Last week, USA Beer Trends and I decided to have a beer swap. They’re based in Texas and I’m in New York, so there’s plenty of brews that we could share with one another; ones we simply can’t get close to our respective homes.

As you probably read in the post title (unless you’re not into that kind of thing) I was indeed a beer-swap-virgin, until this week, when I lovingly chose and packed up 3 huge bottles of delicious brews that I thought the boys would love. They are Nøgne Ø Winter Ale (an English Porter), Southern Tier Cuvée 1 (ale aged in French oak barrels, instead of American ones like the Cuvée 2) and Southern Tier Iniquity, an Imperial India Black Ale. I can hardly wait to see how USA Beer Trends dig ‘em!

Gerg documented my excitement when my package arrived :)

Being careful not to cut myself, at least too deeply.

I really do move this quickly. Nauseating, I know.

Check out the RAD Mad House sticker!

LOVE the T shirt - great design, Larry!

Plus 4 brews to try - can’t wait!

Holy cow. I’m so looking forward to tasting and reviewing these beers. I cannot thank Larry at USA Beer Trends enough!

Cheers!

TAGS [ BEER TRADE | TRADING BEERS | BEER SWAP | SWAPPING BEERS | CRAFT BEER ]

Everyone knows that writers like words. This writer loves ‘em. I’ve always been a big fan of reading quotes and song lyrics as they provide great inspiration and they’re often times entertaining.

When I posted on our Facebook wall and asked our fans to share their favorite beer related quotes and lyrics for a chance to win this Guinness sign, I didn’t really expect too many people to participate but I was wrong. We had a great response, including a lot of the classics and also some that we’d never heard before. Here’s a slightly edited list for your reading pleasure:

• "When I read about the evils of drinking, I gave up reading." - Henry Youngman
• "Malt does more than Milton can, to justify God’s ways to man." - A.E. Housman
• "Beer - Because one doesn’t solve the world’s problems over white wine."
• "Give me a woman who loves beer and I will conquer the world." - Kaiser Welhelm
• "You can’t be a real country unless you have a beer and an airline. It helps if you have some kind of a football team, or some nuclear weapons, but at the very least you need a beer." - The Book of Zappa
• "Beer! Helping ugly people to have sex for over a quarter century" - Anonymous (Is it really just a quarter of a century? I feel like it must be longer.)
• "Beer is proof that God loves us and wants us to be happy" - Benjamin Franklin
• "Have a brew…don’t cost nothing" - Bluto Blutarski
• "I feel sorry for people who don’t drink. They wake up in the morning and that’s the best they’re going to feel all day." - Frank Sinatra
• "Now it’s closing time, the music’s fading out
  Last call for drinks, I’ll have another stout." - Tom Waits
• "You Can’t Drink All Day If You Don’t Start in the Morning" - Celia Rivenbark
• "Do sober what you said you would do drunk. That will teach you to keep your mouth shut." - Ernest Hemingway
• "For every wound, a balm.
  For every sorrow, cheer.
  For every storm, a calm.
  For every thirst, a beer."
• "Beer is not just for breakfast, anymore."
• "’You are drunk Sir Winston, you are disgustingly drunk.’ Yes, Mrs. Braddock, I am drunk. But you, Mrs. Braddock are ugly, and disgustingly fat. But, tomorrow morning, I, Winston Churchill will be sober." - Winston Churchill (*Winner*)
• "And if you’re drinkin’ well
  You know that you’re my friend
  And I say, I think I’ll have myself a beer" - Reel Big Fish
• "A fine beer may be judged with only one sip, but it’s better to be thoroughly sure." - Czech Proverb (*Winner*)
• "Drinking beer doesn’t make you fat, it makes you lean… against bars, tables, chairs, and poles." - Anonymous
• "Well, I woke up this morning, and I got myself a beer. The future is uncertain, and the end is always near." - Jim Morrison
• "Gonna get high, man I’m gonna get loose, need me a triple shot of that juice. Gonna get drunk, don’t you have no fear. I want one bourbon, one scotch and one beer." - George Thorogood
• "I’m not as think as you drunk I am!"
• "You are, therefore I drink."

We’re not going to lie, as pleased as we were with the results, we were a little disappointed that no one submitted this Jack Handey quote: "Sometimes when I reflect back on all the beer I drink I feel ashamed. Then I look into the glass and think about the workers in the brewery and all of their hopes & dreams. If I didn’t drink this beer, they might be out of work and their dreams would be shattered. Then I say to myself, ‘It is better that I drink this beer and let their dreams come true than to be selfish and worry about my liver.’"

Thanks to all who entered and congrats to Clare Deutsch of Toronto, Ontario Canada and Danielle Rivers of Wesley Chapel, Florida for winning. If there is anything we missed, don’t hesitate to leave a comment here. Cheers!

TAGS [ BEER QUOTES | BEER LYRICS | BEER QUOTE WINNERS ]

I’ve been slacking on my favored beverage lately and really haven’t had anything worth exploring. Beer is great, but the complexity of an exquisite wine is something to be savored.

