Two items of joy on beer front.

First, sales of American craft beers climbed by 12 percent from 2006 to 2007, according to statistics from the Brewers Association. That means the good stuff is selling. Sales of imported beers were up 1.4 percent, as were sales of non-craft American beers for 2007, but of course their base is bigger.

Secondly, out in Denver, Matt Venske of Yorktown, Va., has won the Wynkoop Brewing Company title of Beer Drinker of the Year. This spirited competition has been going on for 11 years. It started off as a local contest and now draws entrants from around the country.

Contestants answer questions about their knowledge of and fondness for beer. Venske, for instance, told the judges he is pursuing a plan that would put good beer in 3-ounce containers, That way he and other beer lovers could carry the good stuff aboard commercial airlines.

Venske, an aircraft maintenance manager, has tasting notes on some 3,200 beers he has sampled in 69 nations. By winning, he gets free beer for life at the Denver brewery, a $250 tab at his local pub, the Taphouse on Queensway in Hampton, Va. 

Finally, he gets a T-shirt that proclaims him 2008 Beer Drinker of the Year.

How cool is that?

Is there a better inscription for a T-shirt?

If so, what would your dream T-shirt say?

Posted by Rob Kasper at 3:10 PM | Permalink | Comments (3)
                    

Thanks to the comment from Mr. Incognito, I found some Pacifico at Wells Liquors.

I got the six-pack ($9) of bottles home and tried to put them in fridge.

But I ran into logistical issues. The Pacifico long necks were taller, by about one quarter inch, than the shelf. I couldn't believe it. Other bottles of beer, including some Sam Adams, Flying Dog, and yes, even a Natty Boh, were sitting on the shelf.

But these newcomers from Mexico were too tall to fit.  They had to assume the sideways position.

 I thought all long necks were the same size. 

Now I am wondering: What is the longest long-neck?

 Any nominees?

Posted by Rob Kasper at 5:03 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
                    

Pacifico, the favorite beer in my recent sipping trip in Mexico, has launched a Web site for the sunshine-deprived. Check it out here.

 It is a map of prime beach spots in Mexico. It shows beautiful beaches, perfect sun-tanned bodies (male and female) and even features sounds of the surf .

For some strange reason it has no photos of me and my posse, sitting in the hot tub in Puerto Penasco sipping Mexican brews.

I like Pacifico. It is smooth yet has good body, but it is hard to find here.

Anybody seen it in these parts?

Posted by Rob Kasper at 11:48 AM | Permalink | Comments (5)
                    

Correspondents send word of two more beer festivals (in addition to the March 1 Philly Beer Festival).

Drew Schneider says that the Celebration of the Suds is taking place at The Atlantic City Convention Center, two sessions on March 8 and one on March 9. $35 a session in advance, $45 at the door. The link for the event is here.

Stephanie Kerchner, publicist for Flying Dog Brewery, recently relocated to Frederick, Md., sends word that Flying Dog will be one of 48 independent breweries matching beer and food at a two-day event in Washington, D.C., May 16-17.

 The event, called Savor, An American Craft Beer & Food Experience, has three sessions, one on Friday night, May 16, and two on Saturday, May 17. Tickets for each session are $85 and are only sold online.  Registration and details are here.

Hugh Sisson of Baltimore's Clipper City Brewing is also pouring his beer at the Washington confab and is scheduled to a Saturday afternoon session discussing what is the best beer to serve with steamed crabs.

I prefer a locally-brewed pilsner.

There was time when I preferred Wild Goose because one of their beers, either the Amber or the IPA,  had the image of a crab on its bottle cap.

Lots of folks say Natty Boh.

What is your favorite crab beer?

Posted by Rob Kasper at 10:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (16)
                    

This morning, after removing the snow from the sidewalk and the ice from the cars, I tasted two new beers.

I poured short glasses of Rodney Kibzey's Weizenbock and Lili Hess's Grape Pale Ale.

These are the two winners of the 2007 Samuel Adams consumer homebrew contest. Three bottles of each beer are in the Sam Adams Longshot six-pack, which is being sold nationwide at about $8. The faces of these two brewers appear on the bottle labels.  So when you open the fridge, these people are staring at you. Spooky.

