I have enjoyed the blog's give and take, the humor and the honest discussion about this area's beers and its brewing culture. Much of that came from the readers. As I said in my first post in October, 2007 my mission  is to drink good beer, to spread the word, and to spark interesting and entertaining discussion about the beer-drinking life.

I am still  at The Sun  and I plan to write about beer in the print and online editions. I may eventually end up blogging about beer  through some other forum.   Blogging about beer, like sipping it, can be habit forming.

Cheers

Moreover the wheat beer, Michelob Bavarian Wheat, was from a major brewer --the crew in St. Louis--- and I liked it.

It was remarkably crisp and had tremendous citrus notes. . Since it was unfiltered, the label had pouring instructions. Those Michelob guys are sticklers on  pouring.

I know you are supposed to drink wheat beer after you have mowed the lawn.

But I drank it after raking the leaves. 

Did I commit a sin? If so it sure tasted good.

I did not care for Rye P.A., too chewy.

Loved the porter. Have not tasted the pale ale.

Anybody else try these beers?

What do you think?

Do you drink wheat beer in leaf- raking season?

Photo of fall foliage near Shawan Road by Amy Davis The Baltimore Sun 

Our friends at  the web site Chow have put out a video demonstrating how someone wearing a mask or a fake beard can drink beer without ruining their Halloween costume. Hint, it involves a straw.

Included in the Feast of Fools, but not in the Living Dead is a beer called Howl,  described as a "black as night winter lager."  It is available in six packs.

I had one over the weekend, It is 4.6 ABV, a pretty good dark beer.  Halloween is a night many people like to howl, even those who sip their beer through a straw. 

Do you have a special brew you sip on Halloween?

The Phillies have been off the radar of most of the sporting media, especially ESPN.. As Bill Rhoden, now a columnist for The New York Times but not so long ago my colleague here at The Sun, has pointed out  the Phillies get no respect.

So they are the underdog, especially matched up against the media darlings of Gotham, the Yankees. The Angels will have something to say about that, rallying last night to win 7-6 and force  a game six.

Yesterday I found another reason to like the Phillies.

That is what Pedro Martinez did to Ryan Howard's boxers as the garment hung in the slugger's locker. 

Ben Bolch of the Los Angeles Times reported the dousing in his account of the Phillies locker room celebration following their defeat of the Los Angeles Dodgers. Howard reportedly reacted to the soaking of his drawers by laughing and declaring the Phillies " one of the funnest teams I 've played on."

No word on the brand of beer, or the brand of underwear involved.

In the series,  I am rooting for the team with the beer-soaked boxers.

How about you?

Photo of Ryan Howard celebrating: The Philadelphia Daily News

I heard him interviewed Thursday  morning on Mike and Mike in the Morning  the national radio sports talk  show aired on Baltimore's ESPN 1300 AM .

Judging by his time with Mike and Mike and his comments in other interviews, Wendt  has a lot of beer stories to tell.  Wendt is very funny, if not a connoisseur. 

When questioned about his beer knowledge he told USA Today's Lorrie Lynch. " I’ve been reaching out to Oktoberfests and craft beer festivals and things like that, and I know nothing. I realized I am a complete idiot, both in terms of my palate and my knowledge of the process."

Apparently he showed up at the Great American Beer Festival. Anybody see him?

I loved the way Norm walked into the bar on Cheers and took his regular seat, sipping almost before he was sitting, I think he calls that "establishing a beachhead."

 That is my kind of bar guy.

Any favorite Norm moments from "Cheers?"

Photo Credit: AP

The writer Lucy Burningham quotes  brewer Phil Markowski saying that these beers are like homegrown tomatoes or fresh corn, they don't hold up, but instead are pleasures of the moment.

I have enjoyed some good fresh hop ales, in particular ones from Sierra Nevada.

That is a long way from "homegrown."

Do you agree or am I being too picky?. 

 Do the hops have to come from a field near the brewery to really be fresh?

Once they get on a plane, are they disqualified?

What are some of your favorite fresh hoppers?

Photo of hops vines near Farmers' Museum in Cooperstown . N Y.: The Batlimore Sun

A few weeks ago I introduced you to Sigrid Beer, a poltician from Paderborn, Germany, whom we met via a Facebook connection.  In an email, Sigrid mentioned that one of the things her city is known for is the Paderborner Brauerei, and she offered to send us some of its pilsener (the proper German spelling) to sample.

The beer arrived a couple of weeks ago and on a Friday afternoon as the clock chimed 5, Rob, our colleague Anica Butler, and I popped the top of a Paderborner Pilsener and poured some into our respective paper cups.  Our reaction to the beer was that it was pretty much like our American pilsners - cool, light and bubbly with a not-unpleasant bitterness.  It was also a little dangerous, but that probably had more to do with the fact that we were still sitting in the workplace when we drank it.

