Sound the Alarm

The Dickinson Press shares a story about a man in Fargo using beer cans to alert him to intruders. Who needs Brinks Home Security (or Broadview, as it's apparently going by these days)?

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Fargo police say an apartment tenant who set empty beer cans in front of his door to alert him to intruders ended up fighting with an alleged burglar.

Sgt. Bill Ahlfeldt says police were called early Tuesday after a report of two elderly men attacking each other.

Ahlfeldt says a 61-year-old man who lives in the same building was arrested on suspicion of burglary.

Ahlfeldt says the man appeared to be intoxicated, and it's possible he believed he was entering his own apartment.

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Scent of a Woman

Blue Marble Energy, based in Seattle, Washington, is creating perhaps the world's first beer perfume. Actually, they're not even using beer. BME is using the waste product that comes from making beer. EOS is being created by BME in conjunction with Seattle's Sweet Anthem. The EOS line is available for Her and Unisex. "Both are petrochemical-free, containing only bioderived and organic materials", and carbon neutral.

As the story goes, "James Stephens of Blue Marble Energy says the product is a viscous sludge - a mixture of about 50,000 different kinds of bacteria." This sounds a lot like the type of "perfume" any woman can get free of charge at a college pub crowded with underage men spilling beer while shamelessly trying to "hit that". Surely the average college student has 50,000 kinds of bacteria, particularly fraternity brothers. You know, the scent that makes women shower when they get home from the bars at 3am.

If you're a chump you can buy it here or you can simply send us $30 (cash only please) and we'll send you a 12 ounce bottle of skunked beer.

For giggles we bring you this not un-related homage to perfume:

The Fifth Beer of Christmas

For this fifth beer of Christmas we had many reasons to be thankful - new additions to the family, health, gifts under the tree...and one lump of coal. So, maybe a lump of coal is an extreme description for the Petrus Winter Ale but it was a disappointing brew given the date on the calendar.

The Winter Ale is crisp and fresh with a clean aftertaste. It pours with a tint of red, which is really quite beautiful for Christmas day. The head is quite thick and creamy - pour slowly. The aroma is fruity, something you expect from Belgian brews, but the flavor is lacking. Generally speaking, it's nothing special but still tasty. If you're looking for more you will not find it here.

To be honest, it went quite well with our Christmas feast. Because of the mild flavor and clean finish it didn't get in the way of dinner. We do give it props for a groovy logo and we love bottles that open like champagne. All in all we will call it a push - we had high expectations and while the Winter Ale didn't live up to them it still made for a nice brew to have with dinner. We're certainly not complaining but we probably wouldn't pick it up again either.

The Fourth Beer of Christmas

'Twas the night before Christmas, when all through the house not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse. The newborns were neslted all snug in their beds and we just finished our Christmas shopping. As a gift to ourselves, rather than wrapping, we took a short respite and found a bottle for cracking.

With visions of sugar plums dancing in our heads we warmed the cockles of our soul with Corsendonck's Christmas Ale. We were fortunate to score from Lot 6536. The Christmas Ale is brewed from November through February. It was brewed and bottled by Brewery Du Bocq for Brewery Corsendonck, Oud-Turnhout, Belgium.

It's a dark, Belgian ale that pours dark brown with a thick, long-lasting head. If the Christmas season in Belgium has an aroma you can find it in this brew. You can really pick up the fruits and spices and if you're not careful it can be mistaken for grandma's fruit cake. The Christmas Ale finishes sweet with a medium carbonation. Ours was sitting in the refridgerator for several days and this is probably a beer better served at closer to room temperature.

So, after a few pints our heart's nice and warm. We turn of the lights and wrap one last gift. We can't help but think Santa would prefer Corsendonk's Christmas Ale to cookies and milk.

Happy Christmas to all, and to all a good night.

Third Beer of Christmas - Sprecher's Finest

The theme for the next couple of brews is less focused on Christmas and more broadly covers the winter season. Hey, it can't be Christmas everyday. So, without further adieu:

For the third beer of Christmas our true love brought to us the Sprecher Brewing Company's fire brewed Winter Brew Lager. The Winter Brew pours with more carbonation than you might expect, resulting in a larger oatmeal-color head that dissovles rather quickly. You can sense the extra carbonation but it doesn't get in the way of the beer. It has an aroma of caramel, molasses, and maybe a hint of vanilla. The caramel flavor has hints of maltyness and a citrus or bitter finish. It's a full bodied bock but doesn't fill you up after one or two pints.

