Monthly Archives: May 2010

Maryland Brewers Springfest – May 29, 2010

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I am totally bummed that I can’t go to this. I mean it’s practically in my backyard. But we have guests coming in from out of town with young ones and a beer festival just doesn’t fit into our plans.

Yeah, I could go by myself, but for the sake of domestic harmony I can’t. Besides, someone else is already sleeping on the sofa.

But it’s not too late for you! Please, go in my stead. Think of me as you sample some of the finest craft beer Maryland’s brewers have to offer.

From the Brewers Association of Maryland website:

Location: Harry Grove Stadium, home of the Frederick Keys.
Time: 1:00 – 7:00 PM
Tickets: Call 877-846-5397

  • Adult Admission
    • $17 in advance
    • $25 at door
    • includes: event admission, 6- 4 oz. tasting tokens, official Springfest tasting glass
  • Youth (13 – 20) $10
  • Designated driver $10
  • Children 12 and under FREE
  • 3 bands

NEW THIS YEAR! – VIP HOUR – EARLY ADMISSION

VIP Admission includes:

VIP Hour – Exclusive hour to sample Special Casks & Firkins from 12:00 – 1:00 PM.
10 – 4 oz. Beer Tasting Tokens
Official Springfest Tasting Glass

VIP PRICING:
$32.00 Advance Adults
$40.00 Adult at the door

So bring the whole family. Have a fun day of GOOD Maryland Beer, live music and great food.

See also the Frederick Keys website.

Ontario liquor regulator to ban Samichlaus “for the children”

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At least we’re not the only ones suffering from alcohol control bureaucrats that make no sense. Canada’s got it too.

From the National Post:

Ontario’s alcohol regulator has moved to ban an Austrian beer favoured by connoisseurs because its name, Samichlaus, means St. Nicholas in Swiss-German.

The Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario has decided the beer’s label contravenes rules against advertising to children. It features the name of the beer, Samichlaus, a Swiss-German nickname for the saint behind the Santa Claus legend, and a small black-and-white bearded figure.

Vlado Pavicic, co-owner of Burlington-based Roland and Russell Importers, called the decision “insulting to the average Canadian.”

Samichlaus (Canada label)

I mean, come on. What kid is going to look at that beer label and pester their parents to buy it? Are they going to see it in the fridge and think it’s a holiday soda? And this whole “marketed to children” thing is bunk. Have you seen an ad for it in anything but a beer magazine? The kids would have to be in the beer store in the first place. Ugh. If their reasoning is to make it less attractive to teenagers, do you really think Santa is going to attract them? The 14% ABV might, but the price certainly won’t. It just doesn’t make any sense. All it does is inconvenience grown-ups.

Jay Brooks will have has something insightful to say, of course.

This just in: The Washington State liquor board thinks that by limiting beer advertising it will reduce the amount of under age drinking. So they’re making bars and retailers remove signage. But not the major sports stadiums.

Game Day Ice

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You may recall that 7-Eleven decided to launch its own private label beer and it came out in April. After a bit of hunting I found some in West Virginia. I’ve already done a “tasting” of Game Day Light and was significantly less than impressed.

The press release for it said a lot about the recession, markets, and affordability. As for taste:

Brewed with the highest quality malts and hops, Game Day Light (110 calories per 12 ounces, 3.9 percent alcohol by volume) has a clean, crisp taste with a smooth malt finish while the hops flavor is bolder in Game Day Ice (155 calories per 12 ounces, 5.5 percent alcohol by volume).

I already had the Light. Let’s try the Ice.

Light straw and clear with a white fizzy head. Aroma is very light and a little perfumey. They claim there’s more hops than in the Light, but I’m not detecting them in the aroma. Taste is light and seems to have a bit more hoppiness to it, but not much. I’d say that this is better than Game Day Light, but that’s a pretty good definition of “damning with faint praise”.

Game Day Light

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You may recall that 7-Eleven decided to launch its own private label beer and it came out last month. Well I had to hunt around a bit but I finally found some in West Virginia.

Craft beer aficionados scoffed, as you might expect, but 7-Eleven looks like they know their target demographic. I said that I’d try it before I made any judgments, so that’s what I’m going to do.

I opted for the 24 ounce tallboys from the cooler and passed on the six-packs. There was no signage or other indication that this was a store-brand beer. The cans even say they’re from Game Day Brewing in La Crosse, Wisconsin, which is, of course, the location of City Brewing which is contract brewing this. Anyway, if I hadn’t known better, I probably would have just figured it was an off-brand that I hadn’t heard of.

The company doesn’t say anything about the things beer geeks care about, like IBUs, hop varieties, or grain bill. The press release for it did say, however,

Brewed with the highest quality malts and hops, Game Day Light (110 calories per 12 ounces, 3.9 percent alcohol by volume) has a clean, crisp taste with a smooth malt finish while the hops flavor is bolder in Game Day Ice (155 calories per 12 ounces, 5.5 percent alcohol by volume).

