Beer News: Champagne-style-brew beer "Infinium"

The maker of Sam Adams beer and Germany's Weihenstephan Brewery have joined forces to create a champagne-style brew in time for the holidays. Guest host Mary Louise Kelly samples the beer — called Infinium — with Boston Beer Co. founder Jim Koch.

Please click the link below to listen to the full story on NPR.

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=131612235

 Samuel Adams Press Release:
Over 60 percent of men would opt to toast with beer versus champagne, if given the choice.  Thanks to Infinium™, a crisp, new champagne-like beer that sets a new standard in brewing, men now have the ultimate drink with which to celebrate this holiday season.  Debuting in early December, the premiere sparkling brew is the culmination of a two-year collaboration between Jim Koch, brewer and founder of Samuel Adams beers, and Dr. Josef Schrädler, managing director of Germany’s Weihenstephan Brewery.  The first new beer style created under the Reinheitsgebot in over a hundred years, Infinium unites 1,000 years of combined brewing knowledge and innovation between the two breweries. 
Available for a limited time only, this innovative new beer style adheres to the rigorous standards of the Reinheitsgebot, the historic German beer purity law that states all beer must be brewed using only four ingredients: malt, hops, water and yeast.  Infinium pours out a deep golden color with fine bubbles and has a fruity, elegant aroma.  Its crisp acidity gives it a dryness and tartness on the palate that is balanced with a smooth malt body. Infinium is packaged in 750mL cork-finished bottles and contains 10.3 percent alcohol by volume, twice the amount of an average beer.
This crisp, vivacious brew is certain to make a palate-pleasing gift for food and beer connoisseurs and as a recent survey found, men are eager to celebrate with beer throughout the holiday season.  Infinium’s light, sparkling character is a welcome complement to all festivities, allowing drinkers to enjoy the best of both worlds.
“Dr. Schrädler and I are thrilled to uncork Infinium, and introduce not only a first-class beer, but a new standard in the art of brewing,” said Jim Koch, Samuel Adams founder and brewer. “When I brewed the first batch of Samuel Adams Boston Lager in my kitchen in 1984, it challenged America’s perception of what beer could be. At the time, beer drinkers weren’t used to bigger, more flavorful brews that used high-quality, traditional ingredients and followed the age-old Reinheitsgebot purity law. Infinium continues to challenge people’s perception of beer in a very different way, making this partnership unique.  I’ve had the opportunity to work with some of the most talented brewers in the world during this project, and we’re all excited to finally share Infinium with drinkers this holiday season.”
Both breweries share great passion for the art and science of brewing, and pride themselves on using only the highest quality ingredients to produce award-winning, world-class beers.  Weihenstephan was founded by Benedictine monks in 1040, and is the guardian of the original Reinheitsgebot law.  Every batch of Weihenstephan’s beer is evaluated by a panel of experts for color, aroma, froth consistency and flavor. 
“It was exciting to work with Jim and the brewers at Samuel Adams to stretch the limits of Reinheitsgebot during the creation of Infinium,” says Dr. Josef Schrädler.  “This beer is truly a marriage of the German brewing heritage that our brewery has upheld for almost a thousand years, combined with new, innovative brewing techniques that take beer beyond what anyone expected to be possible under the constraints of the purity law.” 
Not only is Weihenstephan the oldest brewery in the world, it has upheld a tradition of being a center for research about brewing and brewing technology for hundreds of years. The Weihenstephan Science Center of the Technical University of Munich is one of the highest regarded brewing schools in the world, and was instrumental in the development and creation of Infinium with the Weihenstephan and Samuel Adams brewers. 
Available at select locations worldwide for a limited time, Infinium, hits shelves in early December, for a suggested retail price of $19.99 per 750mL bottle.

Beer Poll: Which beer warms you up on a cold day?

When the weather gets cold, what beer do you go to to warm yourself?

• Leinenkugel's Fireside Nut Brown
• Guinness
• MBC Porter
• Magic Hat
• Bell's Octoberfest
• Other - Please post in the comments

View Results
Create a Blog Poll

Beer Quickie: Does alcohol kill brain cells?

