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Japanese “space beer”

Posted: May 30th, 2008, 3:35pm CEST by Al
The Seattle Times: Japanese brewery to make beer from space barley

By MARI YAMAGUCHI
The Associated Press

TOKYO — Japanese beer-lovers can anticipate an out-of-this-world brew: suds made with barley descended from grains that traveled in outer space.

The “space beer,” to be test-brewed by Sapporo Breweries Ltd., will come in a pilot edition of 100 bottles to be ready in November, said company spokeswoman Momoko Matsumura.

The beer will be made with barley — to be harvested this weekend — descended from seeds that spent five months in 2006 aboard the International Space Station.

“We’re really looking forward to tasting it when it’s ready,” Matsumura said.

The barley project started when Sapporo teamed up with Okayama University biologists working with the Russian space team. The team took 0.9 ounce of barley into space for storage inside the space station from April to September 2006.

The project is part of biological studies of the adaptability of plants to environmental changes and the impact from stresses such as space travel.

Sapporo planted 0.14 ounce of the barley grains that returned from space at its research farm northeast of Tokyo in March 2007.

The seedlings were harvested last November. The company expects to harvest 100 pounds of the third-generation grains on Saturday for use in the space beer.

Sapporo isn’t planning to sell the special brew, at least for now, and hasn’t decided how it will distribute the planned 100 bottles, Matsumura said.

So far, scientists have not found any difference between space barley and the Earth-confined version, she said.

That’s interesting and all, but I can’t help thinking that this could be part of the plot of a bad 1950s science fiction movie.

I’d like to see them devise a way to brew beer in space. Perhaps a modified Mr. Beer?

I’ll use this as an opportunity to segue into a link to one of my favorite sites: Astronomy Picture of the Day

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Japanese “space beer”

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Leinenkugel’s Summer Shandy

Posted: May 30th, 2008, 5:35am CEST by Al
We finally got some warmer weather here in Western Maryland. And, with all the rain we’ve been getting, the hill that is my backyard was starting to get overgrown. Sadly, the manual mower that I’ve been using for the last two years just isn’t up to the job, so I broke down and bought an electric mower.

So, after work this evening I took on the lawn, and the lawn won. Well, not really. But after I was done it seemed like the perfect time for a “lawnmower beer” and a comfy chair on my deck.

As a beverage, I chose Leinenkugel’s summer seasonal: Summer Shandy. The label proclaims it to be “beer with natural lemonade flavor”. I’m not sure what “natural lemonade flavor” is supposed to be; isn’t that lemon flavor? Besides sugar, what could anyone possibly be putting in their lemonade? The label also says it is “Weiss beer with lemonade”.

They say:

Get a taste of the freshest flavor under the sun - Leinenkugel’s Summer Shandy. A shandy is a lemonade flavored beer, a European favorite during the warmer months. And the light, crisp flavor makes it a great summer refresher. Each batch is carefully brewed using the finest wheat, malted barley and just a hint of real Wisconsin honey. Then, our brewmasters mix in fresh lemonade and citrus flavors to create an adventurous taste that’s perfect for those lazy days of summer.

Well, anyway, it pours a very light color and very cloudy. Plenty of head, which quickly settles down and an aroma vaguely reminiscent of lemon dish soap.

Mouthfeel is light, and the underlying beer is very unobtrusive. I was expecting some tartness and even some sweetness from the lemon, and I didn’t get it. The flavor seems to be more like lemon zest than lemon juice.

My wife also tried it. Her impression: “It tastes like someone tried to make Crystal Light® using beer.”

I’m disappointed with this one.

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Leinenkugel’s Summer Shandy

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Utica Brewery Burns in Toxic Fire

Posted: May 30th, 2008, 3:22am CEST by Ron
Just hours ago, a fire broke out at the historic F.X. Matt Utica Brewery in upstate New York. The fire is believed to have started in the bottling portion of the plant where a machine is used to put plastic on six packs.

The roof and the 3rd floor have collapsed. Worse, the fire is burning plastics and other materials creating toxic fumes. Five blocks surrounding the brewery have been evacuated. Also troubling is a vat of ammonia which has the potential of exploding if the fire reaches it.

The building has many large cracks in it and firefighters fear it may collapse. The fire hasn’t yet spread to the main brewery next door.

The fire broke out just as the weekly Thursday evening Saranac Music event was getting started.

At least two people have been injured and have been sent to the hospital.

