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!

Drinking up a good read

I'm 40 years old. Which is seven more than the cryptic number 33 on the label of a Rolling Rock bottle, five less than the number on a Colt 45 can, and fifty nine less than the 99 bottles of beer on the wall.

What the hell does all that mean? No clue.

But it goes with the mentality of a new beer magazine called, well... Beer Magazine. By looking at their website (which has been only slightly updated since the last time I perused it, meaning it's about as interactive as a slab of frozen ice), a second issue is out on the newsstands now.

At first glance through its shinny pages (the mag looks gorgeous) you'll find somewhat juvenile humor laced throughout (comparing toilet papers?). You'll also notice the gorgeous babes and their boobs. Nothing sells beer like babes and boobs. And toilet paper. I know sex sells, and it goes hand in hand with all the beer ads we've seen for years on television, so its par for the course.

But don't let all that fool you. It did me at first. Beneath the glossy babes is a helluva good magazine. Unlike many of the staid, ultra-conservative beer oriented rags... Beer Magazine is different. In a good way. The last thing we needed is another "thinking man's" beer mag. I give huge props to Derek and Mike for seemingly combining frat boy beer mentality that will sell millions of issues to the Beer Bongers of the world, with beer knowledge that will sell to millions of beer enthusiasts. Sounds like a winning combo to me!

I give Beer Magazine two solid beer thumbs up, and look forward to this becoming a 12-times-a-year mag!

The 12 Days (or so) of Christmas

Since we're this close to Christmas - what would the holidays be without that festive and now legendary version of "12 Days of Christmas" from our boys up north - The McKenzie Brothers! Took a little scouring to find a good video to accompany the song, but found one I did. Created by a guy named Rogue Angel, it makes the song even MORE of a classic if you can believe it!

So without further adieu...

Can you Digg It?!

You might have noticed the appearance of "Digg It" buttons next to each post on the site. So what the hell is "Digg?" I'll let Digg tell you. The following is taken directly from their website:

Digg is a place for people to discover and share content from anywhere on the web. From the biggest online destinations to the most obscure blog, Digg surfaces the best stuff as voted on by our users. You won’t find editors at Digg — we’re here to provide a place where people can collectively determine the value of content and we’re changing the way people consume information online.

How do we do this? Everything on Digg — from news to videos to images to Podcasts — is submitted by our community (that would be you). Once something is submitted, other people see it and Digg what they like best. If your submission rocks and receives enough Diggs, it is promoted to the front page for the millions of our visitors to see.

The "Digg It" button next to each post allows you the reader to make the call. Was it such a well written piece (HA!) that it should be nominated for a Pulitzer? Is it about something you think everyone in the Blogbeerosphere should know about? Then... DIGG IT!

to do so roll the cursor over the "Digg It" button. You can still left click on the button like you normally would any other link, but currently there's a glitch in the system that instead of opening up a new tab or window, it takes you directly to Digg. If you want to avoid that and remain on the Beer Geek page, scroll over the button and RIGHT click instead of left click. A menu window will open. From there "Open in a new Tab (or Window)" and you're set.

You have to be a member to actually Digg stuff, so for those of you who aren't... it's a simple process. I'd greatly appreciate the help. This way the site gets a lot more traffic and everyone wins!

Thanks!

So Say We All!

Ok, well... all 3 of you anywho. The votes are in and we have a winnah!

"Confession is good for the soul. Along with a good beer or two."

I likey. So much so that I'm toasting it with a Young's Double Chocolate Stout at this very moment. This sucker is so smooth, with just the right hint of chocolate, that you'd swear this wasn't a pint of beer. Damn that's good! And it goes perfect with the funk weather that has moved into Southern Colorado. Winter is making it's presence known with sub 30 degree temps and a bit o' snow. This after hitting 70 degrees earlier this week. SEVENTY!

I'm off. Have a great weekend and be sure to drink at least one good beer in the next 48!

Zivjeli!

What's that smell?

Speaking of "going green"...

Seriously though I stumbled across this: 5 ways to use skunked beer. Instead of tossing it down the chute, "go green" and do something beneficial (sorta) with that nasty beer. Check it out!

Christmas (Beer Bottle) Tree, O Christmas (Beer Bottle)Tree...

I thought it was time to get festive around the confessional.

*Thanks to Larry for sending this along to me. I back tracked the photo to the website listed in the bottom right corner of the photo under "Unusual Christmas Trees." And how!

Canadian Beer Drinkers = Global Terrorists!

