"speakin suds" news and stories

A weekly look at the draft selection at beer-friendly bars across the country.

What does it take to be a great beer bar? Some things are obvious: A rotating lineup of interesting, hand-selected draft beers that covers a variety of styles is a good first step. But other factors play into the equation.

I'm a huge fan of bars that regularly update their draft list online. Give a big check to Brooklyn, N.Y.'s Barcade. Right on the front of their Web site they post their own What's On Tap column. And they do you one better: Click on any beer in the list to be taken to its BeerAdvocate review page, meaning you can create your own scouting report before even leaving home.

Friendly knowledgeable staff is also a plus. Score another point for Barcade's bartenders who show a lot of passion for beer and keep their cool even on the bar's busiest nights.

But Barcade also knows it never hurts to have an ace up your sleeve, and at this Williamsburg neighborhood drinking hot spot, that means vintage arcade games. Whether dodging traffic on one of their most popular machines like Frogger, or trying your hand at some "lost" classics (if you can call games like Ludy Bug, Pengo or Sinistar "classics"), Barcade may be the only establishment in the country who's selection of dozens of vintage arcade games rivals the uniqueness of their draft list. (And speaking of rivals, the bar posts the all-time top scores for their machines. Take down the champ and your name goes up on the wall.)

Luckily, though most of the arcade machines come from the 1980s, the beers on draft are all fresh. Let's take a look at what Barcade is currently serving after the jump. ...

On April 2, 2009, Widmer Brothers Brewing celebrates its 25th Anniversary.

Started by two bothers, Kurt and Rob, back in 1984 with money scraped together from friends and relatives, Widmer is now the 11th largest brewery in America. The brand is best known for their flagship Widmer Hefeweizen, considered the first American-style Hefeweizen, and still a refreshing and drinkable stand-out, especially in the summer months.

In honor of the event, Widmer Brothers is releasing a limited-edition 25th Anniversary brew, a double alt beer dubbed "84/09," brewed with a reflective eye towards the brothers' very first offering back in 1984, Widmer Alt. And what would an anniversary be without a little reflection? Kurt Widmer (shown in a then and now picture above) was gracious enough to answer some questions about the big event. ...

Mike Pomranz: It's the big 25 year anniversary! Congratulations! Did you ever think you'd be where you are today when you launched Widmer Brothers back in 1984?

Kurt Widmer: Thank you! No, we are continually surprised at how large and quickly we have been able to grow as a company. It's much more than we ever anticipated.

MP: What were your goals for the brewery back in 1984 compared to your goals today?

Utah became the first state in the past 10 years to legalize the homebrewing of beer, leaving just four states where the practice is still illegal, according to the Brewers Association. Governor Jon M. Huntsman, Jr. of Utah signed the "Exemption for Alcoholic Beverage Manufacturing License" into law Tuesday.

The new legislation might seem like small potatoes to those not close to the beer industry, but for the development of microbreweries and brewpubs, it's important to have a thriving homebrew culture.

Though not a well-known fact outside of beer circles, as Jennifer Talley, a brewmaster in Salt Lake City, states, "Most professional brewers I know were once homebrewing." Additionally, as I reported earlier this month, topflight homebrewers are often major industry contributors, whether it be by passing on innovative product ideas to their professional counterparts or participating as beer judges at major brewing events.

Homebrewing has been legal on a federal level since 1978, and the American Homebrewers Association estimates that there are approximately 750,000 homebrewers in the United States today.

Let's hope we can get those last four states on board and make it legal for every American to brew their own beer. Alabama already has an active legalization movement. Something tells me this latest development in Utah will help spur movements in Kentucky, Mississippi and Oklahoma as well.

[Via beertown.org]

To my regular readers, I apologize as it appears I inadvertently happened upon an almost two-week hiatus. The bad news: You missed me.

The good news: We have plenty to catch up on in this week's addition of the Beer Blog Round-Up!

Let's dive right in:

1. Sick of the same old beer events? Here's a new one for you: a "Simul-cask." Apparently, Dogfish Head has decided to debut their new 75 Minute IPA by simultaneously tapping casks of the brew in four different cities on the East coast at precisely 7:50 EST today. Find additional details as well as participating locations on Beernews.org.
2. Always worried about his weight, Joe Sixpack discusses the not so easy job of beer calorie-counting (though supposedly mandatory beer labeling is on its way). The post was inspired by the recent release of Does My Butt Look Big In This Beer? -- a guide to the nutritional information of over 2,000 beers worldwide.
3. Beer Examiner Charlie Papazian wants you to vote for "Beer City, USA." Go help him out and lend your hometown or favorite beer destination some support.

Read the next five after the jump. ...

A weekly look at the draft selection at beer-friendly bars across the country.

When is a beer store more than a beer store? When you can drink in it, of course!

Many people from the Seattle area sing the praises of Redmond's Malt & Vine because of their exceptional craft beer (and wine) selection. But what really sets this beer store apart is that they have their tavern license, meaning those 10 taps you see aren't just for growlers: You can grab yourself a glass of beer while you do your shopping.

Don't feel like browsing? Malt & Vine has table seating as well. And nothing is really off limits here. Patrons can hang around and drink anything in stock for a small corkage/crackage fee. Even bring your own food for a private beer and food pairing. Here's a store that really carries through on the "make yourself at home" credo.

Malt & Vine also holds regular beer tastings every Friday night, as well as other beer-centric events when the fancy strikes them. (A full schedule of events is available on their Web site.) The owners and staff have a reputation for being both knowledge and friendly, so you know these events will be worthy of your time and your questions will be ready to be answered.

Let's take a look at what Malt & Vine currently feels is worth serving to their beloved beer drinkers (after the jump). ...