The Baltimore Beer Guy landed in this area in February 2008, coming from Pensacola Florida, a place he describes as a "beer wasteland."

The Beer Guy, whose real name is Brian (last name withheld by request), knocked around San Diego and Los Angeles before his exile in Pensacola.  "I really miss the bright hoppiness of the West Coast beers.  But I think the beer scene here is kind of thriving.  There are a lot of places here that I think would be right at home in other beer capitals in the United States - Portland, Denver, San Diego, Philadelphia.  Baltimore's maybe not quite in that tier, but is maybe just a step below, like a Triple-A ballclub."

Brian launched his blog a few weeks after hitting town.  "When I first got here, I didn't find a whole lot of resources online for me to find out what's here.  So I put together a bunch of links and maps as I explored the area so I'd remember what I found.  And I started thinking if I put the stuff out there, other people might find it helpful, too."

And helpful it is.  It's probably one of the more consumer-oriented beer blogs I've run across.  There's ample information on events, beer selections available in area bars (a little heavily weighted to Howard County owing to the fact that Brian is based there) and brew reviews.  One of the things I really like about the blog is the collection of custom beer maps that he's created.  In the right rail of the blog, you can find maps showing locations of Maryland breweries and brewery/restaurants; downtown Baltimore watering holes; craft beer-friendly spots in Howard County; his favorite beer/liquor stores; and more.

"I like giving out what's going on, who's making what.  It's the kind of beer-geeky stuff that hopefully other people can enjoy."

More beer commercials

I had a lot of positive feedback on last week's post about classic beer commercials.  In light of that, I thought I might start dropping one in at the end of each week's post.  The one below, for Hamm's beer, was recommended by my host, Rob Kasper. 

Anyone know what's the deal with cartoon characters hawking beer? 

Posted by Steve Sullivan at 6:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (3)
        

While sipping brews and watching college basketball over the weekend, I experienced a couple of surprises. On the basketball front, Michigan State's victories over my Kansas Jayhawks and Louisville Cardinals were impressive.

At last there will be something that the folks in Detroit, site of next weekend's championship round, can be happy about.

I was also pleasantly surprised by a bottle of Northern Lights India Pale Ale brewed by Virginia's Starr Hill brewery that I sampled.  Nice bittering hops, a little pepper and citrus flavors as well.

These guys are new to me. Their Web site  says they started in Charlottesville and now brew in  Crozet, Va., a suburb.

Anyone else had this brew?

Anyone tried the rest of the brewery's line?

I am predicting a Michigan State - Nova final. What is your prediction?

Posted by Rob Kasper at 11:23 AM | Permalink | Comments (3)
        

Another nugget from Randy Mosher's new book Tasting Beer: He lists four instances when you should send a beer back to the bartender for a better pour.

1. Dirty glasses. Lipstick on the rim is a sign of "inexcusable laziness," he says.

2. Cloudiness in beers expected to be crystal clear, such as Pilsners.

3. Off aromas. Butteriness, spoiled milk and "animal-like" aromas are more than likely the symptoms of a sick tap line.

4. Sourness in anything but a rare Belgian style, where it is appropriate. Again, a sign of a sick tap line.

I have sent beers back that arrived in dirty glasses, but have not encountered the other three signs of trouble.

I did have a very sour brew at a homebrewers' crab feast last fall at Goddard Space Flight Recreation Center.  An amazing beer brewed by Severna Park's Ben Schwalb, but it was supposed to be sour.

Has anyone else encountered this fearsome foursome?

Any trouble getting a fresh, free replacement beer?

I guess you can't send a glass back  that has been drained, then claim something was amiss.

Is there a rule , among bar keeps, that a returned glass of "bad beer" must be at least half full?

Posted by Rob Kasper at 11:17 AM | Permalink | Comments (6)
        

Paging through a new beer book, Tasting Beer by Randy Mosher, I stopped on the page that explained how to pour a beer.