It will, however, remain for me one of the more memorable beers I've ever had.  And that's due to the special circumstances that brought it to me.  How often do you wind up with a beer in hand thanks to developing a chance overseas friendship via Facebook?  It's given me the opportunity to learn about Sigrid, about the city of Paderborn and its resident brewery.

Paderborn is a city of just under 150,000 in the North Rhine-Westphalia district of Germany.  The city, which was founded in the year 795, is home to a university and several theological institutes.  It's also home to the largest computer museum in the world.

Paderborner Brauerei dates back to 1852.  In addition to the pilsener, they brew Paderborn+Cola, a malt beverage, and several other varieties of beer and alcoholic drinks.  One of the things I really liked about the brewery's website is that it has a nifty little Flash "Spiele", or game, on it.  The objective is to move the little man with the beer case under the bottles of beer that are raining from above, so that they land safely in the box.  It's a great way to spend a productive hour or two.

Danke, Sigrid, for the beers and for introducing us to the charms of Paderborn.

I was among the crowd sipping  glasses of rare beer at Max's Taphouse watching the Ravens- Vikings on a giant screen.

The beers--- a Samichlaus 1996, George Gales Prize Ole Ale 1998, a Leg Coq Imperial Stout--- to name a few were exceptional.  I had never heard so many corks pop at a beer/football event.

The only clinker was a bottle of Brimstone. Its time had passed.

Spirits were high when the Ravens rallied and set up Hauschka for a 44 yard game- winning field goal.

The day before at the SPBW Real Ale Festival a crowd of some 600 sippers jammed  the Pratt Street Ale House to feast on the firkins.

It was rotten weather but the crowd was in a good mood. Amazing what good beer can do.

 Among my favorites were Olivers Bishops Breakfast, Victory Yakima Twiilight , and Clipper City Peg Leg Stout flavored with Tabasco- infused wood.

What were your favorites at the Sunday or Saturday event?

What were your impressions of Baltimore Beer Week?

How could it be improved?

Any compliants?

What does the future hold for the Ravens?

Photo by Baltimore Sun's Karl Ferron

But there are some rays of sunshine.

Saturday afternoon  is the SPBW Chesapeake Real Ale Fest at the  Pratt Street Ale House.

Tickets are $35 if you get them online by Friday night , $45 thereafter.

Tickets a mere $10. Details here.

What do you do to cope with the gloom?

Photo of rays of sunshine in Kenya: Getty Images.

But here is the first photo I have seen of a pumpkin tapping.

Doing the honors are John Gasparine, who made the mallet dubbed The Star Spangled Banger, and Casey Hard of Max's Taphouse.

They are tapping Cape Ann Fisherman's Pumpkin Stout, a Baltimore Beer Week event.

However, I never had it served ifrom  a pumpkin.

Does it taste better that way?

Photo of John Gasparine and Casey Hard  courtesy of Gasparine.

Dropped by the Grand Cru Sunday afternoon where as part of the Baltimore Beer Week activities, they held their second annual chili contest.

I tasted all  4 chilis in the running. I preferred chili number 2, which it turned out was the eventual winner.

It was made by Jonathan Schuyler , chef at the Grand Cru.

A hot spicy chili made by Amy Wittig, was fourth .

My favorite beer to drink with chili is pilsner.

What is yours?

Photo of Super Bowl Chili :AP

Great food, bangers, kraut and mashers with gravy. Interesting dialog as well as Jim Lutz of Wild Goose, Craig Stuart-Paul of Oxford Brewing, Hugh Sisson of Clipper City and Tony Norris of Bertha's told tales from the early days of craft brewing.

All the brewers said that if they had to repeat the experiment, they would welcome more money and fewer investors.

You agree?  Is that where the bad beer is , in the middle?

1995 photo of Jim Lutz at Wild Goose then located in Cambridge, Md, by The Sun's Lloyd Fox

It was shot aboard the USS Constellation.

What do you think of it?

There  are a billion or tastings as taverns and restaurants offer deals and special beers for Baltimore Beer Week.

Clicking on the events section of the beer week web site and checking out Friday night, I saw 35 events, everything from 3 beers for $5 at the Wharf Rat, to an imports tasting at State Line Liquors, to a Flying Dog tasting at The Wine Source,  to .40 cent shrimp night at Duda's where 60 cents of every bottle of Defenders Choice goes to a fund for wounded soldiers.

Do be careful out there. If you have had a few, grab a cab, or take the Light Rail.

The following weekend, there is the Chesapeake  Real Ale Fest, at the Pratt Street Ale House. It  too is near a Light Rail stop.

What are you beer plans for the weekend?

Baltimore Sun photo of steins at Blob's Park by Gene Sweeney Jr.

With me will be Turkey Joe Trabert, a former bar owner and always a  raconteur, along with  Mick Kipp, a student  of beer and proprietor of The Whiskey Island Pirate shop .

Check out the cover story on Baltimore Beer Week  by  Michael Cook in today's edition of b.