This gem comes to us via the Lew Bryson Blog. Rick Reed of Cricket Hill Brewery (NJ) gives an impassioned speech while a “rogue craft beer enthusiast infiltrated [their] Friday Open House with a video camera in hand.” Beware the mind-control of “gazillion-dollar” beer advertising campaigns.Support your local breweries!

Our friends, Jaime and David, popped the cap for our neighbors to the south and the beer is just pouring in. Distributors in South Carolina are picking-up brands left and right. Here? Not so much right now. While we had a few significant American craft additions to the state last year, i.e. Bell’s, Southampton, there is not a lot happening right now. This proves it: Bear Republic just entered the SC market. They have some mighty fine brews—we’ll even go so far as to say Hop Rod Rye is one of our favorites.

There is no question—and we can honestly say this without bias—that North Carolina has been a benchmark for beer in the south. There is a thriving beer culture in our fair state, so this news is especially disheartening. Why would they enter SC before NC? Because SC is thirsty for it. There is already a bunch of brews available here that are not being brought to market, which drives us nuts. Even scarier is that some very big brands are in flux right now with the loss of a distributor. How the transition will play out is still a question. Where do these beers find homes? Will some disappear? There’s only so much space for storage. We truly hope the move by Bear Republic is not a sign of the times. We hope NC hasn’t lost its thirst.

We picked this up from fellow Asheville blogger, Ashvegas. Some of you (including us) have shared this experience.

Ommegang brewmaster leaves for New Glarus
We really, really, really balked at this one. Peetoteeto from Pop The Cap drops this news on the Beerinator forum today. Is it just us or does “Director of Quality Control” sound like New Glarus is going to be making a lot more Wisconsin Red? (That is not at all a bad thing.) Phil Leinhart will rise to the task of new brewmaster in Cooperstown. The full press release is here.

Dogfish Head gets their anthropology on… again.
Dogfish Head is releasing Theobroma, in August 2008, which is based on pottery shards found in Honduras that contained the “earliest known alcoholic chocolate drink.” Never to disappoint with the crazy, Sam and crew, used “Aztec cocoa powder and cocoa nibs, honey, chilies, and annatto (fragrant tree seeds).” Theobroma is 10.0% abv and will be available in Champagne bottles. This description reads like the brew is more of a Gruit, though definitely not European. We want to know more.

The New York Times needs better beer writers
While we sit over here just trying to get used to the little things like writing ‘08 on everything, the NYT invests in yet another beer article published today. (They have had a ton lately.) This one questions the merits of Extreme Beer and comes complete with two exceptionally dumb photos of a tattooed and pierced (and what looks to be naked) guy, whom we can only guess is meant to represent the Extreme Beer Drinker. He has “Carpe Diem” on his traps, “Ruthless” on his chest, and “Hard” on his knuckles. And piercings. And jewelry. He is totally extreme, dude. Bring the man a Stone Ruination. (Which is mentioned in the article, by the way.) Our favorite quote? “Many beer lovers are aghast at the creative liberties American brewers are taking with traditional styles, feeling that the bigger-is-better principle is reducing American brewing to the equivalent of a frat party.” Aghast? Really? Here. Join the ranting. Er, I mean debate.

Ah, the close of another year. The time of endless listing. Lists, lists, lists. But one that we actually like and one that actually interests us is the Alström Brothers’ BeerAdvocate 2008 Beer in Review as the last issue of the year and the one-year anniversary of the magazine. (You can pick up your free copy at Bruisin’ Ales.) It features the Top 25 Beers on Planet Earth; the Top 25 American Brewers; the Top 25 American Beer Bars; the Top 25 American Beers; the Top 25 Belgium Belgian Beers (now that’s funny and exactly how it is printed); the Top 25 German Beers; the Top 25 UK & Irish Beers; and the Alström Bros’ Top 25 Beers. Whew. The lists are extensive, though there are a lot of overlaps with the usual suspects.

[Editor’s Note: Today BeerAdvocate.com converted to its new A-F rating system. We really, really, really dislike the new system and were dreading its implementation, not only because they assbackwardly changed the older online rating system to match the print magazine, but the A-F system just leaves so much gray area. It feels dumbed-down. Despite all that, we still respect beer.]

We took our time going through to see just how our humble storefront stood up to the list. How’d we do with what is available to us here in Asheville?

Top 25 Beers on Planet Earth
#20 Trappistes Rochefort 10

Top 25 American Brewers
#8 Oskar Blues
#13 Jolly Pumpkin Artisan Ales
#14 Southampton Publick House
#19 Brewery Ommegang
#22 Victory Brewing
#25 Allagash Brewing Company

Top 25 American Beer Bars
#3 Brickstore Pub (Decatur, Georgia)
Cheers to our friend in beer, Brickstore Dave, for garnering a massively high ranking and showing that Southern beer culture is alive! Roadtrip anyone?

Top 25 American Beers
None
If we could only get some Russian River (we had half of it this year with Collaboration Not Litigation), Lost Abbey, Kuhnhenn, Founders or Three Floyds to name a few, we’d be in great shape. The good news is Founders is rumored to be entering the NC market in 2008.

Top 25 Belgium Belgian Beers
#4 Trappistes Rochefort 10
#7 St. Bernardus Abt 12
#11 Avec Les Bons Voeux
#15 Trappistes Rochefort 8
#16 Abbaye Des Rocs Brune
#18 Abbaye Des Rocs Tripel Imperiale
#23 Chouffe Houblon
#25 Duvel

Top 25 German Beers
#2 Ayinger Celebrator
#3 Weihenstephaner Hefeweissbier
#4 Aventinus
#7 Schneider Weiss
#8 Weihenstephaner Korbinian
#10 Uerige Doppelsticke
#11 Weihenstephaner Hefeweissbier Dunkel
#12 Kulmbacher Eisbock
#13 Uerige Sticke
#14 Paulaner Hefe-Weizen
#16 Schneider Aventinus Eisbock
#17 Aecht Schlenkerla Rauchbier
#18 Kapuziner Weissbier 
#21 1809 Berliner Weisse
#23 Ayinger Brau-Weisse

Top 25 UK & Irish Beers
#3 J.W. Lees Vintage Harvest Ale
#5 Fuller’s London Porter
#7 Samuel Smith’s Oatmeal Stout
#10 Traquair House Ale
#11 Traquair Jacobite Ale
#12 J.W. Lees Harvest Ale Port Cask
#15 Thomas Hardy’s Ale
#16 Meantime I.P.A.
#17 Guinness Foreign Extra Stout
#18 Young’s Double Chocolate Stout
#19 Meantime London Porter
#21 Samuel Smith’s Taddy Porter
#24 Fuller’s E.S.B.

Alström Bros’ Top 25 Beers
#8 Brooklyn Local 1
#13 Dogfish Head Festina Peche
#15 Alvinne Podge
#20 Samuel Adams Imperial Pilsner 
#23 Great Divide Hades