The Denver Post: Study of rare hops-loving blue butterfly gets boost from brewer

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Humans are not the only hop loving beings here on the Front Range.

Study of rare hops-loving blue butterfly gets boost from brewer - By Jeremy P. Meyer
The Denver Post

A quarter-sized butterfly with blue-and-purple wings and rarely seen along Colorado's Front Range is a mystery to researchers who only know that it loves hops even more than the state's legions of beer geeks. View Full Story

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Beer drone? Festival goers may see booze fall from the sky

I am uncertain if this is a brilliant use of technology, or a waste of decent brainpower.  Most likely the later.  How does a drone check your ID?

Beer drone? Festival goers may see booze fall from the sky
http://www.cnet.com/8301-17938_105-57583599-1/beer-drone-festival-goers-may-see-booze-fall-from-the-sky/
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vessels and containers

The business of beer is also the business of packaging and delivery.  After Budweiser (AB In Bev) announced their latest gimmick can, and Sam Adams introduced their special craft improving can, and Dogfish Head in collaboration with other breweries developed the IPA glass, a friend of mine asked me about containers and glassware.

I seem to recall discussing this in a past post, but after a few years and a few hundred posts now, I can't seem to find where I had discussed it before, and therefore am in high danger of contradicting myself.  I am okay with this, but if you peruse my blog in reverse and find my comments on this topic in 2008 or 09 or10, I would like to revisit my thoughts.

As I recall, at the time, I felt that glassware is a matter of personal preference.  I am not sure what I felt my favorite glass was at the time, but I think I had a couple of German beer (pilsener and alt?)glasses that I got at an after GABF party at Rock Bottom that I liked.  Both being promotional glassware, broke in the dishwasher over time.  I also owned a couple of Sam Adam's lager glasses, and were thoroughly unimpressed...also they broke in the dishwasher.  My favorite "regular" glasses recently were ones I purchased from Great Divide and Wit's End...they were thin walled glasses, and suffered eventual death by dishwasher also.  The Wit's End glass died last week, exactly 1 week after I got to tell Scott Witsoe (owner, Wit's End) that I still had it (from when he opened) and it was my favorite....he also mentioned that he couldn't get that glass (or it was backordered).

The glass that I seem to use the most, and also hate the most, is the standard straight sided "shaker" or American Pint.  You know this glass.  Most bars love using this glass.  It holds exactly 16 ounces of liquid, stacks without breaking, costs less than a dollar a glass to replace, and takes a hell of a beating before it breaks.  It isn't even a beer glass, per se.  It is called a shaker because it is for mixed drinks.  It fits and seals into a mixer (see Tom Cruise in Cocktail...he's still a dick).  But the real reason bar owners love the glass for beer is best exemplified by a couple simple experiments.

Fill the shaker glass to within 1 inch of its top to simulate a decent craft beer with a 1 inch head on it.  Then pour it into a measuring cup.  That 1 inch of foam represents 3-4 ounces of beer because of the shape of the glass.  You buy a pint, but get 12 ounces served.  Over a 1/2 barrel keg (15.5 gallons), you get 41 extra "pints" short serving your patrons.  $41 pints at $5 a pint is over $200 per half barrel keg, or $160 at $4 per "pint".

This doesn't fly in Europe.  You will see European Glasses with the 375 ml line or 0.5 L line for proper beer measure.  This is by law.

Here in America, buyer beware. It isn't that I care so much, as I almost never need to drink more beer, but it is what you end up paying for a beer.

So, does glassware matter.  I used to say no....but I have not done any blind taste tests.  There was a premium glass maker that did a demonstration at one of our local brewing supply shops for $40, you got to sample 3 beers in their different glasses as intended for their styles (compared to shakers) and at the end got to keep their glasses.  I got permission to attend from my wife, but was too late to sign up, so for me, the jury is out.

I know my brother and I like to drink big beers out of fluted goblets, and I have an awesome English pint glass from Sierra Nevada (from the rare beer tasting in 2009), and some nice smaller glassware for tasting, and enjoying lesser amounts.

When it comes to cans.  I can't get on the bus.  I don't like drinking from a can, and when I buy a six pack, it is 90% or more from 12 ounce bottles....only if I need cans or if I can't get a beer that I want to drink in 12 ounce  bottles do I buy cans, bombers, or 375ml or 750ml sized beers.  I can't recall buying craft beer in a can....ever....but, I don't go to picnics, concerts, or elsewhere where a can can be consumed and a bottle can't.  I am more likely to fill my stainless steel growler with something (local or home brewed) before I buy a can.

