Cool Stuff

Beer Culture The Movie Debuts In July

A new movie about the craft beer culture premieres next month.  Press Release & Trailer below. Enjoy…

Denver, CO (June 2011) – Denver, CO based Free Mind Productions has created Beer Culture the Movie, premiering July 8th, 2011 at Upslope Brewing Continue Reading →

VID: Woman Fights Beer Thieves

Cheers to this woman for just being sick and tired of crime.  Monique Lawless (the name just wreaks of irony…) a single mother of 2, was shopping at Walmart in Alvin, Texas.  Two kids walk into the store, grab Bud Continue Reading →

Glass Growlers Are So Last Year

Having issues with your glass growlers?  The Bräuler seeks to fix that.  Glass breaks.  The Brauler is indestructible.  This piece of beer-gineering is made of food grade stainless steel. (No chipping. No cracking.)  This kick ass beer tote was Continue Reading →

Posted in Cool Stuff, Upslope Brewing Company, Videos

Beer Culture The Movie Debuts In July

A new movie about the craft beer culture premieres next month.  Press Release & Trailer below. Enjoy…

Denver, CO (June 2011) – Denver, CO based Free Mind Productions has created Beer Culture the Movie, premiering July 8th, 2011 at Upslope Brewing Company in Boulder. Colorado.

Beer Culture the Movie is a feature length documentary explaining the cultural phenomena behind the American craft beer movement. The movie utilizes the great beer state of Colorado telling stories of the struggles and successes of some of the state’s top breweries and to ultimately show consumers how the craft beer industry is a driving force in the economic growth of America.

Colorado’s craft beer industry is unique and key showing the impact the beer industry is able to make on the economy. Colorado’s liquor laws were originally adopted to keep the mob out of liquor sales–today, the states liquor laws keep big business out of the small, independent liquor retail market. These laws have shaped the thriving beer culture that is alive, supported, and constantly growing in the state. Beer Culture the Movie used Colorado to show how the American dream is still being achieved, how supporting small business begets a healthy economy and how vitally important it is to not underestimate the power of supporting the American Craft Beer Industry.

“Craft beer is the perfect metaphor for the American Dream.” Governor John Hickenlooper.

Beer Culture the Movie is written and directed by up-and-coming filmmaker Thomas Kolicko and this is his first feature length film. It is his commentary on how an individual can help better the American economic situation. Free Mind Productions is owned by Thomas Kolicko and utilized s a team of Colorado-based independent filmmakers comprised of: Producers Courtney Cobb and Deana MacDonald, Cinematographers Brendan Harris and Brandon Keen and Editor Kevin Deming.

For additional information on this release and the film, please contact Courtney Cobb and [email protected] and visit our website at  beerculturemovie.com to see trailers.

by Reid Ramsay
Posted in Cool Stuff, Videos

VID: Woman Fights Beer Thieves

Cheers to this woman for just being sick and tired of crime.  Monique Lawless (the name just wreaks of irony…) a single mother of 2, was shopping at Walmart in Alvin, Texas.  Two kids walk into the store, grab Bud Light, and leave without paying.  Lawless noticed the theft in progress – and after the Walmart greeter failed to stop the lawbreakers, dropped her purse and took off running after them.

There was a third kid in a get away car ready to pick up the other 2 and their beer out front of the store.  Lawless jumped up on top of the car in an attempt to stop them.  The kids bust out laughing in the car and drive off causing here to fall off the car and dragged a few feet.  These little bastards obviously thought hurting a woman was funny.   What’s even more idiotic – one of them was over 21 and could buy the beer legally. The three were finally arrested.  Check out the video.  One of the suspects was pinned by a cop car. Awesome.

by Reid Ramsay
Posted in Cool Stuff, Full Sail Brewing

3rd Beer Coming To Full Sail’s Session Line

Full Sail Session Fest

Full Sail Session Fest

Not a whole lot of details on this one yet.  Full Sail Brewing looks to be bringing a 3rd beer to their Session Series which currently features Session Lager, and Session Black.

Fest immediately makes one think Oktoberfest/marzen, but Fest will be a Red Lager.  Potentially released around Christmas time.  (Red & green packaging, Red Lager, etc.)

6.2% ABV

More to follow…

by Reid Ramsay
Posted in Beer News, Cool Stuff, Flying Monkey Craft Brewery

Flying Monkey Claims Hoppiest Beer. 2500 IBUs

World’s Hoppiest Beer?  2500 IBU’s?  There will be some people who argue that 2500 IBUs is WAY, WAY outside the detectable bitterness range.  (130 is pushing it.)  Flying Monkeys Craft Brewery in Barrie, Ontario claims to have the hoppiest of the hoppy.   “Alpha-fornication”  as the beer is called, is made by  manipulating aggressive hop styles & the brewing process itself.