Sprecher's Winter Brew is a solid, reliable brew that could only come from a place like Milwaukee. If you need status to make your brew go down easier it might help you to know that the Winter Brew won World Beer Cup Gold and Bronze medals.

***

While researching the Winter Brew we stumbled upon Sprecher's label for Vampire Blood Ale. Hmm, is there a Twilight beer review in our future?

The Second Beer of Christmas

For the second beer of Christmas our true love gave to us Rogue's Santa's Private Reserve Ale. In the spirit of full disclosure, we have a bit of a love affair for the Rogue brews. We also have a thing for red ales. Forgive us for getting red in the cheeks over Santa's Reserve.

Santa's Reserve is a double hopped red ale. The body is a red that even Saint Nick would envy and the head carries a copper-hue. The flavor is quite flowery and malty with a uniquely "hoppy spruce finish" - though we are more inclined to call it a pine flavor on the back end. We made it clear yesterday that the 7 brews should be unique and Santa's finish fills the bill. It's thick and chewy but easy to drink. Yesterday, we sang the chorus of the 22 ounce bottle - today we wish the bottle was larger.

We find Santa's Reserve particulary suited to wrapping presents. Of course, if you're a real man you haven't started your holiday shopping yet. You enjoyed Santa's Reserve after a long day of shoveling snow and watching football - really bad football, which makes us grateful this holiday season for not being a sports blog.

The 7 Beers of Christmas

Any beer blog can bring you the 12 beers of Christmas but here at Dumbarton's Beer we live by a less ambitious mantra: expect nothing and you won't be disappointed. With that we offer you 7 brews you might consider as you dig your way out of the northeast's storm of the century.

Day One - Heavy Seas Yule Tide

Brought to you by Clipper City, Yule Tide is a Belgian style tripel ale. It's sweet, malty, complex, and flavorful. In short, it's pretty much the same thing you will find in any other run of the mill Belgian triple. Were it not a holiday special we would think nothing of this being an utterly ordinary brew. But it's the Christmas Season* and our expectations are higher (as they always are just before Santa crashes us into reality).

The Heavy Seas line is the creative end of Clipper City so maybe it's too burdensome to expect an exponential increase in creativity but throwing a Santa cap on a skull and cross bones and calling it special doesn't make the cut. We know what CC is going for but the label probably shouldn't call the 22 ounce bottles "extrAARGHdinary" or call this triple "an avalance of flavor."

You would be wrong to assume we don't like this beer. In fact, we rather enjoy Yule Tide. It's greatest sin is that when you're in the local beer shop you pick up the Yule feeling like you found a special Christmas gem. As we mentioned, it's flavorful and complex - like a solid triple should be. Tripels can sometimes be much for our pallette so 22 ounce bottles are quite perfect. Just enough for us to have a couple of pints without getting ourselves in too deep.

*"Christmas Season" generically refers to this time of year - a time that is sacred to many religions. So, Happy Christmas, Merry Chanukah, Happy Kwanza, kiss my ass, kiss his ass...

Pork Chops and Apple Sauce

What's the worst part about being held captive by Iran, the country most known for being part of the "axis of evil" and actively searching for nuclear technology for purely altruistic reasons? According to one captive it's being deprived of pork products and beer.

David Bloomer, of Ireland, was aboard the Kingdom of Bahrain when it was intercepted by the Iranian Navy last week. Yesterday, he and the four others taken captive were released by Iran after it was confirmed that the KOB simply made a mistake by entering Iran's waters. Mr. Bloomer was looking most forward to a brew and bacon telling the Irish Times that "[w]e were fed very well but there was no bacon or pork, of course, or alcohol where we were."

It must have been awful.

Man's Best Friend Gets Even Better

A company called Bark4Beer has created the best canine accessory in the history of man's best friend. For just $14.95 you can purchase a dog collar that is embedded with a retractable bottle opener. And they know their marketing saying it's a "great gift for you, your loved one, fraternity brother, college roommate, hunting friends, tailgate posse and of course your dog. Bring out your inner party animal today."

Wondering how it works? Click here for a demonstration by disturbingly half-naked Joey. Now, if we could only get Fido to fetch the beer.

Tip of the hat to the Baltimore Sun's Unleashed blog.

