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Does anyone have any experience homebrewing in NYC? I used to brew beer a few years ago while living on the left coast, in a small town, with plenty of room to let the delightful stench of the wort disperse before attracting too much attention. I'm very, very interested in getting back into it, but I live in the East Village and am concerned it'd be just plain rude to my neighbors. Thanks, -a

The Philadelphia Craft Beer Festival held this past weekend was nothing short of a raging success. Over 50 major brewers were in attendance providing samples. The festival took place at the Cruise Terminal located in the Navy Yard in South Philadelphia. Ample parking was available at the yard, and several shuttle buses ran from the yard to the numerous parking areas as well as to the Pattisson Avenue station on the Broad Street Subway. National brewers on hand included Ommegang, Southampton, Thomas Hooker, Magic Hat, Sam Adams, Leinenkugel’s, Peroni, Southampton, Sierra Nevada, Oskar Blues from Colorado, and Brooklyn. Local brewers included Sly Fox, Flying Fish, Yards, Victory, Legacy, Stoudt’s, Lancaster, Appalachian, Dogfish Head, Nodding Head, Iron Hill, Triumph, Weyerbacher, and Troeg’s. Even Monk’s Café had their own table. The festival consisted of two sessions. The first ran from 12 noon to 4:00pm. The second session was from 6:00pm to 10pm. Don Russell (Joe Sixpack) did a lecture during the afternoon session on beer in Philadelphia. A huge line of thirsty samplers were waiting to get into the noon session. When the doors finally opened, a steady stream of people commenced and continued till around 1:30pm. 1500 tickets were available first session. The second session was even more packed. The final count for the evening session was well over 2200. The terminal’s capacity is listed at 2500. Both sessions were listed as being sold-out. Becuase I spent most of the festival as a volunteer, I was not able to sample as much as I really wanted to. What were the standouts in my mind? The biggest surprise and the most exciting: Lion Brewery out of Wilkes Barre who brought their Lionshead Lager and their Stegmaier Brewhouse Bock. To anyone who has not heard the news yet, Stegmaier Brewhouse Bock has to be some of the most fantastic beer to be had, and for a fantastic price. The bottled version of this alone is great tasting, but a sample from a fresh keg is unbelievable. Do whatever you have to get this on tap. It rocks!! Other sampling included Southampton Secret Ale which is one the most unusual beers I’ve ever tasted. Lyons’ Old Chubb, Victory Prima Pils, and Sly Fox O’Reilly’s Stout. Erie brought their great Mad Anthony’s Ale and Railbender. So much sampling and so little time. Overall, the festival was nothing short of spectacular. Nearly all the attendees were well versed in procedure and those who weren’t got up to speed very quickly. Water pitchers were emptied almost as fast as they could be filled. Except for some isolated incidents, the crowd was well-behaved and seemed to enjoy themselves. Because of the success, planning has already started for next year’s event. Volunteering for the event was pretty much a labor of love for me. It’s great to finally have an event so close to where I live and to see it succeed. I hope that this is just the start of many beer festivals to come in South Philadelphia.

From realbeer.com: A-B BUYS STAKE IN OLD DOMINION An Annapolis brewer teamed up with Anheuser-Busch Inc. to buy Old Dominion Brewing Co. of Ashburn, Va. Fordham Brewing Co. and minority partner Anheuser-Busch formed the new joint venture, Coastal Brewing Co., to purchase the brewpub operator and brewer that distributes in the mid-Atlantic region. Fordham will have a 51% ownership. As part of the deal, Coastal Brewing Co. will assume ownership, sales and marketing responsibilities for both the Old Dominion and Fordham brands, including Dominion Ale, Dominion Lager, Oak Barrel Stout, Fordham Copperhead, Fordham Lager, Oyster Stout and others. Coastal Brewing Co. also assumes ownership of the Old Dominion brewery and Old Dominion Brewpub. Discuss.

So, the AZ Beer Fest is this weekend. Anyone planning on attending?