So, let’s start with the Light.

Very light straw color with a white fizzy head that drops quickly. Aroma is nearly non-existent, but I detect a bit of fruitiness. After it warms a bit I get a bit of rotten vegetables. (Or, as my wife terms it: “pond water”.)  There is little to no taste, but what is there follows the aroma. This is a beer that needs to be drunk ice cold. If at all.

GonzoFest postponed

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GonzoFest will not be happening on June 19, 2010 as originally planned. Here’s part of a note I received from Erin Biles, Public Relations Manager for Flying Dog:

Thank you so much for your interest in Gonzofest 2010 on June 19. Unfortunately, we have decided to reschedule the party until later this year. The amount you spent on tickets will be refunded directly to your purchasing account within the next 24 hours.

We don’t throw parties that suck and it became clear to us last week that we won’t be able to throw a kick-ass party here at the brewery. We will pick a new venue and a new date soon, and you will be one of the first to know.

…

Thanks again for your support of Flying Dog Brewery and we look forward to partying with you soon!

It sucks that they didn’t figure this out until after they’d already started selling tickets. I hope they don’t choose a date where I already have a commitment. That would really suck.

Still, it’s probably a good thing. Parking logistics last year were, shall we say, sub-optimal. Having two sessions this year, even with two hours buffer between them, is probably too ambitious. Having to truck all that beer to another location is going to be a cost they didn’t anticipate, and woe unto them if they run out of beer.

As soon as I know something I’ll let you know.

p.s., I might have a couple of tickets to give away. I’ll keep you posted.

Gonzo Fest 2010

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Update: GonzoFest has been postponed.

It’s that time of year: GonzoFest!

I went to the 2nd Annual GonzoFest last year and it was great.

It was so popular last year that they’ve split it into two separate 4-hour sessions: 11-3 and 5-9. June 19, by the way.

All proceeds go to the Gonzo Foundation:

The mission of the Gonzo Foundation is to promote literature, journalism, and political activism through the legacy of Hunter S. Thompson.

By hosting events at high schools, colleges, and public libraries to highlight the life and times of Hunter, the Gonzo Foundation plans to encourage young adults to pursue the study of journalism and provide scholarships to financially deserving journalism students. Collegiate journalism departments across the country attribute much of the interest students have in journalism to Hunter. The foundation will also promote the works of other notable American writers, as Hunter is often studied alongside the likes of H.L. Mencken, Truman Capote, Mark Twain, F. Scott Fitzgerald, Tom Wolfe, Jack Kerouac, David Halberstam, and Doris Kearns Goodwin.

Established in 2005 by Anita Thompson, Hunter S. Thompson’s widow, the Gonzo Foundation is primarily supported by Flying Dog Brewery. In addition to Gonzofest, all proceeds from every Flying Dog’s Gonzo Imperial Porter – brewed in commemoration of Hunter – sold benefit the foundation.

For more details and to buy your tickets, go to GonzoFest2010.com.

Who’s going?

Computer Security Beer

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Computer Security fascinates me. So do mashups. And, I confess, an unnatural affection for puns.

  • Key Lager – secretly records your keystrokes to steal your passwords with a light, refreshing flavor
  • Port(er) Scanner – checks for unprotected points of entry while offering roast coffee and chocolate highlights
  • Tripel DES encryption – a strong pale ale from Belgium that applies the Data Encryption Standard cipher three times

What are your suggestions for the Computer Security Beer lineup?

Shiner Bock

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Boy, the weather has been crazy around here. Frost advisories followed a few days later by a 90 degree heat wave, a few beautiful days, then more frost and now it’s cold and rainy. Ah, Spring!

I guess it’s a good time for a bock.

Shiner Bock has been around, well, seemingly forever. (Makes sense, since they’ve been making it since 1913.) Ever since I’ve developed an appreciation for better beer and have actively sought it out, I would see references to it all over; I just never got around to trying it until now.

Spoetzl says:

Bock reflects the tradition of genuine Bavarian beers as a brew only a craftsman like Kosmos Spoetzl, trained in the “Old Country,” could bring to life. With its deep amber color, distinctive rich flavor and full body, Shiner Bock demonstrates the care of a handcrafted brewing process to bring forth a mellow taste free of the bitter aftertaste found in many micro, specialty and imported beers. Just think of it as Shiner smooth.

Clear and golden with a nice, thick head that dissipates fairly rapidly. Malty/bready aroma. Not as rich as I expected. It’s not really a bock, though. That’s okay. It’s pretty good, but not great. Ron did like it with his Texas Barbecue, though.

Shiner Beers (caution: requires Flash)

Other impressions from the beer-o-sphere: