Crawling up from the frothy depths of an oak-aged barrel, eh!

And lo the clouds parted and the light of better beer did shine down upon the Mad Beer Man. A booming voice echoed forth unto the Mad One and didst say: "Go forth and baptize non-better beer drinkers and show them the same light that I have shown unto you."

Like the new banner? Thought it appropriate given the "theme." I have a few other surprises coming down the isle - so stay tuned. Speaking of... the votes are in and the congregates to the beer confessional have made it abundantly clear - ya freakin' hate the whole "Baptist/Baptizer" nickname. "The Mad Beer Man" it is. So say you all!

Sorry for the prolonged absence this week, but I've been insanely busy with that pesky thing known as "real life." Time for a little catch up... hold on!

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The Boulder Strong Ale Festival last weekend was nothing short of kick ass. In fact, I'm pretty sure it registered a 6.5 on the Righteously Awesome scale. There was, to borrow a phrase from Avery's Peter Archer (via John "The Beer Hermit" Morrissey's article in the Denver Post blog "Foam on the Range")... "abundantly ridiculous" amounts of beer there. And all of it was above 8% ABV. I don't need to prattle about this festival since John did such a great job. Clickety-click on the above link and give his article some link love.

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For many beer geeks the movie Strange Brew is a cult classic. It's hard to believe it was released twenty-five years ago (1983). Guess what? Bob and Doug are back! The actors behind the iconic beer swilling brothers - Dave Thomas and Rick Moranis - have signed on with Global TV to make an animated series. The 30 minute show will be set in the fictional Canadian town of Maple Lake and feature the voices of Moranis and Thomas. The two will also serve as executive producers. The series will begin airing next year.

Randy Boswell of the Canwest News Service interviewed Dave Thomas about the show. Give it a read and tell me you aren't as excited as finding a mouse in a bottle of beer!

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Fran and I hit one of our favorite restaurants (we have several here in the Springs) the other night for some after-work imbibing. The Blue Star not only rocks some great cuisine (the Beef Tenders will have you coming back for more!), but they also know how to pour the alcohol.

Aside from mixing up some mean Martinis, they have a stellar selection of whiskey, an amazing wine list (we were with a co-worker from Nashville who has a favorite from a small Napa winery - inexplicably it was ON THEIR WINE LIST!)... and an impressive array of beers.

I partook of a Belgian strong amber ale from Brasserie Caracole. While the ladies sipped their very tasty (for wine) August Briggs Zin, I sucked down two 750s of Caracole. It was fantastic. Click over to Rate Beer or Beer Advocate for the intricate details since I am not "SMRT" (as Homer Simpson would say) enough to delve into the color, body, smell, etc. and so forth.

The best part? The folks at Blue Star treat beer with as much respect as they do the wine. Our waitress brought each bottle to me to make sure it was what I ordered - as they do with wine, popped the cork and poured a sample for me to taste - just like they do with wine. KUDOS to them for bringing beer reverence into the 21st century!!

Zivjeli!

TGIF BeeRoundup Cavalcade of suds!

It's been a beery beery busy week in beer news, so let's get right to it...

The economy is sucktastic all over. Houses are worth less than the cardboard box Billy the Bum is sleeping in under the overpass. Jobs are evaporating faster than bottles of Russian River oak-aged beer, and gas prices continue to break record highs quicker than I can down a pint of German hefe.

But now freshman Democratic Assemblyman Jim Beall (from San Jose) wants to raise the beer tax by $1.80 per six-pack. A FRIGGIN SIX PACK! That breaks down to 30 cents per can or bottle. Right now California's tax is 2 cents per can. Lemme whip out my calculator... Holy Horrific Hops! That's an increase of roughly 1,400%!!!! The tax would generate $2 billion a year to fund an assortment of politically correct goodness.

Here's the kicker, straight from this retarded baboons' mouth: "The people who use alcohol should pay for part of the cost to society, just like we've accepted that concept with tobacco," Beall said.

Uh, Beally Boy... what cost? Last I checked there's no such thing as second hand beer head sniffing. And don't get me started on the so called "standards" of drunk driving. The ONLY reason we've "accepted" anything in regards to tobacco is that 1) it's been proven to cause cancer, and 2) second hand smoke from tobacco products has been proven to cause cancer. Last I checked, nothing about beer causes cancer. You're kidding me with this kind of "logic," right? How did you get into office again?

