Month: July 2008

Where in the beer world?

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.)

Where in the beer world is this?

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.

International Brewers Day

International Brewers DayWe’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?

How much to they love hops at Bell’s?

John Mallett's license plate

Eccentric Cafe entranceLet’s start with the license plate on the back of production manager John Mallett’s truck (above).

Then there’s the collection of plates at the entrance of the Eccentric Pub, which is where Larry Bell started what was then called Kalamazoo Brewing. They still brew “downtown” but most of production — which will surpass 100,000 barrels this year — takes place in the purpose-built brewery in nearby Galesburg.

Four 200-barrel fermenters in the brewery look just a little different than the others. They have special large tops to make dry hopping easier. The brewers can easily open them to dump in a bunch (yes, the technical brewing term) of Centennial hops.

This car spotted in the pub parking lot indicates a certain level of satisfaction with the effort.

Bell's fan

The world’s largest six-pack – updated

LaCrosse Six Pack

Old Style Six PackOur travels through Wisconsin allowed us to update our photo of the “World’s Largest Six Pack” i LaCrosse.

We’ve got a little collection of the “world’s largest . . .” going on this trip. We’ve seen the world’s largest cross country skis, the world’s largest fly fishing rod, America’s biggest mall and more. So an update seemed like good enough reason to drive through the heart of LaCrosse.

When Heileman, then Stroh, owned the brewery the six pack, as you can see, featured cans of Old Style. When City Brewery bought the operations the cans were remodeled as LaCrosse Lager. Prettier, don’t you think?

The sign with information about what in the lagering tanks may have been touched up a bit, but otherwise looks exactly the same. It says there’s enough beer inside to fill 7,340,796 12-ounce cans and placed end to end these cans would extend 565 miles. They would provide one person a six pack a day for 3,351 years.

Thought you needed to know that.

My kind of store, sort of

Locals LiquorI love the name of this store in Banff, Alberta.

Although I think the name is meant to imply it’s a place for locals rather than tourists the cooler included a few regional beers.

I grabbed Hop Head from Tree Brewing in Kelowna, B.C., located about half way between Vancouver and Banff. The clerk was less than helpful — “It tastes like the name” — but the beer was fresh and focused.