Sweet and Sour

I ask you to remember back to the days when a parent or grandparent mixed you, siblings and/or friends a great batch of lemonade. Was it to sweet? Too sour? Just right? I guess that can still happen with a friend, significant other or even the choices mentioned above still today. I'm someone that likes that perfect balance in such a drink. I want the best of both worlds. I also look for the same when it comes to ciders.

I was recommended a few ciders over the weekend and reluctantly gave in. Unfortunately, I'm a very stubborn person. Sometimes that plays into my hands just as it sometimes doesn't . Surprisingly, I can go for  crisp glass of cider once in a while. I really enjoy coming across some bubbly textures in beers I try. I find that I get more of that texture when I drink some ciders.

To me, a good one has to have that perfect balance I mentioned earlier. Not too sweet. Not too sour. We do have Arsenal Cider House here in nearby Lawrenceville. I've only had two of their offerings - Fighting Elleck and Picket Bone Dry. Both are excellent. Tart, sweet and dry. Arsenal has a lot more that I haven't yet come across. Hauser Estate Winery in Adam's County provides us with Jack's Cider which is also another great cider choice.  This weekend left me pondering one question. Do those of us in the craft beer community accept ciders into the realm of craft? I've never really thought about nor actually spent time looking into it.

Gettysburg's Dobbin House Tavern is a bad place for photographing cider.

We've drawn some thick lines over the years when it comes to what's craft and what's not. An argument that's driven me nuts on this blog. I've always argued (maybe even ignored, but who really cares) that what tastes good can be craft. It really shouldn't matter.

Personally, I'd include cider in the craft category. It's all based on taste and personal preference and not what some association writes down on some important piece of paper. Yet, people still find ways to fight over such things. Just end the world now and spare me the stress.

That Settled Matters in His Mind

Continuing back on the Civil War theme from late last week, which has been known to make a few appearances on this blog once in a while. I usually plan on making a week's worth of posts relating beer/drinking to Gettysburg when we get closer to the anniversary each year, but I had a slight epiphany over the weekend and that was once again on the topic of Pennsylvania heroes and whether or not they should have a beer named after them today.

A lot of people don't know it, but John F. Reynolds is one of the more important Pennsylvanians to ever call the Commonwealth home. Born in Lancaster in 1820 and rose to the commander of the First Corps of the Federal Army before falling on the first day at Gettysburg at the age of 42.

Historians argue that he was one of the main people that saw the value of the Gettysburg terrain and was integral in the armies meeting there for one of the most epic clashes on North American soil. One of the most recent books I've read claimed that Reynolds is pretty much the one that decided the field. I've mentioned Allen Guelzo's book The Last Invasion a number of times on this blog. Here's one of my favorite passages around the time of the supposed meeting at the Seminary Cupola on the morning of the first day's fighting.

"That settled matters in Reynolds' mind, and he delivered to his aides a short volley of orders and messages that put the final seal on the battle. First, to Meade at Taneytown, a verbal notice to be carried by Capt. Stephen Weld: "Ride at once at your utmost speed" - even if it killed his horse - "to General Meade; tell him the enemy are advancing in strong force and that I fear they will get to the heights beyond the town before I can. I will fight them inch by inch and if driven into town, I will barricade the streets and hold them back as long as possible." He then added for Meade, almost as an afterthought, While I am aware that it is not your desire to force an engagement at that point, still I feel at liberty to advance and develop the strength of the enemy. Then, to Abner Doubleday: "I will hold on to the Chambersburg Road," while "you must hold on to the Millersville Road." Third, to Otis Howard. "he had encountered the enemy in force" and Howard was "to bring your corps forward as rapidly as possible." And finally to Dan Sickles and the III Corps, even more concisely, "Tell General Sickles I think he had better come up." This would leave Meade with no choice. Once Reynolds had committed three of Meade's seven infantry corps to Gettysburg, Meade could not refuse to support him with the other four."

I mentioned earlier about the "supposed meeting" meaning that it's more likely that in the fury of the opening battles and with time of the essence that the meeting between Reynolds and John Buford didn't play out the way it's been dramatized over the years. I've always been told that Reynolds aides swore that it all transpired somewhere in the vicinity of McPherson's Ridge.

I've got goosebumps and chills upon listening to a moving piece of music or certain movies, but it's been rare to encounter such a case when it comes to reading. Well, it happened the first time I took that excerpt in. The great sons and daughters of Pennsylvania are already honored in other unique ways. William Penn is on the Quaker Oats label, Andy Warhol is one everything and Fred Rogers is still a role model to families everywhere even though he's no longer with us.

