Thousands gather to drink beer, violence ensues

I find this difficult to believe—these girls wouldn't hurt a fly. Not sober, anyway. In any case, the important thing to remember is: if you outlaw beer steins, only outlaws will have beer steins.

This is where the term "lunatic" came from

Luna–the moon, that is, which it was believed would drive you mad if it shone on you while you slept. And maybe it does, I'm no moonologist. Belgian brewers are braving the madness-inducing moonlight to produce a beer brewed under autumnal moonlight to activate the yeast more vigorously, bestow magical qualities, give werewolves something they can really own in the adult beverage segment. It sounds like b.s. to me, but hey, somebody's probably selling it for a zillion dollars a bottle. Don't be surprised when we roll out our garlic-flavored vampire beer next month. I'll call it "Twilight beer"…my wife will buy some, for sure. (H/T Ashley Bowles).

Hey China, it's only PBR

I'm conflicted–on the one hand, I'm offended by this reference to PBR (being marketed in China as a top-shelf brew) as "bottom of the barrel." On the other hand, I like the idea of people paying $40 a bottle for PBR, even if they are in China and don't know any better. Behold, the power of marketing! (Hat tip: Ashley Bowles).

There is some truth to the idea of "12 oz. curls"

Finally, the news I've been waiting for. I can now move on to scouring Lexis-Nexis for the headline "Donuts and pizza make you handsome."

Best Beers for Summer

The editors at Esquire magazine have compiled an extremely short list of the best beers for summer. For example, if you like Corona, you should drink Goose Island's Summertime, and so forth. I like that Boulevard's Zon (Belgian White) is represented; I really only have two problems with this list: first, there are only 4 beers on this list, so kind of what's the point; and B, everyone knows the best beer for summer is the one that's closest. Far more offensive is this list of their top 10 canned beers, for those of us who plan on spending the summer tubing down a lazy river–offensive because they refer to Genesee Cream Ale as "thick but flat, bitter but creamy," disgusting and (inexplicably) nostalgic. I have not experienced Genesee in a can, but the bottled version is decent, and M&B Cream Ale is super-delicious and refreshing, so to sum up, the Chardonnay-swilling boobs at Esquire can shove it.

Pizza + Beer = Pizza Beer?

It's true, and horrifying: these people actually put a whole pizza into the mash, let it ferment and bottled it. And who knows? Maybe it's good (though I sincerely doubt it). My biggest issue is that they left out all the meat, which for me is like kissing your sister. If you're going to put a pizza into a bottle of beer, have the decency to include some sausage or something. In any case, it sounds disgusting, but I'd be happy to hear from y'all with dissenting views. (Hat tip to Ashley B for the link—Ash, I owe you a pizza beer).

Better a do-nothing congress than a BREW-nothing congress

The economy is in the toilet and thousands of gallons of sweet crude are gushing into the gulf as I type this, but all is not lost. Colorado representative Betsy Markey is at least doing SOMETHING productive by sponsoring HR 1297, recognizing the ideals and goals of American Craft Beer week (which we're smack-dab in the middle of right now, people, May 17-23). A chicken in every pot is no substitute for a craft beer in every hand. My only disappointment is that, given the zillions of great beers she could have referenced, she only made mention of Skinny Dip by New Belgium Brewing Company, possibly the most macro of microbreweries. It's as ridiculous as a president holding a "beer summit" at the White House and drinking a Bud Light.

I Have Seen My Future…

…And it involves brewing in the basement of the old folks home. This is actually a pretty cool story about how a bunch of Depression-era guys are reliving their old moonshinin' days by brewing beer at their retirement home.

Take THAT, winos!

This article, from my old hometown's birdcage liner of record, the Quad-City Times, confirms what I've always known: beer is good for you! Well, no worse than any alcoholic drink, anyway, and better than wine in terms of imparting Vitamin B and protein, while still providing the heart-disease kryptonite. That's assuming you stick to one a day, so, nuts. Oh well, that's the science and I'm sticking to it. I will notify you, faithful readers, when the "Funyuns are good for you" article hits the presses.

Boulevard's New Seasonal!

From beernews.org:

"Sierra Nevada Brewing did it last month with Glissade Golden Bock. Now it’s Boulevard’s turn. Word around the blogosphere is that Boulevard Boss Tom’s Golden Bock is a twist on the brewery’s draft-only Maibock."

“First introduced in 2008, Boulevard Maibock is a new, limited-release seasonal brew. A welcome sign of Spring, this beer is a traditional German lager, lighter in color than other bocks. Boulevard’s Maibock is a distinctive, refreshing take on this springtime classic.
SENSORY DESCRIPTION: Medium golden color; caramel and malty with a light bitterness to balance the toasted malty flavors. The finish is crisp and refreshing."

"So who is Boss Tom? The neck label reads, “From 1925 until 1939, Kansas City was controlled by the powerful political boss Thomas J. Pendergast, whose ‘Goat’ faction feuded with rival ‘Rabbits’ for partisan dominance. The atmosphere of graft and lawlessness fostered a boom in jazz clubs and speakeasies, earning our town the title ‘Paris of the Plains.’”

