Author: Professor Good Ales

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?

Written by Don Russell for craftbeer.com

Whatever you think about Christmas, you’ve got to agree that it is mankind’s greatest, most enduring tradition. Yes, it’s over-commercialized and most of the world doesn’t even celebrate it, but, you’ve gotta give props to any institution that’s been around for 2,000 years—especially one that comes with so much good craft beer.

Now, some will protest: “Ah, Christmas beer—a blatant commercialization of a sacred, family tradition just to sell more suds.” Indeed, for years after Prohibition, breweries were generally prohibited from using Christmas, especially jolly, old St. Nicholas, to advertise their brands. Just six years ago, the state of Maine grumbled “Bah, humbug!” to a brand whose label depicted Santa Claus, and declared it “undignified and improper.” But in fact, beer has always been a part of Christmas.

Before Prohibition, German immigrants brewed special, dark lagers for the holiday. Before that, the English served homemade wassail (spiced ale) to Dickensian carolers singing “O Little Town of Bethlehem.” In the Middle Ages, observant monks brewed their finest, strongest beer to mark the birth of Christ. Around 900 AD, as Norwegians converted to Christianity, they brought along their smoky Viking Jul (Yule) ale. At the risk of finding coal in my stocking, I’d argue that Christmas beer is older than Christmas itself.

Whether the date is divine or not, the traditions surrounding the holidays—gift giving, feasting and, yes, beer drinking—has evolved into the celebrations of Christmas. Which is why I say Christmas beer is not a style, it’s a tradition. It needn’t be spicy or strong, sweet or dark; it need only be special, a gift to be shared in the spirit of the holiday with family and friends.

Everyone has a favorite craft beer of the season. Here are 12 that are jingling my bells this year.

1. Our Special Ale | Anchor Brewing | San Francisco, CA
   Our Special Ale is the granddaddy of Christmas beer, and in my opinion the craft beer that reignited America’s passion for holiday ales. Famously flavored with a secret mix of spices that changes each year, this dark ale’s body is enhanced with delicious fruit-like malts. Continue reading “12 Beers of Christmas”