Brew Community

Today is the late Michael Jackson’s birthday. He would have been 67 today, but passed away in August of 2006. To honor his memory and contribution to beer and whisky, a book was published today featuring new short works or essays by a baker’s dozen of beer and whisky writers. The new works were all donated by the authors and the proceeds of the book will be donated to the Parkinson’s Disease Society. I looks to be a worthwhile addition to your library. The authors are Stephen Beaumont, Dave Broom, Ian Buxton, John Hansell, Julie Johnson, Charles MacLean, Hans Offringa, F. Paul Pacult, Roger Protz, Lucy Saunders, Conrad Seidl, Carolyn Smagalski and Gavin D. Smith.

And it’s for a good cause. I’d say buy it on Amazon, but it’s not showing as being available. So look for it at your local bookstore soon. It would also make a lovely gift, don’t you think?

From the publisher’s website:

Editor Ian Buxton, who conceived the project, said “Michael Jackson dominated the world of both beer and whisky writing for two decades and was hugely influential in both ‘real ale’ and single malt whisky. A complete generation of writers has cause to be grateful to him, not to mention countless brewers and distillers. This new book honours that legacy.”

Click here for more.

http://www.gavrtgiclzoblktm.com

[url=http://www.halwggicngcclfka.com]
site2[/url] site3
site4
[url="http://www.laewtgicentglyek.com"
] site5[/url] [LINK

http://www.maexugicmslhlzwp.com]

site6[/LINK] qjczs – Rating:1/5

Click here for more

http://www.gabhagicfkublkqn.com

[url=http://www.haumfgicmflclhaw.com]
site2[/url] site3
site4
[url="http://www.laciogicxdmglvfp.com"
] site5[/url] [LINK

http://www.mazscgicsyihllrn.com]

site6[/LINK] miohn – Rating:1/5

Click here for more

Yesterday, Governor Jon M. Huntsman, Jr. of Utah signed into law legislation that makes homebrewing beer legal. The “Exemption for Alcoholic Beverage Manufacturing License” was sponsored by Representative Christine A. Johnson and made Utah the 46th state to legalize homebrewing. The US Government made homebrewing legal on a federal level in 1978. Since then all but four states; Alabama, Kentucky, Mississippi and Oklahoma have made homebrewing legal.

From left: The Jamie Burnham, Beer Nut manager; Allen Sanderson, AHA member; Mark Alston, The Beer Nut Owner; Christine Johnson, Representative; Gary Glass, AHA Director; and AHA members Douglas Wawrzynski and Nicole Salazar.

“Home-brewing is a healthy and vibrant hobby in Utah as evidenced by the outpouring of support HB 51 received in the 2009 Legislature,” commented Rep. Christine A. Johnson. “Many thanks to the American Homebrewers Association for thorough education, great committee testimony and association members who flooded elected officials with emails of support.”

But it’s not just homebrewers who are excited about the change. Jennifer Talley, brewmaster for Squatters Pub Brewery/Salt Lake Brewing Co in Salt Lake City, says the relationship between professional and amateur brewers has always been a tight one and legalizing homebrewing will allow this relationship in Utah to evolve and grow.

“Homebrewing is truly an art and most professional brewers I know were once homebrewing in their kitchen. Utah beer enthusiast will now have the freedom to express their deepest beer desires through perfecting the craft of homebrewing in their own kitchens,” says Talley.

The American Homebrewers Association estimates that there are approximately 750,000 homebrewers in the United States, including 7,000 homebrewers residing in Utah. Utah is the only state to have legalized homebrewing in the last ten years.

“With the successful passage of HB 51, Utahns can confidently assemble into homebrew clubs and organize competitions,” states the Utah law student Douglas Wawrzynski, who launched this most recent attempt to legalize homebrewing. “Utah homebrewers are finally free to relax, stop worrying, and have a legal homebrew.”

“It has been an honor to work with the homebrewers of Utah to help legalize homebrewing in their state,” says Gary Glass, Director of the American Homebrewers Association (AHA). “I can think of no greater cause for the American Homebrewers Association to take on than ensuring all Americans can legally brew at home.”

There is currently an active movement to legalize homebrewing in Alabama, and the AHA has heard from homebrewers in Kentucky, Mississippi, and Oklahoma who are interested in starting movements in each of those states.

Click here for more.

Unlike other brewers I ONLY try and make
Cerveza/Dry Lagers. This kit is just
about the best, but don’t expect it to
be indisguishable from commercial
cerveza’s. Plus, it’s MUCH better than
a c*%pers!

