Brookston Beer Bulletin

Jay R. Brooks on Beer

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Longshot Winners To Be Announced Today

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I posted about the Longshot judging back in June of this year, when I flew to Boston to help choose the winners in this year’s Longshot American Homebrew Contest. Of the 1300 entries this year, four advanced to the finals, and seven of us had the job of picking two. You can read more of the story at my post at Bottoms Up, but I thought I’d post more of the photos in another gallery, which is below.

After the finals are announced later this morning, I’ll post the winners here as soon as I can.

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The seven of us, to break any ties, afterwards in the back garden picnic area. From left: Jason Alstrom (from Beer Advocate), Tony Forder (from Ale Street News), Bob Townsend (a food & drinks columnist for the Atlanta Journal-Constitution), Jim Koch (founder of the Boston Beer Co.), yours truly (on assignment for Celebrator Beer News), Julie Johnson (from All About Beer magazine), and Todd Alstrom (also from Beer Advocate).

Below is a short slideshow of my trip to Boston and the Longshot judging. If you click on the button on the bottom right with the four arrows pointing outward on it, you can see the photos in glorious full screen.

Bistro IPA Festival Winners 2009

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Head Hunter IPA from Fat Heads Brewery & Saloon in Cleveland, Ohio was chosen best in show at the 12th annual IPA Festival earlier today at the Bistro in Hayward, California. The keg of Fat Head beer was sent via FedEx in a blue suitcase to The Bistro. Bistro owner Vic Kralj recounts that when he called Fat Heads brewer Matt Cole, who coincidentally was enjoying a beer in Wisconsin with Bay Area brewers Arne Johnson and Alec Moss, that his screams of delight could be heard through the phone by everyone around Vic. The full list of winners is below.

CBC Begins In San Diego

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The Craft Brewers Conference, this year held in San Diego, officially began last Thursday — as it always does — with all the Brewers Association members assembled in a large hall for the “Welcome and Keynote Address.” During this time, they also present three awards important within the craft beer industry.

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After opening remarks from BA President Charlie Papazian, Tom Nickel gave the history of San Diego, the area’s beer community, along with tips on what to see and do in the city.

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Dr. Michael Lewis, from U.C. Davis, received one of the three awards.

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As did Vinnie Cilurzo, from Russian River Brewing.

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For more information and photos from this year’s first day of the Craft Brewers Conference, visit the photo gallery.

Alaska Barleywine Festival Winners

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Here are the winners from this weekend’s Great Alaska Beer & Barley Wine Festival in Anchorage, Alaska.

  1. Pelican Pub & Brewery Stormwatcher’s Winterfest
  2. Sleeping Lady Old Gander Barley Wine
  3. Deschutes Super Jubale

And here are a few photos from the event, courtesy of Tom Dalldorf from the Celebrator Beer News.

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Dick Cantwell, brewer/co-owner of Elysian Brewing in Seattle, with an English volunteer, and Sam Calagione, from Dogfish Head Brewing in Delaware, enjoying themselves at the Elysian Booth during the festival.

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Adrienne McMullen, Nico Freccia, both from 21st Amendment Brewery, with presumably a volunteer, all sporting their watermelon wheat chapeaus.

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John Burket, head of craft brands for Odom Distributing, Sam Calagione, from Dogfish Head in Delaware, and Dick Cantwell, from Elysian Brewery in Seattle, Washington, checking out the selection offered in a staggering 42 cold box doors at a retail outlet in Anchorage, Alaska.

UPDATE: The Beer Geeks, Chris & Meridith, have a great write-up on their own trip to the Alaska festival, and they’ve also posted a blizzard of photos from the festival and its surroundings.

GABF 2007: Day 4, Saturday

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Saturday began, as it always does, with a media brunch sponsored by Samuel Adams, followed by the GABF awards ceremony, which is essentially the craft beer industry’s Oscars. Afterwards, there were many side events on the last day, along with the crowded Saturday Night Session and the inevitable trip to Falling Rock to end the evening.

From the awards ceremony. Arne Johnson and Shane Aldrich, from Marin Brewing in Larkspur, California, winning one of their four gold medals, this one for Triple Dipsea Belgian-Style Ale in Category: 61 Belgian Style Abbey Ale. Marin Brewing also won three more gold medals, for Tiburon Blonde in Category: 59 Belgian and French-Style Ale, Pt. Reyes Porter in Category: 64 Robust Porter, and Star Brew Triple Wheat in Category: 74 American-Style Wheat Wine Ale.

Geno Acevedo, from El Toro Brewing in Gilroy, California, at the beginning of Saturday’s evening session.

 

For many more photos from Saturday at GABF, visit the galleries for the Saturday Awards Ceremony and the Rest of Saturday’s events.
 

Craft Lagerfest Winners

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Although in its fifth 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. In fact, I have an article coming out in the next issue of American Brewer on this very subject, the rise of the small, niche festival.

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.
 

2007 Winners List

PILSENER

  1. Blue Paddle (New Belgium)
  2. La Plata Pilsener (Carver Brewing)
  3. Polestar Pilsener (Lefthand Brewing)

EXPORT/HELLES:

  1. Light Lager (Rock Bottom Colorado Springs)
  2. Longboard Island Lager (Kona Brewing)
  3. Session Beer (Full Sail Brewing)

BOCK:

  1. Ltd. #2 (Full Sail Brewing.)
  2. Rye Bock Lager (Lefthand Brewing)
  3. Butthead Bock (Tommyknockers)

STRONG LAGER:

  1. No 1st Place Awarded
  2. Warning Sign Eis Bock (Good Ol’ Boys Brewing COOP)
  3. Dutch (Rockyard American Grill & Brewery)

OKTOBERFEST/VIENNA/MARZEN:

  1. No 1st Place Awarded
  2. Steam Engine Lager (Steamworks Brewing)
  3. Ornery Amber (Tommyknockers)

OTHER SPECIALTY LAGER:

  1. Spring Tonic Elixir (Carver Brewing)
  2. Cerbeza Real (Carver Brewing)
  3. Hop Goblin (Il Vicino Albuquerque)

 

Bistro’s IPA Festival Award Winners

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21st Amendment’s IPA was chosen best in show at the 10th annual IPA Festival yesterday at the Bistro in Hayward, California. The full list of winners is below.