It is not the way I do it. The big difference is, according to Mosher, that I should  pour in two steps. First, he says, pour a small amount straight into the center of a clean glass, then allow it to settle. Next, you repeat the process until you have a full glass.

"By allowing a large amont of foam to build up and then shrink you have created a dense, creamy foam, filled with tiny, long-lasting bubbles," Mosher writes. "As a side benefit you have knocked some of the excess gas out of the beer and the result will be more like the smooth creaminess of draft beer."

I confess I usually pour in one step, to the top of the glass, then let the foam settle.

Anybody pour the two-step way?

Is Mosher on target?

Posted by Rob Kasper at 11:31 AM | Permalink | Comments (8)
        

George Washington is now among the fans of Baltimore Beer Week.

The organizers of Baltimore Beer Week, a 10-day October festival celebrating all things beery, have unveiled the event's logo, featuring an image of the Washington Monument in downtown Baltimore. Atop the monument, the nation’s original tribute to the First President, is a figure of George Washington holding a mug.

Washington did brew beer, and also rum and whiskey, at his Mount Vernon estate.

Modeled after the recently concluded celebration in Philadelphia that drew thousands of participants, Baltimore Beer Week will sing the praises of the region’s strong brewing culture, said Joe Gold, one of the organizers of the event. "We’ve got a rich history of brewing, a strong crop of brewers, and legions of knowledgeable beer drinkers here," Gold said.

"When it comes to love of beer, Baltimore takes a back seat to no one," added Dominic Cantalupo, a Baltimore Beer Week organizer who as a boy carried a bucket of beer from a neighborhood tavern to his grandmother’s row home.

Ten days of reveling will begin with a keg-tapping ceremony Oct. 8 and wind up Oct. 18. The interval -- what might be called the days of steins and sauerkraut -- will feature beer dinners at Baltimore pubs and restaurants, appearances by noted beers, and tours of the area’s sudsy sites.

Two highlights will be the Brewers Association of Maryland Oktoberfest October 10, when a dozen Maryland breweries pour some 75 beers at the Timonium Fairgrounds, and the Society for Preservation of Beers from the Wood Real Ale Festival Oct. 17, where some 50 cask-conditioned ales will be tapped.

Here is the link for the Baltimore Beer Week web site.

Inquiries can be sent to info@baltimorebeerweek.com

Full disclosure: I am one of the gang that cooked up this event, but I am long way from the head chef.

What do you think of idea of a Beer Week ?

What do you think of the logo?

Posted by Rob Kasper at 11:44 AM | Permalink | Comments (22)
        

A bit of a fun diversion today from the usual beer blog fare.  As I was cruising around looking for things to write about this week, I found lots and lots of blogs with posts about beer commercials. 

A lot of the blogs were pretty raunchy once you explored past the commercials, so no recommendations to make.  But it's easy to find videos of relatively recent beer commercials on YouTube or other video sites.  Want to see a collection of Budweiser's Super Bowl commercials?  Click here.   How about the Miller Lite series, including the ones with Rodney Dangerfield, Bubba Smith, Bob Uecker and others?  Click here.  

The beer commercials I find most fascinating are the ones from the '50s and '60s.  I remember growing up during that era in Western Kentucky, where our television sets were fed by signals from either Evansville, Indiana, 50 miles to the north, or Nashville, Tennessee, 100 miles to the south.  I recall that the 10 p.m. newscasts and the outdoors shows scattered throughout the weekend TV schedules were heavily sponsored by breweries like Fallstaff, Falls City, Pabst and Schlitz.  Seeing those spots again gave me flashbacks to sitting in the family room with mom and dad. 

The video below, from YouTube, features Stag Beer commercials starring Mr. Magoo. There's just something a little weird about a cartoon character shilling for a beer company!

A gentleman named Carl H. Miller wrote a terrific history of beer commercials for All About Beer Magazine in 2002.  That article was reprinted with Mr. Miller's permission on the BeerHistory.com site.  It's well worth the read.

