Brookston Beer Bulletin

Jay R. Brooks on Beer

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Beer In Ads #331: Budweiser, Andrew Jackson 7th President

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ad-billboard
As today is Andrew Jackson’s birthday, for Tuesday’s ad I dusted off this 1908 ad for Budweiser in which Olde Hickory features prominently. The ad’s headline reads “1908 Budweiser is ‘Liquid Bread’ / ‘Liquid Life’ The Natural Drink of America / Andrew Jackson 7th President of the United States.” Below the drawing of Jackson on horseback in battle, the text suggests he drank only beer. “All his life,” begins the ad copy,” he drank the generous creative juices of the malt.” They don’t write ’em like that any more.

Bud-1908-Jackson

Fairfax Brewfest This Weekend

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iron-springs
This Saturday in the city of Fairfax, in Marin County, the 16th annual Fairfax Brewfest will take place from 1:00-5:00 p.m. Along with festival sponsor Iron Springs Pub & Brewery, at least 17 breweries will be pouring their beer. Tickets are $25 in advance, $30 at the door, for unlimited samples and full details, along with how to buy advance tickets online, can be found at the festival website. See you there.

fairfax-brewfest-2011

New Pliny The Elder Video By The Famous

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pliny
The San Francisco-based band The Famous regularly plays the beer circuit and can frequently be seen performing at beer festivals and brewpubs around the Bay Area. They’re a terrific band. I’ve seen them several times, most recently at Vinnie Cilurzo’s 40th birthday party at Russian River Brewing. At Vinnie’s party, The Famous did a song created for the occasion, Pliny the Elder or The Pliny Song, an awesome little homage to the beer and the man it was named for. They’ve now recorded a studio version of it, and have created a music video to go along with it. Enjoy.

Maine Beer

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maine
Today in 1820, Maine became the 23rd state.

Maine
State_Maine

Maine Breweries

Maine Brewery Guides

Guild: Maine Brewers Guild

State Agency: Maine Liquor Licensing and Compliance Division

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  • Capital: Augusta
  • Largest Cities: Portland, Lewiston, Bangor, South Portland, Auburn
  • Population: 1,274,923; 40th
  • Area: 35387 sq.mi., 39th
  • Nickname: Pine Tree State
  • Statehood: 23rd; March 15, 1820

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  • Alcohol Legalized: June 30, 1933
  • Number of Breweries: 38
  • Rank: 16th
  • Beer Production: 1,040,538
  • Production Rank: 41st
  • Beer Per Capita: 24.5 Gallons

maine

Package Mix:

  • Bottles: 44.9%
  • Cans: 46.5%
  • Kegs: 8.4%

Beer Taxes:

  • Per Gallon: $0.35*
  • Per Case: $0.79
  • Tax Per Barrel (24/12 Case): $10.85
  • Draught Tax Per Barrel (in Kegs): $10.85
  • * Plus: 6.5% sales tax exemption ended 2009 – all beer now pays sales tax

Economic Impact (2010):

  • From Brewing: $29,861,860
  • Direct Impact: $206,658,510
  • Supplier Impact: $104,087,723
  • Induced Economic Impact: $254,531,193
  • Total Impact: $565,277,426

Legal Restrictions:

  • Control State: No
  • Sale Hours: 6 a.m. to 1 a.m. (Mon–Sat)
    9 a.m. to 1 a.m. (Sun)
  • Grocery Store Sales: Yes
  • Notes: ABV > 15.5% wine sold in state-contracted stores. Alcohol may not be purchased after 1 a.m. any day of the week, may not be purchased prior to 6 a.m. Monday through Saturday, and not prior to 9 a.m. on Sunday.

maine-map

Data complied, in part, from the Beer Institute’s Brewer’s Almanac 2010, Beer Serves America, the Brewers Association, Wikipedia and my World Factbook. If you see I’m missing a brewery link, please be so kind as to drop me a note or simply comment on this post. Thanks.

For the remaining states, see Brewing Links: United States.

The Chemistry Of Beer

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ACS
I got an interesting press release this morning from the American Chemistry Society (ACS) touting the Chemistry of Beer, as they put it, “just in time for Saint Patrick’s Day. Today they “released a new video, The Chemistry of Beer, which focuses on the science involved in producing the world’s third most popular beverage (after water and tea).”

From the press release:

Shot in high-definition format, the video features Sam Adams Senior Brewing Manager Grant Wood, who holds a degree in Food Science & Technology from Texas A&M University. It explains the process of turning barley, hops, water and yeast into a lager or ale. Among the insights:

  1. Yeast is the most important ingredient because it determines if the brew is ale or lager.
  2. Water is crucial, too, and it must be free of organic substances and “off” flavors.
  3. Key flavor compounds are packed into those little flower clusters called hops, which add flavor and a pleasant bitterness to the beer.

