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  • Permalink for 'Hop_Talk/2008/12/31/Happy_New_Year_2009'

    Happy New Year 2009

    Posted: December 31st, 2008, 6:00pm CET by Al

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    Happy New Year 2009

    Well, another year has come and gone.

    Be always at war with your vices, at peace with your neighbors, and let each new year find you a better man.

    - Benjamin Franklin

    Here’s hoping that 2008 was good for you and 2009 will be better.

    For better or worse, New Year’s Eve is a big drinking holiday. Be safe. For me, I’ll be at a party four five doors down and will probably be home before the ball drops.

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    Tags: new year's eve
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  • Permalink for 'Hop_Talk/2008/12/31/The_story_of_a_beer_geek'

    The story of a beer geek

    Posted: December 31st, 2008, 12:00am CET by Al

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    The story of a beer geek

    I recently had my attention drawn to a (very) long and well-written account of an ascent into beer geekiness. Joel Mayer, aka “Alemonger”, is a Jersey guy, a lawyer, and had a long, convoluted path to being a self-avowed “beer nut”. All in spite of a (relatively) late start.

    A sample:

    My second beer epiphany wouldn’t strike for 17 more years. Like I said, that path Tom put me on wasn’t traversed with great consistency – or efficiency. After moving back to New Jersey I continued to enjoy much better beer. Anchor Steam was now generally available as was its California companion, Sierra Nevada Pale Ale. Those were my beers of choice and for the most part, I didn’t feel compelled to search the liquor store isles for anything else. Had I done so, I would likely have been frustrated by what was still a weak but slowly improving selection. While the store isles may still have been, with noted exceptions, barren of real quality brews, that wasn’t the case at the Tun Tavern Brewpub in Atlantic City. The “Tun”, as it is known to locals, is adjacent to the lower lobby of the Sheraton Hotel and Conference Center about four blocks from the Boardwalk. The view out the floor to ceiling front windows is quintessential New Jersey: a parking lot. This view is no Carlos & Pepe’s in Malibu but the featured view at the Tun isn’t outside at all. The featured view here is the featured brew. A bank of shiny stainless steel and copper brew kettles and fermenting tanks is encased within glass walls suspended above the island bar and along a side wall. They brew and pour about a half dozen or so styles on a given day and it was at the Tun that I truly started to take notice of various beer styles and began to appreciate the importance of fresh beer. I’m fairly certain that I had my first IPA there – the style that would eventually become my favorite – but I’m absolutely certain that I didn’t know anything about the style itself except that the numbers on the blackboard said it was a little stronger than the other varieties. I like to think that I went back for more because of the taste and not because it had more of a kick. The beer style and freshness lessons I learned at the Tun were important and certainly enjoyable but not really an epiphany. I’m fairly confident that the epiphany rulebooks all state that they can’t be experienced in a hotel bar within view of a parking lot – especially in New Jersey. For true epiphany number two I would have to head back west.

    Well, my beer epiphany was in New Jersey. He’s from South Jersey, though, so I suppose he can be excused.

    Good stuff. Worth a read.

    Alemonger: The Crafting of a Craft Beer Geek

    submit_url = 'http://hop-talk.com/2008/12/30/the-story-of-a-beer-geek/';

    Tags: beer geek, enlightenment
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  • Permalink for 'Hop_Talk/2008/12/30/Beer_a_Day_Project'

    Beer-a-Day Project

    Posted: December 30th, 2008, 6:00pm CET by Al

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    Beer-a-Day Project

    Last year my wife took on a little photography project in part to learn more about our new home but mostly just for the hell of it. Each day, every day, for all of 2007, she took exactly one photo on black and white film. She used film, not digital, and never had a “do-over”. Some didn’t come out so great, but some are absolutely gorgeous. Either way, she scanned them and put them online, offering an interesting look at Brunswick, Maryland and the surrounding area.

    While she was doing it, it became quite a challenge to stick to the “one shutterclick per day”, but overcoming that limitation was part of the fun. My wife is unique and inspiring in many ways. She has inspired me to do a similar project of my own, which I’m unimaginatively calling “Beer-a-Day”.

