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Newport, Oregon, has gone to the dogs

Posted in Beer culture, Just for fun on   

Banjo and MaggieWe recently attended the 2nd Annual Brewer’s Memorial Ale Fest in Newport Oregon and it was a howl.

Brewer’s Memorial Ale Fest honors the memory of Rogue icon Brewer the Brewdawg. This festival was something new for me because, though I’ve seen dogs at other beer festivals, I’d never been to a festival that so many dogs were expected to attend or brought my own along. My wife Bonne (official photographer) and I were a little nervous entering the Ale Fest. Our dog, Maggie the Golden Retriever, is very friendly and easy-going but this was going to be a new and intense dog-experience for all of us, we took a deep breath and crossed the threshold into a whole new kind of beer festival.

Why have a beer festival for a dog, you ask? Besides the obvious answer of “Who needs a reason to have a great beer fest?” (I’m serious, who needs a reason! I want names, people!) Brewer the Brewdawg was not your average canine. Born and raised in the brewery, this beer and business savvy Black Lab ruled the brewery and thru dedication, hard work, and sucking up to his master, Brewmaster John Maier, he eventually rose to the rank of CEO of Rogue Ales. (really!)

In May of 2006, at the ripe old age of 13 years, Brewer passed away. To commemorate his life Rogue Ales decided to do the thing they do best, put on a kick-ass microbrew festival for dogs and nobody would have enjoyed the special event more than Brewer. In Brewer’s honor Rogue Brewery and opens its doors to dogs of all shapes and sizes and their human caretakers for two full days of fun, food, and music. (The festival benefits the Oregon Coast Therapy Animals and the Central Oregon Coast Humane Society.)

As I said, I was a little apprehensive because our dog, hadn’t been exposed to this kind intense dogdom before, and there were dogs EVERYWHERE, but our fears turned out to be totally unwarranted. I’ve never seen so many nice dogs. It was as if they knew the festival was for them and they were all on their best behavior. I didn’t hear a cross bark or malevolent snarl the entire weekend.

The festival featured lots of dog activities and we thoroughly enjoyed watching the Doggy Olympic events, Doggy Dancing, and of course we got our dog washed. Oh yeah! There was a pretty good selection of craft beer there too, many of which were specially brewed to honor the fest and the brewer’s own dogs. A few of those beers were…Laurelwood’s ShihZuu Brown, Boulder Brewing’s Mojo IPA, Steelhead’s Wiley RyePA, Astoria Brewing Company’s Bitter Bitch Imperial IPA, Calapooia’s River Dog ESB, Block 15’s Ridgeback Red, Ninkasi’s Oatis Oatmeal Stout, and last but not least Brewer’s Ale by Rogue. Note: This was the second year for Brewer’s Ale a seasonal single batch release and Rogue debuted a 750ml ceramic Brewer’s Ale bottle.

Though an Ale Fest in name, the event had a completely different feel from your typical beer festival. There was a closeness and camaraderie between strangers. How often have you felt isolated in a beer fest crowd because you didn’t know the people around you and you were too shy to say hello? The dogs broke down those walls. I couldn’t walk anywhere without people and dogs reaching out in friendship to greet my dog Maggie and I and there was an overwhelming sense of community. For a beer fest there seemed to be very little discussion of beer, it was more about the dogs and we all delighted in the beautiful Oregon day with the four footed friends we love so much.

I was interviewed by Ted Fouke who was shooting video of the festival for Purina, he asked me the question, “why do beer and dogs mix so well?” I don’t remember my answer; in fact I think I said something stupid like “Uh … they just do.”

Upon reflection, of course it’s always easier to come up with a snappy comeback after you’ve allowed it to peculate in your brain a bit, I’d have to say the reason they go together so well is dogs and beer affect us in similar ways. I’m sure I can find lots of correlations but I’ll just give you one. Petting a dog and sipping a fine beer have the same effect on the human psyche, it slows the world down and allows you to lean back and enjoy the moment. Brewers Memorial Ale Fest just became an annual outing for this family, see you there next year.

An album of photos from the 2nd Annual Brewer’s Memorial Ale Fest can be found on at Brewer’s Memorial Ale Fest 2008.

