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By admin, February 1, 2010 9:25 am

Beer Wars

Beer Wars is a documentary that provides a behind-the-scenes examination of the ultra competitive beer industry. Director Anat Baron, former General Manager of Mike’s Hard Lemonade, reveals the obstacles small breweries must overcome to make their mark in an industry dominated by an evil empire of mega breweries.

The documentary reviews a brief history of the beer industry in America over the past century. Highlights include Prohibition, the rise of TV advertising, the decline of the local brewery, and the emergence of the three mega breweries – Anheuser-Busch, Miller Brewing, and Coors Brewing Company (movie filmed before recent mergers). This is the real story of beer in America – how it went from good to bad, and how demand for good beer is changing the market once again. If you like cold hard facts and random statistics, this movie is for you.

Anat Baron features the stories of micro and craft breweries. One of the craft breweries highlighted is Dogfish Head, a personal favorite. Sam Calagione (Dogfish Head founder) discusses his passion for beer as well as the unruly competitive tactics of the three mega breweries. He has created a niche market for beer drinkers that appreciate not just good beer, but great beer. Dogfish Head stands out from the competition by creating quality beer made from the highest quality ingredients. They also focus on taking an innovative approach to old world recipes. “If it’s already on the market, we aren’t interested in making it,” says Sam Calagione.

Dogfish Head and every other brewery featured in this documentary tell the same story – an unfair marketplace for small breweries in North America. It’s truly David vs. Goliath. These mega brewers have an unlimited amount of resources in terms of marketing and advertising budgets, but they also seem to control much more, i.e. politicians in their pockets?

What’s to come for the privately-owned craft breweries and micro breweries in America? Only time will tell, but there has definitely been an emergence of new breweries entering the marketplace since this documentary was created. Could the rise of social media sites like Twitter and Facebook be the ultimate tool of promotion for smaller breweries? Maybe Beer Bloggers and Beer Evangelists will continue to gain the attention of beer drinkers in America? Let’s hope.

Beginning today, Beer Wars is available to rent On Demand through Digital Cable and Satellite providers Comcast, Time Warner Cable, Cox, Cablevision, Charter, Insight, Bresnan, Verizon FiOS, AT&T U-Verse, Dish Network and DirecTV. It is also available for download on iTunes, Amazon Video On Demand, Xbox 360 and PS3.

Beer Wars definitely opened my eyes to the challenges that micro and craft brewers face when taking on the mega breweries. Here’s an idea, count how many beer commercials will be featured in the Super Bowl next weekend? The cost of one commercial airing during the Super Bowl outweighs the typical marketing budget of a micro brewery for an entire year. This is a movie that all beer drinkers need to watch.

Beer Wars website: http://beerwarsmovie.com/

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By admin, January 31, 2010 4:12 pm

Saint-Martin Cuvée De Noel

Not Your Typical Winter Seasonal Beer.

Brasserie De Brunehaut was founded in 1890 in the Belgian town of Brunehaut. In 1990, the brewery relocated to an updated facility with modern equipment.

Brasserie De Brunehaut grows all of their barley and wheat used for brewing, guaranteeing quality and consistency in their beers. All of their beers are bottle refermented in 33cl & 75cl bottles, which adds to the overall complexity of the beer.

Today, the brewery still follows recipes developed by the original monks in 1890. They produce three styles of beer – Abbey, Organic, and Regional. The Saint-Martin Cuvée De Noel is one of Brasserie De Brunehaut’s Abbey ales.

Appearance:

Murky brown color with a slight ruby hue and a large khaki colored head that dissipates quickly. The dissipated head leaves behind some nice lacing.

Smell:

There is a very pronounced spiced aroma backed by notes of sweet candied sugar and caramel.

Taste:

Again, a very strong holiday spice flavor that is complimented by candied sugar, caramel, and hints of malt sweetness. At 8.5% ABV, the alcohol is noticeable but very subtle.

Mouthfeel:

The mouthfeel is much lighter than I was expecting. There is a crispness that I found unique for this style of beer.

