Blood Alcohol Content and You

Let's get serious for a moment...

A friend of mine had a St. Patrick's Day party. Like many parties this one had a massive amount of corned beef, cabbage, things colored green, Irish Cream, Irish Whiskey, Guinness and Murphy's. What I bet none of those parties had that this one did was... the AlcoHAWK Precision Breathalyzer.

Question: how many of you know what a .08 Blood Alcohol Content feels like? Point oh eight is the legal limit (in every State in the Union) that bits of alcohol can be floating around in your bloodstream before you get a DUI. But do you have any idea how much alcohol it takes for you to get .08? Do you know what .08 feels like?

Probably not. Virtually no one does. I have a Bachelor of Science Degree in Administration of Justice, and I worked as private investigator for several years. Until that party neither Fran nor I had any clue what it took for us to reach that not-so-magic number.

Here's another question: why aren't certain organizations doing more to EDUCATE people? Oh sure, they tell us not to drink and drive. They pass out gory pamphlets and wave endless statistics (which can and are manipulated mind you) in our face... but do you see any of those organizations standing on a street corner with Breathalyzers in hand actually showing the masses what .08 really means?

Nope. They're as impossible to find as the pink elephants drunk people reportedly see.

Being the "professional drinkers" that we are Fran and I "knew" we could put it away. I'm a big guy (265-ish) and my roots run back to Croatia and Russia. Fran is 100% German. A Boston bartender once told me that she'd never seen anyone drink as much Guinness (on repeated trips) as I could and still remain coherent. But thinking and knowing are two vastly different things... and cops don't much care either way.

My friend's informal case study showed us what it takes to get to .08... and the results were very interesting. During the experiment each person kept a chart of what they drank, how much they drank and when they drank it. After gulping the last sip of our respective adult beverage we waited 20 minutes before blowing into the Breathalyzer. We also had to write down a "buzz factor" (based on a 1 - 10 scale, 1 being the least buzzed), and whether or not we felt OK to drive.

Over the course of three hours I drank six microbrews (not that mass produced swill people call "beer"). I began drinking my very next beer immediately after blowing into the gizmo. Here are my details:

1. Guinness (11.2 ounces), drank in 12 minutes. Blew a .02.
   


2. Tommyknocker Cocoa Porter (12 ounces), finished off in 15 minutes. During this time we all began to eat dinner. I gobbled down two large servings of corned beef, salad, and cabbage wraps filled with meat and other goodies. I blew .016. It went down. Being an experienced drinker I "knew" the second I started eating I would start sobering up. At least that's what I always thought. Turned out to be true.
   


3. Bristol IPA (a full pint at 6.5% ABV), downed in 11 minutes. Ironically, I blew a .011. Down again... after an IPA. Serious drinking time had begun.
   


4. Sam Adams Black Lager (12 ounces), swigged in 20 minutes. I blew .02. Going back up.


5. New Belgium Tripple (12 ounces at a hefty 7.8% ABV. ) I gulped this down and blew .038.


6. Sam Adams White Ale (12 ounces). This time I didn't wait the required 20 minutes after finishing (which I swigged in 19 minutes). I blew .068.

Finally, the beers (some of them "big" - if you're a beer geek you know what I mean by that) were starting to catch up to me, but I still wasn't over the limit. That's where we ended the testing. It wasn't until the last check that I started to feel even the slightest bit buzzed (I marked a 3 on the 10-scale), and I still felt OK to drive.

There were 12 other people at the party and we all ate dinner at the same time. During the drinking session I never broke the "legal limit." Only one other guy didn't go over, but he had fewer beers then I did, weighed far less, and left early. Now, if I had been drinking hard alcohol like many others were, I probably would have topped out inside 2 or 3 drinks (I rarely drink hard alcohol). But some folks were near the limit with one (two ounce hard alcohol) drink, and a few were over after their second (two ounce hard alcohol) drink. One of the guys in attendance had 3 pints of locally brewed beer (same ones I had in a few occasions) during those 3 hours. On his last test he topped out at an unbelievable .11 (might actually have been a tad higher). Read that again... there are no zeros in there, so he was waaaaay over the limit with just three beers (and a meal).

Bottom line: every single person walking the planet metabolizes alcohol uniquely and has a totally different tolerance level. What .08 means to one person, who can be completely smashed out of their mind, won't be the same for another person who may be perfectly OK. Alcohol metabolizes differently based on what appears to a be a slew of random genetic factors, including (but not as significant as you might think) a person's weight. The guy who blew .11 with 3 pints of beer was considerably heavier then Fran, who had 5 hard alcohol drinks (2 two ouncers and 3 three ouncers of her infamous "Long Islands"which are long on alcohol) and also blew .11.

So what are your thoughts? Have you ever tested yourself to see what your tolerance level is? Do you know how much alcohol it takes for you to get DUI'ed? I want to know!

I'm buying a Breathalyzer for our Professional Drinker's group to take with us to our social gatherings, the myriad of beerfests we attend, and out to our favorite drinking establishments. I'll keep you updated on our findings.

Until then... Zivjeli!

A three sheets of beery goodness roundup spectacular!

Ya, the title is hokey... sue me. The verbiage fairy didn't visit me last night. Quick shots from around the beer world:

Sad times in Michigan. Thomas Martin owns the 11 Jude's Barbershops in the Grand Rapids area. The Michigan attorney general's office, with apparently nothing better to do since ya know Michigan's economy is doing so well (not) and the crime in Detroit is at an all time low (not), decided that while Martin can offer a shave and a haircut at two bits (joke), he can no longer give out free beer. He needs a liquor licence to do do that. Cuz, ya know, Michigan needs all the revenue they can squeeze out of the common taxpayer. Martin has been doing this "old-fashioned complimentary service" for his customers for years. So much for tradition.

The Russian River Brewing Company is in the midst of expanding their brewing operation to a second location in Santa Rosa. Well, it's almost complete. Starting on April 21 they plan on brewing their first batch! WOOOHOOO!!! If you haven't had any of Vinnie and Natalie's beer... do whatever it takes to get hold of some! Speaking of... their next round of barrel-aged beers are bottled and will be released in a month or so. Sadly, due to state legislation (there's those pesky outdated laws again) they can't direct-ship any of it out of state. Fortunately (for me), Fran's folks live only a few miles away, and we actually plan on being there around the end of April (for Fran's B-day). We're gonna make time to stop in and have a beer or four.

And lastly a Zane Lamprey/Three Sheets update. A few days ago I babbled on about the greatness of the man and that Season 3 of the best show on TV was about to fire up (April 10). Well, here's a bit more info on where Zane will be getting drunk at in the trifecta-cular Season 3: Chile, Rio de Janeiro (Brazil), Barcelona (Spain), Porto (Portugal), Hong Kong (China), Ho Chi Minh (Vietnam), Argentina, Gibraltar, Bangkok (Thailand), Cognac (France), Moscow (Russia), Copenhagen (Denmark), Scotland, and Las Vegas.