With a new fish market in town, I've bought oysters a few times lately. Being poor, I can't always afford a 1996 Premier Cru Chablis to drink with them, and I like beer pretty well anyway. Now, I know all about Guinness and oysters, but I'm eating them at home, Guinness is strictly an on-tap beer for me, and I don't really care too much about Guinness anyhow. Here's what I've tried instead: A bottle of Alaskan Smoked Porter that I found in the basement. I try to buy a case of this stuff when I remember, and this was the last of the 2001 vintage. It went pretty well. Same dark-beer appeal as the classic oysters/stout, a little cleaner on the palate, and not so smoky as to get in the way of the brine. Like oysters on the barbeque, without the trouble. A couple bottles of Deschutes Jubelale. Not quite as good a match, but still fine. Here's what I'm thinking for the future: Gueuze. Lindemans Cuvee Rene is available around here, and has some of the characteristics of other things that go well with oysters--bone dry, tart, palate-cleansing. Plus, it's one of my favorites. Drawback: kind of expensive for a beer. Also: Belgians in general. Drank a bottle of this Reinaert Flemish wild ale tonight, and thought it might go. So, my questions to you eGulletonians: What beers do you drink with oysters? What pairings have you had in restaurants that have been successful? What hasn't worked? Lots of hops, or lots of malt? More generally: what characteristics do the beverages have in common--what makes a good match? With wines, it's generally a very dry, sometimes briny white wine, minimal oak--Chablis, Champagne, muscadet etc. Guinness is the opposite--sweetish, rich body. What makes them both work?

On another site there was some discussion about this. Does Rolling Rock taste the same now as it always did? There were some who said it did not but many of those folks were talking from nostalgia not real taste. We all bemoan the closure of the Latrobe brewery, but does the beer taste any different? A/B is well known for adjunct brewing. Was Rolling Rock from Latrobe adjunct brewed? Is it adjunct brewed by A/B. I will say I tasted no real difference. RR was never any great beer, but was always popular in my area. Any thoughts by those more learned than I am.?

Just got back from a trip to NYC! I was chaperone for a group of drama students (talk about drama! but that's another story!) so I only had a couple hours to myself, but I think I spent the time wisely! I ventured over to the Davidoff Cigar shop where I picked up a few cigars, and then made a beeline over to the Heartland Brewpub at W. 51st (?) and 6th, not far from Radio City Music Hall. First up was a pint of the Farmer Jon's Oatmeal Stout! What a good beer! Roasty, creamy, pitch black with garnet hues and a 'stout' tan head. It didn't last long! Very enjoyable stout! Next, I selected the seasonal Alpha Male Ale. Unusual ingredients such as Peruvian Macca Root powder, American Ginseng, and a Chinese herb called "Horny Goat weed" are added to give a guy that "competitive edge!" It was dark gold in color, had a pleasant citrusy aroma, and a bitterness that didn't come from hops alone. The citrus notes were apparent in the flavor with a hint of malt and it finished very dry. It was...unusual. Kind of a Belgian Golden/Saison-like beer. Good, but not my favorite. Last up was the Indiana Pale Ale. BIG hoppy aroma and flavor! Citrusy, malty, but the hops prevailed! Good hop burps followed! It was a tasty IPA and a good beer to end my visit. Plus, when I tabbed out, the very friendly young beertender who I chatted with said the last beer was on him! I didn't eat, but did observe some delicious looking platters being delivered to other patrons. Even though I was only able to pay them a short visit, Heartland was well worth the trip! When I go back to NYC I will try to spend more time, and consume more of their beers! Bob R in OKC

Maybe is was the hammock, the sea breezes, and the view from our rented house high in the hills east of Christiansted, but I enjoyed a most unusal and oddly enticing beer here on the isalnd of St Croix , USVI. Picked up a sixer of local Virgin Island Pale Ale, contract brewded by Shipyard Brewing in Portland, ME, but every bit a unique island brew. Good hoppy notes right up front, but the aroma was not of citrus, nor of bitter herbs, but of.....MANGOES! Yes, the beer is tinged with more than a hint of mangoes, and it works! In fact, it ROCKS. I am no fan of fruit-tinged beers, but somehow this beer has a fantastic flavor and earthy sweetness that I thoroughly enjoyed. A sixer is making its way stateside in two weeks.

Does anyone know where to find a manufacturer of tin tackers/tin signs for small microbreweries?

