Monday morning musing: Predictions and more

2008 Beer PredictionsGo away a few days and links worth pointing to and/or commenting on sure pile up. Some have sparked ideas for longer posts in the next few days. Even so the list got long too fast so I’ve tried to minimize my musing:

– As you’d expect, lots of recaps on 2007 and predictions for 2008, so I won’t try to list them all (with apologies to the majority of beer bloggers). Start with the first of three posts at A Good Beer Blog. Also, Stephen Beaumont declares 2008 “the year of beer and food” at his website, and has a list in progress at That’s the Spirit blog. He’s going to be writing about wood, and that’ll be my excuse to do the same here.

And as only Jay Brooks can, he recounts his Top 10 Beer Stories of 2007 (he got about half right – just kidding, Jay) and his predictions for 2008.

I’m partial to predictions — they make a jumping off point for good conversation — and may comment on Jay’s later while looking for more (like when Jon gets his posted). But I’m even more partial to resolutions. Several out there, including a particularly bold list from Lew Bryson.

Notice No. 4:. Re-dedication to the Session Beer Project. Like he’s got a choice. As Jeff Bell (Stonch) pointed out Imbibe magazine has taken note with a feature titled “Smallville” and decorated with a picture of Lew. You can read the story here.

– On to the sommelier/Cicerone front. The Cicerone Certified Beer Server Exam is now available online. So you are going to see people adding a “Certified Beer Server” signature wherever people use online sigs.

I’m late getting to this (since Jeff Bell pointed to the Times Online Love Lager marketing section six weeks ago), but did you envision there would be a time you’d see a story headlined A day in the life of a lager sommelier?

The first specialist beer sommelier is yet to appear, but as knowledge of beer and demand for the better versions increases, it’s only a matter of time.

That’s already happening in the United States. Not sure this is relevant, but Slate claims American sommeliers are better than French ones. Is there a beer analogy? Not interested in flag waving, but the enthusiasm of those who sell and serve craft beer.

– Miller CEO Tom Long indicates that brewing giant could be shopping for a craft brewery (or two). From Brew Blog:

“There are opportunities for acquisitions, and we’re talking with folks right now. We like that space, we believe in it. … [W]e will definitively be pursuing other craft plays, if we can find one at a reasonable price. In fact, if you know of anybody who needs an angel, who is willing to give them a lot of room, like Leinie’s being a business within a business, let me know.”

Two syllables: Cel-is.

– The January Wired magazine includes a full page advertisement for Blue Moon White near the front of he book. Having been in multiple Western states gas stations last week I noticed that almost every one sells Blue Moon, Sierra Nevada Pale Ale, Samuel Adams Boston Lager and New Belgium Fat Tire.

Session #11 roundup posted

The SessionWilson has posted the roundup for The Session #11–Doppelbock, the Illuminator.

Now I’m wishing I grabbed that bottle of Indian Wells Lobotomy Bock that I saw in Panamint Springs, but too late.

I promise to stick to style or topic for the February Session Feb. 1 (just two days before the Super Bowl). Jon Abernathy at The Brew Site, who helped flesh out the idea for The Session when it didn’t even have a name, will be the host.

Be looking for his announcement about the theme/topic.

Session #11: Lost in translation

HofbrauHaus

So the sign on the side of Hofbräuhaus Las Vegas read “Double Bock Beer is here.”

My first thought Wednesday was, “This looks like my beer for The Session.” No, it didn’t read “doppelbock” but Samuel Adams calls its excellent doppelbock-style beer Double Bock. So perhaps the Germans figured that was a term Americans would better understand.

Hofbrauhaus Double BockWhat a dunce. They meant a strong beer in the manner of a bock, in this case a helles bock (akin to what many know as a Maibock). As you can see, golden (lighter than appears here), strong at 8% abv, but not at all like the doppelbock “invented” by the monks of St. Francis of Paula in Munich. Not a beer you’d call [fill in the blank]-ator.

