Posted: by russpowell (26 minutes ago)

Posted: by beerhermit (3 hours ago)

I have so much don't even know where to start. Email me what you are interested for and I'll give you a deal.

OK, OK - I'm getting inundated with emails.

Here's some idea of what is for sale
FDA beer line

air hose

Oxygen tank size E with stand and regulator and hose, medical grade for aerating wort properly

bottles

all the smaller stuff as well

Today at 3:00 p.m. (left coast time), the online auction for FredFest begins, and will close on Sunday, also at 3:00 p.m.

Here’s some of what’s up for auction, the proceeds of which will be donated to charity. You can find more information about the lots at the Liquid Solutions Blog and the auction itself is at Liquid Solutions.

1. Hair of the Dog Dave 1994 (375 ml)
2. Hair of the Dog Adam #1 1994 (12 oz.)
3. Full Sail Old Boardhead Vertical: 1998 & 1999 (12 oz.), 2001-2007 (22 oz.)
4. Pike Old Bawdy Vertical: 1996-1998, 2006-2007 (12 oz).
5. AleSmith: Old Numbskull (750 ml), Grand Cru (750 ml), Horney Devil (750 ml)
6. Lost Abbey: Older Viscosity (375 ml) Angel’s Share (375 ml), Lost and Found (750 ml)
7. Rodenbach Alexander 1991 (330 ml) and Rochefort 10 1999 (330 ml)
8. Westvleteren 12 1997 (11.2 oz.)
9. Anchor Brewing Commemorative Michael Jackson’s 60th Birthday Beer (1.5 L)
10. And others from Avery, Midnight Sun, J.W. Lees, Big Time, Fish Tale — and more

From the press release:

Beer aficionados across the nation will be reaching for their wallets this weekend when rare beers and vertical collections will be highlighted at the first-ever FredFest Online Beer Auction.

The auction starts at 3 p.m. PDT Friday, May 9 and begins to wrap up at 3 p.m. PDT Sunday, May 11. The auction is designed to run concurrently with FredFest 2008 — a celebration of the 82nd birthday of Fred Eckhardt, the Dean of American Beer Writers, which is taking place May 10 at Hair of the Dog Brewing Co., in Portland.

“FredFest started as a surprise 80th birthday party for Fred, but is coming back around in its third year as a fundraiser in the memory of fellow beer scribe and friend, Michael Jackson,” said FredFest co-organizer Lisa Morrison.

Each year, Eckhardt is asked to choose a charity for FredFest. This year, he chose Parkinson’s Resources of Oregon, a local affiliate of the National Parkinson Foundation. Jackson had been battling complications from Parkinson’s disease when he died last summer.

The first-ever FredFest online auction was the brainchild of Hair of the Dog owner Alan Sprints, Ben Love of Hopworks Urban Brewery and Matt Maples of Liquid Solutions bottle shop.

It’s for a worthy cause, so bid generously.

 

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Perhaps we should have headed to one of the nearby casinos last night. It takes a certain amount of luck to open seven bottles of Thomas Hardy’s Ale and find them all outstanding. Particularly when the last one is 40 years old.

By the time we got to the 1968 the sun had set on the Sandia Mountains — we drank these beers on our back portal — and the lights had come up in the Rio Grande Valley. We weren’t comparing how each beer looked in the glass or taking notes; instead talking about things friends talk about, although that certainly included the aromas and flavors from the succession of beers.

For the record, they were from 2003 (the first batch brewed at O’Hanlon’s), 1999 (the last batch brewed at Eldridge Pope), 1995, 1994, 1993, 1992 and then the 1968. [See yesterday’s post for details about how we got the 1968.]

Sorry, I don’t have a lot of adjectives for you. Perhaps that’s not in the spirit of blogging, but those are going to stay out there in the cool New Mexico air.

OK, since you guys pitched in with such friendly suggestions about dealing with the cork, just a few details. This was an “A” bottle, with the cork protruding from the top. When I gave it a gentle tug it broke off, leaving nicely solid cork in the neck.