It would appear that those silly Canadians are at it again, eh. According to Denise Young, a researcher at the University of Alberta, Canada, 1 in 3 Canadian households use an outdated refrigerator (aka a "Beer Fridge") to store their Elsinore and Molson. ROCK ON CANADA!

Seriously though... these archaic ice boxes have a significant impact on household greenhouse gas emissions and increased energy consumption.

Sadly, that means I too am a gobal terrorist. See I also have one of these stone age coolers down in my basement where I keep all my liquid gold. I inherited it from the folks who we bought the house from - a fellow beer lover who also happened to be a home brewer. I have no clue how old it is, but every month or so I have to don the gloves and safety goggles, grab a hammer and ice pick, and trudge down to "defrost" the sucker. Alas, the wife and I have talked about getting one of those fancy, new fangled "frost free" fridges. This report gives us impetus to "go green."

Aspen's Splendor

Beer connoisseurs up in Colorado's high country rejoice! This month (hopefully) the Aspen Brewery will open it's doors, adding to the ever growing list of breweries dotting the state.

















Duncan Clauss, Rory Douthit and Brad Veltman signed a three-year lease on a 2,000 square-foot space with plans to offer up to eight original brews. They've hired Jason Courtney, a 38-year-old master brewer, recognized as one of the best micro-brew makers in the country.

For all the details check out this Summit Daily News article.

The Beer Man Cometh

Unless you've been living in a keg - and who could blame you? - for the last few months, you've heard about the impending world-wide hop and barely shortage. We all knew it was coming. Well, it's here.

The latest newsletter from one of my favorite craft breweries, Left Hand Brewing (makers of the scrumptious Milk Stout and seasonal Snowbound Ale), just landed in my Email. Within is an interesting, well-written article from Joe Schiraldi, VP of Brewing Operations. It's so good, and the subject matter so important, that I'm reprinting it (without permission at the moment, but I am sending an Email to them asking for it) right here and now. Be sure to visit their site and sign up for the newsletter if you haven't done so yet!

So start saving those pennies fellow Beer Confessional Goers because the price of beer is about to skyrocket. Without further ado...

Many of you have probably heard by now of the sudden upheaval in the price and supply of hops and malting barley. This is certainly going to have an enormous effect on our industry and the beers we have all come to enjoy. I would like to take some time to write about a couple of things, in particular why we find ourselves in this predicament and what Left Hand is doing to mitigate the problem. First, how did this all come about?

Regarding hops, it is important to understand that this problem has been developing over the course of the last twenty years. In the most basic analysis, it can be understood as lack of acreage.

Alpha acid is the compound hops contain that lends the bitterness to beer. Over the years, hop varieties that contain a high percentage of alpha acid have been in demand. At the same time, the major brewers have been making less bitter beers. I know it's hard to tell but AB etc. use a tremendous amount of hops. Because of the increased bittering capacity per acre and a reduction in alpha demand in the world hop market there was an over abundance of hop production in the mid 1990's. This resulted in falling prices and excess hops.

To preserve the brewing value of the excess, hop extracts were produced which can be stored for long periods of time. As the prices fell it became difficult for growers to stay in business. As there were less and less growers the extract began to sell off which further reduced hop prices. Over the next several years more and more growers sold their family farms to developers or began to sell other crops that had a more solid financial bounty.

The expected yield for this year's crop did not meet expectations. This was mostly due to damaging weather in the form of flooding and hail in the hop growing regions of Europe. Unfortunately, in the years preceding this, the excess extract has since been sold off. This brings us to where we are now. Quite simply there are not enough hops to meet the world's demands. The shortage is estimated at 10- 15%. We now see a huge spike in the price of hops. In some instances as much as 400% for certain varieties. Many breweries contract their hops one to two years out. Many small brewpubs and breweries didn't. They relied on a spot market for their hop needs. The spot market no longer exists. It is a very real fact that many businesses will close because you can't make beer without hops and they can't get any hops at any price. So what does this mean to the craft industry?

Quite simply, almost nothing good will come of this. Big brewers in a panic began purchasing vast quantities of hops with cash on the barrel- head for up to five years out. This added more fuel to a frenzied market. In addition, we will see a favoring of high alpha varieties over aroma hops. This in my opinion will make less varieties of hops available to craft brewers. On a more optimistic note, I hope this event causes a maturing of the hop industry. I do believe that increased cooperation and communication between brewers and growers in the form of long term contracts breeds an industry that benefits all and reflects fair pricing to everyone.

It will take several years before this crisis is behind us. It takes that long to reap the benefits of newly planted acres. In addition, growers are planting conservatively to avoid repeating the cycle again.