Tell ya what... zip your lip, crawl back into the cave with the rest of your "professional" political bed mates - and SHUT UP! Only come out when you've grown a pair and have been blessed with common sense.

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Corona Beer suffers US sales decline.

Well, that's because Corona "beer" suffers from not having any taste. I'm serious! Hey, I used to love the stuff... before I became baptized in the ways of craft beery goodness.

A few weeks ago Fran and I went to a local (great) Mexican food place. And when you're eating food from a foreign land nothing goes better with it then a tasty adult beverage from that same region. Pacifico, Sol, Corona, etc. It's like having sushi and wanting to have a Sapporo or Asahi to wash down the tasty lil sea morsels. Well, I guzzled a Corona and swore I was drinking colored water. I tried a Sol and Pacifico too, and they were only lightly more flavorful. Much like comparing different varieties of bottled water.

Since The Beerevolution it's no surprise that last year the Mexico City-based Modelo shipped 1.7% less Corona to the U.S. than the previous year. With the economy in the mash tun sales have declined a whopping 5.9% through February 23.

The good news? This hurts Anheuser-Busch, which owns about half of Grupo Modelo. So sorry Charlie!

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It it getting hot in here?

According to some guys that are way smarter then I am over in New Zealand, global warming is going to cause a decline in the production of malting barley in parts of New Zealand and Australia. Malting barley is a pretty key ingredient of beer. This will create a domino effect and cause the already rising cost of beer to skyrocket. For in the coming decades the steady climate change will hamper barley production - especially in Australia.

So we got the worldwide hop shortage, all the other sad things I rambled on about above, and now we have global warming killing barley. Yup, the end is surely near.

Would someone turn down the damn thermostats already! I need a beer.

==========

Speaking of... I'll be having several this weekend at the 6th Annual Boulder Strong Ale Festival. My loving wife arranged this trip for my birthday. Is she great or what?! It starts tonight, but we're not going until tomorrow's session. If you're up that way, swing on by Harpo's Sports Grill and toss a few back with us. The Saturday session starts at Noon and runs till 6pm. Cost (at the door only) is $25 per person, but that includes a 16oz. commemorative glass and 16 drink tickets (2oz Pours). These are big beers, everything is above 8%, so it won't take but a few of these bad boys!

Pyramid unveils Crystal Wheat Ale

Apparently this particular Pyramid still has some secrets to reveal.

A news report from The Centre Daily Times states that beginning right now beer lovers in the Pacific Northwest (only) will finally be able to get their beer mitts on Crystal Wheat Ale. Up until right before you read this it's only been available at Pyramid Alehouse's.

Seems this is a kick ass beer because it has won three consecutive medals at the Great American Beer Festival in 2005 (Silver), 2006 (Gold) and 2007 (Gold). Crystal Wheat Ale has an ABV of 5.3% and is made with Mt. Hood, US Tettnang, and US Spalt wheat hops and 2 Row Pale Barley.

According to George Arnold, Master Brew for Pyramid, "... Crystal Wheat has been a well-kept secret for too long."

No kidding. Biiiiig gianormous understatement there, George. I love wheat and hefes, and I'm a big fan of Pyramid. I've been to a few of the Alehouse's in my time (granted, the most recent was in the Sacramento Airport)... and I've never seen this particular Wheat Ale. But bet you me I'll be getting hold of some ASAP!

So... who out there in the Great Northwest - land of heaps o' rain and that big hairy dude with big feet - can help me out with that?!

Set sail for a drinking adventure!

Did you know that "Three Sheets in the Wind" is an old sailing slogan? Well, it is.

In the olden days (back when sailing ships were the main form of transportation) a sheet was actually a rope in sailor-speak. Specifically, it was a rope attached to the bottom corner of a sail. These were pretty important because they helped trim the sail to the wind. If they became loose all manner of bad things would happen as the sail would then flutter about like loose lips and the ship would go all wonky. Ironic then that there's the term "loose lips sinks ships," eh?

