Beer Blogging Friday: One Week to Gather a Menagerie

With the passing of Michael Jackson, Beer Blogging Friday founder Stan Hieronymus and I have decided to dedicate next week's event to Michael's memory. His influence on beer journalism and beer appreciation is a great gift that he gave to all. Here's to The Beer Hunter.

Just a week to go before the next Beer Blogging Friday. The Brew Zoo is the topic selected for The Session #7. The basic rule is that either the brewery or the beer must have a real live creature in its name. We will also allow beers with prominent animal label art (think Geary's Ale from Maine and its Lobster) to be added to the Brew Zoo.

Why pick a whimsical topic like this for such a serious event as Beer Blogging Friday? I know I'm out of the edge on this one, but perhaps I am just a little bit concerned about the impact of global warming on the temperature of my beer and the resulting endangered species status of some hard to find animal brews. Has anyone seen an Emu Bitter lately? How about a 12-Horse Ale? I hear rumors of rare sightings of these brews, but could our critter beers be headed for extinction? That's right, I said it. Extinction. Don't think it could happen to your favorite brew? Extinction. It's real. My taste buds can hardly remember the last time they wrapped themselves around a Catamount Amber Ale from Vermont, Rhino Chasers Dark Lager from California or a Black Horse Ale from New York. I never even had the chance to gulp a Blue Hen Beer, Goat's Breath Bock, Jack Rabbit Pale Ale or Bubba Dog Beer. They are all gone. Extinction. Yes, it is real and some of our best critter beers are threatened.

Consider next Friday your chance to fight back and load some of your favorite mammals, birds, reptiles, fish and other such critters on a virtual Noah's Ark of Beer. The process is easy. Go out and bag a critter beer and make some tasting notes. Post them on your blog, the email me the link at rick.lyke@gmail.com. I promise to take my zookeeper status seriously and do a complete round up of the posts so that everyone can marvel at the menagerie.

Michael Jackson: The Beer Hunter (1942-2007)

Michael Jackson. Say the name and most people think of the King of Pop. Say the name to anyone serious about beer, or whisky for that matter, and they think of the journalist whose books, articles and television appearances made it acceptable to have a beer with a gourmet meal.

Today is a sad day for the drinks world. Michael Jackson passed away. He had revealed last year that he was suffering from Parkinson's Disease. Reports from England are that Michael died at his home earlier today.

It is really impossible to overestimate the impact of Michael Jackson on the beer world. With his various books, including the landmark World Guide to Beer first published in 1977, Jackson took us on his beer journeys to breweries and distilleries great and small. The books kept coming, as did the Beer Hunter television show on public broadcasting, numerous magazine and newspaper articles, websites and DVDs. He even popped up on television shows as the guest of hosts like David Letterman and Conan O'Brien. Along the way he helped make both the beer and whisky world what it is today. His words literally launched millions of drinks by encouraging people to think about what they had in their glass. Michael was an ambassador for great beer and single malt. He brought them to life with his words and stocked our vocabularies with the tools needed to talk about Trappist ale, Islay malt and everything in between.

I did not know Michael well, but I'm glad to say that I did meet him a couple of times. My first encounter with Michael was at the Great American Beer Festival a number of years ago. I walked and talked to him for a few minutes while we tasted samples from various breweries. He had a tape recorder in one hand and a tasting glass in the other, making constant notes into the device between talking to me and chatting with brewers and beer fans on the GABF floor. I've never hung out with a rock star, but after seeing how people reacted to seeing Michael Jackson approach their booth for a sample I know what it must be like. Folks pointed, some asked for his autograph. Others just shouted out "How you doing Michael?," like he was an old friend. And he was the best kind of friend because he taught us all how to enjoy some of the simple pleasures of life a little bit more than we would have if he had not been around. Michael responded politely to all who interrupted him on his journey around the GABF and kept taking notes along the way. There were always articles and books to fill.

I saw Michael briefly twice during the Great American Beer Festival in Denver last year, but never had the chance to talk to him. He came into a Brewers Association beer and food pairing press event one afternoon, but stayed for just a few minutes. Then while heading out of town and stuck in the security line at the Denver Airport, I noticed Michael in a restaurant across the terminal. My view was from the side and behind, but it appeared to me that he was relaxing with a cup of coffee. He was too far away to shout a hello and leaving the line would have meant missing my flight. I was a bit shocked to read in the tribute to Jackson posted today on the All About Beer website that Michael was rushed from the airport that day with what doctors believe was a minor heart attack. In his final column for All About Beer, titled "Did I Cheat Mort Subite?" and dated August 22, 2007, Michael Jackson tells the story and gives us an idea of how he approached his health issues, with both a sense of reality and a bit of humor.

