Author: Beer Affair

Chatting With Sam Calagione – Craft Beer, Overripe Tomatoes and Controlling Your Destiny

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Cheersing Sam Calagione with two of Dogfish Head's latest off-centerd ales.

Cheersing Sam Calagione with two of Dogfish Head’s latest off-centerd ales.

Last week, I had the pleasure of interviewing Sam Calagione, my personal idol and founder and president of Dogfish Head Craft Brewery, at the premiere of his new web series on First We Feast: “That’s Odd, Let’s Drink It.”

The show, created in collaboration between Dogfish Head and First We Feast parent company, Complex Media, calls together craft beer lovers and pop culture buffs to watch Calagione brew crazy beers with some of his idols, following escapades with unique and unusual ingredients inspired by industries spanning cooking to hip hop.

At the event, which was held at Eataly’s rooftop restaurant and microbrewery, Birreria on Wednesday, Sam ordered me a glass of the show’s debut beer and we talked idols, the importance of creative collaboration, and how to turn rotten fruit into delicious, refreshing beer. Here’s what I learned. Continue reading →

Hoppy Halloween … Love, the Lagunitas Girl

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Threw together a Little Sumpin’ Sumpin’ for the holiday…

Lagunitas a Little Sumpin' Sumpin' ale LIMITED RELEASE Halloween 2015

Lagunitas a Little Sumpin’ Sumpin’ ale LIMITED RELEASE Halloween 2015

Hoppy Halloween!

Love,

the Lagunitas girl
AKA
BeerAffair

 

Photography and Photoshop skills by Patrick Phillips

First We Feast Debuts ‘That’s Odd, Let’s Drink It!’ Web Series Starring Dogfish Head’s Sam Calagione

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On Wednesday, Oct. 28, food-meets-pop-culture blog, First We Feast launched its first official web series, “That’s Odd, Let’s Drink It!” starring Dogfish Head Craft Brewery founder and president, Sam Calagione. The six-episode series follows “fearless brewer,” Calagione as he makes, well, “odd” and inventive beers with a selection of pop icons spanning a variety of creative industries.  Continue reading →

Your Personal Halloween Variety Pack of Craft Beers

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Goblins, Gould and Gourds – a guide to scary good beers for your Halloween 12-Pack

Humboldt House Jack O' Lanterns

These are gourds. They might also be goblins or ghouls.

Halloween is prime time for scaring your friends into drinking devilishly delicious craft brews. This Halloween Variety Pack should help you bring that house party to the next level. Consider each of these bottles a love potion that will convert the non-believers to craft—forever. Get the full guide on Eventbrite.com/Rally.   Continue reading →

#WomanCrushWednesday: Sonya Giacobbe

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Sonya Giacobbe and Cat Wolinski at the Village Voice Brooklyn Pour festival, Sept. 2014.

Sonya Giacobbe and Cat Wolinski cheesin’ at the Village Voice Brooklyn Pour beer festival, Sept. 2014.

#WCW: Sonya Giacobbe

Beer Cred:

Sonya Giacobbe is the better half of KelSo, a Brooklyn-based beer company that launched in 2006 with Kelly Taylor, husband and overseer of the Heartland Brewery restaurant group (the “Kel”) and Giacobbe (the “So”) at the helm.

Recently, KelSo was awarded the Brooklyn-Made Gold Certification from the Brooklyn Chamber of Commerce for producing local ales and lagers that meet the Gold qualifications of being headquartered in Brooklyn, staffed in Brooklyn and most-if-not-all made in Brooklyn. The Clinton Hill-based beer company’s products (KelSo Pilsner, KelSo Nut Brown Lager) are now available on draft and in cans up and down the East Coast from Philadelphia, Penn. to New London, Conn.

Along with co-running the KelSo show, Sonya previously served as director of the Simon & Schuster and Machete Speakers Bureaus of the Greater Talent Network.

