It was a day born of tragedy. A VIP tour of the Flying Dog brewery was offered as part of a charity auction. There is a sizable contingent of craft beer fans in Brunswick, Maryland, and we decided that we must have it. There was some early competition in the bidding, but we decided we were not to be denied. (We also raised more than a little money for the auction.)

Next came the negotiations. It is no mean feat to get ten couples, all with children of various ages, to all agree on a date and time. There was much back and forth and I feared that it wouldn’t happen, but we finally arrived at a date. (The fact that it was Cinco de Mayo is a complete coincidence.) Even then, we were still short one of our original twenty. (Sorry Louisa. You were missed!)

So yesterday, on a beautiful Spring afternoon, we clambered on to the Flying Dog RV with Petey (job title: Captain Experience) and Meghan (job title: Garb and Gadgetry Guru) at the helm for the 25-minute drive up to the brewery. (Thankfully, there were two beers on tap, so the time passed quickly.) There we were met by Jim Caruso, CEO and partner. We spent a few minutes kibitzing in the tasting room (and tasting, of course), and then headed in on the tour, led by Jim himself.

Now, I’ve been through the facility before. F.O.A.M. has had their February meeting there for as long as I have been a member, and so I’ve gotten informal tours. Not to mention a couple of years ago I was invited to be a beta-tester for their new tour format. But with Jim leading us we got to hear quite a bit more of the history behind the brewery and the friendships of George Stranahan, Hunter S. Thompson, and Ralph Steadman.

Why, yes, I would like to sample some green beer (photo courtesy Christopher Vigliotti)

We got to see the “hot” side, and the “cold” side. Jim spent quite a bit of time talking about the lab and how they do daily tests and tastings of every run. He told us about how the tasters keep their palates in tune (because your taste does change over time). He rattled off number after number after number: tons of grain, gallons of water, bottles of beer. Huge numbers, and they’re still only number 29 (by volume) amongst U.S. craft brewers. And, of course, the packaging area with skid after skid of beer ready to be shipped out.

After the tour we went back to the tasting room. a.k.a. Frisco’s catered (and the exploded potatoes were delicious) but we were all most interested in the twenty or so taps. Even more, I was excited about the several beers that I had not yet had.

And then we did what beer people do. We sat around together, sampling the wide variety of beer, noshing, and talking. We talked about the beer, we talked about the tour, we talked about our kids. I got to talk briefly to Jim about what a great beer community we have in Frederick County –granted, it’s no Portland or Asheville, but we do pretty well for a mostly-rural county–and how fortunate Flying Dog and we were to find each other.

All too soon it was time to go. We all climbed aboard the RV once again for our trip back home. We universally agreed that we should do it again some time.

Thanks Jim, Petey, Meghan, Abby and the rest of the Flying Dog crew.

At the end of the day (photo courtesy of Naomi Everett)

Flying Dog VIP Tour is from Hop Talk - Beer. Life. Blog.

After 16 years as one of contract brewing’s loudest cheerleaders,Shmaltz Brewing company, handcrafters of HE’BREW – The Chosen Beer® and Coney Island Craft Lagers®, is breaking with tradition and opening its own New York State production brewery. Located in Clifton Park, NY, 10 minutes north of Albany’s capital district, Shmaltz’s new home boasts a 50-barrel brewhouse with 20,000 barrels of annual capacity. With a $3.25 million dollar budget and countless hours of planning and preparation, what began as an improbable fantasy only one year ago, has blossomed into a nearly 20,000 square foot brewing reality.

Death of a Contract Brewer is from Hop Talk - Beer. Life. Blog.

For the umpteenth year in a row, craft beer has seen double-digit growth. Fifteen percent by volume, in fact.

Domestic beer production overall grew by 1%.

Even better, craft beer grew 17% when measured in dollars. (Okay, not so good when it comes to my wallet, but it shows the industry isn’t discounting itself out of business.)

Of course, craft beer still only accounts for less than 7% (6.5, to be precise) of the entire domestic beer market. Considering it was under 5% only a couple years ago, that’s still good news.