    That’s 365 different beers; that should be easy enough. I mean, there’s more than 1400 brewers in the U.S. alone. But it will be a bit more difficult as I can’t get all of their beer locally and I shouldn’t repeat any beer that we’ve already written up. Okay, so it will be very challenging.

    So, I will attempt to taste 365 different beers–one for each day–during 2009. I envision “theme” weeks, too. Maybe all beers from a particular brewer, or seven beers of the same style.

    It’s going to be tough, but I think I’m up to it…and I’m just the guy for the job.

    submit_url = 'http://hop-talk.com/2008/12/30/beer-a-day-project/';

    Tags: administrivia, beer-a-day
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  • Permalink for 'Hop_Talk/2008/12/29/Like_it_Skunky'

    Like it Skunky

    Posted: December 29th, 2008, 12:30pm CET by Ron

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    Like it Skunky

    I have a friend who actually prefers his beers with that skunky taste. Not overpowering, but likes those easy to drink, slightly skunked, European imports in a green bottle.

    Not me, man. I don’t find that skunky taste easy to drink.

    He also can’t stand IPA’s… way too much hops for him. But, this is not a put down and I don’t hold it against him. Truly, this friend of mine is a world traveler, enjoys fine wines, and fine food. So how can he be like this about beer? Because as I’ve already pointed out… you can’t be wrong.

    submit_url = 'http://hop-talk.com/2008/12/29/like-it-skunky/';

    Tags: Beer, lightstruck, skunked
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  • Permalink for 'Hop_Talk/2008/12/26/Books_for_the_holidays'

    Books for the holidays

    Posted: December 26th, 2008, 6:00pm CET by Al

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    Books for the holidays

    Anybody who knows me knows I love books. So much the better if they’re about beer. I’ve had a number of books on my wish list for a while that I just got as a gift. I can’t wait to read them.

    The Beer Journal by Chris Wright (not so much a book to read as a book to record the beers I try. My beer geekiness is complete. In my defense, though, there’s a lot of information about tasting beer and beer styles.)


    New Jersey Breweries by Lew Bryson and Mark Haynie (I felt that as a native New Jerseyan that this is a book I needed to have.)


    Ambitious Brew: The Story of American Beer by Maureen Ogle (I read lots of positive reviews about this book.)


    The Brewmaster’s Table: Discovering the Pleasures of Real Beer with Real Food by Garrett Oliver (Pairing beer and food is the new nirvana.)


    What beer books did you get for the holidays?

    submit_url = 'http://hop-talk.com/2008/12/26/books-for-the-holidays/';

    Tags: books
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  • Permalink for 'Hop_Talk/2008/12/24/Making_a_beer_bottle_Christmas_tree'

    Making a beer bottle Christmas tree

    Posted: December 24th, 2008, 3:00pm CET by Al

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    Making a beer bottle Christmas tree

    Whatever holiday you celebrate and no matter how you celebrate it, we here at Hop Talk wish you all of the peace and joy of the season.

    [www.youtube.com]

    (video via Lifehacker)

    submit_url = 'http://hop-talk.com/2008/12/24/making-a-beer-bottle-christmas-tree/';

    Tags: christmas tree, holidays, video
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  • Permalink for 'Hop_Talk/2008/12/23/Minimum_price_for_a_beer_goes_up_in_Ontario'

    Minimum price for a beer goes up in Ontario

    Posted: December 23rd, 2008, 6:00pm CET by Al

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    Minimum price for a beer goes up in Ontario

    Canada’s most-populous province has raised the minimum price of case of bottles from CDN$24.00 to CDN$26.50.

    Well, in this economy I suppose that shouldn’t be any sort of a surprise. Except, apparently, it’s not economical, but rather smacks of the new Temperance movement.

    Toronto Star: Ontario raises minimum price for beer

    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.

    “The Ministry of Finance recommends an increase to the minimum retail price for beer effective November 24, 2008,” says a memo distributed to board members for their Oct. 15 meeting in Toronto.

