After some thoroughly absurd debate, Senate Bill 192 (the Brewery Modernization Act) passed the House in the Alabama legislature just moments ago. The bill allows breweries to have taprooms on premises and for brewpubs to sell beer off-premises (through a licensed distributor). It’s another step towards craft beer freedom in Alabama and we have Free the Hops to thank for the bill’s passage.
The debate was fairly tame relative to the Gourmet Beer Bill back in 2009. Alvin Holmes, the most hilarious man in the House, challenged the bill as expected. Actually, I listened to the proceedings for the entire Special Order Calendar this evening and Mr. Holmes challenged EVERY bill for reasons that were utterly baffling. I would say he just enjoys hearing himself speak, but if you’ve ever actually HEARD Alvin Holmes speak, that can’t be possible. He questioned the Brewery Modernization Act by pondering out loud why it was necessary for brewpubs to sell beer off-premises. He asked why you couldn’t just go to the club or warehouse (?) to buy beer instead. He also challenged Representative Hubbard (the man who brought the bill to the floor) to name a “fine beer” in an obvious attempt to mock people who enjoy craft beer. Hubbard responded that the beer he was referring to certainly “isn’t German beer”…a nice little dig at Alvin Holmes insane statement from a few years ago that the Free the Hops folks were all from Germany and drove Mercedes.* Read the rest of this entry »
Wow, that was exhausting! I’ve just now consumed every Summer Ale ever created in an effort to present an ultrafantastic epic splendor of a tasting note. From now on, when you approach a beer so labeled as Summer’s Ale, you will know exactly what flavor profile to expect. Sure, maybe it’s an English Pale, a Kolsch, a Blonde, or any number of other “Lighter” styles. Who cares what the style is though? For some reason, when it’s Summer, it’s easy enough just to slap the season on the label and call it a day. I give you – The Ubiquitous Summer Ale. Read the rest of this entry »
There may be another step or two in there somewhere.
This piece has been a while in coming, because I’ve been busy and lazy. Between dealing with insurance resulting from an auto accident and planning a beer trip to Michigan (which I just returned from, many updates to come), I haven’t gotten around to consulting my digital recorder since I took it to Three Floyds Dark Lord Day, which I documented visually here.
One of the things that stuck out during that day that I have meant to get to, however, was the opportunity I had to speak with Beejay Oslon and Gerrit Lewis, the founders of Chicago’s soon-to-be Pipeworks Brewing Company. They will be known in Chicago for their eclectic, creativity infused ales sooner rather than later–I guarantee it. I also had the chance to try a few of their brews that sunny day about a month ago, and likewise predict that their 13% abv imperial stout will soon be yet another beer that will have people telling their friends “you gotta come check out the Chicago brewery scene, man.”
Anyway. I’ll let the boys speak for themselves, utilizing brutal candor that I’m sure any Alehead would appreciate.
Listen craft beer. We had a lot of good times together. Remember when we first met and we used to spend all night together only to wake up the next morning wondering where the hours got away from us? Those were good times. You were new to the neighborhood, I was insecure and looking for that special someone in my life that could both lift my spirits and make me forget about all the sorrows in the world. Something just clicked and we both knew we were meant to be together. Lately though, I don’t even know who you are. One second you’re my best friend, telling me all along that we’re trying to grow together. The next you’re ditching my calls and hanging out with your cool friends that don’t even care that you’re with me. I guess what I’m getting at is that I’m on to you. I know you’re telling me one thing to make me think that everything’s great, everything’s the way it used to be. I know that in reality, you’re changing and I’m unwilling to change with you. I want you to stay just the way you are but you want to grow. Well, you know what? I won’t hold you back anymore. Do what you gotta do and I’ll find my way on my own. Read the rest of this entry »
When Left Hand released Fade to Black Vol. 2 last fall, my first thought was the classic Metallica power ballad. Yeah, I called it a power ballad. I figured the folks at Lefthand were classic metal fans but the phrase could refer to something else. About a month ago, when they released “Wake Up Dead” (an early song by Megadeth), and “TNT” (ok, if you need me to tell you who that is, you clearly aren’t old enough to drink beer), it was made clear: Left Hand enjoys the art of shredding. Read the rest of this entry »
Technology is advancing so rapidly these days that Moore’s law almost seems TOO slow. Today, you can hold a super-computer in the palm of your hand and connect to a seemingly limitless wealth of information through the Cloud. We’re digitizing the libraries of the world. We’re growing working human organs in Petri dishes. We’ve finally solved the “when is my beer cold enough?” conundrum. In short, humans be winning.
