Archive for January, 2008

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Mmmmmm, Bit

Thursday, January 31st, 2008 by Ed

I love winter.

I can’t get enough time outdoors in the snow - whether it be hiking, skiing, snowmobiling, or just having an impromptu snowball fight. Hell, I’ve even been known to drag out the grill occasionally on those quiet, ice cold, snowy nights. Tonight is going to be one of those nights. I can just feel it. There’s something about the intrinsic contradiction of cooking out in winter that makes it so much fun. I mean, what better time to smell a barbeque than when you least expect it in the dead of winter, right? Right.

So, as the heavy snow began falling here in Buffalo today, I began to think about the whole cooking out thing and how much I miss making my “Dirt Track Chicken” – a recipe handed down to me in the pits of Spangdahlem Raceway in Germany, back in the days when I raced a modified, rollcage-clad, ‘76 VW Bug around a dirt track.

“Dirt Track Chicken” was always a favorite amongst drivers and fans alike, if only for it’s most important ingredient: Bitburger Beer (or “Bit” as it’s known). Bitburger Premium PilsFor those long nights working on the cars or just hanging out, we had our chicken, our beer, and our sense of camaraderie. That’s all we needed. And luckily for us, Bitburger brewery was only 5 Km away, so not even beer was in short supply. However, since moving back to the U.S., well, it’s been difficult to find Germany’s finest brew. There are specialty markets that cater to hard-to-find imports, but even then those are hard to find sometimes.

Bitburger has been in the brewing business since 1817, and boasts production of over 4.1 million hectoliters of Germany’s Premiere Pils. Even after Allied forces razed 86% of the City of Bitburg to rubble during WWII, the brewery was rebuilt. Even now, with its eighth generation family members at the helm, there’s no stopping Bitburger. If none of those facts convince you of Bitburger’s longevity and popularity, nothing will.

Before I forget, here’s the recipe:

Dirt Track Chicken

Chicken (Breasts or wings)
6 pack of Bitburger Premium Pils
Rosemary (just a pinch)
Thyme (just a pinch)
Pepper & Salt to taste

Combine 1 bottle of Bitburger Beer (drink the remaining beer while you wait or share it with friends), rosemary, thyme, and pepper in a bowl large enough to accommodate all the chicken you will be cooking. Let sit for no less than 1 hour. For best results, marinate overnight. Grill chicken until completely cooked. Serve with (you guessed it) more Bitburger.

Prost!
Ed

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Growler Man

Tuesday, January 29th, 2008 by Chris

A customer sent us a link to his growler collection. When I went there I was expecting like thirty growlers, which was not the case at all. From his list it’s more like 800 growlers. Take a look at some of his photos (custom built shelves and everything) or his list by state, very impressive. He’s even got one from our local Buffalo Brew Pub! He truly is the Growler Man.

Growler Man Collection of Growlers

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Pizza Beer – For Real!

Monday, January 28th, 2008 by Liz

On a cold and blustery Monday, the conversation here in the KegWorks Marketing Department turned to pizza. This was actually a very brief conversation, however as the day has progressed, I found that I couldn’t stop thinking about warm, cheesy, gooey pizza. Upon the realization that I was unable to recall the last time that I had a slice, I made an executive decision. I wasn’t just going to think about pizza, I was going to get a pizza for dinner just a few short hours later. In the true spirit of a KegWorks employee, I decided that pizza alone just wouldn’t do. I would just have to have yummy beer to accompany my yummy pizza.

Naturally, I got very excited and as the clock neared 5, I couldn’t contain myself. I thought Pizza Beerabout what kind of beer I should get. I had just read an article on food and beer pairing, so I knew that I needed something to compliment my long anticipated slice of pizza perfectly.

I pulled up my browser and searched for “pizza beer.” The results were both exciting and scary at the same time. According to several articles and a website, there is a man in Illinois who has developed and brewed an actual pizza flavored beer. Is it even possible to get that much deliciousness into one product? I’m a bit doubtful.

According to the creator’s website, it works like this: “The Margarita pizza is put into the mash & steeped like a tea bag. A whole-wheat crust made with water, flour & yeast is topped with tomato, oregano, basil & garlic. The essence of the pizza spices is washed off with hot water and filtered into a brewpot, where it is boiled for a long, long time. During the process, we add hops & spices in a cheesecloth type bag & filter the cooled liquid into a fermentation vessel. After a week or two, the beer is good to go. Keg it or bottle it.”

The “World’s First Culinary Beer” has intrigued me. I wonder if they need any taste testers?

In the event that you were wondering, my pizza was amazing. I convinced some friends to come with me and we chose to wash it down with a few pitchers of Sam Adams Pale Ale (also delicious).