It's true that at high concentrations, like the nearly 100-percent pure alcohol used in sterilizing solutions, alcohol can indeed kill cells and neurons (and nearly anything else). But given that the blood reaching your brain is only at 0.08 percent alcohol if you're legally intoxicated, you're not actually killing any cells.

Don't believe it? A major study by Grethe Jensen and colleagues in 1993 matched brain samples taken from both alcoholics and nonalcoholics, from groups of the two dead from non-alcohol-related causes. There were no significant differences found in either the number or density of brain cells between the groups.

What alcohol can and does do to your brain is affect the way your neurons get their firing triggers from glutamate. It infiltrates the glutamate receptors in your synapses, hurting their ability to send off their normal "fire" messages. Alcohol has this impact all across your brain—the parts that control muscles, speech, coordination, judgement, and so on. Keep that in mind the next time you or someone else claims that they drive, golf, or otherwise perform some task better with alcohol's help.

Feel free to read the entire article about what alcohol does and doesn't do over at LifeHacker .

-Sandy

Beer Review: Does your glass matter?

Today's tips brought to you by A Pint of Knowledge and LifeHacker

I'm sure we all have our favorite mug that we like to drink from. I personally enjoy a sturdy thick-walled 12 oz. mug with a nice wide mouth and a handle. It's practical. Thick walls insulate and keep the beer cold. The wide mouth lets me drink as much as I please. It has a tall rise on the bottom which, again, insulates and keeps the heat of the table from my beer. And the handle ensures it will not be dropped and no beer will be spilled.

But this contends with the anecdotes we all hear, and perpetuated by certain breweries, that the glass you drink from can enhance your beer drinking experience.
Is there truth to this urban myth?

Yes.
And no.

The kind of glass you drink from doesn't matter as much as some would like you to believe. For the most part, the glasses which beer is served in at your local tavern are used more for economic than sommelier reasons. "The 16 ounce “shaker”, a thick and slightly tapered glass, is the one you’ll most commonly find with the logo of a particular beer or brewery painted on the side.  Many bartenders love these because they are study, easy to stack, and provide an equal serving size whatever beer you are pouring from the tap. " But really these 'pint' glasses are meant more for mixing drinks than for drinking from them.

You may also want to let the name of the glass guide you as to what kind of beer to put in them. A pilsner glass for instance, is well suited for a pilsner. However, this kind of glass apparently is meant to enhance the appearance of lighter colored pilsners, to help differentiate them from much darker stouts and ales. Have you ever watched the bubbles fizz up to the top of champagne in a champagne flute? Pilsner glasses serve a similar purpose, to enhance the effect of the carbonation. So if you like a good fizzy pilsner, drink from a pilsner glass.

Last, the ever-contested question: Should I frost my beer mug?

No!

Although it does keep the beer nice and cold, you're better off without the frost. Moisture in the air will tend to condense on the cold glass, then drip into your beer, and water it down. It's even worse if the mug is iced and not just chilled. As the glass warms, that ice melts into your beer. I don't know about you, but a watered down beer is not my idea of tastiness.

Your best bet is to drink your beer in a moderately quick way.

If you can't manage that and would like to linger on your beer, I recommend opting for a smaller glass. It used to be that some pubs would serve beer in small 5 oz. glasses because keeping it chilled was so difficult. Nowadays you can find these same small 5 oz. glasses as part of "flights" with a variety of beer samples, but it is a little more difficult to order just a taste of one beer.

-Sandy

Beer News: Moderate Beer Consumption may Reduce Women's Risk of Osteoperosis

Girls, yet another reason to enjoy your beer! Perhaps you should try Miller Lite which advertises as being "Triple Hops Brewed".

Beer Is a Rich Source of Silicon and May Help Prevent Osteoporosis

ScienceDaily (Feb. 9, 2010) — A new study suggests that beer is a significant source of dietary silicon, a key ingredient for increasing bone mineral density. Researchers from the Department of Food Science & Technology at the University of California, Davis studied commercial beer production to determine the relationship between beer production methods and the resulting silicon content, concluding that beer is a rich source of dietary silicon.

