10/01/2010
Volume 216

Welcome to the Bi-Monthly Installment of the Fresh Beer Times.
Dedicated to letting you know where and when you can find the freshest beer in South Florida
In This Installment
New Accounts and Deals
Upcoming Events
New Arrivals
Oktoberfest Solves Its Smelly Problem
Rye Not?
Postal Service Considering Beer Mail
Moderate alcohol consumption may be associated with lower incidence of cataract surgery

Scroll down to see our new sections for Featured Cheese and Beer Pairing as well as our "Cooking with Beer" Recipe of the week!

Stay up to date!
 
 
 

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Featured Beer and Cheese Pairing:
Alpine-style cheeses paired with an Oktoberfest Märzen (Ayinger Oktoberfest, Victory Festbier, Penn Oktoberfest, Stoudt's Oktoberfest and Gordon Biersch Festbier)
 
The juicy malt profiles of Oktoberfest Märzens affords some amazing cheese-pairing opportunities. Much like the Märzen, Alpine-style cheeses have been historically crafted to suit the changing seasons. These Alpine-style cheeses may change slightly, depending on the altitude where the animals have been feeding, but in nearly all cases tasters will find a wonderful nuttiness that compliments the toasty, malty notes of the Märzen.
Featured Cooking with Beer Recipe of the Week
Ayinger Oktober Fest-Märzen Chicken Pot Pie
Recipe Courtesy of Vanessa Heine "The Beer Cook"

Difficulty: Easy/Moderate
Serves: 4
 
Ingredients:

-1 cup chopped onion
-1 cup chopped celery
-2 cups chopped white mushrooms
-10 ounces boneless skinless chicken breast, cubed
-2 cups chopped baking potato (1 large potato)
-1 cup chopped carrots
-1 cup peas
-1 can evaporated milk (12oz)
-1 1/2 cups Ayinger Oktoberfest
-4 tablespoons butter
-1 cube chicken bouillon
-1 teaspoon fresh thyme
-2 teaspoon salt
ground black pepper
-2 teaspoon garlic powder
-1 egg
-2 tablespoons flour
-2 frozen puff pastry sheets, thawed

 

Directions:
Melt two tablespoons of butter in a large pot. Add the onions, celery, mushrooms, and chicken breast, cooking over medium high heat. Season with half a teaspoon of salt and a pinch of black pepper. Once the chicken is browned on all sides, remove it and set aside. Add milk, 1 cup of the beer, potatoes, carrots, and peas. As the vegetables are cooking, add the garlic powder, chicken bouillon, thyme, and the rest of the butter and salt. Once the potatoes are cooked through, turn off the heat. Add the last 1/2 cup of beer. Dissolve the flour in a small amount of water and stir into the pot to thicken the mixture. Add the chicken back to the pot and place the mixture into 4 oven safe bowls. Cut the puff pastry into pieces big enough to cover each bowl. Beat the egg with a little bit of water and brush onto the sides of the bowl. Cover each bowl with the pastry sheets, pressing down on the sides to seal. Make a small slit on the top of each pie and brush with some of the egg wash. Bake in a 350 degree oven until the pastry is golden brown.

 
For more of her recipes visit: http//thebeercook.blogspot.com
Fresh Beer Represents:
Avery Brewing
Ayinger
Blue Point Brewing
Boulder Brewing
Breckenridge Brewery
The Bruery
Cisco Brewers
Clipper City Brewing Dogfish Head Brewing Flying Dog Brewing
Gordon Biersch Brewing
Greene's Organic Highland Brewing
Left Hand Brewing
Orval
Oskar Blues Brewing Magic Hat Brewing Co. Peak Organic Brewing Co. Pennsylvania Brewing Rogue Ales
Saranac Brewing Southern Tier Brewing Summit Brewing Shipyard Brewing
Seadog Brewing
Stoudt's Brewing
Stone Brewing
St. John's Brewing Terrapin Brewing Westmalle
Victory

LOCAL FLORIDA BEERS : Inlet Brewing (Monk in the Trunk), Gordash Brewing (Holy Mackerel) Cigar City Brewing and the Native Brewing Brands (ie. The Eleven, Native Lager and Thunderhead Red)
 
Want to get some Fresh Beer in your establishment?

