Archive for August, 2007

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Four breweries in Durango, Co. are taking advantage of the wind blowing through the plains and opting for wind-powered energy at their breweries. From Draft Magazine:

Durango, Colorado’s four craft breweries have gone green. From now on, every beer made in town will be brewed using “Green Power”—electricity generated by a renewable source. Banning together in the name of Mother Nature, the group dubbed “The Bootlegger’s Society” (Carver Brewing Co., Durango Brewing Co., SKA Brewing Co. and Steamworks Brewing Co.) is generating 100 percent of its power from Colorado’s windy plains. Collectively, these four breweries brew nearly 15,000 barrels of beer per year.

SKA is currently building a new 20,000-barrel-capacity brewery that will be a leader in green standards upon completion in 2008. Those that go green by purchasing Green Power through the area’s La Plata Electric Association will be invited to a “wind party” to conclude Colorado’s summer tourism season (presumably, beer will be a main part of the festivities). For more information on Green Power, check out www.lpea.coop. -Si Robins

Source: Draft Magazine

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Tony Kiss, our local Beer Guy, gives the humble storefront a little ”ink” today for our upcoming events. He even called us the “center of the local specialty brew universe.” Wow!

The Bruisin’ Ales beer store downtown has been open for less than a year, but it’s sort of become the center of the local specialty brew universe. This is where beer lovers come to see what’s new, talk beer and sample the good stuff.

The store has a couple of cool beer events this month. On Aug. 25, Sean Wilson, leader of the Pop the Cap beer organization, is back with a tasting called Full Steam Ahead: West Meets East. Wilson is bringing along Lee Chase, former head brewer of the famed Stone Brewing in Escondido, Calif. In case you’ve forgotten, Pop the Cap was the nonprofit group that pushed to change state law, making “big” beer legal in North Carolina.

This event, from 2-5 p.m., features a lineup of West Coast beers, plus light snacks. And Asheville’s local breweries have been invited, too. Tickets are $10 advance, $15 door, to benefit Friends of the Blue Ridge Parkway. To RSVP, call 252-8999. That’s a good price to sample some good beer and hang out with brewers.

Then at 6:30 p.m. Aug. 27, Bruisin’ Ales teams with the Windows on the Park private dining room (on Pack Square) for Dogfish Days of Summer, a five-course dinner featuring Dogfish Head beers. Devin Arloksi of Dogfish Head will be on hand to talk beer — and at the end of the evening, to present a mystery brew served with dessert.

Cost is $60, which covers the meal, the beer, the tax and the gratuity. For reservations, call Windows on the Park at 252-2920. Is $60 too much for a beer dinner? Not for this big spread, and remember, it covers the works. It’s a rare chance to really enjoy a top-flight meal centered on a particular line of beers.

The only incorrect thing here is: Please do not call us for the West Meets East event. You must now purchase advance tickets through Paypal/Pop The Cap or pay $15/pp at the door the day-of.

There is also a streaming Podcast if you want to listen.

(We know, we know: Shameless self-promotion.)

Source: Asheville Citizen-Times

We blinked twice when we read MSNBC’s lead story about a proposal/debate to lower the legal drinking age to 18. The argument for goes something like this: If you can vote and join the armed services, you should be able to have a beer. The argument against: A higher drinking age saves lives. Turns out, contrary to popular belief, there is no such thing as a national drinking age—the “national” law says only that those under 21 are prohibited from purchasing alcohol, not consuming it.

As it happens, there is no such thing as a “federal legal drinking age.” Many states allow minors to drink alcohol — some of them without restriction, others under certain circumstances, such as the presence of a parent or other guardian.

The phrase refers instead to a patchwork of state laws adopted in the mid-1980s under pressure from Congress, which threatened in 1984 to withhold 10 percent of federal highway funds from states that did not prohibit selling alcohol to those under the age of 21. By 1988, all 50 states had complied. 

In fact, go to the nifty map that runs with the story and click on the individual states where you’ll find the state rules that apply. While the majority do prohibit possession and consumption, there are states with other laws in effect:

North Carolina/Tennessee/Virginia: Under 21 may not possess or consume alcohol.
South Carolina/Georgia/Kentucky: Under 21 may consume alcohol.
Illinois/Colorado/Alaska/Oregon/Louisiana: Under 21 may consume alcohol only if married and if spouse or guardian is present.
Nebraska/New Jersey: Under 21 may consume alcohol in parent’s or guardian’s resident only if parent or guardian is home.
Wisconsin/Texas/Ohio: Under 21 may consume alcohol only is parent or guardian is present.

What we don’t understand is why being married makes it okay for you to drink at a younger age. Is that some unknown perk of marrying young? For more weird state laws, go here.

Source: MSNBC Health

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Straight from the brewery comes the news that, for the first time ever, Sierra Nevada is bottling the Harvest Fresh Hop Ale. Sierra Nevada Harvest will be released “on or about Sept. 24″ in 24oz bottles as a limited release.

[edit] In other very bizarre and sad Sierra Nevada news, it seems that Steve Harrison, Vice President of Sales, went missing last week near the Sacramento River. You can read about it here, here and here.

 

 

 

 

John Wetzel of Terrapin Beer Company will be coming for this Thursday’s in-store tasting. And, he’s bringing something from the brewery that we don’t even have on-tap yet in WNC. It won’t even be bottled until winter. Now, isn’t that fun?

The beer flight:

Terrapin Golden—5.0% abv
“Crisp and refreshing…the perfect session beer.”
Silver Medal Winner, American Lager/Cream Ale, 2004 World Beer Cup

Terrapin Rye Pale—5.3% abv
“Made with five varieties of hops and a generous amount of specialty malts, it offers a complex flavor and aroma that is both aggressive and well balanced—a rare find among beers.”
Gold Medal Winner, American Pale Ale, 2002 Great American Beer Festival

Terrapin Rye Squared—8.5% abv
“Double the malt, double the hops, and double the flavor of the original Rye Pale Ale recipe.”

Image: Terrapin Beer Company