Found this little brew at the Total Wine in charlotte. The manager told me they'd gotten a small supply in, and the distributer/importer had promptly gone outta business. Being a scottish beer, I figured I'd take a chance Smile Was not disappointed. Pours pale blond, hint of cloudiness from the lees being stirred up (Oops, my bad) Very balanced taste, hint of hops but mostly sweet malt and fruity esters. Medium bodied, VERY easy drinking. Now, the kicker? The stuff 'expired' december 05, so I got my nice Scottish beer pre-aged. I'd love to find a fresher sample to see how the extra time makes a difference. I also plan on culturing the yeast from the lees, just to see what I can do with it

I have just finished reading the book "Ambitious Brew" by Maureen Ogle. A very enjoyable read about the history of beer and brewers in the USA. Ms. Ogle is a historian at Iowa State University and the book is extensively researched and end noted. The narrative flows well and is of the style of other writers of popular fiction such as David McCullough and Doris Goodwin. The book talks about brewers, proabition and other historical factors that have influenced brewing in America. I am not a flock or anything for her; I simply saw it on the shelf of my library and picked it up. I would recommend it to anyone

Can anyone shed light (no pun) on the reason Samuel Smith insists on putting its beer in clear glass bottles?

Sweet: http://lexus.msn.com/id/2074206/sid/2097342?GT1=6132

I posted about this place in the NY Forum but since it's buried in a thread about Patchogue, I wonder how many beer lovers actually saw it. BrickHouse Brewery I tried the BrickHouse Red, which I thought had nicely balanced flavors, but was overly fizzy and seemed to lose its head too quickly. My friend had the Hurricane Kitty, which was described at the bar as an IPA. I would have termed it amber. He reported it was hoppy indeed. It held its head properly. He liked it a lot. Has anyone else been to this place?

I've had the following craft brews recently: Magic Hat #9 - really liked, but don't think I couldn't drink it all night Victory Lager - good stuff Victory Hop Devil - also good stuff Victory Prima Pils - not bad, but I like the previous 2 better Victory Golden Monkey - I can't quite form an opinion yet. I like it but I don't at the same time. I haven't been a fan of any Belgian style brews that I've tried, but there is still something about this beer that appeals to me. Dogfish Head Shelter Pale Ale - pretty decent, first pale ale I've had I have quite a few more craft brews on the "To Try" list - brews from Great Lakes, Stoudt's, Troeg's, Magic Hat, and Penn (not sure if this is considered a craft brewery). If anyone can tell me where to find Magic Hat brews in Pittsburgh, I'd be appreciative. One of the local beer distributor owners said he's been trying to get some in but can't for whatever reason. I wondered if this was the case throughout the state or not. It wouldn't make much sense to me since I had the Magic Hat in Baltimore, so I don't see why a distributor couldn't get it around here.