Adam Fine - Head Beer Pimp
954-629-7971
 
Ray Nickolaus - Sales and New Business Manager
561-339-0004
rayfreshbeer@yahoo.com 

Chris Montelius- District Sales Manager : Miami-Dade County
407-375-4203
chrismontelius@gmail.com 

Bob Gordash - Sales : Broward County - West 
954-261-0668
 
Ryan Fischer - Sales : Broward County - East 
954-654-4512
Ryan@freshbeerinc.com
 
Kenny St. Cyr - Sales : Palm Beach County - North
561-723-0373
 
Blake Panichella - Sales : Palm Beach County - South
561-847-5485
Blake@freshbeerinc.com
 
Josh Brent- Sales : Miami-Dade County - Design District thru Aventura
954-654-3012
Josh@freshbeerinc.com  

Dave Crisafi - Sales : Miami Dade County - Midtown thru Coconut Grove and Miami Beach
305-219-4315
 
Cesar Vazquez - Sales : Miami-Dade County - South
 
Rich Abrams- Sales : Monroe County 
423-956-3991
 
Ian Salzberg  - Minister of Beer Communications
561-876-3519
Adam Fine
Just back from Colorado and the Great American Beer Festival and my thoughts are on the big daddy of fests...Oktoberfest.  Oktoberfests are held all over Germany and all over the world but the epicenter is Munich.  6.2 Million people participate in one of the largest local fairs of all.  The reason I say it is a local fair is because only 15% of people that attend are foreigners.  You would think that there would be a greater tourist presence for an event of this magnitude but it seems that it is really celebrated by the local population as it was originally intended  200 years ago.

Since the true Oktoberfest ends this Monday October 4th (you can still get some great Oktoberfest beers all through October), you probably will not be making it to Munich.  The great thing about South Florida though is that this is the kickoff of our beer festival season.  Our first ones are on October 15th at Rocktoberfest in Downtown Fort Lauderdale and October 16th at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in Hollywood.  And there are many more to come!  So check out our calendar and try to catch as many as you can....not to mention all the other great events.   And maybe, just maybe we will all meetup in Munich next year for a Mass (a liter of beer)!!!
 
Some great Oktoberfest stats (from Wikipedia)!: 
  • Area: 0.42 km2 (103.78 acres)
  • Seats in the festival halls: approx. 100,000 (In  the 14 main tents !)
  • Beer: appr. 6,940,600 litres (126,900 litres non-alcoholic)
  • Wine: 79,624 liters
  • Sparkling wine: 32,047 litres
  • Coffee and tea: 222,725 litres
  • Water and lemonade: 909,765½ litres (Who drank the .5 L ?)
  • Chicken: 521,872 units
  • Pork sausages: 142,253 pairs
  • Fish: 38,650 kg
  • Toilets: about 980 seats, more than 878 meters of urinals and 17 for disabled persons 
Cheers,
 
Adam Fine
Director of Hoperations and Head Beer Pimp
 
New Accounts and Deals: 
  
 
PALM BEACH COUNTY
 
BEEF WELLINGTON (12795 Forest Hill Blvd Wellington, Florida 33414) - One of the newest steakhouses in Wellington is serving up Left Hand Milk Stout and Dogfish Head 60-Minute IPA on draft plus they have Arrogant Bastard Ale in bottles.
 
BRU'S ROOM (11111 Southern Blvd, Royal Palm Beach, FL 33411) - Has brought on Sea Dog Blue Paw Wild Blueberry Wheat on draft.
 
SCHOONERS (1001 N Highway A1a Jupiter, FL 33477) - Has added Shipyard Wheat and Monk in Trunk Bottles to their lineup.
 
PACKY'S (11379 W. Palmetto Park Rd Boca, FL 33428) - Is now pouring Sea Dog Blue Paw and Pumpkinhead on draft!
 
HOLY SMOKES (2650 Pga Blvd Palm Beach Gardens, FL 33410) - Now has bottles of Rogue Dead Guy and Dogfish Head 60-Minute... gotta love it.
 
CUT 432 (432 East Atlantic Ave. Delray Beach, FL 33483) -
Will be adding Magic Hat #9 to their impressive bottle and draft selections.