So I suppose it shouldn’t have come as a surprise when I was sitting at my local watering hole the other day and noticed a strangely familiar looking gentleman staring back at me. The stubbly chin. The slightly deranged glare. The condescending smirk. It was none other than my future self. He was a bit balder and gaunter, with some crow’s feet and a bar code on the back of his neck, but there was no doubt I was staring at my days to come. He bought me a round and sat down in the stool next to me. Here’s a transcript of our conversation: Read the rest of this entry »
Once upon a time, I made a bold commitment to drink everything I could possibly find from the fine folks at Port Brewing and Lost Abbey. Maybe it wasn’t really bold, but when you consider how much good beer is in the market place and how many new breweries are popping up every day, sticking to one brewery is a difficult task. To be honest, the process has been slow. Yes, when I see something really cool from Port/Lost Abbey I’m grabbing it without hesitation. Port’s Mongo IPA is a perfect example of this – Hadn’t seen it before, knew it was great, bought it and loved it. The Older Viscosity? Of course I bought that when I finally found it – Easy decision. Still, these guys make so many damn beers that it’s not always easy to lay down $8 when I’m still trying to enjoy all the other one-offs that are out there from other brewers. Well, yesterday when I was at my favorite package store I decided to just pick at random from The Lost Abbey line and hope for the best. Spoiler alert – Best…Decision…Ever… Read the rest of this entry »
“Where you used to be, there is a hole in the world, which I find myself constantly walking around in the daytime, and falling in at night. I miss you like hell.” -Edna St. Vincent Millay
BEERFORD MCBREWIN’
Breweries these days make a ton of one-off or or experimental beers. Sometimes these are an experiment with an eye toward establishing a new full-year or seasonal offering; occasionally to commemorate a special occasion (especially brewery anniversaries [brewniversaries?]); and sometimes just to entertain the brewers who are tired of brewing the same half-dozen beers time and again and want to challenge themselves (or show off their brewing chops). Often these beers show up at a brewfest or two, or maybe in the brewery’s home pub on tap. Sadly, many great one-offs disappear into the mist after a single batch, never to be seen again.
It’s also not uncommon for a brewery discontinue a regular offering, whether because they’ve concluded that consumer preferences have changed and it’s no longer selling well, or just to replace it with what they feel is a better beer. I know many a staple of my own fridge has quietly faded away, leaving a nostalgic hole where a beer that I associated with a particular time in my life used to be.
And so today we’re going to leave aside the forward-looking themes of past conundra and instead look fondly backward for a moment. Gentlemen, please tell us what discontinued beer you most wish would return to production. Read the rest of this entry »
Happy Craft Beer Week! Last night, Herr Direktor and I hit up the 2nd Annual Columbus (Ohio) Beer Fest. At 210 beers, it’s a microcosm of its bigger cousins. And there were plenty of breweries notably missing, some because they don’t distribute to Ohio, others for no apparent reason (DFH WTF?).
The atmosphere was… very Ohio. It was in a small ballroom at the convention center. The music was terrible. It was a 4-1/2 hour long beer festival, yet the band took at least an hour long break in the middle–giving way to a crappy radio station. Also, the band sucked. It was like Smashing Pumpkins but with no talent. The food was overpriced and downright bad. And why was the ceiling covered in red and blue neon lights? I don’t know.
I’m still on the fence with the CDA craze. On one hand, I’m one of those guys that loves messing with a good thing as long as the new thing is as good if not better than the original. I love IPA’s, so any chance to mess around with them to bring out something cool in the flavor profile is fine with me. On the other hand, I’ve been around the block a few times and had my fair share of weak CDA’s that are really just bland IPA’s with some masked roasted notes. Boring. I originally warmed to the name “Black IPA” because I thought it perfectly described the style. The one’s I had tried were just that – Black IPA’s -IPA in body and flavor, just black in color. Now that I’ve had some better beers from the style I’ve come around on the Cascadian Dark Ale nomenclature. I don’t consider them IPA’s and the best of the style shouldn’t resemble an IPA at all. They deserve to be their own style. On that note, let’s review a CDA with “Black India Pale Ale” on the label. Wait, what was my point on that CDA thing? Read the rest of this entry »
When I walk through my local beer store (which happens much more often than Lady Copperpot would prefer), I’m always looking for what’s new. I do this mainly because, like any good Alehead would, I’ve tasted everything they typically have in stock. I’m there so often that the distributors have started to recognize me. As such, I can pretty easily visualize what each shelf looks like. The Ommegang bombers are next to the Stone bombers, which are next to the bombers of Wachusett Larry. The same bottles are usually in the same places.