  Details of this study are available in the February issue of the Journal of the Science of Food and Agriculture, published by Wiley-Blackwell on behalf of the Society of Chemical Industry.
"The factors in brewing that influence silicon levels in beer have not been extensively studied" said Charles Bamforth, lead author of the study. "We have examined a wide range of beer styles for their silicon content and have also studied the impact of raw materials and the brewing process on the quantities of silicon that enter wort and beer."

  Silicon is present in beer in the soluble form of orthosilicic acid (OSA), which yields 50% bioavailability, making beer a major contributor to silicon intake in the Western diet. According to the National Institutes of Health (NIH), dietary silicon (Si), as soluble OSA, may be important for the growth and development of bone and connective tissue, and beer appears to be a major contributor to Si intake. Based on these findings, some studies suggest moderate beer consumption may help fight osteoporosis, a disease of the skeletal system characterized by low bone mass and deterioration of bone tissue.

  The researchers examined a variety of raw material samples and found little change in the silicon content of barley during the malting process. The majority of the silicon in barley is in the husk, which is not affected greatly during malting. The malts with the higher silicon contents are pale colored which have less heat stress during the malting process. The darker products, such as the chocolate, roasted barley and black malt, all have substantial roasting and much lower silicon contents than the other malts for reasons that are not yet known. The hop samples analyzed showed surprisingly high levels of silicon with as much as four times more silicon than is found in malt. However, hops are invariably used in a much smaller quantity than is grain. Highly hopped beers, however, would be expected to contain higher silicon levels.

  No silicon was picked up from silica hydrogel used to stabilize beer, even after a period of 24 hours and neither is there pick up from diatomaceous earth filter aid.

  The study also tested 100 commercial beers for silicon content and categorized the data according to beer style and source. The average silicon content of the beers sampled was 6.4 to 56.5 mg/L.
"Beers containing high levels of malted barley and hops are richest in silicon," concludes Dr. Bamforth. "Wheat contains less silicon than barley because it is the husk of the barley that is rich in this element. While most of the silicon remains in the husk during brewing, significant quantities of silicon nonetheless are extracted into wort and much of this survives into beer."

Beer Review: Saugatuck Brewing ESB Amber

The Saugatuck Brewing Company is located on the shores of Lake Michigan in Saugatuck, Michigan. The label on this bottle is very cute and mid-west. What looks to be a close family is sitting together along a fence with signs that say “Saugatuck” and “I love Amber.” The tagline reads: A British style Extra Special Bitter with an even balance of malt and hops.

I got this bottle at my local Oade’s Big Ten in a mixed six-pack.

The first taste is very bitter hops. But, since it’s an Extra Special Bitter (ESB), that is expected. And true to its word, it’s a very balanced flavor. Yes it’s bitter, but the malt is definitely there and then there is a subtly sweet aftertaste. At the end of the day, this is quite a nice hops flavor, too. It’s not harsh, and it certainly isn’t too mellow; it’s like your best friend, just right.

The amber comes out in its rich color and the sweetness of the malt. And like a lot of other ambers, this ale is only lightly carbonated - not overly fizzy like many hop-centric beers can be.

I’m not usually a fan of hoppy beers, but SBC got this right – very right. Definitely worth a try, and worth your money.

-Sandy

Beer Brewery: America's first brewery co-op

Something for our fans in Texas:
The Black Star Co-op Pub and Brewery in Austin, TX is something quite unique.

"With a special focus on local producers, the basic mission and principles of the Black Star Co-op is to foster an environment in which member-owners, as well as the general public, may realize the principles of co-operative ownership, worker self-management, education and community action through the responsible enjoyment great beer and food.
As the first enterprise of this type, we seek to realize an alternative business model for brewpubs and to help expand the co-operative movement into new and innovative areas — both in Austin and around the world."

