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The Lois Beer Club

Viewing life through the bottom of a Pilsner Glass

10 Best Beer Movies

  • #1
  • #2
  • #3
    Strange Brew

    Strange Brew - Original Trailer

    Strange Brew – Original Trailer(01:41) 47 views

     

  • #4
    Beer

    Beer 1985 scene Not black enough.mov

    Beer 1985 scene Not black enough.mov(02:02) 33 views

    The movie is pretty terrible but David Alan Grier makes up for it!

  • #5
    Animal House

    Animal House 1978 TV trailer

    Animal House 1978 TV trailer(00:31) 8 views

     

12 (Days) of Useless Beer Facts

Unlike wines, most beers should be stored upright to minimize oxidation and metal or plastic contamination from the cap.  High-alcohol ales, however, which continue to ferment in their corked bottles, should be stored on their sides.

Studying the experimentally induced intoxicated behavior of ants in 1888, naturalist John Lubbock noticed that the insects that had too much to drink were picked up by nest mates and carried home.  Conversely, drunken strangers were summarily tossed in a ditch.

Despite the month implied by its name, Munich’s annual 16-day Oktoberfest actually begins in mid-September and ends on the first Sunday in October.

The familiar Bass symbol, a red triangle, was registered in 1876 and is the world’s oldest trademark.

According to a journal entry from 1636, farm workers in the colony of Quebec not only received an allowance of flour, lard, oil, vinegar, and codfish; they were also given “a chopine of cider a day or a quart of beer.”

In 1965, a Belgian royal decree mandated that lambics must contain a minimum of 35% wheat.  It also ordered that labels state the name and location of the brewery.

Beck’s in not only Germany’s top export beer, it also accounts for 85% of all German beer exports to the United States.

Pennsylvania has had more breweries in its history than any other state.  In 1910 alone, 119 of the state’s towns had at least one licensed beermaker.

In their efforts to regulate beer quality, the ancient Babylonians, who were among history’s earliest brewers, decreed that any commercial beermaker who sold unfit beer would be drowned in his/her own libation.

Bottle caps, or “crowns,” were invented in Baltimore in 1892 by William Painter.  Painter proved his invention’s worth when he convinced a local brewer to ship a few hundred cases of beer to South America and back and they returned without a leak.

Beer advertising matchbook covers have become sought-after collectibles on Internet auction sites.  A 1916 matchbook promoting Brehm’s Brewery in Baltimore brought $43, while a 1930s cover promoting Eastside Beer from Los Angeles went for $36.

Beer and video games have a long association.  Tapper, originally a 1983 arcade game and now a computer one, tests players’ skills by challenging them to coordinate the movements of beers, a bartender, empty mugs, and patrons.

Japanese Beer Artist

When Japanese artist Macaon downs several cans of beer, he is doing it for his art. When he is done with the content, the creative beer lover recycles the cans in a unique way, turning the cylindrical aluminum into famous cartoon characters and game personalities.

In the photograph above, several cans have been transformed by the artist into Decepticon from Transformers. Friends for life, Toy Story’s Buzz Lightyear and Woody, were made from colourful beer cans that are true to the original characters

Other artworks from the unique include a mask of Star Wars villain Darth Vader, using silver cans of Japanese beer. He also twists some red, blue and black cans into the famous gaming icon, Super Mario.

Another character he brings to life from aluminum cans is Disney’s robot Wall-E, the trash-compacting robot.

The cans are carefully selected for colour and skillfully manipulated to look like these characters we know and love. Comic characters are not all Macaon forms from his cans. The artist also has a collection of animals, especially dogs, and other more whimsical creation. Photos can be seen on his website.

Christmas Gifts for the Beer Lover

I don’t know about you but there are always a few people on my list for whom choosing gifts is especially difficult.  They either seem to have everything that they could possibly want or I have no idea what to get them.  If you have someone like that on your list who loves beer here are a few gifts that they will certainly enjoy.

1. Buy Them a Beer Online

This works especially well with distant friends. Here’s how it works: You go to a website that offers this service. You buy your friend a beer or pretty much any kind of drink. They are contacted by the site with the news that they now have a credit to go out and have a drink on you. Want to give it a try? Check out YouGotBeer.com or Beer2Buds.com. These sites work quite differently from each other so check them both out.

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2. Magazines

There are some really good beer magazines out there.
All About Beer, US – Every issue is packed with industry news, articles that study beer in depth, and a ratings section that rates hundreds of beers.
Beer & Brewer, Australia and New Zealand – A quarterly that features industry news, beer & food matching, home brewing tips and beer tasting notes.
Draft, US – This magazine focuses beer drinking culture. Glossier and with a little less depth than the others, it is good for idle thumbing.
Beer Advocate, US – This is the ultimate craft beer lover’s publication from the owners of BeerAdvocate.com.

