A newsletter of special interest to brewers, the brewing community, chefs, restaurateurs, and members of the beverage alcohol business media.
If you wish to be dropped from this list, please respond to peter.lafrance@beerbasics.com . Include the word "remove" in the Subject: line.
(The subscriber list is the sole property of the publisher and will not be sold, given or otherwise distributed.)
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Publisher: Peter LaFrance
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BEER BASICS.COM
Vol.08 No.008 --- 28 September 2007
A newsletter of special interest to brewers, the brewing community, chefs, restaurateurs, and members of the beverage alcohol business media.
If you wish to be dropped from this list, please respond to peter.lafrance@beerbasics.com
Include the word "remove" in the Subject: line.
(The subscriber list is the sole property of the publisher and will not be sold, given or otherwise distributed.)
==============================
Publisher: Peter LaFrance
==============================
============================== THE RANT ==============================
Greetings,
“Time it
was and what a time it was it was,
A time of innocence a time of confidences.
Long ago it must be, I have a photograph
Preserve your memories, theyre all thats left you.”
“Old Friends” from “Bookends” – P. Simon & A. Garfunkel
I begin this issue with a poem that was written about two old friends living out their days. Not so much a bow to mortality, the sentiment is more a comment on friendship. The 1968 lyrics have lost nothing in their poignancy after almost forty years. I feel that the ability to form friendships that endure time and distance is right up there along with beer that marks Homo sapiens as civilized and human.
There are certain people who have the ability to make you feel an almost instant friendship. I can only wonder if they know the effect they have. In my almost fifty six years on this earth I have met only five of these sort of folk. One was named Michael Jackson.
I met him at an Anchor Steam Beer promotion in the summer of either 1981 or 1982, at a place called Brewsky’s on Seventh Street in Manhattan, New York City. I was there as a freelance writer working on an assignment about small breweries for Restaurant Management magazine. As soon as I shook his hand and his voice said “well met” it seemed I had become the center of his attention and that he really was interested in hearing what I thought of the beer we were drinking.
As the afternoon wore on, and the beers were poured, I noticed two things. First I noted that the enthusiasm for the exploration of different “flavors” of beer that was already shared by those there was less intense, more relaxed, than in the past. The second thing I noted was that the comparisons of brews were being made on esthetic and sensual merits rather than as a competition. The “What flavor is that?” and “What sort of aroma is that?” sort of questions demanded contemplation. The answers that afternoon would form the first few entries in my “taste library.” As the half dozen or so of us sniffed and tasted our beers, Jackson prodded our vocabularies and senses as we explored flavors and aromas overlooked or not noticed in the past.
The convivial deconstruction and enjoyment of those brews formed the basis of a career that has extended for over twenty five years, over two hundred articles, and at least three books.
What made that event different from those before and after?
It was that “instant friendship” effect that Michael Jackson had on me. The sincerity was real and the interest in what I had to say was also genuine. It was also infectious.
Fermented malt beverages were lucky to have had a journalist like Michael Jackson write about them. And every time I sit down to work on an assignment, well almost every time, I recall the afternoon at Brewsky’s, the afternoon I saw a true journalist at work and made a friend.
Cheers!
Peter LaFrance
==================== BEERBASICS.COM VISITS... =========================
Beer House Brewery & Restaurant – Tallinin, Estonia
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gn0hE5BnY64
==============================FROM THE WIRES==============================
A report, An announcement and an observation... Wet Hop Brews
The Report:
I couldn’t help but note the following three stories posted on beeradvocate.com:
Harpoon Brewery 100 Barrel Series Session 20 - Glacier Harvest Wet Hop Ale
http://beeradvocate.com/news/1096167
Harpoon Celebrates The 2007 Hop Harvest With A Wet Hop Beer
http://beeradvocate.com/news/1092870
Deschutes Brewery Goes Hop Trippin'
http://beeradvocate.com/news/1098557
Then I received a notice about:
Oregon Bounty - Brewery Hop Festivals
Sample fresh hop beers from Oregon's top craft brewers, large and small at an Oregon Bounty Fresh Hop Beer "Tastival", produced by the Oregon Brewers Guild. It's your once-a-year chance to taste what Oregon's finest brewmasters can do with just-picked hops.
http://www.traveloregon.com/bounty/BreweryHopFestivals.aspx
Today I received the following via email: The Announcement
GREAT DIVIDE RELEASES “WET HOPPED” FRESH HOP PALE ALE
September 27, 2007
On the heels of the US hop harvest, Great Divide is releasing its unique “wet hopped” beer, Fresh Hop Pale Ale. Fresh Hop is an American-style ale brewed with freshly picked hops instead of the dried and pelletized hops brewers typically use. It will be released on October 1.
“Wet hops are expensive and difficult to brew with,” says Great Divide founder Brian Dunn, “and Fresh Hop is a very labor intensive beer for us to make. A brew takes several extra hours and 3 times the normal staff.” But Dunn says the extra effort is well worth the trouble. “It’s a really unique opportunity for us to brew with seasonal ingredients, something we don’t get to do very often. And fresh hops give a distinctly fresh, almost grassy hop character to the beer.”
Great Divide brewed just 200 barrels (a barrel equals 31 US gallons) of Fresh Hop. The beer is available in limited quantities of draft and 22 ounce bottles.
The Observation:
Now, I have sipped and quaffed many “anniversary” ales, beers, porters and lagers. Each year I look forward to the Anchor “Our Special Ale.” The celebration ales have a long history in the tradition of brewing. That will be the subject of another entry.
This time I find the essence of the subject being the use of hops harvested at the same time and, in some cases, from the same hop farms. If this means that two or three breweries are using the harvest from a specific farm and a specific year it becomes the equivalent of a “vintage” brew as well as an “anniversary” brew.
Why have the marketing possibilities of this concept not been exploited?
After further research I hope to find the beginning of an answer and post it on this site.
Comments are solicited.
Cheers!
Peter LaFrance
(peter.lafrance@beerbasics.com )
============================TASTING NOTES==========================
Magic Hat Belgian Dubbel // “Fall Mystery Beer”
Magic Hat Belgian Dubbel // “Fall Mystery Beer”
Tasting Notes: (CLICK)
============================== Dinners, Events, and New product Information ==============================
FOR MORE CLICK ON THE FOLLOWING LINK: PRESS RELEASES AND MORE
============================================================
==================== CHECK THESE OUT: ======================
Cask Ale Resource Link-
Alex Hall has put together a very helpful link to on-premise establishments that serve real cask ale.
http://www.cask-ale.co.uk/us/statemenu.html
Culinary Cultures LLC
For chefs, cooks and foodservice professionals.
Chef Ron L. Askew, Executive Director
The Food Reference Newsletter
Food History, Trivia, Quotes, Humor, Poetry, Recipes
James T. Ehler, Editor
Lew Bryson's Home Page
Beer maven Lew Bryson has a site that deserves a hit or two.
Of special interest is the Pennsylvania Breweries Update Page, for those who have his book Pennsylvania Breweries. Lew Bryson's website also offers frequent updates to his new book, NY Breweries.
Nat Decants Free Newsletter
Wine tips, sips and articles from award-winning wine writer Natalie MacLean. There are no ads and all e-mail addresses are kept confidential.
Contact: natdecants@nataliemaclean.com or http://www.nataliemaclean.com/
SALUT! (The Webb site.)
This site includes a recipe of the month (all beer-based recipes), a substitution chart so that those not lucky enough to have access to Quebec’s great beers can use an alternative beer, a brief history of beer in Quebec, and a Question & Answer section with Raymond Beauchemin.
========================DIRECT ACCESS===============================
I have not had a chance to check these email addresses. I suggest you use the site addresses if you have any doubts.
1) BridgePort Brewing Co. www.bridgeportbrewing.com
Paula Troyer, Marketing Manager, 503-241-7179, paula.troyer@bridgeportbrewing.com
2) Pete's Brewing Co. www.peteswicked.com
Jennifer Shannon, Marketing Manager, 210-490-9128, jennifer.shannon@gambrinus.com
3) Spoetzl Brewery Inc.,Shiner, TX: www.shiner.com
Jay Finnigan, Marketing Manager, 210-490-9128, jay.finnigan@gambrinus.com
4) Gambrinus: www.gambrinus.com
Ron Christesson, Director of Marketing, 210-490-9128, ron.christesson@gambrinus.com
5) Rogue Ales www.rogue.com
Michele Becker, Marketing 503-241-3800 x4 michele@rogue.com
6) Boston Beer Company www.bostonbeer.com
Michelle Sullivan 617-368-5165 michelle.sullivan@bostonbeer.com
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© Peter LaFrance 2006