Oh man, Craft Beer Week is approaching – and the Beer Friends were emailing back and forth all day about the possibilities. Questions arose: should we feature events? Should we suggest our favorites? Should we branch out and individually go to events? Should we quit our jobs, hit every event and find out happens when we wake up (hungover) in ten days. Answers will follow but for now… pregame!
Brad’s 1 – Sixpoint Mad Scientist #5: while waiting for Phil I jumped on the Sixpoint Mad Scientist series – a bit belgian-y and I can’t figure out all the flavors… Click the comment box below and share your thoughts if you’ve had it!
Ah, fall is in the air – the air is getting crisp and signs of a full harvest takeover are all around us… so this week we reviewed a summer beer! Dogfish Head Festina Peche is so good we couldn’t resist.This seasonal offering by Dogfish Head comes in four packs and goes quick when it’s around. The Beer Friends typical enjoy Dogfish Head ancient brews and the experimental series they create, even their collaborations – so let’s see how a seasonal stacks up!
After a good conversation with a friend of mine about the wonders and wiles of the MolsonCoors company vs the Belgian Juggernaut InBev, I stumbled across this neat little Infographic on a sweet little website called coolinfographics.com. It was put together by Philip H Howard at Michigan State University and is a really great way to show the various relationships of some of the top over-arching beer conglomerates, and who they own in the craft beer world.
Granted it’s not the most comprehensive guide to the craft beer world, but I would be willing to bet there’s at least one ownership connection that might surprise you. Take a look and let us know which one was a shock!
Good morning all you Beer Friends out there! This week’s NYC craft beer events list will be slightly abridged, and for a good reason. We’ll only be showcasing events from today until Thursday, after that there’s a bit of a surprise in store for you. New York City Craft Beer Week. Beginning Friday, September 16. We here at the Beer Friends think that a week dedicated solely to craft beer happening in the greatest city on the planet (and sponsored by the mayor) is important enough to deserve its own post. So, when Thursday comes around and you realize that you’ve come to the end of this week’s Beer Friends sponsored events, don’t fret. That morning we’ll throw our list of the Beer Friends most anticipated events for NYC Craft Beer Week 2011. Yes, two Beer Friends events listings a week makes should make you feel warm inside, it’s natural.
Tuesday, September 13 – 12% Imports Tap Takeover @ Rattle n’ Hum, Manhattan:
In the spirit of competition, Beer Friends would like to invite everyone to our NFL season hashtag battles! Using hashtagbattle.com we will pit two breweries against each other when their NFL counterparts are facing off on the gridiron. Are you ready for some football? And drinking? And #hashtag battle?!?!?!
What’s a hashtag battle? When you’re drinking a beer of a brewery competing in the battle, throw a #hashtag of the brewery and tweet it (or setup your foursquare or untappd to push to tweet and include the #hashtag) and we’ll use hashtagbattle.com to declare a winner after the Monday Night football game on ESPN. And because football needs beer, we’re starting on Saturday morning to include the brews consumed during College Football Saturdays. Support your team, support your beer, drink local and hashtag battle!
Here we are, Brad and Phil, and our table partner and guest blogger Crystal (follow her on twitter @chhchh ) at the fantastic Idle Hands Bar for their Learn Beer And Bourbon event.
Last week we featured a New Jersey brewery with River Horse, now we move north on the east coast (doing our best Irene impression) but vering of slightly to the West and hitting Brattleboro, Vermont for McNeill’s Brewery. McNeill’s started brewing in 1992 and finally put their stuff in bottles in 2008 for everyone to enjoy. Flash Forward to 2011, and we enjoy War Lord Imperial IPA in our living room. Vermont! Imperial! Cheers!
This has been a busy summer for the Beer Friends. We’ve been through an earthquake, two regional brewery tours (Southern California, Boston/Massachusetts), three of us relocated within the boroughs and finally, to top it all off, a hurricane-the first to hit New York in like 300 years (give or take a few decades). And none of it could stop us. This tumultuous summer has come to a close, we’ll miss the sun and relaxation – but we’re already gearing up for the fantastic craft beer season that autumn brings us. Let’s start off the fall correctly.
Tuesday, September 6 – Tuesday Night Tastings: Farmhouse Ales @ Bierkraft, Brooklyn:
dingerc
Brad
Corporate Kerouac
Phil
