoustic music acts are slated to play so that you can bust out some drunken gyration.

Continue reading “Tacoma LOVES Beer!”