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Here's the latest info for this year's Brewtopia. http://www.brewtopiafest.com/ The NYC Homebrewers Guild will be showcasing some wicked homebrews...here's the roster: Lemongrass Wit Wet Hopped IPA Oatmeal Stout Pale Ale Yama Lama Ding Dong CinaMex Dunkelweiss <---Brewed by AzianBrewer Jazmin Wheat <---Brewed by AzianBrewer Scotch Ale Hazelnut Brown Ale Dunkelweizen Belgian Strong Ale Hefeweizen Barleywine Drop by the Guild's table and say hi if you are at the fest. Cheers

Is there is a better "domestic Oktoberfest" than this one? I can't get enough of it.

I've recently been broadening my understanding of beer, especially seasonal beers to try and get the freshest and the best. I just came across this list of ten recommended fall-time beers. I've resolved to try them all, starting probably with the Abbey Brown Ale, if I can find it. So I'll put it to the experts and to the egullet community-- Does this list cut it? I'm sure some of you have suggestions for other, perhaps less known of seasonal fall brews. What are they? http://www.novusvinum.com/beer/features/top10fall_beers.html

David L Geary Brewing Porter takes the top of the heap in a Porter Taste Challenge, Story here in NYT dining, 10/18/06 Visit D.L. Geary Brewing Co. in my foodblog: dining downeast from August 2005.

And not a minute too soon! I just received this press release this morning: IT’S OPEN ENROLLMENT AT PHILADELPHIA’S FIRST FERMENTATION SCHOOL PHILADELPHIA, PA – The Tria Fermentation School, the city’s first institute dedicated to the study of wine, cheese and beer, at 1601 Walnut Street, Suite 620, will begin offering classes on Wednesday, October 18. Through exciting coursework, students can satiate their intellectual curiosity while drinking and eating the syllabus. Regularly scheduled sessions at the state-of-the-art, 24-seat classroom will be led by winemakers, fromagers, brewmasters, authors and other fermentation experts from all over the world, who will share their area of expertise. “Whether you’re a novice or an industry professional, these classes will help you to better understand and appreciate your love for wine, cheese and beer,” says Tria Fermentation School founder Jon Myerow, who also owns Tria, the innovative café which celebrates the finest artisanal fermented goods. Myerow is already receiving national recognition for this new venture; Food & Wine magazine (October 06) picked the Tria Fermentation School as one of “America’s 50 most amazing wine experiences.” Upcoming classes include: BEER: The Extreme Beers of Dogfish Head, with Sam Calagione, Wednesday, October 18, Calagione, founder and CEO of Dogfish Head Craft Brewery will lead this tasty history lesson covering two of his Delaware-based brewery’s most remarkable beers Midas Touch Golden Elixir, a handcrafted beer based on the beverage served at King Midas’s funerary feast in 700 BC, and his recently released Chateau Jiahu, a recreation of a 9,000-year-old beverage served in China’s Hunan province. CHEESE: The Artisanal American, with Liz Thorpe, Friday, October 20, Thorpe, Director of Wholesale at New York’s famed Murray’s Cheese, and co-author of the forthcoming Murray’s Cheese Handbook, will present her six favorite autumnal American cheeses, sourced from Vermont to Oregon, and crafted by passionate farmer-artists. Wine will be served to complement the cheese. Thorpe will sign copies of her new book. BEER: Brewing with Wood with Rob Tod. Tuesday, October 24, Rob Tod, owner-brewmaster of Portland, Maine’s Allagash Brewery is part of a new generation of American brewers who have taken the beer world by storm with innovative wood-aged beers. He will share and discuss four examples of wood-aged beers from Allagash, along with examples from California’s Russian River and Michigan’s Jolly Pumpkin breweries. WINE: High Elevation Wines from Down Under with Michael Dhillon. Wednesday, November 1, Considered one of Australia’s preeminent boutique producers, Bindi Wines is run by the young and talented winemaker Michael Dhillon, who was educated in the legendary Champagne region of France. Dhillon will share the trials, tribulations and extraordinary rewards of high altitude winemaking and small production—Aussie style. He will pour selections of his extraordinary Pinot Noir and Chardonnay (and perhaps a few surprise bottles) for this exclusive tasting class. WINE: The Allure of the Languedoc with Bruno LaFon, Friday, November 3, Experience Languedoc through the lens of one of its rising stars, Bruno LaFon of Magellan Estates. Students will learn why LaFon, a former Burgundian winemaker from the family of Domaine des Cômtes Lafon, headed to Languedoc to participate in the rebirth of the region. LaFon will host a tasting of his delicious estate wines. WINE & CHEESE: Classic Pairings with Michael McCaulley. Monday, November 6, Learning from Tria’s culinary adventures (and misadventures), we are able to share some helpful pairing guidelines. After covering wine and cheese basics, McCaulley will introduce students to some classic marriages that have withstood the test of time as well as some more modern pairings. McCaulley, Tria’s wine director, is one of Philadelphia’s leading wine educators and sommeliers. BEER: The Dark Side with Tom Baker. Wednesday, November 8, Baker, a highly acclaimed brewer and owner of the recently departed but still beloved Heavyweight Brewery of Ocean Township, New Jersey will debunk the myths and demonstrates the incredible diversity of black beer. Learn that black beers are not all thick and strong (some are lower in alcohol than Bud!), and that their vast range of flavors and aromas offers something for everyone. Baker will lead a tasting of six dramatically different black beauties. CHEESE: Spanish Dairy Rising with Adrian Murcia. Tuesday, November 14, . Join cheese specialist Adrian Murcia, fromager at New York City’s Chanterelle restaurant and long-time special adviser to Tria’s cheese selection committee for a tasting tour of Spain’s finest cheese terroirs. An accomplished food writer and educator in his spare time, Murcia has written on the topic of Spanish cheese for Saveur, Foods from Spain News and Epicurious.com. . For more information, please visit http://www.triacafe.com/ and click on the Tria Fermentation School button or call 215.972.7076.