Things are only slightly better in the world malting barley market. The problem here is also two- fold. Basically, there are all kinds of barley grown in the world. The best that is grown each year on our little planet is malting barley used in making beer. It is grown mostly in North America, Europe and Australia. Europe and Australia have both seen poor harvests two years in a row. Australia has been fighting a terrible drought for years and Europe saw excessive rains. The North American crop is of fair quality and is perceived to be a more stable source for brewers. World interest in North American barley has spurred price increases. World conditions have resulted in a diminished volume as well less than ideal quality. Typically, when the quality goes down you have to use more of it to make beer. It's what I like to call the Malacci crunch or "gettin' ham and egged". The quality sucks, your usage goes up and we get to pay more per pound for the privilege.

Adding further stress to the market is the booming food as fuel thing. Why grow barley when you can get a subsidy check to grow corn for ethanol? This feeds big revenue into the animal feed market since corn is being diverted. The market for alternative feed grains is lucrative right now. These two things put the squeeze on the malting barley supply. The result is higher prices. For us about 72%. So where does this put Left Hand you ask?

I keep saying to myself, "Yeah this sucks but it could be worse." Luckily, we have always contracted our hops. Sure my price has gone up but I am not battling a last minute scramble to secure my hop supply for next year. I guess I am taking comfort in the fact that I actually do have hops. Some are not so fortunate. I am currently working with my suppliers on several levels. First, to secure my supply with a contract for the next three to five years. Secondly, I am working with my suppliers to change my hop needs to reflect the different portfolio of hops that I believe will be available to me in the coming years. As far as malting barley is concerned there is very little I can do to avoid paying prevailing market price or futures prices for barley. We are getting ours from North America and I have enjoyed the quality of grain we have been seeing. I hope that next year's barley is not markedly inferior. The last time we saw really bad barley was back in the late 90's to early 2000's if I remember correctly. I'll keep my fingers crossed. Anyway, the price of beer is going to go up. I try to appease my uneasy spirit with this little quip adapted from the Fabulous Furry Freak Brothers, " Beer will get you through times with no money better than money will get you through times with no beer." Cheers!

Gee, what a nice Christmas present for all of us on this first Day of December, huh?

Not so... Brilliant!

I will not tell a lie. I think ole Abe Lincoln said something similar. Or maybe it was George W. Whoever said it, I'm sure it was for a far more profound reason then me saying it. See, I have thought about hijacking a rig full of beer a time or two.

(swirly dream effect)

There I am cruising down the highway on a hot summer day. The top is off the Jeep Wrangler and the sun is making my forehead feel like a George Foreman grill. Suddenly, off in the distance... I see it. No, it's not a mirage. It's the real deal. An 18-wheeler full of ice cold brew. And I ain't talking about the craptacular swill inside a silver bullet either. Oh no... this is good beer. Instantly clips from all those many action flicks I've watched over the years - one's that involve jumping recklessly from a car onto a moving big rig - flash through my head. Oh ya, daring duo type stuff. Stunt man crap!


(swirly dream effect fades... back to reality)

But dreaming and doing are two vastly different things. Take for instance the gent who drove a truck into the Guinness brewery located on the banks of Dublin, Ireland's, River Liffey. He calmly pulled in to the loading dock area, hitched up a fully loaded trailer containing 180 kegs of Guinness, 180 kegs of Crudweiser and 90 barrels of Carlsberg lager... and simply drove off into the sunset. Or, since it was Ireland - to the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow. Oh wait, the pot of gold was already attached to his rig! Well, minus the Crudwieser that is. Surely the lad did something noble with it, like... tossed 'em into the Liffey.

Nevertheless, this "master plan" succeeded. Somehow. Gotta give him props for being so bold. Brilliant!

* Thanks for the news lead, Larry!

Vote Early, Vote Often

Friends, Beer Geeks and Confessional Goers... lend me your mugs. I come to buy beer, not drink it!

(snicker)

OK, I've extended the poll question another week. I really need your input folks... so get into that voting booth (which ironically looks like a confessional) and lemme know what you think about the slogans. Would you buy a cool T-shirt or some other nifty nick nack sporting such a sexy saying?

Christmas Comes Early

I hope all my fellow Beer Geeks had a wondrous Thanksgiving. If you're like me you ate too much, drank too much, and watched too much football.

