Author: Professor Good Ales

Written by Robert Krulwich @ npr.org

So you’re minding your own business when all of a sudden, a nuclear bomb goes off, there’s a shock wave, fires all around, general destruction and you, having somehow survived, need a drink. What can you do? There is no running water, not where you are. But there is a convenience store. It’s been crushed by the shock wave, but there are still bottles of beer, Coke and diet soda intact on the floor.

So you wonder: Can I grab one of those beers and gulp it down? Or is it too radioactive? And what about taste? If I drink it, will it taste OK?
Continue reading “U.S. Explodes Atomic Bombs Near Beers To See If They Are Safe To Drink”

Written by Jay Brooks for Mercury News and The Contra Costa Times

The obvious gift for any beer lover is a selection of special brews. But if you’d prefer a gift not prone to breaking or leakage, 2012 has been another banner year for books about beer. Here are a few of my favorites.

Written by my friends Stephen Beaumont and Tim Webb, who circled the globe putting this tome together, “The World Atlas of Beer” (Sterling Epicure, $30, 256 pages) is a worthy successor to the late Michael Jackson’s “New World Guide to Beer.” Covering the entire panoply of beer across six continents (there are no breweries in Antarctica) is a herculean task, but the book accomplishes it elegantly. The book, appointed with detailed maps, beautiful photographs, tasting notes and an impressive range of information, is a great choice for both beginners and seasoned beer geeks.

Continue reading “Brooks: Books for Beer Lovers”

Posted by Mike at fuzzybrew.com

Memphian Drew Barton and his wife Melodie moved to Asheville, N.C., in 2005 so he could pursue a career in craft brewing.

Barton got hired at French Broad Brewing Company and worked his way up to head brewer.

Barton moved back to Memphis in 2010 and has been working to establish a craft brewery in his hometown and his neighborhood, Cooper-Young.

Today he made it official, announcing plans to open the doors of Memphis Made Brewing Company by mid-2013, bringing more local craft beer to
the Bluff City.

“Our philosophy is simple: local is fresh, and fresh is better. Our mission is to expand the boundaries of beer for and from our community,” said Barton, Memphis Made president and head brewer.
Continue reading “Memphis Made Brewing Company Announces Plans to Open Brewery in Cooper-Young in 2013”

Written by Todd Martens for The Los Angeles Times

Venture inside the walls of the Disneyland Resort and you’ll encounter numerous wonders rarely found outside of Orange Country. This summer’s reopening of the California Adventure park, for instance, attracted plenty of buzz with the introduction of Cars Land and a host of other rides and attractions not found at any other Disney-branded theme park.

But the objects capable of giving visitors a true buzz have received much less attention.

Relatively unnoticed in the California Adventure makeover is the park’s increased offerings of craft beer. The high-end Carthay Circle Restaurant and Lounge is a showcase for California-brewed ales, offering selections from Placentia’s the Bruery, San Diego’s Karl Strauss, Petaluma’s Lagunitas and three from Anaheim Brewery.
Continue reading “Disney Samples California Craft”

Beers made by Trappist monks at St. Sixtus Abbey’s Westvleteren Brewery in Belgium are sought by connoisseurs. For the first time, the monks are exporting the beer overseas, including to the U.S. Courtesy of Mark Lampert.

Written by Teri Schultz for npr.org

The 12th day of the 12th month of 2012 is not a day of deliverance but of delivery for devout American fans of Westvleteren 12, brewed by the reclusive Belgian monks at St. Sixtus Abbey.
Continue reading “A Sign From Above? Needing New Roof, Monks Sell Rare Beer In U.S.”

Posted by the staff at KegWorks

Everyone knows Anchor Brewing Company for their beer. What most people may not know is that Anchor’s founder Fritz Maytag was also influential in craft distilling. The brewery even has a sister company, Anchor Distilling, which produces the popular Junipero Gin.

The folks at the distillery have teamed up with head brewer Mark Carpenter to create a beer-inspired craft spirit called Hophead vodka.

Carpenter and head distiller Bruce Joseph selected two varieties of hops to create a fresh and aromatic vodka that’s taken on their unmistakable scent and flavor.

So what do you mix hop vodka with? The mixology team at Anchor recommends trying gin. They’re calling the combination of Hophead and Junipero a “West Coast Vesper” and there’s a suggested recipe for a “San Fran Shandy” incorporating the vodka, ginger liqueur, lemon juice, honey syrup and a bit of Anchor’s own Brekle’s Brown Ale.

Unfortunately, the vodka is only being sold in San Francisco and NYC to start but it will soon expand to other markets. At $29.95 for a 750-ml bottle, it’s pretty affordable and would make a great gift for beer geeks. Personally, I’d be interested to see what it can do for a Bloody Mary. Anyone want to send me a bottle?