Beer News: Women in the Craft Beer Business

Head on over and check out one of the Craft Beer Muses from www.craftbeer.com .


http://www.craftbeer.com/pages/stories/craft-beer-muses/show?title=women-craft-beer-and-centerfolds

Here are a few of the highlights from the post:

Women in Brewing

Sebbie Buhler - Rogue Ales
Deb Carey - New Glarus Brewing Company
Meghan O'Leary Parisi - Cambridge Brewing Co.
Gwen Conley - Flying Dog Brewery
Tonya Cornett - Bend Brewing Company
Teri Fahrendorf - Pink Boots Society
Kim Jordan - New Belgium Brewing Company
Jamie Martin - Moosejaw
Penny Pink - Portneuf Valley Brewing
Lauren Salazar - New Belgium Brewing Company
Carol Stoudt -Stoudt’s Brewing Company
Jen Tally - Squatters Pub Brewery
Leslie Henderson - Lazy Magnolia
and SO many more!

Women and Beer Statistics

• In July 2010, Gallup poll stated the percentage of women who said they prefer beer over wine or liquor is 27%. That's up 6% from their 2009 poll.
• In April 2010, Nielsen Beverage Company said growth drivers for craft beer include 25-34 year olds, females, household income under $45,000 and above $100,000.
• Nielson also reminds us that the majority of purchases in supermarkets are made by, guess who... women. Huge opportunity for the small breweries to get that we are the ones often purchasing the beer!
• An interesting statistic from 2006: A Morgan Stanley report stated 37% of weekly ‘craft beer’ drinkers are women whereas only 31% of weekly ‘beer’ drinkers are women.

Beer News: Michigan Brewers Guild Receives Grant for Hops

Story via MLive and the Kalamazoo Gazette

LANSING — The Michigan Brewers Guild will receive $74,000 in federal dollars to help promote Michigan-grown hops.

Guild president Scott Graham said he learned Thursday his organization, which represents more than 60 breweries around the state, would get the funding. The MBG is one of 21 projects selected by the Michigan Department of Agriculture to share $1.4 million in grants to create, enhance or expand agriculture development ventures across the state.

"It could grow into something that's cool, distinctive and regional," Graham said during a phone interview Friday.

Graham said the timing of the grant is perfect, as Michigan hop growers are beginning to emerge. Hop prices skyrocketed a couple years ago causing more farmers to explore growing the crop, Graham said. But farmers and brewers rarely communicated with each other, Graham said.

"What we're trying to do is bring the two groups together, so they can understand what each others needs are," he said.

The state's biggest hop player, Two Peninsula Hops, started in 2007 by a group of four Traverse City area farmers who grow hops on the Old Mission and Leelanau peninsulas, harvested its first substantial crop in late August/early September.

Two Peninsula Hops also has the ability to pelletize hops, which will make the Michigan-made hops easier for the state's brewers to use as they will be able to be stored for long periods of time. Fresh hops need to be used soon after harvesting.

Graham said the MBG plans to foster more communication between hop growers and brewers at two upcoming industry events — the Michigan Restaurant Association's annual trade show in Novi Oct. 19-20 and the guild's annual winter conference in Kalamazoo in January.

Graham said he also hopes to speak with restaurant and bar owners around the state about supporting local hop growers and brewers in the future.

Beer Photos: Royal Oak Brewery

Beer Review: Detroit Brewing Co. Detroit Lager

I purchased a bottle of Detroit Brewing Co. Detroit Lager at my local Oade's liquor store. Oade's is a small franchise of liquor stores in the greater Lansing, MI area, specializing in craft beers and hard-to-find drinks ($250 whiskey anyone?). This particular beer was about $2 for a 12 oz. bottle, purchased singly as part of a mixed 6-pack. [Expect more reviews soon!]

This is the description from the Detroit Beer Co. website: Brewed in the Bohemian Tradition, this deep golden lager exhibits a bold yet balanced hop profile due to the use of premium Czech Saaz hops. We us the finest Moravian two row barley to give Detroit Lager its signature crisp, yet surprisingly full body. Our deliberate fermentation process and rigorous quality control ensure the freshest, most authentic pilsner style lager possible.

In typical lager fashion, this beer is full-flavored and well-balanced. Like their description notes, it is rather authentic.