Aside from sheets, what else is needed to steer a ship? Sailors. And what do sailors like more then cheap hookers? Cheap alcohol. Imagine if you will sailors on shore leave guzzling up cheap hookers and alcohol, then stumbling back to their ship. See the connection? A ship without it's sheets anchored goes wonky. Sailors staggering back to their ship looks wonkily similar... so the creator of the term compared the two, borrowed the concept of a three-masted sailing ship with three sheets loose, and viola... ya got yourself "three sheets in the wind."

Speaking of Three Sheets...

* History lesson about the three sheets slogan obtained from Pleepleus on the Three Sheets forums.

Straight from the Patriot-Brewer's mouth

You may have heard about the voluntary recall Sam Adams issued yesterday due to bad glass with some of their beer bottles. I just received the following Email from the Boston Beer Company about the recall, which I thought I'd share with you. This is great costumer relations!

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Hello Eli,

As a loyal supporter and fan of our beer, we wanted to get in touch with you about an announcement that we made yesterday. We have announced a cautious, voluntary product recall of some bottles of Samuel Adams. While there is no problem with our beer, we believe a small proportion of bottles from our outside glass supplier could contain some small bits of glass.

The bottles we've identified as being possibly affected are from one glass plant of the five that we get our bottles from. The issue affects less than 25% of our bottled beer and of that amount, we believe far less than 1% of the bottles we're recalling are actually affected. We have no reports of any injury from our drinkers related to this issue. But because the safety of our drinkers is of paramount concern to us, we are being cautious and issuing the recall for all bottles from this glass plant.

But not to worry, this doesn't mean that you have to stop drinking Samuel
Adams! All draft beer is perfectly fine and most of our bottled beer is not in these possibly affected bottles. It's easy to spot the bottles we're recalling: they are all embossed to say "N35" at the base of the bottle below the label (see photo on web site). We are working with our wholesalers and retailers to ensure that the affected bottles are removed from stores quickly.

We wanted to be sure that our loyal Sam fans are aware of the problem and know that we are doing everything we can to address this situation quickly. We are disappointed that because of these bottles supplied to us, we didn't live up to your expectations as a loyal Sam Adams drinker. We believe that we are taking all the right steps to ensure that the bottled Samuel Adams beer out there meets our quality standards and your expectations. If you have any questions about the recall, we created a special web site and a toll-free number 1-888-674-5159 to answer your questions.

As always, we appreciate your support.

Cheers,

Andrew & Bert

Beertastic TGIF Roundup!

That's right, it's time once again for a week's worth o' beery goodness! In this week's thrilling episode see a golfer pray to St. Arnold; a CBE (Chief Beer Officer) look for a guinne pig, er... intern; and who's the fool who follows the fool!?

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Normally I wouldn't talk about golf or golfers in this slice of web-heaven (or any other place for that matter). It's one of those non-sports that I just love to get people worked up about (see this thread on the Aleuminati) . But Roland Thatcher is obviously a different breed of PGA golfer. In what amounts to an unpresedented sponsorship deal (one that involves zero money), Thatcher wears a logo of the St. Arnold Brewing Company on his shirt while walking to retrieve his dimply, white ball in exchange for - here's the good part - all the FREE BEER he can drink!

ESPN called it "...the most unique sponsorship deal in professional golf." Ya think?

Where do I sign up for a sponsorship deal like that? Hell, I'd tattoo ole St. Arnold on my BLEEP for free friggin beer from those guys!

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Think you got what it takes to be the Chief Beer Officer for the Four Points by Sheraton?

You don't. But you can learn by being Scott Kerkmans very own Bierbitzch. I mean his intern. If you recall I rambled about Scott's dream job back in January (he's had it for almost a year now though). Well, the job is so time consuming and overwhelming that he's put out a call for assistance. I'd go, but I already have way too much in my mug at the moment.

So if you're over 21 and have a love for lager this might be your moment to shine. The search is on (it officailly begun on March 26th), but don't think it's all fun and suds. Oh sure, yo uget to suck down vat fulls of great brew (not that mass produced swill the unwashed masses drink), but you will also be learning what's what of the Four Points by Sheraton Best Brews program as well as the expanding craft beer industry and beer business. Since this is an internship... you don't get paid and the position starts in June and comes to sad end in August.

