Professor Good Ales

Written by Jason Gelt for thisisbrandx.com

Boxed alcoholic beverages tend to receive a gimlet eye from discerning drinkers. Wines purveyed from cardboard boxes go south quicker than their bottled brethren and often come from vintners with low marks from connoisseurs. But what about boxed beer? Why hasn’t the populist sudsy brew, already an everyman’s refreshment, entered the boxed beverage realm?
Because it’s simply more difficult to keep carbonated beer pressurized and oxygen free in large, four-liter containers, according to Thomas Hussey, a recently graduated industrial design student from Australia’s University of Technology Sydney. And since “Australians consume a lot of beer,” says Hussey, it was a problem he readily devoted his design skills to. He knew that costly pony kegs were a poor long-term answer in an environmentally conscious world. So he developed Kegless, a workable solution to the boxed beer dilemma.

With a two-pronged focus on cost and environmental impact, Hussey’s invention eschews pricier bottles, kegs and cans in favor of a revolutionary collapsible container that maintains the CO2 pressure while barring oxygen. And it’s turned heads. Hussey is one of 14 finalists in the student category of the 2010 Australian Design Award and the Australian component of the James Dyson Award who will advance to the global competition.

“I wanted to reduce the environmental effects, but also reduce cost and provide a marketing benefit,” says Hussey, who has already received interest from one of Australia’s major beer producers. “It’s all very well to come out with a product that has less environmental impact, but people need to want to buy it.”

Chances are that won’t be a problem. Who can argue with a well-balanced beer that maintains quality and freshness for up to a month, but is also easy on the planet?

The 6th annual Hogtown Brew-Off will be held at the Paramount Plaza in Gainesville, Florida on May 14th and 15th, with competition- related festivities taking place on the 16th as well.

After some judging on Friday the 14th there will be a reservation- only beer dinner even. This will be followed by a walking pub crawl, free to anyone who wishes to attend. You’ll get a chance to experience the Gainesville night life, led from watering-hole to watering-hole by Craig Birkmaier from Swamp Head Brewery, Gainesville’ s first microbrewery. Saturday morning the judging proper will begin followed by our now legendary Wild Boar Keg Competition with the awards dinner and raffle drawings following close behind.

The Hogtown Brewers hope you’ll make it up, down, or over to Gainesville-both for the competition festivities and to help with Judging or Stewarding. Hotel rooms at the venue have been made available at a special discounted price.

Visit www.hogtownbrewers.org for more information, updates, judge registration, and to register your entries when the time comes in late April!

James Schilling
Hogtown Brew-Off Dis-Organizer 2010

Many of them are providing samples for a gift basket of craft brews that they hope end up in the presidential fridge.

Written by John Richardson For The Portland Press Herald and mainetoday.com

PORTLAND — President Obama had better make some room in the White House fridge. Maine brewers and beer merchant Bill Milliken plan to deliver a gift basket of Maine brews to Obama later this month. No one knows if Obama will like the sampling of ales and bitters, but he asked for it.

Obama referred to Milliken during his speech at the Portland Expo on April 1, citing Milliken as a small-business owner who will be able to provide health insurance to more of his workers because of tax credits in the new health care reform law. He also had an unscripted exchange with Milliken, one of about 2,000 people in the audience at the Expo.

“Bill, stand up. That’s Bill right there. Now, I want to give a little plug to Bill here,” Obama said as the crowd cheered. “Bill owns Market House Coffee and the Maine Beer and Beverage Corporation, both here, right here in Portland. … In exchange for this publicity, I hope that I’m going to get some samples of the beer. … OK, he nodded in the affirmative.”
Continue reading “An Appeal for Beer, Obama has Brewers Hopping in Maine”

Ken Carman is a BJCP judge; homebrewer since 1979, club member at Escambia Bay and Music City Homebrewers, who has been interviewing professional brewers all over the east coast for over 10 years.

Written by Ken Carman

The Terminal Brewhouse
6 E 14th St
Chattanooga, TN 37408
(423) 752-8090

I was on tour, in the Atlanta area. Now, I could have spent 29.99 plus, and been 15 miles, at best, from all but one of my gigs. Or, stay 70 miles away and be closer to Chattanooga so I could do a review on Terminal. Never guess what “stupid for beer” did?

