Sam Adams drinks in the new year!

In case you didn't hear, the Samuel Adams 2007 Beer Lover's Choice contest is a wrap. If you attended any sort of beer festival last year you probably ran into their booth. I did... on more than one occasion. At the booth folks were asked to samples two different beers - an Irish Red and a Dunkelweizen, then vote on what they liked the best. The winner, based on votes from over 42,000 people was... the Irish Red. Starting this month you'll be able to find Samuel Adams® Irish Red on store shelves.

I didn't care for it, neither did anyone in my party. We all preferred the Dunkelweizen much more. Oh well... they still have a plethora of great beers for me to sip. Like...

Every year Sam Adams lets their employees go hog wild and compete for best employee home brew. Now that's an employer to work for! Three finalists are picked and judged at The Great American Beer Festival here in Colorado (which I didn't attend last year, but will be FOR CERTAIN this year). The winner gets their brew tossed into the Longshot package. The Longshot contest is the open competition that lets anyone submit a home brew. Last year over 2000 entries poured (sorry) in. Beginning in February we'll be able to taste 2 of the 3 winning brews...

The third winner was a Double IPA. Bad timing for Mike McDole in California since we're in the midst of a world-wide hop shortage. Because of this global pandemic we won't be able to taste this bad boy until next year. But I can't wait to give the Weizenbock and Grape Pale Ale a swig or three!