Google's Bees Create a Better Buzz than...Google Buzz

The Delaware-based Dogfish Head has been employed by the ultimate force...Google.  Beer and the world's most powerful search engine?  Seemingly an odd combination but it is working.  In the Spring of 2010, Google installed 4 hives that yielded over 400 pounds of honey!  Melded with ingredients from each continent, the honey and Dogfish Head produced Urkontinent.  The brewery's found and president, Sam Calagione, support this new libation stating that Google is simply doing its day job by taking "...a fractured world and put(ting) it into something cohesive and whole."  So far, reviews are responding well.  Pending a rise in sales and interest, this brew may go global!  Check out the video below to see some of the other aspects that went into this beer.  I hope to bring this G-Beer to Sunday Sips.So here's to you Google, +1 for getting beer right!

Sunday Sips: Headwaters Pale Ale

Beer Name: Headwaters Pale Ale

Brewed By/In:  Victory Brewing Company / Downingtown, PA

ABV:  5.1%

Best Served In:  Pint or Stein Glass (from tap)

Characteristics:  Beautiful copper/amber color - almost like a penny.  Head faded quickly from the tap to a small ring that sticks to the sides of the glass.  Has a hoppy smell but the taste is wonderfully citrus as it swirls in my mouth.  Great balance of "piney"-tasting hops.  Little bit of carbonation.  Great mouthfeel, did not feel too heavy for an APA.

Food-pairing:  Potato Croquette

Overall:  8.5 - Delicious!  Really enjoyed this beer today from the tap while eating at Christopher's in Wayne, PA.  I do not typically take pleasure in the Pale Ale type, but as my palate develops, I am acquiring a love for the taste more and more.  The soft carbonation keeps it feeling light and the citrus notes allow for sweet, easy drinking.

So let's a raise a glass to lunching with your parents on a Sunday.  Slainte!

(Image provided by another blog, thanks!

"It's fruit punch beer." - Kevin G

Even beer can taste just like candy.  Although we do not want this lying around for children to discover, sour beers may be a nice alternative for those who are not into the bitterness of beer.  As Nathan Berrong once stated in a CNN article, it is a "sour funkiness that is unlike any other beer imaginable."  And right he is.  The first time I had a sour beer of any kind it was in Manayunk bar with my dear friends Rosie and Michelle.  The scantily-clad server offered the special - a Dirty Hoe.  Intrigued by the name and the combination of Hoegaarden and Framboise, we ordered a round.  After clinging our glasses and gratuitously expressing our love for one another, we sipped.  The smooth, calm wheat of the Hoegaarden was energized by the tart, lip-puckering Framboise.  We loved it.  At the time, I had no idea that Framboise was even a beer.  It had that very fruity-almost-from-concentrate taste.

As Kevin G, the least beer-interested man I know, once said, "It's fruit punch beer."  He really is not that far off regarding its flavor.  The basic components remain the same: water, yeast, hops, and barley.  What alters the taste is the process itself.  Adding specific spores of yeast and aging in oak barrels produces what we see in these flamboyantly labeled bottles. Additionally the aging process can take between 6 months to 3 years, significantly longer than most beers.  What else is great about sour ales?  They can be saved.  Blending other ingredients to the batch may make a seemingly mediocre brew instead something exceptional.  Does that mean that two wrongs could make a right?  

Many breweries who produce both sour and other beers keep them separated so as not to contaminate the fermentation process of the "normal" batches.

So let's raise a glass to the fruit punch beer.  Slainte! 

PA Breweries Increase Yield!

On September 25, 2011, Harold Brubaker, Philadelphia Inquirer journalist, published this interesting piece on how the demand for craft brews continues to increase.  In response to this demand, Pennsylvania and New Jersey breweries are expanding their facilities.  Dare I say (a phrase that has continued to manifest itself since 2008), even in this economy.  Thank you to my favorite Anne Powers for sharing this article with me!

Craft brewers plan major expansions to help meet demand

Small craft brewers have defied the nation's stubborn economic slump, unable to meet growing demand despite a pullback by consumers overall.

Several brewers in Pennsylvania and New Jersey are out to fix that supply problem by building new facilities, doubling and even tripling capacity to produce lagers and ales, and adding small numbers of jobs along the way.

