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Scroll down to see our new sections for Featured Cheese and Beer Pairing as well as our "Cooking with Beer" Recipe of the week! |
| Featured Beer and Cheese Pairing: | |
Banon and a Scottish Ale (Ex. Belhaven Scottish Ale)
Banon is a French goat's milk cheese that is wrapped, cured, and served in chestnut leaves; it is sometimes washed in Cognac. Banon has a mild, citrus flavor and a herbal, earthy character from the influence of the leaves. The malty, butterscotch flavors of a Scottish ale make a fantastic compliment to this cheese. Banon, often difficult to find in local cheese shops, can be ordered from some gourmet sites on the internet and ships fairly well.
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| Featured Cooking with Beer Recipe of the Week |
Doggie Style Mac & Cheese
By Craftbeer.com and Flying Dog Brewery
Difficulty: Easy
Time: 20 minutes prep | 30 minutes cook
Beer Style: American Pale Ale
Serves: 6
Doggie Style's sweet maltiness and crisp Cascade hoppiness is the perfect balance for the sharp cheddar cheese you'll use in this recipe. This is just one of the dishes from Flying Dog Brewery's new cookbook, Dog Chow.
Ingredients:
Mac & Cheese
1/2 lb. elbow macaroni
3 tbsp. butter
3 tbsp. flour
1 tsp. powdered mustard
8 oz. heavy cream
12 oz. Doggie Style Classic Pale Ale
1 c. milk
1/2 c. yellow onion, finely diced
1 bay leaf
1/2 tsp. paprika
1 large egg
12 oz. sharp cheddar, shredded
1 tsp. kosher salt
Fresh black pepper
Topping
3 tbsp. butter
1 c. panko breadcrumbs
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350°F.
Bring a large pot of salted water to boil and cook pasta al dente.
While the pasta is cooking, melt butter in a separate pot. Two pots? You can handle it.
Whisk flour and mustard into the butter pot and keep it moving for about five minutes. Don't get lazy; make sure it's free of lumps.
Stir in Doggie Style, cream, milk, onion, bay leaf, and paprika.
Simmer for 10 minutes and remove the bay leaf.
Temper in the egg by mixing a spoonful of the warm sauce into a bowl with the egg.
Once it's reached a warm temperature, add the egg mixture into the sauce.
Stir in about 3/4 of the cheese.
Season with salt and pepper, making sure both lids to the shakers are screwed on tight.
Fold (like your lucky t-shirt) the macaroni into the mix and pour into a 2-quart casserole dish.
Sprinkle casserole with remaining cheese.
Melt additional butter in a sauté pan and toss with the breadcrumbs.
Bake for 30 minutes.
Remove from oven and rest for 5 minutes before serving. Five minutes-no cheating.
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Fresh Beer Represents:
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Avery Brewing
Ayinger
Blue Point Brewing
Boulder Brewing
Belhaven Brewing
Breckenridge Brewery
The Bruery
Cisco Brewers
Clipper City Brewing
Dogfish Head Brewing
Flying Dog Brewing
Gordon Biersch Brewing
Greene's Organic
Highland Brewing
Konig
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
Timmermans
Well's & Young's
Westmalle
Victory Brewing
LOCAL FLORIDA BEERS :
Inlet Brewing (Monk in the Trunk),
Gordash Brewing (Holy Mackerel)
Cigar City Brewing
Saint Somewhere
The Native Brewing Brands (ie. The Eleven, Native Lager and Thunderhead Red)
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| Want to get some Fresh Beer in your establishment? |
Adam Fine - General Manager
954-629-7971
Ray Nickolaus - Sales and New Business Manager
561-339-0004 407-375-4203 954-261-0668
Ryan Fischer - Sales : Broward County - East
954-654-4512
561-723-0373 561-847-5485 954-654-3012 Josh@freshbeerinc.com
Dave Crisafi - Sales : Miami Dade County - Midtown thru Coconut Grove and Miami Beach 305-219-4315
423-956-3991
Ian Salzberg - Minister of Beer Communications
561-876-3519
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Week after week, I look over this newsletter and am consistently amazed at how far craft beer has come in the South Florida Market. Back in the early days, I could barely get a placement in a local beer joint. Now days we are getting great craft beers in to bowling alleys, movie theaters, gas stations, national chain restaurants, high end restaurants, and airports. In case you don't believe me...there is one of every type of location I just named on the list of new accounts below. We've come a long way!
