Planet Brew

The Register is reporting that a Glasgow man suffered a 6 month hanover after downing 60 pints. Just gald he didn’t drink and drive after 60 pints.

The Chicago Tribune is running a piece about mixing beers. The first part of the story kind of grossed me out.

Since his experiments began, his spending on beer has doubled and, he admits, only half of his combinations are drinkable. “I’m learning that you don’t mix an ale with a lager,” Klem said. “I’ve learned that most flavored beers don’t mix well with others. I’ve learned that you only mix a few ounces of each.”

but they then go on to talk about Avery Brewing an Russian River Brewing combining two beers.

Two small breweries, Avery Brewing Co. in Colorado and Russian River Brewing of California, this year combined and bottled their Belgian-style ales that coincidentally were both named Salvation. The resulting beer, named Collaboration Not Litigation Ale, was recommended on beer Web sites, and the brewers had to make three times as much as they had expected because of demand.

I think I trust the brewers to do the mixing rather and me experimenting on what tastes good.

The ever irreverent The Register is running a piece about beer being better than water

A Spanish boffin has proved that the golden grog is also better at rehydrating the human body after excercise. A quick straw poll at Vulture Towers reveals a beer before exercise to be a popular option, although avoiding the risk of dehydration by skipping the whole exercise thing and going straight for a lager also made a strong showing.

The original article is from the Telegraph.

The Philadelphia Daily news is running a piece on Beer Philosophy If you have a limited amount of money should you drink more cheap beer or less of the more expensive but better quality beer? They go on to quote John Stuart Mill a 19th Century British philosopher and formulator of the “greatest happiness” principle.

Mill believed it was mankind’s duty to increase the amount of pleasure in the world – a theory known as utilitarianism. “He thought a better life was one spent enjoying a few pints of excellent ale,” writes Hales, “not one chugging kegs of fraternity-grade lager.”

Personally I will always go for good quality beer, not always the most expensive beer.

Wine Magazine has a good article about US Brewers taking on the challenge of brewing Belgian wheat beers and winning. I have tried Allagash White and Brooklyn Local 1 and can recommend them. I need to keep an eye out for Captain Lawrence Brewing Company Xtra Gold American Tripel Ale, Dogfish Head Festina Pêche, Samuel Adams White Ale, Southampton Ales & Lagers Double White Ale and Unibroue’s Ephémére

This years Society for the Preservation of Beers from the Wood Real Ale Festival was a great success. Over 400 tickets were sold, with additional tickets being sold at the door at The Wharf Rat. With over 30 Cask beers and unlimited sampling, everybody left happy. I was one of the volunteers inside pouring beer so I didn’t get a chance to sample everything but here is my list

Du Claw Bad Moon Porter
Victory Hop Devil (This was one of the most popular inside) +++
Dogfish Head Chicory Stout
Oliver Mad Monk (One of my favorites had a new sweet taste) ++
Oliver Dark Mild
Victory Donneybrook Stout (Another favorite at the table)
Gales Prize Old Ale (This was just an amazing barley wine beer) ++++
Troegs Hop Back Amber +++
Brooklyn Bright Golding (7.5% another fruity tasting beer) ++
Gordon Biersch Schwarbier (4.3%)
Rock Bottom Oatmeal Dry Stout with Vanilla (Arlington)
Brewers Alley I.P.A (I left with a growler of this, 5-5.4%) +++
Clipper City Loosse Cannon (very hoppy)
Brewers Art Le Cannard
Franklin’s I.P.A.
Brewers Art Beacon Ale (mmmmmm) ++++
Yards Extra Special Ale (6%)

Off topic, but a lot of fun if you like good beer.

The Society for the Preservation of Beer from Wood is holding its annual Chesapeake Real Ale Festival!

“The Region’s Premier Real Ale Event”

Saturday, October 27, 2007
1-6pm
The Wharf Rat at Camden Yards
206 W. Pratt St, Baltimore

Tickets are $25 in advance, $35 at the door

More information at http://www.spbw.org/realale

The news observer has a piece on the Great American Beer Festival in Denver Colorado.

http://www.newsobserver.com/105/story/741877.html

Some of my favorite breweries did well

“Many of the beers judged best are from Western states and aren’t distributed in this area, despite the efforts of specialty wholesalers to bring great beers to us. Still, you can find gold medal winners Pyramid Crystal Weizen and Samuel Adams Double Bock; silver winners Dogfish Head Midas Touch, Avery Hog Heaven and Victory Prima Pils; and bronze winners Allagash Victor, Flying Dog Old Scratch Amber, and Rogue Russian Imperial Stout.”

Here is the complete list of medal winners

CNN has a story up that talks about October Fest and mentions Dogfish Head.

http://edition.cnn.com/2007/LIVING/09/20/living.beer/

I finally got a chance to visit the new Dogfish Head Ale house in Seven Corners, NVA. The beer was good but the food was average at best. I was also really surprised by how little they have changed the interior from its former Uno’s days. To my untrained eye it looks like they change the menus and the logos and everything else is the same. Maybe I was tired but I found the whole seating area to be very tinny and noisy. It wasn’t the nice cozy bar where you can eat and drink that I have experienced at their MD location.

The Baltimore sun is running a story on Brew Pubs in Baltimore closing up or moving the brewing offsite.

http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/bal-te.to.brewpub19oct19,0,7981580.story