The Reynolds monument just inside the gate of the Soldiers' Cemetery.

I know we have monuments to pay homage to historical figures. Reynolds is on at least three monuments prominently at Gettysburg alone that I know of. My point here today is why not a beer?  That also brings me to another point - Shipyard brews Chamberlain Pale ale named for Joshua Chamberlain who conveniently, for my argument, was also a hero at Gettysburg and is arguably Maine's biggest hero in the war.

Why the hell not? As far as I know, there isn't one named for Reynolds among the Pennsylvania brewers as of yet. I feel that Lancaster Brewing should get first dibs. Hear me out!

Monday Rant: Hide the Booze

I don't think I've ever noticed what I did Saturday night when I went in to grab a few drinks and dinner at one of my favorite local pubs. I always turn and squint at the calk board that lists whats on-tap and the ABV's of each offering is also etched alongside each brew. For whatever reason I love that they're always written sloppy. One of those traditional things I guess. Oh boy did I notice something. Something that is an odd, but dangerous trend that could be going on in craft beer.

At least half of the brews on the chalkboard were seven percent or above! Which led me to my next thought - I've seen this a lot of the places I frequent. It's not just an isolated thing. Brewers are putting out more potent brews. Brews that also seem to hide the alcohol quite well.

I mean we've all been there, even before we learned to take ABV's into account when selecting what we're drinking.  We've also had that time when we have a few with our dinner and wonder where that loose feeling came from. The we look at the ABV and said wow it sure didn't taste like it.

I remember when there was a big fuss over an article or column about the winification of craft beer. Well, seeing half of the beers offered close to eight or nine percent alcohol looks more like we're going a little closer towards liqour than we need to be. I'm alright with the current boldness of craft beer. We have plenty of brews that up the ABV scale just like the ones I saw on Saturday. I just hope that brewers don't go on another "let's out-do the other" phase as they've been so prone to do. How much farther do we really need to go? It's fine as is. Let's retain the status quo!

Adjunct Adventures

I wrote about the pluses of corn in beer earlier this week. Once I finished the blog post, I posed a quick question on Twitter asking if anyone knew any brewers in Western Pa. that had or still use corn in any of their brews. I was surprised at the response I got. Here are some of the informative tweets I received.

@BurghBeerSnob Straub does. Technically, it's part of the American lager style.
— Craft Pittsburgh Mag (@CraftPittsburgh) November 5, 2013

@CraftPittsburgh @BurghBeerSnob yuengling uses corn syrup....
— Jake Johnson (@jacobecody) November 5, 2013

@CraftPittsburgh @BurghBeerSnob @StraubBeer uses flaked corn in Amer. Lagers as per their 140 yr. tradition. They also brew craft styles w/o
— Michelle Reid (@Pourthing) November 5, 2013

. @BurghBeerSnob @CraftPittsburgh We've also brewed w/corn: Pennsyltucky Uncommon, Classic American Pilsner, and S.W.I.L.L. all had it.
— Scott at EastEnd (@EastEndBrewing) November 5, 2013

Craft Pittsburgh and an old college friend were the first to note that Straub has and always used corn in the American Lager. So, I went ahead and double-checked. They both were correct. Flaked corn was on the malt bill in St. Mary's. As for the East End brews, I did recall uncovering that the Pennsyltucky Uncommon that was made for Pittsburgh Craft Beer Week included corn in some capacity. I just didn't recall it being used until that tweet jogged my memory, so to speak. The thing that stands out to me about the East End response is that none of those beers (or the brewery) was vilified or outcast for using corn.

Douglas from Baltimore commented on the post that initiated all of this corn stuff and mentioned that as long as the beer is well-crafted it shouldn't really matter. He has a strong point.

In case you haven't noticed, I don't care for the way the word adjunct gets thrown around. Or maybe that it's the way certain beer ingredients have been logged under that category. What I hate the most is that if a brewery uses it, there are some out there that don't consider said beer or brewer "craft" or "crafty enough."

Still, I don't feel as if I'm done on this subject. Adjuncts in beer might be a great topic for my usual Monday post. Eventually I might do a post on some beer's I;ve tried and enjoyed with corn in them in some form. We'll see. Stay tuned.

