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From Sustainable Food News.com, a subscription-only daily news service; re-posted in part, below, with permission from the editor: 5.25% alcohol content from Miller? Anyone over there in PNW who tastes it / has tasted it, please post a review, thanks.

The Drafting Room is hosting an irresistable event with Victory 10 Years Alt which is not even available directly at the brewery. More info here See you there!

Was noticing Malkavian's post over in the Homebrew journal regarding Sorghum in beer making: It's interesting to see the recent interest in Sorghum Beer. I've seen one at local liquor stores called "Dragon's Gold" from Bard's Tale Beer. Doing some googling, I see even Anheuser Busch is now making a Sorghum Beer. Now, I'm not usually fond of variety grains in beer, so it's not something I would pick up without some sort of review first. But, a recent positive experience with Hitachino Nest Red Rice Ale has me thinking they all aren't bad. Is the flavor of sorghum beer similar to beers made with corn?

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

I was talking to my aunt this weekend and she was telling me that her neighbor drinks beer with a raw egg added to the glass he drinks it out of. Has anybody heard of this and if so is there a name for it? I dont think i could do that!

On my annual search for winter/Christmas beers, I picked up Clipper City's Winter Storm, which the label says is an "Imperial ESB". ABV is 7.5%. It tastes like an IPA to me. Am I missing something, or should there be a difference between the two styles??

I had the good fortune to attend a Dogfish Head dinner at Gracie's in Providence hosted by Sam Calagione. He mentioned "a molecular archaeologist" when he introduced the Chateau Jiahu, which the Dogfish Head website describes as follows: The website also mentions the same sort of genesis story with the Midas Touch Golden Elixir. Both were good, though I thought that the Jiahu was far superior. It's great marketing, to be sure -- and I'll admit to being swayed by Calagione's enthusiasm and grace. But I wanted to know more about this reference to "molecular archaeology" and its relationship to brewing. Is this just a Dogfish Head phenomenon? Are others pursuing it?

Anyways, long story short...was at the good ol LCBO yesterday, looking at their various imported beers, and saw this really fancy looking smallish box, that said Fuller's (or feller's...cant recall, no receipt handy) 2006 "Vintage Beer"...well, with a $7 price tag each, it better be vintage! Just was wondering if any of you folks have tried this...I bought a couple, giving one to my dad as he is a beer nut...they say you should actually age these 3-4 years...wondering if anyone has had any experience with it. Cheers.

I've got a good friend who is the head brewer at a brewpub, and I'm looking for gift ideas from folks who probably know better. I'm looking for neat gadget ideas or esoteric ingredients for brews, but any ideas will help since I'm kinda stumped here. Thanks!!!

Last year each glass was 50 cents. With over 40 breweries on hand this is a great event and a good benefit for the local listener-supported, non-commercial, independent public radio station. I was wondering if anyone else planned on attending? Information can be found here: http://www.klcc.org/post/microbrewfest2006.html

So, Brooks, please tell us, how did this gig come about? What did it take to get into the Times??? CONGRATS! It is a deftly written piece: http://www.nytimes.com/2006/11/29/dining/2...ing&oref=slogin

This could just as easily go into the Wine forum, but for those of you who are interested, there are some nineteenth century brewing, wine-making and related books online and FREE at <a href= "http://books.google.com/">Google Books</a>. Here are a few I have found so far: Key to Gray's ale brewer's assistant By James Gray; 1848 The British Wine-maker, and Domestic Brewer: A Complete, Practical, and Easy Treatise on the Art... By W. H. Roberts, of Edinburgh W H Roberts; 1835 The Complete Practical Brewer; Or Plain, Accurate, and Thorough Instructions in the Art of... By Marcus Lafayette Byrn; 1852 The vintner's, brewer's, spirit merchant's, and licensed victualler's guide; by a practical man By Vintner; 1826 Clarke's Complete Cellarman: The Publican and Innkeeper's Practical Guide, and Wine and Spirit... By William Clarke, 1830 If you go to Advanced Search and put "wine" or "beer" into the subject line you get a lot more. Have fun, Janet

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

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!