Drinkability:

The light and crisp mouthfeel, combined with the very subtle alcohol presence makes this an easy and enjoyable drink.

Overall:

I had heard good things about the Cuvée De Noel and had been trying to find this beer for sometime in DC, which never happened. I was finally able to grab a bottle from the Foodery in Philly over the holidays.

This beer was definitely a surprise in a bottle. I was expecting a medium to full-bodied beer; a dark beer with a thick and coating mouthfeel – expected characteristics of winter seasonal beers. Instead, the Cuvée De Noel had crisp flavors with a much lighter body; making it a very drinkable. This is not your typical winter seasonal, but an enjoyable drink nonetheless.

Brewery website: http://brunehaut.com/

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By admin, January 25, 2010 10:37 pm

The Naked Pint

The Naked Pint, by Christina Perozzi and Hallie Beaune, provides a balance of wit and humor over beer history and facts. This makes for a worthwhile read that anyone can enjoy – whether you’re new to craft beer or a wily old veteran, you will walk away learning something new.

Both Beaune and Perozzi are renowned Beer Sommeliers from LA and their knowledge and passion for great beer is obvious in their writing style.

The creative and colorful cover of the book sets the tone for what awaits inside. Over the course of reading, I felt as if I were on a journey through craft beer enlightenment.

The book begins with Beer 101, which provides a great base of information for someone new to craft beer. Advanced topics include informative sections on specific beer styles, cooking with beer, proper glassware and beer supplies, home brewing recipes, and more.

The section on Bock beers exemplifies the cleverness and personality of this writing duo. The section is entitled, “I Wanna Bock with You: Bock Beers” – “This beer’s for you if you like: Getting kicked in the head. Goats. Freezing things. Toffee and Chocolate. Full-bodied richness. The Zodiac.” I love it!

The Naked Pint is not the end-all-be-all craft beer reference guide, but then again, it never tries to be. What it tries to be is a clever and fun read that both current and future craft beer lovers can enjoy.

Thank you Cristina and Hallie for writing such an entertaining and informative book on a subject that I truly love. It’s great to see more women in the craft beer scene – they bring a feminine flair to the Naked Pint that is refreshing compared to the text-book style of writing found in many books on the subject of craft beer.

This book’s for you if you like: Sass. Knowledge. Fun. Laughter. History. And of course… GREAT CRAFT BEER!

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By admin, January 13, 2010 6:53 pm

The Big Hunt

Last week, I attended a tweet-up session hosted by the Flying Dog Brewery. Flying Dog Brewery is Maryland’s largest brewery and the reigning Great American Beer Festival mid-sized Brewery of the Year.

The event was the official DC release of Flying Dog’s very limited Biere De Garde, appropriately named the Garde Dog. They were also serving the Raging Bitch, a Belgian-style IPA brewed to commemorate their 20th Anniversary.

Both beers were very enjoyable, but if I had to choose a favorite, I would have to go with the Raging Bitch. The name alone gives it an edge.

The Garde Dog is Flying Dog’s take on the classic French Biere de Garde style. This style of ale is traditionally brewed in the winter and spring to avoid problems with yeast that can sometimes occur in the warm summer months.

The Garde Dog is a beautiful golden color and pours with a shallow white head. It has a sweet and toasted aroma with hints of caramel and citrus fruits.

There is a nice overall balance to the flavorings of this beer. The citrus fruit flavors are complimented with caramel and a spicy malt sweetness.

Garde Dog’s light mouthfeel and average alcohol content (5.5%) make it a very drinkable beer that would be perfect on a warm summer day.

The following video is of Matt Brophy, Flying Dog’s Executive Brewer, describing the Garde Dog.

The Raging Bitch, on the other hand, is a completely different animal; it’s one feisty son-of-a-bitch! It weighs in at a formidable 8.3% ABV.

This brew has a beautiful citrus aroma with hints of clove, floral hops, and spices. The taste is just as good as the smell, if not better. The herbal hop bitterness and citrus flavors blend beautifully with hints of creamy sweet malt and a slight bite from the 8.3% ABV. Be careful, this bitch bites.

