Just for fun

It’s a competition that starts with a “Purification,” includes a “Sacrifice,” “Beheading” and “Judgment; and for Las Vegas bartender Greg Black, it ended with a “Championship.” A bartender since 1997, Black, best mastered the nine-step Belgian beer pouring ritual Tuesday night to win the Stella Artois Draught Master Competition held at Lavo Nightclub.

Black will now represent the U.S. against more than 30 other countries at the World Draught Master Competition in Leuven, Belgium this October.

“Cracking open a can or popping the cap off a bottle is easy, but preparing a beer following the strict standards of the Belgian Pouring Ritual takes a lot more care and attention to detail,” said Black. “At the Draught Master Competition you know every step of the pouring ritual will be highly scrutinized. To be named champion and able to represent the U.S. in Belgium is incredible.”

The Draught Master Competition recognizes the best bartenders for their ability to adhere to the Belgian Pouring Ritual – a nine-step process that includes “purifying” the glassware; “sacrificing” the first beer poured and “beheading” the beer for the perfect head of foam. The timed competition took place in front of a panel of four judges as well as a large audience of consumers and industry experts.

Judges graded the competitors on their ability to pour a perfect glass of Stella Artois and Hoegaarden from draught. Competitors also were judged on how well they opened, poured and served bottles of Stella Artois, Hoegaarden and Leffe Blonde. Judges were looking for the perfect pour as well as a showcase of skills, style and personality.

“The Belgians have mastered the art of the perfect pour, which not only ensures the utmost enjoyment of the beer, but also showcases the pouring process itself,” said competition judge Cian Hickey, vice president of draught, Anheuser-Busch InBev. “The pouring skills on display in Las Vegas Tuesday were near perfection and would make any Belgian beer drinker proud. The strong competition also will prepare the U.S. champion to take on the best from around the globe at the World Draught Master finals.”

In 2008, U.S. champion Anthony Alba finished fourth in the World Draught Master finals. It was the highest finish for an American since 2005 when Jessica Waltz took first.

If you love beer and do any amount of traveling by plane, you’ll be happy to know that Cheapflights.com has just published a guide to beer at airports available for free as a pdf.

The guide includes a look at sixteen U.S. airports, including most of the major one. The guide tells you what type of beer you can find along with the exact terminal and/or concourse where it’s located.

Sunny skies and mild temperatures set the mood for the 13th annual Holiday Ale Festival in Portland, Oregon, which witnessed attendance consistent with the year prior: final numbers reached 17,000. The West Coast’s most prestigious winter beer festival took place Dec. 3 through Dec. 7 at Pioneer Courthouse Square.

Organizers added a fifth day to the event this year, which was well-received by the public. According to event manager Preston Weesner, the goal was to have 500 attend on opening day: more than 1,000 turned up, many to sample an additional eight special beers that weren’t available the rest of the weekend. A new annex with a third bar was also deemed a success, as it helped to alleviate the crowds in the main tent.

The Belgian Beer and Brunch, an auxiliary event held on the Sunday of the festival, sold out, with more than 80 people sampling prestigious beers and noshing on pastries, meats and cheeses.

The Holiday Ale Festival presented more than 50 robust winter craft beers on draught, all of which were either created for the event, or were rare or vintage beers not readily available in the state. These winter warmers were all designed to ward off the chill of winter and warm both the palate and soul. Complex in aroma and flavor, these beers were rich in color, big in body, and high in alcohol.

The People’s Choice winner, which was determined by the beer that went through the most kegs, was Collaborator’s Hallucinator Olde Ale, followed by the Holiday Ale Festival/Hair of the Dog Commemorative Blend Jim II.

Festival attendees stayed warm and dry under a large clear-topped tent that covered the venue while allowing for views of the city lights. Gas heaters created a cozy ambiance under the boughs of the city’s Christmas tree.

