Beer Evangelists

On this date in 1935 the first can of beer was sold in the U.S.

Myra — Mon, 24 Jan 2011 18:19:07 +0000

http://www.wired.com/thisdayintech/2011/01/0124first-us-canned-beer/

Scientific Proof That Beer Is Good For You

Myra — Mon, 21 Jun 2010 16:16:42 +0000

According to a report from BioScholar (http://news.bioscholar.com/2010/06/cheers-booze-may-help-keep-arthritis-at-bay.html), “A new study suggests that alcohol consumption lowers risk of developing several arthritic conditions including Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA), Osteoarthritis (OA), reactive arthritis, psoriatic arthritis and spondylarthropathy.” While the study looks at generic alcohol consumption, I’m sure you can draw your own conclusions.

Founders Nemesis 2009

Scott — Sat, 13 Mar 2010 01:50:15 +0000

Well, I figure it has been a year and I should probably review something.

Founders Nemesis 2009 is maple bourbon barrel aged wheat wine. I wasn’t terribly interested in trying it until I got to taste a sip when a friend ordered one.

I bought a 4-pack when I left the restaurant.

I’m drinking it from a wide-mouth snifter-style glass. It pours a rich reddish-caramel color with little to no head. The alcohol apparent in the nose and in the warmth of the finish. The thing that really sticks with me is the almost buttery sweetness. Reminds me of a butterscotch or butter rum candy. I’m definitely putting a couple of these back for a year or two to let them mellow.

BE enters the world of home brewing

Scott — Wed, 25 Mar 2009 14:59:30 +0000

Jason, Jeremy and I brewed our first batch of beer on Saturday. We brewed the London Porter kit from The Home Brewery. We made a few small mistakes, but nothing terrible. All in all we are pretty happy with how it went.

Last night I started de-labeling some bottles I had collected. My new favorite brewer is Schlafly. 10 minutes in hot water and the labels just slide off. O’Fallon, not so much. I don’t really want to mess with labels that don’t soak off in hot water. Of course, this is just with respect to label removal. They still brew great beer.

St. Patrick’s Day at Sycamore

Scott — Wed, 18 Mar 2009 14:25:40 +0000

Wow! We had a great time visiting with Jeremy Cowan, founder of Shmaltz Brewing. Sycamore had many Shmaltz beers on tap for the dinner, as well as a wide selection of Shmaltz bottles. If you get a chance, head to Sycamore to try the Oak-aged RIPA. The aging mellows it nicely. It was definitely my favorite beer of the evening.

The next Sycamore beer dinner is scheduled for April 14th and will feature De Molen, a brewery in the Netherlands.

International Tap House Opens in Chesterfield

Myra — Fri, 06 Feb 2009 00:38:18 +0000

Thanks to Kitty Lasinski for this STLtoday.com article on the opening of Internation Tap House, a new “mega beer bar” in the western outskirts of St. Louis featuring 500 beers, 40 of those on tap.

Flash on Tap Conference

Myra — Fri, 06 Feb 2009 00:23:31 +0000

Flash on Tap combines a Flash conference with a beer festival.

Where: The Castle, Boston, MA
When: May 23-30, 2009

Early bird pricing ends April 28, 2009

New Columbia Beer Enthusiasts site.

Scott — Wed, 04 Feb 2009 20:46:39 +0000

Check it out at http://columbiabeerenthusiasts.ning.com/.

Protecting beer from bacteria

Scott — Tue, 06 Jan 2009 16:26:04 +0000

Here is an interesting article about a PhD student at the University of Saskatchewan researching how to better protect beer from bacterial contaminiation. Here is my favorite quote:

Back in 2006, my three brothers made homemade beer. But the beer turned out so disgusting and contaminated that I decided to bring some to the lab. I grew the contaminating bacteria from the beer, and sequenced some of their DNA. I found three types of bacteria that have never been found in beer before, and identified a specific beer-spoilage or antimicrobial resistance gene in each type.

Pretty interesting.

Anderson Valley Winter Solstice Seasonal Ale

Scott — Mon, 05 Jan 2009 04:15:25 +0000

This winter I’ve tried quite a few seasonal beers; more than I did last year. Thanks to Anderson Valley being added to the list of beers distributed in Missouri I’m able to give their Winter Solstice Seasonal Ale a try.

The beer pours with a thick, tan head that settles quickly. The nose has hints of spice and sweetness from the malts. This beer has a nice mouthfeel, not too heavy, but not too thin either. It is a little sweet and is nicely carbonated. The beer tastes similar to what I think of as an english style. Not my favorite, but it is good.