Yesterday we discounted a Perlick Faucet and today we’re offering you a sweet deal on these Gold Crown Oxygen Absorbing Beer Bottle Caps.

From now until tomorrow morning at 9 am, if you buy one package – we’ll give you a second package (that’s 144 more bottle caps) for half price.

Math isn’t really my thing, but by my calculations you can score 144 caps for $6.49 or get 288 of them for just $9.74 (instead of the usual $12.98). If you homebrew a whole lot you could even get 4 bags of them (that’s 567 caps) for $19.48 as opposed to the paying $25.96.

I’m not sure you even want my two cents – but it can help you save yours because in the first scenario (buying two bags at full price) the caps break out to about $0.05 a piece, while today’s deal nets you each crown for $0.03 or so.

The best part is, these aren’t your standard everyday caps! Each one is equipped with a liner that helps fight the good fight against oxidation. As an added bonus, the plain gold surface is easy to write on.

If you’re a homebrewer who bottles, there’s really no reason not to save yourself a few bucks and stock up.

If for some reason you only want one bag, you can buy that here.

It may be Monday but I have a feeling that this is going to be a good week – especially if you’ve got a draft beer system or you homebrew.

We’re kicking off our first weekly series of daily draft beer related product deals – where each discount lasts just 24 hours. Today through Friday, we’ll post the deal of the day here on our blog at 9am every morning – and then we’ll share it on our Facebook page, Twitter account, and this Pinterest board.

Today’s deal is this beautiful Perlick Perl Draft Beer Faucet in stainless steel. It’s regularly $40.99 but until 9am tomorrow you can snag it for $30.99 and save yourself a nice, crisp Alexander Hamilton (he’s the guy on the $10 bill).

Much more sanitary than the average draft faucet, this advanced Perlick tap is designed to make sure that your beer has absolutely, positively no exposure to air – which is a really beautiful thing because that means there’s no way mold or bacteria can grow. Perlick’s are so high quality and so in demand that they pretty much never go on sale, so I’d advise that you take advantage of the savings while you can.

Besides, ten bucks is enough to buy you two craft beers at a bar, a really decent bomber, or a couple of those canned-shaped glasses I recently blogged about.

I could go on but I’m already wasting precious time, so go ahead, seize the deal and get your new Perlick faucet now.

Just don’t get so excited that you forget to check back tomorrow and see what deal we’ve got going on then.

If you read the title of this blog post, then you realize that we as beer-loving Americans have a real reason to celebrate tonight. Not only is it Friday, the second best day of the week (after Saturday, of course, and also depending on your work schedule), but as of last week, homebrewing is officially legal in each of our beautiful states.

On May 9, Alabama governor Robert Bentley signed House Bill 9, legislation that legalized homebrewing in Alabama, the very last state to do so.

After five years of lobbying by Alabama homebrew advocates, the bill was passed with a vote of 18 – 7 – 1. According to Right to Brew, an advocacy group in Alabama, all hope seemed lost until on Tuesday, May 7, the bill was brought up unexpectedly and passed without a word of debate.

“The bill allows 15 gallons to be produced every three months,” says Republican representative Mac McCutcheon, the official responsible for introducing the bill. “And there shall be no more than an aggregate amount of 15 gallons of beer, mead, cider, and wine stored in the home.”

The bill also forbids brewers from selling their beer, and declares that all beers must be under the 14% ABV mark. You can read the bill in its entirety here.

Alabama was one of four stalwart states, resistant to this harmless hobby, including Mississippi, where a homebrew bill was passed in March, Oklahoma in 2010, and Utah in 2009. But that’s all over now, and we couldn’t be happier. I personally applaud those who lobbied for these changes, and I couldn’t be happier for each and every brewing enthusiast who can now fearlessly enjoy their hoppy hobby.

Congratulations, Alabama. Welcome to the party.

We can’t all make our own TV show about drinking – but comedian/actor/International Drinking Ambassador Zane Lamprey certainly can, and he does a really bang up job.

After watching every last episode of his hit shows Three Sheets and Drinking Made Easy, we are so confident in his informational and entertaining approach to imbibing abroad that we’ve decided to chip in and financially back the first round of episodes of his new project “Chug” at the $2500 level.

“Chug” is set to feature more of Lamprey’s enjoyable wit and wisdom as he travels the globe with an unquenchable thirst for liquid culture (and maybe a few drinks). In this series, he’ll arrive to each destination by train – and trains (much like Zane) chug – hence the very clever title.