It Ain't Easy Being Green

5 Seasons Brewing of Georgia is focused on handcrafted brews available on demand (like Comcast?). They are also focused on being green and they do so by harvesting rain water for brewing. According to one report, "The brewery was already making green efforts in their production methods by reusing cooking oil from the kitchen to fire their kettles." However, this was not enough and 5 Seasons recently decided to brew only with rain water - harvested and filtered using RainHarvest Systems. The real question being is it safe to drink?

The University of Georgia Soil and Water Laboratory certified the water (we assume certification is a good thing). The local, state, and federal governments decided otherwise. Although the water goes through 6 stages of filtering, "followed by a dual-beam ultraviolet sterilization that results in water of superior quality to tap water, " the government still has questions.

Creative Loafing's Jeff Holland believes it's all about educating the bureaucrats. "The EPA wants to weigh in on (the situation)...It's a touchstone case for the future of commercially-used water, because you know this thing is going to become more and more popular. It's all about education at this point: Showing them how it works, and how it's maintained, and how it's good for the state." To which, we say - good luck buddy.

We Hate Organic, but Love this Brew

What we really despise about this whole "green" movement is that it's pretentious and wrought with guilt. Latte liberals driving around in their Toyota Prius and looking down their nose at our H3 - making us feel like our very existence is killing the the polar bears. We're born and raised Catholic so we don't need help feeling guilt.

So, frankly we did our best to avoid the Peak Organic Brewing Company. Sitting on the top shelf, looking down on the other brews with their preservatives and non-organic labels. Sure, it's not the same as being green but it's in the same family. Let's be honest - brewing beer is really quite organic. It's malt, yeast, water, and hops mashed together until it turns into beer. Maybe there are some preservatives, maybe not but it's only a step or two away from being a naturally organic process - regardless of who is brewing.

We do love coffee. Obviously we love beer. Peak's Espresso Amber Ale just called out to us - every damn time we walked through a beer aisle. So, we picked up a 4-pack. And we like it, we really begrudgingly like it. Like Sarah Palin, you want to hate it but you can't. It pours too beautifully to hate. In fact, it's not a clear brew (probably because it's so natural) at all. It has a copper color with a strong fogged look. This is probably what causes a much lighter red-brown head that's full but breaks down in short order. If you can't smell the coffee you bit off your nose to spite your face. The flavor is full and the coffee is present through out. It's definitely an ale and even a bit sweet with a roasty, chocolate undertone.

If you're truly interested in the fair trade, and righteousness, you can check out the Peak Organic Web site. If you want a good beer, skip the Interweb and go straight to your local brew store and pick up this fine brew. Have it in the evening after dinner or have it for breakfast. What the hell, it has coffee in it.

Cheery-o, I Kissed the Bloke

For the most part we here at Dumbarton's Beer could care less about British Royalty. Let's face it, we fought a war and intentionally created a new country devoid of royalty to express our displeasure with the crown. That said, when the Prince is kissing boys for beer we take notice.

Rocky Bennett found the Prince in a night club and offered to buy Harry a pint of his favourite ale in exchange for a kiss.


Quoting Mr. Bennett: "I went up to him and told him I would love to buy him a drink if he gave me a kiss. Harry just burst out laughing, threw his arms around me and kissed me on the left cheek. I’m not going to wash my face for a month now. It was the best moment of my life. I just burst into tears, he’s so down to earth."

Chelsey Davy was not available for comment.

DB's San Diego Beer Week Continues

So, on Thursday we finished off a long day with some brews in the Gaslamp Quarter (again) when we stumble upon the Lost Coast Downtown Brown. We found it at one of the local Irish pubs and we might add that Irish pubs are becoming a theme on this trip.

Downtown Brown is described as a "smooth, full bodied nut brown ale" and that's pretty much accurate. There's something about this brown ale that is unremarkable yet once you get a taste for it you just can't move on to other brews. That really is the sign of a great nut brown - it is full bodied and brings you back for more yet isn't filling like a stout. At the bottom of each glass you really only have one option - get yourself a refill.

Today, after pulling the work equivalent of a college all nighter, we ate with friends at the Yard House. This place is not for the elder statesmen. It's loud, roucus, and focuses on the younger crowd. That said, they have something like 250 brews on tap. There is no age restriction for that kind of aesthetic draw. We settled on Bear Republic's Racer 5 IPA - based on input from the knowledgeable wait staff. If you land on the left coast you need to find this beer. While not as hoppy as many IPAs, it's full bodied and has a very nice clean finish. The aroma is what gets you. Take a quick sniff before you drink and it will remind you of your first grade crush. We have one more night here and if Racer 5 is on the menu it will be hard to find a reason to experiment.