    With only 30 minutes to approve a dozen legal issues, including the minimum price increase, the matter appears to have received limited debate.

    “After due deliberation and consideration of the materials and recommendations as set out in them, a motion was made, seconded and carried,” say the meeting minutes.

    The written materials distributed to board members provide no explanation of why the new minimum was required, how it fit with the social responsibility mandate, how the increase was calculated and why it was required by Nov. 24.

    Instead, the documents merely set out the mechanics of the change, which also affects coolers and low-alcohol spirits, and cite the recommendation of the Ministry of Finance. The last time the minimum price for regular-strength beer was adjusted was October 2005.

    submit_url = 'http://hop-talk.com/2008/12/23/minimum-price-for-a-beer-goes-up-in-ontario/';

    Tags: canada, ontario, pricing
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  • Permalink for 'Hop_Talk/2008/12/22/IPA_Bake_Off'

    IPA Bake Off

    Posted: December 22nd, 2008, 11:50am CET by Ron

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    IPA Bake Off

    Back in October we tried an Octoberfest bake off (a taste test) and it wasn’t that successful. Nice.. not thrillin’, but nice. So when a different group of my friends suggested a blind IPA taste testing, I wasn’t very optimistic; but of course I was game anyway.

    Surprise! Not only was it a great evening, the winners and losers made it all that much more interesting. We scored them differently than I had done previously, not just on an overall impression like the unofficial Hop-Talk rating system is built upon, but rather a much more detailed method using a standard beer judging sheet. It is based on an overall score of 50 points made up of several categories.

    scoring chart

    Here are the results. I rounded the averages of the four of us playing judge…

    ipa-taste-test
    My comments after the tasting go like this…
    Rogue - Yes, it stood alone at the top.
    Stone – One of my favorite IPA’s. My score for it probably would have been higher but I hadn’t just taken a break in tasting for a slice of Buffalo Pizza… probably not the best idea and probably affected the overall result.
    Butternut – We were all surprised by this one, but me most of all as I really don’t like Butternut’s other brews. I’m going to have to go back for this one.
    Middle Ages – While we all know and love this IPA, none of us expected it to rate so high. Glad to see it up there.
    Sam Smith – I nailed the import.

    I had a great time doing this… I don’t know if the flavors varied that much greater than the octoberfest styles, or if the method in judging was what made it so much better. In any case, the casual nature and long evening in which we took to do it was one for the books.

    Special thanks to our servers, Ellie & Katie, and their scientific strategy to organization assuring accurate test results. (We will excuse the Yuengling Porter incident.)

    submit_url = 'http://hop-talk.com/2008/12/22/ipa-bake-off/';

    Tags: anderson valley, appearance, aroma, beer review, beer tasting, blind tasting, brooklyn brewery, butternuts, dogfish head, flavor, great divide, hops, ipa, middle ages brewing, mouth feel, Reviews, rogue, smaual smith's, stone brewing, stoudt's brewery, weyerbacher
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  • Permalink for 'Hop_Talk/2008/12/19/An_IM_from_the_wife'

    An IM from the wife

    Posted: December 19th, 2008, 6:00pm CET by Al

    ©Hop Talk - Use on other websites prohibited without express permission

    An IM from the wife

    Our good friend Max recently shared an Instant Message conversation he had with his wife.

    Alyce: so does bbq beef sandwiches sound okay for dinner?
    Alyce: cause you’re screwed otherwise
    Max: sounds awsome to me
    Alyce: I bet they’d taste awesome with a dark beer
    Max: oooooo good idea
    Alyce: god, I’m starting to sound like Ron and Al…

    Ron’s reaction: “Good girl”

    submit_url = 'http://hop-talk.com/2008/12/19/an-im-from-the-wife/';

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  • Permalink for 'Hop_Talk/2008/12/18/Genetics_can_make_you_an_angry_drunk'

    Genetics can make you an angry drunk

    Posted: December 18th, 2008, 6:00pm CET by Al

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    Genetics can make you an angry drunk

    A new study links a high-activity monoamine oxidase A (MAOA) gene with violent behavior, triggered by alcohol.

