Brookston Beer Bulletin

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The Geography Of Bars

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Today’s infographic comes from an Atlantic article on The Geography of Bars and Restaurants. The map uses data from the 2012 census and county business patterns. According to their data, New Orleans has the most bars per households, and San Francisco ranked 8th, with 6 bars for every 10,000 people. It’s also hard to see because the map is relatively small, but there’s a high-density bar area in Northern California in what I believe is Mendocino County.

And while I was mostly interested in the bars, the restaurant data is quite interesting, as well. San Francisco ranked #1 for restaurants per household, with 39.3 per 10,000 residents. That’s roughly one restaurant for every 255 persons.

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Click here to see the map full size (and sorry that’s as big as it gets).

Beer In Ads #925: I Was Curious About Model Trains

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Friday’s ad for Schlitz, from 1949. It’s from their long-running “I was curious …” series, that featured three-panel stories that always ended with people drinking Schlitz beer. This one features a younger couple visiting the home of an older one, with the older man showing off his model train layout … and, of course, his superior taste in beer.

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A Beer Tour Of America

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Today’s infographic is entitled A Beer Tour Of America, showing their choices for the top ten brewery tours you should take. It was created by Travel Insurance, which describes itself as a “comprehensive online resource for travelers and people looking for more information on travel insurance.”

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Click here to see the infographic full size.

Presidential Drinks Of Choice

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Today’s infographic, in honor of Independence Day, is entitled Presidential Drugs of Choice, showing each out U.S. Presidents favorite alcohol, tobacco or other pleasures. It was originally part of a Kickstarter campaign by Turncoat Wine. It shows each president and then lists their preferences, of which a dozen list beer as one of their favorites.

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Click here to see the poster full size.

A Beer A Day Is Good For Your Heart

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A new study out of Greece, conducted by the Harokopio University in Athens, appears to show that drinking a pint of beer a day may be beneficial to your heart. According to the abstract from the journal Nutrition:

In a randomized, single-blind, crossover study, 17 healthy, non-smoking, men (ages 28.5 ± 5.2 y with body mass index 24.4 ± 2.5 kg/m2) consumed on three separate occasions, at least 1 wk apart: 1. 400 mL of beer and 400 mL water, 2. 800 mL of dealcoholized beer (same amount of polyphenols as in the 400 mL of beer), and 3. 67 mL of vodka and 733 mL water (same amount of alcohol as in the 400 mL of beer).

Each time aortic stiffness (pulse wave velocity), pressure wave reflections (AΙx), aortic and brachial pressure (Sphygmocor device), and endothelial function (brachial flow mediated dilatation) were assessed at fast and 1 and 2 h postprandial.

Aortic stiffness was significantly and similarly reduced by all three interventions. However, endothelial function was significantly improved only after beer consumption (average 1.33%, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.15–2.53). Although wave reflections were significantly reduced by all three interventions (average of beer: 9.1%, dealcoholized beer: 2.8%, vodka 8.5%, all CI within limits of significance), the reduction was higher after beer consumption compared with dealcoholized beer (P = 0.018). Pulse pressure amplification (i.e., brachial/aortic) was increased by all three test drinks.

From which, they drew the following conclusion. “Beer acutely improves parameters of arterial function and structure, in healthy non-smokers. This benefit seems to be mediated by the additive or synergistic effects of alcohol and antioxidants and merits further investigation.” So the results are preliminary and further studies need to be done. Still, it’s a step in the right direction if drinking beer in moderation can add one more benefit to the growing number of reasons why having a beer day isn’t just an enjoyable way to live, but may also be good for you, too. I’ll drink to that.

Beer-Doctor

Moylan’s Hires Derek Smith As New Brewmaster

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Got the news last week, but it slipped my mind. You may not have heard, but Denise Jones gave her notice last month that she was leaving Moylan’s, apparently to pursue an interesting enterprise brewing custom beer for celebrities. The company is somewhere in Napa, which is closer to home for Denise, though I haven’t yet had a chance to ask her about the details yet. In the meantime, Moylan’s has announced her replacement, Derek Smith, who used to brew at Black Diamond

From the press release:

Moylan’s Brewery is pleased to announce the addition of new Brewmaster Derek Smith. Smith joins Moylan’s from Black Diamond Brewing Company in Concord, California, where he served as Brewmaster for the past 6 years and was instrumental in leading the brewery to a number of award-winning beers. Derek has a seasoned history of California brewing and has been a longtime friend and fan of Moylan’s Brewery.

Smith graduated from Texas A&M University with a degree in architecture. Upon graduating, Smith traveled abroad and took a job at the White Horse in London as a cellarman. The White Horse instilled in Smith a deep appreciation for great cask ales and Belgian beers. Six months abroad turned into a four-year odyssey of travel, scuba diving, and beer tasting. Smith bolstered his newly discovered passion for brewing by apprenticing at Two Rows Brewery followed by The Master Brewers Program at UC Davis. Since then, Smith has served as Brewmaster for Black Diamond Brewing Company, where he was well known for his creative and bold hop-centric IPAs, Belgian ales, and barrel-aged beers.

Founder Brendan Moylan is excited to have Smith onboard, commenting, “Derek is the perfect choice to take over the reigns here at Moylan’s Brewery. He is known in West Coast brewing circles for his passion and dedication to making great craft beer. We are excited to bring his expertise to Moylan’s and we believe Derek will play a vital role in shaping our brewery’s future.”

Smith is eager to bring his unique style and talents to the popular Novato brewery. “I am looking forward to sharing in Brendan’s vision of crafting quality beers at Moylan’s…” commented Smith, “and I am excited to be joining one of the strongest teams of innovative beer makers in the Bay Area.”

Great news for both Derek and Moylan’s.

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Derek, at far right, after the Beef Chef’s Chocolate & Beer Dinner in 2009; with, from left: Arne Johnson (Marin Brewing), Fal Allen (Anderson Valley), Bruce Paton, Alec Moss (Half Moon Bay).