Professor Good Ales

Written by Charlie Papazian for The Examiner

It’s time to vote again for your favorite “BeerCity USA.”  Last year’s poll saw over 15,000 votes cast.  Portland, Oregon and Asheville, NC were announced as winners in a statistical tie for first place.

Since the winners were announced in May 2009, craft beer and American beer culture has skyrocketed.  Beer fests and city-wide beer weeks emerge throughout the country.  There’s pride existing in local communities for their breweries,  their beers and better beer bars, restaurants and pubs.  Even to my astonishment I’ve noticed an increase in beer culture in cities that were long beer “dead zones.”  America has awakened to better beer and their communities.

It matters in the USA unlike any other country in the world.  That’s why we have great beer here in the USA.  I think the whole idea of caring where your beer comes from, how and why it is made are not only good things, but essential for maintaining continued beer choice in the USA.  There are forces out there that want to limit your choice.  When we as beer drinkers stop recognizing and responsibly celebrating the beer choices we have, we may lose it.

The times are changing and beer drinkers have ramped up their responsible celebrations and their access to choice and diversity.

Once again the unscientific online poll for 2010 BeerCity USA can’t really measure the value of beer culture in America.  But it’s fun to applause.

BeerCity USA 2010 is a chance for local beer communities to express their enthusiasm and support for their local breweries and local better beer bars, restaurants, stores and distributors.  Let’s have some fun. Continue reading “Vote now: BeerCity USA 2010 – What’s your pick?”

 

Written by Stan Hieronymus for Realbeer.com

Now that Oklahoma has legalized homebrewing the attention turns to Louisiana. The American Homebrewers Association is working with a group of homebrewers in Louisiana to legalize the serving of home brew in licensed establishments for homebrew events.

Here’s the call to action:

House Bill 1484, which is an improved substitute for a previously filed homebrew bill, if passed would create a free three-day permit, allowing the possession, serving and consumption of homemade beer, mead and other fermented beverages at businesses licensed for on premises consumption of alcohol. This will allow homebrew clubs to legally have club meetings, competitions and other organized events at bars, restaurants and other licensed establishments.

HB1484 was passed favorably from the House Judiciary Committee on May 13th and will be debated on the House floor soon. We request that you contact your Representative’s office today to ensure that HB1484 is passed by the House and is sent to the Senate for consideration.

Call Your Representative Today!
Click here to find contact information for your Representative.

During business hours, calls to the Representative’s receptionist are the most productive means of communication. The calls will be quick and easy. Your message should at least relate these points, phrased in your own words:

* Please pass HB1484 through the House when it comes up for debate.

* Louisiana homebrewers are solely seeking to gain legalization of serving homebrewed beer in licensed establishments for homebrew club meetings, competitions and events, which will help us share and improve our craft, so please help us in this effort.

It is up to Louisiana’s beer and brewing community to help the homebrew bill move through the legislative process. Please commit to making these communications, and forward this message on to anyone you think would be interested in supporting this cause. Without paid lobbyists, showing strong popular support is the only mechanism that will move this bill forward.

Thank you for your support of Louisiana’s homebrewers!

Written by Martyn Cornell for Zythophile.wordpress.com

“Jewish exiles in captivity in Babylon (in 597 BC) drank hopped ale as a defence against leprosy”

They did not. The original Hebrew description (from the fourth century AD) of the herb used in the anti-leprosy drink was “cuscuta of the hizmé shrub”, that is, a Middle Eastern climbing plant of the dodder family. By the 11th century, rabbinical commentary on the Talmud was talking about hops, probably because these were more familiar to European Jews than cuscuta. In any case what was drunk to guard against leprosy was shekar flavoured with cuscuta, shekar being a Hebrew word which meant any strong drink, not beer specifically (although in Akkadian, a related Semitic language spoken by the conquerors of Sumer, the word sikar translated Sumerian kash, beer). Shekar became, via the Bible and its Greek and Latin translations, and then French, the source of the English word cider.

Continue reading “Six Myths About Hops”

An offering from a company on the Panhandle of Florida…

My name is Karin Schmidt and I live and work in Navarre, Florida.  My husband and I are in the business of providing quality glass custom-engraving in an affordable way to people who will appreciate it!   I know that homebrewers take a special pride in their craft, and in creating batches of brew that showcase their talents.  I imagine owning their own “house label” is important as well.  That’s why I am writing you.

I’d like to talk with you about offering our services to create high-quality, rich-looking labels carved into your bottles–something that would give you an extra measure of uniqueness to your work.  Something that sets you apart and makes the work stand out as truly your own.   And of course, “tradeable” for collection if that’s what you and your fellow brew-crafters want to do.  Since the bottles are re-usable and recycleable, you wouldn’t need large orders to accomplish your “look.”  The labels don’t wash off and don’t have to be replaced as they are used!   We have no minimum order requirements, making this a reasonable option for creating small, unique collections for special occasions and seasonal brews as well. 

