As I mentioned with the hop shortage and ethanol driving up grain prices I believe the future of brewing is in it's past. Those grains and spices other cultures used to make fermented beverages before cultural and industrial era factors made the pilsner style the global heavyweight. Charlie on the latest episode of Speaking of Beer takes us into a glimpse of that future with the beers of Cervejaria Colorado. This Brazilian brewery uses it's own local ingredients to give us a unique take on the craft brewery movement, ingredients such as cassava root and orange-blossom honey from killer bees. My only disappointment really is that I couldn't join Charlie and the Draco Vista crew in getting to try a taste of their beers, but hopefully they will soon be in the US market and I'll be able to resolve that problem. But if you are interested where craft beer is going give the show a listen.

This little step won't fix the problem overnight but it does indicate that Professional and Homebrewers may see some easing in the hop shortage soon. I am sure the prices will remain higher, but if the farmers are getting a fair price I am okay with it. Just that we can get the hops we need is the more important point. (Via Appellation Beer)

Saturday's great beer day didn't actually start at the Dogfish Head Off-Centered Experience it started at Draco Vista studios for Wingin It. One of the many reasons I enjoy going and participating at the studio is the great beers. Some of them I bring and then there is the Magic beer frig always filled with variety brews from around the country and the globe. This last weekend was no exception.

Two beers stood out to me this visit. The first was Skärgaards Porter from Nørrebro Bryghus. This Porter impressive with a sweet honey character that is balanced by it's roasted character. It was an interesting take on the modern Porter and one I hope to see more their beers here in the United States. I hadn't been planning to visit Copenhagen next time I get over to Europe, but now I am wondering if I shouldn't add Denmark to my plans and check out their beer scene.

The second was a vary random grab we were in the middle of the episode and we ran out of beer. I ran to the Magic beer frig and grabbed a couple of Le Coq Imperial Extra Double Stout. As soon as I popped the cap and discovered a cork inside I knew I had picked something special. A cabernet-like character was first evident in the cork and in the inital aroma. As the ale warmed though it transformed to more of a soy sauce character. It was only then that I looked to the bottle and realized it was 2001 Vintage, so this beer definitely ages well. If you want to find a classic example of the Russian Imperial Stout you'll be hard pressed to find a better example than this beer.

So check these beers out and if you enjoy geek humor and good beer give Wingin It a try.

Yes the photo evidence is true, second photo in the series, I was at the Dogfish Head Off-Centered Experience at Papago Brewing this weekend. The event raised funds for Brain Cancer Research.

It was a great experience. Ron Kioth, the owner, provided the perfect venue and environment for it to be a success. The tickets were limited to 100 each of the two sessions and while I know many others were interested in attending but couldn't because of it selling out early. The smaller group size provided a good balance of crowd, but not so much you couldn't move or enjoy yourself.

There was the best selection of Dogfish Head beers for the event that I have ever seen in Arizona. Of course there were the usual suspects one can find like the 60 Minute IPA or Chicory Stout. The more interesting were those we don't normally get to see like Chateau Jiahu, Johnny Rawton, and Olde School Barleywine. It was great to have the opportunity to taste those and I hope to see them in the Arizona stores in the near future. I'd love to elaborate on the many ones I was able to taste but sadly keeping indepth notes at any beer festival event is a losing battle, but a fun one to be sure.

I started with the Olde School Barleywine, small wonder I didn't keep excellent notes huh, while it had a strong alcoholic character it was well balanced with slightly Evergreen notes. I thought they were on the pine side, but a certain Food Geek thought they were more on the spruce/cedar side. I also got to sample the Burton Baton it was a very impressive Imperial IPA. It had a bit of a sweet wood component balance with a smooth, not hard bitterness. The Chateau Jiahu had an amazing delicate character, but I wasn't able to appreciate it properly because of the larger beers earlier I had tasted.

Last the entertainment it was well, Off-Centered. See the pictures I link to at the top of the post, but it was a unique experience and that frankly doesn't describe it right.

All and all it was great combination of great beer, people and entertainment, throw in that it was for charity and it was an experience that couldn't be beat. I hope the Off-Centered Experience returns to Arizona in the future.

I have seen this post in many other beer blogs today, but consider the potential danger I am going to post it as well if one more person sees it who didn't know before it's worth the effort.

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As a loyal supporter and fan of our beer, we wanted to get in touch with you about an announcement that we made yesterday. We have announced a cautious, voluntary product recall of some bottles of Samuel Adams. While there is no problem with our beer, we believe a small proportion of bottles from our outside glass supplier could contain some small bits of glass.

