Henry King and ‘institutional memory’

I’m doing my best not to get sucked back into the Beer Wars discussion. But I do want to point you to Harry Schuhmacher’s excellent “alternative view.” In it he mentions the late Henry King.

I first met King at Oldenburg Beer Camp in 1996 and was fascinated when he talked about “institutional memory.” Eight years later Jim Parker, then editor of New Brewer magazine, asked me to write a profile of King because — being perfectly honest — he was dying. A great assignment and a terrible one. King died in April of 2005.

Anyway, today I added “Henry King: Another king of beers” to the library. And I’m thinking again about the importance of institutional memory.

But not writing about Beer Wars, though I will suggest you read what Stephen Beaumont has to write about the idea “we’re all in this together.”

 

With apologies to Woody Guthrie

Where in the beer world?

But on the other side …. it didn’t say nothin!
Now that side was made for you and me!

***********

No Where in the Beer World? this week. I figured still another Texas brewery would be overkill.

But I did want to share this photo taken in Big Bend National Park. The sign caused us to pause for a moment. Then we remembered the road — which was just plain too nasty to continue on in the RV — led to hot springs. I’m sure lots of park visitors disregard the sign and “take a soak” with an alcoholic beverage in hand.

 

Beer pairing of the week

Short enough to Twitter, but in Big Bend National Park off the grid means not only no electricity or Internet via wi-fi but also no cell phone service. So a day late . . .

Great triple pairing – a hike in Big Bend National Park, Saint Arnold Summer Pils and Jimmie Dale Gilmore’s voice cutting through the desert air.

Feeling restored and invigorated.

 

Oskar Blues, magazine giving away music

The SessionOskar Blues Brewery, those can beer guys, have struck a deal with PASTE magazine to offer free music downloads.

And what in this blog’s Mission Statement would cause me to mention that here?

Not just that I like some of the musicians whose work is available this month (the list includes Harlem Shakes and The Deep Vibration, as well as Todd Snider, Marissa Nadler, Slaid Cleaves and John Doe) and look forward to sampling some others.

It’s that music is part of Oskar Blues’ DNA. Even before Marty Jones came on board as “lead singer/idea man” the brewpub in Lyons, Colorado, was an outstanding music venue. The small town north of Boulder hosts the Rocky Mountain Folks Fest and, no surprise, musicians are always looking for an excuse to head there.

The pub itself (above the basement music room) is decorated in basic Louisiana, beer and music (lots of Elvis). So when you talk about the “where” in Oskar Blues beers I think about this music. Would the beer be the same without the music connection? Perhaps. But why take a chance? (And, yes, I know that the bulk of brewing has moved to a larger facility in nearby Longmont.)

So the rest of the news: Advertisements in PASTE magazine will point readers to this Downlow’d Club site and promote Oskar Blues’ Dale’s Pale Ale. Starting in May, Oskar Blues will roll out special cans (more than five million of them) that promote the partnership.

 

Beer Wars: Sometimes revealing but underachieving

Saw “Beer Wars Live” in San Antonio last with plans to provide at least a few comments when I got home.

But it was an evening that resulted in a variety of discussions about beer, and not a whole lot about the movie, and went rather late. I counted about 80 people in the theater, and this clearly was the location members of the local beer community chose to meet. Many were at Flying Saucer before the movie and/or Freetail Brewing (nice beers) after the movie. The movie clearly spoke to them. My sense is that if it is going to start new conversations that will happen when those not so connected with beer see the DVD.

Otherwise, before we aim our RV for and slip happily off the grid at Big Bend National Park a few quick thoughts.

My one-world review: Underachieving.

What you should read: Alan has done a brilliant job of capturing (ongoing) online coverage, including from Twitter. Surely the images will be clearer when this comes out on DVD.

Why, why, why? I liked having Ben Stein there. In part because he was generous enough to let Greg Koch, Charlie Papazian and Maureen Ogle be the smart ones. Maybe more so because he doesn’t get it.

If you embrace the notion that it’s the “American Way” to create a product that sells to the most people and makes you the most money then somebody like Bob Sylvester makes no sense to you. So Stein didn’t seem to understand Koch or Sam Calagione when they said that what makes their beer different is “intent” (Koch’s word). Or perhaps to believe their No. 1 goal is not to have their individual breweries grow as big as possible. (Is that a double negative?)

Maureen certainly seemed to echo Stein’s skepticism when she told them, “Get back to me in 10 years” (best I can read my notes scribbled in the dark).

But I’d suggest you go back and read her thoughts on the “Age of E-Quarious,” particularly parts three and four.

The reason the movie resonated with the crowd I watched it with is that they understand what Koch, Calagione, the guys at Freetail, etc. are about. I wish “Beer Wars” did a better job explaining that to the non-beer-obsessed who end up seeing it.