Brookston Beer Bulletin

Jay R. Brooks on Beer

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West Coast Brew Fest Awards Announced

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The results of the West Coast Beer Festival Commercial Competition have been announced. The winners are listed below. Each line below contains the category or style judged under the broad heading above it, the beer name, the brewery and where it’s located.
 

1. Light Lager

  1. German Pils, Pilsner, Radeberger, Germany
  2. Maibock, Maibock, Sequoia, Fresno, CA
  3. Helles, Lincoln Lager, Beermann’s, Roseville, CA

2. Dark Lager

  1. Schwarzbier, Black Lager, Krusovic, Czech Republic
  2. Vienna, Luna De Miele, SBC, Sacramento, CA
  3. Vienna, Dreher Vienna, River City, Sacramento, CA

3. Amber Ale

  1. Red Ale, Woodenhead Red, River City, Sacramento, CA
  2. Amber Ale, Thunderhead , Sequoia, Fresno, CA
  3. Red Ale, Winter Ale, Shipyard, Portland, ME

4. Light Ale

  1. American Wheat, Marin Hefewies, Marin, Larkspur Landing, CA
  2. Blonde Ale, Cascade, Deschutes, Bend, OR
  3. Cream Ale, Cream Gold, Sequoia, Fresno, CA

5. American Pale Ale

  1. American Pale Ale, Fire Rock, Kona, Kona, HI
  2. American Pale Ale, Slough House, Elk Grove, Elk Grove, CA
  3. American Pale Ale, Mt Tam, Marin, Larkspur Landing, CA

6. English Pale Ale

  1. English Pale Ale, Chamberlain, Shipyard, Portland, ME
  2. ESB, Old Thumper, Shipyard, Portland, ME
  3. English Pale Ale, Scapegoat, Big Sky, Missoula, MT

7. India Pale Ale

  1. India Pale Ale, IPA, Marin, Larkspur Landing, CA
  2. India Pale Ale, General Sherman, Sequoia, Fresno, CA
  3. India Pale Ale, Inversion , Deschutes, Bend, OR

8. Brown Ale

  1. Mild Ale, Northern Mild, Brew It Up!, Sacramento, CA
  2. American Brown Ale, Moose Drool, Big Sky, Missoula, MT
  3. American Brown Ale, Downtown Brown, Lost Coast, Eureka, CA

9. Porter

  1. Brown Porter, Seadog Hazelnut, Shipyard, Portland, ME
  2. Robust Porter, Pt. Reyes, Marin, Larkspur Landing, CA
  3. Robust Porter, Plow Share, Lodi, Lodi, CA

10. Stout

  1. Oatmeal Stout, Oatmeal Stout, Brew It Up!, Sacramento, CA
  2. Sweet Stout, Grain Barrel, Elk Grove, Elk Grove, CA
  3. Foreign Extra, Industrial, Beermann’s, Roseville, CA

11. Wheat

  1. Hefewiezen, Hefewiezen, Blue Frog, Fairfield, CA
  2. Hefewiezen, Hefewiezen, Sequoia, Fresno, CA
  3. Hefewiezen, Umna Hefe, Lodi, Lodi, CA

12. Fruit Beer

  1. Fruit Beer, Orange Blossom, Lodi, Lodi, CA
  2. Fruit Beer, Raspberry Brown, Lost Coast, Eureka, CA
  3. Fruit Beer, Apricot Wheat, Shipyard, Portland, ME

13. Strong Ale

  1. Imperial Stout, Abyss, Deschutes, Bend, OR
  2. Strong Ale, Imperial Red, SBC, Sacramento, CA,
  3. Barley Wine, Bourbon Barrel BW, Beermann’s, Roseville, CA

14. Mixed

  1. California Common, California Common, Schooners, Antioch, CA
  2. Kolsch, Kolsch, Sequoia, Fresno, CA
  3. Alt, Alaskan Amber, Alaskan, Juneau, AK

15. Belgian Ales

  1. Wit, Allagash White, Allagash, Portland, ME
  2. Wit, Skinny Dip Wit, New Belgium, Ft. Collins, CO
  3. Belgian Dark Ale, 1554, New Belgium, Ft. Collins, CO

16. Cider

  1. Pear Cider, Pear Cider, Fox Barrel, Colfax, CA
  2. Pear Cider, Perry, Two Rivers, Sacramento, CA
  3. Apple Cider, Hard Cider, Fox Barrel, Colfax, CA

17. Other

  1. Eisbock Aged in Sherry Barrel, Barrel Aged Eisbock, Lodi, Lodi, CA
  2. Smoked Porter, Smoked Porter, Alaskan, Juneau, AK
  3. Coffee Stout, Coffee Stout, SBC, Sacramento, CA

 
Congratulations to all the award winners.