3. Beer Books

Every year there are new books about beer on the shelves. Here are some recent titles of interest:
Red, White, and Brew by Brian Yaeger – This is an entertaining book about one man’s beer odyssey as he explores the American craft beer scene, one brewery at a time.
Christmas Beer – This wonderful little book features reviews of author Don Russell’s fifty favorite Christmas beers as well as some entertaining histories and anecdotes about Christmas beer.
The Brewmaster’s Table- Perfect for the gourmand beer lover, this book explores the pleasures in the relationship between real beer and real food.

4. Breweriana

Collecting beer memorabilia is something that all beer lovers do at one level or another. Whether it be a labeled pint glass or two from favorite breweries or a rare 19th century bottle from a long gone brewer these items represent brand loyalty, devotion to the brew, and the owner’s particular love of beer. You can find signage, glasses, bottle openers, key-chains, and all sort of other things from you beer lover’s favorite brewery. If the brewery itself doesn’t have a website with items for sale – and most do these days – then you can usually find collectibles from many breweries on EBay.

5. Clothing

Beer themed clothing will also go over well with most beer lovers. Make sure, though, that if you are buying brand specific beer clothing that it is from a brand your beer lover actually likes! Most breweries sell tee shirts and caps. Some also offer pants, jackets, gloves, and pretty much any other article of clothing that you could think of with their logos emblazoned on them.

Christmas/Winter Specialty Brews – Lois’ Definition

     

Aroma: A wide range of aromatics is possible, although many examples are reminiscent of Christmas cookies, gingerbread, Englishtype Christmas pudding, spruce trees, or mulling spices. Any combination of aromatics that suggests the holiday season is welcome. The base beer style often has a malty profile that supports the balanced presentation of the aromatics from spices and possibly other special ingredients. Additional fermentables (e.g., honey, molasses, maple syrup, etc.) may lend their own unique aromatics. Hop aromatics are often absent, subdued, or slightly spicy. Some fruit character (often of dried citrus peel, or dried fruit such as raisins or plums) is optional but acceptable. Alcohol aromatics may be found in some examples, but this character should be restrained. The overall aroma should be balanced and harmonious, and is often fairly complex and inviting.

Appearance: Generally medium amber to very dark brown (darker versions are more common). Usually clear, although darker versions may be virtually opaque. Some chill haze is acceptable. Generally has a well-formed head that is often off-white to tan.

Flavor: Many interpretations are possible; allow for brewer creativity as long as the resulting product is balanced and provides some spice presentation. Spices associated with the holiday season are typical (as mentioned in the Aroma section). The spices and optional fermentables should be supportive and blend well with the base beer style. Rich, malty and/or sweet malt-based flavors are common, and may include caramel, toast, nutty, or chocolate flavors. May include some dried fruit or dried fruit peel flavors such as raisin, plum, fig, orange peel or lemon peel. May include distinctive flavors from specific fermentables (molasses, honey, brown sugar, etc.), although these elements are not required. A light spruce or other evergreen tree character is optional but found in some examples. The wide range of special ingredients should be supportive and balanced, not so prominent as to overshadow the base beer. Bitterness and hop flavor are generally restrained so as to not interfere with the spices and special ingredients. Generally finishes rather full and satisfying, and often has some alcohol flavor. Roasted malt characteristics are rare, and not usually stronger than chocolate.

Mouthfeel: A wide range of interpretations is possible. Body is generally medium to full, and a certain malty chewiness is often present. Moderately low to moderately high carbonation is typical. Many examples will show some well-aged, warming alcohol content, but without being overly hot. The beers do not have to be overly strong to show some warming effects. Overall Impression: A stronger, darker, spiced beer that often has a rich body and warming finish suggesting a good accompaniment for the cold winter season. History: Throughout history, beer of a somewhat higher alcohol content and richness has been enjoyed during the winter holidays, when old friends get together to enjoy the season. Many breweries produce unique seasonal offerings that may be darker, stronger, spiced, or otherwise more characterful than their normal beers. Spiced versions are an American or Belgian tradition, since English or German breweries traditionally do not use spices in their beer.