Here is the rundown of this year's medal winners at the 2006 Great American Beer Festival in Denver, Co, the 25th Anniversary of the Fest: 2006 Brewery and Brewer of the Year Awards Large Brewery Company and Large Brewing Company Brewer of the Year Sponsored by Beer Institute Pabst Brewing Co., Woodridge, IL Bob Newman Mid-Size Brewery Company and Mid-Size Brewing Company Brewer of the Year Sponsored by HopUnion CBS, LLC New Glarus Brewing Co., New Glarus, WI Daniel J. Carey Small Brewery Company and Small Brewing Company Brewer of the Year Sponsored by Microstar Keg Management Bear Republic Brewing Co., Healdsburg, CA Richard G. Norgrove Large Brewpub and Large Brewpub Company Brewer of the Year Sponsored by Brewery Supply Group Pelican Pub & Brewery, Pacific City, OR Darron R. S. Welch Small Brewpub Company and Small Brewpub Company Brewer of the Year Sponsored by Briess Malt & Ingredients Co. Flossmoor Station Brewing Co., Flossmoor, IL Matt Van Wyk -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Category: 1 American Cream Ale or Lager - 24 Entries Gold: Red Dog, Miller Brewing Co., Milwaukee, WI Silver: Lone Star, Pabst Brewing Co., Woodridge, IL Bronze: Henry Weinhard Private Reserve, Miller Brewing Co., Milwaukee, WI Category: 2 American-Style Wheat Beer - 23 Entries Gold: Pyramid Crystal Weizen, Pyramid Breweries, Seattle, WA Silver: William Jones Wheat Beer, El Toro Brewing Co., Morgan Hill, CA Bronze: Shiner Dunkelweizen, The Spoetzl Brewery, Shiner, TX Category: 3 American-Style Hefeweizen - 37 Entries Gold: Hefeweizen, Widmer Brothers Brewing Co., Portland, OR Silver: American Wheat, Opa-Opa Brewing Co., Southampton, MA Bronze: Mueller Unfiltered Wheat, Springfield Brewing Co., Springfield, MO Category: 4 Fruit and Vegetable Beer - 46 Entries Gold: Belgian Red, New Glarus Brewing Co., New Glarus, WI Silver: Blue Moon Chardonnay Blonde, Blue Moon Brewing Co., Golden, CO Bronze: Patty’s Chile Beer, Wynkoop Brewing Co., Denver, CO Category: 5 Herb and Spice Beer - 64 Entries Gold: The Wind Cried Mari, Cambridge Brewing Co., Cambridge, MA Silver: Leinenkugel’s Sunset Wheat, Jacob Leinenkugel Brewing Co., Chippewa Falls, WI Bronze: Fred Miller’s Classic Chocolate Lager, Miller Brewing Co., Milwaukee, WI Category: 6 Coffee Flavored Beer - 28 Entries Gold: Fuel, Capitol City Brewing Co., Arlington, VA Silver: Black Magic Java Stout, Barley Island Brewing Co., Noblesville, IN Bronze: Arctic Rhino Coffee Porter, Midnight Sun Brewing Co., Anchorage, AK Category: 7 Specialty Beer - 16 Entries Gold: Smokin’ Mesquite Ale, Humperdinks Restaurant and Brewery, Dallas, TX Silver: Pullman Brown Ale, Flossmoor Station Brewing Co., Flossmoor, IL Bronze: Maple Nut Brown Ale, Tommyknocker Brewery, Idaho Springs, CO Category: 8 Rye Beer - 22 Entries Gold: Worryin’ Ale, Piece Brewery, Chicago, IL Silver: Sun Rye, Redhook Ale Brewery, Portsmouth, NH Bronze: Surfer in the Rye, Huntington Beach Beer Co., Huntington Beach, CA Category: 9 Specialty Honey Lager or Ale - 26 Entries Gold: Blue Moon Honeymoon, Blue Moon Brewing Co., Golden, CO Silver: Ray’s Honey Rye, Boscos, Memphis, TN Bronze: Hummingbird Ale, Mountain Sun/Southern Sun Pub & Brewery, Boulder, CO Category: 10 Experimental Beer - 37 Entries Gold: New Grist, Lakefront Brewery, Milwaukee, WI Silver: Angry Mike’s Stoudt Creek, Flossmoor Station Brewing Co., Flossmoor, IL Bronze: Samuel Adams Utopias 2003, The Boston Beer Co., Boston, MA Category: 11 Wood- and Barrel-aged Beer - 29 Entries Gold: Cherry Stout, New Glarus Brewing Co., New Glarus, WI Silver: Barrel 