This was the first Tweet-up I have attended and definitely not the last. It’s easy to have a great time when you are surrounded by craft beer lovers, drinking delicious beer, and talking about Hunter S. Thompson and the Gonzo lifestyle.


Raging Bitch

Brewery website: http://www.flyingdogales.com/

Big Hunt website: http://www.thebighuntdc.com/

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By admin, January 6, 2010 9:02 am

"Who loves amazing craft beer and partying in Philly?" she asks. THIS GUY

Why go to Philadelphia for New Year’s? Well, Philly is one hell of a beer and food centric city. I haven’t been there since I was legally permitted to drink, and I had 6 beautiful and party-lovin’ ladies offering to be my tour guide. SOLD!

I arrived in the early evening on Wednesday the 30th and immediately cracked open a Pilsner Urquell. After a couple of drinks, the tour guides and I headed to Monk’s Cafe. I had heard countless good things about Monk’s and I wanted to see for myself if this Belgian beer emporium lived up to all the hype.

The beer selection was better than I had imagined. The “kid in a candy store” reference comes to mind. To kick things off, I started with a Pliny the Elder on tap. This was the first time I have had the Elder and I was simply blown away. You really can’t ask for much more out of an IPA/Double IPA. Following the Pliny, I had a delectable Rochefort 8, some amazing Brussels Mussels, and a 17.5% ABV Mikkeller Black to wash it all down.

After the delicious food and drinks, we hopped a cab to the Eulogy Belgian Tavern for a couple of roasty Ten FIDYs from Oskar Blues. Delicious canned beer makes for a great nightcap.

New Year’s Eve began with a trip to Reading Terminal Market to hunt-down our lunch from the plethora of vendors, and later stopping at the Foodery (which sells no food, only beer) to grab beer for the pre-game celebration. The beer selection at the Foodery was on point; I created a mixed six-pack of De Dolle Brouwers Stout, Saint-Martin Cuvée De Noel, New Holland Dragon’s Milk, Stoudt’s Winter Ale, Hitachino White Ale, and a Terrapin Big Hoppy Monster. There were still some Pilsner’s back at the place, so no need to overdo it.

To ring in the New Year, our party of seven headed to Drinker’s Tavern (home of the original PBR ripcord, and “$40 buys the bar a shot” motto) to consume copious amounts of adult beverages. The selection of beer was nothing to rave about but the Dead Guy Ale and Sierra Nevada Pale Ale they were serving hit the spot. They certainly helped chase down all the random shots that people were passing my way. Drinker’s was a great time and a pretty good bang for the buck.

You (or at least I) would think that New Year’s Day would be somewhat tame after a crazy night of debauchery. This is not the case in Philadelphia, where New Year’s Day is when the real party begins. The people of Philly freak out over the Mummers Parade. “What the hell is a Mummer?” you may ask. Well, your guess is as good as mine. All I know is that people dress in elaborate-colorful-crazy costumes, have a parade, and party like it’s going out of style. If you’re in town for the holiday, this is a must-see event, just make sure to dress for the tundra.

My next day started with brunch and then a tour of the pubs by some old friends. My favorites included Johnny Brenda’s with lively Sly Fox Chester County Bitter and Victory HopDevil. Both were straight from the cask and very well-received. Also, Devil’s Den with Barbãr Winterbok and Boulder Mojo Risin’. After running, well actually cabbing, all over the city, I decided to meet back up with my tour guides and a fellow craft beer lover who was celebrating his birthday. Happy birthday Mark!

I joined the party – mummers, my tour guides, and several other thirsty patrons – at the Dark Horse. A very large establishment – easy to get lost in and many stairs to fall down. After shots, some sloppy-dancing, spilled drinks and drunken follies, it was time to call it a night. This was a great way to finish the three day craft beer bender that we were on.