Wait a second... how the hell can the words "too much" ever be associated with any of those things?! ;)

So did anyone "man up" and venture forth to the malls on Black Friday to do some Christmas shopping? Again, if you're like me - you most certainly did not. Sorry, but I do all my shopping online. Dubba dubba dubba dot "buy it online" dot com baby! While "shopping" (from the comfort of my leather office chair, a steaming cup of java nearby) I happened to come across two fantastic beer items. One you can buy right now, the other you can dream about having - if/when it comes out.

Introducing... the roughly $4,000 "Device." Thanks to Popular Science staff photographer John Carnett, even the saddest of Brew Mixologists (that'd be me) would be able to brew and serve their own homemade beer. It took John several weeks to build what he calls "The Device": a stainless-steel two-cart brewing system that starts by boiling extract—concentrated wort, or pre-fermented beer—and ends with a chilled pint.


Oh sweet mother! With this thing even I could make a drinkable home brew. Unlike my fiasco earlier this year with the "Beer Machine." Granted, it's not being mass produced - yet, but you can bet your sweet bippy (what the hell is a "sweet bippy" anyway?) that someone somewhere will pony (keg) up the cash to buy the rights to this grand piece of machinery.

Check out how John assembled this beast:



I have problems tying my shoes some days. If I were to attempt to build this contraption I'd probably blow up my neighborhood. I think I'll stick to buying beer in bottles. Better yet... those new 5 liter mini-kegs. Cuz the fine folks at Hammaker Schlemmer have come up with what has to be the coolest beer related gizmo I've seen so far this year. May I present... The Countertop Beer Cooler and Tap! Wooooohooooo! Hallelujah! Are those angels I hear singing?

At a mere $299.95, this bad boy holds a 5-liter keg and has an integrated tap that lets you pour draft style beer at home! Guys like gizmos and flashing lights, and this thing has an array of LCD lights that display the exact temperature, while allowing true Beer Geeks to adjust the temp from 37 to 53 degrees. A pressure gauge regulates the CO2 content and even lets you alter the carbonation! It comes with an instructional DVD, tapping and cleaning kits, three 16-gram CO2 cartridges, and an overflow tray. To order one, clickety-click on over to Hamm-Schlem and order one here!

If you'll ecuse me... I have to go update my Chrismtas list and inform my better half of this newly found item of joy!

Until next time... keep the beer cold! Ya never know when I might stop by!

Beer Bong!

Sorry for the quick shot (thus the reference to the beer bong in the title), but to say I've been busy this last week would be a gross understatement. Let's get right to it shall we?

1) I hope all my fellow Beer Geeks and Confessional visitors have a wonderful Thanksgiving. Be sure to pair up a few good brews (maybe some you've never tried) with the turkey, stuffing, pumpkin pie and green bean casserole!


2) I've changed the Poll Question - it's a bit more specific as to my end goals for the slogan. So those of you who voted, please vote again. Plus, I've extended it until the end of next week.

3) I still have every intention of putting up the (now very much belated) Halloween article. I just need to get around to completing it.

4) Still working on a way to best host the Real Men of Genius radio spots. They're coming!

Until next time... Zivjeli!

And the Award Goes To...

Me.

I know! Can you believe it?!

I woke up this morning to find that this little beer blog of mine has won an award. Check it out:

Most of the time we bloggers do this (to borrow a phrase from my pal the Beer Philosopher) "for the love of the game." Meaning, we do it because we love the subject of our blogsession, not for awards and money (well, sometimes the money). Receiving kudos from fellow Beer Geeks is always great, but getting accolades from someone completely outside the realm of the subject for which you are blabbing, a site that actually reviews other blogs... well, that's just downright AWESOME!

In this case the blog review site Your Relevant has deemed Confessions of a Beer Geek worthy of your precious free time. Here's what they had to say about the site:

Confessions of a Beer Geek gets the honors this time with their amazing blog dedicated to the world of beer. We find this blog to be of some incredible use to beer enthusiasts and casual beer drinkers alike. We would like to present the Golden Glasses Award to them for their great achievement.

For me this truly legitimizes the site. Not only that, but it makes me want to be better, faster, stronger... oh wait, that sounds like I want to be the Bionic Beer Geek. ;) Seriously though, thanks for the kudos and I hope ya'll stick around on this crazy beerwagon for what's to come.

And remember... "Confession is good for the soul. Along with a good beer or two." (Ya, that's my new motto. How do you like it?)

More Beerelated Tid Bits!

New TV feed (located on the sidebar): Check out Craft Beer TV presented by Flying Dog Brewery.