Monday Rant: Ancient Law

Many of us are well aware of the out-of-date liquor laws in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. We've bickered with each other about them for years concerning the subject. With that said, a lot of us still find loop-holes in the system.

Beer trades, as we call them, happen all of the time in states that don't allow the shipping of alcohol within their respective borders. It's not allowed in Pennsylvania, but that hasn't stopped many from shipping and/or receiving. Think about it, it's not like the state governments or the post office inspect every single package. You can pretty much ship anything you want. Just pack it in the box and take it away to begin its journey.

Last Thursday, news broke of a Senator's idea to end an old law that prohibits the USPS from shipping alcohol. Sounds like a great idea. I don't think it'll erase all of the hurdles in terms of shipping alcohol from state-to-state, but it's certainly a step in the right direction. According to the article, the change would only allow the post office to ship to and from states that already consider it permissible. Obviously, such a law wouldn't change much in Pennsylvania.

Why the hell not, though? The post office in this country is already in dire straits. It has financial issues out the wazoo. Why not help it out while giving brewers a small boost financially, too?

Yikes

One consistent aspect of my odd, but eccentric lifestyle is the morning routine before heading off to work. Make breakfast (usually either a bagel or two pieces of toast with peanut butter) then a cup of black coffee. Once both of those tasks are done, it's time to either flip on my Sirius Satellite Radio or the Weather Channel to get the weather report for the upcoming day.

Well, when the Weather Channel is on in the mornings it isn't entirely weather anymore. there is some news interjected at certain points. I usually don't pay much attention to them, but I looked up at the television yesterday morning when I heard of a potential world wine shortage.

Something that's certainly not as scary as a beer or hop shortage for those of us that are really into beer, but it's still very possible. With that said, I think I have a fabulous idea for an April Fool's post one day in the future.

Happy Halloween.

 

An Industry of Numbers

I was recently alerted to an intriguing infographic with tons of cool information in the craft beer industry. I think I've only given the airwaves to another person on this blog just once if I can recall correctly. I'll do so once again today and give the reigns to Matt Zajechowski. Kendall College, where the beer infographic originated, is one of Matt's clients.

Without further adieu, take it away Matt.

Just a segment of the craft beer infographic.

A Toast To The Growth Of Craft Beer!

Let us all take a second to toast to the growth of the craft beer industry. The craft beer industry has a whole has seen tremendous growth in the last decade. Craft beer drinkers have to rejoice at this fact. No longer are we forced to settle drinking on watered down light beer from the big 3 (Coors, Miller and of course Budweiser). Most consumers in the United States still choose to settle on these light beer choices, but the good news is that there are many more choices for consumers who enjoy the different tastes and styles of craft beer. The growth of the craft beer industry was something that both students and professors in the hospitality program at Kendall College decided they wanted to learn more about. They took the time to study different factors of the craft beer industry. They focused on overall growth of the industry, employment numbers and jobs that the industry creates, different demographics views on craft beer, people’s view on craft beer taste and also food pairings with craft beer. This resulted in the craft beer infographic that can be seen here. There is a lot of good information in this infographic but I’ve highlighted some of the more important findings below:

• Consumers enjoy the taste of craft beer. 36% of consumers say they enjoy the taste of craft beer. This number still may not be that high but has been on a steady rise over the past decade. The big 3 still control roughly 90% of beer sales overall so seeing that number rise is a positive step in the right direction for the craft beer industry.

• Younger age groups are more apt to try craft beer than older age groups. 43% of Millenials (ages 25-34) say they prefer the taste of craft beer. When you compare that to Baby Boomers only 32% prefer the taste of craft beer. I think this trend will continue to rise when younger consumers become of drinking age.

• People tend to enjoy pairing craft beer with food. It makes sense because food and drink pair well together. Certain beer styles pair better than others with different types of foods. Darker beers tend to pair better with desert foods. If you like lighter beers like wheat beers and saisons try pairing them with salads and sushi and other lighter food options. 

• Overall sales of craft beer has continued to rise and is projected to continue to rise within the next few years. Experts project sales of craft beer to top 40 billion by 2012. This is impressive when compared to sales in 2007 that were only 5.7 billion.

• The total number of breweries is growing as well. As of 2012 there were 2,403 breweries which is the highest number since the 1880s.

Monday Rant: Thou Shall Not Speak of That Word

I used to be into the sports thing. I even took it as far as to have a sports blog. I've been blogging, as it were, since I was in middle school. The very first one I had pertained to baseball stadium designs I had made in a CAD class. I have no idea what happened to it, but I strove on. I do this and I've even gone as far as posting my photographs taken at Gettysburg to their own blog.

