What if Beer Wars met Beer Styles . . .

. . . and do you remember when GABF had only twelve (12!) style categories?

I’m doing a lot more reading of blogs than writing of blogs these days (when not being amazed by what a terrific climate Asheville has for all things local). Two topics I suggest you chime in on:

– Should we be as excited about the screening of Beer Wars on April 16 as the next episode of 24? Start with what Andy Crouch has to write.

– The proliferation of designated beer styles. Start with Jack Curtin, but also check in with Jeff Alworth, Tom Cizauskas and Ron Pattinson.

I have one thought to add to Topic #2. In 1987 they began judging beers “by style” at the Great American Beer Festival. Got by with twelve of them, they did. Interesting to see what the 12 were:

Ales
Alts
American Cream Ales
American Lagers
American Light Lagers
Bocks/Dopplebocks
Continental Amber Lagers
Continental Pilsners
Porters
Stouts
Vienna Style Lagers
Wheat Beers

And the winners were . . .

 

Beers for Bracketology fans

So you are knee deep in numbers preparing your entry in the bracket competition of your choice.

And there are these words you keep noticing over and over. Are they about basketball or beer? A few lines from Jay Bilas, Seth Whatshisname and the others, then the beers or breweries that popped into my mind:

Body of Work: Alaskan Brewing.

University of Arizona: Blue Moon White.

Cinderella: Foothills Brewing.

Long (not sure what Mr. Bilas means, but I’ll guess): Lost Abbey The Angel’s Share.

Mid Major: Michelob.

Pure (another word I scribbled down and wondered what Hubie meant): New Glarus Brewing.

Bubble Teams: Organic beers.

The Little Guy (channeling Dick Vitale): Session beers.

Utah State (disrespected): Utah beers.

Tough matchup: Cigar City Brewing.

Team that will make you forget Princeton: Pabst.

The Top Line (but will they make the Final Four?): Firestone Walker Brewing, New Belgium Brewing, Sierra Nevada Brewing, Pelican Pub & Brewery.

Snubbed: Samuel Adams Boston Lager.

 

#30 – Where in the beer world?

Where in the beer world?

Think you know where in the beer world this photo was taken?

Please leave your answer as a comment, and also feel free to comment even if you don’t have an answer.

There are words all over the sign so I’m not sure you need a hint, but I will tell you it was taken what seems like a long time ago to me. At least long enough that I thought I’d already posted the photo here.

 

Utah brewers can’t shake ‘three-two’ law

A bunch of beer and alcohol legislation by states in the headlines these days, well reported elsewhere and with plenty of commentary, so I’m mostly leaving that to others.

But . . .

In Utah, the Senate killed a measure that would have allowed bars (including brewpubs) and restaurants to sell draft beer stronger than 4% alcohol by volume (3.2% by weight). A bill to lift the cap was approved 58-2 in the House. But on Thursday, the last day of the session, the Senate decided not to debate the measure and to go home early instead.

Bars and restaurants are already allowed to serve full-strength beer if they buy it in bottles from the state liquor store at the same 86 percent markup paid by the general public. That means brewpubs can brew stronger beer, bottle it, sell it to the state and then buy it back to serve it. Makes a lot of sense, don’t you think?

I comment here often that despite this law Utah’s breweries make outstanding beers full of flavor. However, our travels in states (Georgia and the Carolinas) where the alcohol cap on beer recently was boosted makes it apparent how that changes the beer culture for the better. Yes, much of the excitement is about “bigger” beers but when people are talking about flavor all beers with flavor benefit.