NFL Football: Pick The Winners At Brookston Fantasy Games 2020: Pandemic Edition

September 9, 2020 By Jay Brooks

This is the fourteenth year for the Brookston Fantasy Football Games. We’ve had a lot of fun over the last thirteen, so if you love football and beer, consider joining us this year, whether you’ve played in past seasons or are a newcomer. The NFL season begins tomorrow, Thursday, September 10, so you’ve got just a few hours to sign up. And this year is the Pandemic Edition, which just means with so little else to do, everybody should sign up this year. Why not join us?

I’ve again set up two free Yahoo fantasy football games, one a simple pick ’em game and the other a survival pool. Up to 50 people can play each game (that’s Yahoo’s limit, not mine), so if you’re a regular Bulletin reader feel free to sign up for one or even both. It’s free to play, all you need is a Yahoo ID, which is also free. Below is a description of each game and the details on how to join each league and play.

Pro Football Pick’em

In this Pick’em game, just pick the winner for every game each week, with no spread, and let’s see who gets the most correct throughout the season. All that’s at stake is bragging rights, but it’s still great fun.

Also, like the last few years, we’ll be able to keep picking all through the playoffs, so the game will continue through to the Super Bowl, which is pretty cool.

In order to join the group, just go to Pro Football Pick’em, click the “Sign Up” button and look for a link or bottom that reads “Join Group.” From there, follow the path to join an existing private group and when prompted, enter the following information…
Group ID#: 33460 (Brookston Football Picks)
Password: brookston

Survival Football

If picking all sixteen football games every week seems like too much, then Survival Football is for you. In Survival Football, you only have to pick one game each week. The only catch is you can’t pick the same team to win more than once all season. And you better be sure about each game you pick because if you’re wrong, you’re out for the season. Actually a few years ago they added a new feature and I changed the game so to be kicked out you have to be wrong twice. In that way more people stand a better chance of lasting longer into the season. So get one wrong, and you’re still okay, get a second wrong, now you’re gone for the season. Last man standing wins.

Again, like the last few years, we can keep picking all through the playoffs, assuming our luck holds. So the game could even continue through to the Super Bowl.

This year it’s even easier to join, with a new streamlined sign-up process. Just click on this direct link and follow the instructions from there.

With 50 players allowed in each game, there’s plenty of room, so don’t be shy. Sign up for one or both games. In past seasons, I’ve posted the standings on the home page, but wasn’t able to figure out a way to do that recently. Hopefully, I’ll figure out something this year. Anyway, why not join us? Go head to head again me and my team, the Brookston Brew Jays.

NFL Football: Pick The Winners At Brookston Fantasy Games 2019

September 2, 2019 By Jay Brooks

This is the thirteenth year for the Brookston Fantasy Football Games. We’ve had a lot of fun over the last twelve, so if you love football and beer, consider joining us this year, whether you’ve played in past seasons or are a newcomer. The NFL season begins on Thursday, September 5, so you’ve got nearly four days to sign up.

Pro Football Pick’em

Also, like the last few years, we’ll be able to keep picking all through the playoffs, so the game will continue through to the Super Bowl, which is pretty cool.

In order to join the group, just go to Pro Football Pick’em, click the “Sign Up” button and look for a link or botton that reads “Join Group.” From there, follow the path to join an existing private group and when prompted, enter the following information…
Group ID#: 41365 (Brookston Football Picks)
Password: brookston

Survival Football

If picking all sixteen football games every week seems like too much, then Survival Football is for you. In Survival Football, you only have to pick one game each week. The only catch is you can’t pick the same team to win more than once all season. And you better be sure about each game you pick because if you’re wrong, you’re out for the season. Actually three years ago they added a new feature and I changed the game so to be kicked out you have to be wrong twice. In that way more people stand a better chance of lasting longer into the season. So get one wrong, and you’re still okay, get a second wrong, now you’re gone for the season. Last man standing wins.

Again, like the last few years, we can keep picking all through the playoffs, assuming our luck holds. So the game could even continue through to the Super Bowl.