Chattanooga, Tennessee sits between mountains, or “hills” if you Rocky Mountain snobs prefer, and from the top of one you can see seven states. A river flows busily by if you arrive from the northwest. Chattanooga is barely north of Georgia if you come up from the south and barely beyond the Smoky Mountains if you come down from Knoxville. Negotiate your way through downtown Chattanooga just right and you’ll find The Terminal Brewhouse. You’ll be immediately impressed by one oddity: not your average brewpub visually. Terminal Brewhouse is like a big, tall, wedge, sitting in downtown Chattanooga. Once upon a time it was The Terminal Hotel; one hopes not during the 1929 crash or maybe the name might have been a bit too accurate? Of course “Terminal” was used here in the sense of serving a railroad.

After all, this is the city made famous by trains and a song. Now you can go to a historical building that served railroad passengers and “chew, chew.”

Sorry. Some puns are just so hard to resist.

The former Terminal hotel was also known as a speak easy for a while during the Great Depression, a greasy spoon and even a courthouse. Then it sat for a while, falling apart: vacant.

But now it’s filled with thirsty quaffers, hungry families and steps leading up to its three floors. So the Terminal building receives no more vacant… stairs.

Let’s go inside, shall we?

Continue reading “Brew Biz: Werts and All”

Boulder, CO • April 14, 2010—The Brewers Association, the not-for-profit trade group that tabulates production statistics for U.S. breweries, released its annual lists reporting the top 50 brewing companies in the country, based on 2009 beer sales volume. The two lists are the Top 50 Craft Brewing Companies, comprising small and independent craft brewers,¹ and the Top 50 Overall Brewing Companies.  The Top 50 Overall Brewing Companies list contains 76 percent craft brewing companies.

“Beer lovers continue to find great value and enjoyment in fuller flavored craft beers,” said Paul Gatza, director of the Brewers Association. “Americans have an increasing appreciation of craft beers, and the growing number of brewers behind them.”

Top 50 Craft Brewing Companies
(Based on 2009 beer sales volume)

Continue reading “Brewers Association Releases 2009 Top 50 Breweries Lists”

Image courtesy cdis.missouri.edu

Written by Andrea Kirkby for Suite 101.com

One of the great pleasures of traveling in Germany is drinking the local beer, particularly in summer when the beer gardens are open. But to make the most of your experience you do need to know the ropes; beer halls don’t work quite like pubs.

First of all, drinking hours are different. Many beer gardens and beer halls, particularly brewpubs, don’t open until the late afternoon during the week, though they may stay open till one in the morning or even later.

Secondly, the regulars are very protective of their space. If you see a brass plaque over a table, don’t sit there. The brass plaque isn’t there to say ‘Karl Marx drank here’ or commemorate past glories. It marks the table as a Stammtisch, the meeting place of a regular club or group of drinkers.

However, the public tables are there to be shared. Don’t feel awkward about heading for free spaces on a table that’s otherwise occupied – just ask if the seats are free (‘frei’) or occupied (‘besetzt’).

How to order your beer depends on the venue. In a beer hall, don’t head for the bar – you will be served at the table. In a large beer garden, on the other hand, you may need to head for the central beer pouring point. Pay the cashier first, find a mug, and take the ticket and the mug together to the pourer. Get ready to catch your mug as it slides along the bar – this is speedy pouring, not elegant service!

In beer gardens or at street festivals, you may be asked for a deposit (‘Pfand’) for the mug. Don’t forget to take the mug back and reclaim your money.

Want to read more? Click…

HERE

Courtesy the BBC

Carlsberg workers in Copenhagen have gone on strike against new rules that restrict the amount of free beer they can consume during their working day. Regulations brought in at the start of the month stipulate that workers are no longer allowed beer throughout the day, and can now only drink at lunchtime. Workers claim they were not consulted on the changes, which is why more than 250 have decided to strike in protest.

Carlsberg said it would not be reversing the new policy.

“Carlsberg has pulled something over the heads of the workers. They won’t have a dialogue with us,” said Michael Christiansen, representing the striking employees. “We have never had a problem with accidents or anything with alcohol involved.”

The strike has affected beer deliveries into the Danish capital as delivery drivers have gone on strike in sympathy with their co-workers. The strike began on Wednesday.

“For those who are big suckers for da Gueuze pucker.”