    This genetic sparkplug has already been linked to violent behavior, but alcohol seems to bring out the worst in otherwise not-so-violent people.

    Alcohol and a polymorphism of the monoamine oxidase A gene predict impulsive violence

    “People react quite differently to acute alcohol exposure,” [Roope Tikkanen, a researcher in the department of psychiatry at Helsinki University Central Hospital and corresponding author for the study said]. “Most individuals become relaxed and talkative, while some - particularly persons who are introverted while sober – become expansively extroverted and aggressive. A dramatic change from a normally introverted personality to extroverted aggressiveness and uncontrolled behaviors under the influence of alcohol was formerly called ‘pathological intoxication’ in Finland.”

    Regarding the decline in impulsive-aggressive behavior with aging among high-activity MAOA offenders, Tikkanen hypothesized that it may be due to a correction of low central serotonin levels in the central nervous system.

    Tikkanen cautioned against genetic testing for individuals who may be worried for one reason or another about their risk. “Even though whole genome scans will one day be affordable, the average person probably has very many factors that differ from the violent offenders in the study,” he said. “For instance, the average Finnish consumption is two drinks a day or 10 kg pure alcohol per year, whereas the upper 10 percent of violent offenders drink approximately one 0.75 liter bottle of liquor a day or around 100 kg pure alcohol a year.”

    I think I know a few of them. They may have already reproduced, though.

    No word on any genetic causes for weepy drunks, sloppy drunks, or beer goggles. I expect to hear from a representative of Mothers Against Defective DNA any day now.

    The study will be published in the March issue of Alcoholism: Clinical & Experimental Research

    (via Geeks are Sexy)

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    Tags: alcohol, finland, research
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  • Permalink for 'Hop_Talk/2008/12/17/You_Can%e2%80%99t_Be_Wrong'

    You Can’t Be Wrong

    Posted: December 17th, 2008, 3:56pm CET by Ron

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    You Can’t Be Wrong

    That’s the great thing about reviewing beer… you can’t be wrong.

    At our last Octoberfest, my good friend Don pointed out while tasting the Pale Ale from Captain Lawrence that he sort of likes it, but thinks it would taste much better if he had some pizza to go with it. I liked it OK, but we didn’t all agree. That’s when Don comes out with the enlightening statement of the day, “you can’t be wrong”.

    This goes with what we’ve been saying since the get-go at Hop Talk. We tell it like it is from our own personal point of view with little regard for critiquing brews on accuracy to their style. We are not experts, we’ve never claimed to be experts, but we know what we like and what we don’t.

    I’m a bit of a hop head, but enjoy stouts, porters, märzens and bocks as well. My tastes change with the seasons and my mood. I might enjoy a raspberry wheat beer one day, but not the next. I might enjoy three Sierra Nevada Celebration Ales with some popcorn while watching Sunday Night Football. (oh yes I did!)

    I sometimes turn to old standbys like Saranac Pale Ale or Sam Adams Lager. Other times I will insist only the finest NY aged cheddar cheese to go with my Ommegang Hennepin Ale. I might even say I like the Budweiser American Ale right from the bottle while working in my wood shop. But that’s the great thing about beer… you can’t be wrong.

    submit_url = 'http://hop-talk.com/2008/12/17/you-cant-be-wrong/';

    Tags: Atmosphere, beer review, octoberfest
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  • Permalink for 'Hop_Talk/2008/12/16/Space_beer_too_normal'

    Space beer too normal

    Posted: December 16th, 2008, 6:00pm CET by Al

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    Space beer too normal

    Multiple blogs and news organizations have already reported that Sapporo has brewed their “space beer”. (Beer Blog Search for “space beer”.) That is, beer brewed from barley originally grown on the International Space Station. (We talked about space beer on Hop Talk back in May.)

    The funniest comment I’ve seen on this is from Cory Doctorow at Boing Boing.