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The Big Game, Buffalo Style

Friday, January 25th, 2008 by Hannah

This time, every year, I get a bit of seasonal depression. It’s not your standard sunless, cold, winter depression… in fact, I love winter. No, this depression is best described as football-seasonal. We are now a week and a half away from the final face off, and I can’t help but get a bit teary-eyed, knowing that I’ll have to wait at least until July before succumbing again to the excitement that is my favorite professional sport.

Chicken WingsBut, it’s not over yet. The Bills’ season may be, but football itself still has its final game to play out - besides the pro bowl, of course (go AFC!). Although the Bills won’t be on the field, we Buffalonians still have something to offer football fanatics everywhere…

The ultimate football party food…

Blitzin’ Buffalo Wings

1. Buy fresh chicken wings and plenty of The Original Anchor Bar Buffalo Chicken Wing Sauce
2. For every dozen of wings (approx. 2½ lbs), you’ll need ½ cup of sauce
3. If preferred, split wings at joint and pat dry
4. Deep fry at 350º for 10-12 minutes, or bake at 425º for 45 minutes, until completely cooked and crispy
5. Drain
6. Put in bowl, add sauce, and toss until wings are completely covered
7. Serve with bleu cheese and celery
8. For milder taste, add extra margarine or butter
9. Wash down with plenty of cold, crisp beer

Once you’ve got your wings, you can sit back and enjoy the last Sunday of a heart-pounding, bone-crushing, beer guzzling football season.

Cheers!

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The Ultimate Drinking Game

Thursday, January 24th, 2008 by Tim

Witness the blessed union of video games and beer: the Gamerator. As you can see, it looks like the result of an old Pac-Man arcade cabinet canoodling with a kegerator. Who knew they could make such beautiful music together?

News of this nifty contraption has been making the internet rounds for a little while. Although the eBay auction is closed, I felt compelled to Gameratorcomment based on my interest in video games and beer. The clever hybrid definitely didn’t go unnoticed, so I imagine it’s only a matter of time before another one (or more) becomes available.

A quick cautionary tale regarding beer and video games: when I had more time on my hands I used to host Halo 2 LAN parties with a bunch of friends (Yeah, I’m a giant nerd, so what?). For those who don’t know, in Halo, you and your team of cybernetically enhanced super-soldiers run around futuristic settings gunning down other cybernetically enhanced super-soldiers. Chops get busted as mayhem ensues.

Anyway, it was a BYOB affair and, much to my wife’s chagrin, sometimes it got a little rowdy. Not surprisingly, those of us imbibing also became drastically less effective killing machines as the night wore on. After countless hours of “research” using myself as a guinea pig, I can confirm that quality of play is inversely proportional to amount of beer consumed. It gets a lot harder to score a sniper headshot or drive a virtual all-terrain vehicle after a few beers.

I came up with an extremely scientific formula to easily understand the concept: (Me + (Beer x 3+) = Repeated Death). Other possible results include broken controllers, profanity and hurt feelings (of my more sensitive teammates). The lesson is don’t drink and game. If you must game, for crying out loud, game responsibly!

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The Beer Mapping Project

Tuesday, January 22nd, 2008 by Chris

If you’re traveling and looking for a good place to get a good beer or want to plan a pub crawl in a major city, “The Beer Mapping Project” can help you out. The website uses the google maps api to map out:

Brewery Maps
City Guides
International Beer Maps
Map Your Own Pub/Brewery Crawls

And if you don’t see your favorite brewery or beer bar, help out the project by submitting its location and a review.

There’s also a mobile version of the site. Just point your phone’s web browser to http://beermapping.com/m

View from above:
Beer Mapping Map View 1

Zoomed-in view:
Beer Mapping Map View Zoomed

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Trust Us.

Monday, January 21st, 2008 by Shane

At KegWorks, we aim to make your shopping experience quick, easy and safe. I often get calls from customers who don’t trust the Internet for ordering. Placing orders online is the best way to go and here is why:

Telephone Game1. Less mistakes – when we take your order by phone we are putting it on the website exactly as you would. By doing it directly, you eliminate any typing mistakes we would potentially make. Mistyped credit card numbers could lead to declines that will hold up the funds on your credit or debit card for a few days. Remember that telephone game you played as a child…

256-bit Security2. Superior security – Our encryption rate is 256-bit, which is better than most banks. Also, no one will see or hear your card number, ever!

3. Instant options – See your expedited shipping options and the costs affiliated with them instantly as you check out.

4. 24/7 – We are here to serve Monday - Friday 9:00am to 6:00pm EST. However the Internet is open all the time.
Open 24 Hours Neon Sign
5. Repeat order ease – Commercial customers or repeat customers can create a password-protected account that stores your shipping and billing address information. This will allow you to bypass the hassle of submitting your address information again for future orders.

6. Instant order verification – You will see exactly what you ordered and all associated fees right on the screen as you place your order. If you mistyped a quantity you will know it instantly and have a chance to amend your order before it is placed.

Order online with confidence and a smile.

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