As I mentioned earlier, I was into the sports thing. The fighting and bickering among the Pittsburgh sports fans in the online communities sort of drove me away. As I grew older I just didn't have the stomach for it anymore.

An article from Esquire, in just a single usage of a word, instantly brought back the horrors of the carnage that was sports blogging. I've found the worlds of writing about beer and Civil War battlefields much more relaxing in part to the fact that few actually care about the aforementioned subjects. Still, when I see the word "butthurt" in a craft beer post or article I'm instantly thrown back in time to the periods of barbaric keyboarding sports fans partake in.

Yes, I understand that there's arguing in the craft beer spectrum. I just don't see how that word in which I refuse to repeat can even be used in a sophisticated conversation or argument. I don't understand as to why it needs to get personal. I've always been an advocate of being respectful towards everyone else's beer tastes. I don't see the need to troll or make fun.

You don't like a certain style of beer, brewery, or type of glass? Fine. More for me.

Craft Beer Impossible

Like most humans, my intellectual side s sometimes stimulated when skimming through articles on the internet. I was a journalism student in college. Surprise, right?

An article via CNBC had the typical headline you see about how craft beer is booming and that the sky is the limit for the industry. Yes, it sounds like your typical puff piece before you click on it. This article was a bit different though.

Us journalism kids were always about the sources and quotes used within our stories. Sometimes they make of break your story. For the one I read, a quote is what made this story stick out in my mind.

The quote in question said that it's quite possible that the craft beer industry can one day be very similar to the restaurant industry with many new breweries jumping in and leaving just as fast.

That's amazing when you think about. That's some amazing speed in terms of growth. Also, the thought of such a diverse selection might pose a chance of dissolution of the overall product. That product, in short, is one of the things we all love. Beer.

Monday Rant: Definitions, Definitions

As I'm a well-known cynic, I take exception many things in both life and society.I complain like an old man. Everyone tells me that I'm pretty much a 60-year-old man in the body of a what is now a 25-year-old. Many issues irk me within the beer community. I threw a fit when there was a big push to exile the English Shaker Pint. I did much the same when everyone drooled at the thought of purchasing the Dogfish/Spiegelau hop-forward glass which we eventually found out was simply an updated wine glass.

One issue that makes me have to remind myself to breathe, as comedian Lewis Black would say, is the craft vs. craft debate and defining of craft beer, craft brewers etc.

I came across a CNBC article that kind of pointed out that the definition of a craft brewer has been expanded to cater the growth of certain brewers such as Boston Brewing Co. At least, that's what I took from reading it.

I'm just tired of the Brewer's Association laying down it's own law. It's all just beer. Who cares how many barrels a brewery produces per-year? Why does it matter if a brewery like August Schell uses corn as an adjunct in some of its offerings?

The Brewer's Association says that you can't be considered a craft brewer if you use corn or rice. The major American companies use corn and rice, but most of the beer that comes from said companies simply is repulsive. I've had beer with corn that tastes great. Craft beer should be a very loose term. A personal definition for each of us that drinks beer we like. That's what craft should be.

Monday Rant on a Tuesday: One Big Microcosm

Back in college when I attended one of my first journalism courses, we were taught to be as factually accurate as possible. The professor that taught said course had a fact error policy. A fact error, by his definition was anything close to being factually inaccurate in your news lead or article.

To put it plainly, anyone that took this course quickly became familiar with what a fact error was. That was because if you made one, you got an automatic 60 percent on that assignment. This could include a misspelling of a person's name, mixed digit in an address number, or a wrong time. Almost anything fell into that category.

Bryan from This is Why I'm Drunk had a remarkable post late last week that was well-researched and described some of our beer searching habits over the last few years. I felt moved enough to post a comment, something I really should get to doing more often on sites I enjoy reading. I didn't think that what I said would spark much response, yet would contribute to an entire blog post which is linked in the embedded tweet below.

Whoops. I guess a comment of mine inspired another well-researched post by @BryanDRoth http://t.co/By4SHPmFua #craftbeer #microbrew
— Bill K. (@BurghBeerSnob) August 27, 2013

That is honestly the first time I've hashtagged the term "microbrew" in my entire history of talking beer on Twitter. Bryan admits in the second post that it's pretty much speculation, but that we probably used the term "microbrew" to refer to individual beers and "craft beer" to refer to the actual movement.