In addition to beer tasting, the Holiday Ale Festival also featured on-site food from Rogue Ales, event merchandise, complimentary Crater Lake Sodas for designated drivers, organic cheese pairings, mead sampling, and seasonal background music.

Next year’s Holiday Ale Festival will take place Dec. 2 through 6, 2009. For more information about the Holiday Ale Festival, visit www.holidayale.com.

Photographs courtesy of Bonne Bandolas.

Big O and Dukes, a radio show on 106.7 WJFK in Washington, DC interviewed Jim Koch, founder of Boston Beer Co., earlier today. You can listen to the interview clicking on the play arrow below.

Wanted: 21-year-old, 75-year-old to Lead Repeal of Prohibition March

21st Amendment Brewery is offering a $75 bounty for a San Franisco Bay Area resident turning 75 on December 5, which is the 75th Anniversary of the repeal of prohibition. In addition, they are offering a $25 bounty for someone turning 21 on the same day. The birthday boy(s)/girl(s) will lead a We Want Beer! March on Friday afternoon, Dec. 5, at 4:00 p.m.

“The Repeal of Prohibition is near and dear to our hearts,” said Shaun O’Sullivan, Chief Hop Head for The 21A. “We don’t usually need an excuse for a party, but this is such a good one that we’re having a parade, too.”

Local residents with a 21st or 75th birthday on December 5, or who know someone with a 21st or 75th birthday on December 5, are asked to contact 21A at prohibitionbirthday@gmail.com. 21st Amendment is offering a bounty for the first person who introduces them to each Grand Marshal. Grand Marshals can claim the bounty by introducing themselves. Full instructions for claiming the bounty are posted on 21st Amendment’s blog.

The We Want Beer! March will begin at 4:00 p.m. at Justin Herman Plaza (1 Market St, at Embarcadero) and end at 21st Amendment Brewery, located at 563 2nd Street, San Francisco. The pub will be transformed into a prohibition-ending celebration, complete with a speakeasy in the mezzanine that will require a password to enter.

“We’ll share the password with the Grand Marshals, but everyone else will have to find the password themselves,” said O’Sullivan. Password retrieval instructions will be distributed Dec. 1 via Twitter and the 21st Amendment blog.

Potential Grand Marshals must be able to provide proof of their December 5, 1987 or December 5, 1933 birthday, and they’ll need to provide their own transportation to the march. “But we’ll help them get home safely after the party,” he said.

Senator Barack Obama holds a commanding lead over Senator John McCain – 10,238 votes (55 percent) to 8,411 votes (45 percent), as of October 21 — in The Flying Saucer Draught Emporium’s 2008 Presidential Election Poll.

The Texas-based restaurant chain kicked off its poll in early September, and polling lasts until election night, Tuesday, Nov. 4. Customers can “vote” for their favorite candidate by purchasing special pint glasses for $5. Votes are tallied and updated at the end of each day, and customers can vote as many times as they like.

“People often discuss politics over a beer, so what better way to get in the spirit of the election than to combine the two – and get to vote for your candidate as many times as you like!” said Shannon Wynne, owner of The Flying Saucer. “Senator Obama leads overall and in the majority of our markets, but Senator McCain does lead in a few. The Flying Saucer is present in several battleground states, so it’s pretty interesting when you look at the breakdown of votes.”

The Flying Saucer is hosting the 2008 poll at all of its 13 locations in six states, which include Dallas, Austin, Fort Worth, Houston and San Antonio, Texas; Kansas City, Mo.; Little Rock, Ark.; Cordova, Memphis and Nashville, Tenn.; Charlotte and Raleigh, N.C.; and Columbia, S.C. Polling data for each location is listed, and appears to updated daily, along with a running total.

The Flying Saucer’s first poll, held in 2004, accurately predicted that incumbent president George W. Bush would defeat Senator John Kerry. For up-to-date poll results on this year’s polling, visit Flying Saucer’s website.