Bond. James Bond.
In case you haven’t seen it, here’s the Heineken commercial starring Daniel Craig, who plays 007 in Skyfall:
The Friday Mash (Wizard of Oz Edition)
On this day in 1939, the film version of L. Frank Baum’s classic story, The Wizard of Oz, opened at Loew’s Capitol Theater in New York. The film won six Academy Awards, including Best Picture; and, thanks to its re-introduction to the public on television in 1956, became the most-watched motion picture in history. Ludwig, however, has panned the film for its depiction of lions.
And now…The Mash!
We begin in Philadelphia, where the American Beer Blogger documentary has been nominated for an Emmy in Mid-Atlantic region’s Entertainment/Program-Special category.
In an effort to boost sales in a flat economy, some Czech brewers are committing beer blasphemy by brewing Radlers, beers mixed with drinks such as Sprite and lemonade.
Stereotypes die hard, especially when gender is involved. Naomi McAuliffe, writing in The Guardian, calls on British women to demand their pint of Real Ale.
“Craft beer” has earned a place in Merriam-Webster’s Dictionary. Feel free to enjoy it in a “man cave” while compiling your “bucket list.” Both of those terms have also been added.
A “blue moon”–a second full moon in the same month–will occur on August 31. MillerCoors, the makers of Blue Moon beer, will celebrate the rare event with a special-edition Caramel Apple Spiced Ale.
San Francisco’s Toronado beer bar opened 25 years ago today. Russian River Brewing Company will celebrate with a special sour beer, to be served at the legendary establishment.
Finally, here’s your invitation to predict the future. The topic for Session No. 67 will be How Many Breweries in 2017?. Derrick Peterman, who blogs at Ramblings of a Beer Runner, is your host.
The Friday Mash (Hurray for Hollywood Edition)
On this day in 1923, the iconic “Hollywood” sign was officially dedicated in the hills above Hollywood, California. It originally read “Hollywoodland ” the name of the housing development it advertised. The four last letters disappeared when the sign was renovated in 1949.
And now….The Mash!
We begin in Livermore, California, where the First Street Alehouse has more than 6,000 beer cans on permanent display. It’s North America’s largest collection, assembled over 36 years by local resident David Goett.
The world premiere of “The Cincinnati Beer Story”, a documentary chronicling the history of beer-making in the that city, will take place at Mecklenburg Gardens in Cincinnati. Several members of the film team are scheduled to speak.
A power outage caused by last week’s freak windstorm resulted in part of Port City Brewing Company’s beer being fermented at a higher-than-planned temperature. The Virginia-based brewery decided to release it as a California common beer called Derecho Common.
Evan Rail updates us on London. Once derided as Britain’s worst beer town, it has experienced a revival, with over 20 breweries in operation and several more on the way.
Call it “glass-roots politics.” Lobbying by beer lovers and media coverage prodded Alabama’s liquor regulators to rescind their ban on Founders Dirty Bastard and Backwoods Bastard.
Regents of the University of Minnesota voted to allow beer sales at TCF Stadium, the home of the Golden Gophers’ football team. The way that team has been playing, fans need a few to get them through the game.
Finally, Ben Davidson, a defensive lineman for the Oakland Raiders who starred in a Miller Lite commercial with John Madden and Rodney Dangerfield, passed away at the age of 72.
Would Citizen Kane Drink Pliny the Younger?
Canadian blogger Jordan St. John has a confession to make. He was “nonplussed” by the Pliny the Younger served to him at last month’s Craft Beer Conference. No, he’s not your typical beer snob showing friends how snooty he is. Rather, he contends that Pliny is a victim of its own success.
St. John offers an analogy from cinema: the 1941 classic Citizen Kane. Even those who watched the film have in effect seen it, because it has influenced so much of the popular culture after it. (He finds a number of parallels between Citizen Kane and, of all things, The Simpsons).
And that, St. John argues, is the problem with classics: a person exposed to a classic is bored because she’s already seen it. In a similar vein, beer aficionados have tried double IPA, which is heavily influenced by Pliny, the Citizen Kane of that style.
Beer Porn!
This film has been rated PG-21 for sexual overtones and graphic depictions of adult beverages.
Beer Porn from NW Film Center School of Film on Vimeo.
The Friday Mash (Major Medical Edition)
Today is Doctors Day, a day set aside to honor physicians. It marks the date in 1842 on which Dr. Crawford W. Long of Jefferson, Georgia, administered ether to a patient before removing a tumor from his neck. The patient said he felt nothing and wasn’t aware the surgery was over until he awoke.
And now….The Mash!
What would Jesus brew? They’re answering that question in Wilmington, North Carolina, where church-based homebrewing teams are facing off in the Heavenly Homebrew Competition of Churches for Charity.