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San Diego beer culture alive and well

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by Banjo Bandolas

San Diego pint Having previously lived in California’s second largest city I tend to look behind the Chamber of Commerce’s curtain of descriptive verse that refers to San Diego as a place ”Where blue skies keep watch on 70 miles of beaches and a gentle Mediterranean climate begs for a day of everything and nothing.”

What comes to mind when you think of San Diego? Is it the Sunny Beaches, Balboa Park, Sea World, the Zoo? For me it’s the sons-of-beeches you fight on the highway as you try to make it from place to place. I’d pretty much given up on enjoying myself in a town that had long ago outgrown the image of a Mediterranean paradise promised by the department of tourism. At least that was my opinion until the gem of California’s south coast started building a world class beer culture. Now each time I return something new and fresh is happening.

San Diego’s beer culture is a diverse collection of breweries, sewn a together like a modern day Frankenstein monster, and infused with high voltage, premium quality, brew. And just in case there is any doubt in your mind, “IT IS ALIVE!”

With over 30 craft breweries in San Diego County alone to draw from and countless pubs and taverns expanding their tap selections to offer craft beer, the San Diego beer community is strong and growing.

Even though I was pretty busy with the Craft Brewers Convention and World Beer Cup in Mission Valley, I did manage to get around to doing a couple things that always seemed to fall off my list. Some high points.

The Chula Vista area down in the South Bay, less than 10 miles from the US/Mexico border (Chulajuana to those of us who lived there), was more or less a fizzy yellow beer wasteland in the past. The area had grown exponentially over the last 5 years so while visiting family I decided to update myself on the local beer scene. I found two interesting spots to check out. The first place I went to was the Chula Vista Brewery, which is an enigma wrapped in a mystery because there is no brewery on premise, in fact they don’t even make beer, in fact, I don’t think they’ve ever even been to a brewery otherwise they wouldn’t ever have included the descriptive word “brewery” in the name of the establishment. I’m sure I’m not the only poor schlub in search of decent brew to enter the Chula Vista Brewery “Pizza Parlor” and leave with a bad taste in his mouth.

The Brew House After leaving that place whose name I will never utter in print or otherwise again, I was tempted to abandon the search, but the distance was short and I had time to kill so I turned toward Otay Lakes and the other location on my list. The Brew House at Eastlake.

The only thing that could have made my arrival at The Brew House more heart lifting would have been the swell of triumphant background music as I stood, mouth agape, in front this beautiful example of a brewpub done right. Pride in ownership beamed from the facility and I noticed the names of the owners displayed in the window to the left of the door as I entered.

Owner Doug Chase treated me to the best fish taco’s I’d had in years and samples of six of the seven beers they make. All were delicious examples of the craft and a couple, like the Palomar Pale Ale, and Otay Lakes Oatmeal Stout were outstanding and worth sending to the Great American Beer Fest for judging in my opinion. The Brew House in Eastlake is not the easiest place to find, but its well worth the effort and your taste buds will thank you. www.brewhouseeastlake.com

My next little trip took me to Point Loma and the Ballast Point Brewery on Linda Vista Rd., yes it is a homebrew shop with a 15 bbl brew house in the back and not too fancy in any way . . . but the beers, oh the beers are diverse and exxxxxxcellent, just plan to drink them standing up. My favorites were the Navigator Dopple Bock, and the Black Marlin Porter. Ballast Point also has a brewing and bottling facility in their new Scripps Ranch location so watch for their brew where you buy beer, but the Point Loma location is the place to go a-tasting because you never know what kinda strange wonderful brew they’ll have on tap. www.ballastpoint.com

Stone Brewing Last but not least I finally got over to the Stone Brewing facility in nearby Escondido. I heard reports about and seen pictures of the new brewery/restaurant/existential experience but kind of wrote them off as “eh…a brewery is a brewery.” I couldn’t have been more wrong. Words fail me. The facility has to be experienced with all your senses to be appreciated and I recommend anyone who loves beer and a truly unique restaurant experience to make the pilgrimage to Stone Brewing Co. when you are in the area. www.stonebrew.com

New and Interesting news

NEW – San Francisco’s famous Toronado has seen the writing on the wall and is opening a location in the North Park area on 4026 30th Street, grand opening set for May 24th, 2008. Check website www.toronadosd.com for updates.

