"brewing" news and stories

You may remember the first Teastick we reviewed in 2005. You know, if you're that cool and read blogs back then. Well, three years is a long time in Teastick development. Have a look at what's new - at right, the Teastick Gems.

Do they remind anyone else of Barbie shoes? Seriously, that's all I can think of when I look at them. But they're not Barbie shoes, they're not; they make tea.

"Teastick Gems are now made with Eastman Tritan™, a revolutionary new material that is FDA-approved, taste-free and with absolutely no Bisphenol-A!"

I have no idea what Bisphenol-A is, but I feel sort of excited that these don't contain it. I looked up what else is made with Eastman Tritan™ but a Google image search brought me a lumber rack, a synthesizer, and an impressive deer. So, let's assume this is a very new type of plastic.

In any case, Teasticks can go in the dishwasher and are obviously a very handy tea-making shape. The Teastick Gems' semi-clear design allow you to watch your tea pearls unfold and make a perfect 10-14 oz. cup of tea. Perfect for a tea lover's holiday stocking!

Source

Organic beers seem to be all the rage as of late. Either that or my "rage sensors" are a bit slow on the uptake. Either way, more and more I'm seeing the words "organic" on labels and hearing people talk about organic alcohols.

When it comes to organic food, people often speak of benefits to taste or their health. However, after speaking with representatives from a number of organic breweries, many of them pointed out most craft brews use a higher quality of ingredients to begin with, leaving less room for true organic beers to separate from the pack. One of the biggest distinctions, it turns out, is the use of organic cleansers when cleaning the brewing equipment, which (pardon my skepticism) I find hard to believe will translate into any major jump in product quality or add to my longevity.

Still, organic products do benefit the environment and support organic farmers, so if you're the type who loves to look out for our planet (and I guess we should, huh?) drink all the organic beers you like. My point though, when it comes to rating organic beers on taste, don't expect them to receive any special considerations.

So imagine my surprise when one of the best beers at this year's NY Brewfest turned out to be a certified "USDA organic" serving. With an almost too strong grassy, herbaceous nose, Wildfire Extra Pale Ale by Four+ Brewing fulfilled my desires for taste bud-blowing hoppiness with a dry, bitter finish that was out of this world. This product is probably a love it or hate it beer based on your affinity for hops, but if you're a hop-head, here's an extremely quaffable opportunity to be environmentally friendly.

Bonus points to the brewery for succeeding against the odds: Four+ (who is directly affiliated with the Uinta Brewing Company) is located in the not so beer friendly city of Salt Lake City, Utah, proving once again that you can't leave Utah out of the craft beer conversation.

[Photo Credit: fourplusbrewing.com]

Depending on your preferences, you probably found this title either deeply appealing or really disgusting.

If you're a dog, hopefully you felt the former, because this new product is designed for the furry set: Dog Beer. A company in Australia has concocted a brew specifically for Fluffy. It's non-alcoholic, but company owner Elise Schumacher claims it tastes just like normal beer. Apparently, she came up with the idea after she saw her own dogs, Louis and Vuitton, leaping up to catch drops of beer.

Some customers are paying up to five bucks per bottle for the stuff in Melbourne.

But it looks like Dog Beer wasn't the first to come up with this idea. A woman in the States makes Happy Tail Ale, specifically for canines - at only $1.50 a bottle.

Uh, and I know I don't have to tell you this, but dogs can't metabolize normal beer like we can - so please don't go trying to give your dogs a sip of your Sam Adams, okay?

Source

I like to take pride in my knowledge of beer. I've made several batches of home brew with fellow blogger Jonathan M. Forester and I know tons about different styles of beer. But, perhaps, I shouldn't be so proud of my beer lore. I just learned of the passing of Alan D. Eames who had earned the monikers the "Beer King" and "the Indiana Jones of beer." I am slightly embarrassed to admit that reading his obit was the first time I heard of the gentleman.

Eames lived up to the Indiana Jones title with such exploits as traversing the Amazon in search of a legendary black brew and entering Egyptian tombs to read hieroglyphics about beer. He liked to refer to himself as a beer anthropologist. Once in South Africa, he sampled a rare dark beer said to be made by a village grandfather. When he asked to speak to the brewer his request drew guffaws. Seems the beer was made from grandfather; his cremated bones were added to the other ingredients.

Sometime in the very near future, I'll be picking up a copy of Eame's The Secret Life of Beer! and hoisting a few cold ones in honor of this great man.

Source

Flavored beers are most often produced by smaller, regional breweries, while the national brewers tend to stick with the tried-and-true brands that they know their consumers already have a taste for. But it seems like more of the major brewers are catching on to the trend and releasing seasonal or flavored brews. Miller Brewing Co. is introducing a chocolate beer, Frederick Miller Classic Chocolate Lager, that will be sold throughout the midwest from October to December. The beer won a gold medal at the 2005 Great American Beer Festival and is made up of a blend of cacao nibs and six different malts, which supposedly give it a more complex flavor than regular beer. It will be sold in "sold in four packs of 12-ounce bottles and will be marketed for holiday gift giving."

I won't comment on the gifting value of a four-pack of beer, but I guess it's nice to know that the company encourages sharing.

Source