The FX Matt Brewery is primarily known for Utica Club and the Saranac line of beers, but they are also a large contract brewer for Brooklyn Brewery, Samual Adams, and many others.

Look at the Observer-Dispatch for more coverage, photos and video.

Update: As of 11:30 PM, Thursday night, May 30 2008, the fire was not yet under control. The ammonia tank has not exploded which could level all of the buildings.

Update - 4-June-2008: The brewery is operational, although canning and bottling operations will need to be outsourced for a time. (via Dowd’s Brews Notebook)

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Utica Brewery Burns in Toxic Fire

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Beer Suggest

Posted: May 27th, 2008, 6:01pm CEST by Al
This just may be the site I’ve been looking for.

Netflix has been one of my favorite services for some time. One of my favorite features on their site is their recommendation engine. Based on the ratings I have given movies, and comparing them to the ratings other people have given the same movies, they’re able to make pretty good guesses about other movies that I might like.

I’ve been wishing for the same thing with beer.

Well, Beer Suggest may be the answer.

From the about page:

Beer Suggest is a niche community for beer lovers. The goal of Beer Suggest is to provide the most informative beer site on the net.

The site is currently in open beta. Registered users can:
- Tag beers, to help describe them beyond their style
- Rate beers, on a 5-star scale (not unlike our own unofficial rating system)
- Review beers, focusing on Appearance, Aroma, Mouthfeel, Taste, and Overall Appeal
- Search for beer and breweries
- Add and edit beers and breweries
- Browse a calendar of Beer Events
- and view lots of different Statistics
I’m off to sign up and check it out. You should too.

(via Lifehacker (via Mashable))

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Beer Suggest

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Anheuser-Busch stock up on InBev acquisition rumor

Posted: May 23rd, 2008, 9:38pm CEST by Al
Shortly before noon today, Anheuser-Busch’s stock price was up over 8 per cent based on rumors that InBev is putting together a $46 billion bid to buy it. That is one expensive beer run.

Anheuser Busch Stock Surges on Report of Possible InBev Bid (AP)

Both companies were, as is typical, mum on the rumor. Look for something definitive very soon.

They’d be crazy to announce it this weekend though. The idea of an American institution being bought up by a European rival, on Memorial Day weekend no less, would anger a lot of patriotic types.

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Anheuser-Busch stock up on InBev acquisition rumor

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Session #16 announced: Beer festivals

Posted: May 17th, 2008, 1:18am CEST by Al
The Session is a monthly one-day event held by beer bloggers around the world, where they each post their thoughts on a unified theme.

That theme, for June, is Beer Festivals hosted by Geistbear Brewing Blog.

As Summer approaches we are in full swing of beer festival season, so it seemed the perfect topic for the June Session. Do you have a favorite beer festival you like to attend or a particular memory of inspirational moment at a festival? Or perhaps talk about what you would like to see out of festivals or perhaps the future of them.

This episode of the Session will take place on June 6, 2008. Details here: Announcing the Session #16 – Beer Festivals

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Session #16 announced: Beer festivals

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American Craft Beer Week, May 12-18, 2008

Posted: May 14th, 2008, 6:55pm CEST by Al
Just a quick note that we are in the midst of American Craft Beer Week. This is an event, sponsored by the Brewers Association, that “highlights the industry and culture of craft beer.”

This year there is a focus on brewers’ charitable efforts. From the official press release:

This year, breweries and beer makers will also recognize their collective charitable contributions. For the first time ever, the Brewers Association announced U.S. craft breweries’ charitable contributions, and for 2007 they are estimated to be more than $20 million.

“In addition to being recognized for making world-class beer, independent craft brewers are amazing community citizens,” said Julia Herz, a spokesperson for the Brewers Association. “Craft brewers are an integral part of many communities’ charitable efforts. They donate to everything from fire departments, disaster relief efforts, local events, educational fundraisers and so much more.”

There is also a list of events (organized by state) at the ABCW site.

I’ve been doing my part by drinking craft beer this week. I’ll be topping it off on Saturday by enjoying the beers from the local brewpubs served at our minor league baseball team’s game. (It also happens to be my birthday.) I’ll even see about getting a hot dog and some apple pie.

What are you doing for American Craft Beer Week?

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American Craft Beer Week, May 12-18, 2008

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Hops shortage on Wired.com

Posted: May 12th, 2008, 11:52pm CEST by Al
You and I and everyone who reads blogs like this know it already: Craft brewers are trying many different ways to deal with the shortages of hops. Their—and, by extension, our—plight has even been examined in the mainstream media.