San Diego Beer Week, Almost

When we heard it was Beer Week in San Diego we hopped on the first flight we could find to the left coast to partake in the festivities. Upon arriving, we learned of other priorities (like work) that would make us miss much of the Official Beer Week activities. So, we bring you Dumbarton's Beer Week in San Diego. If by some chance we stumble upon an offical activity we'll be sure to let you know but don't hold your breath.

We first hit the Rock Bottom Brewery located in the heart of the Gaslamp Quarter. Sure, it's a chain but it's the only brewpub in the Quarter and they do make beer on site. We hit up the Liquid Sunshine and the Mary Jane IPA. Liquid Sunshine is a good pilsner - full malt flavor with a nice bitter hops finish (as opposed to a flowery hop finish). By far the better of the two brews we sampled. We finished the afternoon with Mary Jane IPA for obvious reasons. It's a fine if forgettable IPA.

After drinking from the Wells at Mr. A's, we hit The Field, an Irish Pub, for a nightcap. This stop was more about atmosphere than the brews. Like any good Irish pub, the Field features low lighting, dark wood, and live Irish music. We settled down for a few Boddington's and soaked in the evening. The Field may be a regular night cap stop for the remainder of the week.

Mary Jane IPA - cool name. good but not great beer.

@ Rock Bottom in Gaslamp Quarter drinking Liquid Sunshine.

Super Heros

Carrying on with the post-Halloween news.

Irony Tastes Like Beer

James Miller, 20, of Cincinnati, Ohio dressed as a breathalyzer test for Halloween and the fuzz picked him up for suspicion of driving under the influence. That's right, he's not even the legal drinking age (we're assuming Ohio is on par with the rest of the country). The story goes something like this:

"Oxford police arrested James P. Miller after allegedly finding him driving the wrong way down a one-way street with no headlights at about 1:30 a.m. Nov. 1., according to a police report.

Miller, who was allegedly stuffing his mouth with chewing gum, told the officer he did not have anything to drink that night, according to police."

The conversation went something like this:

Miller: I swear ociffer, I haven't been drinkin'.

Officer: You were driving with no headlights.

Miller: Well, uh, jeez, it's easier to see with the natural lighting.

Officer: The wrong way down a one way street.

Miller: I didn't see the sign 'cause it's dark.

Mr. Miller blew a .158 and is pictured above. We could not locate a picture of the breathalyzer blowing into a breathalyzer. That is probably just being greedy but we looked anyway.

Sierra Nevada Wins Green Award

This week, Food Engineering Magazine held its inaugural Sustainable Plant of the Year Awards and Sierra Nevada took home top honors.

Here is why they won (according to the FEM article):

"To reduce energy, heat recovery equipment has been installed to capture excess heat from boilers, fuel cells and kettles. Energy-efficient controlled lighting is used throughout, and electronics and equipment were chosen to minimize the use of energy. Monitoring equipment keeps track of the process and facility energy expenditures, and employees were trained to save energy.

The facility has its own co-generation fuel cells, which generate up to 1.2 MW, and they can be powered by either natural gas or biogas byproducts captured from the brewing process. Waste heat is converted to steam for maintaining brewing temperatures. Food-grade carbon dioxide, recovered from the brewing process, is used for carbonation in bottling, keg pressurization and counter-pressure in holding tanks and provides all of the CO2 the plant requires.

Measures to conserve water—critical in California—include automated CIP systems, efficient cleaning and rinsing systems, scheduling, internal flow meters, hose bib retrofits and education. All these efforts and more keep water usage to about 290,000 gallons per day.

An on-site wastewater treatment plant processes all brewery water, has a two-stage aerobic and anaerobic capability and produces biogas for heating and electricity generation. The brewery is a firm believer of intermodal transport, with rail doing the long trips. In 2008, SNBC diverted 68,000 tons from landfill and avoided $4.5 million in waste hauler charges. Just about everything imaginable at the plant is recycled—from spent grains and yeast to cans, bottles, packaging material, batteries, compost and construction debris."

Whew, that's a lot of reading. You may also recall that Sierra Nevada has a contract with the folks at E-Fuel Micro Fueler. EFMC is the company that makes fuel from beer and is partially owned by Shaq. It's safe to say that Sierra Nevada is one of the greenest brewers out there and other brewers should take notice and follow suit.