This year it’s even easier to join, with a new streamlined sign-up process. Just click on this direct link and follow the instructions from there.

Sierra Nevada Acquires Sufferfest Beer Co.

February 4, 2019 By Jay Brooks

Today, Sierra Nevada Brewing announced the acqisition of their first brewery, San Francisco’s Sufferfest Beer Company. According to today’s press release, Sierra Nevada is buying 100% of the brewery. A relatively new brewery, founded in 2016 (according to the press release) or 2015 (on their Facebook page), their focus has been on beer aimed at active, athletic beer-drinkers.

Here’s the press release:

“While still in its infancy, Sufferfest is at the front of the wave of ‘functional’ alcoholic beverages,” said Sierra Nevada President and CEO Jeff White. “By joining with Sierra Nevada, Sufferfest will be better positioned to grow and continue to lead the way in a rapidly growing and highly competitive space.”
Sufferfest, which launched in 2016, is beloved by athletes for its gluten-removed line of beers like its 95-calorie Kolsch brewed with bee pollen and its FKT (Fastest Known Time) Pale Ale brewed with salt and black currant.
“The complementary nature of our offerings and their position at the cusp of this emerging category are not the only reasons Sufferfest made sense,” said White. “From the moment we met, it was clear that our two companies are deeply aligned in our values and our commitment to do the right thing.”
Sufferfest is a Certified B Corporation and a values-driven company. Founder and CEO Caitlin Landesberg, a long-distance trail runner, started the company with a vision to create the perfect post-sweat beer for herself and fellow sufferers.
“I’ve always craved a beer after a race, but when I couldn’t find a beer that agreed with my dietary and performance needs, it left a genuine void in the post-race social experience,” explained Landesberg. “The finish line is where we get to celebrate the ail, anguish and suffering we’ve all been through together. I so wanted to continue to be part of this occasion, but didn’t want to keep compromising on taste or ingredients.”
A homebrewers course in 2012 followed by coursework at UC Davis enlightened her on the microbiology of beer and its many positive attributes. She started her quest to develop a beer by athletes, for athletes, and after years of improvements and sampling her beers among fellow runners, local heroes and professional athletes, Sufferfest Beer Company was born.
“Sierra Nevada is the perfect fit,” explained Landesberg. “If it were any other company, this would not be a consideration for us. Sierra Nevada is a family-owned and operated business that isn’t driven by shareholder pressure to meet quarterly numbers,” she continued. “I’ve always been so impressed by their commitment to the communities they serve. They are really driven by their own north star.”
“Sufferfest represents an authentic and genuine platform for us to connect with more and different people,” said White. “This isn’t something cooked up by an ad agency. Sufferfest is a group of tireless, deeply committed people who love to have fun. In other words, they feel like us.”

And on Sufferfest’s website, founder Caitlin Landesberg issued a statement about the acquisition:

When I think back to the early days of Sufferfest Beer Company, it’s humbling and gratifying to remember the coursework I pursued at UC Davis School of Brewing. And the time I spent sitting in line at the City Planning office, or haggling at the Alcohol Beverage Control. There were also the days I hand labeled each of our beers and personally visited each account on a weekly basis. We are aptly named because building this company has been nothing but a sufferfest.
The most fulfilling part, however, has been the people I’ve met and have had the pleasure to work with along the way. Our team of employees are truly a family — we are connected by our belief in this company’s values and purpose. Despite never belonging, we’ve changed the craft beer landscape and created something lasting. Thank you for believing in me and taking this leap of faith with me.
It is with great excitement that I’m announcing the next chapter in Sufferfest’s wild and wonderful story. Today, we officially join the Sierra Nevada Beer Company family.
As a founder, this partnership feels like a dream: Sierra Nevada not only possesses the operational and manufacturing muscle we need to grow Sufferfest, but also is so aligned with Sufferfest in terms of values: sustainability, conservation, and a deep love of the outdoors. They are masters of their craft, and we have a lot to learn from them. Given any choice of a strategic partner, I would choose Sierra Nevada each and every time. The stars aligned.
The most exciting thing here is the vote of confidence in our ability to change the craft beer landscape. We’ve spent the last few years doing things differently, and it speaks volumes to the power of what we’re building that we were able to secure the partnership of Sierra Nevada, a leader in the craft beer space.
This partnership with Sierra Nevada enables us to do more of what we love: brew award-winning, functional beer, grow our tribe, and be in the hands of sweaty consumers all over the country. I am so proud of this team and so moved by all that we’ve done to bring Sufferfest to this exciting day. 2019 is going to be a wild ride, and I couldn’t more confident in the ability of this team to rise to the occasion and keep winning.