Flying Fish Brewing Co. in Cherry Hill has paid $750,000 in deposits on equipment for a planned move to Somerdale that will triple its maximum capacity from the current 14,000 barrels a year.

Sly Fox Brewing Co. is planning to triple its current 10,000-barrel capacity when it moves from Royersford to Pottstown next year.

And last week, Tröegs Brewing Co., now in Harrisburg, was running tests at a new brewery in Hershey, Pa., that will double its capacity from 60,000 barrels, or 1.86 million gallons, a year from 30,000 barrels right out of the gate.

Echoing other brewery managers, Gene Muller, who founded Flying Fish in 1996 and is majority owner, said: "We're beyond our capacity. We're maxed out."

In the first half of this year, sales of craft beer, made by the country's 1,740 small breweries, climbed 14 percent, compared with a 9 percent gain in the first six months of 2010, according the Brewers Association, a trade group in Boulder, Colo.

"Things are definitely popping all over the country," said Paul Gatza, director of the association, whose Great American Beer Festival in Boulder starts Thursday. More than 400 breweries, including a strong contingent from the Philadelphia region, are expected to compete for gold medals.

Over the last five years, sales of craft beer - defined as the production of brewers with capacity of less than six million barrels per year - have climbed an average of 11 percent annually, Brewers Association data show.

By contrast, total domestic beer production was flat over the same period, according to the Beer Institute, a trade group in Washington.

Despite the gains by craft beer, it constituted just under 5 percent of total production last year. Big brewers such as the companies behind Budweiser, Miller, and Coors still account for about 82 percent of U.S. volume. Imports had a 13 percent market share last year.

Ironically, as craft-beer demand has grown, some of the brand sameness that predated the craft revival has begun to creep back, at least in Philadelphia.

Just about every bar claiming beer credibility seems to have on tap Bell's Two-Hearted Ale from Michigan, Stone India Pale Ale from San Diego, and Allagash White from Portland, Maine.

But that tide of ever-wider distribution might be turning.

This year, Dogfish Head Craft Brewery Inc. in Milton, Del., which had stormed across the country, decided to pull out of Tennessee, Indiana, Wisconsin, and Rhode Island because it could not meet demand in all the markets it entered.

Other brewers have made similar moves, Gatza said.

Mike Short, president of Hunterdon Brewing Co. in Phillipsburg, N.J., which distributes Sly Fox, Tröegs, and many other craft beers in that state, said his 20-member sales force has been less aggressive than it could be because of the supply shortage.

"Ten years ago, I used to go around to the stores almost begging them to take some of this stuff in," said Short, who started his company in 1996. "Now, I sit at my desk and get calls with people yelling at me because they can't get enough."

That is especially true with seasonal beers, such as Tröegs Mad Elf Ale, a popular Belgian dark ale available only during the last three months of the year.

"People want 25 to 50 cases, and we can deliver just three to five cases per account," Short said.

The new Tröegs brewery in Hershey, where visitors will be able to buy beer in the tasting room as well as take a self-guided tour, might help boost production of Mad Elf this year but "probably not as much as our wholesalers would like," brewery manager Ed Yashinsky said.

Tröegs, which employs close to 50 people full time and plans to add six to eight employees after the move, distributes in eight Northeastern states and has no immediate plans to enter new markets.

"The reality is, I think our business is based on the idea that we want to be regional. We'd rather be deep around here than be selling beer in Nebraska or Colorado," Yashinsky said.

Sly Fox now sells in Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and New York.

"Once we get our production up, we're probably going to enter Delaware, Maryland, and Virginia sometime in 2012," said John Giannopoulos, copresident of Sly Fox with his brother Pete.

In New Jersey, which has just 22 small brewers and brew pubs compared with 77 in Pennsylvania - largely because of regulations that are not as friendly to the business - Flying Fish's Muller looked at hundreds of buildings before choosing one in Somerdale.

Environmental tests have delayed the building purchase, but Muller, who employs 15 and plans to add eight after the move, has a backup in mind for his $4 million expansion.

"We have equipment being built for us in Germany, in Italy. We have equipment sitting in warehouses in Washington, South Carolina, and Connecticut, all waiting to be shipped to us. We just don't have any place to put it," he said. "The train has left the station. We're just not sure of the last stop."

