HOT TRUB/BEER BASICS.COM
A newsletter of special interest to brewers,
members of the brewing community, chefs,
restaurateurs,
and members of the media that cover the beverage
alcohol business.
Vol. 2 No. 44 --- 14 November 2001
Published by: Peter LaFrance peter.lafrance@beerbasics.com
Journalist, covering the beverage
alcohol industry since 1985.
Author of:
Beer Basics (ISBN 0-471-11936-9)
Cooking & Eating with Beer (ISBN
0-471-31879-5)
visit www.beerbasics.com
If you wish to be dropped from this list
please respond to this posting to peter.lafrance@beerbasics.com
include the word remove in
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===============================================
Editor: Peter LaFrance
(I gave Claire Zuckerman this week off.)
HAPPY
THANKSGIVING 2001!
=================================
Greetings,
Welcome to Hot Trub/BeerBasics.com ...
LATEST
NEWS:
Philip Morris becomes 'Altria Group,
Inc.'?
And A
Beer For Each of My Wives
The
Light Question - Again
ASKING
THE PRESS, THE INDUSTRY & YOU:
BEER + THE FEAST
1)
What beer are you going to enjoy with your Thanksgiving feast?
2) Continued
-- What is your favorite "bar-food"?
Respond
to: peter.lafrance@beerbasics.com
PROMOTIONS - EVENTS - DINNERS - From this issue
through one calendar year.
(All are invited to send events to be included: date,
event name, brief description, contact name & phone/web address.)
I invite your comments and criticism.
Cheers!
Peter LaFrance
Publisher
===================================
LATEST NEWS:
===================================
===========================================
Philip Morris Companies Inc. to become 'Altria Group, Inc.'?
Philip Morris Companies Inc. is asking
shareholders to approve changing its name to Altria Group, Inc. The corporation
stressed that its operating companies; Philip Morris U.S.A., Philip Morris
International, Miller Brewing and Kraft Foods will retain their current
names.
According
to a report from the Associated Press, “Chairman and CEO Geoffrey C. Bible told
employees the change is being proposed for two reasons: The first is a need for
clarity, he said. The parent company currently shares the name Philip Morris
with its two tobacco companies. "Our parent company's new name, which we
propose to be "Altria Group, Inc." should help clarify our corporate
identity, making it clear to people how to refer to our tobacco companies and
how to refer to the parent company," he said.”
The piece went on to note that Bible added, “The
second is the evolution of Philip Morris Companies Inc. "We are not the
same family of companies we were just a few years ago. The Nabisco acquisition
and the Kraft initial public offering are the most recent evidence of our
growth and evolution," said Bible.”
CONTACT:
Philip Morris Companies Inc.
David Tovar, 917/663-2144
===========================================
And A Beer For Each of My
Wives
The Baltimore Sun recently published the story
of Greg Schriff and his Polygamy Porter vs.
the good folks at the Utah Alcoholic Beverage
Control Commission.
It seems that Mr.
Schrif, the owner/brew master of Wasatch Brewing Co., Park City, Utah,
is advertising his beers
on public billboards that say - "Why have just one?" and "Take
some
home for the
wives," a clear allusion to the out-dated, illegal, still practicing
polygamists of Utah.
(Despite the fact that polygamy has been illegal
in Utah since 1890, there are still many
folks with more mothers in-laws than most of
us.)
Schrif is no stranger to controversy. He forced
state regulators to license microbreweries
and brew pubs in the 1980s. Two years ago, he
successfully tangled with Olympic organizers
over his "2002 Unofficial Amber Ale."
The liquor board tried to head off Schrif by
passing a regulation that banned ads using religious
themes or symbols. But according to the
Baltimore Sun, “…the board approved the measure
during an apparently secret meeting, raising
questions about its legal underpinnings.
The matter is now in court. In the meantime,
Schrif is selling beer and merchandise
on his Web site (www.utahbrewers.com)
and promoting Park City.”
===========================================
(Presented as received from Jim Anderson.)