The bottles we've identified as being possibly affected are from one glass plant of the five that we get our bottles from. The issue affects less than 25% of our bottled beer and of that amount, we believe far less than 1% of the bottles we're recalling are actually affected. We have no reports of any injury from our drinkers related to this issue. But because the safety of our drinkers is of paramount concern to us, we are being cautious and issuing the recall for all bottles from this glass plant.

But not to worry, this doesn't mean that you have to stop drinking Samuel Adams! All draft beer is perfectly fine and most of our bottled beer is not in these possibly affected bottles. It's easy to spot the bottles we're recalling: they are all embossed to say "N35" at the base of the bottle below the label (see photo on web site). We are working with our wholesalers and retailers to ensure that the affected bottles are removed from stores quickly.

We wanted to be sure that our loyal Sam fans are aware of the problem and know that we are doing everything we can to address this situation quickly. We are disappointed that because of these bottles supplied to us, we didn't live up to your expectations as a loyal Sam Adams drinker. We believe that we are taking all the right steps to ensure that the bottled Samuel Adams beer out there meets our quality standards and your expectations. If you have any questions about the recall, we created a special website and a toll-free number 1-888-674-5159 to answer your questions.

As always, we appreciate your support.

Cheers,
Andrew & Bert

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Better safe than sorry to be sure. Between the Longshot competition, the hops shortage, and now how they handle this problem if anything is clear it's that Sam Adams is really making an effort to do what's best for the brewing community and be a good citizen. I think they really deserve due credit. Jim Koch may be known for referring to his brewery as "the biggest pygmy in the forest" I think it's his dedication to doing the right thing that makes him a real giant. So watch for those bottles in the recall, but otherwise go have a Sam Adams. They have expanded their production line and their holiday pack this last Christmas was really great so fans of craft beer should give them your support.

Sounds funny but when you hold it to the light you'll see what I mean. Special thanks to Charlie and Kris because of them I got the chance to sample Ten Fidy from Oskar Blues.

It's a beer so heavy even the aroma seems weighted down. It had subdued aroma with coffee notes and a thick, deep brownish foam when poured into a glass. Yes, the beer like all of Oskar Blues' beers come in a can but someone smart will pour it into a glass to get their beers full effect.

The beer was heavy and slick on the tongue, not to go all Gary Vaynerchuk in my description, but it reminded me of very thick chocolate milk, that chocolate layer at the very bottom of a glass that didn't completely mix into the milk. Coffee and chocolate with a bit of roast were dominant in the flavor.

Not a lightweight beer, not in the least. It demands your attention. It remained heavy and slick over your tongue. People like to say dark beer seems like motor oil, but Ten Fidy it's the real deal. Heavy, impenetrable, slick on the tongue. If not for the carbonation Ten Fidy's malt and sweet character would probably be too much.

Lots of residual sweetness, lactose? Maybe unfermented portion? I can not say but it's thick and rich, it could perhaps use a touch of bittering hops to better balance the equation. That said I think the unbalanced sweetness is the brewers intent, interesting choice for a brewery known for beers with a hoppy character.

It was one of the most interesting beers I have had in a long time. I hope to get more, next Winter when it gets cold here in the mountains again, because that is a beer to warm you on such nights and otherwise it's probably too heavy for someone.

From a recent MSNBC article on Obama...

"You know I got a beer down there. What do they cal it.. a Yuengling?" Obama said to a local man.
"Yuengling! Like you didn't know," the guy joked back.
"Trying a Pennsylvania beer, that's what I'm talking about. Is it expensive though?" Obama asked. "Wanna make sure it's not some designer beer or something."

Actually, it's from the oldest brewery in the nation.

Okay this bothers me, now honestly I worked in politics long enough to know he is playing for the camera and the audience, wants to be sure to play the common man but to do so in a joking way.

But to me the beer guy, saying that about what is one of the original craft breweries in the country, it turns me off. Over at What's on Tap William asks Why do most Americans drink bland lager? I suspect as long as people pull this “designer beer” line we will be fighting a long war.

As I mentioned in the comments “We are making progress artisanal foods, slow food, heck even the internet allowing people to choose their own media and news is breaking down walls. It’s not a quick progress, the harder you push, the slower the progress. I suspect homebrewers and local farmers market are our inroads to success.” I still believe it now, but it is ultimately a generational fight that craft beer has before it.

In an age where the artisanal is becoming appreciated again, even college bars are serving increasing variety of beers, we are making progress. Most of the bars in downtown Flagstaff when I turned 21 offered the usual lineup of domestics and might have Sierra Nevada or Anchor if you were lucky. Now I can't think of one that doesn't have at least 6-10 taps and only a couple are mass produced light lager.

Remember next time someone tells you 'designer beer' reply back “No, it's craft beer! Brewed with quality, craftsmanship, and love for an art” and what is more American than that?