Keep your web browser locked and loaded to this website for a lot more Three Sheets shenanigans. Aside from working on a virtual shrine to the Great Zane and his lil monkey Pleepleus, I'm also putting together a new sidebar feature that will give a smattering of info about each new weekly episode. And maybe, just maybe... a few more very cool surprises. Moooooahahaha!

By the way...

I SEE A MONKEY! YOU HAVE TO DRINK! Bwaaaaaaaahahaha!

Celebrate "75 Years of Beer" (and my birthday) at your Local Brewery!

Check out Beertown.org's National Database for what's going on in your neck of the woods on April 7 - celebrating 75 Years of Beer (and my own birthday)! Here's what going on in Colorado:

Brewery: Boulder Beer Company
City: Boulder
State: CO
Phone: 303-444-8448
Web Site: http://www.boulderbeer.com/
Description: April 7th - 25 cent glass of beer with purchase of an entrée! All Day Long - 11am to close

Brewery: Bristol Brewing Company
City: Colorado Springs
State: CO
Phone: 719-633-2555
Web Site: http://www.bristolbrewing.com/
Description: Bristol Brewing will celebrate the 75th anniversary of the Repeal of Prohibition on Saturday, April 5th, with its annual release of the Edge City Pilsner, complimentary snacks, a period costume contest and 33 cent Edge City Pilsners from 4pm to 6pm.

Brewery: Ska, Carvers, Steamworks, Durango Brewing
City: Durango
State: CO
Phone: 970-259-2545
Web Site: http://www.skabrewing.com/
Description: The Durango Bootlegger's Society (Carvers, Ska, Steamworks, Durango)will celebrate the 75th anniversary of the legalization of beer in America with the release of our 6th annual "Spring Tonic Elixer", a collectively brewed barrel-aged lager based on a "medicinal" prohibition-era recipe. Carver’s will be transformed into a speakeasy complete with Women’s Temperance activists protesting out front. Local historian, author, and Fort Lewis College Professor, Duane Smith, will entertain the crowd with colorful anecdotes of the area’s brewing history before tapping the cask and kicking off the event. There will be live music as well as a screening of "American Brew." The proceeds will go to the historic Animas City Museum.

Brewery: Odell Brewing Co.
City: Fort Collins
State: CO
Phone: (970)498-9070
Web Site: odellbrewing.com Description: Tapping new ales-Market pale ale and cask condition 5 barrel pale ale with apollo hops

Brewery: Trinidad Brewing Company
City: Trinidad
State: CO
Phone: 719-846-7069
Web Site: http://www.trinidadbrewingcompany.com/
Description: We will be releasing two (2) of our Colorado whiskey barrel aged beers!


My buddy Shawn (the Beer Philosopher) is reporting that one of my new favorite mid-west Breweries (Schlafly) is also having a celebration, The Repeal of Prohibition, on Saturday, April 12. Check out their site for all the details. Sure would love to be there, but St. Louis is a lil bit of a trip from ole Colorado Springs. Plus, Fran is taking me somewhere for my b-day. Where? No clue, it's a surprise. But I bet it'll be super fun!

April 7: A Day to Remember

April 7 is a very special date.

No, not because it's my birthday (which it really is)... but because 75 years ago this April 7, the Volstead Act was modified by the then newly-elected President, Franklin D. Roosevelt.

Wanting to fulfill his campaign promise of ending Prohibition he got Congress to change the Volstead Act so that 3.2% beer could be sold prior to the ratification of the Twenty-first Amendment. While the repeal of Prohibition didn't occur until December 5th of that year, April 7 marks the date when beer was the only legal libation in the whole of the United States.

On that glorious day - a day that will surely live in immortality - Roosevelt toasted the beginning of the end of Prohibition... with a beer at the White House. Really. During the 24 hours following the legalization of 3.2 beer more than 1.5 million gallons of it poured out across the American landscape. (* All this fantastic historical information was obtained from Beertown.org).

According to the folks at 75 Years of Beer, this April your local brewery will be holding special celebrations, offering special release beers, and basically partying like it's 1933 to honor this magnificent milestone. So join your local beer geeks and raise a toast to the 75^th anniversary of legal beer!

And let's not forget the near magical irony of how my own birthday just happens to fall on the exact same day. Irony? Happenstance? Or some "higher calling"? Whatever the case... you know I'll be drinking a few on April 7.

Zivjeli!

Coloradans Rejoice!

Those of us who live in Colorado and drink alcohol can commence the celebration. It appears that liquor, wine and beer will finally start being sold on Sunday's. Starting July 1 we'll at long last be able to walk into a liquor store on a Sunday and purchase our favorite adult beverage.

This might not be a big deal to folks in other parts of the country, but since 1933 (the year Prohibition ended) folks living in Colorado have not been able to buy "devil water" in any form on a Sunday. You can't buy a friggin' car on Sunday's here either.

Don't ask.

Thankfully, one more outdated, ill-conceived, moronic law from a bygone era (Prohibition did not work, it only made things worse) goes the way of the dodo bird.

Ironically, the measure was debated on the House floor on Monday - St. Patrick's Day. It's headed to Governor Bill Ritter's desk where it's expected to be signed post haste. That irony was not lost on House leadership as they joked about the timing of the debate.

The measure was initially supposed to go into effect on November 1, but legislature decided to bump it up to July 1 in order to capitalize on the 4th of July holiday. Again, common sense. However one person - Rep. Douglas Bruce, R-Colorado Springs - doesn't seem to possess this particular mental faculty. I'm not being mean. This isn't the first time this local-yocal has opened mouth and inserted foot (when he's not kicking someone with it). Thankfully, the House quickly rejected his proposal and told him to go back and sit in the corner.

So enjoy moving - in part anyway - into the 21st century Colorado!

Shameless Plug Alert!

A few weeks back I was contacted by one of the editors for City Link Magazine, a weekly South Florida entertainment print mag (which also has a robust website presence called Metromix). They were putting together an all beer issue and during their research stumbled across my humble little blog of beery goodness. They asked if they could feature my blog, complete with a picture.

I literally jumped outta my beer pajamas (yes, I really do have beer PJs)! Who doesn't like a little recognition or some free publicity!?

So on March 12 their beer issue hit newsstands in South Florida, and the web version of the write up (Web Tech) hit their website.

Along with my blog the article profiles Lucy Saunder's wonderful BeerCook site and Captain Hops Beer Haiku Daily. Give the article a read when you can!

Zivjeli!

Sample This!