[quote style=”boxed”]Highly creative and complex manipulation of the high alpha acid hop varieties, Warrior (17% AAU) and Centennial (11.5% AAU). A hop-steeped wort re-circulated through an additional “Hop Vorlauf” punches up the insane intensity of this brew to a stupefying 2500 IBUs. Keeping with the concepts of extreme brewing, the 13.3% ABV of Alpha-fornication adds bigness to this beer.[/quote]

Don’t expect to see much of this beer (an imperial IPA, as if you had to ask.) Only 15 liters (just shy of 4 gallons) of Alpha-Fornication was kegged.  Only 6 bottles were even made.  Flying Monkeys calls this beer one of their ‘Everest Experiments,’ an obvious series of extreme beers.  Can’t wait to see the price tag on this one.  <EdmontonJournal>

by Reid Ramsay
Posted in Asahi Brewing, Cool Stuff

Asahi Helps Rebuild Japan With Free Beer

Asahi Brewing is helping out the Japan build the best way they know how. With beer.  The brewery has commissioned a beer wagon to drive around to festivals & rebuild sites this summer and give out cold beer.

Akiyoshi Koji, managing director of Asahi says the idea is to help out the people who work up a sweat helping rebuild Japan.

Sometimes things just look better with cold beer in hand. <ABC.net>

Right after the quake, another Japanese brewer jumped in to help victims.  Kiuchi Brewing suspended all brewing to bottle water for victims

 

 

by Reid Ramsay
Posted in Cool Stuff, Port Brewing Company

Homebrewers: Here’s The La Cruda Recipe

In honor of the re brew of La Cruda Porter for The National Homebrewers Conference this week, Port Brewing has released the scaled down (batch size) for La Cruda. Tomme Arthur got his start at Cervecerias La Cruda (The Hangover Brewery) in San Diego California.  La Cruda was a recipe from that era.  Below is recipe for your brewing pleasure.  Apparently this beer was one of the worst selling beer at the brewery, BUT a gold medal winner.

La Cruda Porter

A ProMash Recipe Report

Recipe Specifics
----------------

Batch Size (Gal):         5.00    Wort Size (Gal):    5.00
Total Grain (Lbs):       12.25
Anticipated OG:          1.065    Plato:             15.95
Anticipated SRM:          35.7
Anticipated IBU:          26.9
Brewhouse Efficiency:       75 %
Wort Boil Time:             90    Minutes

Grain/Extract/Sugar

   %     Amount     Name                          Origin        Potential SRM
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
 81.6    10.00 lbs. Pale Malt(2-row)              America        1.036      2
  4.1     0.50 lbs. Crystal 75L                   Great Britian  1.034     75
  8.2     1.00 lbs. Crystal 150L                  Great Britain  1.033    150
  5.1     0.63 lbs. Chocolate Malt                Great Britain  1.034    400
  1.0     0.13 lbs. Roasted Barley                America        1.028    450

Potential represented as SG per pound per gallon.

Hops

   Amount     Name                              Form    Alpha  IBU  Boil Time
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
  0.71 oz.    -Cascade - 2008                   Pellet   5.40  15.5  90 min.
  0.81 oz.    -Mt. Hood                         Pellet   4.40  10.4  30 min.
  1.34 oz.    Tettnanger                        Pellet   4.50   1.0  1 min.

Yeast
-----

White Labs WLP028 Edinburgh Ale

Mash Schedule
-------------

Mash Type: Single Step

Grain Lbs:   12.25
Water Qts:   16.00 - Before Additional Infusions
Water Gal:    4.00 - Before Additional Infusions

Qts Water Per Lbs Grain: 1.31 - Before Additional Infusions

Saccharification Rest Temp : 152  Time:  60
Mash-out Rest Temp :         165  Time:  10
Sparge Temp :                170  Time:   0

Total Mash Volume Gal: 4.98 - Dough-In Infusion Only

All temperature measurements are degrees Fahrenheit.

 

by Reid Ramsay
Posted in Cool Stuff

Glass Growlers Are So Last Year

Having issues with your glass growlers?  The Bräuler seeks to fix that.  Glass breaks.  The Brauler is indestructible.  This piece of beer-gineering is made of food grade stainless steel. (No chipping. No cracking.)  This kick ass beer tote was created by The Zythos Project, a Portland, Oregon based engineering firm.  The mouth is 1.75″ wide, with deep threading to prevent carbonation loss.  The collar actually boasts accessories beyond the basic cap, including a bail top (swing top) and a CO2 counter pressure cap .

This cadillac of growlers comes with a 100% guarantee.  If for some reason you break it, The Zythos Project will replace it.  They can be laser etched – with brewery names, QR codes, websites, etc.  Fair warning, some states require government warnings to be legal for fill.  Might require some initial etching investments before your local growler bar/shop will fill it.  $TBA. <ZythosProject>

 

by Reid Ramsay