Today the world lost its greatest beer writer. The only thing I can really do to honor the man is to have a pint of good beer. I think Michael Jackson is relaxing somewhere right now doing the exact same thing.

Nominees for Dumbest Crooks with Beer in a Supporting Role

There is no doubt that indulging in excessive amounts of alcohol can lead humans to do stupid things. When it comes to criminal activity, alcohol also usually makes it much easier for police to catch the crooks. If you don't believe me, here are four brief police blotter entries that have moved across the wires this week.

You can start asking "What were they thinking?," now and avoid the rush.

Port St. Lucie, Fla. -- A woman, 23, told police she really could not believe she was being arrested for stealing “the cheapest beer made,” as she and her male accomplice, 22, were being placed in a patrol car. The pair had removed a 12-pack of Natural Light Ice, which sells for $6.29, from a Cumberland Farms store at 2:15 a.m. The problem was the clerk had told them the store could not legally sell them the beer after 2 a.m. Police report the man allegedly got upset and started a disturbance. He grabbed the Natural Light, tossed a $10 bill on the counter, yelling an expletive at the clerk and pushing another shopper out of the way as the pair exited the store. The police found the couple later, but no beer could be submitted for evidence since it had already been consumed.

Linwood, Kansas -- Police are investigating reports that a 29-year-old man repeatedly drove his car into the side of a local home after residents refused him a beer. A couple in the house say the man was intoxicated when he showed up at their home, so they refused to give him a beer and escorted him back to his vehicle. That's when the driver allegedly drove his car at the male resident of the home, who made it safely inside. The car struck the house. The driver pulled away and then backed his car into the house for emphasis. An arrest has not yet been made.

Temple, Texas -- The reign of terror caused by the "Texas Beer Bandit" appears to be over with the arrest of a 17 year old. In three crimes the teenager is alleged to have robbed convenience stores of a case of beer each. Reports say the crook would enter the store, grab a case of beer and while walking out of the store throw a can or bottle at the clerk behind the counter. Police had plenty of store surveillance video to use in their investigation. The thief ended up in Bell County Jail waiting for someone to post $60,000 in bail.

De Soto, Mo. — Three unidentified men are under arrest after an incident at Fish's Quick Stop. The store clerk says that a naked man entered the store wearing only a mask and proceed to do a hula dance. Police believe this was an attempt to create a distraction while another man allegedly removed a case of beer from the store without paying. Perhaps it was the quality of the dancing, but the plan did not work. The clerk called police and with the help of a license plate number jotted down by a customer the police arrested the dancer, the beer thief and the getaway car driver. The trio, ages 19-23, face shoplifting and indecent exposure charges.

Molson Coors Forms AC Golden Brewing in "Above-Premium Beers" Push

It looks like Molson Coors Brewing wants its Coors Brewing subsidiary to come out with a hit craft beer more than once in a blue moon.

Beer distributors and company employees have been told the company formed AC Golden Brewing Co. in Colorado to make "above-premium beers." The company says it will use low key roll outs in hopes of finding another Blue Moon, a brand that is among the fastest growing at the craft end of the market.

Coors also makes Coors Light, Killian's Irish Red and Keystone, but avoids connecting Blue Moon with these brands.

AC Golden Brewing's efforts will be closely watched by craft brewers. Anheuser-Busch has been extremely active in rolling out craft-styled flanker brands in recent months. The larger brewers benefit from established distribution channels which can more easily obtain store cooler space and bar tap handles than small brewers. While the giant brewers are careful to not put major ad spending behind the brands, the process of consumer discovery of these new brands is greatly assisted by the fact that they end up in thousands of retail locations almost overnight.

Chinese Company Buys Controlling Interest in Ontario Icewine Maker

Tonhwa Grape Wine Co. Ltd. has agreed to pay $6.6 million to purchase a 70 percent share of King's Court Estate Winery of Canada.

Tonhwa's decision to purchase a controlling interest in the Ontario vineyard will enable the Chinese company to tap into advanced icewine producing techniques.

Tonhwa, founded in 1937, is based in Jilin province and already makes icewine.

European Union to Sell More Than 18.3 Million Gallons of Wine for Biofuel Production

The European Union has put more than 18.3 million gallons of surplus wine up for bid to make bioethanol. The move comes during a continued agriculture crisis for the EU, which is trying to come to grips with over production of wine in the region.

