Brookston Beer Bulletin

Jay R. Brooks on Beer

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Craft Lager Fest Winners Announced

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Although in its fourth year, the Craft Lager Fest is a festival I have not had the opportunity to attend. But I like the idea of it, being another niche festival that highlights a particular style of beer, in this case lagers broadly. But since the majority of craft beer is undoubtedly ales, shining a spotlight on lager styles is a great idea.

The Craft Lager Festival takes place in a small town in Colorado, Manitou Springs, which is near Pikes Peak. This year they got 30 breweries from Hawaii to Boston participating. The winning breweries are listed below.
 

2006 Winners List

Best of Show: Edge City Pilsener (Bristol Brewing)

PILSENER

  1. Edge City Pilsner (Bristol Brewing)
  2. Skinny Dip (New Belgium)
  3. Polestar (Lefthand Brewing)

EXPORT/HELLES:

  1. Engineer Light Lager
  2. Longboard Island Lager (Kona Brewing)
  3. Edge City Pale Bock (Bristol Brewing)

BOCK:

  1. Sam Adams Double Bock (Boston Beer Co.)
  2. Black Bull Bock (Rock Bottom)
  3. Butthead Bock (Tommyknockers)

STRONG LAGER:

  1. No 1st Place Awarded
  2. Dutch (Rockyard American Grill & Brewery)
  3. Pre-Prohibition Pilsner (Phantom Brewing)

OKTOBERFEST/VIENNA/MARZEN:

  1. Damn Straight Lager (Dillon Dam)
  2. Lewis & Clark Lager (Lewis & Clark Brewing)
  3. Steam Engine Lager (Steamworks Brewing)

OTHER SPECIALTY LAGER:

  1. Dunkelstilsken (CB Potts)
  2. Z Lager (Fort Collins Brewing)
  3. Founders (Carvers Brewing)

SUMMER SPECIALTY ALE:

  1. East meets Wheat (Phantom Canyon Brewing)
  2. Raspberry Wheat (Il Vicino)
  3. Wildcat White Ale (Rockyard American Grill & Brewery)

 

Bomonti Beer Factory

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There’s not a lot of beer coming from Turkey. Efes is probably the one most known to us westerners. The first brewery in Turkey was started in 1890 by two brothers from Switzerland, the Bomonti brothers. In 1902 they built a new facility in the southern part of Istanbul which still stands there today. It is situated in the Bomonti district, which of course takes it name from the factory. Beginning in 1938, it was known as the Istanbul Tekel Beer Factory. It was abandoned in 1991, and locals returned to calling it the Bomonti Beer Factory. It’s a beautiful seven-story building.

Earlier this week, Global Investment Holding along with Çelebi Holding announced their intention to turn the building in Turkey’s biggest hotel by 2009, to be operated by Marriott International and known as the Marriott Bomonti Hotel Convention Center.

Today, Turkey’s Culture and Tourism Ministry disclosed they will reject and cancel the offer regarding the 49-year operating lease for the Bomonti Beer Factory because the price was too low. So the factory is once again available. Hopefully, someone will put it too good use. It’s a terrific looking building with great possibilities, not to mention a piece of brewing history.