While pouring the Detroit Lager, the head was high and frothy, taking up about 2 1/2 inches of the mug, and nicely doming over the top. It makes for a rather picturesque beer, light golden yellow, but not watery.

The initial reaction to the flavor I had was to the hops. The hops adds a pleasant bitterness to an otherwise sweet beer. This is really just a two-note flavor, but pleasant through and through.
The aroma is faint, but unfortunately a rather generic-beer smell. No need for a special pilsner mug, there isn't much there to enhance.

I will definitely buy this beer again, it's pretty solid, yet light. I'd like to try this one with some fruit or something salty.

Beer Lingo: Linguistic History of some of your Favorite Expressions

Ever wonder where some of those drinking terms come from?
Follow this link, and expand your drinking vocabulary!

Beer Product: Beer Tap T-Shirt

Ever gotten up to go to the fridge, grabbed a beer and sat back down -- only to realize you left your bottle opener in the kitchen?
Well, no more!

Find this at Deez Teez.

-Sandy

Beer Lingo: "Growler"

If you go in to any brewpub where they brew their own beer, oftentimes on the drink menu you will see several sizes: pint, mug, pitcher, growler and keg (of various sizes). One of the most common questions people ask me regarding these vessels is "What's a growler?"

The dictionary defines a growler as: a pitcher, pail, or other container brought by a customer for beer.

Many brewpubs carry their own growlers printed with their logos, so you can show all your friends where you got their delicious beer.
The most common growlers are jugs made of clear glass, with a small handle and small mouth. Sizes can range anywhere from a half-gallon to a gallon.
The bartender should wash and sanitize each jug before filling. Once filled, they put on the cap, usually metal, and may or may not use some sort of tape to seal the growler air-tight.
Oftentimes their will be two separate prices for a growler of beer -- the price for the jug itself (a deposit) and the price for the beer to fill it. You will not have to pay a deposit for a growler if you reuse the same one over and over. It is best to thoroughly wash your growler with hot-soapy water before-hand, but the bars will sometimes also wash/sanitize your growler again for you before filling.
Remember to keep your beer cold at all times! And it is best to consume the whole growler within 72 hours (3 days). But depending on conditions, your beer may stay good for up to two weeks, if kept quite cold and sealed very tight.

Cheers!

-Sandy

Beer Event: Ypsilanti Summer Beer Festival

For Highlights on this event, and Michigan craft beers, please follow this link to the Promote Michigan Blog

Beer Video: Sly Fox Brewery Goat Race

Beer News: Frankenmuth Brewery takes honors at World Expo of Beer

Published: Tuesday, June 08, 2010, 4:44 PM Updated: Wednesday, June 09, 2010, 9:37 AM

The Saginaw News

FRANKENMUTH — The Frankenmuth Brewery recently won a silver and two bronze medals during the World Expo of Beer held in Frankenmuth May 21 and 22.

The silver medal went to the Frankenmuth Pilsner, and the brewery took bronze medals home for its Oktoberfest and Frankenmuth Hefeweizen.

The pilsner is a German-style golden lager, the Hefeweizen is a sweet mixture of spices and fruit with hints of clove and banana, and the Oktoberfest is a copper-colored seasonal brew.

The pilsner and the Hefeweizen are two of the Frankenmuth Brewery's six flagship beers.

Breweries around the world entered more than 400 beers in the competition.

Beer Holiday: American Craft Beer Week

The Colbert Report	Mon - Thurs 11:30pm / 10:30c
American Craft Beer Week
www.colbertnation.com
Colbert Report Full Episodes Political Humor Fox News

Via CraftBeer.com : American Craft Beer Week is May 17 – 23rd and there are over 100 breweries and bars already in the official event database that are planning to celebrate. Take the whole week off; tell your boss it’s sanctioned by Congress.

-Sandy

Beer Review: Saugatuck Brewing Oval Beach Blonde Ale

"Oval Beach Blond Ale
Easy-drinking, approachable, malt-oriented American craft beer. A great everyday pint and our best seller. 5.3% ABV."

The description from the Saugatuck Brewing website really says it all.

