So How Come They Call it “Beer”?
The indefatigable Zythophile is once again in top professorial form, this time tracing the origin of the word “beer.” Actually, we’re a bit ahead of ourselves: his current blog post deals with the words cereveisa and pivo, words that will get you a cold one in many, many countries. The former originated with the ancient Celts, and variations of it can be found from Madrid to Manila. (Fair warning: the Zythophile says that those who claim cerevisia comes from Ceres, the Roman goddess of agriculture, is perpetuating what he calls “perhaps the oldest beer myth in the world.” So there.)
As for pivo, it comes from Old Common Slavonic (surely you knew that), and is recognized in most of Eastern Europe and much of the former Soviet Union. (But not Hungary, where the word for beer is sör. Tracking down the origin of that word might have you reaching for something even stronger than beer.) In addition to pivo, other words from the same root include “potion,” “potable,” and even “beverage.”
Oh yes, the origin of “beer.” That, and “ale,” are subjects of a future post. Stay tuned.
Holiday Cheer(s) From Rick Lyke
This week’s Tuesday Tasting at Lyke2Drink puts the spotlight on holiday ales and warmers, which are more becoming more common every Christmas. Rick Lyke has gotten his hands on 14 of these beers, and tells us what he thinks of them. Rick’s list is a mix of old favorites and first-timers, and if you can find all of these on the shelves of your local beer store, consider yourself very lucky.
Ninety-Nine Bottles of Beer…
“Drabmuh”, a stalwart member of the BeerAdvocate.com community, noticed that most beers in the BA Top 100 represent a small fraction of all recognized styles. So he did some digging through the BA reviews and came up with the top beer in each of 99 styles.
Expecting to hear about it from fellow BA’s with a differing opinion, he’s already put on the flame-proof suit and yelled “Incoming!”
Compiling a list like this is difficult, but Ludwig says it’s more difficult to find–not to mention finish–every beer on the list. But he’ll award points for effort.
The Fab Five
No, we’re not talking about The Beatles. Or the cast of Queer Eye for the Straight Guy. Or even the University of Michigan basketball team that played in two Final Fours (and became the focus of a major scandal, but let’s not talk about that). The Fab Five is also a feature of Imbibe magazine. And that’s where Joshua Bernstein recently listed five must-attend festivals, each of which takes place in an up-and-coming beer town.
Dutch Courage: The Amsterdam Beer Bike
Amsterdam has a reputation for tolerance, but one recently-created pastime for tourists–the Amsterdam Beer Bike–is putting it to a test.
Here’s the deal: a group of tourists can rent a special 17-foot long bicycle equipped with a bar and–what else?–a karaoke machine, then cruise around the city streets while guzzling beer.
It’s great fun for the bikers, but some residents are fed up with the bikers’ antics, including verbal harassment, disregard for traffic rules, and even public urination. Riding the Beer Bike is risky, too: a group of women crashed their vehicle, resulting in injuries to several of them.
Criticism notwithstanding, the founder of one of the three companies that rent Beer Bikes insists the bikes have benefits: they make for a great team-building exercise, don’t leave much of a carbon footprint, and they’re a great way to see the city.
The bikes will be rolling in 2010, but under new regulations that limit beer consumption and require bikes to have a designated driver and follow pre-approved routes.
A Protest Grows in Brooklyn
Remember Suzette Kelo? She was the woman who challenged the condemnation of her property. Challenged it all the way up to the U.S. Supreme Court. She lost the case, which brings us to the story of Freddy’s Bar and Backroom, an establishment in Brooklyn that’s been condemned to make way for a new arena for the New Jersey Nets.
Freddy’s and a number of other property owners challenged the condemnation, but New York’s highest court threw out their lawsuit. So Freddy’s is staging the proverbial last great act of defiance: building a guillotine out of beer cans, and beheading New York’s eminent domain power in effigy.
Tearing down Freddy’s might turn out to be a big mistake. The Nets are 2-28 and could end up having the worst season in NBA history. Fans are going to need a few stiff drinks before watching that team play.
At the Penn Brewery, a New Era Begins
Pittsburgh’s Penn Brewery, which was recently given a new lease on life, will hold a “Sneak Peak Open House,” with light snacks, a preview tasting of their first batch of Penn Pilsner of the new era, and “other surprises.”
Penn’s website also has a KDKA-TV news story on the brewery’s revival, featuring owner Tom Pastorious and award-winning brewmaster Andy Rich.
Cheers, fellows! We’re glad you’re back.
Lagering Caves Unearthed in NYC
Once upon a time, the Bronx-based Ebling Brewing Company advertised that its beer was “aged in natural rock caves.” That claim turns out to be true: the New York Times reports that construction workers unearthed a network of caves once used by the brewery to store its beer. Unfortunately for the workers, they didn’t find any Ebling cans in the caves. According to Breweriana.com, those cans worth at least $175 apiece.
Update: A milestone for Ludwig Roars! This was our 100th post. Reason enough to pour one out and drink a toast.
“New Beer Resolutions”: An Online Conversation
The Brewed for Thought blog holds a monthly event called “The Session”, a virtual pub conversation about beer-related topics. This month’s session is hosted by Christina Perozzi, who blogs at Beer for Chicks and is the co-author of The Naked Pint.
Christina’s toss-up questions are:
• What was your best and worst of beer for 2009?
• What beer mistakes did you make?
• What are your beer regrets and embarrassing moments?
• What are you hoping to change about your beer experience in 2010?
• What beer resolutions do you have for 2010?
Christina’s virtual pub is open, and she’s waiting to hear from you.
Beer Bottle Band Christmas Cheer
Here’s a little holiday cheer for everyone courtesy of the Bowen Beer Bottle Band as they play “Do You Hear What I Hear.” Yes, it’s real. Yes, they really do play on beer bottles. They even have a FAQ explaining how they did it.