The Friday Mash (Gone With the Wind Edition)
On this day in 1936, Gone with the Wind was published. Author Margaret Mitchell won the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction for the book. Three years later, it was adapted into an Academy Award–winning film starring Clark Gable and Vivien Leigh. Ludwig recommends that you celebrate with an Atlanta-brewed micro–420 Extra Pale Ale, for instance.
And now…The Mash!
We begin in South Africa, where campers at the OppiKoppi music festival will be able to order drone-delivered beer. The drones are currently hand-guided, but will eventually fly on a GPS grid.
Here’s yet another reason to visit southwest Florida: craft brewing. Two breweries and a brewpub recently opened, and two more breweries are planning to open.
Why do so many bars serve peanuts? Contrary to popular belief, it isn’t because the nuts make you thirstier. Rather, the salt in peanuts helps counter the bitterness in beer, making it easier to swallow.
Ashley Rouston, The Beer Wench, is once again accepting nominations for the 2013 Most Eligible Bachelors of Beer. Nominees must work in the craft-brewing industry and must not be married or engaged.
Higher zymurgical education is coming to Colorado State University. The will build a microbrewery, and will also offer a major in fermentation science and technology.
The Buffalo Wild Wings restaurant chain is teaming up with Redhook Ale Brewery to brew its own beer. And yes, it will pair will with BW3’s wings.
Finally, beer yeast can be engineered to produce artemisinic acid, the most effective anti-malaria treatment in existence. Until now, that ingredient was both expensive and hard to find.
The Friday Mash (Spring Planting Edition)
One hundred and fifty-five years ago today, Washington Atlee Burpee was born. He founded the company known today as Burpee Seeds. Ludwig wants to set the record straight: the seed company is not related to burpless cucumbers.
And now….The Mash!
We begin in Amherst, Ohio, where workers building a storm sewer were surprised to discover what appears to be remnants of a brewery that closed for good in 1894.
The makers of Skol, Brazil’s most popular beer, have come under fire for bringing out a beer-flavored ice cream. Critics fear that the product will tempt children to try beer.
Baseball is back, and Marin Brewing Company is honoring the defending champion San Francisco Giants with a new brew, Orange and Black Congrats.
Ambacht Brewery, a two-room brewhouse in Portland, Oregon, is recycling leftover matzoh to brew Matzobrau, “a darkly-colored wheat ale with a crisp finish” and a 6.5% ABV.
Earlier this year, A-B rolled out Budweiser Black Crown Beer. Industry insiders wonder whether SAB Miller is going to retaliate with “Miller Fortune”.
Brandon Watson of TheDailyMeal.com lists ten beer products he wishes were a joke. They include the fake beer belly, Bongzilla, and beer-dispensing backpacks.
Finally, a word from our sponsor. Actually, sponsors. And not necessarily ours. Mashable.com has videos of the ten funniest beer commercials.
The Friday Mash (Penny Wise Edition)
February 15, 1971, was Decimal Day in Britain. From that day forward, the pound sterling was worth 100 pence; and shillings, half-crowns, florins and other charming coinage passed into British history.
And now…The Mash!
We begin in Australia, where that country’s governing body for cricket is combating the dreaded beer snake created by fans stacking thousands of cups through the grandstand.
John Schreiber of Manhattan Beach, California, has come up with beer pairings for Girl Scout cookies. For example, Thin Mints call for an old ale, like North Coast Brewing Old Stock Ale.
Jay Brooks has posted a new Periodic Table of Beer Styles at his Brookston Beer Bulletin. Credit for the table goes to a Reddit user named “Delirium Tremens.”
Something old, something new. The Epiphany One Puck will recharge your phone with a cold beer. The devices uses a Stirling engine, which turns heat disparities into energy.
NerdWallet.com scoured the country for the city with the cheapest beer. It’s Carlsbad, New Mexico, where a six-pack of Heineken costs $7.25. Most expensive? New York City, where the same sixer carries a $12.63 price tag.
Why has Sam Adams Alpine Spring been on the shelves for weeks? Jim Koch, Boston Beer Company’s CEO, explains that “in New England, we tend to look forward to next season.”
Finally, Bavarian glassmaker Spiegelau, with help from Sierra Nevada and Dogfish Head, have developed a glass designed for drinking IPA. Its ridges at the bottom bring out flavor by creating more foam.
Beer and Paczki
If you’re of Polish descent, or if you live in the Detroit area, you know what paczki (pronounced “poonch-key) are. If you don’t, paczki is the plural of paczek; and a paczek is a deep-fried pastry with a sweet filling. These are traditionally enjoyed on Fat Tuesday and the days leading up to it.