(Image provided by Tom Gralish)

Original article:  http://articles.philly.com/2011-09-25/business/30200923_1_craft-beer-craft-brewers-flying-fish-brewing

Sunday Sips: Pumpkin Wheat

Beer Name:  Pumpkin Wheat

Brewed By/In:  Shock Top / St. Louis, MO

ABV:  5.2%

Best Served In:  The Bottle

Characteristics:  Deep copper color.  When poured, head fades in less than 90 seconds to nothing.  Some carbonation throughout.  Smells great at first opening but then becomes watered down.  Distinct Belgian wheat lightness (perfect for this 80+ degree October day) brewed with pumpkin and autumnal spices that are light to the palate.  Similarly, the taste starts very sweet and dies.

Overall:  6.5 - Anheuser-Beusch's Shock Top branch revealed their first seasonal this year.  Has notes of being mass-produced.  It tastes like a Belgian wheat with pumpkin pie spice sprinkled.  It is an "eh, okay" for a pumpkin ale.  Otherwise, Shock Top brews very tasty summer libations.  

Let's raise a glass for reliving summer for just one more day, relishing in DelCo accents in a concentrated environment, staying warm underneath sweatshirt blankets.  Slainte!

USA's Best Local Breweries

Below is a clip from an article written by Sarah Chandler, author of Lonely Planet.  She and some of her other writing fellows voted on the best local breweries from their travels.  Thankfully, I agree with some of these!  To see this page in its true form, click here.  

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Guidebook research may sound like a dream job, but mostly it’s grueling hard work pounding the pavement. So who can blame a road-weary travel writer for doing a fair amount of extra in-depth research at local brewpubs? After all, brewpubs – breweries with an onsite pub – are a window into a local culture and often have links to a town’s past – and, by the way, they also serve beer.

For Lonely Planet’s latest USA guidebook, we had 26 authors crawling across the country looking for the best travel experiences the country has to offer, which translates to a fair number of beers sampled at some of the country’s finest local craft beer makers. It’s thankless toil, but it’s our duty to readers to be thorough.

In the course of research, the following breweries bubbled to the surface as the authors’ personal top picks across the country (listed geographically east to west):

Gritty McDuff’s – Portland, ME. This Old Port brewpub has it all: harbor views, high energy, good pub grub and award-winning ales. Order up a robust pint of Black Fly stout and join the crowd.

Magic Hat Brewery – Burlington, VT. This insanely popular brewery, off US 7, offers free tours of its brew operation – and of course they’ll tip the tap to let you sample the art. Perhaps the coolest brewery you’ll ever see.

Nodding Head Brewery – Philadelphia, PA. Home of hearty brews and many, many bobble heads lining the walls. After a few of the house beers, you might find yourself nodding as well…in agreement that this is a brewpub worth seeking out.

Church Brew Works – Pittsburgh, PA. Serves handcrafted beers and cuisine that goes well beyond your typical pub grub in a massive former church space; a standout in Lawrenceville.

Bell’s Brewing – Kalamazoo, MI. Michigan’s first brewery with a pub, Bell’s beers are now found in bottles throughout the region but the beers taste best on tap at the Kalamazoo original. Undergoing renovations in early 2011 to expand the restaurant and open a new venue for live acts.

New Holland Brewing Company – Holland, MI. A big player in the American craft beer movement, the home base of New Holland has 12 rotating beers on tap, plus a range of bottled beers and harder stuff, if you’re so inclined. Pub food and a variety of specialty pizzas are there to help you sample the wares.

Goose Island Brewery – Chicago, IL. Goose Island’s pub pours the flagship Honker’s Ale and 14 or so other potent brews. If you’re lucky, the 10% Extra Naughty Goose or Maple Bacon Stout, served with a meaty slice, will be on tap. Tours take place on Sundays and must be reserved in advance. Fine grub complements the brews; special kudos to the Stilton burger and chips.

Great Lakes Brewing Company – Cleveland, OH. Great Lakes wins numerous prizes for its brewed-on-the-premises beers. Added historical bonus: Eliott Ness got into a shootout with criminals here; ask the bartender to show you the bullet holes.

Summit Brewing Company – St Paul, MN. No restaurant, but offers free brewery tours three days a week that will give you a chance to see the process and sample the results (book in advance, especially for the popular weekend tours).