Ingredients: Generally ales, although some dark strong lagers exist. Spices are required, and often include those evocative of the Christmas season (e.g., allspice, nutmeg, cinnamon, cloves, ginger) but any combination is possible and creativity is encouraged. Fruit peel (e.g., oranges, lemon) may be used, as may subtle additions of other fruits. May use a wide range of crystal-type malts, particularly those that add dark fruit or caramel flavors. Flavorful adjuncts are often used (e.g., molasses, treacle, invert sugar, brown sugar, honey, maple syrup, etc.).

Comments: Overall balance is the key to presenting a well-made Christmas beer. The special ingredients should complement the base beer and not overwhelm it. The brewer should recognize that some combinations of base beer styles and special ingredients work well together while others do not make for harmonious combinations. THE ENTRANT MAY DECLARE AN UNDERLYING BEER STYLE AS WELL AS THE SPECIAL INGREDIENTS USED. THE BASE STYLE, SPICES OR OTHER INGREDIENTS NEED NOT BE IDENTIFIED. THE BEER MUST INCLUDE SPICES AND MAY INCLUDE OTHER FERMENTABLES (SUGARS, HONEY, MAPLE SYRUP, MOLASSES, TREACLE, ETC.) OR FRUIT. If the base beer is a classic style, the original style should come through in aroma and flavor. Whenever spices, herbs or additional fermentables are declared, each should be noticeable and distinctive in its own way (although not necessarily individually identifiable; balanced with the other ingredients is still critical). English-style Winter Warmers (some of which may be labeled Christmas Ales) are generally not spiced, and should be entered as Old Ales. Clones of specific Belgian-style Christmas ales should be entered as Belgian Specialty Beers.

Vital Statistics: OG, FG, IBUs, SRM and ABV will vary depending on the underlying base beer. ABV is generally above 6%, and most examples are somewhat dark in color.

Commercial Examples: Anchor Our Special Ale, Harpoon Winter Warmer, Weyerbacher Winter Ale, Goose Island Christmas Ale, North Coast Wintertime Ale, Great Lakes Christmas Ale, Samuel Adams Winter Lager

Drinking with George – Excerpt #2

 

A Proper Pint  

There are plenty of fine beers brewed in Ireland: Beamish, Harp, Kilkenny, Murphy’s, and Smithwick’s, to name a few. But when an Irishman (or woman) refers to “a proper pint,” they’re probably talking about Guinness. And the only way to appreciate a Guinness is to drink one pulled from the tap.

Unless you happen to live in Dublin, however, you’re not going to find a proper pint. You may think you’re drinking the real Guinness, but in the eyes of many Irish beer snobs, their sacred stout loses quality the farther away you get from the old brewery at St. James’s Gate.

My first visit to Ireland was a short one — an overnight trip to Belfast for an appearance on a local chat show. I made only one request of the show’s producers: I had to have a proper pint of Guinness. “No problem,” they assured me. ” We’ll take you out after the show.”

We wrapped around eleven P.M., which also happens to be closing time for most Irish pubs, but the producers promised me that they knew a place that was open. We entered a bar that didn’t look anything like the Irish pub in my mind’s eye — instead, a Liberace-clone played piano to screaming old ladies — but I wasn’t about to let the aesthetics interfere with my single-minded goal. “A pint of Guinness, please.”

The bartender raised his hands apologetically. “We don’t carry Guinness here.”

“All right,” I conceded. “How about a Murphy’s?” No. “Harp?” No. I worked my way through every Irish beer I knew. The bartender just shook his head each time. “So what do you have?” I finally asked.

“Bud, Bud Light, Coors, Coors Light…”

Now don’t get me wrong, I’ll happily drink any of those beers at an All-American picnic or a barbecue, preferably from a tub filled with ice. But not on my first trip to Ireland. Fortunately, a helpful waiter noticed my frustration. “I might be able to get you a Guinness,” he volunteered, sprinting across the street to a closing pub and returning with a couple of freshly poured glasses of the good stuff.

It was delicious, so much so that I later bragged about the experience to some of my Irish friends. They weren’t exactly impressed. “In Belfast, you say? That’s not a proper pint.”

It wouldn’t have mattered if I was in Kilkenny, Limerick, or Cork — I had to be in Dublin to drink a real Guinness. I wouldn’t find a reason to visit Dublin for several years, but when I did, I went straight for the teat, pulling a draft off a keg inside the brewery’s company store. I also bought a postcard for my Irish friends, inscribing it with the words “This proper enough for you?”