Posted by Steve Sullivan at 6:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)
        

Truth be told I have not been a big fan of Kolsch. I had a good one in Frederick a few years back at Brewer's Alley restaurant and brewpub. But mostly this light, fruity German ale did not float my boat. Yet over the weekend I had a pleasing Kolsch moment, thanks to a bottle of Fordham Queen Anne's Kolsch.

It occurred Sunday afternoon, a sunny but cool spring day. I had been laboring in the vegetable garden, pulling weeds, marveling at the root structure of nut grass, a tenacious weed that my garden grows in abundance.

My garden, in a city park, Druid Hill, is a couple miles from my house, and after the weed-pulling session I hopped on my bike and rode home. By the time I got to the back door, I was tuckered.

Taking off my muddy shoes, I shuffled toward the fridge, opened the door and surveyed the offerings.

The Queen Anne's Kolsch called to me. I popped it open, filled a mug and retreated to a chair in the back yard.

The straw-colored ale had a slight fruity flavor. Nothing like a pilsner, my German beer style of choice. But this Kolsch provided light joy, and at about 4 percent ABV,  did not wipe out the rest of the afternoon.

Up in a tree a cardinal trilled. The sun was kind.  I imagined sitting in a square in Cologne, the  German town were Kolsch reigns.  All was right with the world, if not with my aching joints.

Anyone else tried this spring offering from Fordham?

Any fans of Kolsch out there?

Howsabout enemies ?

Posted by Rob Kasper at 1:21 PM | Permalink | Comments (3)
        

Canadians love our beer. So says a missive from the Brewers Association.

It reports that sales of American craft beer rose 78 percent in 2008. Shipments were up 16 percent to Europe, and a whopping 51 percent in Japan. Overall, the global sales of American craft beers jumped 25 percent in 2008.

There might be some quirks in the data. Any increase in volume depends on the size of the base you started with. So if you sold one case of beer to Canada in 2007, and three last year, you can claim a 300 percent increase.

Having said that, I think I understand why Canadians are drinking our beer. It is better than theirs.

Other than Unibroue from Quebec, I can't think of a Canadian beer I crave.

Is this unfair?

Another example of narrow thinking?

Or it is accurate? Do you have a Canadian you crave?

Posted by Rob Kasper at 11:30 AM | Permalink | Comments (9)
        

Tickets to "Beer Wars," the film about the brewing industry shown at 8 p.m. Saturday, April 16, will be sold at the participating area theaters as well as online.

Michelle Portillo of NCM Fathom Corp. sent this word, correcting an earlier post that said the tickets would be available only online. The tickets cost $16 online, $15 at the theaters. She said the theaters are selling them now.

The theaters in the Baltimore area showing the film are the Columbia Mall 14, the Snowden Square 14 in Columbia, Owings Mills 17 in Owings Mills and Bel Air Cinema 14 in Abingdon.

Also the ticket Web site, which some had trouble accessing, is now up and running smoothly.

Anyone had trouble with the Web site?

Anybody buy a ticket yet?

Posted by Rob Kasper at 10:50 AM | Permalink | Comments (4)
        

I cracked open another stout, Southern Tier Jahva Imperial Coffee Stout, and revised my picks for the NCAA men's basketball tournament.

This stout is a marvelous mixture of Jamaican coffee, roasted barley, caramel, chocolate and black malts, as well as Cascade and Columbus hops. It poured dark and had terrific coffee aroma, a pleasing, slightly sweet body and a dramatic coffee finish. Great stuff.

Again, at 11 percent ABV, this was a sipper, not something you drink in a hurry. The Southern Tier Web site says the ABV is 12 percent. The bottle says 11 percent. It sells for about $7.25 for a 17-ounce bottle.

Fueled by the stout, I reworked my bracket for the college basketball tournament. My new final four picks are Louisville, Connecticut, Syracuse (I stayed up for their six-overtime win), and Pittsburgh.