A good beer, rich and full of flavor, bright and fresh, showing no wear and tear after its journey from Germany.

I’m not sure how to characterize Hofbräuhaus Las Vegas. On the one hand, it is located only a short walk from Las Vegas Boulevard and across the street from the Hard Rock Hotel — a perfect fit for adult fantasyland. If you’ve already been in the pseudo-Irish pub in New York New York or had your picture taken next to the replica Eiffel Tower up the street then you might shrug at this faithful reproduction of the original Hofbräuhaus München.

However, it is operated by the same owners (and I don’t know what that means its relationship is to InBev, which brews Hofbräuhaus beers) as the Hofbräuhaus in Munich. It’s not as big, but the large single-room restaurant with wooden tables and benches has an inviting beer hall feel. The food is excellent and the beers come from Germany.

(This makes it different than the Hofbräuhaus in Newport, Ky., which brews its own beer.)

We went primarily because he plan to visit the original Hofbräuhaus in Munich in the fall. And it was a heck of a lot more enjoyable than the last “brewery” we visited in 2007. More about all that next week.

The Session: Brewvana hosts this 11th edition of The Session, a monthly gathering of bloggers to write on a single topic. Head that way to read about actual doppelbocks.

What do beer people really want to read about?

Michael Jackson and Blue Moon.

Those were the most popular search terms that brought readers here in 2007. Looking at lists of the best read posts at several blogs I read got me poking around the stats at Appellation Beer, to see what you were reading and to try to guess why.

I was surprised this final post of the year will be the 299th, more than double 2006 and a lot more than I expect in 2008. An explanation about why week after next, when we’re back from an Internetless shakeout cruise that’s practice for a trip we expect to occupy much of 2008 and 2009.

Anyway, I won’t be finishing 2007 with a list of “top beer stories” (we already know the biggest one is also the one that still makes us terribly sad). I do recommend Don Russell’s look back with some make-you-smile predictions.

And I can tell you that the search terms that are trending up are Firestone, beer sommelier and Michelada.

Make of that what you will, as well as this list of the best read stories here during 2007:

1- Michael Jackson: Journalist
2- Russian River Brewing expansion update
3 – Blue Moon: Peter, Paul & Mary or Trini Lopez?
4 – 10 Beers that changed America
5 – New Beer Rule #2: IBUs and IQs
6 – And now . . . Imperial Hefeweizen
7 – Firestone 11 and a ‘Tale of Two Matts’
8 – Globalization versus local versus variety
9 – Fantasy Beer Dinner #1: Neal Stewart
10 – A million dollars worth of beer?

See you next week in time for The Session #11.

Flying Dog’s mixed 8: Better than Little Kings

Flying Dog Garde DogA while back I asked why breweries put some of their strongest beers in bigger bottles. Yes, they are nice to share with a friends, but sometimes you don’t want 750ml of a 12% beer.

Additionally, smaller bottles can sell for less (even if the per ounce price goes up because we still have to pay for glass).

Enter Flying Dog’s Canis Major series for 2008, which will be available in two versions. One mixed four-pack features a 12-ounce bottle of each the Canis Major style. The second option is a mixed eight-pack of 7-ounce bottles, two of each style.

Flying Dog is in a unique position to do this because when it acquired the former Frederick Brewing facility in Maryland last year it also picked up a bottling line that can handle 7-ounce bottles. That’s because Frederick was brewing Little Kings — the cream ale in small green bottles familiar to those of us who grew up east of the Mississippi — under contract.

The Canis Major high gravity series includes Gonzo Imperial Porter, Horn Dog Barley Wine, Double Dog Double Pale Ale and a new beer, Cerberus Tripel.

These beers are not outlandishly strong, but each qualifies as a nightcap, when you might prefer to sip from a snifter.

As well as adding the tripel to its lineup in 2008, Flying Dog is making “Garde Dog” Biere de Garde its spring release. When these two are available I’ll try to post drinking notes, perhaps at Brew Like a Monk.