It was around the time I took the course that we used "microbrew" to describe different beer made in brewpubs here in Pennsylvania. We did it at Slippery Rock all of the time with North Country brewing Company right on Main Street in town.

Now, here's where my fact error story comes into play. Does it matter what word we choose to describe it anymore? I've actually never given it much thought. Are there brewers that care which term we use? Are there fellow beer geeks that would take it personal if we used one or the other? I'm not entirely sure.

What I'm positively sure about is the lessening of "microbrew" and increasing usage of "craft beer" at the very least can be looked at as a microcosm of what happened when good beer actually went big about a decade ago. That can always be looked at as a good thing.

Monday Rant: Nothing Good in Here

I'm sure you've had the same thing happen when you're on your way home from a workout or some form of physical activity. It's one of those situations in which you're returning from your exertions and need to fill those burnt calories and have just the thing in mind. You're excited only until you get back and find that someone else has devoured what you had your mind set on. It's excruciating.

This has become an almost weekly occurrence at the pad my father and I currently possess. He has finally infringed on territory that in my own head was considered free. See, my father has a bad snacking problem. Whatever stress he has in real life is smothered by constant snacking. Sunflower seeds, chips, MY BEER etc. Stuff that he already doesn't need to indulge with.

I've began noticing that he only likes to partake in beer that is recently bought. He obviously enjoys having new choices. I have to hide some of the beer I don't want him to drink. For example, I know hes lazy enough that he's not going to move cases of beer to get to whats in the back. The same goes for the fridge. What I don't want touched goes behind everything else and is usually safe. I recently overheard him declaring something that made me want to jump out of my skin.

"There's not any good beer in here."

Nothing good, huh? Five rows deep.

This just goes to reinforce my theory that he only likes to drink what's recently bought. See that Troegs Java Head? That's been in there for almost five months. Behind it is a Sierra Nevada Stout. Both as requested by him when I was at a bottle shop. They're still there.

I came home from work last Friday to perform my usual ritual of stocking the fridge with beers I want to have that night and for the following night. It was stuffed with beers from cases I irresponsibly left being easily accessible. My Anderson Valley Summer Solstice and Penn Pumpkin Roll Ale. Two of the most recently-purchased cases. It figures.

He failed to realize one thing in my beer habits. When I buy pumpkin brews it's only to have around the time we're supposed to actually drink them. That means September and October. It's not for stuffing the fridge immediately.

Monday Rant: Stop Whining

You know, I've always heard about how even the tiniest hangover from wine is the worst due in part to the headaches it can give you. I've been good with not having to deal with hangovers in my life thus far. I only remember one quite vividly. An all-night venture at Virginia Beach with my family. I remember not wanting to eat anything until the evening of the next day.

I've been very lucky in that regard. I most likely haven't had to deal with many of those since a big night at home anymore is in the neighborhood of four to five beers. I know people that get close to doubling that on some nights.

Rarely do I have problems the next morning. With that said, I can't say the same when it comes to drinking wine. I took a trip to a Laurel Highlands winery this past weekend with my family. Responsibility of driving everyone home was the job of someone else. Thus, I took a few liberties in trying different types of the wine there.

I usually write a blog post the night before it actually posts. It's Sunday evening as I write this. I was at the winery on Saturday. I still have a headache. I don't know nearly as much about wine as I do about beer. Still, I'm not an expert on either. I don't know what's with wine that can cause these headaches. I distinctly remember having slight headaches the day after a wine tasting not too long ago.

Thankfully, having a few beers on Friday and Saturday nights doesn't have similar effects. I'm glad I enjoy the intricacies of beer more than I do wine.

Monday Rant: We're Very Forgetful

I'm sure you've heard the phrase "respect your elders" at many points over the years. I've sensed over time that I've become one of the keepers/backers of such a phrase.

For whatever reason, I developed an extreme craving for brown ales over the weekend. I had one of Voodoo Brewery's Wynona's Big Brown Ales stocked in the fridge. So, I cracked it and poured it into a glass.

My God was it tasty. Not only because it was actually good, but my body needed a beer that tasted as such for whatever reason. I just craved the chocolate and toffee roastiness of a brown ale. I supplemented all of this by also making a journey to East End Brewing to snag a growler of the very sessionable Fat Gary Nut Brown. That too was satisfying.