I discarded North Carolina because their star point guard, Ty Lawson, still has a sore big toe. Maybe he has gout from drinking too many stouts, but I doubt it.

Any other opinions on Jahva? Which ABV do you believe?

Any other final four picks?

Posted by Rob Kasper at 12:03 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)
        

Happy St. Patrick's day from your designated driver through the beer blogosphere!

Today's stop is a place I'd recommend for anyone looking to learn about beer from the ground up - what it is, how to drink it, how to make it, how to make a living from it - Hugh Sisson's blog on the Clipper City Beer Website.

If you live in Baltimore and don't know Sisson, you're not paying attention.  Sisson is ubiquitous in the local beverage community.  He was instrumental in getting the state laws changed in the late '80s so that Maryland could have brew pubs.  His Sisson's in Federal Hill was the city's first pub brewery.  He started Clipper City Brewery in 1994, has headed several brewers' advocacy groups and is co-host, along with Al Spoler, of Cellar Notes, a weekly beer and wine show on WYPR FM.

Among the useful things you can find on the blog is a simple explanation of the difference between lagers and ales; instructions on the proper way to enjoy a beer; suggestions about what to drink and when; and numerous updates on social and business issues that affect craft brewers and their clientelle.

So, now that I've puffed it up, I'm going to toss a dart in Hugh's direction.  Unless he's slipped one in during the past few hours, Sisson's blog has been dark since last November. 

When I nailed him on it last week, he admitted that blogging has taken a back seat to the many other jobs he's juggling (see above).  "I want this to be more than just a commercial for Clipper City and I want this to be more than just a place where the beer geeks go," Sisson said.  "It takes about two hours for me to write the essays for the blog.  And it's also a time commitment for the reader.  I want to make sure if I'm going to put in the time and the readers put in their time, they get something out of it."

Sisson said that he recently hired a marketing assistant who will start in April.  When she comes on, he anticipates having more time to devote to the blog.  That will be a good thing, because his blog offers a thoughtful insider's perspective on beer and the business of making it.

Posted by Steve Sullivan at 6:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (3)
        

Like most right-thinking Americans, I am devoting my mental energies to questions such as: can Maryland get past California in Kansas City, and if so, how do they handle Memphis? In other words, I am penciling in my NCAA mens basketball bracket.

I use a pencil because I change my mind, a lot. This work requires "brain fuel," and yesterday to help me in the endeavor I sipped a Black Albert Royal Stout, from De Struise Brouwers in Belgium -- a brew Beeradvocate has rated as among the best in the world.

It poured very dark, 160 EBC (European Brewing Convention) for color, the label said. Its bitterness was 100 IBU (International Bitterness Units), again according to the label. Yet this Belgian Royal Stout was remarkably well balanced, with a rich malty body and distinct snappy finish.

For a time this Belgian Royal Stout was brewed exclusively for Ebenezer's Pub in Lovell, Maine. Ebenezer's Web site gives a glowing description of the brew.

It is pricey. I paid $11 for an 11.2 ounce bottle I found at the Wine Source in Hampden.  A brew this fine is a sipper, not a gulper, and I shared the bottle with my two sons.

One word of warning: at 13 percent alcohol by volume, it can twist your judgment. Maybe that is why, in my early bracketing, I have Maryland beating Memphis.

Any other opinion on Black Albert Royal Stout?

Is it worth the price tag?

Also who is in your final four, and what is your favorite bracket "brain fuel?"

Posted by Rob Kasper at 11:52 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)
        

Even copy editors.

My colleague John McIntytre, guardian of the semicolon, tells a beer joke.

Posted by Rob Kasper at 12:20 PM | Permalink | Comments (3)
        

Is green beer a crime against good beer, or is it just good fun?

This weekend as St. Patrick's Day approaches, much  beer will be turned green. It is pretty easy to do. Friday morning, for example, I put three drops of green food coloring in the bottom of a pint glass and poured in a light-colored beer. I used a can of Natty Boh. The result, depending on your point of view, was either a glorious or bilious green. (There is no debate that a glass of green beer is hard to face in the morning.)