And the events are simply just amazing. How about a Chocolate festival with Shipyard Bluefin Stout and Rogue Chocolate Stout? What about a lunch celebrating the Farm to Table Movement where your table is actually ON the farm, the featured beers are all local, and the Chef is one of the premiere chefs in Florida? Then if that isn't enough we have the biggest baddest beer fest in the State of Florida and possibly in the South East...Jupiter Beer Festival, where all the beer companies come with some of their best, most unique and limited creations that you won't find at any other fest. And if that still isn't enough, you've got the Field of Beers the night before when 10 beers from the breweries are expertly paired with dishes prepared by the Culinary Institute of America and served under the stars ON THE FIELD at Roger Dean Stadium.
Take your pick of any of these or many of the other events that we have going on or just simply step into an account and enjoy some of the best craft beer available anywhere in the country. Life is good.
Cheers,
Adam FineDirector of Hoperations
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| New Accounts and Deals:
PALM BEACH COUNTY
TEQUESTA BREWING (289 S. US Highway 1 Tequesta, FL 33469) - Has just opened. They have Victory Prima Pils, Monk in the Trunk, and Blue Point Blueberry as their featured guest taps...not to mention some of their own tasty brews. BP GAS EXPRESS (5440 Glades Road Boca Raton, FL 33431) - Is now carrying Magic Hat, Shiner Bock, Stone, and much much more! Fill up your car and take a 6er home to fill up your belly. LIVING ROOM THEATERS (777 Glades Rd. Boca Raton, FL 33431) - Has added Shipyard Export to their craft exclusive draft line up. WAVES 2700 (2700 N Federal Highway Boca Raton, FL 33431) - Just opened last week and they are already getting crafty! Enjoy your favorite drafts of Cigar City Maduro Brown, Oskar Blues Dale's Pale Ale, Shipyard Wheat, Blue Point Toasted Lager and they also have Dogfish Head 60-Minute IPA and Monk In The Trunk in the bottle. BLIND MONK (410 Evernia Street #107 West Palm Beach, FL 33401) - Now carrying Stone Sublimely Self Righteous, Malheur 12, Timmermans Framboise, Young's Double Chocolate Stout, and Victory Helios. CUT 432 (432 East Atlantic Ave., Delray Beach, FL 33483) - Come stop by for their awesome happy hour and the Dogfish Head experience with all your favorite Dogfish Head drafts that pair amazingly with their delicious happy hour food menu.
THE DUBLINER (435 Plaza Real, Boca Raton, FL 33432) - Has added Stone IPA and Timmermans Framboise to their growing bottle list.
T.G.I. FRIDAYS (3800 Fairchild Avenue Palm Beach Gdns, FL 33410) - Now has Shipyard Export on draft and Prelude in bottles. Can't wait to grab some of those delicious potato skins and some craft beer on draft.
BROWARD COUNTY
THE SPOT ( 2721 North Hiatus Road Hollywood, FL 33026) - Is serving Magic Hat #9 on draft along with Ayinger Brau Weisse, Oskar Blues Dales Pale Ale, Cigar City Maduro Brown, Holy Mackerel and Dogfish Head 60-minute IPA in bottles.
KORRIGAN'S PUB (2301 West Sample Road # 20 Pompano Beach, FL 33073) - Has added Magic Hat #9 on draft also with Dogfish Head 60-minute IPA bottles and Youngs Double Chocolate Stout nitro cans.
PUB ONE (207 NE 1 St Miami, FL 33132) - Is now carrying Magic Hat #9, Dogfish Head 60-minute IPA and Boulder Hazed and Infused. Stop by and try some craft brews!
FORT LAUDERDALE AIRPORT (Terminal Dr, Fort Lauderdale, FL) - Has Cigar City Jai Alai IPA, Monk in the Trunk and Native Lager all on draft at Chef Allen's burger bar in terminal 4. It's even before security so anyone can go no matter what flight.
THE BEER STORE (109 South Federal Highway, Pompano Beach, Fl 33062) - Has done some big things for craft beer and now carries over 75 different beers from Fresh Beer! We will let you know when they hit a 100 and then 1000 etc... We know you want it. COCONUT WINE AND SPIRITS (4859 Coconut Creek Parkway, Coconut Creek, FL 33063) - Is now carrying brews from Flying Dog, Monk in the Trunk, Blue Point and Carib.