Boss Tom is expected to hit the shelves in early April.

Glissade (which is on the selves now - and seen on tap at Barley's) is a great beer and here's to hoping that Boss Tom will be too! Can't wait to try it!

A Tale of Two Reds.

So the Blue River Brewers Guild will be getting together Saturday to brew and I was thinking to myself that Matt and I talk a lot about the beers we drink - how they taste, new styles, and even beer related news - but rarely do we talk about the science of brewing, such as the recipes and process (the magic so to speak). So pull up a bar stool and grab a pint as we delve into the science of beer.

We (meaning the guild) have decided to stay a little more traditional (and seasonal) for this next brew session with planned brews of an Irish Red, a Scottish Ale, and for a little twist, a Belgian Red. Let's focus on the two reds shall we? Both are an ale - which differs from a lager - meaning they are warm fermented (room temperature) using a top fermenting yeast strain (Saccharomyces cerevisiae). Lagers on the other hand are cold fermented (usually 40-50 degrees) using a bottom fermenting yeast (S. pastorianus).

But I digress. Both the Irish and Belgian Reds will be brewed using the same base grain bill - in other words the same recipe. What is that recipe you may ask? Well most beers start with a good base grain of pale malted barley. In our case both have about 7.5 pounds of an English pale malted barley (Maris otter by name). To impart flavor, sweetness, and color to different styles of beer, other varieties of malted barley that have been kilned to various degrees are used. The longer the malted barley is kilned, the more caramelized and darker the barley becomes. These darker malts (called crystal malts) will darken the color of the beer along with adding more roasted and toffee like flavors to the beer profile. In our case we are using about a 1/3 pound of 60 degree crystal malt - a medium kilned malted barley that will impart some residual sweetness to the beer. We also will be using a very small amount of roasted barley. Roasted barley is essentially kilned for a long time giving it a burnt appearance and strong black color. This type of grain is typically used in Irish stouts to give a strong roasted, coffee like flavor as well as dark black color. In our case we are only using about 1 oz which should impart a nice reddish hue with very little flavor added.

The other major ingredient of beer of course is hops. Hops is used both to add bitterness to the beer as well as flavor and aroma. In the case of our styles, we are wanting a medium bitterness and only a slight hop aroma and very little hop flavor. Both will use 1 oz of Northern Brewers hops for bittering but as for finishing hops, we will use the more traditional English Fuggles hops for the Irish and Czech Saaz hops for the Belgian.

So if both are using the same grain bill, won't they then taste the same you may ask? Ah, here is where the magic truly begins. Although much of the flavor of beer is due to the grains and hops used in the recipe, yeast plays an equally important role. In our case, the Irish Red will be fermented using an Irish Ale yeast strain - a variety of S. cerevisiae used extensively in Ireland that will leave the beer slightly malty with a residual dryness - similar to a Guinness. The hop character will be accentuated but the yeast overall will impart very little flavor - the grains and hops will be the main players in the taste of the beer. Our Belgian Red however will use a Belgian Ale yeast strain - a variety of S. cerevisiae that will impart a fruity, spicy, phenolic note to the finished beer (many insist that we have added spices such as coriander or peppercorns to our Belgian beers when in fact the spicy note is solely due to the yeast). This yeast strain will add a uniqueness as well as dryness to the flavor of the beer - much different from the Irish. In addition, we will be adding a pound or so of dextrose (corn sugar) to the Belgian wort which will ferment out creating a much higher alcohol beer than the Irish as is typical of the Belgian styles - more along what typically is called a Belgian Double.

From what started out using the same grains and only slightly different finishing hops, will be two very different beers due to the yeast. Both should be ready just in time for St. Paddy's day. Of course I am giving you the Reader's Digest version of what all goes into brewing. From time to time, maybe we will share more if there is interest. Or better yet, the best way to learn how we do it, is to join us for some hands on learning.

All this typing has made me thirsty. Lucky for me I have a bottle of Boulevard's Irish Ale down in the beer chest to quench that thirst. In the mean time - head down to your own local liquor store and pick a few red styles of your own to sample. Cheers!

-Ben

Beer: Good For Bones

Here's yet more proof of what I've suspected for years: beer is good for you! Specifically, it's good for your bones. I'd venture to say that trumps every negative potential consequence of beer consumption. (Hat-tip: Ashley Bowles. Thanks, Ash!)

More Boulevard in the Media

By now you know of our admiration for the fine people at Boulevard Brewing Company. For those of you who are unable to see the operation firsthand, our local Fox affiliate offers this virtual "behind the scenes" tour of Kansas City's hometown brewery, accompanied by the strains of 80s-era Jackson Browne. Enjoy!

St. Louis now a Boulevard town?