What beverage goes with paczki? Beer, of course. This combination is rich in calories, but fortunately, there’s a way to burn them off: today’s inaugural Paczki Run in the Polish-American enclave of Hamtramck, Michigan. Despite chilly temperatures, more than 1,000 people turned out for the 5-K race through town.
The Friday Mash (Man on the Moon Edition)
Forty years ago today, Apollo 17, the last manned mission to the Moon, blasted off from Cape Canaveral, Florida. The crew members for that flight were Commander Eugene Cernan, Command Module Pilot Ronald Evans, and Lunar Module Pilot Harrison Schmitt, who would later be elected to the U.S. Senate from New Mexico.
And now….The Mash!
We begin in Duluth, Minnesota, where the owners of Fitger’s Brewhouse found a good use for their spent grain. They feed it to a herd of cattle, which will eventually provide steaks for their new brewery-restaurant.
Balance was the watchword at Wine Enthusiast magazine, whose staff selected the top 25 beers of the year. A variety of styles and places of origin are represented on the list.
Last month, two states–Colorado and Washington–voted to legalize marijuana. Which means it’s only a matter of time before someone tries to brew beer containing cannabis.
It’s time to make those Christmas lists, and Billy Broas helps you shop for beer lovers with his top five beer books of 2012.
Jim Galligan, the Today show’s beverage correspondent, wasn’t impressed by Budweiser’s “12 Series” beers. He described A-B’s foray into craft brewing as “as forced, stilted and more than a little bit cringe-inducing.”
If you want to sell your beer at the local ballpark, it’s no longer as simple as striking a deal with the concessionaire. In many parks, you have to become a sponsor, which isn’t just costly but might be non-exclusive as well.
Finally, since Ludwig says it’s now okay to start drinking Christmas ale, John Foyston of the Oregonian recommends some of his favorites, and offers advice about serving them.
The Friday Mash (Acid Test Edition)
On this day in 1938, the hallucinogenic drug LSD was first synthesized in Europe. It entered popular culture in the 1960s when Timothy Leary promoted its use, and author Tom Wolfe documented the adventures of Ken Kesey and his acid-dropping band of Merry Pranksters.
Ludwig recommends avoiding this drug and sticking to beer.
And now….The Mash!
We begin in Fredericksburg, Texas, where Lee Hereford raised $2 million for his Pedernales Brewing Company by visiting would-be investors’ homes armed with a prospectus and samples of his beer.
Next Thursday is Thanksgiving. If you haven’t decided how to cook your turkey, homebrew chef Sean Z. Paxton has a recipe for “Tipsy Turkey”. You’ll need a good holiday ale for the beer brine.
Speaking of Thanksgiving, the beer brewed by Plymouth Colony Pilgrims might have offended craft beer purists because the grain bill included corn. With good reason: local barley crop often failed.
Canadian beer writer Jordan St. John toured Boston Beer Company’s Jamaica Plain facility, with none other than company founder Jim Koch leading the tour. St. John learned why sour beer and balsamic vinegar are similar.
About ten years ago, someone decided to dress up the gardens of Chicago’s Shedd Aquarium by planting hop bines. Now, dry hops from those bines will be used by Revolution Brewing, a local micro.
Next year, Anheuser-Busch InBev will roll out Budweiser Black Crown, which it describes as a “golden amber lager.” It will carry a 6% ABV alcoholic punch.
Finally, Ludwig would like to introduce Wojtek, a brown bear that fought alongside Polish soldiers during World War II. Adopted as a cub by artillerymen serving in Iran, the bear drank two bottles of beer a day.
World Series Beer
The Detroit Tigers and San Francisco Giants not only represent different leagues in the World Series, but their fans come from very different cultures as well. One part of that difference involves food and drink at the ballpark. At AT&T Park, Giant fans munch on Cha-Cha Bowls and Gordon Biersch’s famous garlic fries. They have a choice of more than 50 beers, including Anchor Brewing’s offerings. Comerica Park, the home of theTigers, specializes in Michigan-made food, such as Winter’s sausages and Hudsonville ice cream. Although Tiger fans prefer domestic beer, craft beer from Detroit’s Atwater Block Brewery is available as well.
The Friday Mash (Trinidad and Tobago Edition)
Fifty years ago today, Trinidad and Tobago gained its independence from Great Britain. This Caribbean island republic is the birthplace of calypso, steelpan, and soca music, chutney, and the limbo. A cold beer would go well with any or all of these.
And now…The Mash!