I preferred the Weizenbock, made by Kibzey, a home brewer in Illinois. It had a creamy body and very strong clove notes. Tasted, in other words, like a real Weizenbock.

The Grape Pale Ale, made by Hess who sells Sam Adams beers in Honolulu, was unusual. It tasted of grapes. Grape juice is an ingredient, as is maple syrup.  An ideal breakfast beer.

 After drinking beer for breakfast I have a number of questions.

Why it is that in a male-female household, the guy ends up shoveling the snow?

What do our local homebrewers think of these beers?

Have the locals made any beer with maple syrup and grapes?

What do you think of the idea of putting the brewer's face on a beer label?

Posted by Rob Kasper at 10:16 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)
                    

Thanks to Jim for sending me word about the craft beer festival being held in Philadelphia on Saturday March 1 at the Cruise Terminal, 5100 South Broad St..

I phoned the organizers, who gave me these details.  About 70 craft brewers are expected. There are two sessions, noon to 4 p.m. and 6 p.m to 10 p.m. The cost is $40 per session if you buy tickets on line, $60 at the door. Designated drivers $10. The link is phillycraftbeerfest.com.

 Jim wants to know which of these brews he should sample. I would say don't miss Gritty McDuff's from Maine. I have never had their beer, but I love their name.

Anybody else want to offer sampling suggestions? Click on "beer" at the bottom of the Philadephia beer festival home page and scroll through the long list of brewers that are supposed to be there. Then offer your picks.

By the way, this event is a precursor to Philadelphia Beer Week March 7 - 16, 10 days of beery celebrations. I guess in Philadelphia a week lasts longer than 7 days. More on the beer week  later.

Posted by Rob Kasper at 1:28 PM | Permalink | Comments (9)
                    

Wrapping up the stories of my quest last week for good beer in Puerto Penasco (Rocky Point) Mexico:

One afternoon I headed into town with my brother-in-law Dave Kapp and his wife Jeanne, who live in Phoenix. We were careful not to drive above the 25-mph speed limit, as everyone had a tale of being pulled over by the local police.

We stopped at several liquors stores asking, in our broken Spanish, for Bohemia. No one had it, but everyone had an idea of another liquor store, down the road, that was sure to carry it. Finally we found it, in bottles, at Bryan's a sport bar on the east side of town. The bartender, an American, said Bohemia was only sold to restaurants. It was an okay lager, nothing exciting. I preferred the bottle of Pacifco I snagged at one of the half dozen liquor stores I visited.

Bryan's was also supposed to have Indio, a touted Mexican beer, on tap. But alas when we were there, the tap was dry. Bummer.

Anybody had Indio?

Did I miss anything?

Posted by Rob Kasper at 3:09 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)
                    

Returned home from my visit to Mexico just in time to catch the last day of the Belgian Beer Festival at Max's on Broadway. I got there at a little after noon on Sunday and the place was packed.

 A barkeep told me that beer drinkers had formed a line outside the front door at 10:30, waiting for the 11 a.m. opening. He also said they had gone through 30 kegs of Belgian beers on Saturday.

 I had three small, $3 glasses of big beers. I started with a Grant's Goliath, very smooth for 9 percent alcohol by volume. Next I had a gorgeous Gouden Carolus Ambrio, which since it packed 10.5 percent alcohol by volume, I sipped very slowly.

I finished with a Slaapmutske Triple Nightcap, at 8.1 percent alcohol by volume. This golden and slighlty sweet brew got its Nightcap name when the brewer soothed his crying child by dipping his finger in this beer and letting the child suck on the finger. The child immediately went to sleep.

Anybody else have tales from the festival?
What was your favorite? Any disappointments?

Posted by Rob Kasper at 2:08 PM | Permalink | Comments (6)
                    

Thanks to Paul and LEC for their posts on what beer to drink down here. Armed with a local map and bad Spanish, my brother in law and I struck out at three liquor stores yesterday in Rocky Point trying to find Bohemia.

Did find a six-pack of Victoria, a hoppy, somewhat harsh Mexican-made brew.

Following Paul's tips, will now search for taps dispensing Indio.