The Final Session: One More For The Road

November 29, 2018 By Jay Brooks

For our 142nd and final Session, our host will be Stan Hieronymus, who founded the Session, and writes the Appellation Beer Blog. I could think of no better person than the man who started it all with the first Session back in March of 2007 with the topic “Not Your Father’s Stout.” In the intervening 11+ years we’ve tacked 141 topics, wrote about 24 specific styles along with another 27 broader categories of beer (like wood-aged or session beers). We discussed the packages beer can come in or what’s on the package 6 times and where to drink it 12 times. Homebrewing came up 3 times, food and beer 4 times, and mixing with beer twice. We wrote about beer history 7 times, locality 11 times, beer on the interwebs at least 3 times, and ourselves and beer writing an astonishing 37 times. We’ve tackled beer abroad or traveling to the beer 8 times and have been asked to make predictions 4 times, including by me last month. That’s not including the dozens of unique singular topics. But back to the final topic.

For Stan’s topic this month, he’s chosen One More For the Road, which he sums up as going out with a bang, um … I mean beer; going out with a beer. So what beer would you choose? If you only have one to pick — and you do — what would it be? How would (will) you decide? You only have one more beer to drink, make it count.

142-album-btl

Here are Stan’s simple instructions, in full:

When Jay Brooks and I exchanged emails about the topic this month I flippantly suggested “Funeral Beers” [which] seemed appropriate. You can call it “Last Beers” if you’d rather not think about how your friends might toast you when you no longer are participating. Or “One more for the road”* because that has a soundtrack.

Pick a beer for the end of a life, an end of a meal, an end of a day, an end of a relationship. So happy or sad, or something between. Write about the beer. Write about the aroma, the flavor, and write about what you feel when it is gone.

make-it-one-for-my-baby-and-one-more-for-the-road-mort-gerber
To participate in the December Session, simply post a link to your session post by commenting at the original announcement, or “on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, wherever” on or before Friday, December 7, or by the 12th at the latest.

Exploring Beer’s Role In “The Good Life”

September 4, 2018 By Jay Brooks

For our 139th Session, our host will be William Vanderburgh, who writes Craft Beer in San Diego. For his topic, he’s chosen Beer and the Good Life, which he sums up. “Beer ads famously sell us “the good life” — fit, scantily clad friends imbibing on boats and beaches in the summer sun. But that’s advertising, not real life (not often anyway). So how does beer fit into a well-lived life? What does beer mean to being a good person, or having a good life?”

His topic is fairly broad and open-ended, so interpret it in any way that makes sense to you. Bill also has a few suggestions of ways you could approach the topic to get your thinking juices flowing.

What role does beer play in your life? Does it help or hurt, on balance?
What does enjoying beer mean to you?

Creating a life full of pleasure (including the enjoyment of good food and drink) is a moral responsibility one owes to oneself and there is no better way to live.

Good beer, good food, good books, good friends–these are the things that make a good life.

How much beer is good? How much beer is bad?

Is getting drunk/wasted an appropriate part of a life well lived? Is an occasional blow-out a good way to “release” (or however you think of it)?

You could do other things with your time/money: Is it wrong to spend it on beer instead of something else? How do you balance your personal desires with your other responsibilities?

Beer and Community: Is the point of beer to help humans connect?