If you have a sense of humor, you’re already amused.

If you’re smart you’re probably wondering why we’re helping to fund this series if Lamprey and his shows are as good as we’re making them out to be.

Here’s the thing, Zane has pitched the major networks and none of them want to get involved with a show about drinking. They think it would be in bad taste. Can you believe that garbage? There are shows on television far more detrimental to society than an educational, well-cultured show about drinking customs.

As big advocates of the responsible enjoyment of adult beverages, we’re outraged that a “Chug” can’t make it onto TV when the Kardashians have managed to secure four separate shows. Especially when they are drinking all the time. The worst part is, the Kardashians aren’t even all that bad.

10 Shows Much Worse Than A Show About Drinking:

1. Dance Moms (Lifetime) – An evil dance instructor berates little girls in burlesque outfits while their horrid mothers argue with one another

2. The Real Housewives of _________ (Bravo) – Affluent and mostly awful women battling issues like broken relationships, alcoholism, family feuding, and social circle troubles (in high heels and caked on makeup)

3. Here Comes Honey Boo Boo (TLC) – A spin off of Toddlers & Tiaras (another horrendous program) that exploits a chubby, sassy seven-year-old child beauty pageant participant

4. 16 and Pregnant (MTV) – What the New York Times describes as “a “documentary-style series about real-life Junos who are not scoring in the 99th percentile on the verbal portion of their SATs”

5. Wicked Single (VH1) – A wannabe Jersey Shore type show set in Boston – and slightly more trashy

6. Take It All (NBC) – Howie Mandel’s game show that brings out the worst in people and encourages them to lie and deceive one another in order to go home with the prize

7. Splash (ABC) – A group of C-List celebrities trains and competes in platform and springboard diving, despite not being divers at all (one of them gets hurt every week)

8. Teen Mom (MTV) – What comes next after 16 and Pregnant? More lighthearted glorification of a major epidemic and bad decisions

9. Excused (The CW) – A very expensive way for comedienne Iliza Shlesinger to make fun of skanks and douchebags for half an hour straight

10. Bad Girls Club (Oxygen) – Seven highly aggressive, unruly, quarrelsome women getting into verbal and physical altercations

In a world where these horrendous shows can (and do) exist, it’s absolutely absurd that a good show that is interesting, educational, and well-cultured can’t get picked up just because it has something to do with alcohol.

Watching Zane Lamprey explore drinking customs in other parts of the world is just slightly less fun than doing it yourself – and it’s a heck of a lot cheaper. So whether it’s for the love of travel, your passion for drinking well, or simply an effort to take a stand against Honey Boo Boo– please consider donating to Zane’s Kickstarter campaign if you’re able.

You can donate a single dollar, or as much as you’d like – and all of the money will fund the production costs of the new show. Plus, there are cool rewards for kicking in.

Can’t swing it? Spreading the word goes a long way too.

If all you can do is share this post with others, do that. Just don’t let the Teen Moms win.

The Makr Shakr in action

“Hey there barkeep. It’s been a hell of a day. How about a Maker’s Manhattan, up, dry, and easy on the cherries?”

“Bloop, bleep, bloopbloop, bleep.”

You’re probably thinking, “What the hell was that? Bloop yourself Collin.” Wow. You’re mean and impatient, and you’re going to feel real dumb when I explain to you that the above exchange is between a businessman and a robot bartender.

Whoa, whoa. Now you’re probably thinking, “Robot bartender? Uh, hey, dumbo? We don’t live in the future.”

Well friends, the future is now. And apparently, it’s filled with robot bartenders. Don’t believe me? Who’s the dumbo now?

According to this article from theatlantic.com (and, truth be told, many other places on the web) researchers from MIT, Bacardi, and Coca-Cola have teamed up to create the Makr Shakr, a robotic bartender that’s capable of creating a googol (which is basically like a smidge less than infinity) of drink combinations. The robot is controlled by a smartphone app that lets users mix and match ingredients in real time to create their own special concoctions as well as interact with each other’s recipes for ideas and inspiration. See it in action here:

The Makr Shakr is being unveiled today, May 15th, 2013 at Google I/O in San Francisco. The marketers behind this project swear that they aren’t trying to put bartenders out of a job. Instead, it’s just…well…marketing. It’s a way for users to have a unique, memorable social experience that sparks conversations about the intersections of art and science, humanity and post-humanity.

I totally get that, but I’m not at all sure I totally believe it. Sure a great bartender does much more than just sling drinks. He or she serves as a friendly ear, a confessor, a conversationalist, and a whole hell of alot more. But in 20 years or so when this technology is no longer revolutionary or remarkable (i.e. when it’s cheap), is it really hard to imagine some enterprising entrepreneurs deciding to cut costs by ditching the human element altogether? Seems more or less inevitable to me. And when that time comes, you better believe I’m becoming drinking buddies with Will Smith.

So what do you think? Is this just a cool project that ably demonstrates the power of human ingenuity? Or is it the birth of a bleak dystopia that drains all warmth out of our communal gathering spots and interactions? Hit us up in the bloopbleeping comments!

Image courtesy of Today.com

Since Cevercería de MateVeza opened their doors in San Francisco a little over a year ago, they’ve been experimenting with some crazy, creative styles. Their latest innovation was a series of beers inspired by five flavors of Girl Scout Cookies.

Jim Woods, one of the owners of MateVeza, said the idea came about when a customer came in with a box of Samoas, which happens to be Woods’ favorite flavor. “One of our beertenders said, ‘This would taste pretty good with beer.’ “ Seeing this as both a challenge and an opportunity, Woods replied “I bet I could brew all of the Girl Scout cookies.”

This conversation took place on March 14, just three days before cookie sales ended. So Woods and his partner, Matt Coelho, ordered a bunch of cookies from their local Girl Scout troop, and they brewed all five beers in one day. After multiple cookie samplings and beer tastings, two upset stomachs, and one long, hard day’s work, they were left with the following beers:

Salted Chocolate Stout with Peanut Butter – crafted from Tagalongs
Belgian Dubbel Coconut & Cocoa Nibs – crafted from Samoas
Peanut Butter Cream Ale – crafted from Do-si-dos
Peppermint Porter – crafted from Thin Mints
Shortbread Golden Ale – crafted from Trefoils

Samoas and Tagalongs were the most difficult to match, so they had to get creative. For the Samoas, they ended up roasting their own coconut, and they used chocolate nibs and a peanut butter powder called PB2 for the Tagalongs. In addition, they put the Salted Chocolate Stout on nitrogen to give it a more creamy character.

They made the beers available at their brewery on March 15th for $6 – $9 a piece, and of course, they sold out within days. Woods says the response was excellent and they plan to do it again. I’m really hoping they bottle these bad boys next year and send some to New York. I’d drop some serious coin to try one of those Tagalong Salted Chocolate Stouts.

American Craft Beer Week is upon us, and I have some sad news to share. I recently overheard someone who otherwise loves beer describing this much celebrated time as “just another elaborate marketing initiative.”

Despite being the very type of marketer responsible for coming up with such events, I was rather upset by these remarks. Sure, American Craft Beer Week is designed to promote craft beer and the brewers who make it – but it’s oh so much more than a coordinated pitch to boost sales. I think that that the best way for me to respond to such naysayers is to share what American Craft Beer Week means to me. So, here you have it.

What American Craft Beer Week Means to Me

Passion American craft beer is a product (and an industry) of passion. Almost all of the people who make and drink American craft beer have a boundless enthusiasm for it – and that makes a big difference. We’re not talking about beer that’s mass-produced by machines, we’re talking about a delicious form of drinkable art. Thought, love, and careful consideration go into every batch – and that’s a difference you can taste.

Pride Along the same lines, American craft beer is a simple luxury that we can be proud to indulge in. Not only are we getting a quality beverage, we’re supporting an American made product that is boosting our economy and helping to create jobs.

Community The fantastic, expansive, welcoming sense of brotherhood (and sisterhood) that this shared passion has created is nothing short of incredible. I have made more new friends and had more rewarding experiences as a result of my love for craft beer than any other hobby or interest I’ve ever had (except for maybe the Girl Scouts – but that was a really long time ago.)

Ambition It’s not easy to be the little guy. You have to work really hard, sacrifice a lot, and make your own way. American craft brewers all over the country are strapping on their boots, spending 18 hour days at the brewery, doing six peoples’ jobs at once, and loving every minute of it because they’re making something they truly believe in. That’s a beautiful thing.

Celebration The events taking place this week are being held to recognize and celebrate everything that craft beer stands for and all that it’s done (and will continue to do) for us. If that’s not worth celebrating, I don’t know what is.