Smell A Rat

We found this posting on craigslist and thought it would be fun to share (bold added for emphasis). Can you spot a flake or a con artist a mile away?

Micro Brewery anyone?? (Eagle Point)

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Date: 2009-10-30, 2:50PM PDT
Reply to: sale-ryurm-1444837149@craigslist.org ^{[Errors when replying to ads?]}

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This Renaissance Brewing system can generate in excess of $50,000 in profit per month as it stands. It is a truley amazing piece of equipment, and capable of brewing any style of beer that much larger systems can brew. It is also scaled down in size so that it can be used in an area as small as 6' x 6'.

I really do not want to sell it, but could be persuaded for the right price. I paid a tad over $75,000 for it, but when you consider how much it will generate for it's owner per month, it would have been a bargain at $250,000. I am actually interested in locating the system somewhere and sharing in the profits generated by the system. If the model works...I would of course pay to duplicate the program in as many locations as makes sense.

If you have a sense of adventure. I'm happy to sell it to you, or???? Maybe we could create an incredible local beer brand following. I'm open to idea's.

I can spot a flake or con artists a mile away, so don't waste my time if you're broke or have a lousy credit rating.

Email me with your thoughts. If I like the way you think...I'll be in touch.

If you think this is a bad idea...ask Mike or Brian McMenamin in Portland what they think.

• Location: Eagle Point
• it's NOT ok to contact this poster with services or other commercial interests

Oh My God! - They Kilkenny!

Our good friends at The Dubliner are the first in the country to offer Ireland's Kilkenny Irish Cream Ale on draft. Think of Kilkenny as a sister to Guinness. It has the same creamy head but the brew is a starkly-Irish red ale. It's a bit sweet with a somewhat dry finish and not as heavy as Guinness. Frankly, it's just like Guinness in terms of feel but Kilkenny tastes like an ale rather than a stout. If you're looking for an alternative to Guinness this is it.

The Dubliner has been voted Washington, DC's best Irish Pub for good reason. The place feels like Ireland. It's dark, everything is wood, and the bartender has a goofy accent. The food is typically Irish pub food. The beer selection is what you expect from the Irish - always a variety on tap ranging from your Irish favorites to domestic standbys. And they have history too. So much that Morning Joe broadcast from the Dub on Inauguration Day. Next time you're around Union Station, stop by for a Kilkenny and have the fish n chips.

Day Tripping at Troegs

If you have 90 minutes to kill in Harrisburg, PA there are a few options at your disposal. You could: 1) tour the beautiful Capitol building, 3) shop and dine in the quaint downtown, or 3) visit Troegs Brewery.

Such was our dilemma today and it should surprise nobody that we decided to visit one of the finest breweries in the mid-Atlantic region. Never high on drinking alone we were joined by our old friend "naked man brewing" (for the record Troegs requires full clothing for all visitors). We spent the bulk of our time roaming the gift shop and tasting room while enjoying the samplers platter of 7 Troegs brews. You can hang out in the bar area for food, drink (by food we mean frozen pizza - if you're lucky they will cook it for you), and good conversation.

If you need to walk about, head over to the gift shop to collect your wares. They have t-shirts, hats, stickers, and belt buckles. Yes, big Troegs belt buckles that are only missing one thing - an attached bottle opener.

The folks were quite friendly. Most importantly, they kept us happy by pouring brews. However, when it was time to leave the staff spent several minutes taking our feedback and answering questions about upcoming products. We were really struck by the small batch soaking in oak barrels that's soon to be released. Unfortunately, it will be hard to come by if you can't make it to the brewery.

One Regret: Today was not a brewing or bottling day. Well, our late arrival makes it likely that they brewed or bottled earlier in the day. The brew house and Gift shop/Tasting Room areas are separated by wide, tall glass windows. If we had better timing we could have watched the Troegers brew their magic. Apparently we have a reason to take another trip to the Pennsylvania state capital.

The Public's Assistance is Requested

Albany, GA - Almost 500 cases of pure swill were stolen yesterday at 8:30 am from the Florida/Georgia Railway and today local police are asking for your help. Contrary to reports, this theft does not have white trash written all over it. OK, yes it does.

Within hours of the theft, police apprehended Randy Price. Police were able to recover 37 cases of the stolen Coors Light. "He is charged with theft by receiving stolen property, interference with government property and driving while his license is suspended." Mr. Price is currently relaxing in the Dougherty County jail in lieu of $4,500 bail while his truck relaxes in the impound lot. According to police officials other arrests are forthcoming.