That came out easily and cleanly with a corkscrew, emitting a surprising pop. We briefly discussed the implications — a little something wild going on after 40 years? First impressions included funky, adhesive and sewer water . . . but in a good way.

Within minutes those volatiles had faded. Still a lot going on in the glass, both great and not-so-great.

The best part? It sure as heck was still beer. And it sure as heck had soul.

Drinks giant Diageo ended months of speculation with an announcement today about beer production plans in Ireland. The $1.01 billion plan keeps part of the company's famous St James's Gate brewery in operation.

Diageo plans to close about half of St James's Gate and shut down breweries in Kilkenny and Dundalk. The company will also build a new brewery at the edge of Dublin. Diageo Chief Executive Officer Paul Walsh is quoted in press reports that the move shows the company's commitment to the "spiritual home" of Guinness. The Dublin location is the top tourist attraction in Ireland.

Diageo plans to sell part of the site and the breweries in Kilkenny and Dundalk. Estimates are that the sale could attract between $750 million and $800 million. The St James's Gate site is where Arthur Guinness began brewing in 1759. He would later originate Guinness Stout at the brewery.

The new Dublin brewery would be for export production, particularly to serve the growing demand for Guinness in a number of African nations.

Rep. Terese Berceau is being urged to reintroduce a bill to increase the tax on a barrel of beer in Wisconsin from $2 to $10
.
The Marathon County Board of Health approved a draft resolution supporting the tax hike approved a draft of the resolution Tuesday that would call for an increase to pay for alcohol treatment, prevention and enforcement.

Wisconsin has one of the lowest taxes on beer in the country. During the last session, legislators decided not to act on Rep. Berceau's bill and it died when the session ended.

The voting Tuesday in North Carolina got plenty of attention around the country, but two important votes on ending Prohibition received just minor coverage.

In Indian Trail voters approved the sale of beer and wine at restaurants, hotels and motels. It was a landslide, with 66.3 percent of voters approving of beer sales and 64.1 percent pulling the yes lever for wine.

Indian Trail Citizens for Progress supported the measure saying it would bring business to the town and cut down on the need for people to drive outside of Union County to have a drink with dinner.

In Denton, nine questions concerning the sale of alcohol in the community were voted down. The proposals ranged from allowing beer or wine sales on-premise to bringing an ABC store to the community. A little more than 500 people voted, with about 60 percent voting against each option. Members of the Bethel Baptist Church and a group called Citizens for a Drug and Alcohol Free Denton worked to defeat the proposals.

It was the fifth time in 18 years that proposals to end Prohibition in Denton have been defeated.

Meanwhile, a third North Carolina community, Taylorsville, may soon get the chance to vote in a referendum to allow on-premise mixed drink and beer sales. Taylorsville already allows off-premise beer and wine sales at grocery stores. The community has an ABC store.

Taylorsville is located in Alexander County, which is dry. There is a movement picking up steam in the county to have a vote to allow off-premise beer and wine sales.

These are the 45 best beers that Hedonist Beer Jive has ever had, ranked and ordered for your purchasing edification:

1. BRASSERIE DE ROCHEFORT – Trappistes Rochefort 8 (Belgian Strong Dark Ale)
2. MOYLAN’S – Hopsickle (Double IPA)
3. UNIBROUE – La Fin Du Monde (Belgian Strong Pale Ale)
4. ST. BERNARDUS – Grotten Brown (Belgian Strong Dark Ale)5. THREE FLOYDS - Alpha King (American Pale Ale)
6. AVERY BREWING – The Reverend (Quadrupel)7. MOONLIGHT – Reality Czeck (Czech Pilsner)8. STONE BREWING – IPA (IPA)
9. MOONLIGHT – 2006 Toast Malt Liquor (American Amber/Red Lager)
10. HACKER-PSCHORR – Dunkel Weiss (Dunkel Weizen)
11. LOST ABBEY - Devotion Ale (Belgian-Style Blonde Ale)
12. RUSSIAN RIVER – Damnation (Belgian-Style Strong Golden Ale)13. RUSSIAN RIVER – Blind Pig (IPA)
14. BROOKLYN BREWING – Extra Brune (Flanders Oud Bruin)
15. BEAR REPUBLIC - Racer 5 (IPA)16. DARK HORSE - Tres Blueberry Stout (American Stout)
17. DENNISON’S – Weizen (Hefeweizen)18. AVERY – Fourteen (Belgian Strong Dark Ale)19. MARIN BREWING - Tripel Dipsea (Tripel)
20. AVERY – White Rascal (Witbier)21. MOYLAN’S – IPA (IPA)
22. LANGUNITAS – Freak Out! (IPA)
23. RUSSIAN RIVER – Rejection (Belgian Black Ale)
24. FIRESTONE WALKER – 10 (Barleywine)
25. UNIBROUE – Maudite (Belgian Strong Dark Ale)
26. ANDERSON VALLEY – Boont Amber (American Amber/Red Ale)
27. DRAKE’S – Denogginizer (Double IPA)
28. DESCHUTES – 2006 Jubel Ale (Winter Warmer)
29. LOST ABBEY – Avant Garde (Biere De Garde)
30. BRASSERIE DE ROCHEFORT – Trappistes Rochefort 6 (Belgian Strong Dark Ale)31. SOUTHERN TIER - Heavy Weizen (Imperial Hefeweizen)32. ST. BERNARDUS - Prior 8 (Dubbel)
33. NORTH COAST – Old Stock 2004 (Old Ale)
34. PORT BREWING – Hop Suey (Double IPA)
35. RUSSIAN RIVER - O.V.L. Stout (American Stout)
36. LOST ABBEY – Angel’s Share (Barleywine)37. BROOKLYN BREWING – Local 1 (Belgian-Style Golden Ale)38. BROWERIJ DE DOLLE – Oerbier (Belgian Strong Dark Ale)
39. BOULDER BEER – Hazed & Infused (IPA)40. DOGFISH HEAD – 90-Minute IPA (IPA)
41. GREEN FLASH – Saison (Saison)
42. DOGFISH HEAD – Aprihop (Fruit Beer)
43. SIERRA NEVADA – Celebration Ale 2007 (IPA)
44. LOST ABBEY – Avant Garde (Biere de Garde)
45. GOOSE ISLAND – 312 Urban Wheat (American Wheat Ale)

This really only applies, I suppose, if you're local to (Central) Oregon. But my friend Simone is having a big garage sale this weekend, and they're getting rid of some homebrewing equipment, and as a favor I'm running the list here if anyone's interested:

• Primary Fermenter (5 gallon carboy)
• Stainless Steel Soda Tank (5g)
• Aluminum Keg (5g)
• Bottling Kit
• Black Metal Wart Cooker (5g)
• Copper Coil (wort chiller)

Anyone have any interest? Contact me if you do and I'll put you in touch.

I get various press releases and such sent to me, most of which I run, but they're always about beer. But today, I got one promoting Magners Irish Cider. I'm out of the cider loop, so even though it's a typical PR piece, it was interesting enough for me to comment on it.

Here's the meat of it:

This year, many Americans will be picking up the Irish tradition of drinking Magners Irish Cider "over ice."

Magners is the only hard cider imported from Ireland and has a crisp, refreshing taste. Often referred to as the "wine of Ireland," Magners is less filling than beer, more refreshing than wine, and not as sweet as artificially flavored malt beverages. Additionally, Magners is 100% naturally Gluten free, providing refreshment for over 3 million US consumers who cannot drink beer.

Magners is made from juice derived from 17 varieties of apples which are grown in Clonmel, Ireland, and specifically chosen for cider production. Magners has 4.5% alcohol and only 215 calories per pint bottle. Magners is now available in over 20 states in pint bottles, draught and 11oz bottles. A pint bottle will run anywhere between $5.50 and $7.00.