HOOLIGAN'S (36th SE 3rd St Boca Raton, FL 33432) - Will be opening Friday and are carrying a large selection of Fresh Products in drafts and bottles including: Magic Hat # 9, Blue Point Rastafarrye, Dead Guy, Dale's, Old Chub, Sea Dog Blue Paw, and much much more.

DUFFY'S BOCA (21212 St. Andrews Blvd. Boca Raton, FL 33433) - Now has Shiner Bock on draft.
 
 
BROWARD COUNTY
 
YARD HOUSE AT GULFSTREAM PARK (901 S Federal Hwy Hallandale Beach, FL 33009) - For those beer drinkers in Broward County, we know you may have heard rumors about Yard Houses in PGA and Coral Gables where you can get 150 beers on draft... Well you are now lucky enough to have one in Gulfstream Park and YES the rumors are true. They have an impressive menu and over 25 Fresh Beers ON DRAFT. We would like to warn you that the place is a little addictive and once you go there you will return!
 
PELICAN WINE AND SPIRITS (4450 N State Road 7 # 4 Coral Springs, FL 33073) - Is now carrying Magic Hat #9, brews from Dogfish Head, Shipyard, Victory and much more!
 
DAVIE DISCOUNT LIQUORS (8856 W State Road 84, Davie, FL 33324) - Now carrying DOS LUNOS TEQUILA  the official tequila of the Miami Dolphins also Magic Hat, many fall seasonals and Holy Mackerel Panic Attack.
 
 
MIAMI-DADE COUNTY
 
YO BEER GUYS - A craft beer delivery service in Miami selling many Fresh Beer items including seasonals and specialties.  Their specialty is the mixed 24 pack.  You can reach them at www.YoBeerGuys.com or 1 877 Yo-Beer-Guys.
 
ESSENTIALS CIGARS (6750 Collins Ave Miami Beach, FL 33141) - Will be carrying Oskar Blues Dale's Pale Ale and Cigar City Maduro Brown on draft plus many others to come. Also, an ever growing assortment of bottles.
 
WINE AND SPIRITS EMPORIUM (10730 NW 74th St Medley, FL 33178) Possibly the best beer selection in Doral. Ayinger to Westmalle and dozens in-between.

LINDA BEAN'S  (200 E Atlantic Ave Delray Beach, FL 33444) - Also serving up Pumpkinhead on draft 

DUGGAN'S (6076 Okeechobee Blvd West Palm Beach, FL 33417) - Also hopping on the Pumpkinhead train...available on draft

BOSTONS ON THE BEACH (40 S Ocean Blvd Delray Beach, FL 33483) - Has the P-Head available in bottles

MELLOW MUSHROOM (25 S.E 6th Avenue Delray Beach, FL 33483) - Offering up Pumpkinhead on draft as well

VILLAGE TAVERN (14555 SW 2nd St Pembroke Pines, FL 33027) - Has Pumpkinhead available on draft too

STAGE 84 (9118 W State Road 84 Davie, FL 33324) - Southern Tier 2XIPA, Holy Mackerel Panic Attack and Flying Dog Raging Bitch on tap this weekend

Upcoming Events:    
 
October 1st-7th
Hopefully you're thirsty, because this month the Sun-Sentinel is looking for South Florida's best beer selection. From Oct. 1-7, nominate the spot you think offers the best selection of cold beer, then come back on Oct. 11 to see the finalists and vote for your favorite. They'll announce the winners online on Oct. 25, and they'll be featured in Showtime on Oct. 29. Visit The Sun Sentinel to vote! Help support some of the great beer bars in the area.

October 1st
Matt Villei from Shipyard will be giving you a chance to try some brews from Shipyard and Sea Dog at Whole Foods in Wellington (2635 State Road 7 Wellington, FL 33414) from 4-6. He tends to like giving people beer so don't be suprised if you see him pop up throughout the other sampling events below...
 
October 1st
All-night happy hour at Blue Marlin Fish House (2500 NE 163rd St North Miami Bch, FL 33160). Stop by anytime from 6pm-12am for $4.25 for all beers. This includes one of the many Fresh Beer items they have available.  
 
