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
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Your Personal Halloween Variety Pack of Craft Beers
Goblins, Gould and Gourds – a guide to scary good beers for your Halloween 12-Pack
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
Sonya Giacobbe and Cat Wolinski cheesin’ at the Village Voice Brooklyn Pour beer festival, Sept. 2014.
#WCW: Sonya Giacobbe
Beer Cred:
- Co-owner, KelSo Beer Co.
- Previous Trainer/Assistant Manager, Pyramid Alehouse
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
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
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
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
Beer Quote: Thomas Jefferson on Drinking in Moderation
“Beer, if drunk in moderation, softens the temper, cheers the spirit, and promotes health.” — Thomas Jefferson
hat tip: “10 Beer Quotes To Celebrate National Drink Beer Day, aka The Best Holiday Ever,” Bustle.com, Sept. 28, 2015.
#WomanCrushWednesday: Kim Jordan
Kim Jordan, co-founder, New Belgium Brewing Company. Photo via NewBelgium.com
#WCW: Kim Jordan
Beer Cred:
- Co-founder and Executive Chair, New Belgium Brewing
- Brewers Association Board of Directors (Packaging Brewery Representative)
- Ex Officio Board Member, the Beer Institute
- Entrepreneur Magazine Trailblazer (2009)
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
Slideshow: Harbor Brew Fest 2015 – Connecticut Brewers Connect with Craft Beer Fans
All photos by Patrick Phillips, director of photography at Team Biscuit Films, LLC.
To see individual images and captions, click through to the thumbnails. Continue reading
Harbor Brew Fest Hits a Home Run With Connecticut Craft Beer Offerings
On Saturday, Oct. 17, Connecticut craft brewers and out of town favorites filled Bridgeport, Connecticut’s Ballpark at Harbor Yard for the fourth annual Harbor Brew Fest. The high-spirited beer affair brought brew-loving locals the the latest craft concoctions from area favorites like Two Roads Brewing Co., Back East Brewing and Half Full Brewery, along with a impressive selection of food truck fare and live entertainment.
With local breweries joined by a selection of widely known Northeast, West Coast and international brands, the fest provided an impressively diverse selection—and proved that Connecticut brewers are standing up to the challenge of creating unique, experimental and well executed ales and lagers. Continue reading
Beer Affair 