"Anyone who has any information regarding this incident should call Crime Stoppers at (229) 436-TIPS (8477) or the Albany Police Department at (229) 431-3288."

Source: Albany Herald

Shotgunning A Keg

According to FOX Chicago, 4 men were arrested in Wisconsin after a Dukes of Hazzard-like chase - except this time Roscoe P. Coltrane actually caught them ole Duke boys. "The Marathon County Sheriff said the chase started after a deputy tried to stop 19-year-old Kolton Kafka for a broken tail light. While cops were in hot pursuit at speeds that reached 120 mph, one of the passengers, 21-year-old Kevin Schleicher, threw a beer keg from the car, according to police. The whole incident was captured on a police dash cam."

Let's go to the video.

Capitol Hops Farm

We have hops - more than we expected when we started this experiment and that aligns perfectly with our mantra "expect nothing and you won't be disappointed."

The size of the harvest is unclear...maybe because we underestimated the size of our green thumb or maybe because we didn't adequately prepare the "farm". The last picture in the set is our initial harvest. We have sprouts on the vines ranging from beginners to almost ready to pull so maybe we'll get a few more. Not bad for are first ride on the tractor.

A Drinking Club with a Running Problem

Being reformed cross-country runners, we recall the heady days of 5K and 10k races. We also recall the evening before when runners gorge on pasta and complex carbohydrates to make sure there was enough energy for the next day's race.

The Boston Hash House Harriers running club takes a slightly different approach. This group runs together every Wednesday in the warmer months and takes periodic breaks during the run to have a beer. Sometimes they take a break from drinking beer to have a run.

The Harriers are one example of research conducted at the University of Miami, which "suggests alcohol consumption may be linked with at least one healthy behavior; specifically, researchers found that those who reported drinking more alcohol were also more likely to report exercising regularly."

According to an ABC News report, Michael French, Professor at the University, had these stunning results:

• Women who reported drinking more than 45 drinks in the past month -- a behavior that pushed them into the category of "heavy drinkers" -- exercised 14 more minutes per week on average than those light drinkers who drank one to 14 drinks in the month. These women also reported exercising on average 20 minutes more than those who abstained from alcohol altogether.

• [F]or men, with heavy drinkers -- those who threw back 75 drinks per month -- exercising 21 minutes more per week than light drinkers who only consumed one to 29 drinks per month and 23 minutes more than abstainers.

The reasons are hard to pinpoint. According to the report the connection may be that both drinking and exercise tend to be social activities (work hard, play hard). People who enjoy both may enjoy the endorphin buzz as much as the beer buzz. Whatever. The point is you can now justify joining that bar league softball team.

Texas: Don't Mess with Shiner Bock

Yesterday we went on a work bender, day trip to Houston, Texas. The cab picked us up promptly at 5:30 am for a 7:30 am out of BWI. By mid-morning we were in Texas where remarkably few people wanted to discuss the possibility of secession. Back at the the George Bush Intercontinental Airport by late-afternoon we decided there is no better state than Texas to introduce our 50 Beers in 50 States agenda.

Councourse E of GBI Airport has Pappadeux Seafood Kitchen, which we understand to one of the gem's of Houston. You can't always find a local restaurant in an airport so we ponied up a seat and quenched our thirst with Shiner Bock. Shiner is not hard to find in our part of the country but it's a brewery worthy of kicking off this tradition. The Spoetzel Brewery has been in Shiner, Texas since 1909 and even today it's a small town of around 2,000 residents. Shiner Bock is a smooth beer (the brewers appropriately call it mellow) that's highly drinkable. It would make for a good, everyday beer for any self-respecting Texan.

You will not find a lot of details on the brew itself as this series is more about the beer complimenting the atmosphere. Drinking Bock in Houston - even if it's only in the airport, in a seafood kitchen rather than a steakhouse - makes you feel like a Texan. After several Bock's we took a long nap on the flight home dreaming of F-150's, ZZ Top, and our next trip to the Lone Star State.

Shaq Vs. The Environment

Nobody likes skunked beer but we all have a couple of bottles in the back of the refrigerator. You know, the ones from last summer's 4th of July blowout where you bet the neighbor that fireworks couldn't possibly take off a finger. Well stumpy, now we have a use for that old beer.

The folks at E-Fuel Micro Fueler (wonder if they make fuel?) claim that "fuel from old beer, leftover wine and other waste products and use it to run their vehicles." It can also be used to run generator systems taking your house off the electric grid. According to the Los Angeles Times article, the system includes a 250 gallon tank that converts waste to pure ethanol. The still itself also serves as a fuel pump. The only waste is distilled water.