October 4th 
Il Mercato Cafe in Hallandale (1454 E Hallandale Beach Blvd Hallandale Beach, FL 33009) will be hosting an Oktoberfest Celebration starting at 7 pm, featuring authentic German food and German Style beers.  Bring a selection of your own in a brown bag and see who can guess what it is.  The winner receives unwashed lederhosen...
 
October 5th
Oktoberfest Ayinger Beer Dinner at The Office (201 East Atlantic Avenue, Delray Beach, FL 33444). If you haven't yet been to The Office or are not familiar with the Ayinger beers, this is a great opportunity to try both. Some of the most delicious German beers you will ever try (no lie) not to mention the enormous draft selection that The Office has to offer everyday.  It will start at 7pm for $50.00. Make reservations by calling 561-276-3600.
 
The menu includes:
 

Course 1: Blue Pointoyster on the half shell
Seafood and vegetable terrine
pink peppercorn mignonette. Paired with Brau-Weisse 

Course 2: Ossau Iraty (firm sheep's milk cheese from France)
Cabecou Feuille (soft goat's milk cheese from France)

accoutrements.
Paired with Jahrhundert-Bier

Course 3: Housemade knockwurst
grain mustard, pretzel bread. Paired with Ur-Weisse

  Course 4: Wiener schnitzel
sweet potato dumplings, cranberry
compote. Paired with Altbairisch Dunkel
 
Course 5: Braised pork belly
autumnal squash puree, Swiss chard, apple-lingonberry gastrique.
Paired with Oktober Fest-Marzen
 

Dessert: Chocolate pumpernickel bread pudding
dried cherries, walnuts, malted ice cream.
Paired with Celebator


October 6th
Blue Point take over at The World of Beer (4437 Lyons Rd, Coconut Creek, FL 33073)  from 6-8pm. What this entails you might ask? Well it means 6 beers on tap. Toasted Lager, Hoptical Illusion, RastafaRye, Oktoberfest, Blueberry Ale and Oatmeal Stout. This will be the first time the Oatmeal Stout, Oktoberfest and Blueberry will be poured in South Florida! Can forget there will be also be some giveaways.
 
October 7th
Cigar City night at Coffee District (325 NE 2nd Avenue, Delray Beach, FL 33444) from 6:30-10pm. We will have some special beers available (and on draft) but Joey Redner (Founder of Cigar City) will be there to share a beer with you... Come meet the people behind Cigar City Brewing, Taste amazing beers on draft & find out why Cigar City Brewing is so highly regarded all across the country!

October 7th
Stop by Cellars Wine and Spirits (21055 Biscayne Blvd Miami, FL 33180)  for a tasting event starting at 6 pm, featuring an assortment of their new beer lineup. 
 
October 7th
Yup, he's at it again. Matt will be pouring up some Shipyard and Sea Dog at Total Wine Boynton Beach (850 North Congress Ave. Boynton Beach, FL 33426) from 4-6pm. Stop by and get a taste
 
October 8th
If you thought we were joking, we weren't. The man loves giving you beer! Matt will be pouring up some samples of Shipyard and Sea Dog at Whole Foods in Boca (1400 Glades Rd, Ste 110 Boca Raton, FL 33431) from 4-6pm.

October 8th
If you missed it in Delray, or live down south or want to hang out with Joey and the folks from Cigar City again... Abraxas Lounge (407 Meridian Avenue Miami Beach, FL 33139) will be hosting a Cigar City Night and will also have some different special beers available (and on draft). Starting at 8pm, Joey Redner will be there so feel free to give him a pat on the back or hug for the great beer they are sending this way.
 
October 14th
Hurricane Wings and Grill Boca (91 Powerline Rd Boca Raton, FL 33433) Will be having a beer dinner from 6:30-8pm.  Stay tuned, more details to follow!

October 14th
Like I told you, Matt will be serving up some more delicious brews from Shipyard and Sea Dog at Whole Foods in Boca (1400 Glades Rd, Ste 110 Boca Raton, FL 33431) from 4-6pm. Don't be shy, stop on by (yeah that rhymed no biggy).
 
October 15th
Cystic Fibrosis Foundation and the Riverwalk Trust team up again for the Third Annual Rocktoberfest, an outdoor beer and music festival  from 5:30 pm to 10:30 pm at Esplanade Park (400 SW 2nd Street Fort Lauderdale, FL 33444) (in front of the Museum of Discovery and Science).  The event will raise funds for the two local charities.