001, Santa Barbara Brewing Co., Santa Barbara, CA Bronze: Bourbon Ivan, Iron Hill Brewery & Restaurant - West Chester, West Chester, PA Category: 12 Wood- and Barrel-aged Strong Beer - 58 Entries Gold: Bourbon Cherry Stout, Central Waters Brewing Co., Junction City, WI Silver: Full Sail Black Gold Imperial Stout, Full Sail Brewing at River Place, Portland, OR Bronze: Wooden Hell, Flossmoor Station Brewing Co., Flossmoor, IL Category: 13 Aged Beer (Ale or Lager) - 28 Entries Gold: Triple Exultation - 2004, Eel River Brewing Co., Fortuna, CA Silver: Hibernation Ale 2005, Great Divide Brewing Co., Denver, CO Bronze: World Wide Stout, Dogfish Head Craft Brewery, Milton, DE Category: 14 Cellar or Unfiltered Beer - 18 Entries Gold: Kellerbier, Herkimer Pub and Brewery, Minneapolis, MN Silver: U.C.I.P.A., Steelhead Brewery - Irvine, Irvine, CA Bronze: Wild West Fest, Great American Restaurants, Centreville, VA Category: 15 Smoke-Flavored Beer - 20 Entries Gold: Smoke Creek Rauchbier, Great Basin Brewing Co., Sparks, NV Silver: Smokestack Porter, Rocky River Brewing Co., Rocky River, OH Bronze: Stewart’s Smoked Porter, Stewart’s Brewing Co., Bear, DE Category: 16 German-Style Pilsener - 40 Entries Gold: Organic Pilsner, Butte Creek Brewing Co., Chico, CA Silver: Eagle Pride Pilsener, Elk Grove Brewery and Restaurant, Elk Grove, CA Bronze: Dog Day’s Pils, Big Buck Brewery and Steakhouse - Auburn Hills, Auburn Hills, MI Category: 17 Bohemian-Style Pilsener - 33 Entries Gold: Schtolen Pils, SandLot Brewery at Coors Field, Denver, CO Silver: La Plata Pils, Carver Brewing Co., Durango, CO Bronze: Papa’s Pilsner, 75th Street Brewery - Lawrence, Lawrence, KS Category: 18 Münchner-Style Helles - 32 Entries Gold: Sunfest Lager, Ham’s Restaurant & Brewhouse, Greenville, NC Silver: 6X Golden Lager, C.B. & Potts Big Horn Brewery - Fort Collins, Fort Collins, CO Bronze: Gordon Biersch Golden Export, Gordon Biersch Brewery Restaurant Group, Chattanooga, TN Category: 19 European-Style Pilsener - 23 Entries Gold: Gold Mt. Pilsner, Silver City Brewing Co., Silverdale, WA Silver: Schell Pilsner, August Schell Brewing, New Ulm, MN Bronze: Widmer Export Lager, Widmer Brothers Brewing Co., Portland, OR Category: 20 American-Style Light Lager - 29 Entries Gold: Old Milwaukee Light, Pabst Brewing Co., Woodridge, IL Silver: Milwaukee’s Best Light, Miller Brewing Co., Milwaukee, WI Bronze: Southpaw Light, Miller Brewing Co., Milwaukee, WI Category: 21 American-Style Lager - 27 Entries Gold: Pabst Blue Ribbon, Pabst Brewing Co., Woodridge, IL Silver: Miller High Life, Miller Brewing Co., Milwaukee, WI Bronze: Blatz, Pabst Brewing Co., Woodridge, IL Category: 22 American-Style Specialty Lager - 19 Entries Gold: Mickey’s Malt Liquor, Miller Brewing Co., Milwaukee, WI Silver: Icehouse, Miller Brewing Co., Milwaukee, WI Bronze: HG 800, Miller Brewing Co., Milwaukee, WI Category: 23 Vienna-Style Lager - 20 Entries Silver: Balto Marz Hon, Clipper City Brewing Co., Baltimore, MD Bronze: Schild brau Amber, Millstream Brewing Co., Amana, IA Category: 24 German-Style Märzen / Oktoberfest - 45 Entries Gold: Samuel Adams Octoberfest, The Boston Beer Co., Boston, MA Silver: Michelob Marzen, Anheuser-Busch, St. Louis, MO Bronze: Dominion Octoberfest, Old Dominion Brewing Co., Ashburn, VA Category: 25 American-Style Amber Lager - 35 Entries Gold: Steam Engine Lager, Steamworks Brewing Co., Durango/Bayfield, CO Silver: Toasted Lager, Blue Point Brewing Co., Patchogue, NY Bronze: Oktoberfist, Bluegrass Brewing Co., Louisville, KY Category: 26 European-Style Dark / Münchner Dunkel - 21 Entries Silver: Storm King, Glenwood Canyon Brewing Co., Glenwood Springs, CO Bronze: Dunkel Rico, Stewart’s Brewing Co., Bear, DE Category: 27 American-Style Dark Lager - 13 Entries Gold: Leinenkugel’s Creamy Dark, Jacob Leinenkugel Brewing Co., Chippewa Falls, WI Silver: Freidafest, Humperdinks Restaurant and Brewery, Dallas, TX Bronze: Ziegenbock, Anheuser-Busch, St. Louis, MO Category: 28 German-Style Schwarzbier - 21 Entries Gold: Black Wolf Schwarzbier, Flossmoor Station Brewing Co., Flossmoor, IL Silver: Schwarzbier, Rock Bottom Brewery - King of Prussia, King of Prussia, PA Bronze: Iron Horse Lager, Great American Restaurants, Centreville, VA Category: 29 Bock - 33 Entries Gold: Maibock, Blind Tiger Brewery Pub & Play, Topeka, KS Silver: Tröegenator Double Bock, Tröegs Brewing Co., Harrisburg, PA Bronze: Fornicator Maibock, Piece Brewery, Chicago, IL Category: 30 German-Style Strong Bock - 12 Entries Gold: Autumnal Fire, Capital Brewery Co., Middleton, WI Silver: Eisphyre, Capital Brewery Co., Middleton, WI Bronze: Procrastinator, Back Street Brewery - Vista, Vista, CA Category: 31 Baltic-Style Porter - 8 Entries Silver: Raven, McKenzie Brew House, Glen Mills, PA Bronze: Neptune’s Nemesis, Rocky River Brewing Co., Rocky River, OH Category: 32 Golden or Blonde Ale - 41 Entries Gold: Kiwanda Cream Ale, Pelican Pub & Brewery, Pacific City, OR Silver: Korruption Kölsch, Bottoms Up Brewing Co., Pinedale, WY Bronze: Aud Blonde, Russian River Brewing Co., Santa Rosa, CA Category: 33 German-Style Kölsch / Köln-Style Kölsch - 43 Entries Gold: Chaser Pale, Blackstone Restaurant & Brewery, Nashville, TN Silver: Clear Water Kolsch, RAM Restaurant and Big Horn Brewery - Boise, Boise, ID Bronze: Saint Arnold Fancy Lawnmower Beer, Saint Arnold Brewing Co., Houston, TX Category: 34 English-Style Summer Ale - 25 Entries Gold: 312 Urban Wheat Ale, Goose Island Beer Co., Chicago, IL Silver: Sandbagger Gold, Montana Brewing Co., Billings, MT Bronze: True Blonde Ale, Ska Brewing Co., Durango, CO Category: 35 Classic English-Style Pale Ale - 25 Entries Gold: 5 Barrel Pale Ale, Odell Brewing Co., Fort Collins, CO Silver: Mac’s Ale, Pyramid Breweries, Seattle, WA Bronze: Denver Pale Ale, Great Divide Brewing Co., Denver, CO Category: 36 English-Style India Pale Ale - 26 Entries Gold: India Pale Ale, Carolina Brewery, Chapel Hill, NC Silver: Beech Street Bitter, Pizza Port - Carlsbad, Carlsbad, CA Bronze: Triumph Bengal Gold I.P.A., Triumph Brewing Co. of New Hope, New Hope, PA Category: 37 American-Style Pale Ale - 83 Entries Gold: Tumble Off Pale Ale, Barley Brown’s Brew Pub, Baker City, OR Silver: Brewmasters’ Pale, Widmer Brothers Brewing Co., Portland, OR Bronze: XP Pale Ale, Bear Republic Brewing Co., Healdsburg, CA Category: 38 American-Style Strong Pale Ale - 66 Entries Gold: Big Fish, BJ’s Restaurant & Brewery - Chandler, Chandler, AZ Silver: Racer’s, Bear Republic Brewing Co., Healdsburg, CA Bronze: Hop Knot, Four Peaks Brewing Co., Tempe, AZ Category: 39 American-Style India Pale Ale - 94 Entries Gold: HopHead Imperial IPA, Bend Brewing Co., Bend, OR Silver: Apex Ale, Bear Republic Brewing Co., Healdsburg, CA Bronze: Taildragger IPA, RAM Restaurant and Big Horn Brewery - Boise, Boise, ID Category: 40 Imperial or Double India Pale Ale - 57 Entries Gold: Pliny the Elder, Russian River Brewing Co., Santa Rosa, CA Silver: Poor Man’s IPA, Pizza Port - Carlsbad, Carlsbad, CA Bronze: Left Coast Hop Juice, Oggi’s Pizza & Brewing Co., San Clemente, CA Category: 41 American-Style Amber / Red Ale - 62 Entries Gold: Anniversary Ale, Amherst Brewing Co., Amherst, MA Silver: Amber Waves Ale, Capitol City Brewing Co., Arlington, VA Bronze: Sharkbite Red Ale, Port Brewing Co., San Marcos, CA Category: 42 Imperial or Double Red Ale - 24 Entries Gold: Organic Deranger, Laurelwood Brewing Co., Portland, OR Silver: Shark Attack, Pizza Port - Solana Beach, Solana Beach, CA Bronze: Rock Opera Imperial IPA, Vino’s Pizza*Pub*Brewery, Little Rock, AR Category: 43 Bitter - 33 Entries Gold: Raccoon Red, Rock Bottom Brewery - Bethesda, Bethesda, MD Silver: Alaskan Pale, Alaskan Brewing Co., Juneau, AK Bronze: Cutthroat Pale Ale, Uinta Brewing Co., Salt Lake City, UT Category: 44 Extra Special Bitter or Strong Bitter - 45 Entries Gold: Firestone Walker IPA, Firestone Walker Brewing Co., Paso Robles, CA Silver: Autumn Ale, Short’s Brewing Co., Bellaire, MI Bronze: Stone Pale Ale, Stone Brewing Co., Escondido, CA Category: 45 Scottish-Style Ale - 20 Entries Gold: Laughing Lab Scottish Ale, Bristol Brewing Co., Colorado Springs, CO Silver: MacPelican’s Scottish Style Ale, Pelican Pub & Brewery, Pacific City, OR Bronze: Kiltlifter Scottish Ale, Pug Ryan’s Brewery, Dillon, CO Category: 46 Irish-Style Red Ale - 32 Entries Gold: TAPS Irish Red, TAPS Fish House & Brewery, Brea, CA Silver: Red Rocks Red, Rock Bottom Brewery - Westminster, Westminster, CO Bronze: St. James Red Ale, Walnut Brewery, Boulder, CO Category: 47 English-Style Brown Ale - 44 Entries Gold: Dawn Patrol Dark, Pizza Port - San Clemente, San Clemente, CA Silver: Old Town Brown, Natty Greene’s Brewing Co., Greensboro, NC Bronze: Balboa Brown, Newport Beach Brewing Co., Newport Beach, CA Category: 48 American-Style Brown Ale - 45 Entries Gold: Doryman’s Dark Ale, Pelican Pub & Brewery, Pacific City, OR Silver: Great American Brown, Pizza Port - Carlsbad, Carlsbad, CA Bronze: Bear Tooth Ale, Moose’s Tooth Brewing Co., Anchorage, AK Category: 49 German-Style Brown Ale / Düsseldorf-Style Alt Bier- 26 Entries Gold: Otis Alt, Elk Grove Brewery and Restaurant, Elk Grove, CA Silver: “Alt 45”, The Cambridge House Brewpub, Granby, CT Bronze: Terrapin Alt, Rock Bottom Brewery - Bethesda, Bethesda, MD Category: 50 South German-Style Hefeweizen / Hefeweissbier- 50 Entries Gold: Mueller Hefeweizen, Springfield Brewing Co., Springfield, MO Silver: Wapiti Wheat, Wolf Pack Brewing Co., West Yellowstone, MT Bronze: In-Heat Wheat Hefeweizen, Flying Dog Brewery, Denver, CO Category: 51 German-Style Wheat Ale - 34 Entries Gold: Gordon Biersch Weizenbock, Gordon Biersch Brewery Restaurant Group, Chattanooga, TN Silver: Boscos Hefeweizen, Boscos, Memphis, TN Bronze: Berliner Weiss, Bethlehem Brew Works, Bethlehem, PA Category: 52 Belgian-Style White (or Wit) / Belgian Style Wheat- 36 Entries Silver: Wits End, Great American Restaurants, Centreville, VA Bronze: 35th Anniversary Ale, Bull & Bush Brewery, Denver, CO Category: 53 French- Belgian-Style Saison - 44 Entries Gold: Organic Farmhouse Ale, Bison Brewing Co., Berkeley, CA Silver: Saison, Capitol City Brewing Co., Arlington, VA Bronze: Hennepin Farmhouse Saison, Brewery Ommegang, Cooperstown, NY Category: 54 Belgian- and French-Style Ale - 14 Entries Gold: Le Fleur Misseur, New Belgium Brewing Co., Fort Collins, CO Silver: Dim Wit, BJ’s Restaurant & Brewery - Chandler, Chandler, AZ Bronze: Belgian Double White Ale, Southampton Publick House, Southampton, NY Category: 55 Belgian-Style Sour Ale - 24 Entries Gold: La Folie, New Belgium Brewing Co., Fort Collins, CO Silver: Beatification, Russian River Brewing Co., Santa Rosa, CA Bronze: Festina