Back from hiatus

Well, I am back. Sadly, I have been very busy with life. For those who don't know, I have achieved one of the goals I set out for earlier this year and now work in a brewery. This has been great, but it also means I am spending a lot of time working as we are very busy trying to keep great beer flowing! However, now that I have adapted to my new schedule, I will be sharing information about the beer industry and events that are upcoming. Stay tuned for updates!

Guest Blogging!

Sorry I've been out of touch, I've been busy with work and trying to get back on track with life. Regardless, I did get a chance to talk beer yesterday as a guest blogger for www.mylifeatarnolds.com This is the blog for Arnold's Bar in downtown Cincinnati. If you have not beer, you really should get down there as it's an excellent place and has some great Cincinnati tradition as well as some great Cincinnati beer! Even if you don't go, you should still check out the blog post that I sent to them yesterday. Enjoy!

Tsunami Relief Beer

I mentioned awhile back that Stone Brewing Co was creating a special beer for tsunami relief efforts in Japan. Well, I came across this video explaining the beer and the thoughts behind it. Very cool video:

Baird / Ishii / Stone Japanese Green Tea IPA Collaboration from stonebrew on Vimeo.

Rivertown Brewing Co night at The Lackman

This Thursday at The Lackman down in Over-the-Rhine, they will be hosting Rivertown Brewing Company night.  The event promises to be an awesome night with some really great beers and even one special never before released and never to be released again: A Belgian Triple White IPA! The event starts at 5 and goes til 10. The Lackman will have other beers from Rivertown as well such as the Dunkel, Roebling Porter, and Hop Baron, but the star of the show will be the Belgian and once it's gone, it's gone. So make sure not to miss this event!

From The Lackman's Facebook page:

Get ready for the next beer event at The Lackman... Rivertown Brewing Co.! Cincinnati Ohio's newest Craft Brewery. Rivertown specialize in brewing traditional Handcrafted Lagers and Ales, using only the finest and freshest ingredients available. Come down to The Lackman on 6/30 at 6pm to have the opportunity to taste & order 4 Rivertown Beers on tap including a special one time release- Belgian Triple, White I.P.A. !! Mark your calendars dont miss this one, when its gone, its gone! Brewmasters will be on hand to talk about all the beers Beers that will be on tap for the event: --> Dunkel: Our Dunkel is a Munich style dark lager. It has a surprisingly light body with mild roasted flavor and caramel undertones. Using the freshest imported and domestic barley, Noble hops and natural water. Available year round. IBU’s 22 5.8% ABV --> Roebling Porter: This well rounded imperial robust style porter is brewed with imported organic sweet vanilla beans from Uganda and cold pressed with organic Peruvian espresso coffee and organic raw cane sugars. Like a big, chewy, vanilla coffee infused brownie Roebling Porter brings tons of chocolate, nougat and toasted almonds to your mouth. Enjoy! Available in draft only 7.8% ABV --> Hop Baron: This double IPA has a striking copper color that is very inviting. With its lovely notes of citrus and floral hop aromas you will find that it is crisp and full bodied. Brewed with 2-Row Pale malts and Local hops you won’t be able to resist having another sip. Available year round. IBU’s 100+ 8.5% ABV --> Belgian Tripel Wit Ipa: This specialty brew combines the hop bitterness of an IPA with the fruity characteristics of a Belgian Wit. It’s grapefruit aroma comes through via the Citra hops and slight orange flavor reflects back to the wit. There is a sweetness to the beer but finishes dry like a Belgian Tripel should. Using German Pilsner, German Wheat, Abby malts and oats. Brewed for June 30th event at The Lackman IBU’s 60 7.5% ABV Follow us on Twitter: @TheLackman, @FourEG Check out our websites: www.lackmanbar.com www.foureg.com

Now it's official? Yuenling in Ohio

In December I linked to a couple of articles indicating that it looked like Yuengling would be coming to Ohio, finally. Well, according to local newspapers, the wait is soon to be over. Resources are indicating that we may see Yuenlging as soon as October: http://www.clevescene.com/scene-and-heard/archives/2011/06/20/yuengling-coming-to-ohio-officially

I know this is awesome news, but I am still unsure. I have been hearing that Yuengling would be coming, not since December, but for years now. I hope this time it is true, but I suppose we will see in October. I do hope that shi is trye as it will only bring more people in to liking different beers besides the big 3, which is a huge plus already.

Beer Review - Lonerider Brewing Co Peacemaker

Today I am having the Lonerider Brewing Company Peacemaker Pale Ale.  This beer was sent to me from my brother out in North Carolina.

Beer pours a nice Copper color, with a small, off white head. Smell is a nice sweet amount of malts, mostly caramel. The smell was not very abundant on this one. The taste was a bit more flavorful, with a caramel malt sweetness. There is a bit of bitterness from the hops, but the malt definitely comes through more.

This was one was not quite what I was expecting, but nothing was bad about it. I enjoyed drinking this one, but I could not quite understand why it is considered a Pale Ale. Maybe I am missing something, but I think they fell a little bit short on that, but it is nice to drink regardless.

Me....in a few words.