Well Said: 

“You don’t need to push the envelope to make a memorable beer. I want to be able to have two beers with dinner and still be able to give my kids a bath.” — KelSo of Brooklyn, Josh Bernstein, Edible Brooklyn Spring 2011: Issue No. 21 

Cheers to that, Sonya!
– Beer Affair

Take a Tour of the ‘Bestest’ Beer Bars and Brewpubs in Greenpoint

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A single malt and single hop (SMaSH) pint at Dirck the Norseman.

A single malt and single hop (SMaSH) pint awaits live music and schnitzel at Dirck the Norseman.

Orr Shtuhl is a director of user experience at a web design agency, Blenderbox, a cheese pairing instructor at Bedford Cheese Shop and Murray’s Cheese, and a resident of Brooklyn. Why do you need to know this? Because he’s also a beer expert, and he wants to give you “the bestest” tour of bars and brewpubs in what he believes to be New York’s supreme neighborhood for beer: Greenpoint.

When Shtuhl decided to launch The Bestest, the name for his craft beer touring company that will begin tours in November, he had locals’ interests in mind.

“[Greenpoint] is the best neighborhood for beer in New York right now,” says Shtuhl, who lives and works in the neighborhood, and plans to give tours on the side. “It has everything that’s good about beer in New York right now, and it’s still largely undiscovered. There are two brewpubs here within walking distance from each other—that’s insane!” Continue reading →

Coney Island Debuts New Experimental Brews at Surf Avenue Brewery and Taproom

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Coney Island Brewery - Eric Hernandez

Eric Hernandez, head brewer at the new Coney Island Brewery location on Surf Avenue.

On Saturday, Oct. 24, Coney Island Brewing Company celebrated the kickoff of Freak Week, a city-wide event featuring tap takeovers at NYC bars commencing at the brewing company’s new brick-and-mortar location on Surf Avenue.

Along with a few freaky costumes and a brief tour of the recently developed space, the week-long beer affair began with an impressive lineup of brand new brews, a handful of which will also be debuting at bars such as d.b.a. (Tuesday, Oct. 27), The Allie Way (Thursday, Oct. 29) and New York Beer Company (Saturday, Oct. 31) throughout the week, and the rest, for the time being, available only at the brewery.

“What we’re trying to do here is create a spectrum of beers,” said Adams, the brewery’s operations manager and self-proclaimed stout lover. “We [want to get] as Coney Island as we can get.” Continue reading →

All Aboard: Brewery Ommegang Hops on the IPA Train With New 2016 Releases

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via Ommegang.com.

via Ommegang.com.

A recent blog post from Brewery Ommegang stated the “exciting and delicious news” that the brewery plans to debut “at least eight brand new beers next year,” with two seasonals, two Brewmasters Obsessions, two Game of Thrones additions and two limited release brews ready to roll out in 2016.

The eight new beers include the Great Beyond Double IPA, Hopstate NY (limited distribution in New York only), Shadow Brewer Imperial Stout, Gnomegeddon, Game of Thrones Spring Release, Game of Thrones Fall Release, Hennepin Hop Explorer: Montueka and Hennepin Hop Explorer: Hop TBD. Continue reading →

#WomanCrushWednesday: Kim Jordan

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Kim_Jordan_New_Belgium

Kim Jordan, co-founder, New Belgium Brewing Company. Photo via NewBelgium.com

#WCW: Kim Jordan

Beer Cred:

Kim Jordan has more than 25 years’ experience in the craft beer industry. As co-founder of New Belgium Brewing Company (est. 1991) and having served as CEO for 15 years, she has strengthened the brewery and craft beer community at large as a leader, speaker and expert in all things beer biz. Jordan recently transitioned into a new role as executive chair at New Belgium, setting her sites set on strategy and  advocacy for progressive business practices both within the New Belgium Family Foundation and on the 1% For the Planet Board of Directors.

Well Said:

“Conservation is sexy.” – “Brewing Big (With a Micro Soul),” Entrepreneur.com, Nov. 2009

Cheers to that, Kim!
– BeerAffair