Well, now it’s serious. The issue has now been covered by that paragon of journalism for geeks: Wired.com.

Craft Brewers Reformulate Beer to Cope With Hop Shortage

The beer-brewing situation demonstrates how the global-commodity shortage is spilling over to affect diverse industries in unexpected ways. The hop shortage lives on the outer edges of a food crisis that’s prompted riots across the planet, and last month led U.N. Secretary-General Ban-Ki Moon to implore the world’s governments to increase food production to stave off a 40 percent jump in the cost of staples.

While nobody in the craft-beer industry is going hungry, they are being forced to adapt. There’s no replacement for hops in beer — they give the brew its flavor. But other key ingredients are in short supply, as well. Malt, which comes from sprouted barley, produces the alcohol and body of beer — its prices have doubled along with hops. The price of rice, used by industrial brewers, has charted a similar course.

(via Boing Boing)

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Hops shortage on Wired.com

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Beer Blog Search expansion continues

Posted: May 12th, 2008, 3:14pm CEST by Al
I figured it would be a good time to update you on the Beer Blog Search Engine. I keep finding more and more quality blogs to add. Who knew there were that many people out there blogging about beer?

Anyway, here are some recently added blogs (in no particular order):
For more information on the Beer Blog Search Engine, see:
As always, if you know of any others that would be good additions, don’t hesitate to drop us a line.

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Beer Blog Search expansion continues

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Anheuser-Busch getting greener

Posted: May 7th, 2008, 2:04pm CEST by Al
I heard a report this morning about ClimateCounts.org, a non-profit organization with the stated aim of bringing “consumers and companies together in the fight against global climate change.”

They’ve released their 2008 Scorecard, which summarizes 56 large companies’ self-reported efforts at environmental friendliness. Anheuser-Busch was one of the most improved companies, jumping 21 points from their 2007 score to 50 points (out of 100).

Scorecard Sectors: Beer

Of course, since ClimateCounts.org focuses on large—primarily American—companies, only three companies are listed in that sector.
- Anheuser-Busch: 50/100 (+21)
- SAB Miller: 48/100 (0)
- MolsonCoors: 34/100 (+14)
Certainly, these are awfully modest numbers and there are smaller brewers who would score significantly higher on ClimateCounts.org’s criteria. Still, considering the absolute volume produced by these three corporations, and the positive direction of their scores, kudos are warranted. Not that there isn’t room for improvement, of course. As I say to my kids when report cards come out: “Great job! Now, keep it up.”

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Anheuser-Busch getting greener

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PBR Forever!

Posted: May 7th, 2008, 2:46am CEST by Al
Bill Bramanti of South Chicago Heights, Illinois loves Pabst Blue Ribbon so much, he’s had a coffin made to look like a can of PBR.

He’s tried it out to make sure he fits and recently had a party using the coffin as a cooler.

Macabre. It must have been some interesting party conversation, though.

USA Today: Illinois man designs beer can coffin

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PBR Forever!

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John Harvard’s – Long Island, NY

Posted: May 6th, 2008, 2:41pm CEST by Ron
About a month ago I was traveling around New York state and looked up a pub called John Harvard’s Brew House while out on Long Island. Looking at the website, it appears John Harvard’s is a small chain of brew houses. The one I visited is located in Lake Grove, NY.

While the restaurant was only mildly busy, the bar room was hopping with folk all watching the Islanders, the Mets, and/or the Yankees. Only a few didn’t seem to care what was on TV.

Danielle at the bar helped me out with my first beer choice, offering me a sample of a few brews to see what I liked. I liked them all and chose to start with something light, but I frankly can’t remember the exact style. I swear it was made with Amarillo hops, but the website doesn’t seem to list it. None-the-less, I recall enjoying it greatly. I was impressed with Danielle’s knowledge of the beers. Everyone had questions for her and she was ready with a descriptive answer each time. Not to mention, she was hustling her ass off as she seemed to be the only one to wait on customers.

I was in the mood for a steak and their menu was a touch more upscale than standard pub fare. I ordered a steak Belugi Style, which was spicy and heart consciously prepared with mango salsa and a side of rice. I’m always nervous when I step out of bounds ordering something like this at a pub, but they did a fantastic job with it… it was delicious.