I guess since this is essentially a beer blog I'll start out by explaining my views on beer and brewing. I'll start with beer. I've always been a bit of a beer snob as with most I got my start with "better" beer by trying Sam Adams I enjoyed the hoppyness and more complex taste than the swill from the macrobrews. That being said there are a few things that annoy me about craft brews. It seems to me in my very humble, uneducated opinion that craft beer is becoming like wine. A bit snooty, try-hard, know -it-all, beer should be unpretentious. Something you can sit around and drink while wrenching on a car in a dirty garage or on a deck on a nice summer day (which im enjoying a Sam Adams Rustic Saison with family as im writing this). You shouldnt feel the need to discuss its bouquet or its earthy undertones.
Now onto brewing. I got into brewing in a completely ass backwards way. Most start by homebrewing batches from a kit then go onto a whole grain brew and so on. I on the other hand started by jumping headfirst into the world of commercial brewing. I began volunteering at Rivertown Brewing and in all honesty they have been more than inviting, patient, and appreciative. Jason, Randy, Andrew, Andrew, and Blake are all trying their hardest and are quite frankly succeeding in the world of craft brewing. I've done things from labeling, packing, kegging, and cleaning( there is alot of cleaning) and enjoy it immensely. As far as home brewing Im signing off to bottle my first batch.

Cheers,
bustedknucklesbrew

Beer Review - Big Boss Brewing Angry Angel

Tonight's review is the Angry Angel Kölsch from Big Boss Brewing Co. out of Raleigh, North Carolina. This was another one of the beers I acquired from my brother for my birthday.

This beer pours golden in color with a decent sized white head. Aroma is a bit biscuity, maybe a hint of citrus and a touch of butter as well. As I take sips, I tend to taste a lot of the aroma as well, with more of a buttery and biscuit type quality. There is a bit of hop bitterness that come from the background of this one, that makes it a nice refreshing beer after a nice warm day. I also began to detect a touch of pepper as I continued drinking.

Overall, this beer was enjoyable. Nothing overly special about this one, just a nice refreshing beer on a hot summer day.

Raising the ABV limit in Ohio

In case you haven't seen the news, Ohio is considering legislation that will increase the allowed alcohol by volume from 12% to 18%. If you don't already know, surrounding states are already above this new proposed limit; Kentucky has no limit and Indiana is at 21%, so I am curious what others think of this new law.

As those opposed would have you believe, increasing the limit would lead to higher amounts of underage drinkers getting drunk quicker, or legal drinkers downing loads of high alcohol beer and getting more drunk. I am not sure that this is the case, as with higher ABV comes a higher price tag; as I am only a few years removed from college, I don't recall reaching for anything over about $12 for a case (24) beer, no where near the probably $20 price tag a sixer of high alcohol beer would bring.

If you haven't seen the story, here's a link to the report done by Local 12 news. http://www.local12.com/news/local/story/Ohio-May-Raise-Limit-on-Alcohol-Content-For-Beer/YSVJEdbO9EuJkAsoN_fZbQ.cspx



So, what do you think?

Beer Review - Carolina Brewery Sky Blue

Time to review some beer. This time we will be reviewing Sky Blue by the Carolina Brewing Company. This bottle was also sent to me by my brother from North Carolina.

This beer pours golden in color with a thin white head. Beer doesn't have much in the way of smell, just a bit of a sweetness to it. The taste on this is much the same, somewhat sweet, with a malty mouthy feel. Taste is of pilsner malt.

There's not much going on here as far as taste, but it sure hit the spot after a day of 90+ degree weather outside.

Happy Memorial Day

Well, it's Memorial Day, which means it's time to head outside, fire up the grill, and kick back with your favorite summer time brew. It's the unofficial start to summer, and who doesn't lover summer?!

However, let's not forget why we celebrate, the men and women who bravely died defending our freedom in our great country. These men and women paid the ultimate sacrifice so we could enjoy our summer without fear. It's because of brave soldiers that we are able to enjoy this day, and we honor those folks today, all of them, but especially those who have paid the ultimate sacrifice.

So, today, if you see a member of the armed forces, thank them for defending our freedom and maybe even buy them a nice Summer Brew.

Beer Review - Starr Hill Brewing Co Festie

I have to thank my brother for sending me a very awesome birthday day present a few days ago: 14 beers! These beers, with one exception, are not available in my market, so I will be making notes as I enjoy them.

The first of the 14 beers I decided to taste was from Starr Hill Brewing Company out of Crozet, VA. I was sent a bottle of their Festie, Amber Lager beer, as the can describes . The beer, as expected, poured amber in color with a small, off white head. I noted hints of caramel and toffee, but only faintly, as I began to smell the aroma. The taste of the beer was more flavorful than the aroma led me to believe, with a nice malty taste with caramel notes. The beer hit the spot on this nice summer day.

This beer has a nice mouthfeel overall and is a nice refreshing brew. It is not overly complicated; simple is sometimes better.

Brewery Visits - Fat Head's Brewery and Saloon

Fat Head's has started gaining some popularity in the Cincinnati area, and around the country, so I decided to go take a tour of this small brewery in North Olmstead, Ohio, a suburb of Cleveland.

If you've never been to Fat Head's, or never had their beer, you're missing out. This place has the feel of your corner pub, but it's also a nice family restaurant. The first thing you notice when you walk in, is their logo:

The bar itself has a very nice selection of beer. Of course, they pride themselves on their beer, brewed on site, but they also have a very large selection of other craft beers from many other breweries. I ended up trying one of their beer's, Hop Juju, an imperial IPA. They had a cask version and a non cask version. I decided to go with the cask.