From today's Trenton Times, my local paper: Golden Age of Beer in Phila Tours

OK, so I'm in Longmont, CO, for business. After the drive from the Denver Airport up to Longmont, my co-worker Rich and I get settled in to our hotel rooms and then go set up our classroom. Hunger pangs hit so it's time for lunch. We head over to the Pumphouse brewpub in downtown Longmont. Lunch consisted of a Santa Fe burger for me and a Reuben sandwich for Rich. Both were very delicious. We washed them down with IPA and Amber ales, again all beers were very delicious. Following lunch we made the obligatory trek up to Fort Collins to worship at the grotto of New Belgium Brewery. We took the brief tour then bellied up to the bar for the tasting of the beers. Good sized samples of Fat Tire, Blue Paddle Pils, 1554, and Transatlantique Kriek were enjoyed. We were also treated to samples of La Folie, Bier de Mars, an IIPA that is available for tasting only at the brewery, and a blended beer that was made for the employees Christmas party, a blend of La Folie and pomegranate and raspberry juices. I didn't want to leave! But alas, Odell's Brewing beckoned! We made the short drive to Odell's and sampled just a few of their brews. (unlike New Belgium, we had to pay for the privilege of drinking at Odell's!) Ft. Collins Brewing (formerly HC Berger) called out to us, but I had a dinner invitation with an old friend so I needed to get back to Longmont. While at my friend's house for dinner, I got to quaff several beers from Lefthand Brewery. Tuesday night took Rich and I into and through Boulder to do some shopping, but man does not live by shoes alone, so we did stop at the local Gordon Biersch for dinner and some beers. We both decided on the meatloaf with garlic mashed potatoes and we were not disappointed. To wash the food down I first had the very tasty Schwartzbier and Rich had the Winterbock. We followed those with a Martzen for me and Rich had another Winterbock. All beers were crisp, clean, aromatic and full of flavor. That brings us to Wednesday. Enroute to Boulder the previous night I noticed the sign for Redstone Meadery, but they were closed. (tasting room hours are M-F 3:30 - 6:30) So, we decided to hit the meadery on Wednesday afternoon. Boy, am I glad we did! The tasting consisted of 1 oz shots of 6-8 meads, and they were some of the best meads I've had in a long time! Traditional mead, metheglins with Juniper berries, and vanilla and cinnamon, pyments both white and red, and delicious melomels both sparkling and still. I purchased 4 bottles which they were able to ship home for me. They also honor the AHA membership card by giving a 10% discount. On my way out, I asked if there was a brewpub close by. I was directed to Rockies, one of the oldest brewpubs in the country being established in 1979. When we entered Rockies, we were greeted by a party in full force! Turns out Rockies was celebrating their rebirth into their former entity, Boulder Brewing! And all the beer was FREE until 7:30pm! Not just the beer, but also a sizable buffet spread was available for partiers! I quickly ordered the IPA, Hazed and Infused, and made my way to the buffet. Between gulps of the Cascade/Chinook/Centennial hopped beer I filled my plate with Bratwurst, chicken wings, Filet Mignon sandwiches, and slabs of smoked trout! The sandwich and the trout were unbelievably wonderful! So was the beer! I ordered another beer, the Mojo, their Amarillo hopped APA. MMMMMM! Hop burps were prevalent tonight! I sidled up to the Brewer, David, who took us on a quick tour of the premises. Along the way he allowed me a taste of their still aging Barleywine. It seems to be an English variety and not as hoppy as I would have expected, but still quite tasty. Back to the tasting room for more beer, a very delightful Porter and then the Scotch ale. The Scotch ale had big time malt and smoke from peated malt! This beer is a winner! But, as 7:30 approached I wanted another hop fix so I ordered up another Hazed and Infused. What a wonderful surprise this was! Free beer and food, and it was some of the best beer and tastiest food I've had! BTW, while in the tasting room at Boulder Brewing I ran into Gary Glass and Kate Porter from the AHA! I had a nice visit with them and they invited me to visit the AHA offices on Thursday. This was a great beer day! The Redstone meadery tasting room is a must visit if you are in this area and the Boulder Brewery should also be on your list. Be sure to tell them that Bob from OKC sent you!

Where I live, in White Plains, NY, it seems impossible to find any store that sells beer with a good selection of "good" beer. By good, I mean small craft brews, artisan brews, and otherwise "gourmet" stuff. Of course I have no problem finding Samuel Adams and the like, but I've got a taste for more variety than that. I've been trying to find all kinds of seasonal beers around, but to no avail. It seems that in Westchester county, the law of alcohol distribution means that beer can only be purchased in grocery stores, gas stations and convenience stores and the like. Or, you can go to a beverage distributor, which sells larger quantities. The selections at these places is no better than at the grocery store. If I go to Whole Foods Market, I can get slightly better selection than at the Stop & Shop, but I still can't find what I'm looking for. In nearby Connecticut, one can find a fairly good beer selection at almost any "package store" which sells wine, spirits, and beer. Wine shops in New York state cannot legally sell beer. I can't believe that the entire state of New York does not contain any specialty beer shops which have decent selections. Please help.

I'm seeing some really good "official" or "properly done" tasting notes (TN) being posted. I am wondering how you all feel about the possibility of posting a separate (or additional?) topic when you're posting the notes you took on a specific beer. I don't want anybody to feel like they are being monitored by the Beer Review Police here or anything like that, but I can see advantages to threads being devoted to TNs on particular beers. A primary advantage is that if anybody does a search for a specific beer, such TN threads on that beer would come up in the search. Another thought... If we post TNs on beer, should we coin another phrase to show that it's beer, not wine, for inclusion in the topic title, such as for example "Beer TN: Black Sheep Brewery Riggwelter Yorkshire Ale" instead of "TN: Black Sheep Brewery Riggwelter Yorkshire Ale"? In the meantime, and while there is discussion about this, please do feel free to post threads devoted to tasting notes if you are so inclined! I really like them, also because I learn what characteristics to look for when I'm drinking beer. However, this won't mean that a short, informal report on beers won't be welcomed (such as, "this beer is delicious" or "this has great citrusy hop flavors"). Did this make any sense at all?

We've grown to love Leinenkugel's Honey Weiss. there aren't any distributors to the NY Metro area. Anybody else like this stuff - and better yet - can offer a way for us to find it?