For a $25 donation, or $20 prepaid online here, guests will be able to sample food and craft beers from numerous beer vendors, bars and restaurants and enjoy live music from six bands.  The event will feature live performances byThe Fourth Dimension, Freakin Hott, Audio Heist, Ghosts of Gloria, Recover South and Big Bang Radio.

Attendees may also choose to be part of the VIP Experience at Rocktoberfest. The VIP lounge will feature an area where guests will get the premium Rocktoberfest experience, including special cocktails, catered appetizers, comfortable seating, giveaways and more. VIP ticket holders also have access to the entire Rocktoberfest event. Limited VIP tickets available $40 prepaid online. Come on out for a great time, for a great cause and some fresh beers.

October 16th

Beers and brews of all colors, flavors and aromas will flow freely at the second annual Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino's Rock 'N' Brew (1 Seminole Way, Davie, Florida 33314) on Saturday, October 16 from 1pm - 5 pm.  Attendees can sample more than 100 savory brews from around the world accompanied by a variety of food tastings, and live entertainment.

 

More than 75 outdoor tents will feature bold and flavorful domestic, imported and craft beers, seasonal brews and hard ciders on tap and in the bottle.

 

Tickets cost $20 in advance; $30 day of event and $10 for designated drivers. Tickets are available at the Hard Rock Live Box Office, open Tuesday - Saturday from noon to 7pm and on Sunday & Monday - only open on event days at noon. Tickets also are available at all Ticketmaster outlets online at www.ticketmaster.com  or charge by phone: Miami-Dade (305) 358-5885, Broward (954) 523-3309, and Palm Beach(561) 966-3309.  *Additional fees may apply.  Must be 21 years or older.

 
October 16th
The 5th Annual Okto-Beer-Fest at Sandbar Sports Grill in Coconut Grove (3064 Grand Avenue Miami, FL 33133). Starting at 6pm,  All-U-Can-Drink beers for $20. Not only that but you can also try 30 beers from around the world. Shipyard and Blue Point will be competing for the best brew and a spot to have their beer on draft at Sandbar for the next YEAR! Come on out to support craft beer and for a great time. Live music from Redtide, The Red Goliath and Onvi Soundsystem.
 

October 26th

"Oktoberfest Beer Tasting & Brats" at Bruce Rossmeyer Harley Davidson in Sunrise (201 International Parkway Sunrise, FL 33325). To attend your $10 donation will benefit Save the Ta-tas Foundation which exists for the advancement of breast cancer awareness. This donation will get you food, beer and you will also receive a "Save the Tata's" rubber bracelet. Fresh Beer will be there representing some brews from Shipyard, Blue Point and Native Brewing. The event will run from 6-8pm and all money raised will benefit cancer research so come on out for great evening.
 
October 29th
Pumpkin Carving Contest sponsored by Shipyard Pumpkinhead at John Bull English Pub (801 village blvd West Palm Beach, FL 33409) From 7:30-9pm, stop by and show your skills a carving a jack-o-lantern. $10 to enter and the winner will receive $100 gift certificate to John Bull.  More details TBA.
 
October 30th 
Booos and Brews -  Join us for the 2nd annual Whole Foods Market PGA Blues and Brews Food & Wine Festival with a spooktacular twist!. The event will be taking place at Whole Foods Market and Downtown at the Gardens (11701 Lake Victoria Gardens Ave Palm Beach Gardens, FL 33410) from 5-10pm. Over 100 craft beers & wines, food merchants, live music, halloween costume contests, a haunted house & much more! 100% of sales benefit Autism Speaks South Florida. Children under 6 FREE. For ticket info and purchasing visit customer service at Whole Foods PGA or www.acteva.com/go/palmbeachgardens.
 
November 2nd 
Beer Vs. Wine Dinner at Johnny V (625 E Las Olas Blvd Fort Lauderdale, Florida 33301). Come on out to help settle one of the longest disputes in history, "Which pairs better with food? Wine or Beer?." More details and menu to TBA but in the meantime, mark it down on your calendars. 
 