When they’re not, though, I’ll notice almost immediately.
In a recent trip, a new 12-pack among the typical inventory caught my eye. My local beermonger had picked up some sampler packs of Butternuts Beer & Ale. I’d never heard of Butternuts, but they passed the test for me: it was new, it was craft, it was canned, and how could any sentient being possibly resist purchasing the most colorful, whimsical Goddamn box in the industry?
No, really. Ask any of the aleheads who know me well, and they’ll tell you.
“Copperpot? He’s a good guy. Reliable. Fun. But yeah, he’s usually about two steps behind in the conversation.”
That’s just how I roll.
Like with this whole craft beer thing. I’m much closer to the “new convert” end of the spectrum than I am to the “seasoned veteran” end. And although I know much more about beer than most of my family and friends, among the Aleheads I’m still at the back of the pack in terms of my expertise on the topic. But as I said, it suits me. I can’t quite keep up in a conversation about Belgian IPAs between Doc, Barley, and Slouch, but I’m ok with that. I’m learning, I’m having a great time, and I realize that it’s a process.
Ho, gentle reader! We hope you’re having a spiffy American Craft Beer Week. Across our great nation, Aleheads gather at favorite breweries and watering holes to celebrate the dysfunctional family that makes up craft beer in the US. But I know what you’re thinking… am I supposed to be doing something special? I mean, besides drinking an Olympic swimming pool’s-worth of awesome beer? We live our lives like every week is Craft Beer Week, so the burden to produce a special effort during ACBW lies heavily upon us all. In that spirit (and due to the fact that we are all too inebriated to produce any original quality content right now), I’ve developed a scavenger hunt game that, if completed, will ensure you are getting the most out of all that this special week has to offer.
Without further ado, here is the list of tasks needed to complete the first annual Aleheads American Craft Beer Week Scavenger Hunt:
Find the nearest bar that has a special beer on draught or firkin that is described as “Imperial” and has also been aged in some sort of liquor barrel. Order one and drink very, very slowly, regaling the bar-goers of its increasingly wondrous qualities. When the brew finally approaches room temperature, complete (or feign) orgasm.
Submit a written request to management requesting the rest of the week off on the basis of religious holiday.
“Variety’s the very spice of life, that gives it all its flavor.” -William Cowper
BEERFORD MCBREWIN’
The ubiquitous mix-pack has been a standard brewery marketing strategy (gimmick) for much longer than I’ve been around. The first time I remember picking up a sampler pack was probably my junior-ish year of college when I could finally go buy my own beer. Prior to that I pretty much just drank whatever someone else was kind enough to have picked up for me.* Back in those afternoon-sun-drenched days of yore, Magic Hat was my microbrewery of choice. To the best of my recollection my first sampler consisted of Magic Hat #9 (an apricot pale ale), Circus Boy (a hef), Blind Faith (an East Coast IPA), and some seasonal or limited-edition brew to spice things up. Though Magic Hat has lost some of its luster these days, those sampler packs were a big part of my introduction to the differences between beer styles. Read the rest of this entry »
April 30, I attended Three Floyds Dark Lord Day for the first time, after spending a few years missing out on tickets to the Midwest’s most sought-after beer release party.
I assume that because you’re here at Aleheads, you probably know what I’m talking about, but in the off-chance that you don’t, I’ll provide the Idiot’s Cliffs Notes Guide for Dummies on the day:
1. It is the once-a-year, one-day release of Three Floyd’s most prestigious and rare beer, Dark Lord Imperial Russian Stout.
2. One needs a ticket to buy the beer, and for the first time this year, tickets were also required to attend, due to the incredible flocks of people who have descended on the Three Floyds brewpub in recent years for the event.
3. The day has become a huge beer festival where people from around the country bring brews to sample and trade with other beer fans.
After some thoroughly absurd debate, Senate Bill 192 (the Brewery Modernization Act) passed the House in the Alabama legislature just moments ago. The bill allows breweries to have taprooms on premises and for brewpubs to sell beer off-premises (through a licensed distributor). It’s another step towards craft beer freedom in Alabama and we have Free the Hops to thank for the bill’s passage.
Posted by Barley McHops 