Beer and Justice: How can we justify enjoying a pint when so many things are wrong in the world, and in the beer world itself? There are many recent hot topics that would fit well here: Beer and gender, identity, race, class, etc.

How does blogging about beer, or talking about beer with friends, enhance your life?

Socrates said, “The unexamined life is not worth living.” Is the unexamined beer not worth drinking?

I confess that whenever I hear the phrase “the good life,” what I think of is the mid-1970s BBC television series starring Richard Briers, Felicity Kendal, Penelope Keith, and Paul Eddington, although if you’re American and it’s not ringing any bells, that may be because when it aired on PBS in the U.S., it was renamed “Good Neighbors.” I loved that show, and had such a crush on Felicity Kendal. I recently spent an enjoyable evening n Belgium discussing “The Good Life” with Roger Protz, who also loved the show.

To participate in the September Session, simply post a link to your session post by commenting at the original announcement, or email Bill on or before Friday, September 7.

good-life-beer-sign

NFL Football: Pick The Winners At Brookston Fantasy Games 2018

August 20, 2018 By Jay Brooks

This is the twelfth year for the Brookston Fantasy Football Games. We’ve had a lot of fun over the last eleven, so if you love football and beer, consider joining us this year, whether you’ve played in past seasons or are a newcomer. The NFL season begins on Thursday, September 6, so you’ve got nearly threee weeks to sign up.

Pro Football Pick’em

Also, like the last few years, we’ll be able to keep picking all through the playoffs, so the game will continue through to the Super Bowl, which is pretty cool.

In order to join the group, just go to Pro Football Pick’em, click the “Sign Up” button (or “Create or Join Group” if you are a returning user). From there, follow the path to join an existing private group and when prompted, enter the following information…

Group ID#: 15019 (Brookston Football Picks)
Password: brookston

Survival Football

If picking all sixteen football games every week seems like too much, then Survival Football is for you. In Survival Football, you only have to pick one game each week. The only catch is you can’t pick the same team to win more than once all season. And you better be sure about each game you pick because if you’re wrong, you’re out for the season. Actually three years ago they added a new feature and I changed the game so to be kicked out you have to be wrong twice. In that way more people stand a better chance of lasting longer into the season. So get one wrong, and you’re still okay, get a second wrong, now you’re gone for the season. Last man standing wins.

Again, like the last few years, we can keep picking all through the playoffs, assuming our luck holds. So the game could even continue through to the Super Bowl.

This year it’s even easier to join, with a new streamlined sign-up process. Just click on this direct link and follow the instructions from there.

With 50 players allowed in each game, there’s plenty of room, so don’t be shy. Sign up for one or both games. In past seasons, I’ve posted the standings on the home page, and hopefully I’ll do that again this season. Why not join us? Go head to head again me and my team, the Brookston Brew Jays.

Over A Barrel: The Next Sessions Looks At The Good In Wood

July 24, 2018 By Jay Brooks

For our 138th Session, our host will be Jack Perdue, who writes Deep Beer. For his topic, he’s chosen The Good in Wood, by which he means beer being stored in wood or otherwise flavored with it.
wood
Here’s his full explanation of the month’s topic:

Wood has been used for millennia to store, transport and flavor beer, wine and spirits. Today, the relationship between wood and beer has regained its popularity with brewers and drinkers as observed in the prevalence of bourbon-barrel-aged beer and sours. This topic is deep and wide and meandering, romantic and historic, personal and professional.

I will suggest a few themes to stir your imagination on “The Good in Wood” but of course you can choose your own path.

Historic uses of wood through a beer lens

Physical characteristics of wood and that relationship with beer

Professional and personal experiences such as wood-themed beer festivals or tours

A favorite wood-influenced beer style or experience, e.g. your first bourbon barrel-aged beer, a special Flanders red moment or why you don’t like a lambic

Other, let your imagination run as crazy as a wild ale

beer-barrel

To participate in the August Session, simply post a link to your session post by commenting at the original announcement on or before Friday, August 3.