November 18-20th 
Just another reminder to those homebrewers out there... The 20th Annual Sunshine Challenge is fastly approaching. The biggest homebrew competition in the state and home brewers' convention in the eastern United States.  For more details, visit the CFHB website: www.cfhb.org/sunshine and make arrangements to attend. Shipped or local drop off entries must be received by the Registrar by Sunday, November 7th. No late entries will be accepted... so fire up those kettles and get brewing!
New Arrivals:
 
Cisco
CISCO BREWERS
 
Whale's Tale Pale Ale An amber English-style ale that has a nice balance between hops and malt. It's the most popular of Cusco's beers and the most versatile in terms of pairing with food or people.

If you're not familiar with Nantucket history, you'll be interested to know that this tiny island was once the Whaling Capital of the World. Knowing a bit of the history of a place can really help put life in perspective, and Cisco likes to encourage people to spend part of their time visiting the Whaling Museum, the Oldest House, and the windmill. Calling their beer "Whale's Tale" is a little tribute to the whaling era and a way to say hey, whales are people too! Let's appreciate their contribution to Nantucket's prosperity.

Sankaty Light- Sankaty Light is a brand new American Golden Ale. This delicious creation is light-bodied with tremendous balance and distinct hop character. At 3.8% alcohol and 128 calories this light beer has true flavor and body while being easy to drink and easier on the waistline.

It is named after the famous lighthouse that has stood on a bluff on the south eastern side of Nantucket Island since 1849. Perched precariously 88 feet above the raging Atlantic Ocean, Sankaty Head Light is in danger of falling prey to beach erosion. The lighthouse is the most powerful in New England.
 
BRECKENRIDGE BREWERY
 
Avalanche Ale- Subtlety. That's what makes Breckenridge's Avalanche amber ale such a treat. They blend pale and caramel malts - and just a kiss of bittering hops - to create a refreshing-but-flavorful, any-time beer. Aromas of pale grains, a semi-sweet middle and a clean-as-Colorado-snow finish make this our best-selling beer.
 
Agave Wheat Ale- This true American-style unfiltered wheat has something a little special - the nectar of the great Salmiana Agave. Agave complements the refreshingly light quality of their wheat and adds a subtle note of flavor that expands this beer's uplifting taste profile. It is familiar, yet creative and not a bad ingredient in a maranade... Check out the recipe above. 
 
Lucky U IPA- Breckenridge likes to think this is an ale for everyone who believes you make your own luck. They sure did. And the result is a well-balanced, soulful IPA with just the right amount of hoppiness. An even keeled ale that goes down clean and refreshing, but still lets you know it's been doted on by the Brewmaster. It's true to it's IPA heritage, but also highly drinkable. Lucky U. And we seriously mean that.
 
Oatmeal Stout- Rich, round and roasted, their Oatmeal Stout is satisfaction in a glass. It's a bold, smooth-bodied concoction that oozes dark-roasted coffee aromas and flavors of espresso and semi-sweet chocolate. They round out these heady pleasures with a dose of flaked oatmeal for a creamy body and a semi-dry finish. Unforgettable.
 
Vanilla Porter
- Who would have thought deep in the jungles of Papua New Guinea and Madagascar grew the perfect ingredient to build an extraordinary Porter in Colorado? An ale that has all the chocolate and roasted nut flavor of a classic Porter, with an enigmatic surprise thrown in for good measure, real vanilla bean. Breckenridge Brewery's Vanilla Porter. A vanilla kiss in a rich, dark sea.
 
Small Batch 471 Series IPA- Hoppy? Brother, 471 IPA redefines hoppy. 471 is a small batch, limited edition ale that was created by Breckenridge's Brewmaster to separate the weak from the strong. 471 is a double IPA, that combines Pale, Munich, Caramel-30, Carapils and Torrified Wheat malts, with Chinook, Centennial, Simcoe and Fuggles hops. It has a big sweet mouthfeel, followed by more hoppiness than you've ever had at one time. Enjoy.
 
 
Holy Mackerel
HOLY MACKEREL BEERS
 
Panic Attack Belgian-Style Beer - Belgian style ale with a subtle hint of spice clocking in at 10%

Eye popping flavor from a blend of Canadian malted barley, Goldings hops, and a unique flavorful Belgian yeast strain. Serve it up in a goblet or wine glass and remember try and relax!!