INTERESTING – Brewery Tours of San Diego “Transportation for a beer education” www.brewerytoursofsandiego.com. Put a group together and map out your own tour or take one of the three specially developed tours like Thank God its Friday Tour, Not So Sober Saturday Tour, or the Sunday Funday Tour. I can’t think of a better way to spend the day.

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FredFest includes special online beer auction

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FredFest gets bigger this year, with an extraordinary charity beer auction planned in conjunction with the annual party in Portland, Ore., to celebrate the birthday of Fred Eckhardt. This year’s event includes the first-ever FredFest Online Beer Auction.

From the press release:

The auction starts at 3 p.m. PDT Friday, May 9 and begins to wrap up at 3 p.m. PDT Sunday, May 11. The auction is designed to run concurrently with FredFest 2008 — a celebration of the 82nd birthday of Fred Eckhardt, the Dean of American Beer Writers, which is taking place May 10 at Hair of the Dog Brewing Co., in Portland.

“FredFest started as a surprise 80th birthday party for Fred, but is coming back around in its third year as a fundraiser in the memory of fellow beer scribe and friend, Michael Jackson,” said FredFest co-organizer Lisa Morrison.

Each year, Eckhardt is asked to choose a charity for FredFest. This year, he chose Parkinson’s Resources of Oregon, a local affiliate of the National Parkinson Foundation. Jackson had been battling complications from Parkinson’s disease when he died last summer.

The first-ever FredFest online auction was the brainchild of Hair of the Dog owner Alan Sprints, Ben Love of Hopworks Urban Brewery and Matt Maples of Liquid Solutions bottle shop.

Here is a sampling of some of the lots up for auction:

-Hair of the Dog Dave 1994 (375 ml)
-Hair of the Dog Adam #1 1994 (12 oz.)
-Full Sail Old Boardhead Vertical: 1998 & 1999 (12 oz.), 2001-2007 (22 oz.)
-Pike Old Bawdy Vertical: 1996-1998, 2006-2007 (12 oz).
-AleSmith: Old Numbskull (750 ml), Grand Cru (750 ml), Horney Devil (750 ml)
-Lost Abbey: Older Viscosity (375 ml) Angel’s Share (375 ml), Lost and Found (750 ml)
-Rodenbach Alexander 1991 (330 ml) and Rochefort 10 1999 (330 ml)
-Westvleteren 12 1997 (11.2 oz.)
-Anchor Brewing Commemorative Michael Jackson’s 60th Birthday Beer (1.5 L)

Other breweries included in the auction are Avery, Midnight Sun, J.W. Lees, Big Time, Fish Tale and more.

An entire list of auction items and more details can be found at: www.liquidsolutions.blogspot.com.

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Another vote on specialty beer in Alabama

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The vote on Alabama’s “Gourmet Beer” bill could come as early as tomorrow.

“Free The Hops” is asking for your help: “Because the Gourmet Beer Bill has already passed the State House of Representatives, this is the final step before sending this bill to the Governor. It’s very close, so please contact your senator to express your support.”

When this bill was debated in the House, many legislators spoke of the dozens of phone calls they received from their constituents. Your phone calls and emails really do make a difference and is one of the primary reasons we passed in the House. Let’s do this again!

When you call your senator’s office, you’ll likely speak to a secretary who will only be interested in knowing the bill number and your position. Here’s an example of what to say if you’re not sure:

“My name is (your name) and I’m calling to let Senator (senator name) know that I support HB196, The Gourmet Beer Bill. I would like him/her to vote Yes on this bill. Thank you for your time. Have a pleasant day.”

Visit Free The Hops for details.

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Outside magazine calls New Belgium best place to work

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Outside magazine has tabbed New Belgium No. 1 on its initial “Best Places to Work” list.

New Belgium Brewing is tops among companies with 250 or more employees. The full list and related stories is published in the May issue of Outside magazine, now available on newsstands.

“It’s a tremendous honor to be recognized as a company where people love what they do and truly enjoy coming to work,” said Bryan Simpson, media relations director for New Belgium Brewing. “One of New Belgium’s core values is having fun, and that’s actually a very important and fulfilling piece of our culture.”