I got a pint from my favorite pub, Crunchy's of East Lansing.
The beer is a bright golden yellow and came with very little head. The most striking thing off-the-bat was all of the bubbles floating to the top, it is very reminiscent of champagne in that way.
The smell was quite faint, not overwhelming at all. The description by the Saugatuck Brewing site is right on, that this beer is easy-drinking and approachable. For those of you who may not be familiar with the world of craft beers, or Michigan beers, this is a great first taste!
I disagree with the malt-orientation, I got a very hop-flavored finished, with only a mild malt flavor. This blonde ale is quite balanced and mild-flavored, quite refreshing and could pair with almost any food.
I agree this is a great everyday pint! And the cost is reasonable, Crunchy's had it for $4 for a pint, the same price as Bell's Oberon ale.

-Sandy

Beer News: Smoke-free in Michigan on May 1

Featuring Comments from New Holland Brewing Company
Smoking ban: What about enforcement?
Counties, health depts. to have responsibilities


GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (WOOD) - Smoke-free air: Coming to restaurants and bars across the state May 1.

But health departments, such as the one in Ottawa County, are working hard to pull it off.

"This is going to create a challenge for us because there is going to be some enforcement," said Adam London, of the Ottawa County Health Department. "And the state has not provided funding for the enforcement, at least in restaurants and bars."

It will be up to the health departments to enforce the new smoke-free law, excluding 12 counties such as Kent and Ionia. The county's job will be deciding how to regulate it. Ottawa County already has a strategy that uses existing staff.

"We do have sanitarians do the restaurant inspections, and they will be looking for compliance with the smoke-free law during their regular inspections," London said.

For the first offense, a business would receive a letter asking management to explain what happened. And after that?

"A second violation would result in a corrective action plan essentially being asked of them," London said. "If they continue to have a problem, it would result in on-site visits from us."

Failure to comply could lead to the county revoking a food license from a business.

But that's not a problem at the world headquarters of New Holland Brewing, which has been smoke-free for seven years.

"The only thing we think it's going to affect is our front and back patios," said Shawna Cantu, the assistant general manager at New Holland. "And a little bit of our employees, as well."

The smoking ban impacts decks, where no food or drinks will be allowed if smokers choose to light up there. But New Holland employees say they think the smoking ban will be a draw, not a deterrent, for business.

"And I think the fact they're not coming into a smoky place just to enjoy a beer," Cantu said. "We have a lot of families that come in here as well, and I think they just feel comfortable."

In Holland, there have been workplace-related offenses for smoking ordinances. In 2008, there were 23 and last year there were 11 complaints. So far, this year there have been three.

-Sandy

Saugatuck spot on TV’s ‘Great American Brew Trail’ - Holland, MI - The Holland Sentinel

Saugatuck spot on TV’s ‘Great American Brew Trail’ - Holland, MI - The Holland Sentinel

Posted using ShareThis

Beer News: Oberon Day!

Bell's Brewery fans have declared today Oberon Day.
The new batch of Oberon ale is available for sale today.
If you are unfamiliar with Oberon, it is a local favorite, and fans wait patiently each winter until once again our favorite warm-weather brew is available again.

From the Bell's website (must be 21 to enter)

Oberon Ale

An American wheat ale brewed with Saaz hops. Spicy and fruity, Oberon is the color and scent of a sunny afternoon.

Original Gravity

: 1.057

Alcohol by Volume

: 5.8%

Available Pakages

: 4/6/12 oz. bottles (case), 15.5 gal. keg, 5 liter (1.32) gal. mini keg

Dates Available

: Summer Seasonal*

March 30th through October

State Availability

: AL*, FL*, IA, IN, KY, MI, MN, MO, NC, ND, OH, PA, VA, WI *Available year round

In order to preserve shelf & flavor stability, the 5 liter mini keg must be kept refrigerated.