Unfiltered, Unpasturized and with just a hint of spice this beer is meant to be savored slowly so as to enjoy the aroma as well as the taste. Vintage dated, excellent now but even finer with 2 years age. Look for it in bottles at Total Wine , Crown Liquors, and many independent liquor stores.

 
Dogfish Head 
DOGFISH HEAD BREWING
 
Bitches Brew- In honor of the 40th anniversary of the original release of Bitches Brew, Miles Davis' 1970 paradigm-shifting landmark fusion breakthrough, Dogfish Head has created their own Bitches Brew - a bold, dark beer that's a fusion of three threads imperial stout and one thread honey beer with gesho root, a gustatory analog to Miles' masterpiece.Featuring the album's iconic artwork, created by the late Mati Klarwein, on its label, Dogfish Head's Bitches Brew was unveiled at SAVOR, An American Craft Beer and Food Experience, June 5, 2010 at the National Building Museum, Washington DC.

The newly created ale is designed, according to Dogfish founder and president Sam Calagione, "as the ultimate partner for chili or spicy curry chicken" and best enjoyed "sipped cool, not cold, from a snifter or red wine glass while listening to the Bitches Brew album."

Calagione was drawn to the alchemical spirits in Bitches Brew right out of college, acquiring a copy of the album "within months of the first time I brewed a batch of homebrew in my apartment in New York City. I listened to it when I was writing my Dogfish business plan. I wanted Dogfish Head to be a maniacally inventive and creative brewery, analog beer for the digital age. You could say that my dream was to have Dogfish Head, in some small way, stand for the same thing in the beer world that Bitches Brew stands for in the jazz world. You can imagine how excited we are to be doing this project 17 years after I wrote that business plan."

 
Magic Hat
MAGIC HAT BREWING COMPANY
 
Night of the Living Dead- Magic Hat's Fall Seasonal Variety Pack offers up 4 different chaotically crafted concotions. It includes #9, HI.P.A (Finally Returning!), Hex Ourtoberfest and this season's Odd Notion. What is it you might ask? Well something a little different. It's a Green Apple Wit. Green Apple, Coriander and Orange Peel come together for one wicked wit.   
 
Other returning favorites hitting the shelves:  
Dogfish Head Chateau Jiahu, Stoudt's Oktoberfest, Cigar City Maduro Brown (Now available in 6-packs), Saranac Pumpkin Ale, Ayinger Weizenbock, Terrapin Big Hoppy Monster and Dogfish Head Punkin.
 
Coming Soon: Victory Moonglow Weizenbock
Oktoberfest Solves Its Smelly Problem
There is a problem with most beer festivals. After the festival is over: it stinks. Yep, the beer that is spilled on the ground or that settles at the bottom of mugs emits a stench odor. This problem is particularly a problem at the world's largest festival-Oktoberfest.

Following our recent article to celebrate the 200th Anniversary of  Oktoberfest we saw an interesting article from, BBC News Europe outlining the intention of eliminating that all-to-familiar stench of stale beer.  This year's Oktoberfest runs from September 18 to October 4. Beer is sold in the tents from 10 a.m. to 10:30 p.m. on weekdays and from 9 a.m. to 10:30 p.m. on weekends so you could imagine the damage spilled beer may cause. More than six million liters of beer are expected to be drunk at the event.

The root of the attempt to find a solution to the stench of stale beer was magnified by a recent ban on smoking. Many nightclub owners have voiced their concern with the recent stench of alcohol noticeable more since the August state-wide ban of smoking.

Despite an exception to the ban for smoking during Oktoberfest until 2011, officials want to conduct a test run of the smoking prohibition during the event. The solution...well it may lie in a microbe produced by a Bavarian company which sells commercial dishwashers.  For full article

Rye Not?
What do brewers see in the spicy cereal grain?
By Zak Stambor

Just as almost every brewery produces one wheat beer, one pale ale and one stout, now, there's seemingly a rye beer on every beer maker's menu.

