The beer list has finally been updated. Just so you know. Thanks for your patience through the computer meltdown. And there’s a new Beer of the Month. (Yes, we know it’s halfway through the month.)
What else?
There’s something about those Flanders Red ales The Washington Post has a great article about the sour red ales, i.e. Rodenbach, Duchesse de Bourgogne, Ichtegems. Whether your into the style or not—some call it vinegar, others call it heaven—you can learn a bunch from this article. There are a couple of good news items within the story, too. Rodenbach, brewed by Palm Breweries and recently dropped by Duvel-Moortgat, is in talks with a new U.S. importer.
Sadly, our supply of Rodenbach is rapidly being depleted. Palm Breweries, a larger company that owns Rodenbach, shut down the pipeline four months ago. Bart Brits, a spokesman for Palm, said by e-mail that “we are very close in concluding a new import agreement with a new partner in the U.S.” and predicted that Rodenbach would return “very soon now.”
Larry Bennett, marketing director for Duvel Moortgat USA (Rodenbach’s former importer), said his company is contracting with the Bockor Brewery in Oudenaarde, Belgium, to brew a red ale similar to the Rodenbach Grand Cru. The draft-only beer, Ommegang Rouge, is in the distribution pipeline and should reach the market shortly.
We wonder, did Ommegang’s new Rouge have anything to do with the fallout between Duvel and Palm/Rodenbach? Or, is Rouge Ommegang’s response to being dropped? Will we ever know?
It’s confirmed! From the source. Founders Brewing, a top-notch brewery from Grand Rapids, Michigan, will be making it’s appearance very, very soon. Beer spies tell us it could be as soon as two weeks. Founders, of course, is practically famous for their Kentucky Breakfast Stout. (We’ve been sitting on a bottle of that for over a year now, because we horde.)
The other big news is the Stone Brewing Co. is entering the NC market with a goal of Sept. 1, just in time for “leaf season.” Arrogant Bastards for everyone!
Until more arrives, we leave you with this clip from our new favorite show, It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia. It’s called Beatbox. We just can’t fully express how much joy we get from it.
Yesterday, we had the pleasure of meeting Alain—owner of Delirium in Belgium. He’s quite charming and the other half even bantered a little bit of French with him. (He doesn’t do that often.) The best part? He signed our Delirium tray! “To Jason & Julie, pioneers of Belgian beer in North Carolina.” Wow, wow, wow. It’s completely geeky, but we love it.
Tom did an awesome Heavy Seas tasting. He even brought props! Don’t miss his firkin tapping of Loose Cannon at the Pinthouse tonight.
Anyway, news time!
“The Merger” might happen after all
After a very strange week that started with A-B possibly suing InBev, InBev raised their offer by $5/share and now it looks like it might happen. When you have Warren Buffett involved, things move along, right? Both stocks shot up on the market today, so we can all see where this is headed. Or not.
Flying Dog’s CEO flew the coop
Eric Warner resigned as CEO of Flying Dog Brewery this week, saying he was seeking “a fresh new challenge.”
Scotland is flipping out over beer A microbrewery in Scotland, BrewDog, has produced the “UK’s strongest beer ever” and created an unwanted firestorm. Regulators are screaming about health issues. The beer is 12%, well within the realm of wine, and way below Scotch. Ah, irony.
Oh, the controversy. You knew it would be, right? Yep, following the Wii Fit campaign comes a brizilliant game, Wii’s “Beer Pong.” You see, the game was rated for teens, but it has the word “beer” in it, so the big whigs in Connecticut got the name changed to “Pong Toss.” That name doesn’t really work now, does it? And what’s in the cups, Kool-Aid?
At any rate, we find the idea stupid, based on the same principal we laid down last time. Why wouldn’t you just play regular beer pong (over 21, of course)? We were over beer pong ages ago (and we mean, ages), but this is going to be a real treat for campus police all over the USandA. Wii Pong Toss + Real Beer = Problems. And back in the day, we didn’t have fancy things like the Internets to guide us through playing Beirut. Seriously, who knew?
You gotta love the “ambition” on her web page, though: “Obtain a Juris Doctorate and practice law relating to behavioral health issues and public policy.”
Beer pong referee, perhaps?
[Editor's Note: We, too, went to a Lutheran college.]
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