Try before you buy. It's a tried and true marketing method of allowing consumers to try something for free before they drop coin to buy it. It's worked for many different products across many different categories.

According to an AP report, lawmakers in the Pacific Northwest state of Washington now want to give it a whirl for alcohol. Last week they approved a one-year pilot program that will allow beer and wine tasting in a mere 30 grocery stores statewide.

Now, Washington covers 71,303 square miles (making it the 18th largest state) and as of 2006 had an estimated population of 6,395,798 people.

This measure, which is strongly supported by the state's microbrewery and wine industries, lets shoppers sample as much as 4 ounces of beer or wine. That's more then some beer fests give out! Supporters of the measure say that you can't buy this kind of publicity for the small guys with no marketing budget. It's a win-win for everyone! Or so you would think...

As with every single thing throughout the history of man- there are going to be people:

1. with nothing better to do
2. who are only happy when they're bitching about something
3. that strap their Birkenstocks on too tight
4. that don't get enough protein in their vegan diet
5. who don't get it
6. who think alcohol is devil water
   
7. who are all of the above

Thus, there really are opponents to this measure. Remember, this is only going to be allowed in a mere 30 grocery stores throughout the entire state. And what pray tell are they protesting? They say it will set a bad example by exposing children to alcohol consumption.

Excuse me for one moment while I vomit.

OK, I'm back. Can you believe this? They must be the very same people who whole heartedly believe exposure to video games will turn a child into a violent, psychopathic criminal.

A little suds sipping or vino chugging in a grocery store is going to expose children to alcohol consumption, huh? Hmm... I'm pretty damn sure the 5,987,211 beer commercials shown on television have that covered. If not, then the zillion billboards littered across the land, or the 47 bajillion liquor stores (where parents take their kids while buying alcohol), or the quadrillion sports bars (where parents take their kids to watch the Big Game and drink alcohol) long ago exposed them to - drinking alcohol. Do these bastich "opponents" not think that parents drink at home in front of their children (thus slowly turning them into devil water drinkin' miscreants)?

The mentality in this country about sex, drugs and alcohol is asinine on a level that is incomprehensible. The staid, ultra-conservatives who constantly rail about how bad bad bad these things are have only made it worse. God gave everyone common sense... how about people start using it? What these morons have done is turned these "taboo" topics into things that we overindulge in because they've been "forbidden" for so long. Look how well Prohibition and the War on Drugs turned out.

So a bit of advice for those bastich "opponents" against this benign measure: Go have a beer or two. It'll help relax the sphincter constriction dysfunction you suffer from.

Three Sheets away from St. Patty's Day

More than a few times in this space I've ranted and raved about a show called Three Sheets. In my humble opinion it's the best show on TV. Yes, it's a show about drinking and pub crawling. And no, it's not a show about - or for - alcoholics... we prefer to call ourselves "professional drinkers" (more on that later).

So if your snobbish sensibilities have already caused you to turn your nose up at it (and me)... go away. Why are you reading my blog?

Three Sheets is hosted by a fellow who in my estimation has the single greatest job in the history of mankind. Yes, you read that right... the greatest job ever in the history of men having jobs. Why? The incomparably funny Zane Lamprey gets paid to travel around the globe (the above picture was taken in my ancestral home of Croatia) and drink in bars. He also gets paid to travel around the globe and eat in exotic locales (via his show on the Food Network, Have Fork Will Travel). His job is better than yours. It's better than mine. It's better than being the Pope, the President or the guy who gets to shoot all the pictures for the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit issues.

Yes. I have a man-crush on Zane Lamprey. It's totally platonic mind you as my lederhosen don't swing that way. But the man is my frickin' hero. If you've never seen the show... now's your time to hope aboard the Zane Train. The Mojo Network (where this glorious should-be award-wining show airs) is having a St. Patty's Day Marathon. Because really... every one's three sheets (and Irish) on St. Patty's Day!



PS. The new season of Three Sheets starts on April 10 (three days after my birthday)! WOOOHOOO!!

Wynkoop's Beerdrinker of the Year 2008 Announced

Ripped (literally) straight from the Wynkoop press release:

Matt Venzke of Yorktown, Virginia Wins 2008

Beerdrinker of the Year Contest

Virginia man wins Wynkoop Brewing Company’s 12th annual search for America’s ultimate beer fiend

(Denver, Colorado) – Matt Venzke, an avid beer lover from Yorktown, Virginia, has been crowned the winner of Wynkoop Brewing Company’s 2008 Beerdrinker of the Year contest.

Venzke, an aircraft maintenance manager, won the title in the hotly
contested National Finals on Saturday, February 23, at Wynkoop Brewing Company. This was his fourth time at entering the contest, he was a semifinalist last year.

“For four years,” Venzke said, “it’s been a dream of mine to win the Beerdrinker of the Year title. It’s great to now be recognized by the judges and previous winners. I’m proud to be among this very select group of beer lovers.”

“I feel like I’ve been given a flag to carry,” Venzke adds, “for all of the great things beer has to offer.”

Venzke’s home beer bar is The Taphouse on Queensway in Hampton, Virginia. He is the second straight Virginia resident to win the competition. (Diane Catanzaro of Norfolk, Virginia was the 2007 Beerdrinker of the Year.)

Venzke beat out finalists J Mark Angelus (of Nehalem, Oregon) and Richard Pedretti-Allen (McKinney, Texas). He landed the title with a combination of impressive beer drinking experiences, humor and beer ambassadorship.

Venzke’s resume boasted of many beer drinking experiences. Venzke has visited 454 breweries in 16 nations and 39 states. Over the past five years, he has recorded tasting notes on over 3200 different beers in 69 different styles.

He logged 3,000 miles in 2007 while traveling to breweries across North America. While stationed in alcohol-free Kuwait on a military deployment a few years ago, Venzke conducted a tasting of 17 non-alcohol beers.

Questions from the Finals judges elicited some revealing info from Venzke. When asked what he’s doing to get around the current ban on carry-on beer for US air travelers, Venzke winkingly cited an upcoming effort to petition US brewers to start packaging beer in 3-ounce portions.

His will, Venzke said, includes instructions for him to be cremated and his ashes used in a beer brewed for his wake. (“I’ve instructed my wife,” Venzke stated, “to tell people at the ceremony, ‘Matt is more a part of you than you think.’”)

The finalists weathered two hours of difficult questions from the judge panel, which included five previous Beerdrinker of the Year winners, Oregon beer writer Lisa Morrison, Rocky Mountain News (Denver, CO) beer columnist Jay Dedrick, and Wynkoop head brewer Thomas Larsen.

As the 2008 Beerdrinker of the Year, Venzke wins free beer for life at Wynkoop Brewing Company, a $250 beer tab at the Taphouse on Queensway, and the opportunity to brew a special beer with Larsen for next year’s Beerdrinker of the Year event.