I got drunk for the first time when I was sixteen, at the 1965 World’s Fair in New York City, where I was visiting my sister, a hostess at the Illinois pavilion. During the day, the Fair was a testament to “Man’s Achievement on a Shrinking Globe in an Expanding Universe” and included the premiere of an animatronic Disney show called “It’s a Small World.” After midnight, once the mostly teenage staff was rid of the guests, the Fair became an international kegger. Party at the French pavilion! Party at the Japanese pavilion! I remember making a fool out of myself trying (unsuccessfully) to vault a hitching post at the Texas pavilion. Fortunately, my idiotic behavior escaped the notice of one of the other hostesses at the Illinois pavilion — my future wife, Bernadette. Small world, indeed.

I brought my taste for beer back home with me. But for Catholic teenagers in 1960s Chicago like me, with zero interest in politics or activism, there weren’t exactly a lot of opportunities to get wild and crazy. I spent the rest of the summer hanging out at Janson’s, a drive-in at 99th and Western. It was a lot like American Graffiti, except instead of souped-up hot rods, the kids drove their parents’ Plymouths.

One day my friend Terry Thulis and I got restless and wandered up the block to 100th Street, where we stumbled across a bar called Littleton’s. It was your standard neighborhood “old man” bar, dark and musty. Neither of us looked like old men: I was your typical sixteen-year-old kid, while Terry, a late bloomer, couldn’t have looked older than nine. But that didn’t stop us from dreaming. “Maybe they’ll serve us,” I said.

We poked our heads inside. It was dark. Very dark. Bizarrely dark. As our eyes adjusted, we saw that the place was nearly empty except for a couple of grizzled drunks at the bar. I nudged Terry. “Should we?”

We tried to look casual as we strode to the bar. The bartender was an older guy, maybe seventy, with white hair and eyes set so deep that you could hardly see them. He hummed a happy tune as he stacked some glasses, and he greeted us warmly when he noticed we were there. “Oh, hello!”

“We’d like a couple of drafts,” I said, hoping my voice wouldn’t crack.

“Coming right up!”

A few seconds later, he deposited a pair of beers in front of us. I looked at Terry in stunned disbelief. We emptied our glasses as fast as we could…and asked for two more.

“Sure thing!” the bartender replied. Chipper fellow. But there was something weird about his eyes….

“George,” Terry said, nudging me under the bar. “I think he’s blind.” He waved his hand toward the bartender. No reaction. I did the same. Still no reaction.

“I think you’re right!” I said. I looked over at the two drunks at the bar, who clearly weren’t blind. They were shaking their heads in disgust, universal sign language for “you little motherfuckers.”

“So wait a minute,” Terry whispered. “We have just found a bar, one block away from Janson’s, with a blind bartender who will serve us beer?”

“We can’t tell anyone,” I whispered back. “Not a word!” We quickly made a pact to keep our newfound oasis a secret.

Our “secret” lasted about fifteen minutes. By the following week, Littleton’s was overflowing with what used to be the Janson’s crowd: dozens of bicycles parked in front, a hundred rowdy teenagers inside. My guess is that the two old drunks tipped off the cops, who showed up that weekend to bust up the party.

Buy The Book Here

Sam Adam’s Utopia…. $190 a Bottle!

Samuel Adams Utopias is a brewing masterpiece of sorts, a blend of beers aged in various wine and spirit barrels for up to 19 years. It’s a special ambrosia, one that commands a special price –$190 a bottle.


But that’s only if you can find one on the shelves to buy. These curious kettle-shaped bottles get snapped up by beer geeks like they’re Tickle Me Elmo dolls and it’s Christmas 1996. Those who miss the feeding frenzy have to turn to places like eBay, where prices can range $300 to $400 a bottle.

That’s a ton of money to spend on 24-fluid ounces of beer, and it begs the question – is it worth it?

Well, that hinges on several factors that for me, say yes.

First, let’s talk vintages. Utopias has been released six times since 2002, making this year’s 2012 batch the 10th anniversary edition.  Every release is different from the last – the blend is tweaked, the types of casks used to age the beers are changed up, special ingredients come and go and the alcohol by volume seems to increase a bit each time.

The first Utopias I ever tasted was a 2007, and the first sip literally made my body tingle with delight from head-to-toe. It was magical, perhaps the most enchanting mouthful of beer I’ve had in my lifetime.  That 2007 vintage was certainly worth a couple of hundred dollars for a bottle, but what about the 2012 release?

The heart of this year’s batch is a dark beer brewed with maple syrup.  It’s blended with several other brews that have spent time aging in a variety of wooden vessels, from Portuguese Tawny Port casks to Nicaraguan rum barrels. The oldest beer in the blend is Samuel Adams Triple Bock, the company’s original extreme beer brewed in 1993 – it’s been aged in wood for almost 20 years.  Each lends a unique flavor to the mix.