Beer Philadelphia Class-Action Reaction
This week at Beer Philadelphia we'd like to
initiate a
CLASS-ACTION REACTION
That's right, I recently came across a piece about beer in a health
publication. It certainly got a reaction from me, and I'd like your
thoughts on it, too, for a class-action response to be sent to the
publisher:
"Don't assume that light beers are "light" in alcohol: they
usually
contain as much alcohol as regular beer. The "light" in beer
refers to
calories, which must be reduced at least 25%, according to the FDA. A
12-ounce can of typical domestic beer, with 4.5% alcohol, has as much
alcohol as a shot (1.5 ounces) of 80-proof whiskey, gin, or vodka or five
ounces of wine. And many imported beers and microbrewed beers
contain 6% alcohol (or even more)."
If anyone out there in Beer Land can shed some "light" on these
findings, please reply to this email by December 1, 2001. The most
piquant replies will be excerpted for our letter to the editor.
Jim Anderson: http://beerphiladelphia.com
http://philadelphia.citysearch.com/Philadelphia/restaurants_bars/
===========================================
BEER + THE FEAST
=================================================
ASKING THE PRESS, THE
INDUSTRY & YOU:
1) What beer are
you going to enjoy with your Thanksgiving feast?
2) Continued
-- What is your favorite "bar-food"?
Respond to: peter.lafrance@beerbasics.com
Cheers!
Peter
LaFrance
Publisher
(Responses
posted as received.)
=================================================
From: Tim Norris - soundguy@flash.net
1) Bells Porter, Anchor Old Foghorn, 1999 Goose
Island Christmas Ale and
Three Floyds Robert-the-Bruce will be on tap at
my home.
2) My very favorite bar food is the Cuban Roast
Pork sandwich from Cafe
LaGuardia carried in to The Map Room, Chicago,
IL... the fried sweet
plantains and chips with guacamole make nice
sides.
Tim
==========================================
From: Marty Jones - martysjones@worldnet.att.net
Peter,
Among the many things I give thanks for each
Thanksgiving are the wealth of
great beers made here in Colorado. Beers we
drink with pride during the
holiday season.
My faves include Great Divide's Hibernation Ale,
Avery's Old Jubilation, New
Belgium's Abbey Grand Cru and Left Hand's spiced
ale. Breckenridge's
Christmas Ale is another T-day pleasure.We sip
new versions of these
gems and cellared (okay, closeted) models from
the previous year.
I always enjoy bottles of Harpoon's Winter
Warmer, which my brother sends to
me from Virginia. (God bless him and his
honoring of tradition.) I dig a
few bottles of Sam Adams Cranberry Lambic, too,
and a few choice Belgian
holiday beers.
My fave bar food?
A well-made chicken wing, without the flapper,
fried and tossed in a
vinegar-based hot sauce. Preferably Louisiana
Crystal.
There you go,
Marty Jones
==============================================
From: Lanny Hoff - Lanny@mn.rr.com
Hello Peter,
Well, I'm an avowed Sierra Nevada Celebration
Ale junkie. It's my favorite
American micro, hands down, so I think I'll have
a couple of those as the
turkey cooks, followed by a really big bottle of
St. Feuillien Cuvee de Noel
to share with like-minded family members.
Have a great T-day!
Lanny
=============================================
From: Alan Sprints - alan@hairofthedog.com
On
Turkey Day we always have large gatherings, usually about 15 people and my love
of
Beer has only rubbed off on a few. So I start my celebration a week early
and drink
a
different Belgian Beer every day for a week. So far I have had Rochefort
8 and 10,
Westmalle
Trippel, Boon Kriek, De Ranke Kriek, Fantome Strange Ghost, La Chouffe(Draft)
and
Brewery Crombe Oud Kriekenbier. Tomorrow I will end my trip in Holland with
Beers
from
Brewery `t Ij, Plzen, Natte, Zatte, Columbus, Struis and the End of the Year
Beer '98.
I
do have some great Oregon wines for Thanksgiving Dinner, I hope you enjoy yours
as much
as
I have mine.
===============================================
From: Stan Hieronymus - stan@realbeer.com
Peter,
The real answer is "don't know," since
we are flying to Illinois tomorrow
and will go beer shopping then. We'll be taking
a few west of the
Mississippi winter beers (Isolation, Hibernation
and maybe Full Sail
Wassail) and some homebrew (spiced Belgian
strong, sweet holiday stout) but
those are for when we are cooking turkey. We're
going to the
Illinois-Northwestern football game on Thursday,
then deep-frying a turkey.