GreenHouse International, the company distributing the fuel systems, has a contract with Karl Strauss Brewing Company, Gordon Biersch, and Sierra Nevada. The plan is for GHI to pick up wasted beer from the breweries and deliver it to home-based mircofuelers.

Sure, saving the environment is fun but this is America so let's talk about the bottom line. The E-Fuel system runs around $10,000. "Factoring in the $5,000 federal tax credit, an annual household fuel consumption of 2,080 gallons and a $2 charge a gallon, GreenHouse estimates the average consumer payback time is about two years." If you use it for your car you'll get a lower gas mileage (according to the E-Fuel Web site the long-term goal is to have your ethanol cost only $1 per gallon) but your ride will contribute 38 percent less CO2 on the road.

We give it the Dumbarton stamp of approval. Within a couple of years you break even, you're helping the environment, and you're weening yourself off the addiction to oil. It doesn't hurt that Shaquille O'Neal is one of the E-Fuel investors.

Congress: It's Just Like College

It takes a while to get there but Congressman Jared Polis (D-CO) funnels a beer with Stephen Colbert. The tea-bagging bit isn't bad either.

The Colbert Report	Mon - Thurs 11:30pm / 10:30c
Even Better-er Know a District - Colorado's 2nd - Jared Polis
www.colbertnation.com
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gone Dogfishin'

It's not quite like getting an exclusive with Lebron James but this is a big week for us. The Trusty Assistant and her gang of merry men kicked off DC's 2009 Beer Week at Brasserie Beck for the Dogfish Head Happy Hour.

The Beck is known for it's French/Belgian food and brew. Today, they made room at the bar for some of Delaware's finest. From 5:00 - 7:00p it was a first-come-first-serve attack on the brewery fast becoming known for international ingredients. Most know Dogfish Head for their IPAs and rightfully so. Raison D'Etra speaks for itself. However, the Dogfish is walking the cutting edge with ancient recipes and ancient ingredients. It's fast becoming their new niche and they do it well. Raison, Theobroma, and Fort were on tap at $5.50 per this evening.

We focused on Theobroma. The Dogfish Head Rep told us "it's not as hot as you think", which conjures up images of suicide wings and a dare we couldn't pass up. The other bonus of Theobrama is that it is based on cocoa - like all that is good in life. The flyer at the bar notes that this brew includes "Aztec cocoa powder, cocoa nibs, honey, chiles, and annatto." It's a beer and it's hot. Not suicide wings hot but it leaves the taste buds tingling.

We paired Theobrama with the lamb sandwich and some of the best fries in the District. The two make a good pairing but given the Beck's offerings you could pair just about anything with Theobrama. You might also try the Quiche Lorraine.

The only negative to report is that the Beck ran out of both Theobrama and Fort. Sure, Raison is a good brew but running out of the rarities puts a damper on the festivities. It was a two-hour event so there's no good excuse for not allowing patrons to drink and be merry.

A Map of Beer Week Events

Want to know where you're DC Beer Week event is happening? Click on the map below - created by Capital Spice.

By Life and Limb

DogFish Head and Sierra Nevada announced a collaboration that will result in two new beers. Limb & Life will be a draft only brew available in October. Life & Limb will be released in 24 ounce bottles this November. According to the Dogfish announcement both brews are dedicated to "the family of beer drinkers and enthusiasts worldwide who continue to support the little guys, iconoclasts, entrepreneurs, and pioneers who risk life and limb to shape the vibrant craft-brewing community."

Life & Limb will be 10 percent ABV and feature maple syrup grown on the Caglione family farm in Massachusetts and barley grown on the Grossman farm in Chico, CA. It will include birch syrup from Alaska and a yeast blended from both brew houses. The brewers describe it as "a sipper" where as Limb & Life is a 5 percent session brew featuring the residual sugar of the first brew.

DC Beer Week - This Time It's Official

In May, we brought you the unofficial beer week in Washington, DC that culminated in the SAVOR event at the National Building Museum. We are pleased to bring you the Inaugural DC Beer Week as mentioned in the Washington City Paper and detailed on the Fermentation Education group page on Facebook. The festivities kick off on August 16th and run through August 21st.

The highlights:

August 16th: “Unity Jam” at Rock & Roll Hotel - $20 gets you ten 4 oz. sample pours of rare craft beers.