New Beer Site: If you haven't stumbled across the Beer Drinkers Guide To Colorado, check it out ASAP! It's a hot new multimedia site dedicated to all things Beer (of course), but specifically Colorado Beers. Plus, they've got a way cool product coming out soon that's long overdue - an actual fold up Beer Map that you can stick in your glove box! HELLO! Based on my expeirence the site is best viewed with Internet Explorer. It seems to have some issues with Firefox (my browser of choice).


I received my CD containing 140 of the Bud Light Real Men of Genius ads. With any luck I'll have them posted here (incrementally) in the next few days.

Oh To Be a Cicerone!

You may have heard the term Cicerone (pronounced sis-uh-rohn) thrown about lately. But what is it, and more importantly - how the hell can I become one?!

Check this out, taken from the latest Left Hand Brewing (makers of some delish beer, including my fave - Milk Stout) Newsletter:

Anyone can call themselves an expert on beer. But when you, our friends, want great beer, sometimes you'll need help from a server who really knows beer flavors, styles and brands. You'll also want to buy from a place that understands proper storage and serving so the beer they drink will be of the highest quality. Too often great beer is harmed by improper service practices.

That being the case, Ray Daniels, a veteran of the US Beer Industry and current President of the Craft Beer Institute, as well as a friend of ours, has developed a program to ensure that consumers receive the best possible beer and enjoy its flavors to the greatest extent possible. It's called the Cicerone Certification Program. To facilitate this, those who sell and serve beer need to acquire knowledge in five areas:

• Beer Storage, Sales and Service
• Beer Styles and Culture
• Beer Tasting and Flavors
• Brewing Ingredients and Processes
• Pairing Beer with Food

To encourage participation by those with various interests and ambitions, the program offers three levels of certification beginning with the simplest and building to the most complex and demanding:

1. Certified Beer Server
2. Certified Cicerone
3. Master Cicerone

What is a Cicerone?

The word Cicerone (pronounced sis-uh-rohn) has been chosen to designate those with proven expertise in selecting, acquiring and serving today's wide range of beers. The titles "Certified Cicerone" and "Master Cicerone" are protected certification trademarks. Only those who have passed the requisite test of knowledge and tasting skill can call themselves a Cicerone.

What is the origin of the word "Cicerone"?

Cicerone is an English word referring to "one who conducts visitors and sightseers to museums and explains matters of archaeological, antiquarian, historic or artistic interest." For beer, a Cicerone will possess the knowledge and skills to guide those interested in beer culture, including its historic and artistic aspects. "Cicerone" now designates a person with demonstrated expertise in beer who can guide consumers to enjoyable and high-quality experiences with great beer.

What is a sommelier?

The word "sommelier" designates an expert wine steward. Twenty or thirty years ago when beer was much simpler, those whose primary expertise was wine could fairly claim to know a great deal about beer. But today the world of beer is just as diverse and complicated as wine. As a result, developing true expertise in beer takes years of focused study and requires constant attention to stay on top of new brands and special beers. While it is certainly possible for someone to be expert in both wine and beer, the only way to prove that is by examination and certification in both fields. Only those with the title "Certified Cicerone" or "Master Cicerone" have demonstrated their expertise in selecting and serving fine beer.

How is a Cicerone different from a Beer Sommelier?

A Cicerone is a tested and proven expert in beer while beer sommelier is a self-designation that can be adopted by anyone. Because there are no criteria for the title of beer sommelier and because those who use the title have not subjected their knowledge and skills to an independent examination, consumers and employers can't be sure just what a non-certified beer server knows or how they treat and serve the beer.

For more info, check out www.cicerone.org. We raise our glasses to Ray and the Cicerone Certification Program!

Beer me!

Added 2 new media feeds to the site: beergeekTV and The Beer Report podcast.

Check 'em both out!

911 - I have an Beermergency!

OK, I love my beer, but...

From NBC News


It may have seemed like an emergency at the time, but a Connecticut man is now regretting his call to 911.

The man, 35-year-old Brian Poulin of Hebron, was arrested Sunday after police said he called 911 several times and asked them to bring him beer. Hebron was charged with disorderly conduct.

Police said he called 911 numerous times and told the dispatcher he was out of beer and asked them to pick up more for him. Poulin was transported to Windham Community Memorial Hospital after officers arrested him at his home.

Police did not say what he was treated for.

He is scheduled to appear in Superior Court in Rockville on Nov. 20.

Men Created Everything

Face it... we did. (wink)

Seriously though, since I'm having issues with Bud's "Real Men of Genius" radio ads here's another Bud commercial to keep you occupied.

Real Men of Genius Update: I've got a CD containing 140 (of the roughly 170) of these bad boys coming my way, which I should have in the next week. From there I'll transfer them to a server and get them online ASAP.