Ringing-in the New Year Philly-style was an amazing decision. Drinking phenomenal beer, eating delicious food, and having exceptional company is the perfect way to spend any holiday.

Special thanks to my posse of beautiful party companions – Britt, Blaire, Erin, Alex, Maria, and Rebecca – for being the ultimate tour guides and tearing up Philadelphia with me. It was a New Year’s I will never forget…except for the parts I can’t remember.


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By admin, January 3, 2010 11:04 pm

Tasting Room

Over the holidays, I had the opportunity to get a private tour of the Erie Brewing Company – the only independently owned microbrewery in my hometown of Erie, PA. Bill Bleil, Vice President and Treasurer, was kind enough to allow me to sample some of their beers (reviews to come) and show me around the brewery.

Erie Brewing Company was founded in October of 1993 and has been growing in popularity in the Great Lakes region ever since. They support the Erie area by purchasing bottles, growlers, artwork, T-shirts, and tap-handles from local companies. The beautifully hand-carved tap-handles in the tasting room (pictured to the right) are made by the Amish.

In 2008, Erie Brewing company’s Railbender Ale, their flagship beer, won the Bronze Medal in the Scottish Style Ale category at the Great American Beer Festival. This past year it won the Gold Medal by finishing first out of 29 other Scottish Style Ales.

Vat of Mad Anthony's APA

Erie Brewing Company’s year-round beers:

• Railbender Ale
• Mad Anthony’s APA
• Presque Isle Pilsner
• Misery Bay IPA

Seasonal specialties:

• Drake’s Crude Oatmeal Stout
• Golden Fleece Maibock
• Derailed Black Cherry Cream Ale
• Heritage Alt
• Fallenbock
• Ol’ Red Cease and Desist

Erie Brewing Company’s beers are currently available in Pennsylvania, New York, New Jersey, Maryland, Virginia, Florida, Alabama, Tennessee,
Kentucky, Indiana, Ohio, Michigan, and Oregon. Click here for more
information on retailers in these states.

Bottling Line

Although I grew up in Erie, Pa, I knew little about the local brewery. Over the years, the city of Erie has had breweries come and go, but Erie Brewing Company has survived because of its unique selection of award winning beers. This small microbrewery is a great example of the growth the craft beer industry is experiencing and it’s always great to see a local company succeed.

Thank you again Bill for the tour and keep up the great work!

Brewery website: http://www.eriebrewingco.com/

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By admin, December 17, 2009 12:00 pm

BrewDog

BrewDog Brewery, created by those innovative punks from Scotland, is giving all EU residents (which is a complete drag for us Yanks) the opportunity to own a stake in their company. BrewDog is the fastest growing and largest independent brewery in the UK. They have formalized all the legal paperwork to build a state of the art brewery that will be powered by windmills and powermass generators, making it completely self-sufficient.

Needless to say, this two year old brewery is positioning itself to become a leader in the growing international craft beer scene. They have already collaborated with the likes of Stone, Cambridge Brewing, and the Danish brewers at Mikkeller.

So why should you (once again, only if you are an EU resident) invest in BrewDog?

Some benefits to being a shareholder:

• Full Dividend Entitlement, equal to that of existing shareholders
• 20% Lifetime online shop discount
• Owning your very own part of BrewDog
• Owning part of our awesome new energy self sufficient brewery
• Owning part of our new BrewPub in Aberdeen and subsequent BrewPubs
• Sell and trade your shares on www.equityforpunks.com or at a potential later listing
• Having your say in how the company is run and vote on key decisions online

Here is what BrewDog says officialy on their site:

“We are looking for 10,000 BrewDog loving individuals to purchase shares in our company. This is your chance to buy into the BrewDog dream and share in our vision.

We believe the best way to further the growth of BrewDog is to ask you, the people who enjoy our beers, to be involved in BrewDog’s future.

By investing in BrewDog when we are just two years old, you will not only be involved in our future successes and long term growth but also have a great time owning a share in a fast-moving, fun-loving and dynamic young business.

BrewDog is redefining the UK beer scene, your share will buy you a piece of the Company.