I went to my local wine shop yesterday and started getting back into the exploration of better wines (plus they had a big sale and I couldn’t pass it up, Bordeaux marked down to 10 bucks a bottle, why not?).

I’m not a huge wine snob, but I do enjoy a decent vintage.

First just a bit about Bordeaux, its name has nothing to do with the grapes, (as many American wines are named by), but instead the region it’s grown is what it is named for. Common Bordeaux blends include Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc for the delightfully complex taste and scent that they are known for.

This particular Bordeaux is 90% Merlot and 10% Cabernet Sauvignon and if I had waited a bit longer for it to age, (it’s a 2005) the richer flavors would have been even more prominent.

Chateau La Croix des Lauriers was its name. A formidable opponent. Its rich European heritage called out to me and I had to answer its call. A nice complex Bordeaux. Let’s see what you’ve got, grapey beast!

When I began my ritual of smelling the drink, its alcohol content rushed out at me like a pack of dogs, and I hoped this would be an intriguing bottle. Upon swirling the glass however, more delicate scents began to emanate from the blend and my tension from expecting a less than stellar bottle, (it was $10, after all) was relieved.

Chewing the wine brought out notes of plum and black pepper. Hints of cinnamon danced along my tongue as the swirling libation slowly drained down my throat. A sip again revealed currants and even a bit of blackberry for the surprisingly robust wine that warmed my extremities and relaxed my neck muscles. A smooth mouthfeel combined with just a touch of terroir (an earthy flavor) to balance the fruit, make it a classic European wine. Fully inviting the sensations, flavors, and odors of this decent wine with good future potential is definitely a worth savoring now and later (especially for $10)!!!

TAGS [ WINE TASTING | BORDEAUX | BORDEAUX REVIEW ]

It would seem that questions like, "Is it 5 yet?" and "Is it Friday yet?" may have gotten some validation in the wake of recent tragedy. According to an article in Business Week posted this morning, NASA geophysicist Richard Gross asserts that the 8.8 shaker that razed thousands of structures in Chile a few days ago may have actually been strong enough to shorten the length of the day.

Gross was quoted as having said, "The length of the day should have gotten shorter by 1.26 microseconds (millionths of a second)." He also cited a reason for this miniscule shortening of time as, "The axis about which the Earth’s mass is balanced should have moved by 2.7 milliarcseconds (about 8 centimeters or 3 inches)."

David Kerridge, the head of Earth hazards and systems at the British Geological Survey in Edinburgh, further expanded on the explanation of this phenomena, "It’s what we call the ice-skater effect," he explained. "As the ice skater puts when she’s going around in a circle, and she pulls her arms in, she gets faster and faster. It’s the same idea with the Earth going around if you change the distribution of mass, the rotation rate changes."

So, it looks like the day and the week is already shorter. I’ll drink to that!
We’re that much closer to 5 – and Friday. Hang in there, gang!

TAGS [ HAPPY HOUR | WEEKEND | EARTHQUAKE | EARTH SCIENCE ]

I’ve been following USA Beer Trends on Twitter (@USABeerTrends) for quite some time now. I’ve learned about beers I hadn’t yet heard of and am even in the middle of beer exchange with them, right now as we speak. In fact, my care package is scheduled to arrive here tomorrow!

Browsing the site today, I came across a near-complete list of American craft breweries and brewpubs, in alphabetical order, by state. The only one I found missing was Pearl Street, a brewpub here in Buffalo, but then I haven’t yet had time to scour the entire list.

Take a look next time you’re headed to a place other than home so you can find out which craft breweries and brewpubs are close by.

And to USA Beer Trends, I say THANK YOU for compiling such an extensive list.

Cheers!

TAGS [ CRAFT BREWERIES | CRAFT BEER | BREWPUBS | USA BEER TRENDS ]

If you celebrate St. Patrick’s Day like we do in Buffalo, then you’ll need some ways of bringing along your favorite beer, liquor or both. Here’s two of my very favorite items, perfectly suited for the parade and parties.

Disposable Flasks
These plastic flasks come in a set of 4 and are ready to party anywhere. They fit easily in a pocket or handbag and even come with little funnels so that you don’t spill your liquor everywhere while filling them. Grab 4 flasks for just $8.95.

KegWorks Beer Pouch Hoodie
I bought one of these the very day in arrived in our warehouse. I love my beer pouch hoodie. It’s wicked comfy and of course, there’s a place to keep my beer, leaving my hands free for… whatever. The pocket is lined so the hoodie doesn’t get wet and beer stays nice and cold. Beer pouch sweatshirts start at $35.95.

TAGS [ ST. PATRICKS DAY | PARADE | FLASKS | BEER POUCH HOODIE | BEER SWEATSHIRT ]

Just a quick CONGRATS! to the gang responsible for putting together the Powder Keg Festival’s Record-breaking maze!

TAGS [ ICE MAZE | GUINNESS WORLD RECORD | BUFFALO | POWDER KEG FESTIVAL ]