The wine is stored in France, Italy, Spain and Greece. The EU is accepting bids until Sept. 10. France, Italy and Spain are the largest producers of wine in the EU, which has been discussing proposals to remove vineyards to cut back production. The wine producers have faced stiff competition in recent years from wineries in America, Australia, South Africa and South America.

To eliminate the surplus, the EU Parliament has made several payments to wineries to distill wine into industrial alcohol. A major political battle is expected later this year when the EU debates reform of farm policies regarding vineyards and the elimination of crisis distillation practices. Some winemakers argue that instead of paying to rip out vineyards the government should pay for marketing programs to sell more European wine on the world market.

Denver Mayor Hickenlooper Sells Interest in Wynkoop Brewing

John Hickenlooper parlayed the name recognition and business knowledge that came from running one of the nation's most successful brewpubs into a winning bid to become the mayor of Denver. Now Hickenlooper has decided to sell off his interest in the business and focus on politics.

Mayor Hickenlooper founded Wynkoop Brewing Co. in 1988 and was a shareholder in Wynkoop Holdings Inc., which owned several other popular Denver restaurants. Hickenlooper sold his 40 percent share in the company, which had been in a blind trust, back to the holding company.

The Wynkoop ownership group now includes senior managers and long term employees of Wynkoop Brewing and the other restaurants.

Wynkoop is credited with starting the revival of the Lower Downtown (LoDo) section of Denver. The area is now one of the more popular sections of the city. Hickenlooper was first elected in 2003 and then reelected in 2005.

Tuesday Tasting: Raymond Burr 2003 Cabernet Franc

Tuesday Tasting is a regular feature of Lyke2Drink that explores some of the best beers, wines and spirits on the market. This week we head to California to taste a wine named for a late actor.

Celebrities with their names on drinks brands have become pretty common these days. Some are nothing more than marketing ploys. Not the Raymond Burr brand, named for the late actor who made the television characters Perry Mason and Ironsides household names.

Burr and his partner, fellow actor Robert Benevides, first agrarian love was the cultivation of hybrid orchids. Sea God Nurseries produced orchids in Fiji, Hawaii, the Azores Islands and Southern California. The pair extended their efforts to grapes in in 1986 on land in the Dry Creek Valley in Sonoma. The first vintage came from the vineyard in 1990. The winery has won a number of awards, particularly for its big reds.

To create the Raymond Burr 2003 Cabernet Franc, winemaker John Quinones blended 5 percent cabernet sauvignon grapes with the estate grown cabernet franc grapes. the result is a rich, deep wine with blackberry and dark ripe cherry tones. There is a slightly smoky base to the wine that gives it a polished stature. At $38, the wine deserves a good steak or a hearty pasta with freshly picked ingredients.

Flying Right: Sweetwater Brewing Opens Location at World's Busiest Airport

Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport in Atlanta is the world's busiest airport. In my experience the security lines are the longest and the terminals crowded and hot. Flight delays on some days are more common than on time departures.

All of this travel fun has just become a little easier to stomach. Sweetwater Brewing will open a location today on Concourse B at the airport offering beer and food.

The new Sweetwater Draft House & Grill will feature the Atlanta brewery's beers and pub fare. The brewery, founded in 1997, is opening the location in partnership with Concessions International, which runs food operation in nine airports. Sweetwater Draft House joins a growing list of airport beer bars that go beyond the standard mix of mega brews to bring some local flavor to thirsty air travelers.

Drink Art: Nightlife by Archibald J. Motley Jr.

Over the weekend I was in Chicago and spent time with my Daughter, Brhea, at the Art Institute of Chicago and was blown away by the impressive and wide ranging collection. It reminded me of how often in museums from Florence to New York I have come face to face with depictions of alcohol in everyday life in the works of some of the world's great artists.

So, as a new feature of Lyke2Drink we will start to showcase some of these pieces of art. You can never have too much culture!

Nightlife
Archibald J. Motley Jr.
American, 1891-1981

Archibald J. Motley Jr. was famous for his works showing black social nightlife in Chicago's Bronzeville neighborhood, home to more than 90 percent of the city’s black population by the 1930s.

Nightlife is one of Motley’s best known paintings. The painting was created in 1943 and shows a high energy club with dancing and drinks flowing.

Idaho City Looks to Drink Tax to Get Tourists to Pay for Community Projects

The city of Sandpoint, Idaho, is considering a 2 percent tax on all alcohol sold by the drink so that tourists visiting the community help pay for projects.

Under Idaho law, resort communities with less than 10,000 residents can authorize local hotel, alcohol and sales taxes. Sandpoint has a 5 percent bed tax, which has generated $874,571 for the city in five years.