BrewDog is about breaking rules, taking risks, upsetting trends and unsettling institutions but first and foremost, great tasting beer.”

Equity for Punks from BrewDog on Vimeo.

BrewDog is an exciting example of where the international craft beer scene is headed. They have quickly become one of my favorite breweries and I am looking forward to watching these innovative Scots continue to push the envelope of what is possible. A perfect example is their 32% ABV Tactical Nuclear Penguin beer. The strongest beer ever brewed by humans or penguins.

Brewery website: http://www.brewdog.com/

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By admin, December 12, 2009 9:58 pm

Bons Voeux from Brasserie Dupont

The Bons Voeux from Brasserie Dupont is a Saison, otherwise known as a farmhouse ale. Saisons are traditionally brewed in the winter, stored, and then drank in the summer.

The Bons Voeux that I am drinking came in a 750ML corked bottle, labeled by a cellar scene in yellow.

This opaque, golden-colored ale has orange hues and pours with an enormous white head.

The Bons Voeux is a sweet smelling brew with citrus aromas of lemon and orange peel and grassy hops in the background.

It’s easy to see why this beer is traditionally drank during the summer months. It has a very crisp, light and lively mouthfeel with a drier finish. The perfect choice for a warm afternoon in July.

There is a complexity to the flavors of this beer. Coriander, orange peel, and honey make up the base of flavors. While there is a presence of citrus fruit, the beer is more tart than sweet. The alcohol (9.5% AVB) is present but not overbearing.

Overall, the Bons Voeux is a good beer and an enjoyable drink. It is dryer than I was expecting but the overall complexity is really impressive. If you are looking for a farmhouse-style ale, you can’t go wrong with this brew from Brasserie Dupont.

Brewery website: http://www.brasserie-dupont.com/dupont/

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By admin, December 6, 2009 4:12 pm

Sierra Nevada Celebration Ale

There’s no better way to get into the holiday spirit than to crack open a tasty winter seasonal.

The Celebration Ale comes in the traditional 12 oz Sierra Nevada bottle. A wintery scene with a quaint little cottage in the countryside adorns the label. Before I go any further, I want to thank De Vinos for hooking me up with a bottle. Tis the season!

The Celebration Ale has a rich amber color with golden hues; pouring a huge head that leaves behind beautiful lacing.

This is one pungent smelling brew. The powerful presence of floral hops smacks you in the face. Citrus and spice balance-out this ale.

The overall flavor of the Celebration Ale is as massive as the aroma. The hopped-up flavor is complimented with toasted malt, citrus, and a dash of spice. The 6.8% ABV is obvious in taste, but never overpowers. The alcohol provides a nice warming effect that is perfect on a brisk winter night.

The name says it all. A case of this awesome ale will quickly turn a festive gathering into a full-blown celebration.

Brewery website: http://www.sierranevada.com/

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By admin, December 6, 2009 4:07 pm

Arabier by De Dolle Brouwers

The Arabier’s unique label has a picture of a parrot holding a beer glass. If a parrot is going to have a beer, it might as well be good one. The Arabier is not just good, it is an exceptional Belgian ale.

The Arabier is a golden yellow color and pours with a mountain sized, off white colored head.

This light bodied beer has a nice mouthfeel and is very drinkable for having 8% ABV and moderate carbonation.

There are strong aromas of citrusy fruits, apples, and honey. These sweet smelling aromas are only the beginning of this complex beer.

The true beauty of this beer lies in the flavor. The citrus and fruit flavors are complimented with sweet honey and toasted malts. There are beers that have sweeter, more pronounced flavors. However, there are few that are this complex and well-balanced from start-to-finish.

The Arabier is a great example of what a lightly golden colored beer can be. It is unfortunate that so many people equate lighter colored beer to the mass produced swill created by the American mega breweries. Yeah, I’m talking about you Anheuser-Busch.

Arabier, preferred by parrots everywhere.

Brewery website: http://www.dedollebrouwers.be/