The interesting points to me:

• The "only hard cider imported from Ireland"—is it really? Is there much in the way of Irish cider in general?
• Gluten free, which I can see being a big selling point (though all cider is/should be gluten free).
• 17 varieties of apples(!).

Perhaps I should start checking out the cider segment of the market.

Posted: by Bitterbill (20 hours ago)

Last month Russian River Brewing collaborated with Italian brewer Agostino Arioli, who owns Birrificio Italiano, to brew one of his beers, La Fleurette, there in Santa Rosa, California. I was there on the brew day (and documented the process in photos), and was eagerly looking forward to tasting the results. Saturday it was tapped and I went up Tuesday to try it. Because the beer was conceived in love, I got a growler of the beer to bring home to share with my wife, the love of my life.

La Fleurette in my garden, among the roses. It was cloudy golden amber and produced a pillowy white head. It had aromas of peppers and a honeyed sweetness, with surprisingly few botanicals. It was light and very refreshing. The mouthfeel was silky smooth, liquid velvet with a touch of gritty pepperness. The honeyed sweetness dominates the flavor profile. The finish is very clean, with only a gentle spiciness lingering after.

Vinnie told me that when they racked the beer, it was all pepper and little else, and it’s been changing quite a bit ever since. Apparently, the flowery aromas I think I expected more of have been coming and going. I believe they’ll be pouring it at the Boonville Beer festival this Saturday, so I wonder what it will be like then. It’s definitely worth seeking out, if you get a chance.

James shoveling barley at the new brewery, only days away from its first brew. I also stopped by the new brewery to see how things were progressing. Vinnie was in the brewhouse, cleaning everything and preparing for the first brew, which should be any day now.

 

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Here’s the second offering from Boulevard that I’m trying out. Yesterday, I told you guys that this was a Hefeweizen but, actually, it appears that this is an American style wheat. Normally, this is a bummer for me, ’cause I really like the Bavarian style. However, this does also claim to be the best-selling craft beer in the Midwest, so there must be something to it, right? Let’s see…

This beer pours a lightly hazy golden color - about right for a wheat ale, but maybe a bit lighter. Also, there is a ton of carbonation in the form of tiny streams of bubbles - this is becoming a theme with Boulevard beers, and not a bad one. The aroma here is fairly non-descript. The main component is citrus, without much else rearing its head. In the mouth, this is actually much more flavorful than I expected. However, I can’t say I’m totally sold. There is a decent amount of citrus here, and a ton of sweet wheaty malt. Interestingly, the wheat flavor here is a bit mustier than I’m accustomed to, giving it a flavor that is akin to wet cardboard. Okay, now, I know that sounds terrible. It’s not THAT bad. This wet cardboard sensation is fairly fleeting, occurs near the middle of the tongue, and then transitions into a second burst of sweetness with a light tart flavor that is very good and flows into the aftertaste, slowly diminishing over several seconds. In fact, while I’m not into cardboard, it does make an interesting divider between the light early citrus and the late tart sweetness. Really, this isn’t a bad beer, especially for an American version. It’s big and flavorful and ends on a high note. I still wouldn’t take it over most any Bavarian wheat beer, but I consider this a good and interesting American take on the genre.

A Good Beer Blog --

Ron's plate o' meat

Ron's Spring '08 central European road trip with Andy has been fun to follow but today's installment has to be the best. In it he uncovers a local brewing tradition played out in one small German region, watches people eat a lot of meat, finds a new hop-based spirit to drink and decides to spend the night. But the traditions of brewing this one beer, Zoigl, is a little weird:Back at our hotel, Andy has a chat with the landlord. Yes, he does have Zoigl on. Hooray! Even though the official Zoigl time ended on Sunday (it's Tuesday, if you've lost track). He has a little flyer with the Zoigl schedule for the year printed on it. They're very well organised. Each of the five brewing families in Neuhaus takes it in turns to sell Zoigl Thursday to Sunday. Like I said, it's Tuesday. Once a year (3rd of October in 2008), all five Zoigl families sell beer simultaneously. I'll mark that date in my calendar.It's Zoigl-tastic! It's so Zoigl-tastic I suspect if this beer were called Neuhausbrau or, say, zblat or something else I would not be nearly as interested. But what really amazes me is that there isn't a TV crew following Ron around on these tours. Surely - if there is a golf channel and a world fishing network - there must be an appetite for a station that follows a group of eloquent middle aged beer hounds around rooting out the back woods beer traditions of small communities. And describing the local smoked meats that go with them. As they get snapped.