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The meaning of ‘Beer is Back’

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Start with the radio address of August Busch Jr.:

Busch delivered his speech April 7, 1933. Anheuser-Busch and many smaller brewers have in recent years celebrated the day the Cullen-Harrison Act took effect, legalizing the sale of 3.2% alcohol by volume beer in the District of Columbia and the 20 states in which state laws did not prohibit its sale. (The national repeal of Prohibition for all forms of alcohol, begun in 1919, did not become finalized until Dec. 5)

This year it’s a bigger deal, given that it’s the 75th anniversary. The Brewers Association, Beer Institute and the National Beer Wholesalers Association have partnered for a special “75 Years of Beer” celebration. You’ll find a list of breweries celebrating at Beertown.org.

Nobody is doing it bigger than Anheuser-Busch. The nation’s largest brewing company will celebrate the anniversary at its St. Louis brewery with with a gathering commemorating the events of April 7, 1933, including the introduction of the Budweiser Clydesdales and the re-broadcast of August A. Busch, Jr.’s national radio address from the steps of the Budweiser brewery’s Bevo bottling plant (the video above).

Budweiser bound for the White HouseA new historical exhibit at A-B’s St. Louis tour center, including more than 50 rare Prohibition-era items, is now open to the public. Artifacts on display include photos, bottles and advertisements for Prohibition-period products, as well as a video tribute to the events of April 7, 1933.

(In the photo to the left, Adolphus Busch III, August A. Busch, Sr. and August A. Busch, Jr. display a case of Budweiser labeled for delivery to The White House.)

Budweiser bound for the White HouseThe company has sent out a press kit that includes a time line tracking Prohibition — a reminder how far its roots go back — detailing how the business survived during Prohibition (selling malt syrup among other things), analyzing the economic impact and plenty more. Much of the information can be found here, including how the Clydesdales became associated with Anheuser-Busch.

An A-B press release reports: “As the clock atop the brewhouse showed one minute past midnight on April 7, 1933, sirens and steam whistles sounded, the large wooden doors of the brewery’s Bevo bottling plant opened to the cheers of the thirsty, and 55 trucks laden with America’s favorite brew rolled out into the night, delivering the first cases of post-Prohibition Budweiser to the masses.”

Of course, the assembled weren’t just celebrating the return of beer. With beer came jobs. Just before beer was re-legalized in 1933, Anheuser-Busch employed 1,960 people. Upon repeal, A-B added 1,700 employees to the payroll and by 1938, A-B employment was up to 4,325 employees.

A good reason to toast with a beer April 7 (as well as the 4th, 5th, 6th, 8th, 9th . . .).

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Joe Sixpack’s Philly Beer Guide released

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Philly Beer GuideEven though Philly Beer Week has ended, Philadelphia continues to celebrate beer on a daily basis, and beer writer Don Russell has written a guide to drinking in his hometown. “Joe Sixpack’s Philly Beer Guide: A Reporter’s Notes on the Best Beer-Drinking City in America” cites more than 300 places and is thick with maps and photos.

“Philadelphia is unmatched as a beer town,” Russell said for a press release. “The fact that our bars are woven into the fabric of each neighborhood makes it a world class beer city.”

The book has already earned enthusiastic endorsements. “. . . useful information bulges out of this book,” Lew Bryson writes as Seen Through a Glass.

“Useful information for the beer drinker, that is. Don’t come here looking for much else: Don’s total focus is admirable. There are beer bar walking tours (excellent, with maps), lists of the local breweries, Philly beer and bar history, take-out tips (absolutely necessary in Pennsylvania, a very useful guide to the beers you’re most likely to find here (that would be everything), even a welcome chapter on where to find your favorite beer-linked “Amusements” — darts, pool, shuffleboard, good jukes — but don’t expect to find much in the way of filler on what to go see in Philly. This is about finding your way through the gloriously rich jungle of beer that is Philadelphia.”

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Beer taps: ‘Behold, a new form of art’

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The Seattle Times asks, “Does the tap handle tell you anything about what the beer tastes like? Or what’s in it? What the alcohol content is?”