The entire press release is below:

Brewers Association: Craft Continues to Brew Growth

Volume and Sales Significantly Outpaced the Overall Market in 2012

Boulder, CO • March 18, 2013 — The Brewers Association (BA), the trade association representing small and independent American brewers, today released 2012 data on U.S. craft brewing¹ growth. In a year when the total U.S. beer market grew by one percent, craft brewers saw a 15 percent rise in volume² and a 17 percent increase in dollar growth, representing a total barrel increase of almost 1.8 million.

With production at 13,235,917 barrels in 2012, craft brewers reached 6.5 percent volume of the total U.S. beer market, up from 5.7 percent the previous year. Additionally, craft dollar share of the total U.S. beer market reached 10.2 percent in 2012, as retail dollar value from craft brewers was estimated at $10.2 billion, up from $8.7 billion in 2011.

“Beer is a $99 billion industry to which craft brewers are making a significant contribution, with retail sales share hitting double digits for the first time in 2012,” said Paul Gatza, director, Brewers Association. “Small and independent brewers are consistently innovating and producing high quality, flavor-forward craft brewed beer. Americans are not only responding to greater access to these products, but also to the stories and people behind them.”

In 2012, there was an 18 percent increase in the number of U.S. operating breweries, with the total count reaching 2,403. This count includes 409 new brewery openings and only 43 closings. Small breweries created an estimated 4,857 more jobs during the year, employing 108,440 workers, compared to 103,583 the year prior.

“On average, we are seeing slightly more than one craft brewery per day opening somewhere in the U.S. and we anticipate even more in the coming year. There is clearly a thirst in the marketplace for craft brewed beer, as indicated by the continued growth year after year,” added Gatza. “These small breweries are doing great things for their local communities, the greater community of craft brewers, our food arts culture and the overall economy.”

Note: Numbers are preliminary. A more extensive analysis will be released during the Craft Brewers Conference in Washington, D.C. from March 26-29. The full 2012 industry analysis will be published in the May/June 2013 issue of The New Brewer, highlighting regional trends and sales by individual breweries.

¹ The definition of a craft brewer as stated by the Brewers Association: An American craft brewer is small, independent, and traditional. Small: Annual production of beer less than 6 million barrels. Beer production is attributed to a brewer according to the rules of alternating proprietorships. Flavored malt beverages are not considered beer for purposes of this definition. Independent: Less than 25 percent of the craft brewery is owned or controlled (or equivalent economic interest) by an alcoholic beverage industry member who is not themselves a craft brewer. Traditional: A brewer who has either an all malt flagship (the beer which represents the greatest volume among that brewers brands) or has at least 50 percent of its volume in either all malt beers or in beers which use adjuncts to enhance rather than lighten flavor.

² Volume by craft brewers represent total taxable production.

# # #

About the Brewers Association

The Brewers Association is the not-for-profit trade association dedicated to small and independent American brewers, their craft beers and the community of brewing enthusiasts. The Brewers Association (BA) represents more than 70 percent of the brewing industry, and its members make more than 99 percent of the beer brewed in the U.S. The BA organizes events including the World Beer Cup®, Great American Beer Festival®, Craft Brewers Conference & BrewExpo America®, SAVOR℠: An American Craft Beer & Food Experience and American Craft Beer Week®. The BA publishes The New Brewer magazine and its Brewers Publications division is the largest publisher of contemporary and relevant brewing literature for today’s craft brewers and homebrewers.

Beer lovers are invited to learn more about the dynamic world of craft beer at CraftBeer.com and about homebrewing via the BA’s American Homebrewers Association. Follow us on Twitter.

Craft beer volumes up 15% in 2012 is from Hop Talk - Beer. Life. Blog.

White House Honey Ale is from Hop Talk - Beer. Life. Blog.

How to Open a Beer with Your Forearm – CHOW Tip

(via Lifehacker)

How to open a beer bottle with your forearm is from Hop Talk - Beer. Life. Blog.

We’ve also mentioned that green bottles don’t offer much more protections than clear glass, presenting as our evidence the fact that I have never had a Heineken from a bottle that wasn’t skunked.

Well, now there’s some science to back me up.

Rhett Allain, an Associate Professor of Physics at Southeastern Louisiana University, did some experiments with different bottles and some expensive equipment.