Opening Day is almost upon us, and that happy prospect inspired the New York Times’s Eric Asimov to write about baseball and his favorite springtime beer–namely, porter.
In the Southwest, “beer run” refers to someone who grabs a case of beer at a convenience store, then walks out without paying. El Paso, Texas, the nation’s beer run capital, reported 2,876 such thefts last year.
Jeff Alworth, who blogs at Beervana, has a troubling thought. Young men aren’t joining monasteries; so if the monks can’t replenish their ranks, could we face the extinction of Trappist ales?
Watch out, beer bloggers. Boak and Bailey, who also blog, have figured you out. They’ve arranged you on a spectrum, and only three of their seven blogger categories are labeled “We like.”
Someone with GIF skills, and access to behind-the-scenes footage of Star Wars, invented a scene in which Princess Leia hands Luke Skywalker a beer. If you’ve blown up the Death Star, you’ve earned one.
FInally, Pete Brown isn’t a doctor, but knows a misdiagnosis when he sees one. He recently gave British anti-alcohol campaigners an earful over their blaming beer for an increase in liver disease.
The Friday Mash (Rocket Science Edition)
One hundred years ago today, Wernher von Braun, the greatest rocket scientist in history, was born in Germany. He was the architect of NASA’s Saturn V launch vehicle that propelled Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin to the Moon on July 20, 1969.
And now….The Mash!
We begin in Grand Rapids, Michigan’s craft beer capital, where the city’s Public Museum plans to add a brewing history exhibit.
All About Beer magazine’s Brian Yaeger wandered into the cinematic archives and dredged up the 1985 film Beer starring Loretta Swit and Rip Torn. Here’s his review.
Soon it will be easier for brewery startups to raise capital online. The U.S. Senate approved the CROWDFUND Act, which will allow businesses to raise up to $1 million through government-approved crowd-sourcing portals.
Good news and bad news from Victory Brewing Company. It’s about to reach capacity at its current facility, but will build a second brewery not far away. The new location will use water with the same mineral composition as Victory’s original brewery.
New York City’s craft beer has gotten oodles of publicity, but Long Island has quietly been upping its game as well. Imbibe magazine’s Josh Bernstein knows where to find good beer on “the Island.”
James Fallows, the Atlantic’s national correspondent, took time out from weightier issues to report on Australia’s craft beer explosion.
Finally, global warming didn’t cause the extreme heat in Columbus last month. The culprit was the Elevator Brewing Company’s Ghost Scorpion Lager, which was brewed with the hottest peppers on Earth.
The Friday Mash (Nachos Grande Edition)
Today is International Nacho Day. It honors the snack that was created in 1943 by Ignacio “Nacho” Anaya for a group of Army wives on a shopping trip to Mexico. A modified version of Anaya’s recipe debuted at Arlington Stadium in Texas in 1976, and soon made its appearance at stadiums and bars across America.
And now…The Mash!
We begin in Earls Barton, England, where Peter Dowdeswell, the holder of hundreds of speed eating and drinking records, was forced to retire becuase of injuries suffered while trying to drink a pint of beer while being held upside down.
Danville, Kentucky, which was a dry town not long ago, now has the most breweries per capita. Its two breweries serve a population of 15,000, putting it slightly ahead of Portland, Oregon.
Breweries aren’t the only small businesses that benefit from the craft beer boom. Bars and restaurants that serve their beer profit as well, which is why so many of them take part in city Beer Weeks.
Is New York City in your travel plans? The Village Voice has picked the city’s ten best beer bars, some of which aren’t on the proverbial list of usual suspects.
A bourbon barrel can’t be used more than once, which means an awful lot of barrels need a new home. TastingTable.com caught up with four distilleries, and found out how their barrels get creatively re-used.
Why hasn’t anyone thought of this before? A bar in Oregon is hosting a Beer Film Fest featuring oldies like W.C. Fields in “The Fatal Glass of Beer” and contemporary classics like “Beer Wars.”
Finally, if you have a thirst for adventure and $95,000 to spare, Thirsty Swagman’s Beer in Space tour is for you. You’ll be rocketed more than 50 miles above the Earth’s surface, past the boundary of outer space.
German Brewing Video From 1930
You’ve got to love the Gothic script and the classical music that accompanies it:
As always, the video is free but you have to provide your own food and beverages.
“Beer Culture”: The Movie
Here’s the trailer for the documentary, “Beer Culture,” which debuted last week at Upslope Brewing Company in Boulder. The film is Colorado-centric, and you’ll catch a glimpse of brewpub pioneer-turned mayor-turned governor John Hickenlooper.
As always, the video is free but the food and beverages are on you:
Beer Culture Trailer 1 from Free Mind Productions on Vimeo.