Once in a while I grab and open up Randy Mosher's Tasting Beer of the Oxford Companion to Beer and read about the specific styles that I'm drinking or the intricacies of each one.

It was yesterday that I discovered that brown ales are one of the old British cornerstones of beer. Right up there with porter and pale ale. Then I thought to myself that with the ultra creativity we see in craft beer today, we sometimes forget the roots of such a great drink. We're sometimes like children that ignore what our grandparents tell us. Just because a certain style is old doesn't mean that they're boring and outdated!

Monday Rant: Feeling Full

I'm on vacation. Well, at least I can call it a semi-vacation. I've planned this past weekend for about two months. Today marks the 150th anniversary of the Battle of Gettysburg. Obviously one of my favorite historical events as I incessantly refer to it. Apologies.

I planned this entire weekend around drinking fabulous craft beer brewed here in Pennsylvania, watching Civil War movies and finally taking in the ranger programs that are to be broadcast on PCN starting today. Yea, I actually took today and tomorrow off do watch these.

One thing I'm experiencing so far this weekend is a feeling of extreme fullness. This can mostly be attributed to the consuming of much beer and food. I hate such a feeling. To be a bit more descriptive it's that feeling in which you feel a bit closer to dehydration, your mouth is dry and you feel like you need to up yourself to an entirely new pants size. Sadly, you might look at how small I am now and wonder whether or not I'm going to blow away in the wind and how I shouldn't worry about such things.

My God I hate feeling like that. Maybe I need to take everything in more moderation.

Monday Rant: Of Much Importance

When I started this blog, it was mostly just an outlet to share my thoughts on beers that I've tried and whether or not I enjoyed or disliked them. As time went on, I took notice that beer readers actually wanted a bit more than just beer review after beer review. That's why you rarely see more than two on this blog each week.

I've tried to write about different issues and happenings in the craft beer world other than just writing beer reviews. The beer reviews have been shoved to the back burner, so to speak.

In my usual internet musings, I come across a few things that inspire these rants each week. I found a post via Focus on the Beer concerning whether or not beer reviews were BS.

It actually hits the nail on the head concerning something I've brought up consistently. The concept of not liking a beer that a lot of people tend to is an alright thing. Hey, it's a free country. Just like politics, it's important to see both sides of things. The same can be said for beer. You might like all of the hop-centered brews, but be sure to take in those of us on the other side of the fence.

That post has a paragraph that puts it all into perspective. Taste is subjective. Just because any one of us loves a beer to the point where it should be the greatest ale in all of the land doesn't mean that it is. It's just the greatest in your land. Thus, I conclude that beer reviews can be of some importance in the blogging world.

The Session No. 74: Beer Balance

I've always looked for a YouTube clip of a scene from an old Rodney Dangerfield film entitled Easy Money. If you've never seen the movie, the basic premise is that Dangerfield's character has to give up drinking, smoking unhealthy eating etc. in order to get his mother-in-law's inheritance.

The scene I've been searching for all of this time is one that has Dangerfield and Joe Pesci's character discussing the whole ordeal. Pesci smokes like a train throughout the movie. To prove a point to Dangerfield,  he puts out his cigarette and delivers one of my favorite lines in any comedy movie.

"Look here, I'm not gonna let it be my master."

The hilarity ensues when he lights another cigarette the second his mouth closes and doesn't think twice about it. That's pretty much the same thing I've said when it comes to finding the balance between life and beer. This month's edition of The Session is hosted by Bryan Roth of This is Why I'm Drunk and that's the very subject that this month's Session posts will be about!

I've always tried to mainly drink beer from Friday to Sunday each week. During the week I try to refrain from indulging. I also try to make it to the gym at least once or twice. In essence, beer is sort of a reward for me at the end of each week. So far this has worked for me. I've lost 30 pounds in the last year and four months. I hang around a slim weight of 143. I'm proud of that. The best part? I still drink beer on most weekends.

I believe that only you can be the master of yourself. Sometimes people need to step back for short periods of time. It could be to remind yourself that you're actually the one that's in control. Not beer. Not Facebook or Twitter. Nor is food.

Monday Rant: Parody is Pouring

I'd have to guess when exactly it was, but if I had to actually ballpark it I'd have to say it was about a year ago. I'm not sure if I had come up with the idea of doing these Monday Rant posts yet, but I certainly remember it being a rant-oriented post.