MIAMI-DADE COUNTY
JIMMY'Z KITCHEN (2700 North Miami Avenue #5, Miami, FL 33127) - The South Beach staple has now opened a location in Wynwood. With over 15 different beers from us you are sure to find one to pair with their great food. BACKLOT AT PARAGON THEATERS 13 (3015 Grand Ave # 322 FL 33133-5124) - The newly redone movie theater in Cocowalk has now added a bar. You will be able to get Boulder Sweaty Betty, Breckenridge Avalanche Ale, Magic Hat #9, Rogue Dead Guy, Southern Tier Pale, 2XIPA, Strongbow, and Woodchuck Amber. You can enjoy one before, after, or even while you are watching a movie. It's just a shame that you'll have to get up to go to the bathroom during the show... well worth it.BIG PINK (157 Collins Avenue Miami Beach, FL 33139) - Big Pink has embraced the craft beer movement and you can now get a Dogfish Head 60-Minute IPA on tap at this legendary South Beach diner. FADO IRISH PUB (900 S. Miami Ave, Miami, FL 33130) - Brickell's newest Irish Pub now has Strongbow on tap as well as bottles of Orval.
SPLITSVILLE BOWLING ALLEY (Suite 202 5701 Sunset Dr, South Miami, FL 33143) - Has brought on Shipyard Old Thumper on draft! That's right you can stop by for a couple games and grab a pint... If your not good at bowling just ask em to put up the bumpers and enjoy some brews. Special Beers Being Added to Accounts:
WORLD OF BEER (4401 Lyons Road Coconut Creek, FL 33073) - Has Southern Tier Krampus, 422, Dogfish Head Burton Baton, Left Hand Milk Stout Nitro, Terrapin Hopsecutioner and much more!JOJO'S (13889 Wellington Trce, #A20, Wellington, FL 33414) - Brought on Magic Hat Howl as their January Beer of the Month... $3.00 PINTS!
CERVEZAS (5835 Sunset Drive Miami, FL 33143) - Has Lefthand Fade to Black, Southern 2XIPA, Krampus, Cigar City #69 Double Cream Ale all on draft. THE JOINT (9559 South Dixie Highway Miami, FL 33156 ) - Has Cigar City Humidor IPA, Tocobaga and Double Bastard all on draft. PACKY'S (11379 West Palmetto Park Road # F, Boca Raton, FL 33428) - Has added Young's Double Chocolate Stout and Blue Point Toasted Lager to their draft line up.
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Upcoming Events:
January 21stStart off your weekend right with a tasting of some Shipyard and Sea Dog Brews from 4-6pm at Total Wine (5050 Town Center Circle, Boca Raton, FL 33486).January 21st - 23rd Join us for Fairchild Garden's 5th Annual International Chocolate Festival (10901 Old Cutler Road Coral Gables, FL 33156) with Coffee, Tea and Beer. There will be three days of chocolate treats, delicious cups of coffee, soothing cups of tea and beers that complement chocolate from Rogue and Shipyard.
Don't miss, chocolate samples, cacao tree sales, the ChocoKids area, cooking demonstrations, the ChocoWalk, informative lectures and much, much more. View video and photos of past International Chocolate Festivals to see what makes this event so special. For more details on the event visit their website. January 23rd Swank Farm Tour and Luncheon with Chef Dean Max at 12pm. Swank Farm (14311 North Rd Loxahatchee, FL 33470) produce is on top restaurant menus in the tri-county area, their booth at the WPB Green market is always busy and their CSA is taking new members. You are invited to tour the farm, learn about their unique hydroponic all-natural growing system, and taste delicious fresh vegetables & herbs picked right from the garden. The six course Lunch will feature sustainable seafood, Florida beef & other local products prepared by award winning Chef Dean Max of 3030 Ocean & the new 3800 Ocean at the Palm Beach Marriot Singer Island plus some brews from Native Brewing, Inlet Brewing and Holy Mackerel. Chef Dean is a strong supporter of local and artisan foods and a leader in the Farm to Table movement. Adults only. 100.00 a person. For more details and to buy tickets visit www.swankspecialtyproduce.com. RSVP & pay in advance--this will sell out quickly January 26th
Join Il Mercato Cafe and Wine Shop (1454 East Hallandale Beach Boulevard Hallandale, FL 33009) for their Brew Master Series Dinner. For their first they we will be joined by Bobby G, head brewer from Holy Mackerel Brewery. The dinner menu for this special event will be completely new and designed with beer in mind. Bobby G will also be there guiding you through each beer, and explaining why they paired them with each course. The dinner will be at 7pm and cost $47 per person. January 27th Magic Hat Promo & Karaoke at University Patio (1050 Northwest 14th Street Miami, FL 33136) from 5:30 to 7:30pm. Free samples of #9 plus awesome giveaways! Karaoke runs from 6-11pm. Nothing like having a few pints of Magic Hat #9 and singing Piano Man. The more pints you have, the better you sound. January 28th Enjoy a night under the stars in an intimate setting with the country's most inspired brewers! The 3rd Annual Field of Beers Festival will take over Roger Dean Stadium ( 4751 Main Street Jupiter, FL 33458 ), the beautiful spring training facility of the Florida Marlins and St. Louis Cardinals. America's best craft breweries and top Palm Beach chefs headed by host Chef John Carlino, team up for a classic beer and food pairing.