This is even though cans are better vessels to store beer (think very small kegs) away from light, they are light weight (ecological to ship and carry), and can be 100% recycled.  I am a can bigot.  I do reuse my bottles....so minus the recycle argument....but still.

So, it is still a personal preference....but I do think it actually matters.  Glassware focuses the attributes of the beer, and makes it look or feel more appealing (like high heels on the fairer sex)....the shaker glass is horrible for everything except the seller, but if it makes you comfortable, it is the right glass for you.

What the fuck are you talking about?

A little fun from us beer Geeks to you non-geeks.

GBW - SHIT BEER GEEKS SAY from GOOD BEER WEEK on Vimeo.

Filling in the Map

Over the weekend, I had the chance to speak to a gentleman that was opening up a brewery in my neighborhood.  He is occupying an old Denver Fire Department location on 38th Avenue a few blocks west of Quebec in the Park Hill Neighborhood.

I have always coveted this building, as fire houses are cool, and breweries installed in old fire houses are even cooler.....unfortunately, they won't be making use of the copius amounts of vertical space (or the fire pole) in this location.

This article appeared this week regarding a brewery to open in old Aurora with plenty of incentives.

These two sites were two of my three targeted areas for my own brewery (back when I had no job, and was seriously considering it) in early 2010.  These two sites fill out a large gap in the map of Denver Breweries that just happened to be close to my house.

I will look forward to trying them out.  And will watch their progress with a high amount of interest.

Reflecting on beer judging

After 3 days and 4 sessions of judging at the 1st round of the National Home Brew Competition, I spent the better part of yesterday and today reflecting upon the experience.

Here are my random thoughts.

1. Tasting beer is the only way to get better at tasting beer.  I critically evaluated about 40 beers in three days, and each time I checked my comments with a beer professional or a national ranked judge (BJCP).  What I found was that for 3 of the 4 sessions, I actually did pretty good, and then I got a ball breaker of a national judge, and a difficult style that I don't have a ton of experience with (Bocks, including Maibock, Tradtional Bock, Doppelbock, and Eisbock).  I haven't drunk a lot of them, and never made one....but nearing the end, I was improving.

2. Judging beer is the most difficult drinking you will ever do.  I started on Saturday morning at 9am after two previous nights of judging from 6-9pm.  I did not feel like drinking beer anymore.

3.  There is a lot of crappy beer being made by homebrewers (and new professional brewers, too).  The average score for all beers is probably 28 out of 50.  I believe that is because that judges are too kind.  The minimum score for any "beer" (one that is undrinkable) is 12 or 13.  If homebrewers are submitting their best beers to the NHC, there is a crap-ton of bad beer still being made.

4. I actually submitted two beers that I thought weren't very good (certainly not champions), just for feedback.  This is not a competition to get good feedback, however, but I proved that people aren't putting their best beers forward (all of the time).

5. Most judges are doing the best they can under the less than ideal circumstances, but some are truly assholes.  I have been observing judging at NHC for three years now....most of the comments are honest and you can bank on them, some are crazy (even from "experienced" judges).  There is no way to tell the difference, however, so assume that if two judges said the beer was bad, don't delude yourself, it is bad.

My most interesting observation was when a pair of judges that I was sitting with had a bad (infected) beer, they asked the steward to bring the second bottle (if a beer is being considered for best of show the second bottle is used, if the first bottle is infected, the second bottle is evaluated in the standard judging), and the second bottle had a host of different issues than the first (both were as bad as bad can be).  I joked that they should evaluate both, and send a bill for an additional entry fee.

6.  I am not sure how I feel about judging beer....it isn't fun, but the people are great.  If I pass the BJCP exam, I will be happy (to have passed by never studying and never ever actually judging a beer in my life under any circumstances), and I will likely judge 1 or 2 competitions a year (I would like to try one that isn't the Nationals), if I don't, I am not certain I will pursue it....I will have to decide at some near term about this....I like knowing and learning, and don't have another good venue for growth...but judging beers sort of sucks, and the exam sucks even worse.

Holding my own on third day of NHC

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