Produced by the ACS Office of Public Affairs, the video includes plenty of “did-you-know” fodder for those St. Patrick’s Day conversations over a pint. Did you know, for instance, that the fermentation process in which yeast produce alcohol also produces almost 600 flavor compounds? The Chemistry of Beer ends with a message that all drinkers should take to heart, St. Patrick’s Day and every day: Drink responsibly!

The whole video was shot at Boston Beer’s pilot brewery in their Jamaica Plain location in Boston. Grant, who you probably know if you’ve visited the brewery or have been in the industry for any length of time, gives a polished tour and explanation of the brewing process. It’s probably nothing you haven’t seen before, but it’s relatively comprehensive and does a good job of explaining brewing in a nutshell, with an emphasis on the chemistry, of course.

Beer In Art #118: Frank Waller’s Harvesting Hops

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art-beer
This week’s work of art is by New York artist Frank Waller, a founding member of the Art Students’ League in 1875. The painting, Harvesting Hops Near Cooperstown, New York, was completed in 1884 and today hangs in the Fenimore Art Museum.

Frank_Waller-harvesting_hops

The Fenimore also has a short biography of Waller:

A nineteenth century American painter, educator and etcher, Frank Waller (1842-1923) began his career as a businessman. In 1870, however, he traveled to Rome to study art under John G. Chapman. For the next several years Waller traveled extensively in both Europe and Egypt. Upon his return to the United States he became a founding member of New York’s influential Art Students’ League (1875) and served as its first president. As well, Frank Waller served as honorary secretary of the Egypt Exploration Fund Society. He was also a noted architect and a Fellow of both the Academy of Design and the Metropolitan Museum of Art.

Guinness Chocolate Cheesecake

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guinness-glass
My sister-in-law sent me this delicious looking recipe for a chocolate cheesecake made with Guinness, though I suspect any Irish dry stout would work. The recipe comes from Closet Cooking, a food blog by a man named Kevin in Ontario, Canada.

Guinness-Chocolate-Cheesecake-2

This recipe for the Guinness chocolate cheesecake is a pretty basic chocolate cheesecake recipe with the addition of the Guinness but the similarities stop there. The addition of the Guinness changes the texture and properties of the cheesecake making it more souffle like. Normally you can tell when a cheesecake is done by shaking it a bit and if only the center wiggles it is done but the entire surface of this cheesecake will wiggle the whole time, even after 2 hours of baking. You pretty much just have to trust the recipe and the results are certainly worth it!

Guinness-Chocolate-Cheesecake-3

The Guinness chocolate cheesecake is a moist one as might be expected with all of the extra liquid provided by the Guinness but it is also nice and light and creamy. This cheesecake has a texture that seems to be like a cross between a souffle and fudge and it is simply amazing! The Guinness flavour is very subtle but it seems to enhance the overall chocolate flavour which is quite welcome. In all honesty, this cheese cake does not need any garnishes but feel free to top it with some Bailey whipped cream if you like.

Here’s the recipe, but without the blockquotes for ease of reading:

Guinness Chocolate Cheesecake
(makes 6+ servings)
Printable Recipe

Ingredients:

1 cup graham cracker crumbs
2 tablespoons cocoa powder
1 tablespoon sugar
2 tablespoons butter, melted
12 ounces dark chocolate, chopped
2 tablespoons heavy cream
3 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup sour cream
3 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3/4 cup Guinness

Directions:

1. Mix the graham cracker crumbs, cocoa powder, sugar, and butter and press into the bottom of a 9 inch spring form pan.
2. Melt the chocolate in the cream in a double boiler.
3. Cream the cream cheese.
4. Mix in the sugar, chocolate, sour cream, eggs, vanilla, and Guinness.
5. Pour the mixture into the spring form pans.
6. Bake in a preheated 350F oven for 60 minutes.
7. Turn off heat and leave cheesecake in the oven with the door slightly ajar for 60 minutes.
8. Let it cool completely.
9. Chill the cheesecake in the fridge overnight.

Guinness-Chocolate-Cheesecake-1

Boy that looks tasty. I’m hungry.

Guinness Ad #59: The Toucan Be Enjoyed Together!

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guinness-toucan
Our 59th Guinness ad shows the iconic toucan carrying two trays. One, of course, has Guinness on it and the other a tasty meal. The slogan, using a play on words, is “The Toucan be enjoyed together!” Nice to see food and beer being suggested, but it’s a little funny to see it being presented as something unusual, or at least as a combination that wasn’t obvious. You mean I can eat AND drink beer?

Guinness-snacks-2