by Luke on November 29, 2008
As I was finally sitting back down to my computer this afternoon, after a few much needed days off, to get re-acquainted with the Internet’s beer happenings, the last place I expected to come across anything Beer was Boing Boing but in fact, there it was – a great post on homebrewing and what makes it such a genuinely special hobby. The story, entitled Why Homebrewing is Better (and believe me, it is), begins with a quote by Andy Warhol which sums up what makes homebrewing homebrewing. It reads,
Every professional performer always does the same thing at exactly the same moment in every show they do. What I like are things that are different every time. That’s why I like amateurs.
The post, which was written by Boing Boing regular Dale Dougherty, details Dougherty’s all-grain brewing set up and likens the homebrewing session to a workshop where people gather around the equipment to talk shop and enjoy the fruits of their labor.
While certainly not a monumental article or anything, I always enjoy seeing pieces on beer & homebrewing pop up in unique places online away from the often close knit world of beer blogs. So, if for no other reason than needing a little inspiration before your next brew, check out Dougherty’s article here & happy brewing.
by Luke on November 27, 2008
Happy Thanksgiving, Everyone!
May you have all that you’re thankful for around your dinner table today. Good friends, good family, good times & good beer.
Peace and happiness,
Luke
by Luke on November 26, 2008
Hey Portlanders, I know it’s last minute but here are a few head’s up which were too good not to pass along: First, off Rob Todd and the guys from Allagash will be tapping one of only a handful of casks of Allagash Black out right now at Vignola in the Old Port. The keg will be tapped right around 4 o’clock this afternoon, with plenty of festivities to follow.
Secondly, when you’re done at Vignola, walk right up the street to Gritty’s for one (or both) or two special beers on tap there right now. The first, a Blonde Ale, is described by Ben Lowe (a Gritty’s brewer) as,
Crisp, dry, almost pilsner-like. I worked the fermentation to really clean this one up, so it’s pretty different from our usual lineup.
The second beer, which is hoping to be tapped at 5 o’clock this evening, is Gritty’s first mocha stout. No actual coffee in the brew but it was brewed with over ten pounds of chocolate. But you might want to hurry if you want to get your hands on a pint of either – According to Mr. Lowe, Thanksgiving weekend is traditionally one of the busiest at the Portland Gritty’s and both kegs are sure to be dried up come Monday.
So, if you’re in Portland, get out there this evening and have yourself a little pre-Thanksgiving revelry; if you see me, wave.
by Luke on November 24, 2008
by Luke on November 22, 2008
Apparently, in an effort to curb binge drinking among the younger folk in England, health officials there are
considering a nationwide ban on what are commonly known as “happy hour” discounts at pubs and restaurants. The ban proposal comes amid worries that a rise in liver-related deaths among young people in the United Kingdom may signal a future epidemic. According to an announcement on The Huffington Post this afternoon,
Health officials will decide on whether to ban the happy hours _ designated times for discount drinks _ once an independent policy review is published in coming weeks, a health department spokesman said on customary condition of anonymity.
The proposal was one of several aimed at stemming a trend in binge drinking in recent years, particularly among teenagers and young adults. The government also plans to spend 10 million pounds ($15 million) on a new public awareness campaign, and wants to improve enforcement of laws against underage drinking.
The policy review was ordered after national findings concluded that alcohol-related deaths among people aged 25 to 29 in Britain were 40 percent higher in 2006 than the year before. Trust spokeswoman Imogen Shillito told The Huffington Post that low prices for alcohol had helped encourage drinking among British youths. Noting,
“They can buy alcohol with their pocket money.”
I agree that the culture of binge drinking is well beyond out of hand (or at least is so here in the U.S. – I assume the same can be said for Britain) but is banning happy hour discounts — which, according to Wikipedia, has already happened in Glasgow Scotland, on U.S. military bases, and throughout the state of Massachusetts — really the solution to solving the epidemic of the culture of binge drinking? Will you stop having a beer after work because you won’t be saving a dollar or two any longer? Share your thoughts.
[image via The New Yorker Store]
Hi and welcome to Blog About Beer. My name is Logan and I live just north of Portland, Oregon, a city that has more craft breweries than any other in the US. I'm a full time marketer, blogger, and dad to the most beautiful girl in the world. I'm also a homebrewing and craft beer fanatic.