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• 

  How The 2008 Yule Beer Blog Photo Prizes Get Awarded

  Posted: December 21st, 2008, 11:22pm CET by Alan McLeod

  Dramatic Update: Using that scientific method and applying higher mathematics (meaning I used my counting skills) it appears we have more prizes than photos. So, two pictures have been added to the final round of giftings - making now for 21...22 - and more counting is planned. We may still elevate more, adding others into and/or from the round of 132 into the realm of fabulous postal prize recipient depending on the result of further countin'. Now I know how Al Franken feels. Stay tuned as fingers and toes and crayons applied to task.

  Original Cranky Beginning To Post: Enough with the unhappiness. The first utterly unfounded peep that there is something afoot needs addressing. Happens every year. Despite providing gifts for a huge number of boys and girls someone is that a wee bit like a bitter spoiled child who didn't get their way pipes up. Today, that voice showed up at Ron Pattinson's blog:

  Nepotistic wanker that Stonch bloke is. My piccie was much better but I'm not his mate, so I didn't win. At least I'm bitter about it.

  Sure, it could be that it was a joke badly made but just so it is clear, here are some of the things that go into a selection:

  • There is a distribution of prizes amongst as many entrants as possible. Frankly, three or four photographers would win all the prizes otherwise. So, if you think you missed out on a prize, it is likely that under any scheme chances are you would have missed out on a prize.
  • A number of prizes carry geographical restrictions due to insane global beer regulation. We assume that one would not get to pick up a growler of beer in Oregon if you live in Norway.
  • We support good photography and, for the most part, that means using available light. Few can handle a flash well.
  • Focus is important. As I noted in a comment, the perhaps better composed photo with the poorer focus was judged to be not as good as the prize winner.
  • Originality is also important. Photo of "person I know with a beer" is not original.
  • Context is also important, as was the case with Ron's photo. I am thrilled that Alastair Wilson of New South Wales took the time to document something happening and tell us about it.

  We have given out 21 prizes already - that is insane!. And my family is letting me know. Rest assured that the emails will also soon start flying because we asked and obtained postal addresses for all entrants. We will be notifying prize winner and prize giver of their new Yule-based relationship asap... by which I mean possible at the "p". Jeff and I are up to our arses as are the fine gift givers who are mailing out directly. It is, after all, Yule. Be happy. Please expect your prizes in January 2009.

  Let's also remember we are not only having fun and, like my eight year old, giddy at the prospect of new things in the mail - but we are also learning about what so many people see when they see beer. That in itself is a gift to us all and the one I am most thankful for. So God rest ye merry, while we are at it. That being said, here are the remaining entries awaiting prizes as well as the prizes to be given out. Please note that there are at most 21 prize packs remaining and only 19 entries still as yet sitting unjudged. What can that mean? How will Santa deal with this???? I have no idea but this is the way it is, even at Yuletide.

  1. Grand Prize Winner

  Prize Pack	Given By
  1. One Year Subscription 2. publication in All About Beer 3. Roger Protz’s Ale Trail 4. DVD American Brew	All About Beer magazine
  5. Signed t-shirt other BrewDog goodies	BrewDog Beer Scotland

  Plus one or more of the beer prizes that are in the list below depending on where you are located. And the good folks at All About Beer magazine have indicated that they will publish the winning entry in their magazine. Pretty nice of them.

  2. Other Winners

  Here are the remaining prizes that have been offered by fine beer people from around the world and will be forwarded to the luck winners.

