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A Beer Brewed with Whale Testicles

Icelandic brewery Steojar made news in January of last year when they launched a beer brewed with whale meal (called Hvalur Thorri). Animal activists went nuts. Furthermore, the Vesturland Public Health Safety deemed the beer unfit for sale, only to ultimately Continue Reading →

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Spencer Trappist Brewery Launches in Georgia

America’s only Trappist brewery is now in the state of Georgia. Massachusett’s based Spencer Trappist has signed a new distribution deal with Atlanta Beverage and Eagle Rock to bring their (currently one offering) to the state.

Of the 180 Trappist monasteries in Continue Reading →

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by Reid Ramsay
Posted in Beer News, Don't Miss This

A Bar Calls Out Negativity. Something I Totally Get [Op-Ed]

The Common Table, craft beer gastropub in Dallas, Texas let their feelings about the state of craft beer and some of their clientele fly on Facebook today. It’s pretty amazing.

Now, I know that with constantly writing about beer, traveling to breweries and more, I get my share of rare beer. Luck favors the bold. On the subject of negativity however, this is pretty great.

Everytime I click post to Beer Street Journal, or send a tweet or an Instagram, I have this feeling that washes over me for few seconds. A feeling that someone is going to hate this. When I say hate, I mean, the beer, my post, my writing, my grammar, my phrasing, or a combination of all of it.

Negativity bleeds across all my timelines, from Twitter, to Facebook and everything in between. I’ve had readers tell me to kill myself on multiple occasions. I’ve had Redittors call me retarded, fat, uneducated, even called my mother a whore. (A note to those people: You aren’t going to hurt my feelings. I was nerd growing up, and got the shit kicked out of me for years. You can’t hurt me. Someone should hug you more.)

A bar calling out the negativity in craft beer is incredible. These folks understand the hatred. Yelp, Beer Advocate forums, Reddit forums, email listservs. There really is no perfect way to distribute a case of rare beer. They are basically set up to fail, but they keep doing it for the love of beer. I’ve seen people complain in places that have an amazing tap lineup, that there’s “nothing new.”

I started Beer Street Journal more than six years ago, because I wanted people to get excited about all this amazing beer being made. Maybe help the industry grow a little. It’s my life.

BSJ is news based, and very little editorial. I will say, if you are reading this. You are surrounded by some of the best, and most creative beer in the world. You won’t like every one of them. That doesn’t mean someone else won’t. Plus, if they do, and you don’t, that doesn’t make them wrong. In that glass is someone’s hard work, passion, life savings, even a kid’s college fund.

Experimenting (and tasting) is what makes craft beer fun. If it was the same thing over and over again, none of this would exist.

I say this with all sincerity. Drink. Be Awesome. Be Positive. Most of all… Be Happy.

by Reid Ramsay
Posted in Beer News, Don't Miss This

A Beer Brewed with Whale Testicles

Icelandic brewery Steojar made news in January of last year when they launched a beer brewed with whale meal (called Hvalur Thorri). Animal activists went nuts. Furthermore, the Vesturland Public Health Safety deemed the beer unfit for sale, only to ultimately allow the beer to be sold.

Speaking of nuts, the brewery is back at it again, brewing a beer with whale balls. That’s right, whale testicles. Steojar decided to follow up their whale-based predecessor with smoked testicles from fin whales into the brew.

One full whale testicle is used in every batch. Hvalur 2 goes on sale January 23rd.

Depending on your sources, the fin whale is either endangered or hanging in nicely in the North Atlantic ocean. Whaling, and the consumption of whale is legal in Iceland, and controlled.

The brewery did not kill the whales for the testicles, but is a by-product of the Icelandic whaling business.

by Reid Ramsay
Posted in Beer News

72 People Die From Poisoned Beer in Mozambique

A batch of traditional, home-brewed, beer is responsible for the death of 72 people in Mozambique. More than 100 have been hospitalized.

Early reports point to a poison spiked batch of pombe, a recipe brewed with sorghum, corn and millet. A large crowed of funeral goers drank the poisoned pombe, and immediately fell ill.

The recipe and brewing process of pombe is not fatal. According to Radio Mozambique, the brew might have been poisoned with crocodile bile, a deadly poison. Apparently the container full of pombe is missing as well.

Ed note: Crocodile bile isn’t inherently poisonous. There is a lot of superstition surrounding the pancreas of a crocodile in Mosambique. The beer was potentially spiked with a more poisonous substance.

by Reid Ramsay
Posted in Beer News

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by Reid Ramsay
Posted in Beer News, Don't Miss This, Woodchuck Cider

Barrel Aged Woodchuck Spitter Splinter Cider Joins Limb Series

The next offering in Woodchuck Cider’s Out on a Limb Series is Spitter Splinter, a barrel aged cider.

“Spitter” refers to European bittersweet apples used in this release, known for their tart and acidic nature. The fermented juice is aged in bourbon barrels, giving the cider vanilla and oaky notes.

The Out on a Limb Series is a rotating selection of one-off, experimental ciders. The packaging stays the same, but the ciders change every 45-60 days.

Style: Ciders (Barrel Aged. Bourbon)
Availability: 12oz Bottles. Limited release.
Arrival: December, 2014

5.5% ABV

by Reid Ramsay
Posted in Beer News, Spencer Brewery

Spencer Trappist Brewery Launches in Georgia

America’s only Trappist brewery is now in the state of Georgia. Massachusett’s based Spencer Trappist has signed a new distribution deal with Atlanta Beverage and Eagle Rock to bring their (currently one offering) to the state.

Of the 180 Trappist monasteries in the world, only 9 are also breweries. Those 9 are Chimay, Rochefort, Orval, Achel, Westmalle, Westvleteren, Koningshoeven, Stift Engelzell, and now Spencer. The International Trappist Organization recognizes these breweries as Trappist, and each carry the Trappist logo on their bottles. None are in the United States. Until now.

The Saint Joseph Abbey added the brewery, under the advisement of Chimay.

Spencer has just one offering right now, Spencer Trappist Ale, a Belgian-style pale ale, packaged in 11.2oz bottles.

The offering is now available in the state of Georgia, as of the first week of December. Georgia is the brewery’s 7th state of distribution.

by Reid Ramsay