My strict rules are DON’T ADD EXTRA
MALT TO A LAGER, there’s a simple
reason why they are ALL light in colour!
Plus, very important is a good live
yeast culture (don’t use the dry packet
stuff). – Rating:4/5

Click here for more

Made this one first week of Nov ’08, so
not too hot yet. Followed the kit
instructions, using can, 1kg Malt
extract blend and hops bag, mixed it all
in with 2 litres boiling water, topped
up to almost 23 litres. Bottles a week
later and left for 2 moths to settle.
First tasted about Xmas, was
dissapointed with lack of head but had
great colour and clean crsip finish.
Lack of head may have been also affected
by use of used screw cap plactic
bottles. But a very good brew. – Rating:4/5

Click here for more

There’s still time, but not much, to apply for one of the Falconer Foundation Brewing Scholarships. Potential applicants have until April 20 to apply for one of two available scholarships.

ABOUT THE BREWING SCHOLARSHIPS

In co-sponsorship with the Seibel Institute of Technology, the Glen Hay Falconer Foundation is offering two full-tuition brewing education scholarships in 2009.
 
One scholarship is for the World Brewing Academy Concise Course in Brewing Technology held at the Siebel Institute in Chicago in November 2009. The Concise Course in Brewing Technology is a two-week intensive program that covers every topic critical to successful brewery operations. The program is designed for brewers pursuing a wider knowledge of professional brewing standards and techniques in order to advance their brewing careers as well as individuals planning to enter the brewing industry.

The second scholarship allows candidates to apply for one of three two-week modules from the International Diploma in Brewing Technology Program held at Siebel’s Chicago campus in September/October 2009.   This specialty brewing scholarship is intended for those brewers who seek an in-depth understanding of a specific brewing discipline.  Candidates must designate which module they wish to attend.

The Concise Course scholarships are open to individuals planning on entering the brewing industry and to professional brewers with no more than three years of brewery work experience.  The specialty brewing scholarship is open only to professional brewers.  Applicants must be from the Pacific Northwest (including Alaska and Hawaii) and Northern California regions (San Francisco Bay/Monterey Bay areas and north).  Each scholarship includes a $750 stipend to help offset travel and lodging expenses.

For more details and information on how to apply, visit the Siebel Institute website.

ABOUT THE FALCONER FOUNDATION

The Glen Hay Falconer Foundation is a non-profit organization created to commemorate and celebrate the life, interests, and good works of a well-loved and leading Northwest brewer.

The Foundation is supported by donations from the annual Sasquatch Brew Fest that takes place in Eugene, Oregon every June and by donations from participating pubs in the Sasquatch Legacy Project where scholarship recipients join together each year to brew a specially crafted beer.  Private donations and fundraisers also support the Foundation’s brewing scholarship program.

The Foundation produces the Sasquatch BrewAm, a golf tournament pairing all levels of golfers and beer lovers with celebrity brewers.   The fifth annual Sasquatch BrewAm will be held at McMenamins Edgefield on July 24, 2009 concurrent with the Oregon Brewers Festival in Portland, Oregon.  Don’t miss the opportunity to play a fun-filled round of golf with brewing luminaries.  For more information on all these events, please visit www.sasquatchbrewfest.org.

ABOUT GLEN HAY FALCONER

Passion, dedication, and creativity defined Glen Falconer’s beers and his entire approach to life.

Glen began his brewing career as an avid homebrewer and dedicated member of the Cascade Brewers Society, a clan of skilled homebrewers based in the Eugene/Springfield, Oregon area. As a professional brewer, Glen continued to support the craft of homebrewing by providing access to brewing ingredients, procedures and unique beer recipes.

In 1990, Glen followed his dream and pursued a professional brewing career, beginning at Steelhead Brewery in Eugene. Glen completed the Siebel Concise Course in Brewing Technology in 1994. Glen then refined his skills at the renowned Rogue Ales in Newport, Oregon, working side-by-side with his close friend and mentor John Maier.

In 1996, Glen became head brewer at the Wild Duck Brewery in Eugene, providing six regular beers on tap as well as a wide variety of specialty ales and lagers each season. Glen continued as head brewer at the Wild Duck until his untimely death in 2002.

Enlarging on the tradition of brewing, laughing heartily and embracing adventure fully represented Glen’s life. While Glen won numerous professional craft brewing prizes and accolades, perhaps his finest accomplishment was the back-to-back Gold Medals received posthumously for his Auld Gnarly Head Barley Wine at the 2002 and 2003 Great American Beer Festival.

Click here for more.

Full Sail Brewing is set to release a new beer in their Brewmaster Reserve line-up for 2009, Keelhauler Scottish Ale. Keelhauler is a full bodied rich ale with slight notes of caramel and cocoa and a strong malty flavor. The hop character is spicy and earthy with a nice finishing hop flavor. “With this style we embark on a trip across the pond. Keelhauler, a nautical term, refers to a form of punishment one might get for treachery on the high seas, but there’s no punishment here, we just thought it was a great name for a beer. Scottish Ale’s are widely interpreted between sweet and roasty. We go for the balanced side, using imported Crystal and Amber malts with imported Challenger, American Willamette, and Sterling Hops to bring this Scottish Ale to life, said Full Sail Brewmaster, John Harris. ABV: 6.8% IBU: 48

“Keelhauler is part of our rotating selection of Brewmaster Reserve Beers. Every ten weeks we come out with a different beer that show cases the brewer’s art. We began the program back in 1998 as a way of celebrating our independence and creativity,” added Full Sail’s Founder and CEO, Irene Firmat.