With the meal itself, I'm sure some people will
choose wine, some mainstream
beer and -- if we are lucky -- we'll be able to
have New Glarus Cherry
and/or Raspberry.
Happy holidays,
Stan
====================================================
From: Lisa Variano - Lisalambic@aol.com
On Thanksgiving Day, after a morning of duck hunting in the beautiful Boise
River area of Parma Idaho,
I
will be enjoying several fine products from Idaho Brewing Company of course.
Our Pale Ale and
Brown
Ale are two of my favorites.
To show our appreciation for all of the volunteer support we get on the
bottling line we will be hosting a
Holiday
beer, cheese and other assorted goodies event sometime in December.
Happy Holidays!
Lisa
(sales manager, Idaho Brewing Company)
======================================================
From: Rex Halfpenny - MIBeerguyd@aol.com
In a message dated 11/20/01 10:03:13 AM,
peter.lafrance@beerbasics.com writes:
Hello Peter, nice selection. I still have a
number of bottles from that
vintage in stock as well. I was thinking more
along the line of a local
product. I have one bottle left of the 2001 New
Holland Brewing Company Black
Tulip Trippel, which I expect to pair perfectly
with my wife's free range
turkey. Cheers!
Rex Halfpenny
Michigan Beer Guide
http://www.michiganbeerguide.com
====================================================
From: Naomi R. Kooker - nkooker@rcn.com
Hi, Peter,
Good to hear from you.
Ah, I'm afraid my choices are more pedestrian...
a cold green-bottled
Heineken
or watery Corona from my brother-in-law's refrigerated stash. BUT,
I have had the pleasure of a better bitter or
Heidelberg hand-crafted brew.
(Just couldn't tell you the name!)
Thomas Hardy, eh? I'm jealous. The closest I've
come to him is traipsing
through Dorset, near the abbey where some of
"Tess of d'Urberville's" takes
place. It sounds lovely
Cheers, indeed. Happy Thanksgiving...and on
through the holidays!
Naomi
=========================================================
From: Nelson Jay - Nelson.Jay@Redhook.com
Peter:
Thanks for your message. The Jays will be
enjoying cask-conditioned 2001
Winterhook drawn from hand-pump here at the pub.
We'll transport glass
growlers on ice to our Turkey day rendezvous
with family up north (just
south of the BC border in suburban Bellingham).
The cask Winterhook is
dry hopped and cellared for several weeks -
resulting in an aromatic and
flavorful brew. Should be an excellent companion
to the smoked turkey
and smoked salmon (a NW holiday favorite!) on
the table. Have a great
holiday.
Cheers,
Nelson
===========================================
From: Bernie Kilkelly - berniekilkelly@cs.com
Peter - Happy Thanksgiving to you also. We are in Florida for the week and since I
always
like to drink the local beers, I will enjoy
Hurricane Reef Pale Ale, made at Ybor City Brewing
in Tampa.
It is a crisp American pale ale that is light enough to enjoy in the
Florida heat.
Cheers,
Bernie
==============================================
From: Priscilla A. Estes - pestes@pandora.be
Hi, Peter,
Since we will be at my in-laws in Denver for
Christmas, I'll probably be drinking La Folie from New Belgium.
Cheers,
Priscilla
==============================================
From: Jason Alstrom - BeerAdvocate.com - jason@beeradvocate.com
1) Cantillon Gueuze
2) Duvel or Allagash Tripel Reserve
3) Paulaner Premium Pils or Stella Artois
4) Bigfoot 2001
Probably in that order Cantillon before dinner
and Bigfoot after dinner. The
I will take a nap and repeat 1-4 again.
Happy Turkey Day!
Cheers!!
=================================================
From: Kurt Epps - pubscout@cybernex.net
In as much as Thanksgiving heralds the start of the Winter season (for me, at
least), and
Winter makes me think of Christmas, which makes
me think of Dickens, which makes me
think of Ebenezer Scrooge, I will be unshelving
a brew from Portland Brewing called
Old London Style Bobby Dazzler Holiday Ale.