Perhaps not, but tap handles are hot and this story profiles Renton-based Taphandles Inc., one of the country’s largest producers, which expects to ship half a million tap handles this year, mostly to American and Canadian brewers. It employs four designers at its Renton office who spend their days dreaming up designs to be made at its production facility in Guangdong province, China.

They can get a little crazy.

Some bartenders also think brewers might be going overboard. One tap handle for Maudite, a Belgian strong dark ale brewed in Quebec with a logo featuring a smug-looking devil, actually lit up when pulled. Another brewer offered an illuminated, working clock. “That was a little excessive,” says Ian Roberts of Brouwer’s Cafe in Fremont. “But think about it — it was the one lit handle on the entire bar.”

There is, of course, a bottom line. Notes one bartender: “Any attention-grabbing you can do is good. But if your beer’s no good, nobody’s gonna give you a second look.”

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KLCC Brewfest fieldtrip report

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KLCC BrewfestBy Banjo Bandolas

A combination of bass and brass flooded the room as I entered Eugene’s KLCC Brewfest. Classic R&B from local UofO student band “The Essentials” played to the crowd who leaned more towards 40-somethings like me than beer guzzling 20-somethings. I found myself singing along to almost every song as I perused the program and checked my “must haves.”

When KLCC took the fest over in 2001 they had about 20 breweries…this year it was up to 48.The festival, KLCC’s biggest fund raiser of the year, is in its seventh year, and 2008 attendance is expected to top 3,700 people. (Thank god I got here early!)

The KLCC brewfest isn’t really very big as brewfests go, but Eugene, Oregon isn’t real big as cities go, so it’s size-appropriate. Attracting 48 breweries to our little berg is an indication of how strong the beer community is here. The breweries (half of which were from the Northwest) were a cross section of the big players in the craft brew scene, Widmer, Rogue, Lagunitas, Dogfish Head, Deschutes, as well as up and coming envelope pushers like Cascade, Ninkasi and Hopworks Urban.

Oregon beer gear was heavily represented on the attendees. Rogue Dead Guy Ale being the most popular T-shirt in the crowd, I gave up counting at 50.

I’d brought along my designated driver/wife Bonne, so I planned to enjoy a full lineup of craft brew. I figured a good place to start would be the festival’s collaboration brew. All five local Eugene breweries (Eugene City, Ninkasi, High Street, Steelhead, and Willamette) used the same base recipe and yeast (along with their own personal twists) to create a Bavarian Dunkelweisen.
A Dunkelweisen’s is a wheat beer, similar to a Hefeweizen, except it’s brewed to be darker (Dunkel = Dark). Most are brown and murky (from the yeast).

KLCC Brewfest

I quickly worked my way through all five (hey no lines yet!). They were all soft, bready, and smooth with small nuances that set them apart from each other, but none seemed remarkable. I guess this is what it’s like to be a beer judge. Maybe it was me, I’d just returned from the Rogue Imperial Red launch in Newport and my palate may have been suffering from the Impact of a lot of big beer.

“Okay, if that’s the case,” I thought as I made a beeline for the Deschutes table, “there’s no reason not to go right to the big guns.”

The Abyss is the second of the Deschutes Brewery’s Reserve Series launched last year with oak-aged Mirror Mirror. The Abyss is a Russian Imperial Stout aged in French oak bourbon casks and packing a whopping 11%abv. If I couldn’t taste it, all was lost. The pour was BLACK topped by a nice, well laced, tan head. The nose wasn’t what I expected, very light aroma with sweet notes of chocolate, smoke, and cherry. The flavor was strong. Bittersweet chocolate, molasses, spicy hops, coffee, and the slight burn of alcohol. Nice dry finish. Wow!

Obviously my taster was in working order so I moved on to the next beer on my list a couple tables away, Lagunitas Hop Stoopid. I love the fun themes Lagunitas uses in their marketing. This beer reminded me of the Frank Zappa IPAs, with little dryer finish. It’s a good sweet beer with lots of fruit at the entry balanced by a bitter finish. A very drinkable big session ale.