The absorption of different wavelengths of light for different colored bottles

As you can see, the green bottles are barely better than clear glass at virtually all wavelengths.

If you love your beer (and unless you like the taste of skunk) get your beer in brown bottles. Even better, a lot of craft brewers are putting their beer in cans nowadays. Even better, pop on down to your local beer-serving establishment and have some beer on draught with your friends. (Heck, have some with your enemies too.)

(via Brookston Beer Bulletin)

It’s science! Green bottles don’t provide much protection is from Hop Talk - Beer. Life. Blog.

Introducing Stove Toppers, a series of all-grain homebrew kits for advanced homebrewers that include our exact ingredients and brewmaster’s recipe, all scaled-down to for your 5-gallon home brewery.

We’re launching one kit per month in 2013 and each kit will be on sale for that month only. Starting tomorrow, Single Hop Imperial IPA with El Dorado will be on sale in our gift shop and the Flying Barrel Homebrew Supply Shop in Frederick, Maryland.

I like that they’re keeping to one kit and changing over to a new one every month. They’ve even released their schedule for 2013:

• February: Single Hop Imperial IPA with El Dorado
• March: Raging Bitch Belgian-Style IPA
• April: Woody Creek Belgian Wit
• May: Single Hop Imperial IPA with Citra
• June: Snake Dog IPA
• July: Dogtoberfest Marzen
• August: The Fear Imperial Pumpkin Ale
• September: Single Hop Imperial IPA with Sorachi Ace
• October: Pearl Necklace Oyster Stout
• November: Single Hop Imperial IPA with Simcoe
• December: Barrel-Aged Gonzo Imperial Porter

Heck, this might even be enough to get off my butt and learn how to brew all-grain.

If you brew with one of these kits, let us know how it turned out. (Bonus points if you invite us over for some.)

Homebrew clone kits direct from the brewer: Stove Toppers from Flying Dog is from Hop Talk - Beer. Life. Blog.

The wife’s at work (she’s a nurse; she had to go) and the kids are nestled safely in bed. I’ve a winter warmer by my side and a cat in my lap. This is good.

As you look back on 2012, I hope there was more good than bad. (That applies to everything, not just beer.) I hope 2013 is even better. (Again, not just beer.)

What ever holiday(s) you are celebrating this season, I hope they are Merry, Happy, Joyful, and Blessed. And that there’s plenty of good beer, but that probably goes without saying.

A Merry and a Happy is from Hop Talk - Beer. Life. Blog.

I assume Ommegang will stick to their proficiency in Belgian style beers, which are excellent… I plan to collect them all!

Those who watch Game Of Thrones while wishing that there was an accompanying beer they could pound every time Joffrey does something punchable may soon have the officially licensed pathway to alcohol poisoning they so desire. According to a press release, HBO has partnered with New York’s Brewery Ommegang to launch a series of Game Of Thrones-themed beers timed to the March 31 third season premiere, beginning with the first entry, Iron Throne Blonde Ale. The 750ml, $8.50-per-bottle beer—which will presumably feature notes of smug arrogance,

Robert Baratheon ass sweat, and caramel—is the first of four to come that will “directly tie into themes, characters, and nuances” established in the show’s universe. Someday soon you’ll be declaring, “Man, I drank a ton of Varys’ Inscrutable Power Plays Porter and got totally shitfaced on nuance last night.”

via AVClub

Game of Thrones Beers is from Hop Talk - Beer. Life. Blog.

While we’re being thankful for all those craft brewers out there and their wonderful creations, we want to be sure that we’re thankful for the really important things.

Happy Thanksgiving!

p. s. I would be personally thankful for a Dallas Cowboys loss. Just sayin’.

Thanksgiving 2012 is from Hop Talk - Beer. Life. Blog.

Weekend is Here is from Hop Talk - Beer. Life. Blog.

http://vimeo.com/user14116858/thebeerkeyboard

Arduino, Raspberry Pi, and beer cans create a functioning keyboard is from Hop Talk - Beer. Life. Blog.

Aren’t you bummed when the head drops, leaving you without that layer of foamy goodness?

Well be bummed no more. Now you can get your very own Professional Beer Foam Making Mug!