It was very tasty indeed. Lots of pine, but very smooth an easily drinkable at 9.5%

After a drink, it was time to check out the brewery. Since the brewers were all out at the Cleveland International Beerfest setting up when we visited Fat Head's, we were greeted by one of the managers, who also happened to be the owner. Sadly, after drinking so much the rest of the day, I have forgotten his name. Anyways, the brewery is on site and is very visible from the bar area. You can actually see their mash tun, boil kettle, and several fermenters. Though I was not their when they were brewing, I imagine you could watch the Brewers Mike and Matt (and others) brew their award winning beers. 

Fermenters

The tour was brief, but exciting. The brewery has produced just over 3500 barrels in the short time it has been open. Their 10 barrel system has them brewing almost every day of the week, just to keep up with the growing demand of their beers, not only in their saloon, but around the Ohio area. I was told that they keep looking for ways to make their award winning beers better, as well as trying new recipes to make even more award winning beer. 

Fermenters

Grain Mill

As we wrapped up the tour, we began to wonder when we would start to see some of this beer around Cincinnati (apart from at Cincinnati Beer Fest and other Fests) and we were treated with a nice bit of news: Fat Head's brewery is looking into several sites in the Cleveland area to open a production brewery! I would love to see some of these tasty brews at my local grocery store. 

In all, this place was really cool. Go check it out if you can. It's an awesome time. As a prominent wall in their saloon says:

Groupon Deal today: 50% off the Prohibition Resistance, Summer Lager Tours

Today's Groupon deal for the Cincinnati area is a very cool one. Today you can get tickets for the Prohibition Resistance tours for half off! If you have not been to these tours, I highly recommend them. Check out more info straight from the website:

A brewery, like the beach, is a relaxing oasis that allows tired travelers to bask in golden hues, frolic in frothy spumes, and get in splash fights with siblings. Savor sudsy fun with today’s Groupon: for $15, you get two tickets to the Prohibition Resistance: Summer Lager Tourfrom the OTR Brewery District (a $30 value). The tour begins at 1 p.m. in Findlay Market on Saturdays and Sundays, starting May 21.

The two-hour Prohibition Resistance: Summer Lager Tour shepherds ale enthusiasts through several blocks of pre-Prohibition-erabreweries in the historically German-populated Over-the-Rhine district. Knowledgeable guides embark from Findlay Market, a public bazaar in continuous operation since 1855, to delve into mid- to late-19th-century beer bubblers. Clyffside Brewery’s opulent high bays soar overhead, and Jackson Brewery’s cavernous lagering cellars delve deep enough to encounter fabled beer-breathing fish. Alongside decorative cornices and bull's-eye windows, tour takers investigate the social and political dimensions of hops hawking. Though the tour does not include beer tasting, tour-goers may visit the Over-the-Rhine Biergarten afterward to discover for themselves the origins of the German word: “bier,” meaning “beer,” and “garten,” meaning “to gargle voraciously.”

To get tickets, click HERE

Cask Conditioned 1861 Porter Tapping - Christian Moerlein

On May 19, Christian Moerlein will be tapping a cask conditioned version of their 1861 Porter. Here's the info directly from their Facebook Page:

Unfiltered. Unpastuerized. Unequaled. Come to Arnold's and experience the traditional brewing technique, tapping, and service of the Arnold's 1861 Porter - served at 55 degress and a carbonation level of 2.2 volumes in honor of American Craft Beer Week and Arnold's Bar & Grill 150th Anniversary. Tapping starts at 6 p.m. This is the traditional way of brewing and serving beer, just like you would have experienced in 1861! A cask conditioned beer, sometimes referred to as a "real ale", is an unfiltered, unpasteurized beer that still contains live yeast, which continues conditioning the beer in the serving vessel. This is known as a secondary fermentation. This process creates a natural CO2 carbonation and allows malt and hop flavors to develop resulting in a richer tasting drink with more character than a standard force carbonated keg. Real ale is always served without any extraneous gas to push the beer out of the keg.

Reminder: saengerfest maibock tapping

Just figured I'd remind everyone that the Saengerfest :from Christian Moerlein is being tapped at 6:00pm at Neon's Unplugged. These tappings are always a fun event, so make sure to go on down and check it out. Check out the original post for more details: http://beersupporteraw.blogspot.com/2011/04/saengerfest-maibock-tapping-christian.html

Viagra Beer?

On April 29th, the wedding between Prince William and Miss Catherine Middleton will take place. As you can probably imagine, the Royal Wedding will be an incredible sight to be hold. However, I, frankly, could care less. So, why did I bring it up you ask? Simple: there has to be a party after the wedding and what better way to party than by having some beer! If it's a special beer brewed just for the wedding, even better.


The guys over at BrewDog Brewing have decided that they would brew such a beer. A beer that will help the new royal family enjoy their night even more. A beer, that as the label suggests, will help them celebrate "Big Willy Style". 


I am not one for gimmicksm usually, but I thought the idea of them making a beer called Royal Verility IPA and adding some Viagra to the beer was generally very amusing. Even funnier was the fact that these guys sent the Prince a bottle so he could "arise". Of course all this was in good humor. Go check out more info on the beer here. Apparently, if you drink 3, you'll be having a good night too!


http://abcnews.go.com/International/Royal_Diary_Blog/scottish-brewery-introduces-royal-viagra-beer/story?id=13429697

Fasting for Lent with only Beer

Maybe you've heard by now that there's a guy who decided to take up the historical challenge of fasting during lent and consuming nothing but beer and water for 40 days. If you have no idea what I am talking about, http://blogs.laweekly.com/squidink/2011/04/beer_diet_diary_of_a_part_time_monk.php?page=2, is the link to a recent article about this guy, J Wilson. I'm not much on religion these days, but this is a neat story. Go read what he has to say about his journey.