Once that is put to rest, I will pop the top of a Snow Goose or an Old
Fezziwig.
Then when Tom Turkey makes his appearance, I will see that he is accompanied by
a few
glasses of Heavyweight's fabulous
Altbier--Stickenjab.
Finally, sated and seated in front of my fireplace, I shall watch the flames
dance through
the reflections of a Sierra Nevada Celebration
Ale as my family makes plans for decorating
the house and tree for Christmas.
Sure and 'tis a fine holiday, Thanksgiving.
The only purely American one on the calendar, you know.
**********
Kurt Epps
The WordsWright
When the right words really matter, get The WordsWright www.theww.cjb.net/
============================================
From: Gary Monterosso - WhatzOnTap@aol.com
Hi Peter,
Let me wish you a great Thanksgiving, as
well! This will be a meaningful one
for me, as my thoughts will be with the families
of all who have been
affected by the events of the past few months.
At my house on Thursday, there will be some
serious beer aficionados, as well
as some neophytes. One drink I will serve is Midas Touch, by Dogfish Head.
You may recall that is the beverage that is a
hybrid (wine, mead and beer).
Flying Fish Grand Cru also will be served. For dessert, I'll be serving some
Lindeman's Framboise, drizzled over sorbet. As an after meal drink, we'll go
to a bit of Lemoncello.
Best wishes!!!
Gary
==================================================
From: Jack Curtin - jcurtin@usa.net
As an aperitif, with some strong cheeses and
marinatted mushrooms and
vegetables, I'll enjoy a bottle of Petrus Aged
Pale, latest arrival from the
Michael Jackson Great Beers of Belgium club, in
which I split a membership
with a friend. A very intriguing beer though I
get the impression its
alcohol content might be bit higher than the
advertised 6.5%.
During dinner, pints of Allagash Dubbel Reserve,
which I have on draft.
Afterwards, following a cappucino and time to
digest, I'll turn on some
music, light a fire and sip a Victory Storm King
Stout (admittedly, their
Golden Monkey better carry out the Belgian theme
of the day and I reserve
the right to change my mind at refrigerator
door),.
Of course, since I don't have a fireplace, the
fire will be a bit dicey...
=================================================
From: John Freyer - Fryorama@aol.com
Three Floyds Alpha Klaus X-mas Porter made with
English Chocolat and Mexican
Cane Sugar Molasses… After dinner, with some chocolate mousse prepared with Alpha
Klaus and gummi bears… Yummy-yum-yum…
John Freyer
===================================================
From: CHEFBBB - CHEFBBB@msn.com
]
Hello Peter
Good to hear from you as always. Fortunately for me my hotel
doesn't do
a big Thanksgiving event. So I will be cooking at home for a small group. I
had planned on enjoying a few brews while I slaved over the hot stove, but
your email gave me the proper spirit, so I got into the cellar. I have a
bottle of Hapkin, a Belgian Blonde Ale to start off with. Then into this
years great batch of Sierra Nevada Celebration followed by the Millennium
Release of North Coast's Old Rasputin Imperial Stout. Ending the evening
(after a break)will be a side by side comparison of Sierra Nevada Bigfoot
'98 and '99.
Here is the menu
THANKSGIVING MENU
HORS D'OEUVRE
Salad of Dungeness Crab with Fresh Herbs on a
Crouton
Seared Filet of Beef with Water Cress and Maytag
Blue Cheese Aioli
DINNER
Parsnip Soup with Truffle Oil and Chives
Turkey Mesquite Roasted with Pinot Grigio Garlic
Butter
Traditional Stuffing Accented with Chanterelle
Mushrooms, pears and Fresh
Sage
Brussels Sprouts with Pancetta
Mashed Yukon Gold Potatoes
Giblet Gravy
Compote of Fresh Cranberries
Chef's Special Dessert
Hope Your Holiday is Very Special
Talk To You Soon
Cheers
Chef Bruce D. Paton
President
The Chefs Association of the Pacific Coast
San Francisco Chapter of The American Culinary Federation
===============================
BEER MEMORIES
Share your
fondest beer memory with HOT TRUB/BEER BASICS I would be glad to offer you the
bandwidth to do so.