Without batteries you can create a brand new frothy head on your beer at any time.

As they say:

While you are drinking beer in the middle part, the Beer Foam is gone already, Simply Press the button once, the Professional Beer Foam Appear Again!! Let’s have fun for your Great Time!!

Uh…what?

Anyway, if your beer paraphernalia collection tends to the kitschy side, you can have this technological marvel for less than $25.

(via Boing Boing)

Mug creates head on demand is from Hop Talk - Beer. Life. Blog.

It has long been suspected that alcohol consumption can increase the risk of some types of cancer. This study purports to now have solid proof. (No pun intended.)

First evidence from humans on how alcohol may boost risk of cancer

Silvia Balbo, Ph.D., who led the study, explained that the human body breaks down, or metabolizes, the alcohol in beer, wine and hard liquor. One of the substances formed in that breakdown is acetaldehyde, a substance with a chemical backbone that resembles formaldehyde. Formaldehyde is a known human carcinogen. Scientists also have known from laboratory experiments that acetaldehyde can cause DNA damage, trigger chromosomal abnormalities in cell cultures and act as an animal carcinogen.

“We now have the first evidence from living human volunteers that acetaldehyde formed after alcohol consumption damages DNA dramatically,” Balbo said. She is a research associate in the laboratory of Stephen Hecht, Ph.D., a noted authority on cancer prevention at the University of Minnesota. “Acetaldehyde attaches to DNA in humans ― to the genetic material that makes up genes – in a way that results in the formation of a ‘DNA adduct.’ It’s acetaldehyde that latches onto DNA and interferes with DNA activity in a way linked to an increased risk of cancer.”

It turns out that about 30% of Asians have a variant of the alcohol dehydrogenase gene so are unable to metabolize alcohol into acetate, and that ultimately translates into an increased risk of esophogeal cancer. Native Americans and native Alaskans have the same variant. That’s over one-and-a-half billion people.

Of course the study used vodka for their tests, and there was no mention in anything I read if there might be a difference between spirits and wine or beer.

As always: Everything in moderation.

Alcohol may increase cancer risk for some is from Hop Talk - Beer. Life. Blog.

In 2011, Brunswick Main Street debuted the Wine and Chocolate Walk. Attendees enjoyed fine wine and fair trade chocolates as they strolled through downtown. The 2011 festival featured wine from Black Ankle Vineyards, Fabbioli Cellars, Hiddencroft Vineyards, Sugarloaf Mountain Vineyards, Knob Hall Winery, North Gate Vineyards and Boordy Vineyards.

Main Street decided to grow the festival for 2012 offering 30 beverage and food tastings at 12 venues in the historic downtown.

Of course, Real Women Drink Craft Beer will point out that not all women prefer wine over beer (or, at least, they enjoy both). So last year they set up a tent downtown and gave away barbecue and a selection of (mostly local) craft beers. Since it went over so well, the women behind RWDCB have been asked back to do it again.

Since I’m friends with the RWDCB crew (and, yes, they are Real Women™), I have a pair of tickets to this year’s event to give away.

If you’d like my extra tickets, simply send an e-mail message to contact@hop-talk.com at let us know if you prefer wine, beer, or enjoy both. Please get your message to us by September 19, when we’ll pick one person at random to get the tickets.

You can get details about buying tickets at the WnC site. When you come to the Walk be sure to stop by the beer tent and say hi.

Congratulations Patty Smith! You get our tickets!

Win 2 tickets to the Brunswick Wine & Chocolate Walk is from Hop Talk - Beer. Life. Blog.

Beer Slogans Quiz!

(Unfortunately the quiz requires Flash.)

For what it’s worth I only got 8 out of 12.

How well do you know your beer slogans? is from Hop Talk - Beer. Life. Blog.

With James from NBBT. In my hand is a growler of Lagunitas Imperial Stout

When you hear someone mention Napa or Sonoma County, long green rows of grapevines come to mind under rolling hills beneath an intense afternoon sun. Visitor Centers in Wine Country even claim one out of every three people who fly into SFO end up there. That’s a lot of people considering how many other attractions California has to offer. But what it shows is an enormous worldwide market for scenic drives, day spas, bike rides, and fine alcohol tasting experiences. Perhaps this is what the boys over at North Bay Brewery Tours had in mind when they started loading people up in buses for scenic drives not to taste wine, but beer. Anyone keeping up with craft beer in the last decade will not be surprised by the result.

Our first stop on the tour was to Lagunitas Brewery in Petaluma, which was cool because I had never been there before even though they are one of my favorite breweries. James and Ron even hook it up with the friendly folks at Lagunitas so that you get to post up on the well-cushioned couches of the VIP room, which was the original upstairs bar before Lagunitas went platinum. From there our sampling began, sipping the standards like New Dogtown and Censored Rich Copper Ale. Their lunch menu was also satisfyingly paired to the beer offerings. In the upstairs bar, even the old, heavily cushioned couches have a funny story. As the guys who have worked for Lagunitas through the years got married, their wives made them get rid of the ugly (yet comfortable) furniture of their bachelorhood. So while you take in the laid back ambiance, the foosball table, the old bottles, and cool posters, you can also laugh into your beer at that tale and others.

Upstairs in the VIP bar with Joe and Stephani – the new brewery behind us, tasters in front of us.

Through the large glass windows of the upstairs room you can stare down at the new 17 million dollar brewery, which has all kinds of stories attached to it as well. In fact, if there are two things Lagunitas will never run out of, it is beer and stories about the beer. Here is another good one: The Germans they imported to install the state-of-the-art brewing system at first thought it was blasphemy Lagunitas had the stones to brew a pilsner over 5 percent. They couldn’t believe it. They were offended because of the rich history of their own country and the traditions they have always known. Yet after two weeks of sampling Pils on the job (they’re German –  working and drinking are one and the same), they were convincing Tony Magee he needed to brew more of it, and then export it to Europe.

Contemplating the Bourbon Barrels

Another part of our NBBT package came with an historical rendition of Lagunitas brewery and a tour of the extensive grounds. We were lucky to get our tour from Ryan Tamborski. At first Ryan seems to be a bartender, after a few beers he morphs into a tour guide, and halfway through it all you realize it’s all been a setup and you see that he’s actually a semi-sober stand-up comedian. With his combination of knowledge of the brewing process, experience with Lagunitas during its infancy, weed-infused allusions, and personal dry humor, Ryan gives out one of the best tours you’ll have in the world of beer. For real.

To put it frankly, Lagunitas is a must-see. If you are into craft beer and are interested at all in how the process works, or just enjoy drinking hella good beer, you need to have been there yesterday – this is coming from someone who went there yesterday. Lagunitas represents everything that is good about craft beer, from their funnily-sordid history with the ATF and TTB, to the legendary myths concerning how they came to be, to the sky-high quality of their beers, it is a space for beer heads who love heady beer. Plus everyone has a beard.

Ryan Tamborski

From Lagunitas we piled back into the bus feeling better and better with every beer that passed through our greedy lips, and travelled North to Healdsburg to check out Bear Republic- another big name in beer whose Racer 5 IPA will forever be remembered in California as one of the first true hop experiences for many beer newbies. Bear Republic is nestled into a beautiful part of downtown Healdsburg, and on a sunny day like yesterday it was hard to imagine life without beer, or as Hugh Hood said, “Nothing ever tasted better than a cold beer on a beautiful afternoon with nothing to look forward to than more of the same.” We took generous swigs of their Hop Rod Rye and Red Rocket Ale (the latter of which Alisa and I get in 22s when we can). Additionally I got a pint of their Mt. Hood pale, which was excellent. In a town overtaken by wine and their numerous tasting rooms in Sonoma county, Bear Republic is a breath of fresh hops in the snooty air of wine snob central. If you need a break and a cold one, it’s a no-brainer. I would say it’s pro-brain.

Finally the boys at North Bay Brewery Tours brought us to Santa Rosa. First we immersed ourselves in 3rd Street Aleworks, who were hospitable with a mellow stout, a kolsch, and another beer I don’t remember because I was sloshed at that point. 3rd Street Aleworks is a cool place. It is chill, they have a good menu, and the beer is excellent. James and our other guide Jack told us this was where they came to drink because the beer is great and they don’t have the crowds across the street (read on).