Beer better than water after a work out

Seems a new article has emerged (ok, it's not exactly new, but it's being passed around the internet as if it were new) stating that beer is great, especially after a workout.

Beer Better than Water after a Workout

Saengerfest Maibock Tapping - Christian Moerlein

Moerlein announced the tapping of their Saengerfest Maibock. Here's the info straight from the Facebook page:

Join us for the ceremonial keg tapping of the Moerlein Saengerfest Maibock at The Famous Neon's Unplugged - the tapping will happen at 6 pm. sharp! For added entertainment, the Kolping Saengerchor to perform in the beer garden just prior to and after the tapping at 6:00PM. ABOUT MOERLEIN SAENGERFEST Moerlein’s Saengerfest is well balanced Maibock characterized by spicy and floral noble style hops. This deep golden lager is a stellar example of what is often referred to as a “blonde bock” and has an original gravity of 16.5, alcohol by volume of 6.5% and moderate bitterness at 25 units. Moerlein Saengerfest Maibock will be available starting May 1st at participating retailers and be available in draft and six pack packages

with a suggested retail of $8.99 per six packs.

This sounds like it will be a very fun event, as all of their tappings are. Click HERE to go to the official event page on Facebook. Hope to see you all there

Jungle Jim's 2011 Beer fest

I received an email today informing me that Jungle Jim's has announced their 2011 Beer fest. The date for this year's event is Friday, June 17th from 7-10pm. The 2011 details are still being finalized, but make sure to add this to your calendar now. I have been in the past and it's been a very fun time. In the past, they have included food with tickets as well as plenty of beer and water to be had.

Last year I actually had an opportunity to meet several brewers and spoke with them about their beers. I imagine it will be the same this year. So, should you want to learn more, click HERE

Reminder: Tsunami Relief Effort this Sunday

About a week ago I mentioned a Tsunami Relief effort to be held this Sunday at the Comet. You can see more specifics here http://beersupporteraw.blogspot.com/2011/03/cincinnati-tsunami-relief-effort.html. The event will start at 11am and promises to be a great event with proceeds going to help those in Japan who were hit by the massive earthquake and subsequent Tsunami. Make sure to stop in, enjoy some hombrew, and help a great cause.

Opening Day

Well, if you live in Cincinnati, you surely know what today is. If you somehow live in Cincinnati and you don't know, then you're missing out! Today is opening day! This may not have anything to do about beer, but it's a great Cincinnati tradition, and I'm all about tradition.

This city's baseball team was the first professional team. We've had our ups and downs over the years, but one thing has remained constant, Cincinnatians love opening day. We have made it a holiday and a lot of folks take the day off to either go down to the ballpark and watch the game, or stay home and watch it on the tube. (unfortunately I am working this year)Either way, it's great to watch the Cincinnati Reds take the field. Baseball is a sign that spring is here (though it'll only be about 45 tomorrow) and summer is around the bend!

If you couldn't tell, I am excited fior opening day! So, grab some craftbeer and enjoy the game!

Groupon homebrew kit deal!

Groupon has a nice homebrew deal today. Cincinnati Deal of the Day

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Craft Brewers Conference Pics

Alright, before you start to wonder if I made it out to CBC11, the answer is no, I did not. However, I was sent 2 phoitos earlier from someone I know who is there and decided to share them. The first picture is of one of the taps he got to try out at the conference, something I am very jealous I have not had the privilege to try

The next picture is of ona forum in which Ken Grossman (Sierra Nevada) and Fritz Maytag (Anchor Steam).

I know it's not many photos, but remember, it's a beer conference... I have heard it is an amazing event and have been told to expect more pictures to come. Needless to say, I'm jealous.

Cincinnati Tsunami Relief Effort

I sent a tweet out earlier about this, but wanted to share information on a great event. As everyone is aware, about a week ago, Japan was devastated by an Earthquake and subsequent tsunami. Well, a few great folks decided it would be a great idea to a couple of things they love to do, drink beer and help people in need. As such, they put a great fundraiser event together.


The event will take place on April 3rd at the Comet at 4579 Hamilton Avenue. The event will feature all kinds of great beer from Goose Island, rivertown, Listermann, Mt Caramel and others. There will also be auctions of some really cool beer and rare beers to raise money for relief efforts.


So, if you like beer and want to help a great cause, or if you simply want to help a great cause, you need to come on out.  


Facebook event page

Dark Lord Day

If you've never heard of Dark Lord, you're missing out. I've never experienced this beer, mainly because it typically is only on sale at the brewery for one day, then it doesn't come back for a whole year. However, the beer is supposed to be delicious and amazing, therefore, I want to try it.

This year the folks at Three Floyds are doing things a bit different. In order to restore some sanity at the event that they have to release this beer, they are putting tickets up for sale with proceeds going to charity. Tickets will go on sale today at 1pm cts (for those on the east coast, that's 2pm). I assume they will sell fast.

The tickets get you in to the event, which is held in the breweries parking lot in Muenster, IN. According to stories I've heard from years past, the is beer sharing and live bands to keep the masses entertained. It sounds like it is an awesome event, one which I hope to make it to this year. I hope to see some of you out there as well.