Local politicians are pushing the drink tax as a method of tax relief for local residents. However, both tourists and locals will pay the drink tax. A renewal of the hotel tax and the new drink tax will be on the ballot during elections on Nov. 6.

Weekend Watering Hole: Piece Brewery & Pizzeria, Chicago, Ill.

As a regular weekend feature, Lyke2Drink will visit some of the world's great watering holes. This week we find ourselves in Chicago enjoying some great beer and pizza.

Piece Brewery & Pizzeria
1927 W. North Avenue
Chicago, Ill. 60622.
(773)772-4422
www.piecechicago.com

The last thing Chicago really needs is another pizzeria or a place to have a beer -- unless that place is the Piece Brewery & Pizzeria. Piece was founded in 2001 in Chicago's Wicker Park neighborhood. It is a great place to go with friends to watch a game or catch some music, but the pizza and beer is what brings people back.

Piece brings together a passion for two things that have sustained many a man and woman: pizza and beer. The pizza is not the traditional Chicago deep dish variety. Instead, it is a thin crust delight they call New Haven-style. The toppings are fresh and flavorful, with the pizzas served steaming hot from the oven.

The location is a former roofing company garage that is now home for the creativity of brewer Jonathan Cutler. The big open space with its skylight makes it a great afternoon stop to explore beer and brewing. In a relatively short period of time Cutler has put Piece on the beer map with a number of awards, including the 2006 World Beer Cup Small Brewpub of the Year Award. During my visit this weekend I tasted four brews. Each was very unique from the other and showcased Cutler's command of brewing styles and willingness to experiment on the edge.

The beers ranged from Piece Baron von Awesome, a light wispy wheat beer with a citrus flavor bed, to the Piece Anniversary Ale, which had the aroma and flavor of the hop harvest in a big rangy brew. The Full Frontal Pale Ale was a cloudy amber ale with a good amount of hops and some spicy characteristics. The surprise of the visit was the brew labeled "Dark Bier." It appeared to be a basic dark larger with a thin head, but the flavor said so much more. Somewhere between a Schwarz and a Rausch beer, The Piece Dark Bier had a pronounced roasted malt flavor profile. The malty sweetness is joined by a roasted, slightly smoky flavor combination. It is one of the more interesting beers I have had at a brewpub recently.

Rick Nielsen, guitarist with the 1970s band Cheap Trick is a part owner of Piece and shows up from time to time to host some of the events.

Piece is about a 15 minute cab ride from downtown Chicago or you can take the CTA Blue Line to the Damen stop. It is worth the trip.

To Your Health: Beer and Wine Cuts Kidney Cancer Risk

A Swedish research study suggests having beer or wine on a regular basis can cut your risk of developing kidney cancer.

Scientists at Karolinska Institute in Stockholm have discovered a link between the consumption of more than two glasses of wine or beer per week and the risk of developing kidney cancer.

Published in the British Journal of Cancer, the study tracked 855 people with kidney cancer and a control group of 1,204 cancer-free people. Researchers tracked intake of beer, wine, fortified wine and spirits.

Professor Alicja Wolk said the risk of developing kidney cancer was 40 percent lower for people who consumed moderate amounts of regular strength beer and wine, compared with those who did not drink at all. The researchers believe some drinks have antioxidants and antimutagenics.

The Session #7: Brew Zoo Reminder

Beer Blogging Friday, The Session #7 is just two weeks away. Mark your calendar for Sept. 7th and join the beer blogging fun.

Remember, our topic for September is The Brew Zoo, featuring beers with animal themes. I ran across a bottle of Bell's Consecrator Dopplebock from Kalamazoo Brewing this evening. It's a beer with two goats' heads on the label, leading me to question whether the beer has to have a critter in its brand name or just the likeness of one on the bottle? The bock style complicates matters, since bock is German for billy goat.

I'm going to stick to beers with animals in either their brewery or brand name, but I'll leave it up to the rest of my fellow bloggers to judge for themselves!

Craft Brewers to Hand Out Samples at New York State Fair

Growing up in the Syracuse area one of the highlights of the end of summer was the New York State Fair, which opens today. The Fair provided a bridge from summer vacation to the start of school, and was the place that you could go to see everything from the world's largest pig to big name country and rock musical acts. Now you can add craft beer to the line up.

The New York State Brewer’s Association has a booth at the New York State Fair. The group wants to showcase the 59 breweries in the state and educate the public on the economic importance of brewing. The booth is in the Fair's Horticulture Building and will explain the brewing process. In addition to information from breweries, the Madison County Hops Alliance will also have an exhibit.