Duty, duty, duty.

Posted by Rob Kasper at 7:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)
                    

Thanks to Volker and Bryan for their suggestion that I should search for Bohemia beer while visiting Mexico. But here in Rocky Point, Mexico, a once-quiet fishing village on the Sea of Cortez that is now filled with Ocean City condos, I have not found a Bohemia. Corona Extra, Tecate and Sol are the Mexican beers that are offered here. They are not anything special. Corona Extra is my favorite. but when you are sitting in the warm sun, hearing CNN reports about the horrible weather in Baltimore, the beer tastes good.

The local legends says the Corona sold in Mexico is higher quality than that sold in the States. Anybody hear that one before? Any truth to it?

The other day my beer-drinking was postponed as I watched a beach drama.

A fool had driven his car along the beach, and got stuck in the surf. The tide was rising.

Twenty men tried to push him to safety. No luck.

Two jeeps tried to pull him out. Again, no luck.

Finally a fellow with a tractor, Sandy McKenna, a transplant from Mesa, Ariz., showed up and hoisted the stuck car to high ground.

Next  he pulled the police car, which had also become stuck in the surf, to safety.

The beach returned to normal. I returned to my Corona Extra.

Posted by Rob Kasper at 2:35 PM | Permalink | Comments (5)
                    

I am out of town for a few days, changing latitudes and maybe attitudes, as I spend time with relatives at Rocky Point, a spot in Mexico on the northern end of the Sea of Cortez.

My Spanish is limited, but I can say cerveza.

Anybody have suggestions for good Mexican beers?

Posted by Rob Kasper at 10:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (6)
                    

I went to a tasting the other night at Camden Yards where the folks from Miller Lite poured their new line of beers.

There are three of them, a wheat, an amber and a blonde ale. They are called the Miller Lite Brewers Collection and starting this month are being test-marketed in Baltimore and three other cities, Charlotte, Minneapolis and San Diego. The Miller folks said they picked Baltimore as a test market because it has a "beer-centric culture" and a diverse population, and because our liquor store business is not dominated by chains.

These beers are an attempt to marry two trends: the growth in craft beer consumption and America's thirst for light beers, said Miller's head of marketing, Randy Ranson.

David Ryder, Miller's head brewer, conducted the tasting of three beers which, he proudly pointed out, were low in calories (110) and carbohydrates (6.2 per 12 ounces). They were all 4.2 percent alcohol by volume.

I am not a light beer drinker. Of the three beers, the only one that had any noticeable flavor was the wheat, which had a nice citrus note.

There is little doubt that these beers, as the Miller Lite ads, say are "less filling." I am not convinced they "taste great."

Anybody else taste these "craft-style" Miller Lites? What do you think?

Posted by Rob Kasper at 11:14 AM | Permalink | Comments (13)
                    

Casey Hard of Max's on Broadway sent me the list of beers he plans to have on hand for Max's Fourth Annual Belgian Beer Fest.

The dates are Feb 15-17, a Friday, Saturday and Sunday. The times are 11 a.m. to 2 a.m. each day. Drafts in the small, sample glass will be $3 each, and drafts in the larger glasses will range from $5 to $9 each, he said.

The Belgians have proven they can and will make beer out of almost any ingredient. For fans of Belgian beers, this weekend is nirvana. The beer list, and it is a long one, follows.