The release itself takes place on April 30th. As mentioned, tickets get you in to the event as well as your allotment of Dark Lord Imperial Russian Stout. The exact allotment per person has yet to be determined as it depends on the actual beer yield for this year. Regardless, it should be a great time.

Dogfish Tasting at the Lackman

I saw this today and it sounded pretty cool. This is straight Lackman's Facebook page:

Join us for the Dogfish Head Beer Event at The Lackman on Tuesday, March 22nd from 6pm-10pm! Come sample SEVERAL RARE Dogfish Head Craft Brewed Ales on tap with Special Guest Don Bichsel (DFH regional rep) bringing a special guest with a special surprise beer! Featured Beers: *Palo Santo Marron- 12% abv, highly roasty, and malty brown ale aged on the Palo Santo wood. *Red n White- 10% abv, belgian-style Wit brewed with coriander and orange peel and fermented with Pinot Noir juice. *My Antonia- 7.5% abv, continually-hopped imperial pilsner. *Burton Baton- 10% abv, two 'threads' of beer: an English-style Old Ale and an Imperial IPA, a blend of the citrus notes from Northwestern hops melding with woody, vanilla notes from the oak. *90 Minute Imperial IPA- 9% abv, A big beer with a great malt backbone that stands up to the extreme hopping rate.

Bockfest - a volunteers prospective

Last night I had a chance to go down to Bockfest. I had decided that since money has been tight lately that I would volunteer this year. However, I decided to get down there early and check out the scene before I started work.
The event was much like I remember, lots of people, plenty of beer, brats, goats, music and lederhosen. I had never been on a Friday night before and boy was I in for a suprise! There were people everywhere; everywhere you stepped, d you bumped in to someone. This was no big deal though, since everyone was there to have a good time, and a good time they were having.

When it was finally time to start my shift, I went to check in, but sadly, there was no one there. It was pretty easy to figure out what to do though, check in, grab a shirt, and sell some beer (which was my "assigned" task for the evening)! Once I got up to the counter (read table) I realized that I just needed to find a spot, and ask people what they were having. Easy enough, right? Only problem was that quite a few people weren't sure what to ask for and it was incredibly difficult to hear people with all the noise.

After awhile, I needed a change of pace, so I decided to pour some beer as well. This was pretty busy as well; you had to keep up with the demand for all the people wanting beer. Eventually, things started slowing down and I finally had a chance to talk with other volunteers. All were having a great time, despite the busy evening they all had.

Despite the noise, it was a great time. Being a beer seller, you're everyone's best friend! People flock to you for beer! What a fun time it was; Bockfest did not disappoint. Volunteering is a great way to go, tshirt, beer tickets, and a whole lot of new friends. Just make sure you don't mind large crowds if you go on Friday night.

Check out some photos (Quality is ok, but they're from my phone)

The Bockfest goat

A small list of the beers available

Bockfest Hall

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Schoenling Bock Tapping

Well, Bockfest is less than a week away. That being said, before the big parade, there's another event that must take place: the unveiling of this year's Schoenling Bock! In case you don't know, for the past couple of year's the  winning bock beer recipe during the Bockfest Bock Beer Homebrew contest is used to make this beer! That's right, a local homebrewer creates this very unique beer.

This year's event, like prior years, will be at Mecklenburg Gardens. The unveiling will officially take place Wednesday.at 6:00pm. Be sure to go out and try this beer before Bockfest!

Click here for more info

Beer Review - 21st Amendment Monk's Blood

It's been awhile since I've reviewed a beer. It's not that I haven't had any, it's just that I've never been in a spot to review. That being said, I decided it was time to do another review when I found Monk's Blood while out shopping today. I've heard a lot about this beer and people seem to be talking it up quite a bit, so what the heck, let's give it aq god.

As with all other 21st Amendment Brews I've had, this one comes in cans (which appears to have the story of how the beer got it's name). I poured this in to a 16oz pint glass. This beer pours a very dark brown with a sizeable, slightly tan head. The head on this one is about 3 finger widths. Aroma is of dark fruits, raisins and plums. The taste is similar, dark fruits, plums, with a bit of cinnamon and vanilla. There is also a touch of oakiness in the background that just barely seems to make it's presence known. The mouthfeel of this beer is very smooth, nice and creamy.

I enjoy this beer. If you've had it, what do you think?

Rivertown Brewing Co. Pint Night

In case you didn't see this:

Rivertown Brewing Company Come join us this Thursday night 02/24/2011 at the Cock N Bull in Glendale Ohio. Be the first to recieve the all new Rivertown Pint Glass! Starts at 6pm!

Meeting the Arrogant Bastard

Friday night there was a fantastic event held at Jungle Jim's in which the founder and CEO of Stone Brewing Co. Greg Kich, came out and talked to over 500 folks about his beer. It was great to see all the people out to support craft beer! I was lucky enough to snap off a few photos (from my camera phone, so quality is a bit lacking) so I decided to share.

Cincy Beerfest - a Wrap-up

Did you make it out to the Cincy Beerfest? If not, why? The event was great; Duke Energy Convention Center had a lot more room than last year at the Hyatt which meant less walking right in to someone! (Alright, so that did still happen, but last year it was very cramped and this year you had at least some room to move around) If you did make it out, what did you think? Was it as good as you thought it would be? Better?