The New York State Fair Commercial Brewing Competition winners will be displayed and free 2-ounce samples of beer will be given to adults. The samples will be available from 4-6 p.m. and come from a different award winning brewery each day. That sure beats lining up for a baked potato.

Spent Grains from Whisky and Beer Production Potential Source of Biofuel to Power Scottish Cars

If anyone can turn whisky into gasoline it's the Scots. With the help of a grant researchers at Abertay University are examining how to make biofuel from spent grain.

The researchers hope to find a way to reuse the residue from whisky and beer production. The Scottish scientists hope to find an economical way to create bioethanol, which burns cleaner than petroleum based fuel.

Professor Graeme Walker will lead the year-long study, which has to overcome challenges in converting spent grain into fuel. The process is more difficult than producing bioethanol from virgin materials. Currently spent grain from stills is either used for animal feed or discarded.

New York Law Boosts Small Distilleries

In 1976, the New York Farm Winery Act gave impetus to vineyards around the state and enabled the development of a force in the American winemaking industry. Now Gov. Eliot Spitzer has signed a bill that makes it legal for farmers to distill what they grow.

The new law makes it easier for distilleries to get off the ground and will likely cause a number of wineries from Long Island to Lake Erie to immediately go into the brandy business. One apple farm near Syracuse, Beak & Skiff, says it plans to start making vodka using apples grown at the farm when the law kicks in in three months.

The emergence of artisan distilleries across the U.S. is a throw back to a time when frontier farmers would distill so that they could more easily ship perishable farm commodities and had a cash crop to help fund farm expenses.

Attorneys General Charged Up About Alcohol Energy Drinks

The Attorneys General for 28 states, Guam and Washington, D.C., have criticized beverage companies marketing drinks with alcohol and caffeine, calling on the U.S. Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau to investigate.

The state legal eagles say the marketing for the drinks may be fraudulent and targets young people who buy nonalcoholic energy drinks. They also claim that it may be unhealthy to combine alcohol and caffeine in a single beverage.

The Attorneys General point to products such as Sparks, Bud Extra and Liquid Charge as being among the offenders. Even though labeling for the drinks must be approved by the federal government, the Attorneys General want an investigation of the ingredients of alcoholic energy drinks and a ruling on whether they are properly classified as malt beverages.

The Princeton Review: Top Party Schools

Having gone through the college selection process four times in recent years with my two daughters (yup, they both transferred from public state universities to private schools -- oddly one to a school founded by Franciscans and the other to a school founded by Jesuits, I can tell you that colleges love the rankings put out by various guides. They all rank highly in something and they use these rankings in everything from advertising to the sales presentations they make to visiting students and their parents.

One ranking that they try to distance themselves from is The Princeton Review's annual Top Party Schools list. The list measures a combination of survey questions concerning the use of alcohol and drugs, hours of study each day, and the popularity of the Greek system at each school. When a school ends up on that list they all cry foul and claim that rankings like this sort do not accurately reflect the overall college experience at the school. Well, you cannot have it both ways. So as a public service, Lyke2Drink is publishing this year's list.

Princeton Review Top 20 Party Schools

1 West Virginia University
2 University of Mississippi
3 The University of Texas at Austin
4 University of Florida
5 University of Georgia
6 Penn State--University Park
7 University of New Hampshire
8 Indiana University at Bloomington
9 Ohio University-Athens
10 University of California-Santa Barbara
11 Randolph-Macon College
12 University of Iowa
13 Louisiana State University
14 University of Maryland-College Park
15 University of Tennessee--Knoxville
16 University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
17 Arizona State University at the Tempe Campus
18 Florida State University
19 University of Alabama--Tuscaloosa
20 State University of New York at Albany

What's Up is Actually Down: Why You Can't Trust Headline Writers

The Associated Press article on the USA Today website screams "Drunken Driving Deaths Up in 22 States." I'm not a math whiz, but that would suggest the deaths related to drunken driving might actually be down in 28 states.

Sure enough, the statistics show that deaths are down overall and in 28 states, plus Washington, D.C. and Puerto Rico, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Sadly, the data shows there were 13,470 deaths in 2006 involving automobile and motorcycle operators with blood alcohol contents above 0.08. In 2005, 13,582 people died in crashes involving legally drunk drivers. The statistics do not take into account other factors in the crashes or who may have been at fault in the accidents.

The federal government plans to spend $11 million on an anti-drunk driving campaign called "Drunk Driving. Over the Limit. Under Arrest."

The message for all of us should be to know our limits and to take the keys from friends before they drive drunk. Propaganda and half baked headlines, however, don't make the roads any safer.