================
NEW
PRODUCTS:
(All
products provided by breweries.
Tasting
notes are done by the publisher in beer-clean 2 oz.
straight
edged tasting glasses between 0900-1000 in an aroma-neutral environment.)
(NO
TASTING NOTES THIS ISSUE.)
===================================
===================================
=============================
PROMOTIONS - EVENTS - DINNERS
* NEW LISTING
===================================
* 29 November - Benefit for Faith
Services (Franciscan Aids Initiative To Help)
Holiday Tasting at Steven's Institute of
Technology,
Hoboken, NJ
Over 300 wines, spirits and craft beers;
accompanied by cheeses and hors d'oueures. Event sponsors:
Sparrow Liquors, Fresh Ideas, Kings Supermarkets, Brass Rail and La Isla
Restaurants, and Rogue Ale.
Easy to get to via the Path, Bus and NY
Waterways Ferry. Hours: 7-10 pm. Cost: $45 per person. Call: 201-659-1500 or
201-659-1501.
=====================================================
* 30 - December 1, 2 -- Winter Beer Festival,
Portland, OR - Pioneer Courthouse Square, Portland, OR.
Hours: Fri 4-10 p.m., Sat 11 a.m.-10 p.m., Sun Noon to 6 p.m.
The Holiday Ale Festival celebrates the release
of the region's craft-brewed seasonal ales. The beers featured at the event are
produced by 24 of the region's premier craft brewers and are created
specifically to bring warmth and cheer to the holiday season. The heated and
tented event takes place in the heart of downtown Portland at Pioneer
Courthouse Square during one of the busiest shopping weekends of the season.
Tickets: Free to enter
(21 and older. ID required) A 14-ounce souvenir mug is required for tasting
beer and costs $3. Patrons pay $3 for each 14-ounce draft beer, or $1 for a
taster. More info:
http://www.campbellproductions.com/ale_fest.htm
=====================================================
* 8 December - Santa Fest at Sugar Moms,
Philadelphia, PA.
A Beer Philadelphia annual event with holiday
beers on tap
and local artists selling their goods. For
details, visit
http://www.beerphiladelphia.com
=====================================================
*18-19 January - The 8th Annual Great Alaska
Beer and Barleywine Festival
at the William A. Egan Convention Center,
downtown Anchorage, Alaska.
A Benefit for the American Diabetes Association.
The event is
being coordinated by Aurora Productions. Call:
907-562-9911
======================================================
*The Anthony Spinazzola Foundation Celebrates
Friends of Spinazzola Grand Benefit Dinner and
17th Annual Gala Festival of Food and Wine
WHAT:
The Friends of Spinazzola
Grand Benefit Dinner
An intimate dinner featuring celebrity chefs from New York City. Each
course is complimented with specifically chosen fine and rare wines.
The 17th Annual Anthony Spinazzola Foundation Gala Festival of Food and
Wine
A black tie celebration of food and wine, featuring 120 of Greater Boston’s
best restaurants and 90 winemakers from around the world.
DETAILS:
Grand Benefit Dinner
Thursday, January 31, 2002 at 6:30 PM
Four Seasons Hotel, Boston
$500 per person
Gala Festival of Food and Wine
Friday, February 1, 2002 from 7:30 PM to Midnight
At the World Trade Center, Boston
$175 per person ($125 is tax-deductible)
PARTICIPATING CELEBRITY CHEFS:
Kirk Avondoglio – Perona Farms, New York, NY
Daniel Boulud – Restaurant Daniel, Café Boulud, New York, NY
Terrance Brennan – Picholine, New York, NY
David Burke – Park Avenue Café, New York, NY
Michael Ginor – Hudson Valley Foie Gras, Great Neck, NY
Charlie Palmer – Aureole, New York, NY
Alfred Portale – Gotham Bar & Grill, New York, NY
Marcus Samuelsson – Aquavit, New York, NY
TICKETS: Call: 781/344-4413
MISSION: The funds raised support the ASF’s
mission to "Feed Hungry Bodies and Minds" through
grants
to hunger relief agencies,
programs for the homeless, and culinary apprenticeships and scholarships.
The ASF was founded in 1992 in
honor of Anthony Spinazzola, the much respected Boston Globe food and
wine writer.