Pour a couple of ounces of Utopias into the fancy Riedel glass that comes with each bottle, and the first thing that strikes you is the lack of bubbles. Utopias is a “still” beverage, which is a nice way of saying it’s a flat beer. This is something most brewers and beer geeks try to avoid, but it works here because all the layered flavors in Utopias make you forget that it’s a beer at all. Utopias drinks more like a brandy or a cognac.

Bring the little snifter to your nose and you’re greeted by a thick stream of boozy maple syrup, some sticky dark fruits and just a hint of tobacco. A sip treats your palate to a syrupy vanilla sweetness, followed by a cloying gush of honeyed port wine, with notes of chocolate, figs and raisins dancing in-between. Wait a second or two, and your lower chest blossoms with a lovely warmth from the beer’s 29% alcohol by volume.  There’s not much of a hop finish here, despite Samuel Adams’ claims that there are Mittlefrueh, Teggnanger and Splater varieties aboard.

 

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Magic Hat Hex Octoberfest Review #9

Mood

 

Kurt  O.    Tired-ish

Tracy S.     Cranky

Jeff  D.       Third Wind

Emily D.     Dreading Monday

 

First Impressions

 

Mel        You know, I kinda like that…

Tracy     Smooth

Emily     Not too bad

Jeff        Not the total frontal assault of an IPA

Kurt       It hits my tongue funny.  Mel interjects: It hits my tongue just fine.

[Pours beer into glass]  Great head.  Lots of head.  That’s what beer should look like.

It’s a totally different taste in a glass.  Mel interjects: I disagree.

 

Halftime

 

Emily     This is my favorite of all of these fall beers

Tracy     Would totally do this again

Kurt       I would do it again in the glass.  But only if I take it in a glass.  Thank god it’s not in a can.

Mel        [No comment.  Has already gone back to wine.]

 

Final thoughts

 

Emily     Being the scribe is no fun.  BUT, this is a delicious beer…the only one since the inception of this club that I have truly enjoyed.

 

 

Pride of Cleveland

Who can forget those heady days when Cleveland was a leading producer of suds — not soap, but beer? There was Carling’s Black Label, and the catchy phrase, “Hey Mabel, Black Label.”  My wife worked for a time at the brewery, then located at 105th Street near Euclid Avenue. She never met Mabel, nor did any of the other workers, but they sure enjoyed the fringe benefits — a case of beer a week.

Jimmy Dudley, the affable voice of the Cleveland Indians, promoted many of our home-brewed beers.  P.O.C., whose initials supposedly stood for the “Pride of Cleveland.” Also, it was derogatorily called other names as well which I shall not get into.

Dudley also sang the praises of “Erin Brew, the Standard Beer,” a Cleveland frothy favorite quaffed in large quantities by thirsty Indians fans on hot days at the old League Park and the Stadium.

Leisy Light had many fans as well. And other Cleveland brewed beers popped up from time to time, then gradually disappeaared from the scene — like the steel mills and the ore boats.

Let’s all raise our glasses high and toast the beers that made Cleveland famous!

– Walter Mack, North Carolina (formerly, Cleveland)

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The history of the Buckeye Brewing Co. 1838-1972

Buckeye Brewing Home Page 

 

Over on Toledo’s East side in the year 1838 the Buckeye Brewing Company first got its start. It is believed to have started at Front and Consaul Street; this is the very same corner where Tony Packo café is today, the one made famous by Jamie Farr, Kilinger of M*A*S*H fame.

  The next big move to Buckeye came in 1854 when Julius Kohler bought the brewery and moved to its new location at Bush and Champlain streets, this is the same area where the brewery made its home till it closed in 1972. The brewery went through many hands during this time, first Kohler and Co., than Rudolph and Georgy, than in 1858 Stephan & Co. and Lehman & Eckarts than through the hands of  J. Groenewold and Norton but it wasn’t till Jacobi and Coghlin bought the brewery in the mid 1800’s that it became a major producer of beer in the Toledo area.

   Jacobi and Coghlin used the date 1872 as the beginning of the brewery and you can find this date on some of the advertising memorabilia that Buckeye has, but the true date is 1838 giving Buckeye 134 years of brewing in the Toledo area. One of the nation’s oldest breweries, Buckeye maintained its record of continuous operation through the prohibition era by bottling soda drinks and brewing near beer. They also had underground facilities that they used for cold storage. After the repeal of prohibition Koerber’s and Lubeck breweries resumed operation, but by 1949 both had gone out of business, leaving Buckeye the only brewery in Toledo.