This year’s American Craft Beer Fest (ACBF) in Boston, MA will be held on June 20th - 21st. The ACBF is the east coast’s most diverse celebration of craft beer, featuring 75 American brewers and 300 craft beers. This year, it will be held at the Seaport World Trade Center. For ticket prices and more information, check out beeradvocate.com.
TAGS [ AMERICAN CRAFT BEER FEST | BEER FESTS | CRAFT BEER | MICROBREWS ]
I’m a big fan of good movies, friendly competition and beer – so I was excited to hear about a new movie set to premiere next month. An 84-minute lighthearted documentary titled “Last Cup: Road to the World Series of Beer Pong” will be shown at the 10th CineVegas Film Festival at the Palms Casino Resort in Las Vegas, happening June 12 to 21.
The edgy film follows four of the best beer pong players in America as they compete in the second annual World Series of Beer Pong.
I’ll be honest, I didn’t even know that such a contest existed but I’m down to watch it. According to the article I read on the movie, viewers get so into the characters, they almost forget that the focus of the film is beer pong.
The 29-year-old director, Dan Lindsay, admits to initially considering doing the film as half “mockumentary” and half documentary. However, following some intensive beer pong research he abandoned those ideas and realized just how serious beer pong players can be.
For those of you unfamiliar with the “sport,” beer pong is a drinking game in which players throw a ping-pong ball across a table, with the aim of landing the ball in one of six or 10 cups partly filled with beer. The cups are arranged in a triangle formation and some people use racks, like this one, to keep them aligned properly. When a ball lands in a cup, the defending team must drink all the beer in that cup.
The game is won by eliminating all of the other team’s cups before your own team’s cups are gone. The losing team then consumes the beer left in the winning team’s cups.
Teams often are made of two players, and they alternate shots back and forth.
Beer pong has been around for decades but has recently grown into somewhat of a phenomenon, played in frat houses, basements and garages across America. You’d be hard pressed to find anyone under the age of 30 who hasn’t played at least a few games.
To see a video clip of “Last Cup: Road to the World Series of Beer Pong,” go to www.cinevegas.net. I’m hoping it’ll be available in its entirety after the festival, so we can all check it out. I am certain that this movie guarantees a happy ending because in the game of beer pong, everyone wins.
TAGS [ BEER PONG | BEER | BEIRUT | LOB PONG | BEER PONG MOVIE ]
Our best wishes go out to our friends at the F.X. Matt Brewery (the Utica NY based brewers of the Saranac family of beers) for a speedy recovery back to brewing after the terrible fire at their brewery last night.
Read the full story here.
–Tom
TAGS [ SARANAC | SARANAC BREWERY | SARANAC BREWERY FIRE | SARANAC BEER | FX MATT BREWERY ]
This just in!
The long-awaited Angostura Orange Bitters has finally arrived in the States, and KegWorks is bringing it to you first. That’s right, Angostura Orange Cocktail Bitters are here and ready for your enjoyment. Touted as the best-balanced orange bitters on the planet, Angostura Orange is a perfect blend of citrus essence with oils from bitter and sweet oranges, herbs and spices.
Celebrate your love for great cocktails and Angostura with the Affinity:
Affinity Cocktail
1 oz scotch
1 oz sweet vermouth
1 oz dry vermouth
3 dashes Angostura Orange Bitters
Combine ingredients in a shaker over ice. Mix well and strain over ice into a chilled cocktail glass. Garnish with a lemon twist.
Cheers to better bitters!
TAGS [ ANGOSTURA | ANGOSTURA ORANGE | ANGOSTURA ORANGE BITTERS | ORANGE BITTERS | COCKTAIL BITTERS | COCKTAILS ]
So, in the old tailgating days I remember guys mixing up what they called a “red eye” for an added kick to their morning. I know a Red Eye to simply be ½ beer with ½ tomato juice or Bloody Mary mix. Not my thing, but for some, it’s a refreshing (and cheap) twist on the Bloody Mary. I have also heard of a Chelada, which I know to be made simply by adding lime and salt to a beer. This alternative to a regular beer suits me just fine.
On the first sunny day (not kidding) in Seattle this year I ventured out in search of a patio to soak up some much needed Vitamin D, and a few refreshing cocktails. I landed at the Ballard Loft, a sports themed bar with an eclectic menu that boasts of an array of unusual takes on the hotdog. (Yes, I said the hotdog.)
What else was new to me on the menu? The Budweiser Chelada. Of course, we had to get one. It is light orange with an extremely minimal head when poured. It has a salty, vegetable smell (for obvious reasons), and a sharp acidic flavor that really overpowered the taste of the beer. For me, it wasn’t great, but I am not a huge fan of tomato based juices. I really don’t even love a Bloody Mary (I know, I know).
As it was my first time to see a version of the Red Eye I did a little research to learn of its origin. I found that these types of beers have a classification, stemming from Mexican cuisine. The Red Eye and the Chelada fall into the category known in Spanish as cerveza preparada or simply, prepared beer. These drinks date back to the 1940s, when mixing beer with hot sauce and salsa became popular in Mexico. I also found that the true name of what I call the Red Eye is a Chavela.
In any regard, I think it’s interesting to watch good old Budweiser make a move to break new ground. They are just not breaking down any barriers with me on this one.
Have you had one? Tell us what you thought!
TAGS [ BUDWEISER | CLAMATO | CHELADA | BEER | BEERS | NEW BEER ]
It’s apparent where our company founder gets his love of beer from. There is a nice article in the Syracuse, NY newspaper about David’s father and the outstanding beer selection in his Galeville grocery store.
Here’s an excerpt from the article, straight from Dave’s dad’s mouth:
“I always tell people never to fall in love with a single beer,” Rivers said. “I tell people to keep their flexibility going and to try some of the other varieties. Don’t get yourself stuck on one beer. Sometimes you’ll find one beer you’ve never tasted and go, Wow, this is pretty good.’ “
That’s some of the best advice I’ve heard. Read all of the article here.
Congratulations Bernie.
TAGS [ BEER | MICROBREWS | GALEVILLE GROCERY ]
Today, April 7th 2008, is being celebrated by brewers large and small, all over the country, as 75 years to the day that President Franklin Roosevelt let beer flow again in the US.
On this date in 1933, the Cullen-Harrison Act took effect, making it legal to again produce and sell 3.2% alcohol-by-volume beer in states that did not prohibit its sale by state law. The complete repeal of Prohibition, allowing the sale of all types of alcoholic beverages, did not occur until December 5th 1933.
This date will be marked by events at many breweries across the nation, and even a gathering at the FDR Presidential Library. Anheuser Busch is planning big celebrations at its St. Louis headquarters. So, raise a toast today to your freedom to drink beer in America, or better yet, find the brewer nearest you and join the celebrations.
Here are some more articles about the significance of the day and the history of Prohibition in the US.
Marin Independent Journal
Beer Advocate
Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Wikipedia
TAGS [ BEER | PROHIBITION | 75th ANNIVERSARY | REPEAL of PROHIBITION ]
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