A Working Vacation

The New York Times Travel section features a wonderful vacation option for brew geeks. Very few microbrew lovers (or home brewers) can afford the start up costs for their own brewery. Others can but prefer to keep beer as a hobby. Regardless of where you are on the brewing continuum one option is working at a brewery while you're on vacation.

The Times traveled to New Hampshire's Woodstock Inn Station and Brewery to speak with folks learning about the brewing process while making life easier for brewer Errol Chase. Of course, Dogfish Head has been offering a similar program for some time. The article also highlights unique vacation offerings by Sam Adams, Anheuser-Busch, and Rogue. You can find links to these programs in the article.

One option close to Washington, DC is the Shenandoah Brewing Company. While you can't help out the Brewmaster at Shenandoah you can check out the facility and make some home brew on site (with guidance from the experienced staff). You can also pick up some of their brews and requisite merchandise. All of this can be accomplished in a day trip to Shenandoah. You have to come back for a second visit within a couple of weeks to pick up your home brew.

Road trip anybody?

(SAVOR) Tickets Sold Out!

The ultimate craft beer and food experience in Washington, DC, SAVOR, returns to the National Building Museum on June 5, 2010. Tickets went on sale to the general public at 10:00 a.m. this morning and the event is already sold out.

So, if you haven't already purchased your tickets you're going to miss out on the likes of Deschutes Brewery, Lost Abbey, and Stone Brewing Company. The beer menu is not up yet so at least you can't see what you won't be drinking.

Hey, there's always Craigslist - that's how we found tickets to the first SAVOR event.

Flying Bison Sale Approved; Brewing in Queen City to Resume Soon

The Buffalo News reported today that Flying Bison, which had temporarily shut down production, is expected to start brewing under new ownership on March 1, 2010. According to the report, shareholders of FBBC approved the sale to FX Matt and brewing halted while the paperwork is finalized. Said Tim Herzog, "[w]e’ve got to have all the i’s dotted and t’s crossed before we can get some malt in here and start making beer again." (Note: we first reported the potential sale in late January).

On February 2, 2010, the Flying Bison Web site stated the retail shop and brewery would be closed until March 1, 2010. The Web site was updated today indicating no specific date for re-opening again noting the joys of paperwork.

The statement reads: "Despite stories to the contrary in the Buffalo News from February 23, FBBC is still neck deep in paperwork, and nothing is solidified at the moment. Please stay tuned here to find out the latest, and most accurate information regarding the future of FBBC.

Unfortunately, due to some unforseen circumstances the FBBC Retail Shop will continue to be closed until further notice. We apologize for any inconvenience, and thank you for your patience while we continue to dot "i's" and cross "t's". Stay tuned!"

Nothing creative brewers and entrepreneurs enjoy more than paperwork.

Overall, it appears the news remains positive about Buffalo's favorite brewery. The language noted above certainly sounds as if it's simply a matter of time before brewing starts. Further, the Buffalo News article reminds readers of FX Matt's vow to keep brewing FBBC in the Queen City.

A Splash in the Face of Beer Madness

It's back - The Washington Post's fourth annual Beer Madness tournament. In case you missed it, Beer Madness is a fun rip off of the NCAA's March Madness basketball tournament; except with beer instead of basketballs. Last year's winner, Ommegang Hennepin, trounced Troegs HopBack Amber 7-2 (read the summary here).

Panelists will help The Post's Greg Kitsock and Fritz Hahn of the Going Out Gurus whittle 32 beers down to one champion. They are unpredictably going with an Olympics theme.

Follow all the fun on the Washington Post Web site or, you could participate in Dumbarton's First Annual Beer Splash Tournament (hey, if it's OK to rip off the NCAA it's OK to rip off the Post).

While we are still compiling our participating brews the Divisions will be as follows:

Division I: Cans

Division II: Locals*

Division III: Whatever Is Left in Our Refrigerator

Division IV: Big Bottles

The tourney will have 4-6 brews in each Division. Stay tuned for participants (please send along recommendations). We will uncork the tournament on March 1, 2010 and hold the finals when we get around to it. With any luck we'll be more successful than our Seven Beers of Christmas.



*within 75 miles of Washington, DC

Blizzard 2010

This is what we did about it...

The Bases Are Loaded - So Are the Players

This may come as no surprise to the experts at Gheorge but we at Dumbarton's Beer just learned that Major League Baseball allows alcohol in the players' clubhouse. Clearly a trend suggested by George H. Ruth, FoxSports reports on the issue by highlighting Miguel Cabrera's battle with alcoholism. According to writer John Paul Morosi, approximately half of MLB clubhouses make alcohol available in the clubhouse after games (generally the beverage is beer).

The National Football League, by contrast has a very different policy. "Roger Goodell has a simple, easy-to-remember policy: If you’re in the locker room, bus or airplane of an NFL team, you can’t drink. Period."

Sure, it's entirely possible the other teams in the league will see the writing on the wall and eliminate alcohol from the clubhouse but we're skeptical. Morosi thinks Bud Selig, arguably the worst commissioner in sports and in the history of MLB, could take a stand. Of course, this is MLB and their approved methodology is to turn a blind eye to any drug issue until one of their own writes a tell all book.