We need to put out nickels together and make this happen.

A beer my sole prize.
After heroic effort,
No joy in Mudville.

Written by Captain Hops.

References: Comcast took three weeks and three visits to accomplish nothing. Verizon started out strong using an impressive amount of dedication and ingenuity to delicately muscle through the first couple of problems. Things seemed to be going well. Visible work was getting done. Items were looking complete. When hurdles came up, they threw team members at it. No one gave up. But at the end of the day… still no internet, still no TV, and now no dial tone. They say it should all be straightened out first thing in the morning.

Sponsor: Beer Haiku Daily merchandise. Get the official T-Shirts here. They make great gifts!

Have a 5 gallon glass carboy for sale for $12. They are $20 new plus shipping/tax.

I also have some of the carboy handles and carboy caps that fit the 5 gallon.

Pics are http://www.northernbrewer.com/pics/fullsize/carboyhandles.jpg

and http://www.northernbrewer.com/pics/fullsize/carboy-caps.jpg

Will do them for $4 and $1.
home brew homebrew beer brewing carboy fermentor
Thanks.

Today is Dave Alexander’s 45th birthday. Dave is the co-owner, along with his wife Dianne, of the world famous Brickskeller beer bar in Washington, DC. He’s also a crack bass player who often plays with the Rolling Boil Blues Band. Join me in wishing Dave a happy birthday.

Celebrator publisher Tom Dalldorf, a young Vinnie Cilurzo and Dave at a Brickskeller fresh hop event several years ago.

Tom Dalldorf again, with the Beer Fox Carolyn Smagalski, and Dave and Dianne Alexander, at the Brewer’s Reception at Wynkoop at the start of GABF last year.

 

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Brewing giant InBev has reported disappointing first-quarter earnings, a combination of lower beer sales and higher ingredients prices.

In the United States, craft beer sales leader Boston Beer’s sales continued strong but the company lost money in the first quarter because of its bottle recall.

InBev, based in Belgium, predicted the second of the year would be stronger. Beer sales fell in key market Brazil, partly due to inflation, an early Carnival holiday season and poor weather conditions. In eastern Europe, another key driver of growth last year, volumes were off 5.7%.

Cost of sales grew by almost 10%. InBev said weighted average inflation in the countries in which it operated was moving towards a 5-6% range, higher than the 4% it had foreseen.

Boston Beer, brewer of the Samuel Adams beers, had a net loss for the quarter of $3.7 million, with the estimated negative impact of the recall on net income of $8.8 million. It’s depletions from inventory increased 12%, indicating continued strong sales.

“We achieved 12% depletions growth in the first quarter over a very strong first quarter last year,” founder Jim Koch said. “We feel good about this growth and the continued overall positive craft beer category trends, even as our whole category has raised prices in the face of significant cost pressures.”

Had a great beer the other night from the country of Belgium – perhaps you’ve heard they make some fine ales over there. There was this Belgian Christmas ales pack I treated myself to a few months ago, and one that looked particularly tantalizing was this SERAFIJN CHRISTMAS ANGEL from the ACHILLES BREWERY in Itegem, Belgium. You ever been to Itegem before? I understand they make a damn good Christmas tripel there. That’s what this was – a light-colored, spicy, very Christmas-like tripel that warmed the palate and filled the mouth with yeast and carbonation. Fruits were observed during the course of drinking this, banana perhaps, along with a more rich and dark toffee taste that really rang true on a Tuesday night. So far it’s the best thing in that Christmas pack, and here we are in May and I still have one more to go. Serafijn Christmas Angel = 8/10!