Keelhauler will be available in 22oz bottles and on draught in specialty beer stores and pubs throughout the Pacific Northwest from Mid-March until June. Full Sail will follow-up Keelhauler with Grandsun of Spot India Pale Ale due out in June.

Click here for more.

Oskar Blues Brewery is now releasing Mama’s Little Yella Pils in sixpacks of cans. Cans (and kegs) of the beer are now appearing at beer retailers in Colorado and the brewery’s other 22 states.

This new canned beer from the pioneering microcanner is a delicious, small-batch version of the beer style that made the city of Pilsen (in Czech Republic) famous.

Mama’s is made with hearty amounts of pale malt, German specialty malts, and a blend of traditional (Saaz) and 21st century Bavarian hops. Unlike mass-market pilsners, Mama’s is made of 100% malted barley and no corn or rice.

“There are very few all-malt pilsners made in the US anymore,” says Oskar Blues founder Dale Katechis. “And the concept of ‘America-made pilsner’ has taken a beating over the past few generations. Especially when it comes to pilsners in cans.”

“We’re going to use Mama’s to help the style recapture its glory,” Katechis adds. “We want to give ‘canned pilsner’ the same good reputation we helped create for canned beer in the US. It’s a new frontier for us.”

Oskar Blues’ first canned lager, Mama’s Little Yella Pils is fermented at cool temperatures with a German yeast.

It sports the trademarks of a classic pilsner: aromas of grassy Saaz hops and pale grains, flavors of pale malts backed by subtle Euro-style hopping, followed by a crisp and refreshingly hoppy finish.

While it’s rich with Czech flavor, Mama’s gentle hopping (about 35 IBUs) and 5.3% ABV make it a satisfying but lower alcohol beer (by Oskar Blues standards) that’s perfect for warm-weather drinking.

Since its start, Oskar Blues has blazed its microcanning trail with higher-strength, assertive-but-elegant beers that stretch beer boundaries. But Mama’s Little Yella Pils allows the brewery to highlight its skills in making a more subtle version of great beer.

“You can’t hide flaws in a pilsner,” Katechis says. “With this beer our brewers get to showcase their expertise at making an unforgiving, classic style of beer.”

Click here for more.

Two of Denver’s most highly acclaimed craft beverage companies, Great Divide Brewing and Pablo’s Coffee, have entered a partnership to create a new seasonal beer, an espresso-infused version of Great Divide’s Oak Aged Yeti Imperial Stout.

Great Divide Brewing brews some of the globe’s most balanced yet assertive and flavorful beers. In 1994, Brian Dunn set up shop in an abandoned dairy-processing plant at the edge of downtown Denver and began brewing the beers that would eventually carry Great Divide to its status as one of America’s most decorated microbreweries and would help transform Denver into an international destination for beer lovers.

Espresso Oak Aged Yeti “is a beer we’ve wanted to do for a long time,” says Dunn. “Imperial stouts already tend to have undertones of coffee, so the infusion of espresso makes for a perfect complement to Oak Aged Yeti’s complex character. We’ve been playing around with the beer for a long time, trying to get the right balance of espresso to beer. Once we got it ready for commercial release, we knew we wanted to partner with a local supplier for the espresso. Pablo’s makes the best coffee in Denver, so the choice was easy.”

Located on East Sixth Avenue in Denver’s Alamo Placita neighborhood, Pablo’s Coffee, “A Worldwide Chain of One,” has served Denver’s finest coffee since 1995, roasting all of its beans in-house and serving as an antidote to the deluge of multinational coffee chains.

Of the partnership with Great Divide, Pablo’s founder Craig Conner says, “We have very similar business models—our companies are both committed to quality over quantity, and to serving our local communities in a way that large corporations are unable to do. And just as in the beer world, most of the best, most award-winning coffee comes from small roasters like us.” The company’s small size and proximity to Great Divide allowed it to custom-roast the espresso beans at the last minute possible so that they were as fresh as possible and at just the right specifications to make them perfect for the beer. “We couldn’t be more pleased,” says Conner, “to be partnering with another great local business like ours to create something special.”

The espresso—sourced through direct relationships with farmers in three different countries—combines with Oak Aged Yeti’s vanilla oak character, intense roasty maltiness and bold hop profile to create a truly heady experience. Espresso Oak Aged Yeti Imperial Stout will be available in 22-ounce bottles and on draft through mid-April.

Click here for more.