I also tried it on a glass of O'Hara stout, and while the foam was green, the rest of the beer was black.

The anti-green beer camp contends changing the hue of the beer is a desecration of the brewing art.

The pro-green camp argues that if you can't have a little fun with your beer, you shouldn't be sipping. 

Which side are you on?

Do you drink green beer?

If so, do you sip it only on St. Patrick's Day? And is stout off limits?

Posted by Rob Kasper at 9:50 AM | Permalink | Comments (7)
        

"Beer Wars," an independent film maker's look at craft brewers vs. the big American brewers, will been shown in four Baltimore area theaters Thursday, April 16 at 8 p.m. A discusssion, called Beer Wars Live, will follow the showing of the film.

The film is described by its promotors as "a true "David and Goliath story, small, independent brewers who are shunning the status quo and creating innovative new beers as they challenge the corporate brewery behemoths. The story follows two of these intrepid entrepreneurs – Sam Calagione (Dogfish) and Rhonda Kallman (Samuel Adams) – battling the might and tactics of corporate America."

Unfortunately for us city dwelling drinkers, the four movie theaters around here that are showing it are in the suburbs.

They are the Columbia Mall 14, the Snowden Square 14 in Columbia, Owings Mills 17 in Owings Mills and Bel Air Cinema 14 in Abingdon.

Michelle Portillo of NCM  Fathom Corporation, who will put this event on, told me that the reason there are no theaters in the city showing "Beer Wars" is that the theaters need special transmission equipment, and only these suburban locations have it. This is the same outfit that puts on the Live from the Met productions. Lucky for the residents of the burbs; bummer for us city dwellers. 

Tickets ($16)  sold only online are available here.

Here are clips and more info about the movie. Anybody been to the Met productions in these theaters?

Posted by Rob Kasper at 11:17 AM | Permalink | Comments (6)
        

I'm continuing the account of my prowl through Philadelphia during the opening of Philly Beer Week last Saturday. (The celebration runs through this weekend.)

While still in Baltimore I scrolled through the impressive list of restaurants that have signed up to play host to a number of beer-related events.  I picked Bridget Foy's, an Irish pub and restaurant at 2nd and South streets. Their menu matched the street food of Philly -- cheesesteaks, sausage and peppers, and soft pretzels -- with local beers. Three courses for $35.

Iniitially I was skeptical of this idea, but once I got to Foy's I was pleased. It was a warm day and I sat at an outside table and got a view of the passing South Street parade of pedestrians. Guys wearing pork pie hats with unlit cigarettes tucked behind their ears, gals in designer jeans and heels, kids in strollers. Philly has a sense of style -- not New York style, but people seem to dress for the street.

My first course, a cheesesteak soup with a small glass of Victory Pils, was an instant hit. The soup, both creamy and cheesy, had tender pieces of steak floating in it. It was better than a real cheesesteak, and I love that sandwich. The Victory Pils, one of my faves, stood right in there with it.

I was less fond of Sly Fox Seamus Red Ale that came with the second course. It was too sweet, but by that time of day, I had downed many brews. The dish that came with it, sausage and peppers over polenta with crispy spinach leaves, was outstanding. It was a delicate mixture of flavors and textures. Who knew sausage and peppers could be "cuisine?"

The dessert course, a chocolate pretzel tart served with Victory Storm King stout, was fun, if not up to the other dishes.

I also visited Monk's Belgian Cafe and Beer Emporium, a place that Philly beer drinkers seem to regard as sacred ground...

I was led there by Steve Dottavi, a fellow I met at the Philly craft beer festival.

Steve, it turned out, is a bartender at Tiedhouse, a Philly restaurant and brewpub on Hamilton Street where Chris Leonard is the brewer.