He also won clothing proclaiming him the 2008 Beerdrinker of the Year, a place on Wynkoop’s Beerdrinker of the Year trophy, and the glory that comes with the lofty title of Beerdrinker of the Year.

The resume review panel for the 2008 Beerdrinker of the Year search was comprised of the nation’s top beer writers and beer experts, and previous Beerdrinker of the Year winners.

Wynkoop Brewing Company was founded in 1988 by current Denver mayor John Hickenlooper. One of America’s first and most revered brewpubs, Wynkoop was a major catalyst in the revitalization of the previously neglected Lower Downtown section of Denver.

For interviews with Venzke and more information on Beerdrinker of the Year, contact Marty Jones at 303-860-7448 or beerdrinker@wynkoop.com. (Or you can join us at the Aleuminati and ask him any question directly.)

For more details on the Beerdrinker of the Year search and Wynkoop Brewing Company, visit www.wynkoop.com.

Breaking News for beer drinkers in New York!

Just got an Email alerting me to a pre-St. Patrick's Day event event that's being held TOMORROW in the Big Apple. I know, mucho short notice, but here be the details me lucky charmed New York beer drinkin' leprechauns!

Who: W Hotels guests, locals and fans of Sam Adams

What: A Sam Adams beer tasting (A Sam Adams expert will be on hand)

Where: Audrey at W New York – The Tuscany
130 East 39th Street, Between Park and Lexington

When: Thursday, March 13th, 2008 from 7PM to 9PM

RSVP (for the public): NYCHAPPENINGSRSVP@WHOTELS.COM

NOTE: This event is free and open to the public. RSVP is required.

If you got... let me know! Take pics, drink beer and make sure ya wear some green!

The LongShot heard 'round the world!

Or at least around the neighborhood.

You should be seeing the Sam Adams Longshot packages in your local liquor stores. I grabbed one this weekend (along with a hoary host of other new beers) and gave 'em both a try. Note: there should have been three beers - because there was three winners, but due to the hop shortage the third - a mucho hoppy beer - was not included this year.

In the pack is Rodney Kibzey's Weizenbock and Lili Hess' Grape Pale Ale. Now, I like Weizens and I like fruit beers, and maybe it's because I am still a bit sick... but I wasn't head over heels for either one. Don't get me wrong - they're good. They're just not great. No offense. But hey, who the hell am I? I grunt when I judge a beer. Thus, I give major props to them for not only being able to brew their own (which I cannot do), but for winning such a prestigious competition!

Rodney describes his traditional Bavarian brew (7.2% ABV) as "deep amber in color with a full creamy body and a dark fruit and clove aroma." Ya, I can agree with that. This was the better of the two, and something I'd drink again.

Lili describes here light-bodied brew (5.35% ABV) as such: "It's like you are drinking a pale ale after biting into a fresh green seedless grape!" Hmmm... don't know about you but I don't normally eat grapes when I'm drinking beer. I'm just not feeling it.

As much as I love Sam Adams, this is the third "thing" that's been somewhat of a disappointment to me. Last year they held the Beer Lover's Choice contest where, somehow, the Irish Red won over the Dunkelweizen. I went to two beerfests where SA had their voting booth, and both times the overwhelming choice was the Dunkelweizen. I do not like Reds. Period.

Oh well... plenty of other beers out there. Some good, some not so good. Some horrific. Tune in next time when I'll talk about one of those horrific beers. Until then... zivjeli!

Proposition 3-17

You really have to love the gang at Guinness. Whether you like their smooth, black as night beer or not (I love), their marketing campaigns are on par with that of that "Weisenheimer" brand of beer. Come on... the "Brilliant!" cut-out guys are hilarious.

Now they've come up with the whole Proposition 3-17 campaign. Never heard of it? Well, shame - or in this case, shamrock - on you! Prop 3-17 is their attempt to make St. Patty's Day an official holiday. Like Thanksgiving. If you haven't signed the petition yet, clickey click on over to the site and do like I did. See, proof positive...

It's your civic duty as a better beer drinking citizen of the global Beer World! Go! NOW! If Hallmark can make a holiday to sell their damn cards, then Guinness can make a holiday to sell their damn beer! RIGHT?!

Down... but not out

I'm still alive. Barely.

I started feeling the onset of "sick" last Friday morning. Knowing that I had to go up to Denver Saturday and Sunday for the prestigous Wynkoop Beerdrinker of the Year awards I pounded every over-the-counter med I could get my hands on.

Fran and I (along with our friend Stevie Chips) made it up there, but boy did I pay the price. I've been sick as a (Hair of the) dog since Sunday morning. I'm just now starting to come out of the funk enough to sit down at the PC for more than a few minutes. Rest assured, I'll be back in the beer drinking saddle with a complete write up, photos and video from the very cool and unique event up at Wynkoops soon. A lot has gone on in the beer world this week... so I have lots to catch up on.

Until then... Zivjeli!

Beer Drinker's Guide to Colorado

Say you're tooling around the great outdoors... specifically, you're out in the hinterlands of the awe inspiring Rocky Mountains of Colorado. Say you get a hankerin' for some of the hoppily righteous brew that bubbles forth from the #1 beer producing state in these here United States of America. Take that California and Oregon! HA!

But wait... you don't know where to find such a place to quench what has now become a beast of a thirst! Your cellphone has no bars (I'd like to see the Verizon dude do a commercial out there!) and your Blackberry stopped pickin' (get it, pickin'... berries - work with me people!) up a signal at the last "y" in the road. You know there's a hoary host of hoppiness somewhere out here where the buffalo roam and the deer and antelope play! But where!?! WHEEEEEERE!?!?!

Only if you had a map...

A map that would guide your hop lovin' ass straight to the nearest brewery, brewpub or historic tavern. YES! That would be splendiferous. But... is there such a thing Mad Beer Man? Why, yes there is my young beery padawan.

The folks at the Beer Drinker's Guide to Colorado have you covered. This thing - this invaluable navigational tool they call the Great Beer Map - is something every Colorado Beer Geek needs to have tucked away in their backpack or glove box. It will save you from the Parched Throat Effect of high-altitude discombobulation, and help quench the beastly thirst monster that is known to attack the unprepared.

It is chock full of things you need (or at least want) to know. Where to get the brew, how long it will take to get to the brew, what type of brew (complete with a beer tree - sweet!) you might want to get once you get to where you want to go... photos, charts, diagrams - the list goes on! And once you get to where you're going, you'll want to take it inside with you. It's one helluva conversation starter sure to create envy in those Beer Geeks without such a magnificent tool. Trust me...