Let's get down to the real meat of the event though, the beer. I know that you, just like me, tried an excessive amount of beer and there is no way you remember them all, unless you brought a notebook. Well, I didn't bring a notebook either, but I did note some of the beers I had that really stood out, in my mind. This list is in no particular order:

• Rock Bottom's Cincinnati Chili Beer
• Rock Bottom's Tazza Mia Espresso Porter
• Ellzebelle Triple Belgian Stout (Official Beer of Beerfest and created by a local homebrewer)
• Listermann's Cincinnatus Bourbon Barrel Imperial Stout
• Bell's Batch 10,000
• Left Hand Brewing's The Stranger

You may have noticed from the beers listed, most of the stuff that really stood out in my mind was made locally. This is great news for us Cincinnatians who love to see the local brew scene grow! I hope we see more stuff like this next beerfest!

In all, Beerfest was a very good time. The volunteers I talked to seemed to have a good knowledge of the beers they were serving. (I have been to fests in the past where folks had no clue) There were also several owners and brewers at the event from various breweries. There was plenty of space in the Duke Energy Center, though I think they will need to expand the amount of space next year already. I know the 5th annual will be even better!

AB InBev, MillerCoors to Merge?

I was scouring the internet for my news today, when I happened to get a link to a very interesting news story. I had heard rumors of this news story for about a week or two, but today is the first time I've actually seen in writing that AB Inbev and MillerCoors may actually merge. The story if from the Dayton Business Journal and they are reporting that analysts have stated that this would be a very lucrative move for Anheuser Busch and Miller Coors, but what about the Craft Beer Industry? Here's the link to the article: A-B InBev, SABMiller merger likely

In my estimation, this can only be bad news for the craft beer industry. These giants already control an impressive amount of market share and this will not help a small operation to break through any barriers. Think about it: These 2 giants already spend a ton of money in an effort to make sure that their product is placed in the perfect spot in your local grocery store. They spend millions and millions of dollars on ads telling you to buy their beer. They do everything they can to ensure that they will be the beer you choose when having a party and if they merge, the amount of money they can spend on that will be astronomical! 

Now, more than ever, Craft Brewers need to work together. It will be tough to enter a market with such a strong force, but by helping each other, craft brewers can keep moving forward. I recently linked to another blog from the FullSteam Brewery down in North Carolina (http://www.fullsteam.ag/blog/2011/02/that-brewery-sucks/) where they talk about how local breweries support each other by doing things such as ordering grain together, or suggesting other North Carolina beers to add to taps at bars in the state. I am not sure if other states breweries do this as well, but I believe that if they are not, now is the time to start! 

A merger of these two giants may increase their profits dramatically, but I am afraid of the affect it will have on the craft brewer. I look forward to a day where most of the market is held by small, local craft breweries and not 1 or 2 mega breweries.

My day as a brewer

Just the other day, I had the opportunity to volunteer with a small micro brewery in the area. I won't say which one, but needless to say, it's a very small brewery. Regardless, this was a unique experience.

If you've never done a batch of homebrew before, brewing for a brewery is very unique. I never knew what the life of a brewer was like until I tried it. There was quite a bit to do: mash, sanitize, bottle, label, squeegee, etc... It was never ending.

I had a chance to brew my first all grain batch with this brewery as well. I had never mashed in, or sparged before, but it seemed so easy. I had a chance to stir the mash in order to make sure the grains were converting in to sugars. This was an awesome feeling.

Sure, working in a brewery can be hard work, there's bottling to do, which can get a little monotones, and cleaning, etc.... but in reality, you are making a product that people love, and that's what counts.

Cincy Beerfest

I have come across the beer list for the upcoming Cincy Winter Beerfest: Beers

After looking at this list, it looks like there will be some enjoyable beers to have. Oddly enough, I am intrigued most by the Rock Bottom Cincinnati Style Chili, Chili Beer. I love beer, and I love Cincinnati style Chili; could they be good together? I am not sure, but I am willing to find out.

By the way, the event is February 11th and 12th and if you don't have tickets, I recommend you pick them up now! You can get them here :http://www.beerfesttickets.com/eventperformances.asp?evt=12

If you have not been, it's an awesome event. Come out and have some beers and meet some really cool people.

Beer saves the World

Did you catch the new special on Discovery Channel called "How Beer Saved the World"? If the answer is yes, you probably know what I am going to talk about. If not, do yourself a favor and either find someone who saved it, or catch a rerun. Do yourself a favor though, if you haven't seen it, do so before you continue reading, as I don't want to spoil anything for you.

Now that you've seen the show, it's safe to talk about it. To think, the beer that many people love helped create so many different things! In the large scheme of things, that's a pretty amazing feat for one beverage. (I know, there's different types of beers. That's not the point.)

According to this show, beer is the basis for civilization as we know it. To think, men decided to domesticate because of this beverage, Nomads (hunters/ gatherers) stumbled upon beer by accident after leaving out barley during a rainy season. One lucky nomad was bold enough to taste the first beer. Oh man, what a treat that would have been! After tasting this, it was decided more needed to be made, so man decided to stay in one place for more than just a few days.

According to Discover, beer then becomes one of the most precious, if not the most precious things for man; people work for it, trade it for other goods, and drink it to get their nutrition. Beer does it all! In fact, beer was so important, that beer was used to help give man the energy to build the pyramids. Each person building was alloted a gallon of beer a dar when building the pyramids with the average pyramid needing over 3 million  gallons of beer to be consumed for it to be built. (I don't know about you, but I've done work for beer before; certainly not a gallon of beer though). Beer was so precious that it was used as currency for the ancient Egyptians.