ASF’s work is distinguished by its
flexible approach in addressing community needs, and ASF is proud of its
commitment to reinvest funds in
the community. For each dollar raised, $.88 goes directly to support ASF
programs,
keeping administrative and
operating costs at only 12%.
###
--
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
EVENTS:
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
NOVEMBER
23-25 -- Annual Black Friday and Thanksgiving Weekend
Warehouse Sale, Rogue Ales Brewery, OR. Call 541-867-3660.
24 -- 5th Annual Holiday Beer Fest, Durty Nellie's,
Palatine, IL. Call 847-358-9150
30 -- Harpoon Christmas Party - Mass Bay
Brewery, Boston, MA. - Call: 617-574-9551 ext 3 or www.harpoonbrewery.com
30 - December 02 -- Holiday Ale Festival Portland, OR
20 - December 01 -- Bavarian Beer Technology
Siebel Institute of Technology, 4055 W.Peterson Avenue Chicago
, IL. Call: 773-279-0966
30 - December 01 -- Great Canadian Beer Festival,
Victoria, BC, Contact: gcbfoffice@pacificcoast.net
30 - December 02 -- Holiday Ale Festival, Portland, OR,
Contact: Chris Crabb, 503-228-3119 (info),
503-282-1583 (media), crabbsoup@earthlink.net
DECEMBER
01 -- Humpy's Big Fish Homebrew Competition
- Anchorage, AK Contact: Larry Williamson: 907-243-5354 or gambit@alaska.net
.
Judges contact Jason Ditsworth: 907-563-8102 or jeditsworth@mactec.com
.
01 -- Harpoon Christmas Party - Mass Bay
Brewery, Boston, MA - Call: 617-574-9551 ext 3
or www.harpoonbrewery.com
02 -- Holiday Ale Festival Portland
- Oregon - United States
01 -- Berkeley, California - 2nd Annual Let it Flow, Let it Snow party - The
Berkeley Ale House Call: 510-528-9880
04 -- Beer
Appreciation Night, Domestic Winter Warmers: 7:30pm, $14, BJ's Restaurant & Brewery, 600 Brea
Mall Drive, Brea, 714.990.MALT.
05 -- Beer
Appreciation Night, Domestic Winter Warmers: 7:30pm, $14, BJ's Restaurant & Brewery, 6424 Canoga
Avenue, Woodland Hills, 818.340.1748.
10 -- Beer Appreciation Night, Christmas and Winter Holiday
Beers: 7:00, $12, Rosen Brewery, 400 South Western Avenue, Los Angeles,
213.388.0061.
12 -- Blind Tiger Monster Mash - New York - New York -
United States
12 -- Beer Appreciation Night, Christmas / Barley
Wines: Huntington Beach Beer Company. Call: 714- 960-5343
19 -- Beer Appreciation Night: T. H. Brewster's, Sheraton Four Points Hotel - LAX, 9750
Airport Boulevard, Los Angeles, 310-649-7096
pbaxter@fourpointslax.com
(Phil Baxter).
2002
JANUARY
31 -- The Friends of Spinazzola Grand Benefit Dinner, Four
Seasons Hotel, Boston, MA. Call: 781/344-4413
FEBRUARY
1 -- Gala Festival of Food and Wine, from
7:30 PM to Midnight, World Trade Center, Boston, MA. Call: 781/344-4413
16 - 23 -- Toronado Barley Wine Festival 2002, San
Francisco, CA
28 - March 02 -- Real Ale Festival, Chicago, IL
MARCH
09 -- 2002 7th Annual Kona Brewers Festival, Kailua-Kona, HI
APRIL
06 -- 2002 Classic City Brew Fest, Athens, GA
19 - 21 -- 2002 Spring Beer & Wine Fest, Portland,
OR
MAY
04 -- Zymurgist Borealis National Homebrew Day
Celebration - Fairbanks, AK Coll: Scott Stihler - 907- 474-2138 or stihlerunits@mosquitonet.com
JULY
26 - 28 -- 2002 Oregon Brewers Festival, Portland, OR
SEPTEMBER
21 - October 06 --2002 Oktoberfest Munich, Munich -
Germany