Interesting article from the Kansas City Star in yesterday's paper about Boulevard (and Schlafly - a St. Louis based microbrewer) gaining market share in St. Louis. Most of the market share increase is attributed to backlash against the new foreign ownership of Anheuser-Busch by Belgian based InBev. Not a coincidence that Boulevard rolled out a new pilsner beer that in addition to being distributed in K.C. also was distributed in St. Louis. Also, the recent additions of fermentors at the plant in K.C. is rumored to help in stepping up the pilsner production which is rapidly becoming a best seller for Boulevard. InBev states they are not too concerned with a 3-4% decline in sales since their market share is so huge, it doesn't impact the overall bottom line. But for the little guys like Boulevard and Schlafly that 3-4% accounts for a 38% increase in sales in the St. Louis market. Chalk one up for the little guy!

This bud's for you, man

I'm a guy who likes to multi-task, even when it comes to food—why eat a meal of individual meat, bread and vegetables when I can just have a pizza?—so I can appreciate the motivation behind combining beer and weed. If you could just drink your THC and alcohol simultaneously rather than alternating drinking and toking, imagine how much time you'd have to listen to Phish albums! Alas, according to this Homebrewer's Hints piece (scroll down past the picture for the article), it's not so easy; even though cannabis and hops are from the same family, hops impart a desirable aroma and flavor, whereas cannabis does not. Worse, adding pot to the boil has the effect of boiling off the THC, so you're left with dry-hopping (which requires a fair amount of the substance and leaves your beer tasting like pot) or adding it to individual bottles at bottling time (which also leaves your beer tasting like pot). Bummer.

I'll take a Whopper, large fries, and a beer.

Have it your way may now take on a new meaning! Burger King looks to be the first fast food joint to start offering beer - that's right, I said beer! - at select outlets. This is nothing new for Europe as Burger King already sells beer at locations in Germany, but this certainly will be a first for the states (and the beginning of a new trend?). Reports are that Burger King will be serving beer at a location in Miami Beach. Check out the article here to read more!

Put on your thinking caps!

My dad, who is clearly familiar with my history of drinking swill throughout most of the 9os, directed me to this quiz. How much do you know about cheap beer? Test your remaining brain cells to find out!

Yes, January IS a good time to brew beer!

Wow!

Matt is right in that there seems to have been a drought of posts here on the blog since the New Year. I wish there was some monumental excuse or event I could blame the lack of keeping all four of you informed on the happenings in the world of beer, but alas it is not the case. Just plan laziness on my part. Although, on the up side, even though our posts have been anemic, our beer consumption (especially new beers!) has been quite healthy.

So much to write about, where to begin? I guess the most important is to let you all know Matt and I are brewing Monday MLK day. Yes, we know it is January, and that this winter in K.C. has been on the slightly frigid side but we are willing to brave the cold all in the name of brewing great beer (and perhaps the greater driving force, in desperate need of re-stocking our homebrew fridge). We are getting back to our homebrew roots by brewing our Inaugural Belgian Ale - the first beer brewed by M&B. An excellent example of the Belgian style using an authentic Belgian Ale yeast strain and the use of candied sugar to boost the alcohol. Slightly less heavy than a true Belgian double, but a good tasting session beer. Our two other beers will be from the same base grain bill but will turn into two distinctly different beers, one will use a Belgain Saison yeast strain the other our first ever lager - a Czech Pilsner. Both should be quite tasty and Matt and I are very excited at the opportunity to stretch our brewing skills with the Pils!

As I noted earlier, Matt and I have been busy expanding our beer tasting horizons over the Holiday break. Mostly with Lagunitas Brewing Company offerings, all quite tasty (and becoming one of our favorite brewers). We also made a nice little pilgrimage to Freestate Brewery down the road in Lawrence sampling many of their fine brews. If you have the chance to get over there, right now they have Cape of Good Hope IPA on tap - absolutely phenomenal!

Of course being the New Year, we all have new resolutions that we are rapidly breaking. Hoever, one I hope to maintain is to be a little more faithful in posting to the blog. So keep tuned for all things beer!

Cheers!

-Ben

Ask and Ye Shall Receive (Hopefully)

First off, happy new year! I'd like to say I was in a coma, or volunteering at a Romanian orphanage for the past month, but the truth is I haven't posted since before Christmas because I've been busy and/or lazy. A little of the post-holiday blahs, maybe? That's the nice thing about beer, though—there's nothing like a depressant to chase the blues away! and that's why we're here. Which segues nicely into this…

I got an e-mail from my old boss, who just sold his company and probably made a jillion dollars, and he's in Florida, where Dogfish Head beers are ubiquitous. It got me thinking: why can't I get a Dogfish Head here? Instead, I have to drive to another state. How can I get Dogfish Head to distribute here in the heart of America's breadbasket? Then I read this article, which contained this sensible advice: if you want a brewer to distribute here, write or e-mail them and say so. Makes sense. The piece referenced Lagunitas, which became widely available in Missouri last year (and noticeably so; that stuff's great and apparently is everywhere, which is fantastic).

So, if you are a fan of Dogfish Head, or Stone, or whatever great beer you want but can't get where you live, send an e-mail! It may not work (or it may work veeeeeeery slowly), but if you don't ask, you shouldn't complain when it doesn' t happen.