I've seen one. I have one. It is a thing of beauty. It is a font of knowledge. It's the Swiss-Army Knife of maps! It does everything but actually pour the beer into your mug. You need it, you want it, so get it. Now. It even comes in three fabulous flavors - folded ($12.95) for tight spots, rolled ($12.95) for the wall (I just ordered one to put up in my beer room) and for those who perspire too much, have overly active saliva glands, or just can't keep the beer in the container - they even have a rolled laminated version! Click on over to the Beer Drinker's Guide to Colorado site, which in and of itself is a fantastic keg of beery goodness, and order one now.

You wouldn't leave home without your driver's license, right? Why leave home without such an amazing, one of a kind tool like the Great Beer Map? Ya... you wouldn't.

Time to pay the Piper

On the cover of this morning's Colorado Springs Gazette there's an article about the rising cost of beer. The hop shortage has come home to roost, folks. Last week was the first I really began to feel the impact, with prices jumping at least $1.00 per 6-pack. While this was an expected rise, it still leaves a bitter aftertaste in the mouth and the wallet.

Staff reporter Scott Rappold recently spoke with John Osterhoudt, the GM for Bristol Brewing Company here in Colorado Springs, a brewery that likes to use a ton of hops. On February 1 Bristol raised their prices $1 per sick-pack, while prices at the brewery went up 50 cents per pint. Osterhoudt stated the price of hops, barley and grains jumped anywhere from 70 percent to 200 percent recently.

But as I (and many other beer geeks, beer columnists, beer lovers, etc.) have stated over the last few months... this is a world-wide shortage, not just something the Colorado based breweries are forced to deal with. And it may go on for a few years as supplies are replenished.

It's so bad that Andrew Bradley, the head brewer for Phantom Canyon (another Colorado Springs based brewery and one of my favorite hang outs), is growing hops in his backyard. "It might take more than a single year, but at least I’ll have some real American hops to work with.”

Damn. Be sure to read the whole article (and some of the fanatical rants and raves left in the comments section by readers are also hilarious, if not completely false and ridiculous).

Speaking of Bristol... they're tapping a keg of Skull & Bones tomorrow night. I might be down there, and if so will report back.

The National IPA Championship

This might very well be one of the funniest (not to mention cleverest) things I've seen in some time.

Great Lakes Brewing News is holding a "March Madness" style bracket contest for the National IP Champsionship.

As the Guinness Guys would say: BRILLIANT!

Go register, check out the competitors, then go and make your predictions! You can even print out the brackets just like normal NCAA March Madness pools. Better hurry though, first round starts 2/23/08!

The '08 Beerdrinker of the Year Award goes to...

Sorry, we won't know the winner until Saturday, February 23rd, which is only a few days away. Oh how the anticipation builds...

However, the Wynkoop Brewing Company's judging panel has picked its three finalists for this prestigous award (which I talked about in a previous post back in October). They are:

Richard Pedretti-Allen, from McKinney, Texas. Richard is a recording producer and three-time BDotY finalist, an avid homebrewer and certified beer judge. So far he's visited 100+ brewpubs in North America, has won sevearl homebrewing awards, and owns over 7000 beer coasters. Dat's a lotta coasters! Oh ya, he's also a member of the Aleuminati.

J Mark Angelus hails from Nehalem, Oregon, and is a semi-retired prosecutor. Aside from being a beer geek and a 2007 BDotY semifinalist, J Mark has sampled 916 beers, visited 68 breweries and attended nine beer festivals. NICE!

Lastly we have Matt Venzke from Yorktown, Virginia. When not mangaing aircraft maintenance maintainers (that profession sounds ripe for a Bud Light Real Men of Genius ad!), Matt travels the globe in search of damn fine beer. He's pounded pints in 454 different breweries in 16 countries and 39 states. Last year alone he logged over 3,000 "brewery visit" miles! Matt is also a member of the Aleuminati.

In less than two weeks these three worthy finalists will be grilled by a judging panel made up of previous BDotY winners and national beer experts. The judges -- as always -- will be dressed in traditional jurist wigs and robes, and will cross-examine each finalist like they were hostile witnesses. Their answers will help determine the 2008 Beerdrinker of the Year.

And Fran and I will be there to record the historic event live and in person!

We have plans to meet up with fellow Aleuminati members Matt and Richard. Special guests (well, special to me anywho) Chris and Meredith Nelson, aka The Traveleing Beer Geek(s) - and fellow Aleuminati members - will also be in attendence! Stevie Chips might also be there chugging whatever stout-a-rrific brews they have on hand... who knows who else might show up!

Will you be going? Let me know!

Sam Adams Longshot ABVs

Busy Monday... sorry for no big update today. One's coming tomorrow - promise! Got some really interesting stuff to ramble about.

I did want to give a quick update to a question that was asked of me a few weeks ago. Butch asked what the ABV content was in the Sam Adam's LongShot beers. I just heard back from my contact today!

The Grape Pale Ale comes in at 5.35% while the Weizenbock tips the scale at 7.2% ABV. So Butch... you'll be good to go with the Grape, not so much with the Bock. Sorry man!

Until tomorrow... Zivjeli!

I saw a U.F.O.

As I mentioned the other day our sojourn to the Nashville Flying Saucer Draught Emporium was pallet bending. The selection was nothing short of magnificent. In fact, the only other beer bar that I've personally been to with that kind of selection is the world-famous Falling Rock Taphouse. And I'm pretty sure they don't have 175 beers available. While both are on my list of beer bars to visit before you die, Flying Saucer wins hands down. In fact, I loved it so much I'm looking at franchise possibilities. Possibilities being the key word there.

I joined their U.F.O. Club ($14 gets you a T-shirt, membership card, and the chance to get your name engraved on a plate and stuck up on the wall). Only... I left the T-shirt sitting on the bench upon my inebriated departure. How inebriated? Well, here's what I had:

Pints:

• Abita Purple Haze from Abita Brewing Company (Abita Springs, LA)
• Yazoo Hefe-Weizen from Yazoo Brewing Company (Nashville, TN)
• Rochefort 8 from Brasserie de Rochefort (Abbaye de Notre-Dame Saint-Remy)
• Rochefort 10 (a whopping 11.3% ABV)
  
• Ommegang Hennepin Farmhouse Saison from Brewery Ommegang (Cooperstown, NY)
• Ommegang Abbey
• Dinkel-Acker Dark from Dinkelacker-Schwabenbraue AG (Stuttgart, Germany)

Build-Your-Own Flight sampler that included 5 five ounce pours of:

• Dogfish Head 60 Minute IPA from Dogfish Head Brewery (Milton, DE)
  
• Yazoo Hefe-Weizen
• Yazoo Dos Perros
• Rogue Shakespear Stout from Rogue Ales Brewery (Newport, OR)
  
• Dinkel-Acker Dark

And for kicks, two Beer Mixers:

• Cream of Wheat - Belgian Witbeir & Guinness
• Raspberry 'n Cream - Belgian Witbeir with a splash of Lindemans Framboise

How can I remember all that? Weeeeell... I may have been hammered, and I think I saw a U.F.O. too - but I remember damn good beer. (Full disclosure: I took home a menu from the joint. What, you thought I remembered all those off the top of my head? Bwaaahahaha!)