Meander throughout the stadium visiting fifteen teams of brewers and chefs innovative, original creations, specifically designed to compliment one another. Educate yourself in the art of interpretive pairing of food and beer as they explain the choices they made and illuminate why the foods flavor profiles go so well with the hand-crafted specialties. We hope you reserved your spot because tickets are SOLD OUT. See you there!
January 28th Grand Opening of The Shipyard Emporium in Orlando. If you are in Central Florida it'll be a great time to check out the new Shipyard spot. For more info check out www.shipyardemporium.com January 28th
Join the founders and distiller of Palm Ridge Reserve Whiskey at Total Wine (14750 Biscayne Boulevard North Miami, FL 33181) from 2-6pm for a tasting of their delicious bourbon-style whiskey plus they will have a bottle signing.... great gift for a whiskey lover.
January 29th
If you missed the folks from Palm Ridge Reserve the day before, stop by Total Wine (15980 Pines Boulevard Pembroke Pines, FL 33027) for a sampling and bottle signing of this awesome Micro-distilled whiskey from 12-4pm.
January 29th Join us from 1-5:30 pm at Roger Dean Stadium (4751 Main Street Jupiter, FL 33458) for The Jupiter Craft Brewers Festival. There's no better way to experience the ever-growing world of craft brewing. Guests will sample and savor brews from some of South Florida's as well as the nation's finest breweries. With paid admission and proper identification (stating you are 21 years of age or older) guests will enjoy unlimited samples of the brews. All this while listening to some of the best local entertainment around!
In the past 4 years the festival has come a long way. Thank you all for your support and great energy throughout. This year's festivities have been taken to a new level. Not only are they raising the bar with variety of beers but they are also expanding the festival grounds (by 4000 sq ft.!). As they are closing the street, they are debuting yet another event at the amphitheater - Craftoberfest, where craft beer meets Octoberfest! For ticket info visit http://jupitercraftbrewersfestival.com/index2.html
February 2nd Hold the date... Beer Dinner at The Pub (237 Southwest 145th Terrace, Pembroke Pines, FL 33027). They'll be featuring Stone Vertical Epic 10.10.10., Holy Mackerel , Flying Dog Raging Bitch Belgian IPA and Breckenridge 471 IPA paired up with some amazing dishes. More details and full menu TBA.
February 4th Magic Hat Promo Night at Slackers (995 W State Road 84 Fort Lauderdale, FL 33315). Lauren Cifizzari will be there to aid in the festivities. Stop by for some free samples of #9 and try your luck at the magnificent craparatus! Live music starts at 8:30pm. February 5th If you like books (especially one of the best book spots in South Florida), Join us for a craft beer sampling at Books & Books (265 Aragon Avenue, Coral Gables, FL 33134). Join us from 5-7pm for samples of over a dozen beers including Cigar City Maduro Brown, Breckenridge Vanilla Porter, Dogfish Head My Antonia, and the newest beer to hit South Florida from Magic Hat, Circus Boy! $20 gets you delicious beer samples as well as Chef Allen inspired food pairings. You don't want to miss this one!