-Sandy

Beer Video: New Holland Brewing's "Envious"

New Holland Brewing Company's Envious

-Sandy

Beer Event: Michigan Brewer's Guild Winter Beer Festival

"The 5th Annual Winter Beer Festival will take place Saturday, February 27th, 2010 at the Fifth Third Ballpark in Comstock Park, just north of Grand Rapids. The Winter Festival is a unique opportunity to sample some of the best beers in the world, all brewed in Michigan. We are expecting more than 35 Michigan microbreweries and brewpubs to participate and there will be more than 200 different beers available to sample. The event is open from Noon to 5:00pm. The Festival will take place in the outfield parking lot at the ballpark this year and breweries will be located within several large tents. We are planning to have a central bonfire, but only if the weather cooperates with low wind conditions. It would be helpful if everyone could hoist a Michigan beer and do a fair weather dance. We are hoping for good weather for a late February day in Michigan, but the Festival will take place snow, rain or shine.

The cost to enter the Festival is $35 in advance and $40 at the gate if tickets are still available.15 drink tokens are included with a ticket and each token is good for one 3 ounce beer sample. Additional tokens are available for purchase inside the Festival for 50 cents each. Local West Michigan bands will be the featured live entertainment. Food will be available for purchase.

Festival attendees must be 21 years of age or older and have ID to enter. Designated Drivers are encouraged and DD tickets will be available for $5 each." via Michigan Brewer's Guild Events Page February 19, 2010

-Sandy

Beer Event: Utopias 27% abv in Lansing, MI

via Facebook

"LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, CRUNCHY'S IS PROUD TO ANNOUNCE THAT WE HAVE WHAT YOU NEED....utopias...27%abv and one of the rarest beers in the WWWOORRLLD!! We have 2 bottles and are selling tickets for $10per 1oz (limit one per customer). On sale now, just ask the bartender and the tasting will be on Sunday Feb.14th @ 10pm. ...Yep that's Valnetin's Day, 'cause we love ya."

-Sandy

Beer News: New Holland Brewing to bottle Oak Aged Mad Hatter

A little birdy told me...
Or rather, Isaac, from New Holland Brewery;
Told me last night at the Brewer's Night at Crunchy's in East Lansing, that New Holland is working on producing for sale bottles of their Oak Aged Mad Hatter. Mad Hatter is New Holland's famous IPA. And once they oak-age it, it gets this wonderful flavor much like whiskey. Whiskey and beer? Now that's a famous combination!
Due to limited brewing area and limited space to store oak casks, their batches for bottles will be smaller than their usual batches for, say, Sundog ale, their also-famous ale.

Haven't tried New Holland beer yet? I highly recommend it. All of their beers taste very clean and polished. I have never been disappointed!

-Sandy

Beer News: Why Beer is the Latest Hope in Fighting Cancer

Via Daily Mail Online

By Anastasia Stephens
Last updated at 10:08 PM on 16th January 2010

Headstart for health: Beer can protect against prostate cancer

It might be your preference to crack open a bottle of red wine at the end of a hard day but you may be better off pouring a pint.

Researchers at the German Cancer Research Centre in Heidelberg have discovered that beer contains a powerful molecule that helps protect against breast and prostate cancers.

Found in hops, the substance called xanthohumol blocks the excessive action of testosterone and oestrogen. It also helps to prevent the release of a protein called PSA which encourages the spread of prostate cancer.

Scientists have long known that substances in hops help to block oestrogen. This is the first time, however, that they have been found to also inhibit testosterone.

'Research is still early but in trials we hope to further demonstrate that xanthohumol actively prevents prostate cancer development,' says Clarissa Gerhauser of the Heidelberg centre. If successful, xanthohumol may one day be developed as a cancer-fighting drug.

So which brews are likely to be richest in xanthohumol?

'Hops give beer its bitter flavour, so traditional bitters and ales will contain far more of this substance than light lagers,' explains Ben McFarland, author of the World's Best Beers.

Beers highest in hops, he says, are India pale ales such as those made by the Meantime Brewery in Greenwich, South-East London. First brewed in the 1800s, these ales were made with high levels of hops to act as a natural preservative for export.

Ales such as Sharp's and local bitters will also be hop-rich, containing around three to four times more than a typical light lager. Drinks such as Guinness owe their dark colour to malt and contain moderate levels of hops.

Alcohol Concern warns you should only drink beer within recommended limits - two to three units a day for women, three to four units for men.