October 2010 Archives

A parody of the 'I am a Craft Brewer' video has been making the rounds on Twitter, and it's pretty funny and well done.  If you aren't familiar with the original video, helmed by Greg Koch of Stone Brewing, check it out here.

From the Albany Times Union:

A longtime dream came true two weeks ago for Ken Landin and Janine Bennett. That is when the beer started flowing out of the tap at the Crossroads Brewing Co. on Second Street in Athens....

Full story with pretty pictures.

From the Democrat and Chronicle:

Once a VFW Hall, the building at 56 S. Union St. on Rochester's southeast side could by next spring be turning out kegs of English ale, India pale ale and amber ale. Roc Brewing Co. LLC, a startup craft brewery, got Rochester Planning Commission approval last month to renovate the space into its microbrewery and is now trying to raise the substantial money needed for the renovations and brewing equipment....

Full Story Here.  And a segment from WROC here.

Halloween is nigh, and there's no better time to grab your favorite pumpkin ale.  For fans of New York's craft beer scene, options abound. 

The first three listed, Saranac, Brooklyn, and Southern Tier, I've personally had and recommend trying.  The exuberant descriptions are culled from marketing materials.  Cheers!

Saranac: Pumpkin Ale
"Saranac Pumpkin Ale is brewed with Pumpkin, Cinnamon, Allspice, Cloves, Ginger and Vanilla. Look for a full-body and amber color. We're sure you'll enjoy this special brew!"
http://www.saranac.com/page/pumpkin-ale

Brooklyn Brewery: Post Road Pumpkin Ale
"Hundreds of pounds of pumpkins are blended into the mash of each batch, creating a beer with an orange amber color, warm pumpkin aroma, biscuity malt center, and crisp finish." 
http://www.brooklynbrewery.com/beer/

Southern Tier: Pumking
As spicy aromas present themselves, let its deep copper color entrance you as your journey into this mystical brew has just begun. As the first drops touch your tongue a magical spell will bewitch your taste buds making it difficult to escape.
http://southerntierbrewing.com/beers.html

Fire Island: Pumpkin Barrel Ale

http://www.fireislandbeer.com/

Southampton: Pumpkin Ale
"Southampton Pumpkin Ale is an unique amber-colored brew that has particular appeal during the autumn months and the holidays of Halloween and Thanksgiving. We use a generous amount of pumpkin as well as traditional "pumpkin pie" spices to give this unusual brew a definite seasonal character."
http://www.southamptonpublickhouse.com/the-beers/seasonal/

Sixpoint: Pumpkin Brewster
http://beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/10607/62373

Rohrbachs: Pumpkin Ale
http://beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/653/13786

Captain Lawrence: Pumpkin Ale
http://www.captainlawrencebrewing.com/pumpkin_ale

Not enough pumpkin for you?  Comments!

I'm not really much for reviewing beer.  The deluge of opinion on the Web doesn't make it necessary, and there are plenty of other blogs who can do a much better job.  Eventually the descriptors all start to sound the same to me (perhaps I'm jaded?) and isn't it all subjective anyway?

Well, anyway, I was happy to receive some complimentary Guinness Foreign Extra Stout to try.  And since I enjoyed it, I wanted to share that.  Here's my review: It's like Guinness, only with more flavor.

Here's what Guinness had to say:

GUINNESS® Foreign Extra Stout (FES) is brewed with the highest hop rate of all the GUINNESS® variants. The generous hop additions express fully the beers distinctive character and flavor while also prolonging shelf life in warmer climates, as hops are the best natural preservative for beer. GUINNESS FES is uniquely different from GUINNESS Draught both in taste profile, color and ritual.

Ok.

If I receive more beer, I'll be glad to share another single sentence review.  Heck, maybe even two sentences.

Another cool thing that happened recently was the Autumn Festival of Ales in Honeoye Falls, near Rochester.  The event is a celebration of Custom Brewcrafters' wide range of contract brews, and several area bars and restaurants were on hand to pour samples. The cloudy weather didn't put a damper on this great event with a friendly, community vibe.    

The same weekend was the Get Real NY cask ale event in New York City.  Wasn't able to clone myself for that one, but it sounded like a blast.  The Huffington Post blogged the event and NY Craft Beer Week.  (Forgive their inability to spell Ithaca).