Victories Down Under

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You may recall that at the end of January, there was an announcement that 19 American craft brewers entered their beers in the the Australian International Beer Awards (AIBA )through the Brewers Association‘s Export Development Program (or EDP). Yesterday the results were announced with several American breweries winning medals. Now the Australian awards are somewhat different than the GABF or World Cup medals. The beers are judged in a similar fashion and assigned points with a total possible of 20, but instead of choosing first, second and third, any and every beer that gets above 17 points receives a gold medal, 15.5-16.5 receives a silver and 14-15 for a bronze medal. There is a Grand Champion Trophy for the Highest Scoring Beer, and this year it is Weihenstephan Kristall from Germany’s Weihenstephan Brewery. There’s also about a dozen additional awards such as “Champion Ale” and the “Best Packaging Award.”

The biggest victory by an American brewery went to Deschutes Brewing of Bend, Oregon, who won the International Malting Company Trophy for Champion Large International Brewery. They also won the Veolia Environmental Services Trophy for
Champion Stout for their Obsidian Stout.
 

Here’s how the American brewers fared:
 

Gold Medals:

Blue Point Brewing: Winter Ale
Boston Beer Co.: Samuel Adams Brown Ale
Boston Beer Co.: Long Shot Old Ale
Boston Beer Co.: Samuel Adams Honey Porter
Boston Beer Co.: Samuel Adams Winter Lager
BridgePort Brewing: BridgePort India Pale Ale
Deschutes Brewery: Mirror Pond Pale Ale
Deschutes Brewery: Cinder Cone Red
Deschutes Brewery: Black Butte Porter
Deschutes Brewery: Obsidian Stout
Great Divide Brewing: Hercules Double India Pale Ale
Matt Brewing: Imperial IPA
Pelican Pub Brewery: Doryman’s Dark Ale
Pelican Pub Brewery: Kiwanda Cream Ale
Sprecher Brewing: Imperial Stout
Stone Brewing: Stone Imperial Russian Stout
Trumer Braurei: Trumer Pils
 

Silver Medals:

21st Amendment Brewery: 21A IPA
Blue Point Brewing: Hoptical Illusion
Boston Beer Co.: Long Shot Dortmunder
Boston Beer Co.: Samuel Adams Boston Lager
Boston Beer Co.: Samuel Adams Black Lager
Boston Beer Co.: Samuel Adams Light
Boston Beer Co.: Samuel Adams Pale Ale
Boston Beer Co.: Samuel Adams Boston Ale
Boston Beer Co.: Samuel Adams Cream Stout
Deschutes Brewery: Inversion IPA
Deschutes Brewery: Hop Henge IPA
Deschutes Brewery: Cascade Ale
Deschutes Brewery: Jubelale
Deschutes Brewery: Hop Trip
Deschutes Brewery: Bachelor ESB
Firestone Walker Brewing: Firestone Pale Ale
Firestone Walker Brewing: Firestone Bravo Brown
Flying Dog Ales: Doggie Style Classic Pale Ale
Great Divide Brewing: Titan India Pale Ale
Jolly Pumpkin Artisan Ales: Maracaibo Especial
Left Hand Brewing: Sawtooth Ale
Matt Brewing: Saranac Pale Ale
Odell Brewing: 90 Shilling
Odell Brewing: Cutthroat Porter
Odell Brewing: East Street Wheat
Pelican Pub Brewery: India Pelican Ale
Pelican Pub Brewery: Tsunami Stout
Pelican Pub Brewery: Saison du Pelican
Pelican Pub Brewery: Bridal Ale
Pelican Pub Brewery: Grand Cru de Pelican
Pelican Pub Brewery: Stormwatcher’s Winterfest
Pelican Pub Brewery: MacPelican’s Wee Heavy Strong Scotch Ale
Rogue Ales: Hazelnut Brown Nectar
Rogue Ales: American Amber
Rogue Ales: Mocha Porter
Sprecher Brewing: Dopple Bock
Widmer Brothers Brewing: Widmer W’07 Pale Ale
 

Bronze Medals:

Blue Point Brewing: Toasted Lager
Boston Beer Co.: Samuel Adams Octoberfest
Boston Beer Co.: Samuel Adams Double Bock
Boston Beer Co.: Samuel Adams Hefeweizen
Boston Beer Co.: Samuel Adams Cranberry Lambic
Boston Beer Co.: Samuel Adams Scotch Ale
BridgePort Brewing: Blue Heron
BridgePort Brewing: Beertown Brown
Deschutes Brewery: Abyss
Flying Dog Ales: Old Scratch Amber Lager
Flying Dog Ales: Gonzo Imperial Porter
Great Divide Brewing: Oak Aged Yeti Imperial Stout
Issaquah Brewhouse: Menage A Frog
Kona Brewing: Fire Rock Pale Ale
Left Hand Brewing: Black Jack Porter
Left Hand Brewing: Milk Stout
Odell Brewing: 5 Barrel Pale Ale
Pelican Pub Brewery: MacPelican’s Scottish Style Ale
Rogue Ales: Juniper Pale Ale
Rogue Ales: Shakespeare Stout
Rogue Ales: Smoke Ale
Shipyard Brewing: Shipyard Chamberlain Pale Ale
Shipyard Brewing: Brewers Choice Honey Porter
Shipyard Brewing: SeaDog Bluepaw Wildberry Wheat Ale
Sprecher Brewing: Piper’s Scotch Ale
Stone Brewing: Stone IPA
Widmer Brothers Brewing: Broken Halo IPA
Widmer Brothers Brewing: Drop Top Amber Ale
Widmer Brothers Brewing: Widmer Hefeweizen

Diane Catanzaro Named Beer Drinker of the Year

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On Saturday, Diane Catanzaro became the 11th recipient of the coveted title “Beer Drinker of the Year,” and only the second woman to win the award. Catanzaro is a college professor in Norfolk, Virginia, a homebrewer and a BJCP-certified beer judge.

Diane Catanzaro moments after winning. Behind her are judges Tom Ciccateri (2005 winner), Tom Dalldorf (Celebrator Beer News), Gary Steinel (2003 winner) and Carolyn Smagalski (aka The Beer Fox, Bellaonline.com). (Photo by Duane Howell)

From the Press Release:

A professor of industrial/organizational psychology at Christopher Newport University (in Newport News, VA), Catanzaro is the second woman to win the competition. (Cornelia Corey of Clemmons, NC won the title in 2001.) Her home beer bar is The Biergarden in Portsmouth, Virginia.

“This is a dream come true for me,” Catanzaro said after winning the title. “I can use the title to carry the flag for Beer Nation and spread the news about craft beer. And it gives me an opportunity to promote a better understanding of beer to women in America.”

“Beer is not just some fizzy yellow drink,” she said. “It has a rich history, an incredible array of styles and flavors, and it’s part of a healthy life style. And it’s not just for the boys.”

Catanzaro, a finalist in last year’s Beerdrinker contest, beat out finalists Logan Perkins (of Denver, Colorado) and Phil Farrell (Cumming, GA). Her impressive beer drinking experiences, humor and beer ambassadorship helped her land the crown.

“I’ve never seen three more deserving finalists,” said Tom Dalldorf, editor and publisher of Celebrator Beer News and one of the seven judges for the finals. ”But Diane was very engaging, and her personality and very beery background helped her win the title. She speaks well for the beer community.”

The finalists weathered two hours of difficult questions from the judges. The queries stretched from questions about beer chemistry, styles and history, to the finalists’ abilities to sing old beer-advertising jingles and recall esoteric beer trivia.

During the competition’s Beer Whispering segment, Catanzaro impressed judges with a cross-continental conversation with a blend of the Duchess de Bourgogne and Oskar Blues Brewery’s Old Chub Scottish-Style Ale.

For her closing statement, she sang a reworked version of the bygone blues song “Beer Drinking Woman” that referenced Tommee Arthur, Flying Dog Brewery’s Horn Dog barley wine, and female craft brewing legend Carol Stoudt.

Catanzaro’s 2006 beer experiences included tasting beer at numerous breweries, bars and festivals in the US and Belgium, and leading 16 college students on a tour of Belgian breweries and bars.

On the heels of her Beerdrinker victory, she leaves this week for Belgium with another group of students. The group will explore the art and history of Belgium, and its beer culture. While in Belgium, Catanzaro will attend the Zythos Beer Festival and the famed “open brew day” at Cantillon Brewery in Brussels.

On her beer resume, she outlined her philosophy about beer drinking: “People who say they don’t like beer just haven’t met the right beer! I’ll be happy to arrange an introduction… I can be a positive role model for more women to discover the joy of beer and break stereotypes.”

Beer Drinker of the Year Diane Catanzaro with her beer-drinking Barbie, a model Mattel will probably not be offering for sale anytime soon. Pity, really.. (Photo by Tom Dalldorf)

Diane Catanzaro’s Barbie posing fellow finalist Phil Farrell’s infamous rubber chicken. (Photo by Tom Dalldorf)

Double IPA Festival Winners

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Ballast Point Point Brewing‘s Dorado was chosen best in show at the 7th annual Double IPA Festival today at the Bistro in Hayward, California. The full winner list is below.