* Thanks for passing this along, Larry! Much obliged.

Hail the Ale!

Beerade Thirst Quencher.

I knew it!

According to Professor Manuel Garzon of Granada University in Spain, beer can help someone who is dehydrated retain liquid better than water. Furthermore, he claims that the bubbles in beer help quench thirst and beer's carbohydrate content can help replace lost calories.

For the full details, go here.

Cool Runnings

Now THAT'S a beer fridge!

* Thanks for passing this along, James!

Real Men of... Forbidden?!

It's been brought to my attention that the Real Men of Genius links aren't working. And by "brought to my attention" I don't mean by a Cease and Desist Letter. At least not yet. The links work, then they don't. Not sure what's going on so I might have to figure out a new way to get them posted. Which I must do. They are the funniest damn things...

Open for Business

Yes, I'm still here. I just wanted to apologize for not updating the site with anything truly significant in the last week or so. I've been insanely busy with "real life" and a few work related projects. Also been trying to put together a nifty Halloween piece for you all. Things should be calming down in the next few days though... so I'll get us back to our regularly scheduled broadcasts soon.

Just in time for the first All Colorado Beer Festival here in Colorado Springs on Saturday, November 10! Be sure to check out the site and buy your tix early! There are two sessions (12:00 to 4:30pm and 5:30 to 10:00PM). If any one of my three loyal readers (badabing!) are going and want to meet up... I, along with some friends/family (informally referred to as "Professional Drinkers" and/or the Beer Brigade) will be going to the early session. I'm old. Give me a break.

Until then... Zivjeli!

Pretty Beer

* Thanks for sending this my way, Heather!

Holy Rollin' and Hops in Hellfire

Fire it up!

In case you missed it, hops are in short supply. No, not because of ethanol - that's a myth. So what's the real cause? One hell of a fire in a hop warehouse that destroyed some 2 - 3 percent of the WORLD'S hop supply. Craft beer aficionados will likely pay the ultimate price at the tap. Check out ABC's report for the lowdown.




Miller Mocks Jesus

It's bad enough that SABMiller of London, and Denver-based Molson Coors Brewing Co. have merged to fight the "juggernaut" (quotes because there's simply no accounting for taste in this country) that is Anheuser-Busch (check out all the details here), but Miller has decided it was in their best interest to sponsor The Folsom Street Fair, which is the finale to San Francisco's Leather Pride Week. Think of it in these terms: citizens of Sodom and Gamorrah would blush over this crap.

That's bad, but it gets a WHOLE LOT worse. The promotional poster (go here to see it, I won't stoop so low as to show it on my site) for this "festival" - and I use that term loosely (although not nearly as loose as the morals of the attendees) - is nothing short of mind boggling. In what amounts to a sexually twisted version of the painting The Last Supper (create by Leonardo Da Vinci) "are a set of men and women in various stages of leather dress/undress, including a man wearing a black dog mask. Sex toys, including a big red fist, are strewn across the table... Prominently on display in the left-hand corner of the ad — the Miller Lite sponsorship logo."

Wow. Just... WOW. As if I needed another reason to, dare I say, piss on mass produced swill. To read the whole article, written by Brent Bozell III, go here.

On that happy note... ya'll have a great beer drinkin' weekend. I know I will! Let me know if there's something out there you've tried recently that you think I'd like. I LOVE trying new brews!

Until then... Zivjeli!

Beery Goodness for your Taste Buds and your Brain Pan!

My good buddy Larry sent me these really cool beer related tidbits of knowledge. Who knew?! Thanks Larry! And remember... there's no such thing as "useless" beer info! ;)

It was the accepted practice in Babylon 4,000 years ago that for a month after the wedding, the bride's father would supply his son-in-law with all the mead he could drink. Mead is a honey beer and because their calendar was lunar based, this period was called the honey month we know today as the honeymoon.

In English pubs, ale is ordered by pints and quarts. So in old England, when customers got unruly, the bartender would yell at them "mind their own pints and quarts and settle down." It's where we get the phrase "mind your P's and Q's"

Many years ago in England, pub frequenters had a whistle baked into the rim or handle of their ceramic cups. When they needed a refill, they used the whistle to get some service. "Wet your whistle" is the phrase inspired by this practice.

I love this kind of "useless" knowledge! The next time you pull up a stool at your favorite watering hole you can drop these "useless" bits of trivia on your drinking pals and blow them away!


German Done Right!

As I've mentioned, the wife and I couldn't make it the Munich Oktoberfest this year, however, the other night we found a magnificent fill in!