Next Session In The Bavarian Clouds

June 27, 2018 By Jay Brooks

For our 137th Session, our host will be Roger Mueller, who writes at Roger’s Beers …and Other Drinks. For his topic, he’s chosen German Wheat Beers, one of the original hazy beers.

flyinghefeweizens
This is from Stan Hieronymus’ recent article, Traditional Hefeweizen: Worth the Trouble?

Here’s his full explanation of the month’s topic:

I would like to clarify for myself the similarities and dissimilarities of weissbeers, kristall weizen, weizen, hefeweizen, etc. I’d love to read about the distinctions all you brewers and beer researchers know about regarding the various “styles” of weissbeer, experiences in brewing and drinking the beer, it’s history. Yeah, whatever you’d like to say about German wheat beers will be great.

german_beer

To participate in the July Session, simply post a link to your session post by commenting at the original announcement on or before Friday, July 6.

Down on The Farmhouse Beers For The Next Session

May 21, 2018 By Jay Brooks

For our 136th Session, our host will be Dave S, who writes Brewing In A Bedsitter, or “Adventures in small batch homebrew.” For his topic, he’s chosen Farmhouse Beers, by which he’s asking everybody to consider the farmhouse beer or farmhouse brewery and wax philophically about it.

logsdon-2

Here is a fuller explanation of what he’s thinking about ways to approach this month’s topic:

Whether it’s about the success of modern craft breweries like Jester King and Burning Sky, the worldwide spread of saison or the revival of international interest in Northern European traditions, farmhouse brewing is a recurring theme in the beer world. It’s a very resonant idea but also one that invites many perspectives, so it seems like an ideal topic for the collective conversation that is The Session.

I’d invite people to approach the topic however they like — the more creative the better — but here are some ideas to get you started.

You could talk about how the word “farmhouse” is used in modern craft breweries, or about historic brewing traditions. You might want to think about how, if at all, the two are related.

If you think that farmhouse brewing or farmhouse beer refers to something meaningful and relevant in modern beer, you could write something touching on what it means to you. What’s its defining element? Is it about style, ingredients, location or something else? Would you call a crisp, clean pilsner or a hoppy IPA a farmhouse beer if it was brewed from local ingredients in a medieval barn? What about a mixed fermentation barrel-aged saison brewed in a light industrial unit in a suburb of Manchester? Why does any of this matter?

If you want to get specific, maybe talk about one or more beers or breweries that you think embody some aspect of the idea of farmhouse brewing. Or if you’re a homebrewer, you could talk about ways that your own beer has been influenced by it.

Conversely, if you think that the modern idea of a farmhouse brewery is largely just about marketing and aesthetics then you could have a go at dissecting and deconstructing it. Where did it originate and what are its roots? Who popularized it? How is it constructed and signaled? Most importantly, why are people so keen to buy into it?

This month, the first Friday is also the first day of the month, June 1, so don’t accidentally miss it. To participate in the June Session, simply post a link to your session post by commenting at the original announcement.

Waxing Nostalgic Extemporaneously For The Next Session … Today!

May 4, 2018 By Jay Brooks

For our 135th Session, our host will be Alistair Reece, who writes Fuggled. For his topic, he’s taking a look back in Sepia Tones, by which he challenges us to “indulge in a little beer nostalgia, a bit of personal beer history you might say.”

Until this morning, we were without a host, so a big thanks to Alistair for stepping up last minute and hosting. (That also means right now you should think about hosting June or beyond!) So understandably his topic is lean, although not so mean. Here are his instructions on participating:

What kind of things would be suitable topics for today? Well, here’s some suggestions:

Discontinued beers that you miss.

Breweries you once loved that are no longer around.

Beers that are simply not what they once were.

Your early steps in the world of beer drinking, whether craft or just in general.

There you have it, get melancholy, drag up memories of good times gone by, and join us in this month’s Session.

So no time to waste, it’s already the first Friday of May, so time to start waxing nostalgic and write your session post today. Then post a link to your session post at the original announcement or I imagine you could tag him on Twitter, too. Either way, don’t delay. Time’s a wasting.