The band was really rolling now; did I mention it was a ten piece band with a brass section and everything? They were playing every song I’d ever danced to when I was young and I felt myself swaying to the beat as I moved from table to table. Looking around I noticed I wasn’t alone in enjoying the tunes and the open area in front of the band was filled with gyrating baby boomers.

One of my favorite Steelhead beers is Hopasaurus Rex, a recipe developed by brewer Jamie Floyd who now owns Ninkasi Brewery. So I had to try his Ninkasi Tricerahops Double IPA. The pour was a dark apricot with a soapy white head. Strong hops with citrus nose. Big hop flavor balanced well with the malt. Smooooooooth! Jamie’s double IPA is something even a non-hophead could enjoy.

I was starting to feel the impact of my selections so I decided to check out the LP, tape, and CD music sale in the corner. Cheap prices on hundreds of artists I’d never heard of. A friend came over and shared her Eugene City “100 Meter Ale, which is an anniversary brew celebrating the 100th batch of beer by Eugene native, Trevor Howard. Trevor combined two of his award winning recipes, Natty Red and Track Town IPA to create an ale he claims is the best of both. Nice floral aroma with slight fruit notes, definitely India style. Dark red with a tan head. Oh man, this is nice! The hoppiness of an IPA paired with the smoothness of red ale.

KLCC BrewfestThe hall was beginning to get kinda crowded and loud, time to finish my list and move on out. Hopworks Organic HUB Lager was a nice change after all the heavy beers I’d had. The beer pours a beautiful clear golden color with a tall white head. Crisp hop nose, spicy and floral, a great pilsner.

I attributed the long line at Lost Coast brewery’s table to its cult-like status with many beer enthusiasts and a taste of Downtown Brown was worth the wait. Lost Coast Downtown Brown pours a clear dark reddish brown. The taste is chocolaty with berry fruit notes and a mild hop finish. Love it!

I saved my last taste for Pelican Brewery where my buddy Darron Welch is brewmaster. MacPelicans Wee Heavy Ale – a Wee Heavy” Strong Scotch Ale. This ale is a batch of MacPelican’s Scottish Ale brewed with half the water and twice the boiling time, creating a massive malty flavored beer with a deep red color. The nose is rich caramel, cocoa, and fruit. The taste is sweet with a slightly dry finish. Dangerously drinkable at 8%a bv and a sweet relief after an evening of powerfully complex beer. And I’m done! (in more ways than one! Thank god I’ve got a Designated Driver)

What did I think of the KLCC Brewfest? Good tunes, great brews, and low impact crowds. What’s not to like?

KLCC BREWFEST PEOPLE’S CHOICE WINNERS
1st Place: Lagunitas – Hop Stoopid
2nd Place: Willamette – Espresso Stout
3rd Place: Ninkasi – Tricerahops Double IPA


KLCC Homebrew competition winners.

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Beatles artist creates beer label

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The man who created the Sgt. Pepper album cover has designed a beer bottle label to celebrate Liverpool’s Capital of Culture year.

Peter Blake’s creation features a Union Jack with his signature, and is featured on Cains’ Best of British lager bottles.

Cains Beer plans to produce 250,000 bottles.

Sir Peter said: “Cains wanted a bottle that would encapsulate the ‘Best of British’ activity and provide a fitting tribute to Liverpool during its Capital of Culture year,” Blake said.

The specially-labeled bottles will be available until December &#151 including at the Tate Britain and the Tate Modern galleries.

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Falconer brewing scholarship applications are open

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Applications are now being accepted for Falconer Foundation Brewing Scholarships.

In co-sponsorship with the Seibel Institute of Technology, the foundation offers two full-tuition brewing education scholarships in 2008.
One scholarship is for the World Brewing Academy Concise Course in Brewing Technology held at the Siebel Institute in Chicago in October/November 2008. The Concise Course in Brewing Technology is a two-week intensive program that covers every topic critical to successful brewery operations. The program is designed for brewers pursuing a wider knowledge of professional brewing standards and techniques in order to advance their brewing careers as well as individuals planning to enter the brewing industry.

The second scholarship allows candidates to apply for one of three two-week modules from the International Diploma in Brewing Technology Program held at Siebel’s Chicago campus in September/October 2008. This specialty brewing scholarship is intended for those brewers who seek an in-depth understanding of a specific brewing discipline. Candidates must designate which module they wish to attend.