    Sapporo’s brewing a private-edition “space beer” made from barley descended from seeds that circled the globe on the ISS. The beer is disappointingly normal and has not been reported to cause gigantism, telekinesis, or any of the other typical space-seed effects.

    submit_url = 'http://hop-talk.com/2008/12/16/space-beer-too-normal/';

    Tags: boing boing, cory doctorow
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  • Permalink for 'Hop_Talk/2008/12/15/Welcome_new_subscribers_'

    Welcome new subscribers!

    Posted: December 15th, 2008, 6:00pm CET by Al

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    Welcome new subscribers!

    I’ve noticed that the RSS subscriber numbers here have suddenly increased by quite a bit. I think I’ve discovered the reason for it.

    My RSS reader of choice is Google Reader. One of the helpful features that Google Reader offers is bundling blogs on related topics together, making it easy to find lots of content on the stuff you find interesting. (You can see them at [www.google.com].)

    Well, they seem to have recently created a “Beer” bundle (among others) and Hop Talk is one of the ten blogs featured. I’m glad to say that the other nine blogs there have long been on my reading list; you’d be well-served to include them as well.

    In any event, I just want to extend a welcome to all of our new subscribers.

    submit_url = 'http://hop-talk.com/2008/12/15/welcome-new-subscribers/';

    Tags: administrivia, google reader, rss, subscribers
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  • Permalink for 'Hop_Talk/2008/12/12/A_B_InBev_announces_layoffs'

    A-B InBev announces layoffs

    Posted: December 12th, 2008, 6:00pm CET by Al

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    A-B InBev announces layoffs

    Just in case you missed it, InBev consummated their acquisition of Anheuser-Busch a couple of weeks ago.

    Anheuser-Busch InBevAnd in any large corporate merger you know some people are going to lose their jobs. Plus this economy, in case you haven’t noticed, sucks, and people are losing their jobs left and right.

    So Monday’s press release isn’t really a surprise.

    Press Release: Anheuser-Busch InBev announces workforce reductions in the U.S. (PDF)

    Still, the loss of 1400 jobs stings, and they’re all in the U.S. And that doesn’t count over 400 contractor positions. (I’m a contractor; I work as hard or harder than any of the full-timers at my place of employ.) This is in addition to the 1000+ who have taken early retirement offers.

    And here people were talking about beer being recession-proof…

    (via Realbeer.com)

    submit_url = 'http://hop-talk.com/2008/12/12/a-b-inbev-announces-layoffs/';

    Tags: anheuser-busch inbev, economy
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  • Permalink for 'Hop_Talk/2008/12/11/Heavy_drinking_damages_eyesight'

    Heavy drinking damages eyesight

    Posted: December 11th, 2008, 6:25pm CET by Al

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    Heavy drinking damages eyesight

    No, this isn’t about that old expression about being “blind drunk” or about “beer goggles”. No, a group of Australian scientists have linked heavy drinking to increased risk of age-related macular degeneration (AMD).

    AMD is when sight in the center of the visual field fades, and “heavy drinking” is defined as more than four alcoholic drinks per day. Beer was cited in particular.

    The Daily Telegraph: Four beers a day can make you blind

    Smoking and genetics have been linked to the condition but Dr Elaine Chong from the Royal Victorian Eye and Ear Hospital decided to study the diet and eye health of almost 7000 people over a period of time to determine the contribution of alcohol.

    “We found that higher levels of alcohol, more than four standard drinks a day, was associated with a three-fold increase in end-stage AMD in men,” Dr Chong said.

    Beer drinking, in particular, carried a six-fold increased risk. Quantities of wine and spirits drunk were too low to evaluate their risk.

    The same link was not see [sic] in women, possibly because they were less likely to drink heavily, she said.

    No mention of beer’s benefits, of course. Not that I’m suggesting that it’s a health drink. Something else to look forward to in my twilight years. Not that I’m that heavy a drinker, though.

    As with all things: moderation.

    submit_url = 'http://hop-talk.com/2008/12/11/heavy-drinking-damages-eyesight/';

    Tags: australia, macular degeneration, research
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  • Permalink for 'Hop_Talk/2008/12/05/Session__22__Celebrating_Repeal_Day'

    Session #22: Celebrating Repeal Day

    Posted: December 5th, 2008, 6:01am CET by Al

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    Session #22: Celebrating Repeal Day

    The Session - Beer Blogging FridayThis edition of The Session is sponsored by 21st Amendment Brewery.