The two Rocherforts were absolutely exquisite, as were the brews from Ommegang. I was surprised by the maltiness of the Dos Perros and the Dinkel-Acker Dark, but they were a great change of pace to the Belgians I was gulping. The mixers were, surprisingly, very tasty. Ya ya... I like fruit beers. So what?

As you know, I don't do technical reviews. Good. Bad. That's my grading policy. The thing I've found over the years - reviews are wholly subjective to each individual, so why bother? The biggest reason though... I don't like taking notes when I'm drinking beer. I'm drinking beer people - not doing homework! So I've linked every beer I tasted that night to the fine BeerAdvocate community where you can read far more technical reviews of each one. Think I picked some pretty great beers considering the overall score of each one on BA.

You'll notice there are no pix from my excursion. Well, I forgot my digital camera and it was too dark for my lame cell phone camera to function. Guess that means I have to go back soon. Oh... darn. Give me a hollah if you've had any of these beers and let me know your thoughts.

Until next time... Zivjeli!

Flying Saucers, Stupid People and Bad Beer

Just got back from our Nashville trip, so I'm playing catch up at work. However, the sojourn to the Flying Saucer Draught Emporium was nothing short of mind (and palette) blowing. With over 175 beers available (when we were there), this is what a beer bar should be! I'll have a full write up on my visit in a day or two, but for now... check out this nugget:

A female driver in St. Augustine, Florida, was arrested for having a 24-pack of Busch beer strapped into her daughter's car seat. Now, I can understand the fury of the officer upon seeing craptacular beer like Busch being handled with such reverence. Busch beer? I think I'd rather drink my own piss (like Bear Grylls did in the Australian outback episode of Man vs. Wild) . It probably has a higher ABV and more taste than Busch beer. Anywho... the worst part? This numnut had her 16-month old daughter in the car with the Busch beer. Unrestrained. Busch beer strapped in the baby seat... baby not. Wow.

What happened to priorities people? What happened to... taste?! I have the answer.

Join the Aleuminati and find out for yourself.

Ask the Mad Beer Man

Last week I had a reader ask me what the beer was that they talked about on Zane's (of Three Sheets) trip to the Delirium Cafe in Belgium. They weren't allowed to say the name of the beer or who brewed it, and by the looks of it they never even drank it. During the episode a few clues were dropped, and fortunately they displayed three bottles - without any labels. One had a green cap, one had a blue cap and the third had a yellow cap. Just like the ones in the picture below...

Thanks to the glory of HD DVR, my dazzling investigative skills (honed from 10 years of being a private investigator no doubt), and the Internet... the beer Zane wasn't even allowed to drink came from the Westvleteren Brewery in Belgium. Founded in 1838, it resides inside the Trappist Abbey of Saint Sixtus of Westvleteren.

The brewery currently brews three beers:

• Westvleteren Blonde (green cap) - at 5.8% ABV.
• Westvleteren 8 (blue cap) - (formerly Extra) at 8% ABV.
• Westvleteren 12 (yellow cap) (formerly Abt), a 10.2% ABV.

As Francois (the bartender at the Delirium Cafe) said, you can only get one case and you have to actually go to the abbey to get the beer. And he's right. Since September 2006 you can only get one case per car license plate. And that one crate must be reserved via their "beerphone" (+32 (0)70 21 00 45) beforehand. The monks absolutely will not sell any beer if you just drive up hoping to get some.

So there ya go! The wife and I (along with what may be several more folks from the Extraordinary League of Drinkers) are planning on going to Oktoberfest in 2010, and part of that sojourn will include a trip to Belgium... and the Delirium Cafe.

Ramblings of a Mad Beer Man

I need a beer. Thank God it's Beerday, huh?

If you've been perusing the site this week you'll notice quite few new additions on the sidebar. I've been busy trying new stuff out, some of which didn't work out so well due to massive load time lag. So I removed them. Nothing worse then a laggy blog that won't load fast, right? Hell, if you can pop open a cold one and down it before the page is done loading... why bother!?

You also might have noticed the addition of the "I'm a member of the Aleuminati" badge. It's right under the "Who are the Aleuminati?" logo. Click on it and go find out what that's all about. Trust me, you'll want to be a part of this new global brotherhood while it's still on the ground floor. It's gonna go, and it's gonna go huge.

As I've mentioned before I'm not much for making detailed analytical reviews of beers. It either tastes great, or it tastes like ass. I leave the sophisticated, intricate reviews to those who know what the hell they're talking about. Me... I'm a writer not a chemist. Or a poet. ;) But if you know what you're talking about I want to hear from you! What the hell does a pint of Ommegang Chocolate Indulgence taste like? What does any of the bajillion local (to you) craft beers taste like? LET ME KNOW!

I'll be heading out to Nashville, TN, on Monday for some business. Snooze. Fortunately, the wife and I are hitting up the Flying Saucer Draught Emporium Monday night. I'll be sure to write up the experience and upload some snaps.

Enjoy the Super Bowl this weekend as the Giants upset the Patriots. Yup, you read that prediction right. And nope, I don't care about either team... so I don't care if I'm wrong. I just hope the game is good. Sadly, it's the last NFL game of the year (sorry, the Bore Bowl, er... Pro Bowl doesn't count).

Catchya all next week... Zivjeli!

Prohibition Era Booze Laws Brew Trouble

On April 7 (my birthday - no wonder I'm such a beer geek!), 1933 (not my birthyear), Prohibition was repealed for beer of no more than 3.2% ABV, eight months before the ratification of the 21st amendment (which repealed the 18th amendment).

Here we are some seventy-five years later, and several states in this great country of ours still have Prohibition era laws on the books regarding the brewing of beer and serving of alcohol. Here's a few that were mentioned in a recent AOL news article:

• A few weeks ago Idaho lawmakers introduced a bill to repeal a law created way back in 1939, a law that bans distilled liquor sales on election days. According to the state liquor chief that law costs Idaho $400,000 in sales each time. Similar laws exist in eight other states, relics of the days when saloons served as polling places. According to the Distilled Spirits Council of the United States, Delaware, Kentucky and South Carolina also have legislation in the system to lift Election Day sales bans.
  

