OK. Some catching up to do with the entries for the Xmas New Year Hanukkah Hogmanay 2011 Photo Contest. Up there is a photo of the world's greatest beer fridge or at least the best I have seen. It's by Jerry Davison of Oregon who writes:
My wife and I were in Portland... and I stopped in to a charming “speakeasy” called Saraveza on the way back to our hotel from a charming brewpub. Being from the Midwest (Central Illinois), I was immediately charmed by their Packer motif throughout the bar. Check them out on Facebook (Sara Veza). I wish they were around the corner. So many beers, so little time!
Excellent. I want. Excellent photo even if it was so huge in terms of megabytes that my 2004 Dell just about fainted. Remember. Keep the entries below 500 K, please. And, before we go on further, a reminder and update of the prizes:
♦ New Shipyard Brewing of Portland, Maine who have supported this contest for years.
♦ Roland and Russell, Ontario fine beer, spirits and wine importer who help make this part of Canada as much the beer center that it is becoming.
♦ TAPS The Beer Magazine, one of our finest supporters year after year and strong supporters of the Canadian craft beer movement.
♦ Ron Pattinson, author and YouTube phenom.
♦ Jeff Alworth of Beervana, who is madly researching in Europe for his book The Beer Bible just picked up a Westy glass as well as a bottle of 12 for some lucky beer nerd who gets to choose either the vessel for every or the brew for one day.¹
♦ Adrian Tierney-Jones and CAMRA have offered two copies of Great British Pubs.
♦ Martyn Cornell, the Zythophile himself, has pledged a copy of his book Amber Gold and Black.
♦ Creemore Springs Brewery - whose prizes I covet. Are they the most generous?
♦ Maximiliano Bahnson, author of Prague: A Pisshead's Pub Guide and a guy I want to have a beer with.
♦ David Selden, 33 books the guide to taking your own drinking life seriously.
♦ Grand Teton Brewing of Idaho, a much welcomed newcomer to the contest.
♦ All About Beer magazine, a great supporter of this here thing.
♦ Narragansett Brewing, home of, yes, my favorite porter and another much welcomed newcomer to the contest.
OK, so we are up to date with the gifties. Now, what pictures have people taken to deserve the attention of Santa's beery elves this year?
Matt Wiater of Portland Oregon sent in these five entries including one of a gigantic congratulatory beer from Hopworks Urban Brewery owner Christian Ettinger for Ben Love as he left the head brewer position at HUB to open up Gigantic Brewery in Portland. Matt was our 2008 contest winner:
Roshan Gopal Krishnan of Cochin, Kerala, India sent in these fuzzy shots but I have to say that I never thought the Christmas contest would reach out so far. What holiday is celebrated in Kerala this time of year? He makes no claim to art: "Nothing fancy here. I'm not much of a photographer and my instrument is a humble 2mp camera on my Blackberry. Plus lighting in bars & pubs in my area are usually bad." Yet there is a lunar landing 1971 quality that I like... sorta.
Jeph Stahl of Grimsby, Ontario - a prize winner in at least 2010 - sent in these eight entries. I may have to add a category for small children face planting the hops. And, I do believe, the first Sousaphone appearance:
Tom Morgan of Dayton Ohio sends in these eight entries> he runs a beer blog called "What We're Drinking" which I initially read as "What were we drinking?!?!?"
I am going to leave it for now. There are still a few more entries - and one even came in as I typed this out, but I am spent. So many photos. So many photos...