You’ll have to excuse the lack of “news” postings around here lately but it’s tough to keep current with beer news when I have limited Internet access and am on the road for “work” in a different town in a different New England state each week. That being said, I found myself in the Three Needs Brewery & Pub in downtown Burlington, Vermont this afternoon with a pint of their Chocolate Thunder Porter (on nitro) in front of me. Before long, I had struck up a conversation with the Three Needs brewer (Jon… Sorry about that; excuse the moment of post-porter haze) and the barkeep (Monique) and had a full-fledged beer conversation going.

The Three Needs beer itself was pretty run of the mill (the Porter was quite interesting but the rest were not much to write home about) but the bar itself was one of the most fun I had been to in awhile. Small & intimate — everyone there seemed to know one another — the pub was decorated in a great eclectic mix of old tin beer signs andSimpsons memorabilia. And I cannot tell you the last time I was at a bar which was blasting They Might Be Giants Flood all the way up to eleven!

So, getting to the point – I know Stonch brought up the same question a couple of months ago (sorry, I couldn’t find the link), but I want to re-invigerate the question, What makes a favorite watering hole: The beer list (be it a brew pub where to beer is made on site) or the atmosphere (where they crank up the TMBG)? Or is it some combination of the two (as was the case with Three Needs)? Discuss (in the comments)!

Last week during a visit to Burlington, Vermont we were lucky enough to get a tour of the Magic Hat brewery (which I later learned isn’t really done right now due to the on-going construction). Our tour guide Chris showed us around, let us taste lots of great beer from Magic Hat and their organic off-shoot Orlio; we learned all about their current expansions — upgrading from a 150 barrel system to a 300 barrel system, a new much faster bottling line, and more — and the reorganizations of the company due to the recent aquisition of Seattle’s Pyramid Brewing Co. (including a new distribution of Pyramid on the East Coast! and vice versa); and got to pocket a couple of growlers to take home with us. If you find yourself in the Burlington area — once the construction is complete — stop into Magic Hat for a tour. In the meantime, be sure and check out their all-new artifactory full of small-batch beers you can only find there and lots of sweet schwag. For a first-hand account of the brewery inside and out, check out the slideshow of the pictures I took while on the inside:

As you may or may not remember, Dave of Tailgating Ideas won the grand prize of a flip video camera (care of MarketLeverage) on the contest that took place ’round here a couple of weeks ago. Well, the camera showed up on his doorstep yesterday and he made the following kick ass little video thank you, which I couldn’t help but re-post.

Dave is also giving away a Tailgate Haven t-shirt via the video. So, if for no other reason, at least watch and win. Thanks for the shout out, Dave, and again – congrats on winning!

If you live on the east coast, chances are you’re rained in tonight and what better way to spend a wet Friday evening than watching the first 2008 Presidentail Debate between Barack Obama and John McCain. And what better way to make it through the debate than by playing a fun little drinking game with a small group of your closest friends. Not sure how to play? Here’s a smattering of some of the Presidentail Debate Drinking Games spotted around the Interwebs today:

• Debate Watching Isn’t Just For Politicos [npr.org] – pretty thin and generic but worthy of inclusion for the comical fact that it comes at the recommendation of National Public Radio
• The Presidential Debate Drinking Game [Comedy Central's Indecision 2008] – wacky off-the-wall rules… would you expect any less from the folks at Comedy Central?
• Obama-McCain Presidential Debate Drinking Game [theseminal.com] – this one is pretty intense with lots of different drinks being required. Thankfully the site includes links to drink recipes for the more obscure required shots and things.
• Presidential Debate Drinking Game [The Official Blog of Author D. H. Schleicher] – This one breaks down the games nicely with generic rules for each debate and then debate-specific rules for foreign policy, the economy, etc.
• 2008 Presidential Debate Drinking Game [tvgrapevine.com] – a forum discussion with on-going rules.

And last but not least, this YouTube video from howcast.com – complete with visual instructions. Enjoy!

I’m stopped half-way between some high school visits in Northern Connecticut and some mini college fairs in southern Massachusetts but I wanted to point out an interview with Russian River Brewing Company’s Vinnie Cilurzo on CHOW.com.

Vinnie Cilurzo is regarded as one of the most innovative microbrewers in the country. He’s often credited with inventing the Double IPA, an ultrahoppy style that’s become extremely popular among craft-beer drinkers. More recently, Cilurzo has joined a handful of maverick American brewers in making Belgian-style ales fermented with an aggressive yeast called Brettanomyces. He’s also aging beer in old wine barrels, and adding strains of bacteria that impart sour flavors. He calls the results “funky beers,” and judging by the awards they’re racking up, they may just prove to be the future of American brewing.

To read the full question & answer interview with Cilurzo, check out the CHOW interview here. Cheers.