We then ended our night across the street at the Mecca of craft beer – Russian River Brewery. This place is packed at all hours of every day and yesterday was no exception and more of the same. Known for the double IPA Pliny the Elder and their more yearned-after Triple IPA Younger seasonal, Russian River actually bases their reputation on much more than their American-style selection. Their forte is really Belgian-style beers, and they stick to their guns, serving up sours and other experimental mixtures which always come in smooth on the palate and high in ABV. Their collaboration with Sierra Nevada – Brux – is a wonderful farmhouse ale brewed with wild yeast and just enough sour to make it edgy. It has a nice Chardonnay feel: fruity and tart, but also comes correct at over 8%. I also have to mention their Row 2 Hill 56, a 100% Simcoe Hop pale ale, which is awesome in its crisp clarity and hoppy character. Of course Alisa had to get a Pliny because, well, because you have to, as it remains one of the best American IPAs on earth.

Another plus of the bus tour is of course the people you meet. So as the bus said farewell, Alisa and I stayed at Russian River for dinner with Joe and Stephani, another couple from the bus who, like us, had also met at UC Davis. So the beer kept flowing, the pizza came hot, and evening descended on us all in the splendor known only to those who have been drinking world-class beer all day long.

At the end of a sunny Saturday, I couldn’t have asked for more from a big white bus with a keg of Little Sumpin’ Ale surrounded by a bunch of people interested in beer, brewing, and having a good time while consuming fine ales. If you find yourself in Northern California and are looking for an excellent alternative to the increasingly stuffy and expensive wine tour model, or you just want to do something cool and don’t want to drive, NBBT is a steal at $89 for the day. They’ll even pull off the freeway quick if your bladder is about to explode and let you run outside in such a panic you don’t notice you are peeing in a thinly bushed hedge facing all 14 other people in the bus. But really you just need to get to these breweries out here because what they are doing is legendary.

Alisa and I – yes we look like just like we do in my comic strip HomeBrood here at Hop Talk.

Going to Wine Country? Take a Beer Tour Instead is from Hop Talk - Beer. Life. Blog.

craft beer n (1986): a specialty beer produced in limited quantities: MICROBREW

That definition seems a little spare, especially considering all of the nuance found in beer and all the joy it has brought to the world. And, of course, a lot of people still define it by what it’s not.

Other words and definitions that were added this year that may (or may not) have some significance to me are:

• gastropub
• man cave
• f-bomb
• underwater (as in a mortgage)
• sexting
• brain cramp

Top 25 newcomers to Merriam-Webster Collegiate Dictionary

(via Brookston Beer Bulletin)

“Craft beer” now in the dictionary is from Hop Talk - Beer. Life. Blog.

From the Abstract:

These findings indicate that current smoking is associated with an increased risk of ALS, as well as a worse prognosis, and alcohol consumption is associated with a reduced risk of ALS, further corroborating the role of lifestyle factors in the pathogenesis of ALS. The importance of population-based incident patient cohorts in identifying risk factors is highlighted by this study.

(via PubMed (via Brookston Beer Bulletin))

Moderate drinkers less likely to contract A.L.S. is from Hop Talk - Beer. Life. Blog.

Snark aside, this is more good news for people who enjoy their alcoholic beverages moderately. In this case, moderate means more than three drinks per week. (They really didn’t give an upper bound.) Oh, and the study was on Swedish women.

After taking into account other factors like age, diet and smoking, the researchers found that people who reported drinking more than three alcoholic beverages a week — where a single beverage is defined as 500 milliliters of beer, 150 milliliters of wine or 50 milliliters of liquor — had a 52 percent lower rheumatoid arthritis risk, compared with people who never drank.

The working theory is that since rheumatoid arthritis is an anti-immune disease, that the alcohol is probably mildly suppressing the body’s immune function.

A study in Oregon found similar results with moderate drinking protecting against osteoporosis.

Of course, they take pains to remind us that heavy drinking offers up plenty of deleterious effects of its own.

It’s not a good reason to start drinking, but it’s still good news.

(via Choose Responsibility Blog (via Huffington Post))

Moderate consumption may lower risk of rheumatoid arthritis is from Hop Talk - Beer. Life. Blog.