He and I were riding the Philly subway, comparing notes on beers, when Steve told me that anyone who was serious about Philadelphia beer must visit Monk's. I told him that if he would take me there, I would buy him a beer.

Monk's sits on 16th Street, between Spruce and Locust streets, and looks like it came straight from the Old World. It is dark, narrow, and very busy.

Even at 3 o'clock on a Saturday afternoon there was a wait for a table or a seat at the front bar.

Steve, however, navigated us to the back bar, an equally impressive, dark, paneled room. It too was crowded, but I got a $7.50 glass of St. Bernardus, a rich, multi-layered ale. I stood off to the side of the bustling room and marveled at all the beer drinking going on around me.

Quite a beer-drinking town, I thought.

How do you think Philly and Balto compare as beer-drinking towns?

Is there a Philly style?

Anyone else been to Monk's? What did you think?

How about Bridget Foy's?

Had the Victory Pils?

Did I give the Sly Fox Red a fair shot?

Posted by Rob Kasper at 1:50 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)
        

Once in a while I'm lucky enough to find a near-perfect intersection of beer and art. A couple of years ago I was delighted to find the Beer Haiku Daily blog and it's been a guilty pleasure ever since.

Haiku is an artfully simple form of Japanese poetry, written in three lines. The first and third line contain five syllables, the middle line has seven.

The site is run by an I.T. professional in Towson who goes by the nom de blog, Captain Hops. Captain Hops picked up his nickname during time spent in Portland, Ore., where he became a self-professed hop head. A few years ago he returned to the east from what he calls "the bleeding edge of hoppiness," and has been working his way through the robust array of craft brews in this region. He cites the Dogfish Heads, Clipper City's Heavy Seas, Allagash, Wild Goose, Troeg and Victory as beers and beer makers he likes. It was also upon his return to the East Coast that he launched the blog in June 2005.

Last week I spoke to the Captain about his blog and why he chose to combine his passion for beer with haiku.

"I spent five years in Japan when I was in high school. I found that with haiku, you can say a lot with a little and that's always appealed to me. Plus, it's absurd.

"When I was looking to start the blog, the name beerhaikudaily.com was available, so I took it. And I've had to live with that curse ever since."

A haiku a day since June 2005 amounts to, well, a bunch of them (sorry, I didn't go into journalism because I'm good at math.) But, as the Captain explains, "If you're forced to write a lot of them, you inevitably wind up with a few gems."

One he claims as a favorite goes:

after enough beers
my intelligence dazzles.
others are jealous.

The Captain also takes submissions from readers. Yours truly had a haiku published on the site back in October 2007.

So, today I'll leave you with this advice:

pour out a cold one.
get ready to laugh out loud.
beer haiku daily.

Posted by Steve Sullivan at 6:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
        

I spent  Saturday drinking beer in Philadelphia. It was an all-rail trip. I road Amtrak up, and bought a $9 SEPTA beer-week pass that enabled me to ride the subway all day as I sipped my way around town. Saturday was the second day of Philly Beer Week.

My first stop was the Philly Craft Beer Festival. It was held in the Cruise Terminal of the Navy Yard. I got there by hopping the blue subway line right outside the Amtrak station,  traveling one stop east, then jumping on the orange line traveling south to Broad and Pattison. While waiting on the subway platform for a train, I overheard four guys talking about beer, so I introduced myself and followed them to the Fest.

School buses shuttled us from Broad & Pattison to the Navy Yard. We passed by massive Navy ships, some waiting to be painted. One of my companions suggested that next year the beer festival should be held on a ship, but then he changed his mind. "Think of all the problems with guys going overboard."

The Cruise terminal is a massive hall, and some 50 breweries were there -- fewer than in previous years, my companions told me.  The breweries were divided into four clusters:  A,B,C, and D, about 12 breweries each.