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The Calgary Sun pulled the hops over reader''s eyes on April 1. How? They ran an 'ad' on page 7 of the April 1st edition that promised readers a free sample of a new beer from Big Rock Brewery called Hyde. The catch? They had to clip out a special beer square on the page, drop it into water, refrigerate and enjoy.

Uuuuuuh...

Some people actually fell for it. However, in a move that somewhat reaffirms my faith in humans, a few of the more intelligent, creative types turned the tables on the Sun and sent in reviews of the beer. Touche!

Finally... if you're in our neck of the woods on Monday night, April 7, come on down to Phantom Canyon where we'll be celebrating "75 Years of Beer" (and my birthday)!

Have a great weekend... and Zivjeli!

Want to do a little Hulu?

Time for another Three Sheets update.

Yes, I know... two posts in one day? Bite me. I know we all have ADD, but this one will be a quicky too. Plus, I don't want ya'll to think I'm a shill for the show. Although, I'd gladly sell my alcohol-infused soul to be Zane Lamprey. Or at least his real life (non-stuffed, like Pleepleus) but no less hairy sidekick!

But I digress...

Hulu has the season 3 premiere of Three Sheets up for your viewing pleasure right now. A full week before it airs on MOJO no less!

Yes, it's embedded here as well, but it's not nearly as nice as Hulu's expandable set up. But... if you're too lazy, drunk, or hung over to click any further - I understand. Kick back and watch the hilarious hi-jinks of the Amazing Zane rightcher!

Just don't toss your cookies onto the keyboard.

Your opinion counts

To me.

I need your advice. I'm thinking about changing my nickname. Over on the sidebar you'll find a poll where I've given you three options to choose from. It'll take 2 seconds of your time. So please..."Rock the Vote!"

We now return you to your regularly scheduled beer session already (or should be anyway) in progress.

Mad Beer Man no longer mad about beer!

COLORADO SPRINGS, CO - On Sunday night, March 30, the Beer Geek known as Eli the Mad Beer Man downed a whopping 7 liters of fine German brew. Why would anyone do such a thing?

"It was my duty as a beer lover and party goer to ring in the grand opening of the Edelweiss Rathskeller in style. How could I NOT do my job and live with myself?" the Mad one said.

Das Boooooooooooooooooot!

Included in the astounding 7 liters was equal parts Erdinger and Franziskaner - both glorious elixirs of wiessbier, Eli's favorite. This however is not the first time this Beer Geek has partaken in such voluminous imbibing all in one sitting.

"This is like the third time in the last 6 months or so. Ya, I can drink. No, I'm not an alcoholic... I'm a professional drinker. And like all professionals I'm training for my trip to the 2010 Oktoberfest in Munich. I have to represent! Can't very well go to Europe and look like some damn Yankee wanker now can I?"

While much shock and awe was made by the lively patrons at Edelweiss over the quantity (and the fact that Eli seemed totally coherent and capable of carrying on lengthy conversations about - not much)... a sad and unforeseen development has arisen.

Eli is hanging up his hefty mug o' glory.

"I'm done. Well... at least until the weekend."

Coors keeps on Moonin'

Since it's Opening Day of the 2008 Major League Baseball Season, it's only fitting that Coors Brewing Company drops the news that they and the Colorado Rockies have signed a new ten-year sponsorship agreement keeping themselves as the sponsor of the defending National League champs. As part of the new agreement the “Blue Moon Brewing Company at the Sandlot” will serve as the exclusive on-site brewer of beer on the premises of Coors Field. The Sandlot is where Blue Moon was first brewed at by the way.

Fran and I go up to Coors Field a couple time a year, usually to see our San Francisco Giants (who might very well be the worst team in baseball this year). But we have a whole routine we go through. We usually go up for a Saturday game, and get there several hours before game time. We always hit Falling Rock Taphouse then mosey on over to Breckenridge Brewery. Ironically we've never actually been inside the Sandlot even though it literally is inside the ballpark. Fran even likes Blue Moon (with an orange slice, great on a hot summer day a the park), but you can get it anywhere inside the park. This year our routine will be changed up a bit. Instead of Falling Rock and Breck, we'll probably hit Wynkoop and Falling Rock.

Hey, we have to drown the sorrows of our bad team in something, right?

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!