I'm talking about a post in which I posted a video poking fun at beer snobs throughout today's craft beer scene and how they spend so much cash on beers like Kentucky Breakfast Stout, Pliny the Elder (or Younger? Either way I don't really give a damn.) and other beers people line up and fight over. I also remember tossing in my own commentary on the entire video ordeal along with the creator's comments.

From what I remember, the guy that made the video series parody had somewhat malicious intent because he was just pissed off at those types of craft fans. Alas, I'm stubborn. So, I was pissed off at the fact that the guy was pissed off. That was also the beginning of my realization that there were societal lines in the beer community. I've made several attempts to drain politics from my life. Now, it's almost as if beer is the same way. Maybe it's just that all aspects of life are like that? One day I'll ask Doc Brown since he understands all mysteries of the universe.

I came across another similar video over the weekend. It's in much better taste. I actually howled at this one. The guy looks from the guy in the corner sells the whole thing. It's a good feeling to watch a parody of really snobby and geeky beer fans and just chuckle at it because you know you've done some of that stuff.

 

Monday Rant: Plenty More Football Than Beer

I'll try my best to not talk football on this mournful day following Super Bowl XLVII, but I do need to let a few frustrations off of my chest. In case you haven't figured it out by now, I'm a Pittsburgh Steelers fan. If you can throw some simple addition in there you'll figure out that I don't like the Baltimore Ravens either.

The last two years of the NFL Playoffs haven't been comfortable to watch for me. Each year three of the last four teams have been teams that if they win the Super Bowl it would be a punch to the stomach of any passionate Steelers fan.

One of my favorite labels, too.

If the San Francisco 49ers would've won either of the last two the team would have tied Pittsburgh with six Super Bowl championships (I know Green Bay has more NFL titles, but that argument isn't so convenient for me). If the New England Patriots happened to win the combination of Bill Belichick and Tom Brady would have tied Chuck Noll and Terry Bradshaw with four Super Bowls as a coach/quarterback pairing. With the Ravens, the reasoning is somewhat obvious.

I especially don't care for how a certain Baltimore linebacker and his tendency to proclaim how his practice of religion is somehow better than other people that happen to play the exact same sport that he does and this is coming from someone that's a terribly inconsistent Catholic.

As you can see, yesterday's big game was a no-win situation for me. The best possible solution? Look at it as a competition between beers. My favorite brewery in San Francisco is Anchor Brewing, whose flagship is Anchor Steam Beer. In Maryland I narrowed it down to Flying Dog. If I had to pick a favorite from Flying Dog it would have to be Raging Bitch IPA.

In terms of beer, this is an easy choice for me. I believe Anchor Steam Beer is one of the truly great beers in existence. I have Raging Bitch ranked up there pretty high as well and my girlfriend literally lives a two minute drive from the brewery, but I from a strictly beer perspective I love Anchor Steam Beer.

So, maybe I was actually rooting for the 49ers last night? I'm not really sure. Anyways, if you're a Ravens fan congratulations. Enjoy it. I sure enjoyed the two my Steelers gave me.

A Very Beery 2013

It usually takes me at least three weeks or so to correctly write the current year in dates once the new year begins. It looks as if I've successfully overcome this first obstacle of 2013 by getting it right in the title of this post.

A year ago I was one of those many New Years resolutionists that promise themselves that they will frequent the gym in the coming months. I've read a ton of users in my Twitter timeline complaining about the throngs of these folks in their health clubs already. I'm sure the numbers out there show that a good portion of these people don't fully keep up on their promises to themselves. Thankfully, I wasn't that type of statistic. I tried to drag myself to the gym at every possible time. I kept up on my visits and as a result I had to retool my wardrobe this Christmas.

As long as I indulge on a few craft brews here and there, I hope to be able to continue to visit my health club to burn some more calories up. Beerwise, my 2013 is already off on the right foot. My girlfriend is making it a habit to get me a mixed six pack of beer as part of my Christmas gift. It's been almost a week since my last post and that's because I was away visiting her and receiving that six pack of beer!

In it, I had two cans of Maui Brewing products (Coconut Porter and Bikini Blonde Lager). A brewery whose beers I've been trying to locate for a while. I've finally come across some and I'm excited to eventually crack these two open. Here's to hoping you have a wonderful new year. Oh yea, she obviously knows I'm a huge Star Wars geek as well.

Just a few of the characters I picked up during my travels. twitter.com/BurghBeerSnob/…
— Bill K. (@BurghBeerSnob) January 1, 2013