Professor Good Ales

Written by Franz Hofer for A Tempest in a Tankard

Twelve years off and on in Ithaca, NY, has given me plenty of time to observe the beer, wine, and food scene of the Finger Lakes region change and evolve. Wine has been going strong for the past few decades, craft beer has enjoyed an impressive growth in popularity, and the occasional craft distillery graces the landscape. Add to that all the local honey, fruit, bread, meats, cheese, and the like, and you have a veritable moveable feast to take with you as you explore the lakes of the region.

And now we have something new to add to our picnic baskets: artisanal cider. Or should I say new again. Cider was a staple of the early U.S. colonies, and enjoyed a three-hundred year run before Prohibition put a cork in the jug. Sound familiar?

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Beer yeast courtesy wiki. Article from a press release via EurekaAlert and University Wisconsin-Madison

 

MADISON, Wis. — The crucial genetic mashup that spawned the yeast that brews the vast majority of beer occurred at least twice — and both times without human help — according to a University of Wisconsin-Madison study published Aug. 11 in the journal Molecular Biology and Evolution.

Lager yeast, a hybrid that thrives in cold temperatures, is used in lager beer production, which accounts for about 94 percent of the world’s beer Continue reading “More Details on Origin of America ‘s Favorite Beer Making Microbe”

Image courtesy http://wnycraftbeer.com, the rest is a press release-PGA

Continue reading “Governor Cuomo Signs Legislation to Lift Burdens on Craft Breweries, Distilleries & Cideries”

Written by Franz Hofer for A Tempest in a Tankard

Wine has been going strong in the Finger Lakes for the past few decades, and craft beer has enjoyed an impressive growth in popularity. Add to that all the local honey, fruit, meats, and cheese, and you have a veritable moveable feast to take with you as you explore the lakes of the region.

That, and fish ’n chips –– or, as they call it in the region, fish fry. The most famous of them all is Doug’s Fish Fry, and we finally got a chance to make the pilgrimage to this seafood shrine in Skaneateles. With its stately boulevard and lakeside mansions, Skaneateles is also one of the most beautiful of the Finger Lakes towns.

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Fred Eckhardt, arguably the most influential person in the history of Oregon beer, passed away today. He was 89 years old.

Echkhardt rose to prominence as the author of A Treatise on Lager Beers, a homebrewing guide published before the practice was officially legalized in this country. In 1989 he published his masterwork, The Essentials of Beer Style.

A longtime contributor to Celebrator beer magazine and the namesake of Hair of the Dog’s flagship beer, Fred, he was known, liked and respected in the Portland beer scene and around the world. His many contributions to craft beer culture include popularizing cheese as an ideal pairing partner to beer and increasing American awareness and appreciation for sake.

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(RNN) – Angry Orchard Cider Company announced a voluntary recall of its Crisp Hard Apple Cider for concerns the bottles may “burst under increased pressure.”

A news release Thursday from the FDA said the Cincinnati-based company’s recall pertains to cases, 12-packs and six-packs of the alcoholic beverage. People reported to Angry Orchard that some bottles had broken, or the beverage would overflow when opened.

No injuries have been reported.

Angry Orchard said cider from some production runs showed signs of re-fermentation, causing increased carbonation levels. The company said the cider poses no threat to people who drink it.

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Yesterday, I wrote a little quick post for my Facebook pages, in which I expressed my long-held admiration for Sam Calagione, lately prompted by his flat refusal to even meet with representatives of Anheuser Busch – aka InBev, or whatever they’re calling themselves this week – about the possibility of arranging “something similar” to the craft brewery deals that they’ve now done with Goose Island and Red Hook and….well, the rest of that roster of former craft breweries, all now absorbed into the Borg Collective that is The World’s Largest “Beer” Company.

Sam’s total lack of interest in aiding and abetting AB’s long-term plan to purchase its way into the craft beer cred it’s incapable of earning by making beer lit me up like a Christmas tree and I cranked out a little word of appreciation…which seems to have hit a nerve. The Pour Fool Facebook page is a thing which I originally set up to issue faster posts than I can do here. I’ve almost completely neglected it, sometimes going a month or more without posting anything. The post about Sam has now hit almost 2,000 likes and climbing.

But readers who responded with their own paeans to Brother Calagione had an odd effect on me: it made me think of Tomme Arthur.

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