I got my plastic sample glass and started tasting. I had a terrific Victory Bold IPA, a so-so Yuengling Bock, a surprising good Michelob Tomahop ( an experimental beer, I was told), a pleasing Hoppy Trails IPA from Applachian Brewing out of Harrisburg, and a very good Lancaster Brewing Shoo-fly Porter made, I read on the brewery's Web site, with Lancaster County molasses.

There were some disappointments. The Watermelon Ale from Thomas  Hooker's , a Bloomfield, Conn., brewery, was a bad idea. The guy from the brewery dispensing the samples was drinking the IPA. That should have been a clue. Bad taste experiences happen at a beer festival; that is part of the process.

I was disappointed that Sly Fox, a well regarded brewery from the Philadelphia suburbs, was not there.

The crowd was young and festive, periodically raising their glasses in a massive, roaring, all-hall toast. There were also breweries there from Maine, Colorado and California. I got a robust Black Fly Stout, and a temporary tattoo from Gritty's McDuff's, a Portland, Maine, establishment.

Overall, the Philly Craft Beer Festival reminded me of the Oktoberfest put on by the Brewers Association of Maryland at the Timonium fairgrounds.  The space in Philly was more accommodating than the fair grounds to the large crowd (both sessions in Philly sold out  at $45 a ticket), but the feel -- standing in line waiting for one sample while sipping another -- was similar.

I also visited a few Philly pubs, which I will blog about later this week.

Anyone else attend the Philly Craft Beer Festival? You agree or disagree that it resembles Timonium?

Any opinions on these beers?

Ever had a " bad taste experience" at a beer festival?

I love the idea of a beer pass that encourages sippers to take public transportation. Anybody seen this idea in practice anywhere else?

Posted by Rob Kasper at 12:17 PM | Permalink | Comments (5)
        

I am headed up the Philadelphia this weekend to partake in some of the Philly Beer Week festivities.

Am seeking advice on what beers I should not miss.

Will be looking for Sly Dog Pilsner and the Yards brewery products.

Any other good stuff?

What beer should I drink with a cheesesteak?

Should I say " youse" for you when in Philadelphia?

Which city, Baltimore or Philly, claims "yo"?

Posted by Rob Kasper at 11:32 AM | Permalink | Comments (5)
        

The other day I took a look at some info that Nielsen, the consumer survey outfit, presented at the Craft Brewers Convention in San Diego last April. It profiled the craft beer drinker.

Profiling usually gets my dander up. But in the interest of beer-drinking science, if there is such a thing, I compared my habits with those of the typical craft beer drinker.

The "consensus" craft beer drinker:

 1. Lives in a two-person household with a combined income over 75 K. I measure up, I think, but if the stock market keeps diving, our household "profile" might change and I might start selling pencils on the corner, or newspapers at busy intersections. 

2. Is a Caucasian who lives in a "cosmopolitan center." I am a white guy living in Baltimore, but I don't think of Charm City as "cosmo".

3. Is either a boomer or a millennial. I am a boomer; not sure what a millennial is, but I think I have raised two of them. My 24- and 28-year-old sons drink my beer, so I guess that counts.

4. "Skews toward active leisure activities." I am not sure I can "skew" toward anything. I do play full court basketball once a week, but my game is more leisurely than active.

5. Is a heavy Internet user. Aren't we all?

6. Reads a lot of newspapers. Hurray!

7. Listens to sports on the radio and watches the Golf Channel. Yep and nope, for me.

Howsabout you? Do you fit the profile?

Do you think Baltimore is a cosmo center?

Who drinks more beer: boomers or millennials?

Posted by Rob Kasper at 12:15 PM | Permalink | Comments (11)
        

Flying Dog Brewery in Frederick has been voted the best East Coast craft brewery in voting conducted on the web site thefullpint.com.

Fullpint acknowledged that winning the contest was a victory of "guerrilla marketing." "Dog Fish Head and Flying Dog sent many of their loyal drinkers to fullpint.com to cast their vote," the Web site explained. "SmuttyNose and Erie also used the power of their Internet fan base to have votes casted on their behalf."

