It’s been a couple of weeks, during which both Christmas and New Years occurred. It’s been a great time for local beer with lots of special beers and limited editions coming out. I made a trip to N.J. where I got to sample the second anniversary beer from 902 Brewing as well as the BDG (Breakfast Dinner Grub) from Carton. Both solid and different beers. I also (finally) snagged a couple of Carton Boat beers which we’ll be enjoying (or, depending upon when you’re reading this, already enjoyed) during the Beer with Strangers podcast.
In case you’re not aware, we broadcast live every week on Thursdays at noonish on the SCB Google Hangouts. Also, you can subscribe on iTunes.
Celebrating local beer
I’m no fan of internet voting, because it gives too much voice to people without any skin in the game. I feel as if 2017 should be the years of getting some skin in the game. That said, whenever these polls come across my feed, I always check to see if there are any local brands on them. If there aren’t I ignore them, but if there are I vote. For me it isn’t whether I think a particular local brand is the most superior beer ever made since fermentation, it is more targeted toward what I would like to say about my relationship with local beer. No one’s mind was ever changed about a beer by a dumb internet poll, but there’s something to be said for a region rising together to claim they care about local beer.
Vote Best Craft Beer of 2016 * thefullpint.com
We are wrapping up a monumental year of craft beer here in the US. With nearly 5,000 breweries filling out the map, there have never been more choices for those who love great tasting beer. At the end of each year, we nominate some of the standout beers that were new to the calendar year, ones …
Protecting your brand at the cost of someone else’s
There is an awful lot going on here. The short version is that a craft beer retail chain issued a memo saying what beers were good enough to be carried by its nearly 30 stores and which weren’t. Listing what are called “banned beers” in the story was dumb but it is kind of in their right, which is a problem of sorts. The central problem with the notion of Craft Beer Cellars is trying to maintain a balance between central quality control and attracting people qualified enough to make their own decisions. I have a pretty deep and abiding hatred of chains for this very reason.
Also, and this is critical, a place that will import beer from across the country but has hardly any local selection doesn’t deserve anyone’s business. National chains are terrible for local economies and, in our terror of maybe trying something we don’t like, we forget about that.
Blacklisted brewer says it might sue Craft Beer Cellar – Boston Business Journal
One of the biggest sellers of craft beer is putting out new requirements for beers that should and shouldn’t be on franchisees’ shelves come January, an action that may lead to a lawsuit from at least one blacklisted brewery.
For a mere $30,000 you can guarantee getting a beer you like
My first impression was that a bunch of people could all chip in, but then, whose taste buds would be harvested for the perfect beer?
How Your DNA Can Predict Your Beer Preferences
A brewery in London is taking the adage that you are what you drink to a new level by offering tomake a custom beer literally matched to your taste buds. Meantime Bespoke claims to brew beer based on DNA from 23andME’s testing of oral taste receptors through a specific gene (TAS2R38, if you’re counting).
How beer distributors are like politicians
Distributors (with a big “D”) often get a little hear for being part of the three tier system and also for being or appearing to be under the thumb of big beer. But distributors are guys we know and like in the area, so it can be complicated. I ran into a cadre of them at a local bar recently and was perfectly happy to see them.
It’s time to thank beer’s unsung heroes
How do bottles and kegs of the amazing beers brewed by your friendly neighborhood breweries make it to the bars, restaurants and stores In Louisiana? Well, in Louisiana those beers are transported by the unsung heroes of the beer world, the distribu
Get out, get beer
I love promotions like this (even though this isn’t brewery-sponsored). Craft Beer folks tend to be pretty outdoorsy so this is a great way to combine getting out and exploring nature and getting out and trying a new beer. To be clear, that isn’t really what the story is about, but it is the kind of thing that inspires people.
Butterfly for a beer contest includes Solano County
FAIRFIELD – Find the first cabbage white butterfly of the new year in a three-county area of central California, and win a pitcher of beer. Art Shapiro, University of California, Davis professor of evolution and ecology, is offering a pitcher of beer (or its equivalent) for the first cabbage white butterfly – Pieris rapae – collected in 2017 in Solano, Sacramento or Yolo counties.
No. I never get tired of beer batter
Here’s a beer batter recipe, but use it just to talk about what beer and what batters you like to make. If you want, send your best tips to me at the contact email below. I’ll share them with the world. Doug and I will talk about ours on this week’s show.
Beer-Battered Oyster Mushrooms with Creamy Whole-Grain Mustard Recipe
Using beer instead of water in your batter recipe adds some unique touches that only beer can produce. The beer’s bubbles create a lighter, fluffier crust that is crisp and flavorful on the outside, leaving the portion inside tender and juicy.
Homebrew talk tips and tricks
Everything You Need to Know about Attenuation
If you were yeast, attenuation would simply be how much of your restaurant meal you actually consumed: 100 percent attenuation means you cleaned your plate. 75 percent attenuation means you took home about a quarter of your dinner in a doggy bag. 50 percent attenuation means you probably should have split an entrée with your dining partner.
Like and Subscribe
In case you didn’t know, these are the show notes for the Beer with Strangers podcast. If you’re interested in the show it’s at BeerWithStrangers.com, or you can follow along on our Facebook page. Of course, you always can subscribe on iTunes as well. If you’re looking for Doug and Homebrewing stuff, you can find their Facebook page here.
Author: Tony Russo
Tony Russo has worked as a print and digital journalist for the better part of the 21st century, writing for and editing regional weeklies and dailies before joining the team that produces OceanCity.com and ShoreCraftBeer.com among other destination websites. In addition to having documented everything from zoning changes to art movements on the Delmarva Peninsula, Tony has written two books on beer for the History Press. Eastern Shore Beer was published in 2014 and Delaware Beer in 2016. He lives in Delmar, Md. with his wife Kelly and the only of his four daughters who hasn't moved out. Together they keep their two dogs comfortable.