    Invitation to The Session #22

    On December 5, 1933, the states ratified the 21st Amendment, repealing the 18th Amendment, thus ending 13 years of Prohibition in America. At the 21st Amendment Brewery, the repeal of Prohibition means we can celebrate the right to brew beer, the freedom to be innovative, and the obligation to have fun.

    What does the repeal of Prohibition mean to you? How will you celebrate your right to drink beer?

    What does the Repeal of Prohibition mean to me?

    Nothing, really. I mean, this all happened well before my father was born. I’ve never lived in a place where alcohol was completely illegal.

    On the other hand, it means quite a lot. Beer has become one of my passions. I would definitely notice its lack. The great variety of beer produced by the 1400+ breweries in the United States never ceases to amaze me.

    The thought of all those breweries that were around before 1920 that didn’t make it saddens me. Not just the recipes and techniques that are lost forever, but the history of the companies and their people that have long been forgotten.

    As for how will I celebrate Repeal Day, that’s easy. By drinking beer, of course! And raising a glass in thanks to those who recognized “The Noble Experiment” for the stupidity it was.

    submit_url = 'http://hop-talk.com/2008/12/05/session-22-celebrating-repeal-day/';

    Tags: 21st amendment, prohibition
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  • Permalink for 'Hop_Talk/2008/12/03/Old_Chub_French_Onion_Soup'

    Old Chub French Onion Soup

    Posted: December 3rd, 2008, 1:24pm CET by Ron

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    Old Chub French Onion Soup

    From Ron’s kitchen, adapted from A.B. and others…

    Old Chub French Onion Soup
    Prep/cook time: All day (at least 3 hours)
    Servings: 8

    Ingredients

    • 4 lbs onions (yellow, sweet, red… whatever)
    • 3 TBSP butter
    • 12 oz Old Chub Scottish Ale (or any dark, robust, sweet beer)
    • 6 oz white wine
    • about 30-40 oz broth made up of:
      - 10 oz canned beef consume
      - 20 oz beef broth (or chicken)
      - 10 oz apple cider (A.B. recommends unfiltered)
      (amount depends on how thick you like it, and you can even do all beef broth if you like)
    • Bay leaf
    • 1 TBSP Parsley (or sprigs of fresh would be better)
    • 1 1/2 tsp thyme (or sprigs of fresh would be better)
    • kosher salt and pepper
    • splash of Cognac (optional)
    • 1 loaf bread (country style or french bread)
    • 1 cup cheese, shredded/grated (I prefer a combo 75% Mozzarella and 25% Gruyere)
    1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
    2. Trim off ends of onions then half lengthwise. Remove peel and slice into semi-circle strips
    3. Melt butter in dutch oven, add onions and kosher salt. (about 1 1/2 tsp salt) Stir to coat onions in butter. Cover and place in oven for 1 hour. After 1st hour, scrape & stir, return to oven with lid open a crack. After about 1/2 hour, scrape & stir again. Check every 15  minutes, scraping and stirring until onions are dark mahogany. Do not worry about burning.
    4. Remove from oven, add beer and wine (enough to cover) and turn heat to high reducing the liquid to a syrup. Add broth/consume/cider & herbs and simmer 15-20 mins, or put in crock pot on warm until you are ready to eat.
    5. Place oven rack in top 1/3 and heat broiler.
    6. Cut country bread in rounds to fit in mouth of oven safe soup crocks. Place bread slices on baking sheet and put under broiler for 1 minute.
    7. Season soup with salt & pepper (and Cognac). (remove herb sprigs). Ladle into each soup crock leaving about an inch then cover with bread toasted side down and then cover with cheese. Broil crock for about 1-2 minutes until cheese is melted and golden.

    submit_url = 'http://hop-talk.com/2008/12/03/old-chub-french-onion-soup/';

    Tags: cooking, cooking with beer, food, recipe, soup
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  • Permalink for 'Hop_Talk/2008/12/02/C%e2%80%99mon_doc._Give_me_some_good_news.'