 
 

 
 

Bistro Named Best Bay Area Blues Club

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The Bay Area Blues Society has named Hayward’s Bistro as “Blues Nightclub of the Year.” The Contra Costa Times has a nice article about the awards and the upcoming 2007 West Coast Blues Hall of Fame and Awards Show, which will be held Saturday March 10, at Kimballs Carnival in Jack London Square (522 2nd Street, Oakland, California).

Congratulations to Vic and Cynthia and the whole gang down at the Bistro. Be sure to stop by on February 10 for their 7th annual Double IPA Festival.

American Craft Brewers to Enter Australian Beer Awards

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The Brewers Association Export Development Program (or EDP) announced that they will be facilitating the entry of 19 craft brewers into the the Australian International Beer Awards (AIBA)

From the press release:

Held in Melbourne each year, the AIBA is Australia’s most prestigious beer event and has become firmly established on the international brewing calendar as a renowned and recognized barometer of excellence and diversity in beer brewing across the world. In 2006, the Australian International Beer Awards attracted 974 entries from 31 countries. AIBA uses the Brewers Association’s Beer Style Guidelines. The Brewers Association’s Export Development Program, in an effort to help promote the image of American craft beer as a world class beverage, pays for entry fees and transportation into select international beer shows for its program subscribers, such as the AIBA. “Assisting US craft breweries with participation in large international competitions like AIBA is a major focus of the EDP,” says Brewers Association vice president Bob Pease. “Our work for EDP subscribers allows us to allocate funds for their entry fees and cover the cost of a consolidated beer shipment to the competitions. US craft beers typically perform well on the international stage and the awards they receive bring attention to the brands and to the US industry as a whole.”

These are the brewers entering their beer in Australia:

  1. 21st Amendment Brewery Café,­ San Francisco, California
  2. Blue Point Brewing, Patchogue, New York
  3. Deschutes Brewery, Bend, Oregon
  4. Dogfish Head Craft Brewery, Milton, Delaware
  5. Eugene City Brewery, Eugene, Oregon
  6. Flying Dog Brewery, Denver, Colorado
  7. Full Sail Brewing,­ Hood River, Oregon
  8. Great Divide Brewing, Denver Colorado
  9. Jolly Pumpkin Artisan Ales, Dexter, Michigan
  10. Kona Brewery, Kailua-Kona, Hawaii
  11. Rogue Ales Issaquah Brewhouse, Issaquah, Washington
  12. Left Hand Brewing, Denver, Colorado
  13. Matt Brewing, Utica, New York
  14. Odell Brewing, Fort Collins, Colorado
  15. Rogue Ales, Newport, Oregon
  16. Shipyard Brewing, Portland, Maine
  17. Sprecher Brewing, Glendale, Wisconsin
  18. Stone Brewing, Escondido, California
  19. Widmer Brothers Brewing, Portland, Oregon

Let’s wish all good luck. Winners will be announced April 19.

Playboy Uncovers Beer

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The February edition of Playboy magazine includes an article called Brew Romance, in which a distinguished panel of fourteen chose their favorite bottled beers in several categories. The article then recounts the results. Here are their top ten choices:

  1. Sierra Nevada Pale Ale
  2. Victory Prima Pils
  3. Ommegang Abbey Ale
  4. Anderson Valley Boont Amber
  5. Sierra Nevada Porter
  6. Brooklyn Black Chocolate Stout
  7. Tröegs Tröegenator Double Bock
  8. Samuel Adams Utopias
  9. Alaskan Smoked Porter
  10. Deschutes Mirror Pond Pale Ale

And there were also a few honorable mentions:
 

  • Samuel Adams Double Bock
  • Rogue Shakespeare Stout
  • Anchor Porter
  • Anchor Steam
  • Victory HopDevil
  • Blue Point Toasted Lager

 

It’s a pretty good list, too. I can’t really quibble with any of the choices, they’re all great beers. Sure, I might have put some above others and there’s a few missing from the list I might have compiled — Russian River’s Pliny the Elder comes to mind. And it’s certainly great to see good beer in such a mainstream magazine as Playboy.

SacBrew Barley Wine Festival Winners

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The results are also in for the 2007 SacBrew Barley Wine Festival. Since I wasn’t able to go north to Alaska, I was fortunate enough to be able to judge in Sacramento last night. Here are the top three Barley Wine winners: