There’s a blog I subscribe to called BEERsimple. The author is a guy by the name of Chris and he happens to love two of my favorite things, beer and photography.

Chris’ latest post is on Savor, the country’s premier craft beer and food-pairing event. For the first time, the event was two days instead of one. Both nights had 2,000 ticketed attendees (although Chris thinks there were a lot more) and everything took place at the National Building Museum in Washington, DC. Guests enjoyed 144 different beers from 72 breweries and each one came with a small food pairing.

Chris reports there were fancy cheeses, chocolates and a raw oyster bar set up as well. Tickets were a cool $110 each, including as many samples and pairings as you wanted, a tasting glass, event program and an exit gift (a daring and original collaboration beer from Jim Koch and my main man Sam Calagione!) There were also extra sessions (discussions, private tastings, that kind of stuff) for an additional price.

I encourage you to check out BEERsimple’s post for his candid review. Considering I was not at the event myself, I can’t review it in good conscience but Chris does such a nice job, I’m entirely confident you’ll find his overview helpful. Here’s what I took away from his notes:

1. It’s not your average beer festival – not as many craft beers, more of an "in" event that people attend to see and be seen
2. The beer is great and there’s a lot of it
3. The food was a letdown (I can’t say I’m surprised. My thought is that whenever you’re mass producing quantities like that and trying to do most of it ahead of time, quality is going to be sacrificed)
4. While the actual event may not be quite worth the ticket price, the additional happenings at the beer bars around DC are worth making a trip

Thanks to Chris for the honest and concise review! If you’ve been to the event and you agree, disagree or have something to add – feel free to comment on our blog or his.

Photographs courtesy of Chris of BEERsimple.

TAGS [ SAVOR | BEERsimple ]

It’s the first I’ve heard of it, but now I cannot stop thinking about it: Sierra Nevada Beer Camp. It’s a pilgrimage of sorts to Chico, CA that takes you through the ins and outs of Sierra Nevada Brewing Co and finishes with the opportunity to brew a beer of your very own volition.

The group of "campers" is chosen by video entry—only the most creative and passionate entries are considered—and then after learning about Sierra Nevada, all of the fellow campers hunker down and ponder together on what type of beer they should brew. Any beer style will fly, as long as everyone agrees upon it. Some of the past favorite camp brews include California Common, an ale brewed with lager yeast; Juniper Black, a smokey, chocolate ale brewed with just a hint of juniper berries; a lemony, hop-heavy Double IPA and a traditional German-style Weizenbock. These particular four recipes were so delicious and so sought-after that they’ve been bottled into a variety pack: The Best of Beer Camp.

Not only would I like to one day attend Beer Camp, but I’d love to get my hands on the first-ever variety pack. Although not a fruit beer fan, I hear the Juniper Black has just the tiniest touch of berry, which compliments instead of overshadowing the chocolaty malts, and I’d truly love to try it. The Weizenbock is right up my alley too.

Have any of you attended Sierra Nevada Beer Camp, or gotten your hands on the newly released Best of Beer Camp 12-pack? I’d love to hear about them both.

TAGS [ SIERRA NEVADA | BEER CAMP ]

Last night I actually dreamt of craft beer. A gigantic glass was slowly being filled with deep, dark, creamy, chocolate-colored brew, topped with a mountain of billowy, light tan head. I was beside myself gazing at this beer, in all its glory. Then I noticed what name was inscribed on the glass, in bold, curvy, gothic letters: "Lactostradamus."

"A milk stout! An imperial milk stout!" I exclaimed, in my dream… which, of course, means that this particular brew does not yet exist in this world.

I woke up with visions of Lactostradamus in my head (is that not a rad name for an imperial milk stout? I can’t believe I made that up in my dream), picked up my phone and shot a milk-stout message out on Twitter.

Within seconds I receive a reply from Brian Evens, the plant manager at Southern Tier Brewing Co.; "Weird. I dreamt about milk stout last night too. But the one in my dream will exist sometime later today."

Know what that means, kids? Southern Tier Crème Brûlée Imperial Milk Stout is being brewed once again, beginning today. Throngs of people who wait patiently for its summer arrival each year, including myself, are gnawing at the bit… but we won’t have to wait too much longer, thankfully.

Coincidence? Maybe, but perhaps my dream of Lactostradamus had some meaning after all.

TAGS [ CRAFT BEER | MILK STOUT | SOUTHERN TIER BREWING | CREME BRULEE STOUT ]