Edelweiss has been a Colorado Springs institution of sorts for 40 years now. This superb German restaurant serves the most authentic (and great tasting) fare I've ever had. My wife is 100% German, and was supremely impressed. So much so that she actually dreamed about being in Germany after visiting. Now that's saying something!

But it's got more going for it then just great Weinerschnitzel and Bratwurst... the owners of Edelweiss know their German beers! What, you thought I was only going to talk about food in a beer blog?

Here's what I tried that I've never had before:

Kristall Weissbeir from Wiehenstaphan - The World's Oldest Brewery was established way back in the year of our Lord, 1040 AD. They make one helluva fantastic weissbeir (wheat beer)! According to the website "the source of its pearling, effervescent taste is the secret fermentation process" developed specifically for their crystal wheat beer. At 5.4% ABV, that secret process does the job very well. By the way, check out their website for a very cool, high-tech virtual tour of this very old school brewery.

Dunkel Weizen Steingadener from Aktienbrauerei Kaufbeuren, which is a youngin' of a brewery having been established in 1307. This dark wheat weighs in a 5.1% ABV, and while tasty, wasn't one of my favorites.

What was my favorite? While the first two beers on my list came in 17 ounce bottles, the Erdinger Weissbier ("With Fine Yeast") was on tap. It was far and away the best of the bunch, and also one of - if not THE finest - weissbiers I've ever tasted. Ya... it's THAT good.

So if you're in the Colorado Springs area you owe it to yourself to stop by the Edelweiss and try their sumptuous plates of fantastic Bavarian cuisine. They currently don't have a rathskellar, but according to the folks who work there (most of which are German and have accents) - one is being built in the basement (where an authentic beer hall SHOULD be). If all goes according to plan it will be open just after the first of the year.

I think I see a huge frequent drinker beer stein with my name on it in the not too distant future!

Beer Ramblings...

Added 5 more "Real Genius" commercials to the list. In keeping with the time of year I tried to slide a few in for relevance's sake. The "Mr. Humongous Pumpkin Grower Guy" goes without saying, especially after many of these giant gourd contests have been going on over the last few weeks. And "Mr. Fantasy Football manager Guy" because I'm a fanatic for fantasy sports. I've never heard many of these oldies, but every single one of them are side splitting funny.

Here's some knowledge about the creative team behind this hilarity. Bob Winter is the genius copywriter, Pete Stacker is the somber-but-sarcastic announcer, and... you'll never believe who the singer is - David Bickler, the lead singer for the rock band Survivor (Eye Of The Tiger from the movie Rocky III).

I've been thinking about getting a new bike. What do you think about this one?


Ya, I like it too. Exercising and drinking at the same time! As the Guinness guys say... BRILLIANT!

Speaking of Guinness... someone sent me this picture (UPDATE: Steven sent it to me - THANKS!). It's pretty cool.



All this beer talk is making me thirsty. Well look at that... lunch time! WOOOHOOO!

Anyone out there going to a costume party this Halloween? The wife and I are, but we're keeping our costumes top secret. I'll post some pics after the reveal. Trust me, they're relevant.

And the Winner Is...

Actually there were a lot of them at this years Great American Beer Festival! Here are some quick facts:

• 25,000 gallons of beer flowed at the festival
  
• 408 Breweries were on the festival floor (24 more than last year)
• 1884 Different beers (230 more than last year!)
  
• 473 Breweries in the competition proper (24 more than last year)
  
• 2793 Beers were entered in the competition
  
• 39,000 bottles and cans will be recycled
• 84% of the total beer on the festival floor arrived in kegs
  
• 75 Style Categories were judged
  
• 107 judges from 7 different countries (4 more than last year)
• 37 - average number of beers in each category (2 more than last year)
• 120 entries for American Style IPA - the category with most entries

Here are the really big winners:

Large Brewing Company and Large Brewing Company Brewer of the Year
Pabst Brewing Company, Woodridge, IL
Bob Newman

Mid-Size Brewing Company and Mid-Size Brewing Company Brewer of the Year
Sponsored by Crosby & Baker Ltd.
Firestone Walker Brewing Company, Paso Robles, CA
Matthew Brynildson

Small Brewing Company and Small Brewing Company Brewer of the Year
Sponsored by Microstar Keg Management
Port Brewing & The Lost Abbey, San Marcos, CA
Tomme Arthur

Large Brewpub and Large Brewpub Brewer of the Year
Sponsored by Brewers Supply Group
Redrock Brewing Company, Salt Lake City, UT
Kevin Templin

Small Brewpub and Small Brewpub Brewer of the Year
Sponsored by Briess Malt & Ingredients Co.
Montana Brewing Company, Billings, MT
Travis Zeilstra

Beer Journalism Award
During the GABF awards ceremony, journalists and distributors were also recognized for their important role in the craft beer industry. I was not one of those winners.

