Category: Front Page

If you’ve ever had the misfortune of drinking a warm beer — which is almost every beer you enjoy al fresco in the summer — you know all too well how disappointing it can be. And while people have worked hard to find a solution to that problem — Koozies, in-ground coolers and the Chillsner, to name a few — they don’t always work.

Now there’s a new attempt on the market. Japanese beer company Kirin Ichiban claims to have a way to keep beer really, really cold on the hottest summer days: with a beer slushy maker.

You might be disappointed to learn that the beer slushy maker doesn’t actually churn out a beer slushy — they get minus a couple of points for confusing us — but they’re on to something even better. Kirin’s slushy maker freezes beer into foam that is used to top off a glass of beer. Essentially, you’re using frozen beer to keep beer cold. It’s kind of brilliant because when frozen slush melts, it’ll just add more beer to your glass.If you’ve ever had the misfortune of drinking a warm beer — which is almost every beer you enjoy al fresco in the summer — you know all too well how disappointing it can be. And while people have worked hard to find a solution to that problem — Koozies, in-ground coolers and the Chillsner, to name a few — they don’t always work.

Now there’s a new attempt on the market. Japanese beer company Kirin Ichiban If you’ve ever had the misfortune of drinking a warm beer — which is almost every beer you enjoy al fresco in the summer — you know all too well how disappointing it can be. And while people have worked hard to find a solution to that problem — Koozies, in-ground coolers and the Chillsner, to name a few — they don’t always work.

Now there’s a new attempt on the market. Japanese beer company Kirin Ichiban claims to have a way to keep beer really, really cold on the hottest summer days: with a beer slushy maker.

You might be disappointed to learn that the beer slushy maker doesn’t actually churn out a beer slushy — they get minus a couple of points for confusing us — but they’re on to something even better. Kirin’s slushy maker freezes beer into foam that is used to top off a glass of beer. Essentially, you’re using frozen beer to keep beer cold. It’s kind of brilliant because when frozen slush melts, it’ll just add more beer to your glass.

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The Americans have the spunk, the vigor and a willingness to try anything. The Belgians have the art, the creativity and the tradition of world-class success. We’re not just talking about their looming World Cup matchup here. We’re also talking about beer.

The topic of beer and the World Cup is now bubbling around in the highest offices of the two nations.

Belgium’s Prime Minister Elio Di Rupo has offered President Obama, a noted beer fan, a “beer bet” over the match, , “Hey @BarackObama, I am betting some great Belgian beers that our @BelRedDevils will make it to the quarter final!”

Of course, this is all a preamble to the big question: What will you be drinking when the U.S. and Belgium face off Tuesday afternoon?

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Employers receive countless resumes from hopeful job applicants, but not many come in the form of craft-brewed 4-packs of beer.

Brennan Gleason, a designer from British Columbia, decided to try an unconventional approach to his resume, opting to showcase his qualifications on his home-brewed blonde beer, dubbed “Resum-Ale,” instead of the standard one-page CV.

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Craft beer is big. Independent craft breweries saw their collective sales grow 20 percent last year, and they’re slowly taking away sales from the giants. Overall beer sales are flat, but locally brewed India Pale Ales are killing it.

Craft beer is also small. As a group, craft breweries still comprise only about 8 to 14 percent of the overall beer market. And being small is a point of pride — it’s part of the craft brewery definition. You can’t be craft if you make more than 6 million barrels of beer a year (Budweiser brews about 40 million barrels a year). Even if a brewery sticks a craft-looking label on the bottle (think Third Shift, which is actually a front for Coors), it doesn’t make it craft. Its parent company is still too big.

Except, maybe, for Samuel Adams. Jim Koch started his Boston Beer Company and Samuel Adams in 1984, pitching it as a flavorful antidote to a watery beer scene. Along the way Boston Beer Company grew into a $2.9 billion company. But now flavor is everywhere, as are other upstarts that pitch their beers as more bold, artisanal and authentic than Sam Adams.

The company is trying to combat this narrative, recognizing that it’s stuck between the small and the big. No matter how craft fads come and go, a recent television ad implies, Sam Adams is forever.

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AUBURN | Ever wanted to try a sour beer?

Such adventurousness could set you back several dollars and leave you with five and a half unwanted bottles, but it doesn’t have to at Thirsty Pug Craft Beer Market: The new Genesee Center store, which opened June 13, offers single-bottle sales.

“It’s for people to experiment without investing a ton of money in something they might not enjoy. It’s much less intimidating trying something new,” said owner Mike Sigona, 29, of Auburn.

Sigona opened Thirsty Pug after several years of kitchen experience at places like the Cascade Grill in Moravia. The long hours in that profession held him back from his own attempts at brewing, he said.

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It’s safe to say Vinnie Cilurzo, owner and brewmaster of Russian River Brewing Company, knows a thing or two about making hoppy beers. His double IPA, Pliny the Elder, has earned the title of Zymurgy‘s Best Beer in America for six consecutive years—and this year readers also named Russian River America’s top brewery. The full results of Zymurgy‘s Best Beers in America are published in the July/August 2014 Zymurgy, which AHA members can access instantly online.

We asked Vinnie for a few tips about making great IPAs, and here is what he had to say:

1. Don’t go Crystal crazy.

Keep crystal malts to a very low percentage of your total grist bill. Too much crystal malt can hide some of the really nice aromas and flavors contributed by the hops.

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Gluten free seems to be the new craze these days –even for those who don’t have Celiacs Disease –an intolerance to gluten.

Beer lovers who once struggled to find options now have a bevy of choices as brewers are meeting consumer demands.

We sat down and tried six different gluten-free beers to give you an honest option on taste.  Here they are, in no particular order.

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Iranian lawmakers are seeing red after a German beer maker printed the Islamic Republic’s flag on special bottles of beer commemorating the World Cup.

Brewer Gaffel Kolsch created a beer bottle that included the Islamic Republic’s flag with the words “God is great” repeated across two stripes on the labels and caps. The beer is part of special edition bottles showcasing Iran and 31 other nations participating in the World Cup.

Alcohol is forbidden under Islamic law. Member of Parliament Hamid Rasaie told Fars news agency politicians that the use of Iran’s flag is insulting and that he was angry at FIFA for “allowing” the flag to be “disrespected.” It’s unclear FIFA’s involvement in approving the bottle.

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