If you have already designed your personal “house” label, we can translate that into carving the glass.  If you want a label designed, it’s not a problem.  All we would need is your input, your ideas, give us something to go on.  When it’s done, we will make a sample bottle for your approval.  You are not obligated to anything.  We simply would like the opportunity to work with you, and we work on a strong ethic of trust and integrity. Most likely, you’d prefer the bottles in brown glass, which could give them the look of a Stella-Artois!)

We must tell you, though, that the price listed for customized bottles on our website is not the correct price for you — We wanted to offer something special for the homebrewer’s clubs.   If someone wants their label engraved in the glass, that first custom bottle would be $35.  After that, any with that same design would be just $10. for the engraving.  Even if you order those duplicates at a later time, they would still be just the $10. (The cost of the bottles themselves would have to be extra, but since you probably already get your plain bottles from a wholesale supplier, we can use the ones you buy yourself, or we can order them for you, and pass them on to you at cost.  Your choice.)

Anyway, I appreciate you taking the time to read this, and taking the time to think it over.  Talk to your fellow craft-brewers, see what they think.  Let’s have a conversation, and come up with a plan for you.  Your hobby is important, gourmet creations deserve respect.  We’d like to help put your personal stamp on your work.  We look forward to hearing from you

karin

From their site…

Glass Distinctions defines itself with contemporary elegance and artistic design. All of our work is custom-designed and created by hand, reflecting both our love of art as well as our dedication to quality. As an innovative concept-to-completion design service, we specialize in creating original art-glass décor items, gifts, and awards. Superior craftsmanship and attention to detail are the hallmarks of our work, setting Glass Distinctions apart as anything but ordinary

glassdistinctions.com

An example of their fine work.

If you dare to wear, can be bought at foulmouthfish.com

Garden varieties of yellow yarrow are super as a hop substitute in beer. Photo
by Charlie Papazian

Written by Charlie Papazian for Examiner.com

Here’s a recipe for champagne-like, floral beer brewed with yarrow.  Excerpted from The Complete Joy of Homebrewing. 

Yarrow Ale

Yarrow Ale is a traditional ale brewed by brewers throughout Europe before hops were popularized.  Read Sacred and Herbal Healing Beers by Stephen Buhner and learn about the properties of yarrow.  Use fresh flowers and greens for best results.  And no there isn’t a mistake in this recipe – there are no hops. 

Ingredients for 3 gallons (11.5 l)

• 3 lbs. (1.4 kg) extra light dried malt extract
• 5 oz. (140 gm) fresh yarrow flowers and leaves
• 0.8 gm sweet gale (myrica) (available at homebrew shops)
• American ale type yeast
• 1/2 c. (140 ml) corn sugar (for bottling)

Add the malt extract, sweet gale and 3 oz. (85 gm) of yarrow to 1 1/2 gallons of water and boil for 60 minutes.  Add 2 oz. (56 gm) yarrow during the final 5 minutes of boiling. Sparge immediately into your fermenter and 1 gallon (4 l) cold water.  Add water to make 3 gallons (11.5 l). Pitch the yeast when cool. Bottle when fermentation is complete.

Picture courtesy Tom Becham

Written by Jonathan Shikes for blogs.westword.com

I’ve cooked in chili cook-offs, competed in a hot wings eating contest and eaten my fair share — and then some — of jalapeno poppers, New Mexico and Colorado green chile.

And I’ve sampled at least four kinds of chili beer. Hell, my boss even has one named for her at the Wynkoop Brewing Company.

But I’ve never tasted anything quite like Ghost Face Killah — a beer that Boulder’s Twisted Pine Brewing Company hopes will end up in the Guinness Book of World Records as the spiciest beer on earth.

To make it, brewer Jeff Brumley made a batch of a wheat beer, then added six kinds of dried chilies: Anaheim, Fresno, jalapeno, Serrano, habanero and the famed ghost pepper, commonly recognized as the hottest pepper in the world (about 200 times more pungent than a jalapeno). Then he let the chilies soak in the beer for a couple of weeks.

The results are a beer that made my lips and mouth burn and seared the back of my throat for a good two hours. And while this brew was certainly spicy, it also had a nice, rich, warming flavor that would have gone even better in a plate of enchiladas.

I tried it on May 5, when Twisted Pine tapped a keg for its Cinco de Mayo party, and while the beer — which was served only in four-ounce glasses — was gone after about three days, the brewery will bring it back for the Snowmass Chili Pepper & Brew Fest (June 4-5); it will also likely have a keg at its Boulder taphouse at the same time.

“It was going pretty quick,” says Twisted Pine’s Mike Burns. “Everyone who usually drinks Billy’s Chilies [Twisted Pine’s bottled chili beer] was happy to be drinking it.”

Burns adds that a couple who actually grow ghost peppers in their Boulder garden each had about two pints and offered to supply the brewery with fresh peppers.

Sounds hot.

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