Think you know where in the beer world this photo was taken?
Leave your answer as a comment. Also feel free to add a comment simply because the picture inspires you.
Here’s a hint that probably makes it too easy: “Pass the salt.”
And we have a winner, and a winner, and a winner
Did you know that Rogue Dry Hopped Red is the World’s Best Pale Ale?
That Waldhaus Diplom Pils is the World’s Best Lager?
Or that Samuel Adams Imperial White is the World’s Best Flavoured Wheat Beer?
Until I received a press release from the Brunhaut Brewery about its two awards I hadn’t seen the World Beer Awards 2009 results. How did that happen?
This is the competition organized by Beers of The World, the UK publication that recently ceased its print edition. Obviously a well conceived way to judge the beers with excellent judges (Roger Protz headed it up), but of course the winners are really “World’s Best [Fill In The Category] That Paid To Enter Our Contest.”
The best reason to give these a look is they aren’t organized like the Great American Beer Festival, World Beer Cup, United States Beer Championship or your basic American homebrew competition.
Not to pick on any of those — I’ll be judging in a homebrew competition this weekend — but the notion that the United States might write the beer style guidelines for the world should at least make you pause.
The beer link of the month (or maybe 2009)
Hard as it may be to believe, I have nothing to add. OK, one thing, we (bloggers) should minimize the amount of time we spend writing about beer writing and use that to write about beer. Alan, in fact, is doing that.
BrewDog Tokyo*: What does it taste like?
Would you rather read about the fuss BrewDog’s Tokyo* or drink the beer? Given that the brewery released only 3,000 bottles few of us will have the option. But it would be nice to know what Tokyo* tastes like.
Zak Avery, reigning Beer Writer of the Year in Great Britain, has the answer.
His collection of videos is worth your time, particularly when he wanders off topic (like this discourse on sharing).
Shut up and drink your beer
Don Russell speaks the truth today in his Joe Sixpack column, doing a little digging about the provenance of your favorite beer given all the chatter that arose out of the “Beer Summit.”
The lesson here: Drink up and find something else to complain about. Beer is not for xenophobes.
Funny thing is he asks up front: Does it really matter who makes your beer?
I think it does. And where the ingredients come from, and if it’s local (not that it always has to be), and . . . heck, just look at the mission statement. But no flag waving here, and when you head for the tavern on Friday afternoon (whoa, dude, that’s today) to grab a beer or two and complain it should not be about the beer.