Do you know where this picture was taken? I’ll give you a hint. It was collected during our current adventure (so since May 21) and in a province or state where you don’t usually think of stores and pubs offering much interesting beer.
This isn’t a contest, but there may eventually be prizes (as explained here).
So if you know where the photo was taken or if you have something to say about the subject please leave a comment.
Andrew Mason, assistant brewer at Flossmoor Station in suburban Chicago, writes he got the strangest phone call yesterday from somebody who identified themselves as from MillerCoors.
The woman on the phone asked, “Are you or anyone you know interested in job opportunities with MillerCoors?” I very nearly laughed and I certainly didn’t take her seriously, but now I regret that I didn’t hear her out. I don’t want a job with MillerCoors in any aspect of their business but I wonder if they were offering brewing gigs or sales or what.
Strange beer days indeed. Next thing you know we’ll be hearing rumors about Anheuser-Busch being bought out.
Since we are two months into our trip in which drinking local has become a matter of habit I’m particularly delighted when chatter about AB-InBev includes discussion about what this means for local (two examples are Jay Brooks here and Maureen Ogle here).
These discussions are likely to be all over the place because definitions of local are as well.
One for instance: The people who would boycott Bud because the brand is no longer American owned. Isn’t it still a local beer in St. Louis (and Newark and L.A., etc.)? Isn’t it made with local water by people who live in the community? Granted, for residents of St. Louis the matter of foreign versus local ownership adds a whole ‘nother set of questions which aren’t really related to the pluses of drinking local.
I’m still in information collecting mode on the matter of local. Heck, I’ve got another year to try to figure out the role local plays in the soul of a beer.
I will say what you probably already know: Beer is almost always better when it is enjoyed locally, but that doesn’t mean the best beer on the table will be the localest one.
(When I have more time online that will be a New Beer Rule.)
Stuff to read
– Before we get back to beer, a couple of links from a proud husband and father. First, Daria provides an FAQ about appearing on Jeopardy. Second, Sierra turns our visits the National Brewing Museum and the Mount Horeb Mustard Museum into a battle of the museums.
– Analysis, Part I. Maureen Ogle is working on a series titled “A-B InBev, History, and American Brewing” and here’s a link to Part 4. Read them all. I don’t agree with everything she has written, but it’s all worth thinking about.
– Analysis, Part II. Don’t expect the Miller-sponsored “Brew Blog” to be unbiased, but the Will A-B Look Like Labatt? post is definitely worth your time.
– Poppycock. Does Salon’s perspective on American Beer have anything to do with our drinking habits? Good insight into the way most of America looks at beer, but not a clue about why people drink craft beer — or this line would not have appeared: “In 1980, America had eight craft breweries.” Huh?
Do you know where this picture was taken? I’ll give you a hint: It’s not a bar. (Even if you don’t know, please read on.)
Since we’re traveling a bit for the next 15 months and I often have a camera in hand I thought I’d post a few photos (more are at Flickr, but I’m running way behind in posting them because so many campground connections don’t play well with Flickr).
If you know where the photo was taken or if you have something to say about the subject please leave a comment.
This isn’t really a contest. The idea is to have a little fun.
So first doesn’t count and there are no prizes. No prizes for now, at least. But I will try to post a new photo every week and keep track of everybody who comments. Eventually — it will be next year — there will be a drawing and we can give away a prize or three.
We’re traveling back across the border today (fourth time – Lew, no problems going into Canada first three times; but they did search our fruit on last return to the U.S.) so sadly can’t hook up with a brewer to properly participate in International Brewers Day, a fine idea cooked up by Jay Brooks.
Hope it gets off to a grand start so next year . . . well, maybe. I just realized we’ll still be on the road then as well.
Were we back in New Mexico I would be writing about a gang of brewers, because this is the week of the annual IPA Challenge.
Sometimes you miss home more than others. How the heck did I plan a trip that misses two IPA Challenges?