February 5th Beer and cheese pairing event will be taking place at Hollywood Vine (2035 Harrison Street Hollywood, FL 33020) featuring Victory Helios Saison, Terrapin Moo Hoo Chocolate Milk Stout, Southern Tier 2XIPA and Avery White Rascal all paired up with a different cheese. There will be two separate sessions starting at 6:30 and 7:30, $12 a person. Call Hollywood to make your reservation 954-922-2910. February 8th Oskar Blues brewery night at World of Beer (4437 Lyons Road Coconut Creek, FL 33073). Come join in the CANDIMONIUM and even pick up some can bling. Pack it in, Pack it out. February 11th
We are lucky to have the the founders and distiller of Palm Ridge Reserve Whiskey down again for a bottle signing and sampling of their Florida micro-distilled bourbon-style whiskey at Total Wine (850 North Congress Ave. Boynton Beach, FL 33426) from 2-6pm. These guys are awesome... you gotta love anybody that makes their own friggin whiskey!
February 12th
If you live a little more North and didn't have a chance to meet the folks from Palm Ridge Reserve the day before, stop by Total Wine (11221 Legacy Avenue Palm Beach Gardens, FL 33410) for a sampling and bottle signing of this delicious micro-distilled whiskey from 12-4pm.
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New Arrivals:
NATIVE BREWING COMPANY
Everglades IPA - A clean, crisp India Pale Ale clocking in around 6% ABV. With a full hop aroma this Florida IPA is meant to be savored on the beach or at your local watering hole. So pop off the flip flops, sit back, relax on the deck and enjoy this a hoppy, sessionable brew. Premiering at The Jupiter Craft Brewers Fest.
INLET BREWING COMPANY
Monk IPA - The best of both worlds, this experimental batch combines the subtleties of a Belgian strong ale yeast with American whole hops to create this Belgian Style IPA. Heavily dry-hopped with 1 pound of hops per barrel. Will be featured at The Jupiter Craft Brewers Festival
MAGIC HAT BREWING COMPANY
Circus Boy - The Hefeweizen - Unfiltered and unfettered, Circus Boy is a unique and refreshing American-style Hefeweizen. Is he a who? Or a what? Or perhaps some of both? Be amazed by the flavorful haze of this wonderful wheat beer.
SHINER BEERS
Dortmunder Spring Ale - Shiner Dortmunder has a smooth, well-rounded flavor - the perfect fit for any Springtime activity. Because of the unique nature of the style, Shiner Dortmunder is sure to satisfy the palate of a diverse crowd.
SOUTHERN TIER BREWING COMPANY
Cuvee #2 - ALE IMPRESSIONS: Dark ruby red color, roasted malt flavor with apparent bitterness. Finishes with a rich caramel and espresso aroma. AMERICAN OAK IMPRESSIONS: Impressions of vanilla crème, classic crème brûlée and nougat. A little more oak flavor than series one, but with creamy intensity. Cuvee #3 - ALE IMPRESSIONS: Dark amber color, rich caramel malt flavor with noticeable bitterness. Slightly sweet and roasty finish, with mild hop aroma. OAK IMPRESSIONS: Flavors of French and American oak imparting unique qualities present in series one and two. Impressions of vanilla, toasted coconut and almond.Krampus Imperial Helles Lager - St. Nicholas, aka Santa Claus, is a magical figure, the bringer of gifts and an icon of holiday spirit. Forgotten by most is his evil side kick and enforcer of 'the list'. European tradition says while St. Nick is busy delivering presents to good little boys and girls, Krampus hands out punishments to the bad. A fanged, goat-horned bully, the Christmas Devil uses sticks and chains to beat the naughty children. Dark malts and aromatic hops create the diabolical spirit of this brew. It is finished with lager yeast and aged cold for no less than 30 days. This Imperial Helles Lager will warm even the darkest hearts.
VICTORY BREWING COMPANY
LEFT HAND BREWING COMPANY
Polestar Pilsner - One you have tasted a true pilsner you will forever walk the earth with your eyes turned skyward, for there you have seen the light, and there you will always long to return. Let Polestar guide you out of the wilderness, just as the North Star has guided explorers to their destinations and back home again. Light, crisp and elegant, pilsner is the true test of brewing prowess. Less is more.
WELLS & YOUNG'S BREWING COMPANY
Young's Double Chocolate Stout - Unsurprisingly for a beer from the Young's stable, Double Chocolate Stout has been recognised as an award-winning brew on several occasions, including: Brewing Industry International Awards Gold Medal Winner 2000, Silver Medal Winner 2002 and Bronze Medal Winner 1998 and 2004. Luxurious and at the same time with a hint of decadence, Young's Double Chocolate Stout has it all, delivering a satisfying, indulgent taste without ever becoming overly sweet. Pale Ale and Crystal malt, Chocolate Malt, a special blend of sugars, Fuggle and Golding hops, real dark chocolate and chocolate essence are combined to deliver a stout of with real credentials.