Colorado represented itself well.

Brewery	Beer	State	Medals	Category
Avery Brewing Co.	Hog Heaven	CO	Silver	Imperial or Double Red Ale
Blue Moon Brewing Co.	Honey Moon Summer Ale	CO	Gold	Specialty Honey Lager or Ale
Boulder Beer Co.	Planet Porter	CO	Bronze	Robust Porter
Bristol Brewing Co.	Laughing Lab Scottish Ale	CO	Silver	Scottish Style Ale
Bristol Brewing Co.	Skull & Bones Cuvee	CO	Silver	American-Style Sour Ale or German-Style Sour Ale
CB & Pott's Restaurant & Brewery (Highlands Ranch)	Dunkelstilsken	CO	Gold	European Style Dark/Münchner Dunkel
CooperSmith's Pub & Brewing Co.	Sigda's Green Chili	CO	Silver	Herb and Spice Beer
Coors Brewing Co.	Coors Light	CO	Bronze	American Style Light Lager
Durango Brewing Co.	Derail Ale	CO	Gold	Other Strong Ale or Lager
Flying Dog Brewery	Old Scratch Amber Lager	CO	Bronze	American Style Amber Lager
Glenwood Canyon Brewing Co.	Dos Rios	CO	Silver	Vienna Style Lager
Gunnison Brewery	Summertime 69	CO	Gold	Herb and Spice Beer
New Belgium Brewing Co.	Le Terroir	CO	Bronze	American-Style Sour Ale or German-Style Sour Ale
New Belgium Brewing Co.	Mothership Wit Organic Wheat Beer	CO	Bronze	Belgian-Style White (or Wit)/Belgian-Style Wheat
Odell Brewing Co.	Easy Street Wheat	CO	Silver	American-Style Hefeweizen
Odell Brewing Co.	Extra Special Red	CO	Bronze	Imperial or Double Red Ale
Odell Brewing Co.	IPA	CO	Gold	American-Style India Pale Ale
Pug Ryan's Brewery	Pallavicini Pilsner	CO	Silver	Bohemian Style Pilsener
Rock Bottom Brewery - Westminster	Red Rocks Red	CO	Gold	Irish Style Red Ale
Rockyard American Grill & Brewing Co.	Warning Sign	CO	Silver	German Style Strong Bock
SandLot Brewery at Coors Field	Green Side Up	CO	Silver	Dortmunder/European Style Export or German-Style Oktoberfest/Wiesen (Meadow)
SandLot Brewery at Coors Field	Move Back	CO	Gold	Dortmunder/European Style Export or German-Style Oktoberfest/Wiesen (Meadow)
Steamworks Brewing Co.	What in the Helles?	CO	Bronze	Münchner (Munich) Style Helles
Steamworks Brewing Co.	Steam Engine Lager	CO	Gold	American Style Amber Lager
Steamworks Brewing Co.	Colorado Kölsch	CO	Silver	German Style Kölsch/Köln Style Kölsch
Tommyknocker Brewery	Imperial Nut Brown Ale	CO	Bronze	Old Ale or Strong Ale
Tommyknocker Brewery	Butthead Bock	CO	Bronze	Bock
Tommyknocker Brewery	Prospector Porter	CO	Silver	Brown Porter
Twisted Pine Brewing Co.	Oak Whiskey Red	CO	Gold	Wood- and Barrel-Aged Beer

To see how your favorite craft brewery did, or to find out how your state did as a whole, go here and check out the GABF's great, sortable medal listing feature.

Congrats to all the winners. I 'm making it my duty as an Honorary Beer Geek (and card carrying Church Beer Minister) to try each and every one of the medal winnings brews over the next year so I can spread the glorious word! Hey, a man has to have a dream ya know?!

Zivjeli!

We are the Champions... Hopefully!

While perusing The Independent's website - longing to be up in Denver at the Great American Beer Festival - I stumbled upon a fantastic article written by Pete Freedman (We're gonna do it!) regarding the Colorado Springs craft beer scene.

It spotlights four local breweries - Arctic, Bristol, Phantom Canyon and Rock Bottom (each of them produce GREAT beers by the way!) - as they prepare for the all important GABF judging.

If you're into beers it's worth your time to give it a read... so check it out!