Applicants must be from the Pacific Northwest (including Alaska and Hawaii) and Northern California regions (San Francisco Bay/Monterey Bay areas and north). Each scholarship includes a $750 stipend to help offset travel and lodging expenses.

For more details and information on how to apply, visit the Siebel Institute website.

The Glen Hay Falconer Foundation was formed to celebrate the life of Glen Falconer, an innovative and creative local brewer well known throughout the brewing industry. Falconer died in a tragic accident in 2002.

The Foundation’s cornerstone event is the annual Sasquatch Brew Fest.

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Hundreds of new recipes for the Super Bowl

Posted in Beer & Food, Beer culture on   

Great Food Great BeerIt would seem you might measure the history of how Americans perceive the relationship between beer and food, and thus the status of beer itself, based on the covers of beer cookbooks. And perhaps the photos inside.

Witness the progression of covers for what we call “beer cookbooks.” Bob Skilnik writes in Beer & Food that breweries of the early post-World War II took a disjointed approach to putting beer and food together in consumers’ minds. Storz Brewing in Nebraska was unique, long publishing booklets and eventually a hardcover cookbook in 1956 that was jammed with recipes.

The cover of that book, however, featured unplucked game birds hanging upside down and awaiting attention. Few photos accompanied the recipes themselves. By 1983 Anheuser-Busch did a little better with The Official Budweiser Cookbook, an 80-page collection of recipes on medium paper stock with nearly 20 full-page color photos. But, like the cover featuring Potato-Kielbasa Salad and Beer Rye Bread, most were hearty “down-to-earth” dishes.

Great Food Great BeerCompare that to the recently released Great Food Great Beer: The Anheuser-Busch Cookbook, 300 glossy pages thick with luscious photos filling every other page. Pure food porn. The one on the left features Roast Red Peppers with Garlic and Garlic-Stuff Mushrooms (recipes below).

The 1983 cookbook opened with a quick history of Anheuser-Busch and just the briefest primer on how beer is brewed. Great Food Great Beer begins with a bit more history, goes even lighter on the beer making and instead gives a dozen pages to the aesthetics of beer &#151 such as pairing food with beer, pouring beer, glassware, and menus for entertaining. Each recipe includes a suggested beer pairing, always suggesting a beer A-B brews or distributes as well as style — for independent souls who might go their own way.

As one review of the book noted, “with the Clydesdales now pulling the bandwagon for beer-and-food pairing, the concept is likely to get a much wider airing.”

The beer-and-food education, in case you were wondering, is not as extensive as in the first half of Lucy Saunders’ The Best of American Beer & Food, nor are the recipes introduced with the extra bit of information that emphasize the artisanship at the core of her book.

The recipes also do not appear quite as challenging or perhaps as wide-ranging as in Saunders’ book, but we’re not talking meat and potatoes or “Fried Pheasant al la Storz” (to choose one from the 1956 book). Recipes such as Grilled Snapper Packets or Leek and Chanterelle would even impress a wine drinker.

Available in clubhouse stores and online before Christmas, Great Good Great Beer hit bookstore shelves this month. Just in time for the Super Bowl.

Roasted Red Peppers with Garlic

8 red bell peppers
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 teaspoon kosher or sea salt
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Fresh flat-leaf parsley

1. Preheat the broiler. Place the bell peppers on a baking sheet and broil 4 to 5 inches from the heat source until the skins are blackened and blistered all over, turning as needed, about 8 minutes. Transfer to a paper or plastic bag and close tightly. Let stand for 10 minutes (the steam will loosen the skins).

2. Meanwhile, on a cutting board, using the flat side of a chef’s knife, mash the garlic with the salt, then transfer to a small bowl. Add the olive oil and pepper, stirring well to blend.

3. Peel, stem, and seed the roasted peppers and cut lengthwise into strips 3/4 inch wide. Arrange the pepper strips on a platter and drizzle with the garlic oil, scraping it out of the bowl to get all the garlic. Garnish with the parsley and serve warm or at room temperature.