    C’mon doc. Give me some good news.

    Posted: December 2nd, 2008, 6:00pm CET by Al

    ©Hop Talk - Use on other websites prohibited without express permission

    C’mon doc. Give me some good news.

    For the last several years I have been on maintenance medication for my cholesterol. It’s not too bad, but bad enough that my physician wanted to control it. I’ve been trying to eat healthier and to get more exercise, but both are harder than I thought. (Having a long commute and young children at home doesn’t leave much time for working out.) At the very least, I’ve stopped eating like I’m eighteen years old.

    Before that, I had been on maintenance for my triglycerides. Cholesterol and triglyceride numbers often move together. (The relationship is a mystery to me, although my wife could probably explain it. It’s not germane to this story, though.) Considering that there is Type 2 Diabetes and Hypoglycemia in my family history I’m not surprised that one got out of whack. But then it was okay and we were focused on my cholesterol.

    I went to the doctor the other day to discuss my recent blood tests. My cholesterol is fine, but my triglycerides were high. High enough that my doctor is sending me for more tests to see if I’m becoming diabetic or pre-diabetic and is talking about having me see to a nutritionist.

    Then she rattled of some foods that I pretty much need to drop from my diet. White bread (no problem, I eat whole grain), regular pasta (I actually like the whole grain pasta), white potatoes (damn; I love me mashed potatoes), white rice (I’m not a big rice eater), ice cream (uh-oh), beer…

    No, say it ain’t so.

    “Beer is pure triglycerides” is what she said, in fact.

    Now, I’m not one of those guys who comes home from work and has three or five beers before going to bed. For one thing, considering the beer I drink, I couldn’t possibly afford it. It’s not uncommon for a six-pack of beer to last me a week or more. Oh, sure, that fluctuates (I can think of a particular weekend in October when that gets tossed out) but by-and-large I’m not that big a drinker.

    Trouble is it’s a passion of mine. I mean, I write a blog about it.

    Thankfully, it’s a passion and a hobby, and not my livelihood.

    I think I’m in the “Bargaining” stage. I’m willing to never have chocolate, ice cream, milkshakes, etc. again. But don’t take away this delicious elixir.

    Update: Well, a subsequent test shows my glucose is normal for the last three months. WTF?

    submit_url = 'http://hop-talk.com/2008/12/02/cmon-doc-give-me-some-good-news/';

    Tags: diabetes, diet, nutrition
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  • Permalink for 'Hop_Talk/2008/12/01/Boing_Boing__Why_homebrew_is_better'

    Boing Boing: Why homebrew is better

    Posted: December 1st, 2008, 6:00pm CET by Al

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    Boing Boing: Why homebrew is better

    I like to see article and stories about beer in the mainstream press. Consistently in the top 10 of Technorati’s most popular blogs, Boing Boing is undeniably the “new mainstream”.

    How pleasant it was, then, to see a nice little article about homebrewing in my RSS feed.

    Boing Boing: Why Homebrew is Better

    The beer that you buy is made by pros with the goal of replicating the same recipe each time; the same ingredients, the same process, the same consistent result. If you make your own beer, you can forget the same-old, same-old. In fact, it’s rather hard to brew the same exact thing each time following home-made processes. As an amateur, you get to enjoy these small but noticeable differences. Homebrew has its own design goals, mainly exploring lots of variations that allow you to see how different beers can be.

    Not to mention that in this financial climate, after your initial outlay for basic equipment, you can brew your own beer for significantly less than buying commercially-brewed.

    This is the best quote though:

    Brewing is fun to do with a group of people.

    True, true, and something I need to explore more. Tonight is the regular monthly FOAM meeting, and I need to re-up my membership for next year.

    submit_url = 'http://hop-talk.com/2008/12/01/boing-boing-why-homebrew-is-better/';

    Tags: blog, boing boing, Homebrewing, Media
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