The online voting lasted from the end of January to the end of February. Flying Dog, which moved to Maryland about a year ago from Colorado, emerged as the brewery with the most votes for  best in the East.

For a list of winners, go to this link.

Congrats to Flying Dog for activating its loyal fan base.

My question is, does this prove that Flying Dog is the best brewery, or that it has most Web savvy beer drinkers?

What do you think of this poll?

Posted by Rob Kasper at 1:34 PM | Permalink | Comments (5)
        

Last week, when I first served as your designated driver through the beer blogosphere, the first comment I received was from Alexander Mitchell.

Mitchell pointed out a deficiency in our blogroll. We neither listed his blog, Beer in Baltimore, nor distinguished the blogs (like this one) that are members of the Chesapeake Region Alliance of Beer Blogs, or CRABB. He was right, of course. It was an egregious oversight, one that we quickly corrected.

Mitchell, I discovered, is a very interesting guy. He is a railroad writer, photographer and historian who also writes a column for the Mid-Atlantic Brewing News, which he describes as a "bi-monthly brewspaper."

He launched his blog a little over a year ago with a post on Max's annual Belgian Beer Festival. Since then, his blog has been a wonderfully rich compendium of information on other beer events throughout the region, brew reviews (check out "Nirvana in a Glass"), tavern overviews (here's a recent one on Taverna Corvino in Federal Hill) and news on important beer-related issues.

In an e-mail exchange with Mitchell last week, I asked him what's his favorite beer. Silly me. That's like asking a parent to name a favorite child. He responded, "There's a universe of great beers out there, a huge number of which I've never had, and there's almost always a terrific, life-altering beer hiding in the next beer bar or brewpub. Furthermore, there's never any telling what mood I'm in, or what I'm hungering and thirsting for. Right at the moment, for example, I'm hankering for a good Greek gyro, hold the onions, and let's see, what beer would go well with that? Maybe a nice ESB or a crisp, snappy pale ale like Uinta Wildfire. Get me late at night on a cold night, and I may want a barleywine or old ale, or a strong Scottish. Throw me in Max's, and I'll be skimming the list for any draft I've not had before. Lacking that, I've been known to tell them to pour me a beer "blind" and let me see if I can pick it out of the 70-some drafts."

Unfortunately, and ironically, Mitchell is unable to imbibe any of the above at this time. I'll point you again to his blog for the reason why. But even though he's not drinking at the moment, he continues to write about issues important to all us other beer sippers in Baltimore. Do yourself a favor and give him a look.

And, if there are other beer blogs you think we should check out for future posts, add a link in a comment below.

Posted by Steve Sullivan at 6:26 AM | Permalink | Comments (3)
        

I took a day off last week and did the "visit Washington " routine with my wife and my in-laws visiting from Arizona. Our first stop was Hillwood, one of the homes of Marjorie Merriweather Post. It is a gorgeous mansion and grounds overlooking Rock Creek Park, not far from the National Zoo.

Dave, my brother-in-law, and I were mildly interested in eying the place. My wife and her sister were enthralled, admiring the Faberge eggs, the porcelain plates, the jewelry, the house as a whole. Marjorie Merriweather Post is a woman whose family gave us Postum, a coffee substitute that tastes like medicine and the Post cereals. She had lots of money and four husbands.

Anyway when lunch rolled around we walked to the cafe on the Hillwood grounds. It is a very pretty cafe, and has, well, pretty food. I ordered an avocado quiche, which was very good. There were bottles of wine all around me, but I wanted a beer.

Praise be to Grape Nuts, there were some beers on the menu. I had a Samuel Adams lager, poured in a striking Pilsner glass. As you might have guessed I was the only person drinking beer in the restaurant.

The situation produced a new beer drinking rule for me: if faced with quiche, order lager.

Can anybody else "man up" and confess to a quiche-eating experience?

What do you drink when eating quiche?

Do you have a favorite quiche beer? 

Posted by Rob Kasper at 12:12 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)