For proof of rye's newfound ubiquity, just look at the number of rye beers entered in the 2010 World Beer Cup: In 2006, the category had just eight entries. In 2008, there were 17. This year, the competition saw 22. And those entries represent only a fraction of the actual growth, as the Cup's strict guidelines only accept rye beers with at least 20 percent rye malt (many breweries use 10 to 15 percent) and low to medium hoppiness.

While rye-based beers like Bear Republic's Hop Rod Rye (modern American brewing's first rye brew, launched in 2000) and Terrapin Beer's Rye Pale Ale have been around for a while, most of the early offerings were pale ales with rye in their mash to add a bit of spice. But in brewers' never-ending quests to craft something distinct, the latest generation of rye beers is more extreme. Today you'll find twists on the IPA, imperial versions and even some beers aged in used rye whiskey barrels.

Behind the rise of rye is the grain's dry, spicy astringent characteristic that makes it ideal for highlighting hops' bitter and fruity traits, says Spike Buckowski, Terrapin's brewer and co-owner, who has used rye in his homebrew for nearly as long as he's had a hand in the kettle. Professionally, he introduced Rye Pale Ale at his Georgia brewery in 2002 to beer drinkers who were relatively unfamiliar with the bold, aggressive West Coast IPA style; he wanted to produce a more subtle IPA that was hoppy yet balanced. That led him to rye; he combined it with four other malts, a blend of earthy English hops and citrusy Amarillo hops. The rye adds a hot note to the beer, which tricks the palate into sensing a clean finish, he says. "That means your tongue isn't so overwhelmed by the hops that you only drink one beer," says Buckowski. "And that's exactly what we want.". For full article

Postal Service Considering Beer Mail
You've probably heard that in the age of e-mail, FedEx and UPS the U.S. Postal Service has been losing money. A lot, and for a long time now. According to the Washington Post, last Thursday, Senator Tom Carper (Democrat-DE) introduced legislation to save the post office, the Postal Operations Sustainment and Transformation (POST) Act of 2010. The bill includes a laundry list of changes designed to help stop the fiscal bleeding and turn things around. It would eliminate Saturday deliveries, for example, and as Postmaster General John E. Potter explains it, "it alleviates our retiree health benefit burden while bringing resolution to the pension overpayment dilemma we've faced." I don't know what that means, but it's not important for my purposes.

The most important part of the POST Act is that it would also "revise current prohibitions against USPS shipping wine and beer." Opening up the post office to shipping beer seems like a great idea to me, especially given the problems with UPS and FedEx in that regard. The Postmaster General is in favor of the bill, as many of the items contained in it are apparently ideas that have been suggested before. Curiously, William Burrus, president of the American Postal Workers Union, is against allowing beer and wine shipments, but I can't really understand why. He just wonders aloud if "allowing the Postal Service to ship beer and wine and closing small post offices while the organization is losing billions really the answer?" To which I can only answer yes, why not? What can it hurt, and it would most certainly give the post office a competitive advantage. Why would he be against trying anything reasonable? The Postmaster General stated the bill seeks "to more closely align our costs and the needs of our customers." Well speaking as one of their customers, I need to get beer so it would make my life simpler if beer could be legally and reliably shipped through the USPS. I'm certainly willing to give up Saturday deliveries in exchange for the potential to have my mailman bring beer the other five days of the work week. For Original Article

Moderate alcohol consumption may be associated with lower incidence of cataract surgery
Drinking one to two alcoholic beverages per day may be associated with a 50% decrease in long-term cataract surgery risk, a study found.

The prospective, population-based Blue Mountains Eye Study enrolled 3,654 Australian subjects age 49 years and older who were examined at baseline; 2,564 subjects were followed up at 5 years and/or 10 years. Alcohol consumption was determined by an interviewer-administered questionnaire.

Initially, the investigators found no distinct link between alcohol consumption and long-term risk of cataract surgery. However, after adjusting for age, gender, smoking, diabetes, myopia, socioeconomic status and steroid use, they found that subjects who drank two or more alcoholic beverages per day, as well as those who did not drink at all, showed a higher incidence of cataract surgery than those who drank one to two alcoholic beverages per day.

"Long-term follow-up data from this older population-based cohort suggest that moderate consumption of alcohol may be associated with a reduced need for cataract surgery," the authors said. "These findings should be interpreted with caution and need confirmation from future studies."