Lente, Dogfish Head Craft Brewery, Milton, DE Category: 56 Belgian-Style Abbey Ale - 56 Entries Gold: Tripel Ale, Allagash Brewing Co., Portland, ME Silver: Adirondack Abbey Ale, Great Adirondack Brewing Co., Lake Placid, NY Bronze: Bishop’s Tipple Tripel, Main Street Brewery, Corona, CA Category: 57 Belgian-Style Strong Specialty Ale - 45 Entries Gold: Golden Armor, C.B. & Potts Big Horn Brewery - Denver Tech Center, Englewood, CO Silver: Interlude, Allagash Brewing Co., Portland, ME Bronze: Reve II, Redrock Brewing Co., Salt Lake City, UT Category: 58 Robust Porter - 71 Entries Gold: Goddess Porter, Big Time Brewing Co., Seattle, WA Silver: Pacemaker Porter, Flyers Restaurant and Brewery, Oak Harbor, WA Bronze: Total Eclipse Black Ale, Hoppy Brewing Co., Sacramento, CA Category: 59 Brown Porter - 29 Entries Gold: Molly Titanic, Rock Bottom Brewery - Denver, Denver, CO Silver: St. Charles Porter, Blackstone Restaurant & Brewery, Nashville, TN Bronze: Peter Brown Tribute Ale, Bear Republic Brewing Co., Healdsburg, CA Category: 60 Classic Irish-Style Dry Stout - 21 Entries Gold: Maxwell’s Stout, Basil T’s Brewery & Italian Grill, Red Bank, NJ Silver: Slapshot Stout, RAM Restaurant and Big Horn Brewery - Seattle, Seattle, WA Bronze: Irish Stout, Schooner’s Grille & Brewery, Antioch, CA Category: 61 Foreign (Export)-Style Stout - 19 Entries Gold: Tsunami Stout, Pelican Pub & Brewery, Pacific City, OR Silver: Black Bear XX Stout, Alameda Brewhouse, Portland, OR Bronze: San Quentin’s Breakout Stout, Marin Brewing Co., Larkspur, CA Category: 62 American-Style Stout - 20 Entries Gold: Sticky Stout, Pizza Port - Carlsbad, Carlsbad, CA Silver: Oggi’s Black Majic Stout, Oggi’s Pizza & Brewing Co., San Clemente, CA Bronze: Terminal Oatmeal Stout, Rock Bottom Brewery - Chicago, Chicago, IL Category: 63 Sweet Stout - 18 Entries Gold: Udder Goodness, Rock Bottom Brewery - Desert Ridge, Phoenix, AZ Silver: Steel Toe Stout, Ska Brewing Co., Durango, CO Bronze: The Duck-Rabbit Milk Stout, The Duck-Rabbit Craft Brewery, Farmville, NC Category: 64 Oatmeal Stout - 37 Entries Gold: Oatmeal Stout, Schooner’s Grille & Brewery, Antioch, CA Silver: Seabright Oatmeal Stout, Seabright Brewery, Santa Cruz, CA Bronze: Lasto’s Oatmeal Stout, BJ’s Restaurant & Brewery - Portland, Portland, OR Category: 65 Imperial Stout - 35 Entries Gold: Russian Imperial Stout, Iron Hill Brewery & Restaurant - Media, Media, PA Silver: TAPS Imperial Russian Stout, TAPS Fish House & Brewery, Brea, CA Bronze: Siberian Night, Thirsty Dog Brewing Co., Independence, OH Category: 66 Strong Scotch Ale - 25 Entries Gold: Kilt Sniffer Strong Scotch Ale, Big Dog’s Brewing Co., Las Vegas, NV Silver: Highland Scotch Reserve, Boundary Bay Brewery, Bellingham, WA Bronze: Rambeaux, RAM Restaurant and Big Horn Brewery - Seattle, Seattle, WA Category: 67 Old Ale / Strong Ale - 34 Entries Gold: Vintage Ale, The Great Dane Pub & Brewing Co., Madison, WI Silver: Tripel Exultation, Eel River Brewing Co., Fortuna, CA Bronze: Curmudgeons Nip, Odell Brewing Co., Fort Collins, CO Category: 68 Other Strong Ale or Lager - 30 Entries Gold: Winter Wheatwine, Rubicon Brewing Co., Sacramento, CA Silver: Dragonstooth Stout, Elysian Brewing Co., Seattle, WA Bronze: Pit Bull High Gravity Ice Malt Liquor, Pig’s Eye Brewing Co., St. Paul, MN Category: 69 Barley Wine-Style Ale - 55 Entries Gold: Old Ruffian Barley Wine, Great Divide Brewing Co., Denver, CO Silver: Stormwatcher’s Winterfest, Pelican Pub & Brewery, Pacific City, OR Bronze: Arctic Devil Barley Wine, Midnight Sun Brewing Co., Anchorage, AK