Civilized man ran in to an unforeseen problem though, they began to contaminate their water supply with garbage and animal by-products. This contamination lead to many folks getting sick in the middle ages. The solution to this problem was, of course, beer. These folks realized that by using the water to make beer, they were making it safe to drink. They did not realize that boiling water killed the bacteria, but rather thought that  something in the beer made it safe. This meant that, in order to be healthy, one must consume beer. This included men, women, and children. Everyone drank beer! (What a fun concept, although life in the Middle Ages was very tough). During this time, beer was life blood.

Simply by looking at what beer was believed to do during some very tough times, but beer was also responsible for revolutions! When America's fore fathers came to America, they decided to land where they did because they had run out of beer. To think, things in our history books could have been very different if they just had more beer! Then, to make things more interesting, the revolution really gained momentum over pints of beer in the local taverns. No beer, probably no revolution!

This show really showed what beer has done for man and civilization. An even crazier idea is that beer was the root of capitalism and commerce. The idea that because of beer, many inventions, such as math, are rumored to have to have been invented!

I tell you all this because I thought the show was very well done. Some folks may have already known some of this information, but now the masses now know some of these awesome beer related facts! Beer has played a tremendous role in man kind and I imagine it will continue to play a significant role.

Bockfest

If you live in Cincinnati and love beer, you need to visit Bockfest. If you simply like visiting historic parts of Cincinnati, then you should also come visit Bockfest.

If you're not familiar with Bockfest, here's what it's all about: Bockfest is an annual celebration of Over the Rhine and it's history, especially it's brewing history. According to their website, Bockfest is the oldest event that celebrates bock beer. It's a great event with beer lovers and history buffs coming together to celebrate.

The even will begin this year on March 4th with a parade. The parade, of course, celebrates bock beer, and as beer lovers may know, bock means goat; you can probably figure out who leads the parade from there. I have never been to the parade, but I imagine it is a great time.

The rest of the weekend includes beer, beer, beer and of course sausage. The event takes place in several venues, with most of the action taking place in the Bockfest Hall. This year's Bockfest Hall is at the site of the new Christian Moerlein Brewery downtown. Being in the site of a brewery of course means that the beer will flow. Local homebrew group, the Bloatarians, are also on hand to award a winner in their homebrew competition. There is also the awarding of the Sausage Queen.

Probably the coolest thing about Bockfest isn't the beer though. The fine folks at the Over the Rhine Brewery District have put together an awesome tour of historic Over the Rhine breweries. The tour takes you through some of the many buildings that used to house breweries before prohibition. In some cases, the tour even takes you under ground to view lagering tunnels, or even tunnels used during prohibition. It's truly a tour worth taking.

For those who are true History Buffs, there is also the Church tour. This tour takes you through some of the most historic and most sacred places this city has to offer.

If you can make this event, you should get there. You won't regret it. For more information, visit www.bockfest.com

I also just got word that this Friday is the revealing of this year's Bockfest poster. Click here for more info.Bockfest Poster Event

Pretzelfest Thoughts

This past weekend was the Pretzelfest event that I mentioned a couple of weeks ago. The event took place Friday night at Venue 222 in Over the Rhine. Upon arriving, I could tell this was going to be a fun event.

The event featured several different pretzels from several restaurants. However, despite the event being called pretzelfest, the pretzels did not steal the show. This event was rather unique as it brought it so many different people. Personally, I enjoy beer and I love Bockfest, so I figured this would be a good way to support both. I also talked to folks who were simply there to support the Over the Rhine community, which is certainly a good thing. It was cool to see beer lovers, community activists, and community members all in one building. You had young and old there in an effort to support the area.

During the event you got a chance to try as many pretzels as you wanted. Like I said already, the pretzels didn't steal the show; in fact, some of the pretzels were already gone when I arrived at 6:30 (event started at 5 and went to 10), so I was a little disappointed there. However, there was plenty of Christian Moerlein to go around and they even shared this years Emancipator Dopplebock, which tastes very good this year. These weren't just samples you got to try, but rather the whole bottle.

The event was great and I even got to share my knowledge of brewing history in Over the Rhine with a very nice couple who were curious. I look forward to supporting Bockfest again in March.

Here are 2 pics I took at the event. Sorry for the quality, I was using my phone to take them.

Beer Review - Bell's Hopslam

If you check out lots of beer blogs or visit other beer websites, you've probably been reading about Bell's Hopslam. This time every year, beer fanatics are abuzz about this yearly release of a delicious Imperial IPA. If you haven't tried this one yet, you really should do yourself a favor and try it.

I was lucky enough to grab some of the 2011 release and had this review of it:

The beer poured golden in color with a nice white head. The aroma was strong with pine, pine and more pine. If I was walking through a pine forest, I wouldn't have smelled more pine. However, the pine wasn't overpowering, but rather refreshing to smell. The taste was a lot of the same, pine, but with some citrus and grapefruit. Again, the flavor was far from overpowering, in fact it was quite refreshing. The beer is 10% abv, but you can't really tell with everything else going on. If you like hops, you need to try this beer.

Pretzel Fest - Bockfest fundraiser

If you've ever been to a beer fest, you've probably seen the guys (and gals) who show up to drink with a necklace made of pretzels. I am not quite sure that the pretzels actually make you drink more, or sober you up after you've had quite a few at said beer fest, but we'll debate the practicality of that some other time. Regardless of you views of the pretzel necklace, one thing is for sure, pretzels and beer just go together. Who doesn't enjoy getting a nice mug of beer and scarfing down a pretzel, especially if it's freshly baked?