HERE IS THE DRAFT LIST-Silly Abbaye De Forest Ale/ Alvinne Blonde/ Alvinne Dertig /Alvinne Double / Alvinne Gaspar / Alvinne Podge Imperial Stout / Bel Pils / Bink Blonde Bink Blosem / Bink Bruin / Boon Oude Lambic Marriage Parfait 17B(On Handpump) / Boon Oude Lambic Marriage Parfait 52 / Brewers Art Resurrection/ Brewers Art Special Resurrection(Cask) / Brewers Art La Petroleuse(Cask) / Brewers Art Ozzy (Cask) /Brewers Art Proletary(Cask) / Cantillon Bruocella 1900 Grand Cru /Cantillon Gueuze /Chimay Cinq Cents /Corsendonk Christmas /De Dolle Dulle Teve/ De Dolle Stille Nacht/ De Glazen Toren Angelique/ De Glazen Toren Canaster/ De Glazen Toren Jan De Lichte/ De Glazen Toren Onedinke /De Glazen Toren Saiosn De Epre Mere/ De Proef La Grande Blanche/ De Proef Signature Ale/ De Proef Zoetzuur Flemish Ale/ De Regenboog BBBourgondier /De Regenboog Catherine The Great /De Regenboog Plus/ De Regenboog Guido/ De Regenboog T'Smisje Dubbel/ De Regenboog T'Smisje Fiori/ De Regenboog T'Smisje Kerst /De Regenboog T'Smisje Sleedorn/ De Regenboog T'Smisje Speciale/ De Regenboog Vuuve/ De Regenboog Wostijnte /Delirium Tremens /Dubuisson Scaldis Noel/ Dupont Avec Les Bons Voeux/ Fantome Brise Bon Bons /Fantome Chocolat/ Fantome Printemps /Fantome Saison /Ichtegems Grand Cru /La Rulles Meilleurs Voeux/ Liefmans Goudenband/ Les 3 Fourquett Wheat /Lucifer /Mardesous 6 /Ommegang Chocolate Indulgence/ Ommegang Hennepin /Ommegang Ommegeddon /Ommegang Rare Vos/ Ommegang Witte/ Ommegang Three Philosophers/ Ommegang Speciale/ Oude Beersel Framboise/ Oude Beersel Oude Lambic(Handpump) /Rodenbach Grand Cru /Rodenbach Red/ Slaapmustke Triple Night Cap/ Slaghmyder Witkap Pater Triple/ St Bernardus Pater 6/ Stone Vertical Epic 2007/ Strubbe Doebel/ Strubbe Double Triple /Van Honsebrouck Brigand/ Van Honsebrouck Kasteel Rouge

That is the first-string line of beers. When they run out, Casey said he will be adding these beers as backups:

 Achouffe Houblon Chouffe /Achouffe lL Chouffe/ Achouffe Mc Chouffe /La Binchoise Reserve /Caacole Nostradamus/ De Koninck Blonde /De Koninck Winterkoninck/ Dubuisson Scaldis/ Duchesse De Bourgogne /Dupont Saison /Geants Goliath/ Grotten Flemish Brown /Gouden Carlous Ambrio/ Mardesous 10/ Mardesous 8/ Radermacher Rader Ambree /Radermacher Rader Blonde/ St Bernardus Abt 12/ St Bernardus Prior 8/ St Feuillien Cuvee De Noel/ Val Dieu Grand Cru/ Van Den Bossche Buffalo Stout/ Van Honsebrouck Kasteel Bruin/ Van Steenberge Gulden Draak/ Van Steenberge Piraat.

Posted by Rob Kasper at 7:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (6)
                    

The folks from Tsingtao remind us that the Chinese New Year starts Thursday, Feb. 7. It is the year of the Rat.

Chinese years are named after one of 12 animals. People born in the appropriate year are said to have the personality of the animal: The Rat is a hard-worker.

The New Year is marked by large meals, and presumably some beer drinking. Celebrants wear red, a bright, happy color, sure to bring the wearer a sunny and bright future. So put on your red dress, baby, and toast the Rat.

In my book, Tsingtao is an OK beer, sorta the Chinese Bud. Anyone got a favorite Chinese beer?

Posted by Rob Kasper at 10:58 AM | Permalink | Comments (2)
                    

Nothin' says lovin' like something from the beer fridge.

And so, as Valentine's Day approaches, I am  making a list of chocolate beers that any beer lover would be happy to receive from a significant other.

Right off I think of Brooklyn Black Chocolate Stout. I recently had a wonderfully rich bottle of Southern Tier Imperial  Chokolate Stout. It uses bittersweet Belgian chocolate, costs about $8 and packs 11 percent alcohol by volume. But man is it smooth.  

Armin D. Pfleiderer of the Wine Underground shop is a fan of this beer, going so far as to say he has "yet to find a woman who hasn't swooned over this." 

Any other favorite chocolate beers?

Posted by Rob Kasper at 11:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (16)