Hey everyone, I have a collection of Thomas Hardy's Ale that I m looking to find a good home or belly for. The collection has been cellar stored and it dates back to 1986. The collection is as follows and all are full. My collection consists 76 bottles of the following (all unopened) 38 Bottles of 1987 6.04 fl oz 22 Bottles of 1986 6.04 fl oz 4 Bottles of 1989 12 fl oz Two Silver Anniversary boxes 1993 11.15 fl oz 3 bottles in each 1 collectors vintage box with 3 bottles 1989, 2 bottles 1991, 1 bottle 1990 (I think there should have been a second 1990 bottle in this box but I probably drank it) If anyone is interested in making an offer feel free I live in NJ

Hey N.E. Ohio brew lovers what are your favorite beer shops? Who offers a unique selection and which stores offer lots of single bottles so you can try lots of varieties without springing for the whole six pack? My two current favorites are Chuck's in Chagrin Falls and Warehouse Beverage on Mayfield Rd. in Mayfield Heights. Chuck's is located in a beautifly restored old building. Lots of old wood and charm. Excellant selection with the Belgiums well represented. Warehouse doesn't offer the charm but has a great selection and really helpful advice. What are your favorites?

Some friends and I made a stop at this year's Barleywine Festival at the Toronado here in San Francisco. They have around 50 Barleywines available for your tasting pleasure many of them very good. The festival runs through the 26th, if you are interested in this sort of thing. http://www.toronado.com/events.htm#137 I've been intending to go to this pesky event for about 3 years now, and this was the first time I actually made it. I like but don't love Barley Wines. My first priorities were to taste the Speakeasy and Stone offerings, so I got tasters of both. Actually, I didn't hear which was which; but, after tasting it was immediately apparent which was which. The Old Godfather from Speakeasy had all the quintessial Speakeasy flavors. Perhaps a little too much. It really tasted more like a double Prohibition, than a barleywine to me. The Old Guardian from Stone was a nice gargoyle of a beer. Intense strong and hoppy. Certainly worth seeking out. Next I wanted to sample the offering from El Toro. My wife and I are big fans of their Poppy Jasper, and I wanted to see what they could do with a Barleywine. Unfortunately, the answer is not much. This was easily the worst beer of the night and the worst beer I can remember having in some time. They didn't list the alcohol percentage; but, I think it had to be over 15. It tasted like malt, hops, brown sugar, and everclear had been mixed in a bucket, left overnight and bottled the next week. I didn't take notes, so after that things get a little muddy. 21st Amendments Lower de Boom was very good. Anchor Brewings Old Foghorn quite tasty as usual. Lagunitas Old Gnarleywine was very tasty. Of the beers which had one the tasting contest, the only one in the top 5 which was not sold out was Alaskan Brewing's Big Nugget. I'd not tried any beers from this company before, so it was a pleasure to find that we also judged it among the best of the evening. I'm going to have to try some of their other beers. If you're in town, be sure to check it out, just don't forget to pace yourself! Erik

Russ also shopped for cheeses when he went to Delmarva, and three that he brought home are blue cheeses. I was searching for some ideas of what to drink when we taste the blues, and came across this. Click here for a good article on Beer and Cheese.

Russ returned last night from another trip up north to include shopping for beer. This time he focused on stouts, in addition to IPAs, which are hard to find down here. I love stouts for breakfast, especially oatmeal stouts. So along with three brands of scrapple, he got five kinds of oatmeal stouts. Two we had with breakfast. Anderson Valley's Barney Flats is one of our long time favorites, and the Wolaver's (from Otter Creek) was new to us. Barney Flats tastes so creamy, and goes especially well with scrapple. Its creaminess is a great match to the scrapple when it's cooked crispy on the outside and creamy soft on the inside. Hey, you could almost make a case that an oatmeal stout could sometimes be described as creamy on the inside and crispy on the outside! The Wolaver's was quite crisp through and through. It might even quench your thirst! Less creamy (except for the head), but still hearty and rich, it goes down way too easily. We long finished eating, but we're still sampling these oatmeal stouts. By the way, breakfast was Rapa Brand scrapple, eggs baked on creamed spinach, sliced tomatoes, and cut mango. If you haven't taken the opportunity to taste some oatmeal stouts, please do, and let us know about it. If you have, I hope you'll post about some that you have enjoyed the most.