Cook’s Tip: Roasting intensifies the flavors of vegetables, and red peppers are no exception. You can roast the peppers in the oven or on the grill. You can prepare these peppers up to a day ahead, then cover and refrigerate. Let them come to room temperature and drain off any excess liquid before serving. Be sure to use very fresh garlic, as old garlic will taste bitter and strong.

Makes 6 to 8 servings

Garlic-Stuffed Mushrooms

2 heads garlic, cloves separated and peeled
1 cup heavy cream
1 cup panko (Japanese bread crumbs; see Cook’s Tip) or plain dried bread crumbs
1 teaspoon salt
24 large button or cremini mushrooms, stemmed
2 teaspoons olive oil
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1. In a small saucepan, combine the garlic and cream over low heat. Slowly cook until the garlic is soft enough to mash with a spoon, about 45 minutes. (The cream will be reduced and thick.) Remove from the heat and mash the garlic into the cream with a fork, making a rough purée. Stir in the panko and salt, mixing thoroughly.

2. Preheat the oven to 450°F. Lay the mushroom caps, top side down, on a lightly oiled baking sheet. Brush the edges with the olive oil and fill the centers with the garlic mixture.

3. Bake until starting to brown, about 15 minutes. Remove from the oven and let stand for 5 to 10 minutes. Transfer the mushrooms to plates or a platter, discarding any released liquid. Sprinkle with the pepper and serve.

Cook’s Tip: The vast amount of garlic here is tempered by being slowly cooked in cream, resulting in a rich, mild garlic stuffing. Panko, or Japanese bread crumbs, is very light and crunchy. You’ll find it at Asian markets.

Makes 4 to 6 servings

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More than beer at ‘SAVOR’ May 16-17

Posted in Beer & Food, Beer culture, News on   

SAVORThe Brewers Association continues to reveal more details about “SAVOR: An American Craft Beer & Food Experience” May 16-17 In Washington, D.C.

The event will feature “educational salons.” Scheduled speakers include: Sam Calagione of Dogfish Head Craft Brewery; Jim Koch of Boston Beer; Randy Mosher, author of “Radical Brewing”; Marnie Old, Assistant Dean of Wine Studies at the French Culinary Institute; Garrett Oliver, brewmaster of The Brooklyn Brewery; and several “savvy cross drinkers” including Lauren Buzzeo, Assistant Tasting Director of Wine Enthusiast magazine; Ray Isle, Senior Editor of Food & Wine magazine; and Ken Wells, Senior Editor of Conde’ Nast Portfolio.

The BA previously announced the 48 breweries that will pour beer at SAVOR.

From the press release:

The public can enjoy three different tasting sessions scheduled May 16th and 17th at the Andrew W. Mellon Auditorium located at 1301 Constitution Avenue, N.W. in Washington D.C.

Today, American beers are judged to be among the world’s best and have earned a respected place at the table alongside wine. In fact, two-thirds of today’s wine drinkers consume beer. This past summer National Public Radio observed, “Beer has gone from the House of Commons to the House of the Lords.” Additionally, Gallup in July 2007 confirmed beer is still the most popular adult beverage in the U.S.*

To ensure attendees can interact directly with the craft brewers, each session will be limited to no more than 700 consumers. Tickets are $85 each and will include a wide variety of small dishes and appetizers crafted to match the taste profiles of craft beers, a commemorative tasting glass, souvenir program, Craft Beer Taster’s Journal, and 2-ounce samples of specially selected craft beers. Federal City Caterers, which has catered many White House functions and Congressional receptions, will orchestrate the food menu.

The event will wrap up American Craft Beer Week celebrations across the country.

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How well do you want your nose to work in a pub?

Posted in Beer culture, Just for fun on   

How did we miss this?

From the San Francisco Chronicle’s look back at 2007:

One of the first victims of Scotland’s recent ban on smoking in pubs was 35-year-old Stewart Laidlaw. In March, Laidlaw was banned from Thirsty Kirsty’s pub in Dunfermline after numerous complaints about his “excessive flatulence.”

The gaseous Scotsman admitted he’s had the problem for years, but apparently no one in the pub noticed until cigarette smoke stopped masking the stench.

Do you think drinking beer was a factor?