August 17th: Dogfish Head Happy Hour at Brasserie Beck. 5-7 pm

August 18th: Rogue Oregon Oyster and Ale Festival at The Reef. 5-10 pm

August 19th: Belgian Beer Invades the Capitol at Capitol Lounge. 5 pm

August 20th: Brew at the Zoo After Party at Asylum, 9:30 pm

August 21st: Nationals v. Brewers - Drink the Nationals Park’s microbrews. Beer Week attendees receive 25 percent off tickets in selected areas.

There are many more events going on this week so make sure you check the DC Beer Week Web site. You will also find participating breweries and restaurants.

Cheers!

View from Above

In July, the BBC helped us show you an advertisement for North Korea's Taedonggang Beer. Today, with more help from the BBC, we bring you proof that the brewery exists. Thanks to the wonder of satellite photography we have an aerial shot of the brewery - note the distinctive "M" shaped entrance.


Taedongang used to be Ushers Brewery in the United Kingdom. It was purchased by North Korea in 2000, dismantled and reassembled, and was up and running 18 months later.

Steve Has A Cousin in Illinois

Dennis Cretton had a problem. Due to a previous drunk driving conviction, Mr. Cretton is without a driver's license and he needed a beer. More specifically, Mr. Cretton needed a 12 pack of Milwaukee's Best. What's a man with a thirst to do?

The 49 year old Belleville, IL resident drunkenly hops on his yellow riding lawnnmower and heads to the nearest gas station on a beer run. Authorities tried to stop him when "Bretton drove the mower into his home's front yard, his 12-pack of Milwaukee's Best spilling onto the ground along the way."

Cretton is free on $10,000 bond.

Drinking at the Game

Team Marketing Report released it's annual Fan Cost Index, which ranks all 30 Major League Baseball teams on the costs of going to the ballpark. You will be surprised to find us focused on column four - the cost of beer. We break it down based on obvious rivalries.

Boston Red Sox - $7.25
New York Yankees - $6.00

Chicago Cubs - $6.00
Chicago White Sox - $6.50

Washington Nationals - $6.00
Pittsburgh Pirates - $4.75

The last pairing is less about rivalry and more about how much these fans must pay to forget they're watching baseball in either stadium. (In the spirit of full disclosure, we support the Nats despite the mess they put on the field.) The most expensive place to get a beer ($8.75) is AT&T Park, home to the San Fransisco Giants. Cheapest beer honor goes to the Arizona Diamondbacks at just $4.00.

Cheers!

The Latest in Auto Safety

George Hile's beer belly saved his life. In April, a truck carrying 35 tons of fertilizer smashed into his cattle truck leaving Mr. Hile with a cracked pelvis, two broken ribs, a fracture in his spine and torn tendons in his finger.

Said the article "Somebody who lacked the Lilyvale truck driver’s generous girth would have died...Mr Hile remembers seeing the bull bar of the semi-trailer just before impact, on the highway between Oakey and Toowoomba. He thought 'this is going to hurt'." (just like Cole Trickle in Days of Thunder.) Hile laughed it off saying "my guts saved me".

Mr. Hile is still confined to a wheelchair as his wife, Roslyn, has taken over his driving duties to keep the family business going. It will be more than a year before Mr. Hile will know if he can resume his career as a livestock carrier.

The Dust Has Settled

We take some time to appreciate some of the more entertaining news leads and headlines from the most over-analyzed beer event since this magic elixir was first created. Cheers!



"The Morning After the Beer Summit, I'm Still A Bit Hungover "
-NY Daily News

"Great Moments in Journalism: MSNBC's Beer Summit Countdown Clock"

"Beer Diplomacy"
-CNN

"Backyard Beers"
-CNN

"White House 'Beer Summit' Becomes Something of a Brouhaha"
-Wall Street Journal

"The Beer Heard Round the World"
-Time

"It's Happy Hour at 'Bams Beer Summit"
-NY Post

"Beer Diplomacy: What Would Jesus Brew?"
-Chicago Sun Times

"Beer Summit to Toast Race Relations"
-Fox News

If only we could recall where we saw these headlines:

"The Beer Summit"

"Ale to the Chief"

"The Audacity of Hops"

How they Grow it in PA

Our friends in Harrisburg, PA reaping what they sowed. You are looking at recently-harvested Cascade hops we featured in an earlier posting. Over 2 inches in length, they look ready for some home brewing. Cheers!