We begin in Hyde Park, New York, where the Culinary Institute of America’s American Bounty Restaurant celebrates its 30th anniversary with a special black ale brewed by Tommy Keegan of Keegan Ales.
Craft beer in Kyrgyzstan? Writer Chris Rickleton, who lives in the Kyrgyz capital, Bishkek, reports that the local beers aren’t bad at all, and that a couple of micros are open for business.
Three Portland, Oregon, women are planning to write a book titled Hop in the Saddle, a bicyclist’s guide to beer touring their city.
Now that Goose Island is part of the Anheuser-Busch family of beers, they will be available in all 50 states. The high-end Goose Island beers will continue to be made in Chicago.
The Yeastie Boys, a brewery in New Zealand, is a pioneer in open-source brewing. Bottles of its Digital IPA contain metallic blue QR codes which enable customers to brew their own versions of the ale.
Joshua Justice of the Houston Press lists the ten ugliest labels on beers sold in Texas. Some of the labels Justice can’t stand appear on bottles of very good beer.
Finally, iPhone users can play a new game that features bottlecaps from Michigan breweries. When you touch a bottlecap, the game gives you information about that brewery, including its location and a social media contact.
The Friday Mash (Alexander the Great Edition)
On this day in 356 B.C., Alexander the Great was born. He built one of the ancient world’s largest empires and is considered one of history’s best generals. He also inspired this line from Shakespeare’s Hamlet: “So why can’t someone plug a beer barrel with the dirt that used to be Alexander?”
And now….The Mash!
We begin in Victoria, British Columbia, where journalist Lisa Monforton travels that city’s Ale Trail. One stop on the trail is Spinnaker’s, Canada’s first brewpub, which opened 30 years ago.
The site of Detroit’s Stroh Brewery, which closed during the 1980s, is now the location of a U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, the first one ever to be located outside of Washington, D.C.
Ari Bendersky, an editor of Eater Chicago, updates us on Chicago’s craft beer boom, which shows no signs of letting up.
From the Department of Silly Beer Laws: Pennsylvania liquor regulators informed the Iron Hill brewpub chain that its ten-year-old mug club promotion violates the liquor code. The reason? It entitles members to larger servings at the same price non-members pay.
The Alchemist, a Vermont-based brewery, has gone retro, releasing a double IPA in 16-ounce tall boy cans. Tall boys were introduced by Schlitz in 1954.
Alan McLeod, the publisher of A Good Beer Blog, has written a review of Philadelphia Beer: A Heady History of Brewing in the Cradle of Liberty. The author is Rich Wagner.
Finally, this year’s Minnesota State Fair will sport a bigger craft beer selection, along with a Minnesota Brewers Guild booth. The fair’s expanded food lineup includes bacon ice cream, fried lamb testicles, and other yummy treats.
The Friday Mash (”Woooooooo. Pig. Sooie!” Edition)
On this day in 1836, Arkansas was admitted to the Union as the 25th state. Famous Arkansans (the accent is on the second syllable) include country singer Johnny Cash, Wal-Mart founder Sam Walton, former president Bill Clinton, and Tusk, the live hog that serves as the mascot for the Arkansas Razorbacks football team.
And now….The Mash!
We begin in Portland, Maine, home of an economist’s dream. Brewers and distillers have clustered in a district called Brewer’s Row. Notable residents include D.L. Geary Brewing Company and Allagash Brewing Company.
Erik Lars Myers, who blogs at Top Fermented, is also the frontman for Mystery Brewing Company. Myers explains how he raised $44,000 on Kickstarter.com to help launch his brewery, and explains how it was done.
The Los Angeles Kings won their first NHL title in their 45-year existence. Part of the Kings’ celebration consisted of drinking a bottle of Budweiser, left over from their loss to Montreal in the 1993 final, out of the Stanley Cup.
Kid Rock is scouring Michigan to find a new contract brewer for his American Badass Beer. Michigan Brewing Company, which made the beer, was foreclosed on by its bank and reportedly faces possible eviction.
Have you ever tried beer ice cream? Victoria Johnson of TheAwl.com has a recipe that uses beer and just three other ingredients: sugar, egg yolks, and heavy cream.
They’re not exactly moonshiners, but homebrewers in Mississippi are still breaking the law. Raise Your Pints, which successfully lobbied for a higher ABV cap in that state, is working to get the homebrew ban repealed.
Finally, 88-year-old Ethel Goldschmidt, of Brooklyn, New York, has started her own beer company. Her flagship beer is Ethel’s Brew, a summertime beer inspired by her 1951 trip to Oktoberfest with her late husband, Burt.