BELHAVEN BREWERY
Scottish Ale - Malty and hoppy, Belhaven loves the classic Scottish Ale and they've been brewing it longer than any of the other beers they produce. Delivering a sweet, smooth and creamy finish, Scottish Ale has a stunning ruby colour in the glass. Magic.Wee Heavy - It may have come from a right old recipe but Wee Heavy fits the bill today as much as it ever has. It is a classic Scottish heavy but has a lightness of flavour and a great reddish colour in the glass. Cracking stuff if they do say so themselves
Other returning favorites hitting the shelves:
Magic Hat Vinyl, Spring Fever Variety Pack, Terrapin MooHoo Chocolate Milk Stout, Southern Tier Choklat and Victory Yakima Glory
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Craft beer heads to Antarctica
The team at Moa Brewery (of New Zealand) reckon a cold beer will be just as satisfying in the freezing Antarctic as it is on a hot summer day.
Their beer will get the ultimate test this year when 2000 bottles leave on a ship for Antarctica, destined for New Zealand's Scott Base.
Organizers of the shipment say it will be the first craft beer to hit the fridges in the base bar, called The Tatty Flag, which sells mass-produced beer including Tui, Speight's and Heineken.
Moa brand ambassador and founder Josh Scott said he and national sales manager were on a South Island sales trip when they met the supplier for the base bar, who told them the Scott Base crew drank 30,000 cans of beer a year.
"We thought if we could nail a contract like that it's a good commercial market for us," Mr Scott said.
His bid was successful and Moa is sending three types beer, including Moa Noir - a dark brew designed for the winter.
"Hopefully it will warm their hearts when it's completely dark down there," Mr Scott said.
"There are amazing people who have gone down and pioneered in Antarctica. It's quite inspirational what they do, and it's good to be involved."
He was convinced the Marlborough beer would be a hit, even in sub-zero conditions. For full article
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The Big "O"-Defining Organic Beer By Brittany Dern with Craftbeer.com
Let's talk about The Big "O"-organic beers and breweries. When discussing organic beer, perhaps the most important question to start with is, why brew organic beer at all? The easy answer is, why not? In many other product markets organic options flourish, so it seems natural-or maybe even organic-that the craft beer industry would eventually go down this path.
In this quickly growing beer market, 100 new craft breweries popped up in the U.S. between July 2009 and July 2010. According to Sustainable Business Oregon's article, "Organic beer industry flourishes," organic beer sales reached $41 million in 2009, more than double the sales of organic beer in 2005. For full article
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Reviving the taste of an Iron Age beer
Barley grains offer savory insights into ancient Celtic malt beverage
By Bruce Bower
Early Celtic rulers of a community in what's now southwestern Germany liked to party, staging elaborate feasts in a ceremonial center. The business side of their revelries was located in a nearby brewery capable of turning out large quantities of a beer with a dark, smoky, slightly sour taste, new evidence suggests.
Six specially constructed ditches previously excavated at Eberdingen-Hochdorf a 2,550-year-old Celtic settlement, were used to make high-quality barley malt, a key beer ingredient, says archaeobotanist Hans-Peter Stika of the University of Hohenheim in Stuttgart. Thousands of charred barley grains unearthed in the ditches about a decade ago came from a large malt-making enterprise, Stika reports in a paper published online January 4 in Archaeological and Anthropological Sciences.
Stika bases that conclusion on a close resemblance of the ancient grains to barley malt that he made by reproducing several methods that Iron Age folk might have used. He also compared the ancient grains to malt produced in modern facilities. Upon confirming the presence of malt at the Celtic site, Stika reconstructed malt-making techniques there to determine how they must have affected beer taste.
The oldest known beer residue and brewing facilities date to 5,500 years ago in the Middle East, but archaeological clues to beer's history are rare.
At the Celtic site, barley was soaked in the specially constructed ditches until it sprouted, Stika proposes. Grains were then dried by lighting fires at the ends of the ditches, giving the malt a smoky taste and a darkened color. Lactic acid bacteria stimulated by slow drying of soaked grains, a well-known phenomenon, added sourness to the brew. For full article
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