That being said, January 21st is the Over the Rhine Pretzel Fest. This event promises freshly made pretzels as well as beer. You'll get to try several beers from local establishments and try several beers, all for one cost. Best part is, all proceeds go to benefit Bockfest, which is March 4-6 this year.

Here's more of the specifics directly from the Bockfest Facebook event page:

Over-the-Rhine Pretzel Fest, an official Bockfest 2011 fundraiser will feature Keg Tapping of the Emanicpator Doppelbock, the official Bockfest Beer.

WHEN: Friday January 21, 2011, at Venue 222 (222 E 14th St).

All proceeds go toward the costs of Bockfest 2011, Tickets can be purchased at:http://www.bockfest.otrbrewerydistrict.org/Pretzelfest.htm

Admission is $35 and includes a unique sampling of freshly baked pretzels from local restaurants and bakeries, FOUR drink tickets, a brat, and a chance to win the Ultimate Bockfest Weekend. (Additional food and beverage will also be available.)

The event is a fundraiser to cover a portion of costs of the nineteenth annual Bockfest. Bockfest 2011 will take place from March 4 – 6, 2011. The “Cincinnati Dancing Pigs” will perform live - local bakeries and restaurants will showcase unique pretzel creations.

Bockfest is also raising funds necessary through two raffles, the Arnold’s Bathtub Raffle and the Ultimate Bockfest Weekend Raffle.

Arnold’s Bathtub Raffle: Arnold’s Bar & Grill is Cincinnati’s oldest saloon, founded in 1861 and celebrating its 150 year anniversary in 2011. The bar legendarily remained open through Prohibition, and stories about bathtub gin make the bathtub that remains in a second floor dining room a symbol of Arnold’s and its history. The bar owns a motorized bathtub that is always near the front of the Bockfest Parade, to be held on March 4, 2011 at 5:30PM. Driving the tub has traditionally been a rare honor. This year, Arnold’s is letting the privilege be raffled to help support parade costs. Chances are $5 each. Tickets can be purchased online at www.bockfest.com <http://www.bockfest.com/> or by contacting Bockfest organizers at Bockfest@otrbrewerydistrict.org. Arnold’s is located at 210 East 8th Street Cincinnati, OH 45202.

Ultimate Bockfest Weekend Raffle: The Ultimate Bockfest Weekend Raffle offers ticket holders two chances to win luxury Bockfest accommodations. The Grand Prize winner will spend Friday, March 4, 2011 and Saturday, March 5, 2011 in a two-bed, two-bath penthouse in the Garfield Suites Hotel; and will receive $250 in food and drink voucher to be used at Café Martin within the hotel. The secondary prize includes Bockfest accommodations in a standard (but still spacious) suite and $100 in food and drink. Tickets can be purchased online at www.bockfest.com or by contacting Bockfest organizers at Bockfest@otrbrewerydistrict.org.

To see more, click HERE

Beer Review - Ridgeway Brewing Lump of Coal

So, Christmas has come and gone, but that doesn't mean I can't share a lump of coal I was privileged enough to receive with everyone. So, Santa didn't actually leave this for me instead of presents (actually, this beer was given to beersupporterjt and he was kind enough to share) but it sure fit the bill tonight as it has been snowing all day here. That being said, we figured it was time to share another winter beer.

The beer poured dark brown with a nice, slightly off white head. The smell of this beer was of chocolate, raisin, and a bit of butterscotch. The smell wasn't very powerful, but it led me to think that I was going to greatly enjoy this beer. The taste, however, was not quite what the smell led me to believe. Taste certainly did have chocolate, but it also added a touch of coffee, but I could not find the raisin taste that I smelled. I also noted that this beer seemed to taste hot as I could definitely taste a bit of alcohol burn as I drank.

In all, this beer was ok. If you have a bottle of this sitting around, it'll make a decent drink for a snowy day, but I wouldn't go out of your way to find it.

Arnold's 1861 Porter

About a week or two ago I had a post mentioning that Arnold's was celebrating their 150th Anniversary this year and to celebrate, they decided to throw a birthday party last night. Well, Christian Moerlein also wanted to share in their celebration of 150 years in Cincinnati, so they decided to brew a beer in honor of this accomplishment and I was there to check it out.

Before I share my thoughts on the beer, there are some things to note. This beer was the first beer that Christian Moerlein brewed in  Over the Rhine! This is fantastic news because it brings them one step closer to getting their brand new brewery fully operational (it's still going to be a little while, but they're working on it). Also, because this beer was brewed in the new brewery that isn't full of fermenters and mash tuns, there was only so much of this beer to go around at the party. The event started at 6:00pm and the beer was gone by 7:00pm. I believe that this says something about Cincinnati's rising beer scene, but more on that on a different day.

On to my thoughts:

This beer pours a dark brown, with a thin, tan head. The smell is of a coffee and chocolate beans and was very nice. The taste was much the same, roasty, coffee, and chocolate. The more I drank, the more the chocolate starts to come to the front. The beer had light carbonation, but it was a nice drink. The taste was a little softer than I was expecting it to be, but it was definitely enjoyable.

If you had a chance to try this beer on New Year's Eve or on New Year's, what did you think? Do you agree with my assessment?