• Beer Geeks in Alabama, Mississippi and West Virginia are lobbying to overturn laws that ban sales of beer that exceeds 6% alcohol. WTF!? Stuart Carter of the Alabama lobbying group Free the Hops says Belgian ales and craft beers (which are far above that ABV range) appeal to tourists and aficionados, not "kids" (those at or just over the age of 21) and frat boys who binge drink. So why make everyone suffer?

But William Perkins of the Mississippi Baptist Convention Board has never met a beer he liked. He supports state restrictions. "The intellectual argument ignores the ill effects of alcohol," he says. "Piling up more beers, no matter how tasty or expensive or exclusive, doesn't make sense."

No Mr. Perkins... you don't make sense.

If you want to lend support to our southern Beer Geek brethren, check out Free the Hops as well as the Beer Activists website. Know the Issues!

Bud aims to drown Super Bowl

According to a recent AP report by Seth Sutel, the conglomerate that is Anheuser-Busch is dropping 7 ads for their "beer" during Super Bowl XLII. Six of them will focus on the craptacular swill that is Bud Light, while one features the good ole Budweiser Clydesdale's. Sadly it's not a new one showing the massive horses playing football (i.e., with a zebra as the ref or streaking sheep). Good stuff! Although their product may not be real beer, their ads are the best!

A 30-second ad will cost a whopping $2.7 MEEEEEELLION this year. That's gonna set them back $18.9 for 3 1/2 minutes of advertising time. Someone's getting shafted.

According to Bob Lachky (executive vice president for global industry and creative development) two of the Bud Light ads will rely on "rug-pull" gags involving special powers that the beer supposedly endows on drinkers. One spot shows people breathing fire (which of course goes terribly wrong during a date), while another gives X-ray vision (something a woman wishes she didn't suddenly have).

Other Bud Light spots include a humorous look at some cavemen who stumble upon a useful discovery — the wheel — when they need a way to get their cooler made of stone to a party. Another depicts a clever way that a guy attending a wine and cheese party still gets to enjoy his beer. The Clydesdale spot spotlights a horse that didn't make the final cut to join the team and took a year to train — with a Dalmatian.

I'm sure they'll all be funny and once again the highlight of the Super (Boring) Bowl.

Drinking at a Mile High

And we're off with another TGIB (Thank God It's Beerday) Nuggets 'o News Friday Edition!

So I've decided that I definitely want Scott Kerkman's job. Why? He's a Chief Beer Officer. Seriously. It might sound like a frat title, but Scott works for Four Points by Sheraton to run their Best Brews program. Basically he gets paid to jet off to Germany’s Oktoberfest, Denver's Great American Beer Festival, and other fests around the globe. He also gets to go on frequent V.I.P. tours of local breweries. Oh, and he receives a case of free beer to sample each month.

Aside from Zane Lamprey (host of Mojo's Three Sheets) , Scott has the best job in all the world.

But it's not all fun and games... oh hell, yes it is! Scott goes around and educates the bartenders at the chain’s 125 hotels to become "beer ambassadors." Additionally, he makes beer selections, writes up training manuals for the bar staff, and travels (again with the traveling!) to all the other Four Points hotels across the country to host happy hours. Basically, to drink till you drop.

WHAT DO I HAVE TO DO TO GET THIS MAN'S JOB?!

Speaking of drinking till you drop...

Earlier this year Colorado claimed the #1 spot for overall beer production. To go along with that prestigious award, we can now add this not so prestigious honor - the #1 (Denver) and #3 (Colorado Springs) spots in Men's Health Magazine's Top 10 Dangerously Drunk Cities in America. I guess the two go together though, right? Ugh.

I need a beer.

Zivjeli!

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!

Mapping your way to Beer Heaven!

For those of us who live here in the great Rocky Mountain state of Colorado, having an "Emergency Kit" in the car during winter is a necessity. You just never know when a freak snow storm is going to blow in and gobble your car. They're kinda like Britney when she gets around alcohol. But I digress...

A new beer related product just hit the stands that you'll most certainly want to add to that "Emergency Kit." Say you're tooling around the high country taking in all of it's purple majesty. It's around noonish and you're mouth feels like the underside of a lizard's belly. It's a parch that only a great microbrew will quench. And Colorado doesn't lack in exquisite brews. But where to stop for a cold one? Well, if you had one of the new Beer Drinker's Guide to Colorado Maps you'd know exactly where to stop!

Say what? A map that has the locations of all the breweries?!

Oh yes my fellow beer confessors... but it has soooo much more. This 36 x 48 inch, full color, two sided map includes locations and information for all of the 100+ brewery's in the state. The back-side has a close-up inset of South Denver to Fort Collins - what I like to call "Beer Alley" due to the numerous breweries in the area. But there's more! Additional info is included for ski resorts, 14ers, historic taverns, driving distances, and state & national parks. BUT WAIT! These bad boys are available in a few forms: flat and rolled for shipping, or folded to fit in your pocket or glovebox (both available for $12.95). There's even a special laminated version suitable for hanging ($29.95).

I know!

So what are you still doing here hop head? GET A MOVE ON! Clickety-click on over to their website and order a few for yourself (cuz you know you're gonna spill that luscious elixir on it at some point and who can afford to be WITHOUT one of these "treasure maps"?). While you're at it, order one for everyone you might deem beer worthy.

See ya on the open road (but always drink responsibly)!

Beer Can Furniture - Suhweeeet!

I love beer so much that I want to convert my coffee table into a "beer" table. Chairs? Why, beer-cheers of course! How about the couch? Beer-ouch. Night stand? Beer stand. You get the drift. Well, apparently I'm not the only one who thinks this is a swell idea. Fran prolly wouldn't like it though.

Enter Bernard Dier's version of beer-topia. Way back in 1936 ole Bernie soldered 420 Pabst Blue Ribbon cans into this decadent, envy-inducing set of furniture.

I want beer can furniture too!

Has anyone done something like this? If so, drop me a line and send me some photos! I wanna see your handy work.

TGIF Roundup!

Several nuggets o' knowledge to drop on ya on this magnificent Friday... so let's get right to it!

I'm going to Malt Disneyland!

This MSNBC bit by Lew Bryson focuses on what I like to call "The land o' milk(stouts) and honey(ales) - BELGIUM! Whatever we're doing over here in the good ole US of A with beer, Belgium has already done it. Like 1,000 years ago. Belgium is to beer what videotape is to the New England Patriots. Or Lidocaine is to Roger Clemens.

Fran (that's my incredible wife) and I just started planning our mega European trip in 2010, which coincides with the 200th Anniversary of Oktoberfest in Munich, Germany. Coincidence? Not hardly. But I digress... Belgium will, if all things go according to plan, be included on the itinerary. I already have one Belgium bar on the "Bars to visit before you die" list (the Delirium Cafe in Brussels), but thanks to Lew's article I've just added another - the Tavern Dulle Griet in Ghent.