Tomorrow comes the next Friday the Firkinteenth at Philadelphia's Grey Lodge Public House (6235 Frankdford Ave., Phila, PA), and I still can't believe the lineup that will be poured via gravity, 7 firkinsns at a time, starting at noon, from atop the bar at the GL. to wit: Appalachian Cherrypacker Porter Brewers Art Resurrection Dogfish Head Punkin Ale Flying Fish Farmhouse kreusened with Grand Cru and dry hopped with Summit and Chinook hops General Lafayette Oak Malted Stout Iron Hill Pumpkin Lancaster Hog's Milk Legacy Nor'easter Nodding Head 3C Extreme Double IPA Rock Art American Red (dryhopped and oak aged) Sly Fox Simcoe IPA Sly Fox ESB Stouts Scarlet Lady ESB (dry-hopped with Summit) Troegs Double Hopped Hopback (unfiltered and two bags of Nugget Hops) Victory Dr. Decibels Weyerbacher Double Simcoe IPA Yards IPA First time i've ever seen two beers from one brewery, but, hey, it's Sly Fox, so it's all good! ANd, keep in mind that some of these beers tomorrow will be one-off brews, made just for this event. Another swesome killer lineup!

The Great American Beer Festival came and went a month ago without any todo in this Forum. In case anyone hasn't checked out the winners and is interested, here are a couple of links. Here you can click for a PDF file listing the winners, on the official site. Here you will find another list which might be a little easier on the eyes. Was anybody there and have any stories to share? Opinions?

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20051116/ap_on_bi_ge/beer_battle I say...WHO CARES?....Neither beer has much taste.

Surely lots of people will be drinking beer while they watch football. Will you also be serving beer with dinner? Any plans for something special? Maybe a homebrew that you have been saving for the day? What are some of your favorite beer & Thanksgiving-food pairings? What comes to mind first for me is oysters and stout. However, we don't have anything specific planned yet. It will depend on where we do beer shopping and what's availble. Plus, I don't even have my food menu fully planned yet. Maybe some of you are far ahead of me. In advance, Happy Thanksgiving to All!

Flying Dog is available in central Florida and has been for a while -- at least some of them. That made me assume that they aren't very good, but I was wrong. This beer is decent. We've had only two so far, the Snake Dog Ale IPA and the Doggie-Style Classic Pale Ale. My first taste of the IPA was almost too bitter for me, and that's saying something. To borrow a line from my husband... It was almost hoppy enough to chew. The Pale Ale was much of the same flavor, but not as amped up. I'd like to find the K-9 Cruiser Altitude Ale. I haven't seen that yet. I'll probably try the Porter next. It is available. Any Flying Dog recommendations?

Read about it here: http://www.realbeer.com/news/articles/news-002780.php Is this a loss to the brewing world, or a new opportunity for somebody new to take over the space and do interesting stuff with it?

Just curious. I wonder why a trend, that had rapidly swept the entire US and Canada in the late 80's to the mid 90's, has faded just as fast? At least in the Mid-Michigan area.

Anti-cancer Compound In Beer Gaining Interest Sounds like it's a miracle cure, all right, but...double link from Slashdot, so you know it's true.

