KegWorks Blog

I’ve been waking up especially early the past few days and as I sit in my back yard enjoying my first, second and third cups of "wake-up juice" I realize there’s been a little chill in the pre-dawn air. I really do enjoy this time of year - when the mornings and evenings are crisp and cool and the days are still sunny and warm.

It’s also that time of year again: The first wave of catalogues from greeting card vendors are making their way through the postal system, trying to whip people into an early frenzy with their selections of Winter Holiday greeting cards and frenetic reminders that the holidays are just around the corner.

It’s still August, right? Just checking.

Call me old-fashioned (or some other clever word)… Maybe I’m just not ready to think about Christmas or winter yet (despite how much I actually do love winter…) Maybe it’s that somewhere deep inside I secretly loathe the idea of being pushed into thinking about any Winter Holiday before we even break into Fall. After all, we haven’t even hit Halloween (my favorite holiday of the year, btw) and I haven’t even figured out how I’m going to scare the Hell out of trick-or-treaters this year.

It’s likely that this knee-jerk reaction of mine could also be because I look at the pre-fab, homogenized greeting cards as being no different than getting a sausage-and-cheese gift basket from Aunt What’s-her-face – whom I only see once a year. They’re just sooo impersonal.

Don’t get me wrong, sausage and cheese gift baskets are great if that happens to be your thing. It’s cool, I won’t judge you. Whatever floats your boat. But, in general, giving them as gifts? Meh!

I have a rather amusing saying that I dust-off every year which really expresses exactly how I feel about those sorts of gifts: "Nothing says ‘I don’t know a damn thing about you’ more than a gift from Hickory Farms."

That may sound harsh, but there’s a measure of truth to it. How well do we know the people that we give gifts to? How much thought do we really put into bringing a smile, laughter, or joy to someone around birthday, graduation, or even – Christmas time?

Would my good friend Michelle really rather get, say, a Mr. Beer Kit or something I can pick-up from the deli section at the supermarket any day of the week? Maybe she’d like some of those sweet Grolsch-style beer bottles since she’s gotten into brewing her own beer lately? (Tough choices.) On the other hand, everyone does like Saltines, right?

Even if I’m thinking about what would make an epic gag gift (or a "White Elephant Gift" for this year’s party with extended family), my wheels are always turning. What about one of those fun Cocktail Lamps for Aunt Nancy, or that Bonny Boy Manneken Pis Liquor Dispenser For Uncle Lannie? (Bet you can’t do that with a basket of cheese and crackers!)

In short, don’t fall prey to those guys who get you all worked up over holidays that are over four months away, or those that set up shop in the middle of a mall once a year. Remember, gifts of food are not only impersonal, but they can only be enjoyed for a 24 hour period once eaten.

So, chuck those greeting card and gift basket catalogues into the recycling bin and make some time to really get to know your friends, family, and co-workers. Trust me, you’ve got time!

TAGS [ HOLIDAYS | HOLIDAY GIFTS | HOMEBREWING | MR BEER ]

So, to the average Joe – or me a few months ago – the word "Tensabarrier" means nothing.

So when I started hearing the word around the office, I thought – was it a new band on the Emo scene? Some exotic cocktail that Dave discovered in his travels? An internal name for a "new system" to manage projects that our CEO wanted us to start implementing (sorry Tom!)? What did it mean that "Tensabarrier" was "coming"? Da-Dum….Da-Dum…..dadadadadadaaaa (yes, that’s from Jaws – try it again!).

Well, over the past few months, I have learned that Tensabarrier is a brand name, like "Kleenex" to tissue, but for crowd control posts with retractable belts. You know the ones you see at airports? Or as you wait in line for popcorn at a theater? Or that keep the masses organized at your local bank?

On one of my many, many, many, recent cross country trips I became vehemently aware of the presence of these types of crowd control systems in my everyday life. As I was in line for security in Seattle, I noticed that brands like Tensabarrier and Beltrac really make the world go round. They keep fights from breaking out between strangers anxious to make their flights. They tell us where to go and what to do. They keep parents sane as they teach their children lessons in patience at Disney World. They keep the popcorn flowing and buttery at theaters across the country.

And since, as always, we want to do our part to contribute to the sanity and peace of Americans everywhere - of course it is purely altruistic and has little to do with the fact that crowd control systems are in high demand from many of our commercial clients.

So, we now carry not only Tensabarrier made by Lawrence, but we also are bringing in a line called Beltrac made by Lavi, and a third called Retractabelt made by Visiontron.

So, the next time you think your wasting your time waiting, stop and think of us and how KegWorks is helping save the world one retractable belt (and one beer) at a time.

TAGS [ TENSABARRIER | CROWD CONTROL | BELTRAC | STANCHION AND TAPE | RETRACTABELT ]

As the official product description writer here at KegWorks, I have the privilege of seeing the products we sell before they make it onto the website for your perusing pleasure. When a portable, floating beer pong table found its way onto the "new products" pile on my desk, I must admit I was quite intrigued.

Having been a full time college student just over two years ago, I’m no stranger to the game of beer pong. I spent many a Saturday night honing my skills, challenging my friends and perfecting my game at basement keg parties. When the weather got warm, we’d often move our contests to the backyard – but the beer pong tables we had were quite heavy and usually a pain to relocate. I had thrifty friends that transformed old doors into custom beer pong tables while others chose to go with a giant slab of wood from the local lumberyard. Although many of the tables I played on were decorated with pictures, bottle caps, logos and artistic visions that would have made Van Gogh weep, none of them were capable of floating.

That being said, I’m sure you can understand the excitement and enthusiasm I have for this recent KegWorks offering. Not only did I send the link to most of my friends, I purchased one of my own to try out on my vacation. The PortOPong comes packaged flat in a convenient mesh tote that takes up next to no car space, so none of my friends objected to my new toy joining us on the 12-hour drive to our cabin in Northern Maine. I also brought along party cups and beer pong balls, so we’d be all set for a week of sun, fun, friends and delicious New England beer. We couldn’t wait to get the games going and the party started, so we wasted no time inflating the float and diving in.

The table comes with string, so we tied one end of each piece to the built-in grommets and then anchored the table down by tying the other end to rocks that we carefully placed on the bottom of the lake. We played game after game and each one seemed to be more fun than the one before it. It could have been the afternoon sun or all of the beer we were consuming but regardless of the reasons, we really had a blast. There isn’t much that I love more than being in the water, so combine that with beer, competitive fun and friends I’m a pretty happy camper. Literally.

I had to return to NY before the rest of my friends, as I had a very important wedding to stand up in, but I left the inflatable table for them to enjoy and from what I hear, they certainly did make use of it. I was sure to get it back as soon as they returned though, as I had big plans to bring it with me for another weekend in the sun, this time at my aunt and uncle’s place in the Finger Lakes. I wanted to share the awesome experience of floating beer pong with some of my college roommates who came with me and they loved it too. I must note however, that it is important not to put an age limit on the game. My aunt Mary and uncle Bill joined in the fun as well. Even though it was the first time either of them had played beer pong, I think it’s safe to say that they had just as much fun as we did.

Just because Labor Day is looming ahead and my whirlwind summer is fading away, don’t think I’m packing away my portable beer pong table anytime soon. Although Buffalo will be too cold for swimming sooner than later, football season kicks off in no time and this genius invention will make the perfect addition to our tailgating crew. (Go Bills!)

Whether you’re a seasoned pro or new to the game of beer pong, I seriously suggest in investing in one of these vinyl wonders. The portability factor certainly opens up a whole new world of possibilities and playing beer pong has never been easier. Wherever, whenever… now that’s my kind of game!

TAGS [ BEER PONG | BEIRUT | BEER PONG TABLE | FLOATING BEER PONG TABLE | PORTOPONG | DRINKING GAMES ]

This past Saturday, I joined some of my colleagues and bosses at the annual Buffalo Brewfest, held this year at HSBC Arena, where our beloved Sabres take the ice during winter months. This year was my first in attending the Brewfest, which was over 3000 strong. I could barely believe my eyes, gazing down on all of the attendees from the 2nd level.

And the brews? There were more than I could possibly count. One thing I truly love about Buffalo is that we really love good beer. My personal favorite experience at the fest was that I finally got the chance to taste cask ale, brought to the table by Harpoon Brewery. I’ve been wanting to try it since I conversed about it with our resident draft beer guru, Pete. The ale poured a golden red color, with a rich, tan head. The complexity of flavors was brought out by keeping the ale at a higher temperature than your regular, run-of-the-mill brews. Truly an experience I’ll not soon forget.

Buffalo certainly does love its beer, but the love goes both ways; here’s a list of all of the breweries that graced us with their presence:

With all the Brewfest proceeds going to benefit the Buffalo Hearing and Speech Center, there’s not much you can’t love. Do yourself a favor, if you haven’t visited already, and swing by the Buffalo Brewfest next year. I’ll see you there!

TAGS [ BUFFALO BREWFEST | BREWFEST | BREW FEST | BEER FEST | BEER FESTIVAL | BEER TASTING ]

Awwww, yaaaahhhhh. Dim the lights, turn up the mood music, and fill your space with the intoxicating aroma of… beer. You could probably do this a number of ways, including lining up near-empty bottles of the good stuff on every shelf and table top. This, of course, would leave you with little room to actually enjoy what space you have. Or, you could take a cue from KegWorks and just light a candle.

Did I say candle? You read it right - beer scented candles are here and ready for the taking. And yes, they truly capture the fragrance of our favorite hoppy beverage. Step away from potpourri, patchouli and the like and treat yourself to an atmosphere that only your favorite hole-in-the-wall could envelop you in before.

TAGS [ BEER CANDLE | BEER CANDLES | BEER SCENTED CANDLE ]

I am one of those people that like to think outside of the box. One of my new habits lately is finding alternative uses for KegWorks products. My newest and most challenging idea is using foot rails as a bed frame. I took these cedar posts from my dad. They were scraps from his work and not only do they look great, they have a very sharp cedar smell. I used stainless bar brackets to support the main rail on the headboard.

I also had to come up with a way to mount a rail between two posts. It didn’t take long to figure this out. I drilled a hole in the end caps and screwed them to the posts. It worked great and looks real nice.

Perhaps in a future post I will show you the finished product.

I also had to find a new home for Cody 2.

I was at a tattoo shop in Syracuse recently that had a beta in a blender. Don’t stress, there was no plug. Cody 2 is a little classier and I have no reason to blend him, so he gets a giant glass for a home.

One issue I had in my new apartment was lack of shelves or storage near the bathtub. I have one of those old tubs with dragon type feet holding it up. Coincidentally, the landlord used handrails to build a frame for the shower curtain. I plan on updating this later. So I had to find something to put my shower supplies on. Enter the wall mount drip tray. Works so perfectly, it seems like it was made for this purpose.

Finally, because I lose my keys all the time, I needed a place to keep keys by the door (which happens to be metal). So I utilized this magnetic knife holder, which again, seems as though it was made for this. Everyone who has come over has commented on it and asked where they can get one. The answer is there is no such "key" holder. It’s a knife holder. I just had the idea to use it in a different way. So I challenge you to get outside that old box and see what innovative things you can come up with, using our products of course. Let me know how they turn out!

Cheers!

TAGS [ BAR RAILS | MAGNETIC KNIFE HOLDER | MARTINI GLASS | DRIP TRAYS ]

I stumbled across this article about uncommon beers to try with Labor Day cooking, written by Rachel Wharton of NYC. Hope you will enjoy!

After the Super Bowl, Labor Day is one of the top-ranked occasions for beer sales nationwide. Such a special day deserves a special beer, so here are 10 great craft beers - all small-batch, extremely flavorful and made with care - picked especially for the weekend by Jay Steinhauer of Brooklyn’s American Beer (256 Court St., 718-875-0226). Just be sure to go before Sunday: Beer sellers need breaks, too.

If you’re grilling burgers - who isn’t? - you need a beer that can stand up to multiple flavors yet not overpower. This Butte Creek Organic Porter from Chico, Calif., is a nice blend of an ale and a stout, says Steinhauer. For hot dogs, on the other hand, try a Pilsner. $7.99/six-pack

In Avery Brewing Co.’s Ellie’s Brown Ale, says Steinhauer, "there are distinct chocolate and coffee notes," so it’s a perfect partner for a plate of brownies. Made in Colorado, "it’s one of the best brown ales in the world," he says. $7.99/six-pack

For grilled salmon with teriyaki or another Asian-style marinade, Steinhauer likes the complexity and "mineral quality" of Bam Biere - from "exceptionally good" Jolly Pumpkin Artisan Ales in Dexter, Mich. It’s a funky, fizzy farmhouse ale. $9.99/six-pack

Piraat Ale from Belgium "is supposed to be one of the top five beers in the world," says Steinhauer, "and I think they might be right." It balances the flavors of a sharp Cheddar cheese-spiked potato chip, though it’s nice with just the cheese, too. $3.99/bottle

Slow-smoked, spice-rubbed ribs, says Steinhauer, were made for the intense Spezial Rauchbier lager, made with smoked malt. (Kind of like smoked meats, lagers are slowly fermented at lower temperatures, too.) "This beer," says Steinhauer, "is especially good." $4/bottle

If you’re grilling a steak, you need a richly flavored beer "that can stand up to the meat," says Steinhauer. And Captain Lawrence Brewing Co., a small producer in Pleasantville, N.Y., delivers. This lovely 750 milliliter bottle of St. Vincent Dubbel Belgian-style ale is delicious, and it comes emblazoned with a hot rod, too. $15.99/bottle

Most Mexican beers are light "thirst-quenchers" from German recipes, says Steinhauer, and so is Penn Gold American Ale from Pennsylvania Brewing Co. "If somebody likes Budweiser," says Steinhauer, "they’re going to like this stuff; it’s better." Great with guacamole, salsas and Mexican food. $7.99/six-pack

Hot wings on the menu? Steinhauer recommends an amber ale that’s "not going to get lost" in the midst of all the spice. Crop Circle Beer’s Extraterrestri-Ale can take the heat. It’s brewed by Blue Point Brewing Co. out on Long Island. $5.99/four-pack

Potato salads, slaws and other sides can be all over the map, but you can quaff the lower-alcohol,hoppy, flavorful yet food-friendly Ruth All American Ale while you try all of them. "It’s excellent," says Steinhauer, and it’s made by Hair of the Dog in Portland, Ore. $16.99/six-pack

Forget a Bud for that beer-can chicken: Belgian Bavik lager is one of Steinhauer’s easy-drinking faves that goes well with poultry: "I love that beer." Good with seafood, too. $6.99/six-pack.

Cheers!

TAGS [ BEER REVIEWS | LABOR DAY BEER | BEER WITH FOOD | FOOD AND BEER PAIRINGS | SUMMER BEERS ]