  Picture	Artist / Notes	Prize	Given By
  [Photo]	[Winner] [Note]	12 harder-to-find dark ales, stouts and porters.	Beer-Ritz Britain's bestest online beer retailer
  [Photo]	[Winner] [Note]	mixed case BrewDog beauties	BrewDog Beer Scotland
  [Photo]	[Winner] [Note]	mixed case BrewDog beauties	BrewDog Beer Scotland
  [Photo]	[Winner] [Note]	A Barrel-aged Gonzo, Humphrey the Humper dog, Gonzo Poster and Gonzo T-shirt	Flying Dog Brewery Maryland
  [Photo]	[Winner] [Note]	Subscription one year	All About Beer magazine
  [Photo]	[Winner] [Note]	Subscription one year	All About Beer magazine
  [Photo]	[Winner] [Note]	A basket of goodies	Roland + Russell Ontario
  [Photo]	[Winner] [Note]	A t-shirt of rare loveliness	Jolly Pumpkin Michigan
  [Photo]	[Winner] [Note]	Two Widmer weizen glasses and a t-shirt	Widmer Brothers Portland, Oregon
  [Photo]	[Winner] [Note]	Two Widmer weizen glasses and a t-shirt	Widmer Brothers Portland, Oregon
  [Photo]	[Winner] [Note]	Two Widmer weizen glasses and a t-shirt	Widmer Brothers Portland, Oregon
  [Photo]	[Winner] [Note]	A t-shirt, hat, and 4 pint glasses	Laurelwood Brewing Company Portland, Oregon
  [Photo]	[Winner] [Note]	an Obamanator t-shirt	Wynkoop Brewing Co. Denver, Colorado
  [Photo]	[Winner] [Note]	Shipyard travel coffee mug Shipyard aluminum water bottle	Shipyard Brewing Portland, Maine
  [Photo]	[Winner] [Note]	Shipyard travel coffee mug Shipyard aluminum water bottle	Shipyard Brewing Portland, Maine
  [Photo]	[Winner] [Note]	New Jersey Breweries	Lew Bryson
  [Photo]	[Winner] [Note]	Brewery Hoodie [Note: I covet]	Full Sail Brewing Company Hood River, Oregon
  [Photo]	[Winner] [Note]	Good Beer Guide Prague	Evan Rail and CAMRA
  [Photo]	[Winner] [Note]	One cool hat	Lakes of Muskoka Brewery Bracebridge, Ontario
  [Photo]	[Winner] [Note]	One very neato Retro Wall-Mounted Opener	Steam Whistle Brewing of Toronto, Ontario
  [Photo]	[Winner] [Note]	One great t-shirt and a couple of Great Lakes glasses	Great Lakes Brewing of Toronto, Ontario

• 

  Ontario Beer Prices Go Up For No Good Reason At All

  Posted: December 21st, 2008, 9:20pm CET by Alan McLeod

  Liar, liar, pants on fire. That is what the Toronto Star says about the LCBO and Ontario's government anyway:

  That 6.7 per cent increase in the floor price of a case, bottle deposit excluded, has nothing to do with supply-and-demand, production costs, overhead or distribution expenses. Instead, the Liquor Control Board of Ontario sets minimum prices as part of its "social responsibility" mandate established in 1993. Translation: If alcohol is too cheap, you may abuse it. But documents obtained under Ontario's freedom-of-information law show that the Ministry of Finance, not the LCBO, pressed for higher beer prices – raising questions about the arm's-length relationship between the two bodies.

  Holey Moley! You may think that this is all a bit of complainery but if beer is, as Statistics Canada indicates, a 3.2 billion dollar sector of the Ontario economy in 2006 (as opposed to the 2.5 billion the Star indicates) then a 6.7% revenue grab by the state owned monopoly that regulates prices represents up to a $214,000,000 cash grab if the minimum price were also to translate (why wouldn't it) to upward pressure on all beer pricing. Let's be clear: if the price increase represents no increase in costs but is only on the direction of the provincial Finance Minister who receives all LCBO profits at the end of the day, then that is all it is- a way to effectively tax without introducing a law to authorize the tax. Great.

  And just before Christmas as well. Nice present for yourself as well as all Ontarians.

• 

  Ontario: Yuletide Cherry Porter, Barley Days, Picton

  Posted: December 21st, 2008, 7:46pm CET by Alan McLeod

  Apres shovel.