Article in Beer Advocate: I found this to be a real eye-opener: Has anyone thought about the potential ramifications for this? Do your vegetarian friends discuss this issue?

obituary from the New York Times Anyone who enjoys light beers will have a good understanding of his contribution to the industry upon reading this.

Sorry if this has been covered--I searched the archives but couldn't find anything. My husband mentioned he might like a beer-of-the-month membership for Christmas, but it's difficult to tell whether the ones Google's coughing up are reliable. I suspect he's looking for seasonal microbrews or international beers. Anyone know of anything? Thanks. Susan

It's time to have a thread devoted to discussing this year's special brews, and for posting tasting notes if you're so inclined! What have you tasted so far? Which are favorites and which are disappointments? Who has collected what over the years, and what have your vertical tastings been like? I'm also interested in who else saves some holiday or winter beers for Christmas in July drinking. Happy Holidaze.....

Russ went to Delmarva (mostly Delaware) as he does twice a year or so for reasons including beer shopping. It was a good one! We are now restocked with some old favorites, a couple of new ones, and a nice selection of the current vintage of winter brews: Tuppers' Hop Pocket Ale and Dominion Winter Brew from Old Dominion Brewing Co. Barney Flats Oatmeal Stout and Boonville 2005 Winter Solstice from Anderson Valley Brewing Company Cave Creek Chili Beer River Horse Hop Hazard Pale Ale Snow Cap Winter Warmer, Pyramid Breweries Baltus O.V.S. Ale, Heavyweight Brewing Co. Victory Hop Devil IPA and Hop Wallop Ale Rogue Dead Guy Ale Sierra Nevada 2005 Celebration Ale and Bigfoot Barleywine Style Ale Lancaster Milk Stout and Hop Hog IPA from Lancaster Brewing Company Brooklyn Brewery Black Chocolate Stout '05-'06 Yards Brewing Company Love Stout Comments about any of these are heartily welcomed. I'll be back with some comments and/or will mention them in the What Beers Did You Drink Topic. Post here if you would like to share your findings from a good beer shopping. Cheers!

Hello beer lovers! I hope you don't mind a question about cider in your forum … I've just discovered cider, and as someone who's never really liked beer, I'm really excited that I can now go down to the pub and order a pint (of something that I actually like!). The only kind I've had so far (seems to be standard in Oxford pubs) is Strongbow, which I like (well, it's the only kind I've ever had), but is apparently not supposed to very good, according to some cider-drinking friends. So does anyone here have any recommendations? I was eyeing a kind called Scrumpy Jack today in Tesco, but I thought maybe I'd consult the palates of eGullet first. Thanks!

you have to check out this site! iits a riot! thousandbars.blogspot.com enjoy!

The monks who make the Trappist Westvleteren ale speak up about just how and where they want their beer distributed. No American customers wanted. http://www.usatoday.com/money/industries/f...beer-usat_x.htm http://www.realbeer.com/news/articles/news-002708.php

the article Anyone have any information on what the Americans are making by way of rising to this challenge?

Anyone here a homebrewer? A reporter from the Village Voice came to our meeting last week and wrote a short article about us. Cheers, AzianBrewer

Has anybody had a chance to browse this just published (in UK) book - 300 Beers to Try Before You Die ? from the Book Description: "300 Beers to Try Before you Die! is a personal and comprehensive portfolio of international beers compiled by Roger Protz, one of the world’s leading beer writers. In this unique and beautifully illustrated collection, he has distilled decades of beer knowledge into an entertaining and indispensable guide to the ales that no beer lover should miss, from hoppy British real ale to German and Czech Republic lagers, American micro-brewed golden ales to Belgian fruit beers. The book includes sections on different beers, including Bitters, Best Bitters, Pilsner, Brown and Mild Ales, Pale Ale, Extra Strong Beers & Bitters, Old Ales and Barley Wines, Golden Ales, Porter and Stout, Alt and Amber Ales, Fruit Beers, and Bières de Garde, each comprising an alphabetical listing of the beers. Many of the entries are fully illustrated and each beer comes complete with a box panel for adding personal tasting notes, country of origin, beer strength, brewery details and a detailed description of the beer and its personal history. " btw, what beers would be on your list?

A message has been forwarded to me about a special event happening at World Cafe Live in Philadelphia this Saturday Aug 27th. A sampling of over 50 brews from around the region with music and more. Visit www.worldcafelive.com for tickets and more info. $28 in advance, $33 at door. I can't make it but it looks fabulous.