Satisfied with my first beer and perfectly done steak, I decided it was a good time to try something else different, and for me, a first time ever. John Harvard’s offered a real hand pumped cask ale, something I’ve never been able to experience. Not carbonated, this ale is pumped with air straight from the cask to my glass. This IPA held a nice head of foam and went down smooth. Ahhh… now I know what I’ve been missing. It is too bad none of the brew houses near me offers real cask ale.

Normally I avoid chain restaurants like the plague, but this one is serving real beer to masses, with great food to boot. It is certainly a refreshing change. If you ever get the chance, I highly recommend it.

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John Harvard’s – Long Island, NY

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Session #15 wrap-up

Posted: May 5th, 2008, 2:37pm CEST by Al
Over forty bloggers from around the world participated in this edition of the Session. Boak and Bailey have posted the wrap-up:

The session round up - there are many roads to good beer

Several themes emerged:
- Sudden epiphanies
- Gradual enlightenment
- The time, the place, the people
- Homebrewing
Geistbear Brewing Blog will be hosting Session #16.

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Session #15 wrap-up

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Session #15: Moments in time

Posted: May 2nd, 2008, 6:00pm CEST by Al
This edition of The Session is sponsored by Boak and Bailey.

how did it all start for you?

Continuing the “Beervangelism” theme, we’d like you to write about the moment when you saw the light. At what point did you realise you were a beer lover / geek / enthusiast? What beer(s) triggered the conversion? Did someone help you along your way, or did you come to it yourself?

In short; how did you get into good beer?

It was a gradual process. There certainly wasn’t a day where I proclaimed: “From this day forward, I will drink only good beer!”

There are, however, two moments in time that represent significant milestones in my journey.
Blech!
My first experiences with beer came from my father. He worked hard, then spent his evenings and weekends working hard around the house. As the oldest and a son, it fell on my shoulders to be his assistant very much of the time. After working so hard he would reward himself with a beer or two. As I got older, he’d share his beer with me and, later, would let me have one of my own. It’s what men did. (Note to Neo-Prohibitionists: Never once in my youth did I ever see my Dad be anything but absolutely responsible with alcohol. I learned early on how to enjoy it.)

My Dad was originally a Schaefer man. As that became more scarce, and he got older, he switched to other things, but always your basic, well-known light American lager. As I started to strike out on my own I, of course, needed to blaze a trail of my own. Miller Genuine Draft was new and their marketing was edgy and hip, so that’s what my friends and I latched on to. Then, as I started working for a living, I started “moving up”. Corona was a treat; expensive as hell and you put a lime in it! Molson was an option; we loved the McKenzie brothers, eh? Heineken…well, maybe not. Okay, once or thrice.

I’m a child of the media, what can I say? I was doing a lot of driving to and from work, and my car stereo was pretty crappy, so I was listening to a lot of radio. Jim Koch, that self-described “golden-throated pitch man” was on the radio a lot at that time, so I started buying Sam Adams Boston Ale. Pete’s Wicked Ale was in the cooler next to it, and how could I not choose a beer with a name like that?

And then, it happened.

I don’t know what the occasion was. A barbecue, a party, something. I do remember that there was MGD there. Ah, I thought. My old stand-by. So, I had one.

That’s…hmm…not what I expected. Is something wrong with it? I must be imagining things.

Then it happened again.

Then I was at a party where there was Miller Genuine Draft and Sam Adams. I had an MGD. Then I had a Sam Adams. And, as if I were surrounded by a chorus of Angels, I had an epiphany: Not all beer is the same.
Wow, that’s geeky
The second milestone came some time later.

Ron, Max, Don and I get together every October to get caught up with each others’ lives, play video games, and drink beer. Our S.O.P. for some time has been that each guy brings four different six-packs of something interesting, we put them all in coolers, and just enjoy. While we ran around pixelated worlds trying to shoot one another with virtual weapons, we’d each go to a cooler, pick something out, pour it in a glass, and declare whether it was a hit or miss.

One year, probably six or seven years ago, I suggested that we should rate the beers we had and keep track. The beers that we all liked, therefore, would be ones we would seek out more often. After all, the beers we all brought with us weren’t the ones we usually drank and, in the past, I’d had trouble remembering which were the ones we’d liked.

So, we did. Later, while I was drinking a beer and thinking about how I would put together the spreadsheet to track these things it hit me: What a singularly geeky thing to do.

Those are only two milestones on a long road. Heck, I’ve been calling myself a beer geek for years. And I haven’t even mentioned what may be the most telling moment of all: Starting a blog to talk about beer.

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Session #15: Moments in time

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