Written by Ye Olde Scribe

Egads! Scribe is in love. Did someone brew a beer as a portrait of YOS? As any of his beloved readers might say, Scribe’s writings are humorously sour and satirically pungent and use tongue tangy parody to grow more than a hair a day on your chest.

Such is Oude Gueuze, brewed by Hanssens Artisanaal in Dworp, Belgium, to the palette.

For those not in the know a Gueuze is a carefully blended ale using various Lambics of various ages: usually 1-3. This beer is describes in various terms that seem unpalatable by such as the BJCP, AHA and MBBSS: The Mythical Belgian Beer Sucking Society. No, that last one wasn’t real. Twere a JOKE!

Here’s Scribe’s take: sour nose with slight malt and no hops. Hops would distract. A slight haze. Light gold. The head hangs on like the taste: a bulldog bite to the tongue. Very balanced. A bit “horsey” to taste: and Scribe knows that sounds horrible. After all: who wants to lick a horse’s ^%$# except horse-o-holics? (Yeah, tis a sick perversion that involves much unmentionable oral acts: hence the age old disease “hoof in mouth.”)

If that fabled old horse gets sent to that factory, instead of crying: going “Boohoo” does he “Gluehoo?” Now THERE’S a joke that sticks to your… horse’s… ribs!

The only criticism here is Scribe wishes even this classic brewer of Gueuze could make up their minds how to spell it. Scribe’s bottle says “Gueuze.” The picture: Geuze. Scribe has gander-ed upon many various variations on spelling whatever the hell the real spelling is. If a classic brewer of the style can’t decide, who can?

Scribe could swear there’s rhubarb in here. It’s almost as if the rhubarb sour is STALKING him. Decent carbonation. Light yellow.

If you want unique and sour, tis da beer for you.

Written by Ken Carman with plenty of assistance from Pat Johnson

No, this is not a story of some college frat party and chugging pitchers. This is the story of a man who loves beer, loves boats and how he has been able to use both of these to help his homebrew club and his home town.

Pensacola Beach. Blue green water. Crystal white sand. Just a few days ago on the boardwalk the Bamboo Willie’s Anything that Floats race was about to start. Being president of Escambia Bay Homebrewers, and owner of Pensacola Boatworks, Pat Johnson is standing proudly near his magnificent flotation creation: the world famous “Chuggerboat…” watching over his beloved Chuggerboat.

Well, maybe he’s watching more than his boat.

Here’s the Chuggerboat with a banner promoting one of the best: most fun, homebrew clubs in the country: Escambia Bay Homebrewers: Pensacola, Florida…. and this event also allowed them to sell more tickets to another famous Pensacola event: Escambia Bay Brewers famous beerfest they have every year.

Continue reading “Chugger Beer?”

Without intent, I have collected well over 1,000 beer bottles since the early 70s. When something finally had to be done about the cheap paneling in this old modular, I had a choice. Tear down the walls while, oh, so carefully, replacing the often rotted 1X3s. Or: cover them with… The Bottle Collection.

Image courtesy beerlabels.com

Written by Ken Carman

When I saw the Professor posted an article on Stingo I was obviously on the net. I looked up at the part of The Bottle Collection that dangles above my Mac. Stingo! Only by Watneys. I suspect this current incarnation is a re-release: Samuel Smith’s version of the Watneys product.

I don’t have a picture of my bottle: so the Professor provided one from beerlabels.com that’s obviously an older version. Mine is a bit more elaborate: border red, tan circle and a big black dot with the Watneys logo and description of the beer, but still from the defunct Watneys. Says “Watney’s Mortlake Brewery.” Also says “Dark Ale.” The Samuel Smith description of Stingo seems more accurate. More of an Old Ale. Various web pages claim this was a barley wine. No way: not from what I remember: carmelization, few if any hops even for the Brit barley wine. I know barley wine and this wasn’t it. Much of the flavor driven by sweet malt, carmelization and some darker malts. Another site claims it was a Cream Stout. Perhaps, though the Old Ale nature sticks in my memory. And, yet, it was so sweet it was a bit sticky. But I really think the sweet was more malt driven, not any lactose that may, or may not, have been used. Admittedly vague memory says, “Not.” In other words: probably a dark, sweeter, version of Old Ale.

I didn’t put it on my best shelf, though who knows for sure… now that I know more about styles I might have. I’d have to try it again to be sure. Give me a break: I think I had this in the late 80s, or early 90s.