  I had been waiting for this beer for a while. In 2006, I even went looking for it only to find the predecessor brewery rather empty. Fortunately, the Barley Days story has been a happy one so far. I have been a repeat purchaser of their Wind and Sail Dark Ale, though I heard from one visitor that a little more line cleaning would be good. Yet it is one thing to have a bad day compared to the predecessor's entrenched bad habits.

  This cherry porter is quite good. Dark mahogany ale with a fine mocha head. In the mouth, plenty of cocoa and date with a hint of rich cherry peeping out just before quite a bitter finish resolving to a final maltiness. A little too carbonated for my liking but it does a good job cutting the frozen sweat after clearing out my driveway and the neighbour's as well. BAers know what's naughty or nice.

• 

  Prizes #11 To #21: Beer Blog Yule / Xmas 2008 Photo Contest

  Posted: December 21st, 2008, 3:31am CET by Alan McLeod

  
  

  

  There has to be a better way to do this. Jeff is still hauling casks around the cellar. And last night here it turned into a party of the local beer club - aka the guys from work that I am training to like good beer. Today was loaded up with things like digging out from a blizzard as we await tomorrow's blizzard while trees were obtained and ornaments were hung. When the heck did I leave myself the time to get these prizes awarded? Answer: I didn't. Never mind. All is joy and happiness around here now that the real weeks of work are over for 2008. Sure there might be some fire to put out but we are in the last stretch and come Monday the days even start to get longer. Making more time for one more snowman and one more eggnog by the time Christmas comes on Thursday.

  Just one note on the winner of the prize from Beau's All Natural, Alastair Wilson of New South Wales. He wrote an email to explain his set of photos, another of which is above:

  Here is the first (of five) pictures I'd like to submit to this year's competition. They are of the Kent Brewery site in Chippendale, Sydney. The Kent Brewery had been there since 1835, originally as part of Tooth and Co and then as part of the Carlton United (CUB) conglomerate from 1983. In 2003 it was sold to developers and finally shut in 2005, the beers formerly brewed there now being brewed in Victoria and Queensland. It will eventually be the usual mix of swanky apartments and retail/office space. Details of the closure announcement are here and more history than you might ever need to know is here.

  I love that. It is beer photo journalism as well as a documentary of the moment this great brewery disappeared. That is one thing we need more of in 2009....but...you know, there were way more than twice the entries this year than in 2007. That means next year there could be over a thousand. How are we going to handle that?

  Picture	Artist / Notes	Prize	Given By
  	Troy Burtch Toronto, Ontario	Lunch at the Stinking Rose and a VIP tour and tasting for four at the Brewery.	Church-key Brewing Ontario
  	Ryan Hartigan Vernon, NJ	One Awesome T-shirt!	New Holland Brewing Michigan
  	Matt Billings Washington DC	Two Widmer weizen glasses and a t-shirt	Widmer Brothers Portland, Oregon
  	Dave Selden Portland Oregon	Two Widmer weizen glasses and a t-shirt	Widmer Brothers Portland, Oregon
  	Bryan Kolesar Malvern, PA	Two Widmer weizen glasses and a t-shirt	Widmer Brothers Portland, Oregon
  	Cyrus Mower Oxford, England	Cracked Kettle t-shirt, bottle of Westvleteren 12	Cracked Kettle beer store Amsterdam
  	Ben McLeod Hillsboro, Oregon	Subscription one year	All About Beer magazine
  	Lars Marius Garshol Oslo, Norway	Subscription one year	All About Beer magazine
  	Alastair Wilson Wollstonecraft, NSW, Australia	The Classique: a t-shirt and hat!	Beau's All-Natural Brewing Ontario
  	Natalie R. Wilson San Antonio, Texas	Shipyard travel coffee mug Shipyard aluminum water bottle	Shipyard Brewing Portland, Maine
  	Matt North Chicago, Illinois	"a growler and a sampler when they come in"	Flossmoor Station Brewing Illinois

  There you go! Talk amongst yourselves. Compare and contrast. You know how these things are.