Sep 01, 2010

One of 4 recycling bins at a recent beer tasting.  A beer drinkers dream bin. Photo by Charlie Papazian So much beer not enough time. So much beer news not enough time. So much fun to have not enough time. I’ve been traveling a lot during August and not able to be as regular as I’d like to be. Here’s a bit of catching up on the Examiner.com beer news as reported by area beer Examiners. I’m trying to keep up with the days while now I’m off to Brussels to get knighted. No need to call me Sir Charles. Just keep my glass filled with good beer and the news...

Aug 31, 2010

It seems that craft brewing and the interest in craft beer has snowballed this summer. Here’s a summary of just a few stories in August that have caught my attention.  Keep in mind that old news is better than no news.  I've been away on an island for the past 10 days and this is the reason for my 2 week hiatus from National Beer Examiner jottings. The Great American Beer Festival celebrates 29 years.  An account of the early years of the Great American Beer Festival. Interviews with early participants such as Alaskan Brewing Company’s Geoff Larson, Boston...

Aug 15, 2010

National Beer Examiner spent the week in the clouds and is now headedto Maine to have a beer or two, meet a few brewers and teach a 5-dayBeer Class.  The Great American Beer Festival will sell out this week for the fourth year in a row. Festival events and schedules are at greatamericanbeerfestival.org There’s been lots of beer news to write about. Here’s a week + summary of beer Examiner.com news. Personally I’ve had some time off and this week heading to Maine to present my 5 day Beer Tasting, History and Culture course I’ll be without dependable internet...

Aug 06, 2010

Craft beer is hot. Summer is hot and the remnants will linger through chili season.Photo by Charlie Papazian The hottest part of the summer will soon be past. But the remnants will last. Fiery chili season will be upon us. I will be preparing my own fiery rehearsal this weekend, with plenty of ale, lager and a bit of peppered mead. Meanwhile it was a week in which American craft beer rocked at the Great British Beer Festival  . Other American craft brewers prepare to participate at the Yokohama, Japan Great Japan Beer Festival, New Zealand Beer Competition, Slow Food Italy’s...

Aug 04, 2010

The Great British Beer Festival gets invaded by some revolutionary minded American craft beers. Photo by Bob Pease “There is a vibrant and emerging craft brewing community springing up around London. Brew Wharf, Dark Star, Moor Beer Company, Thornbridge, Meantime (as well as [edgy] Brew Dog in Scotland),” Bob Pease Brewers Association COO and Export Development Program director reports of the festival activities. One small London craft brewer confided, “You all are changing the way British think about beer.”Tuesday was the first day of the Great British Beer...

Aug 02, 2010

Craft beer from small and independent U.S. breweries is flowing upand every which way.  Photo by Charlie Papazian The Brewers Association in their just-released 2010 Mid-Year Growth for U.S. Craft Brewers report tallies up the numbers of a representative sampling of America’s craft brewers. Not only are dollar sales up 12% in the first half of 2010 (compared with 9% dollar sales growth in first half of 2009) but beer drinkers are enjoying more of the good stuff.Volume of craft brewed beer from small and independent brewers grew 9% in first half 2010, compared to 5% growth in...

Jul 31, 2010

Beatles and beer.  A treasure of craft beer enjoyment. Images courtesy of CraftBeer.com What craft beer would you drink to the tunes of The Beatles? Check out the extensive Beatles and Craft Beer Pairings research done by John Fortunato at CraftBeer.com. Additional link reveals over 50 Beatles songs and paired beer. And while your sipping beer and gracefully flinging a piece of your favorite onto the home grill, chunk up a barrel-aged stout barbecue sauce compliments of CraftBeer.com.Here’s the weeks beer news from Examiner.com’s beer examiners. Albany Craft Beer Examiner,...

Jul 29, 2010

 Hear Larry Bell talk about Why Craft Beer matters.  Video images  from CraftBeer.com. It all began in November 2009 with the launching of CraftBeer.com website. The first video to post was Pairing Beer with Food, featuring Tony Forder of Ale Street NewsThat was followed with the very popular video I am a Craft Brewer  which spawned dozens of other takes on I am a . . . brewer throughout the world.Now you can pour yourself a very tall beer or two, and enjoy at your leisure over 20 videos by craft brewers, about craft brewers, for beer craft beer drinkers. Are you thirsty...

Jul 25, 2010

This classic German beer poster says it all in one word - Durst.In English, "thirst."  Simple and to the point.  If you’re a beer examiner reader in the northern hemisphere, you know right about now there is often one reason to drink beer. Thirst. I’m finding this a familiar theme in the heat of this summer’s prime beer drinking season – with cold English bitter, German style Kölsch ales, English-style mild, hoppy pale ales and pilseners and other both refreshing and flavorful brews. Personally it’s so much so that I’m torn...

Jul 21, 2010

Festival attendees at the August 3-7 Great British Beer Festival in London will be treated to beers from over 25 American craft brewers amongst the 500+ UK cask alesciders and perries.  Photo courtesy of CAMRA and the GBBF. England’s CAMRA’s (Campaign for Real Ale) Great British Beer Festival (GBBF) takes place August 3-7 at Earls Court in London. During the 5 day festival, attendees will have much more to experience than the 500+ cask ales traditionally offered, in half pint or one pint “samples.”The Americans are coming again. Again.Brewers Association small...