They offer over 250 different beers, including all the famous Trappist beers and an extensive range of exclusive Gueuze and Kriek beers. Their specialty truly is special! To get the “Max of the House” you must first take off a shoe, which then gets hoisted into a basket and raised to the ceiling. Hell, after a few hours at the Griet I'll give 'em more than a shoe!


Cicerone Certification Program Update

Got an Email from Ray Daniels - Director, Cicerone Certification Program - regarding a few new changes to the Cicerone Program. Check out the site for all the details, but here's a quick breakdown:

1. A revised and updated Novice Syllabus is available. This can be reviewed (it appears in the registered user area) to see what will be on the Certified Beer Server Exam.
2. You can now take the Certified Beer Server Exam ONLINE. This is required to become a full-fledged Certified Cicerone. The exam must be completed in 30 minutes or less, so be prepared if you decide to take it online.

Hop it like a monk!

Dean Biersch is the co-founder of Gordon Biersch, one of the top brewpub chains in the U.S. But that concept came about twenty years ago. Today he's got a new idea that he thinks can become yet another chain. One I'm very intrigued by because Fran (my soul-mate and "BDB" - Best Drinking Buddy) and I have designs on eventually opening our own pub.

Now a resident of Sonoma, California, Dean plans to start this new project by reopening the 105-year-old former electric-rail depot in Sebastopol and christening it - HopMonk Tavern. Dean plans on buying a house pilsner from Gordon Biersch while rotating 16 other draught selections, including one devoted to cask-conditioned beers, starting with one from Petaluma's Lagunitas Brewing Co. If you're an IPA fan, you'll absolutely dig their hoptastic version. While I was on holiday a few weeks ago I stumbled upon one of their rare seasonals - Cappuccino Stout. It fuggin rocked! These guys are great... and a bit wacky! They literally brew up whatever the hell they feel like and stick 'em in 22 ouncers. BAM First come first serve. But I digress...

The type of draughts will focus on seasonal selections. According to Colorado-based (the #1 brewing state in the country mind you) Brewers Association spokeswoman Julia Herz, seasonals rank #2 in sales only behind pale ales. People love 'em! I know I do! And I hope this thing takes off like a rocket! One free of lidocaine and B-12 that is. ;)

Have a great weekend, and imbibe some good brews while watching football! Zivjeli!

Eighth Annual Big Beers, Belgians & Barleywines Festival

If you're not doing anything this weekend (January 10 - 12, 2008) - the shenanigans actually kick off tonight - and are a fan of the three B's (Big, Belgian and Barleywine) then you might want to head up to Vail, Colorado, and check out the 8th annual BIG Beer Festival.

This has turned into a rather hifalutin affair over the years. Well, as hifalutin as craft beer fests get that is. This year they have some serious heavyweight guests in attendance, including:

• Will Meyers of Cambridge Brewing Co.
• THE Sam Calagione from Dogfish Head Brewery
• Peter Bouckaert from Coloraod's very own New Belgium Brewing Co. and
  
• Avery Brewing Co.'s own Adam Avery

Over the next three days there's a brewmaster's dinner, a homebrew competition, seminars and a tasting event. Damn I wish I could go! Wish I knew about it sooner. Or remembered it. Whatever. At 40 I can't remember which - DOH!

For all the details (and there are quite a few), check out the website. If you do go, be sure to drop a few comments here (and photos if you have 'em) and let me know how it was.

Three Sheets NYC Pub Crawl

I'm a big fan of the Mojo HD show Three Sheets. The hilarious Zane Lamprey, perhaps the greatest host the world has ever seen, zips around the globe sucking down suds and booze in every port. Truly, a worldwide pub crawl. Oh what I wouldn't do for a gig like his!



But did you know there's a new episode?!? I didn't until my buddy Steven dropped the 411 on me. In this one-hour special Zane comes back to the good ole USA and bounces around New York City for a New Year's Eve pub crawl. In case you missed it the first time (like I did), Mojo has rebroadcast it several times (with more to be aired, check the schedule), but if you like you can watch the entire episode online. What's more, you can inspect and print off the actual pub route that Zane takes through NYC by going here. Very cool!

My favorite place was the Burp Castle. Anyone who watches the show regularly knows what you must do when you burp (it's a real drinking game). I like it so much that I've included it on the list of bars one must visit before they die. Here is how Zane describes the Castle: Say excuse me, wipe your feet, and come on in to the Burp Castle–The name says it all. Hidden behind a group of aggressive shrubbery and a shabby white fence, the monastery-styled bar describes itself as a “temple of beer worship.” Sporting a drink menu of 12 draft beers imported from Belgium, Germany and Britain, this popular abbey themed pub captures the quirky medieval style while maintaining its modern twist.

Oh yes... one other thing. Want to party with Zane? Cuz my wife and I sure as hell do! Well, now you can - but it'll cost you. Check out the official "Zane Crawl" website for all the details. The site doesn't officially launch until tomorrow, but you can get some of the facts ahead of time.

Until next time... Zivjeli!

The Beer Buggy

If there's one thing I like more than beer it's gadgets. When you combine the two... oh it's a hoppy, hoppy day indeed.

The Consumer Electronics Show is in full swing in Las Vegas and one of the nifty - and completely useless - gizmos to be revealed is The Beer Buggy. This remote control buggy allows you to plop two cold bottles of your favorite brew into the driver and passenger seats and drive them (remotely) to their intended location. For a mere $40 (available at Spencers), what's not to like?

Hoppy New Year!

Sorry for the lack of any timely posts, but you know how this time of year gets. However, with the holidays out of the way it's time to rev the beer confessional back up! Without getting into a lot of detail, here's what happened over the last few weeks:

• Spent Christmas with the wife's folks in California.
• Got a bunch of beeraphernalia, including a new beer fridge from my wife! Thanks honey!
  
• Visited the world famous Russian River Brewing Company (which is only 10 minutes from the in-laws) and tasted most of their beers! Pliny the Elder will knock your socks off if your an IPA fan (8.0%ABV and 100 BUs), but my fave was Salvation, which of course I couldn't buy in a growler or in their 750s.
  

• Our gang of professional drinkers spent New Year's Eve in downtown Colorado Springs, mostly hanging at Phantom Canyon and imbibing a great many of their various excellent brews. We listened to the rockin' tunes of our friend's band Mystic 7, who sounded great despite the wind chill induced MINUS 15 degree temps! Great job guys!
  

Over the next few weeks you'll be seeing some serious changes around here. I'm adding more features, plus I have a few things in the works that will absolutely be of interest to you (like moving the blog to a dedicated hosted website; a potential project with the gang at the Beer Drinker's Guide to Colorado, another project with my friend the Beer Philosopher, and more)!

Stay tuned... 2008 is gonna be hoppin!