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

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

"Fresh" or "wet" hop beers are made by adding freshly harvested hop flowers to the beer at some point during the brewing process. They are truly seasonal ales, as they can only be made at the time the hop flowers are harvested. This is usually in in August or September depending on climate. Interestingly, while they are extremely hoppy, the flavor of fresh hops is quite different from that of dry hops. The beers made with them often have a mellower, herbaceous, grassy, and floral hop flavor instead of the biting citrus or pine character associated with dry hops. Some West Coast examples of this style of beer are Deschutes' Hop Trip, Moonlight Brewing's Green Bud Ale, and Russian River Brewing's HopTime Harvest Ale. There is an annual festival in Yakima celebrating fresh hops, called, unsurprisingly, the Fresh Hop Festival. This year it takes place on October 7. I talked to the folks at Toronado last night and they are 90% sure they will be holding a Fresh Hop festival again this year near the end of October. PS. I could have sworn someone started a thread here about a fresh hop beer; but, I'll be darned if I can find it this morning.

Stone Brewing turns 10 this year and is throwing a 10th Anniversary Celebration and invitational beer festival on September 9th. They are also brewing a special 10th Anniversary IPA released in 22oz bombers and 3 liter bottles. Here is how the brewmaster describes the beer:

Other stouts always seem a little thin/watery when compared. whats the secret?

We all love beer. Who doesn't? I have my favorite staple beers like pilsner urq. and such, but i came across this seasonal beers list (I guess for summer) on novusvinum.com, a wine website of all places. Some of these look pretty good, but I have no personal experience with them nor do I know where to pick them up, either in NY or LA. Are they only available for one season? What's the best season...Can anyone tell me what's so special about these seasonals and point me to the best one and in the right direction for a store? www.novusvinum.com/beer/features/top10summer_beers.html Thanks! BigFeaster

One of our writers at Intrepid Media (and an enthusiastic home brewer) has published an article putting forward this controversial idea: beer is more complex than wine, and that's why wine people don't like it. A Hop From the Grape Vine. Among his points: Thought the beer aficionados around here might be interested in reading and weighing in.