3 Floyds – Munster, IN. Not far down the road from Chicago, 3 Floyds is devoted to small-batch craft beers, serving fresh foods supported by their own organic herb and vegetable garden, and naming their beers quirky things like ‘Apocalypse Cow’.

Free State Brewing – Lawrence, KS. One of many good places on Mass downtown, this is the first brewery in Kansas since Carrie Nation got one closed in 1880. A cut above brew-pub standards, the beers are excellent. The food is much-loved as well, leaning towards cheesy thirst-inducing classics.

Schlafly Brewery – St. Louis, MO. This sign in the window speaks well of the bar; the oldest and largest locally-owned St Louis brewery produces over 40 superb styles of beer through the year including an excellent dry-hopped APA (American pale ale).

Live Oak Brewery – Austin, TX. Available on tap around Texas, take a free and lively tour at the brewery followed up with samples of the six house-crafted beers.

Flying Saucer Draught Emporium – Fort Worth, TX. You definitely won’t go thirsty: the bar inside this old brick building is made for craft-beer-lovers (80 brews on tap). How can you not love a bar whose jam-packed patio is called ‘Half-Acre Hell?’

Beaver Street Brewery – Flagstaff, AZ. Beaver Street Brewery is a bustling place to go for a bite to eat with a pint of local microbrew. It usually has five handmade beers on tap and some seasonal brews. The menu is typical brewpub fare, with delicious pizzas, burgers and salads. Surprisingly, it’s very family friendly.

Sierra Nevada Brewery – Chico, CA. At the Sierra Nevada Brewery, this place is a genuine Chico destination. It has better than average pub food; fresh, superb ales; and lagers on tap, some not available anywhere else. The apple-malt pork loin is a standout.

North Coast Brewing Company – Fort Bragg, CA. If you’re driving through Mendocino’s scrappy sister city, Fort Bragg, the elegant and well-balanced brews at North Coast Brewing Co are reason enough to pull over.

Auburn Alehouse – Auburn, CA. You’ll find eight beers plus some guests at this atmospheric Gold Country brewpub in Auburn’s historic Old Town, ranging from some easy-drinking session beers to an Imperial IPA for hop lovers.

Bridgeport Brewpub – Portland, OR. This huge, relaxing unpretentious bar (which also sells great food) hides a small piece of history. This is where the micro-brewing industry in the US was kick-started in 1984. And yes, it’s still here working the magic.

Pike Pub & Brewery – Seattle, WA. Leading the way in the microbrewery revolution, this brewpub opened in 1989 underneath Pike Place Market. Today it still serves great burgers and brews in a neo-industrial multilevel space that is a beer nerd’s heaven.

Haines Brewing Company – Haines, AK. It’s well worth the walk to the delightful one-room brewery serving up seven house beers in Haines, home of Great Alaska Craft Beer Festival.

Sunday Sips: America's Original Pumpkin Ale

Beer Name:  America's Original Pumpkin Ale

Brewed By/In:  Buffalo Bill's Brewery / Hayward, CA

ABV:  5.2%

Best Served In:  Pint Glass (from the bottle)

Characteristics:  Audible effervescence, fun to pour.  Incredibly fragrant - could smell the pumpkin as I poured into the glass.  Using baked and roasted pumpkins, cloves, nutmeg, and cinnamon, it is pumpkin pie in a bottle and pleasing to the olfactory bulb.  Copper colored.  Head fades quickly to nothing.  More clove-forward to the tongue than the other pumpkin ales rated previously.  Boggling combination of being too pumpkin-y but also too watered down, lacking the balance of spices beyond the initial taste.  Not enjoying the continued aftertaste a few minutes after sipping.

Food-pairing:  Toasted almonds or walnuts, preferably with maple flavors

Overall:  6.5 - although the 1980s brought us amazing rock anthems to play in our dorms, it did not bring the best Autumn libation.  Unfortunately not high on my list of recommendations for Fall seasonals.  I could not quite recover the "Mmm" feeling in my mouth after the first sip.  It was a little like when pumpkin guts get old in your trash.  Even worse, the flavors are not matching the amazing aroma that continues to fly from the glass.  As you can see, I do not have much to say.

Let's raise a glass to watching the colors change, to filling our homes with the scents of baking, and to smelling crisp air.  Slainte!

(Image provided by brewskirereport.com)