Muppets’ Beer-Drinking Habits

November 21, 2011 By Jay Brooks

muppets
I got a nice tweet from Gerard Walen of Road Trips For Beer, who’s obviously been paying attention enough to know how much of a Muppets fan I am. He had a chance to see an advance screening of the new Muppet film that opens Thanksgiving and he assures me that Porter and I “will love the movie.” Of that, I have little doubt. I’ve turned my whole family into Muppet fans by showing them all of the television shows and movies since they were little. I’ve been a fan since I was a kid, and have never really stopped loving their bad pun, groaner brand of humor ever since. But after seeing the film, Walen took it a step farther in a post: ‘The Muppets’ Movie Makes Me Wonder: What Beer Would They Drink? He’s come up with some pretty funny, inspired choices for the main characters. Makes me even more thirsty to see the movie later this week.

muppets-poster

Wikio Beer Blog Rankings For November 2011

November 9, 2011 By Jay Brooks

wikio
The November 2011 standings have just been released for Wikio’s Beer Blogs. Beervana increased his streak at the top to three consecutive months, with the rest of the Top 10 shuffling around. Here’s what happened to the Top 20 over last month:

Wikio November 2011 Beer Blog Rankings

1	Beervana (=)
2	Brookston Beer Bulletin (+2)
3	Brewpublic (+4)
4	A Good Beer Blog (+10)
5	Appellation Beer: Beer From a Good Home (-2)
6	The New School (-4)
7	Drink With The Wench (-1)
8	It’s Pub Night (+4)
9	Washington Beer Blog (-4)
10	Top Fermented (Not in Top 20 in October)
11	Hoosier Beer Geek (-3)
12	Seattle Beer News (Not in Top 20 in October)
13	Yours For Good Fermentables (Not in Top 20 in October)
14	Oakshire Brewing (Not in Top 20 in October)
15	KC Beer Blog (+4)
16	San Diego Beer Blog (+4)
17	Road Trips for Beer (-6)
18	Seen Through a Glass (=)
19	The Brew Site (-4)
20	Beer PHXation (-4)

Ranking made by Wikio

As usual, I included the relative movements of each blog from last month. Four new blogs emerged in the Top 20 that weren’t there last month, which is exactly what happened last month. Otherwise, there were a number of moderate swings, with movement 4 or 6 places being the most common. As always, I continue to stress that this is just a bit of fun and that we shouldn’t take it too seriously. Until the final month of 2011 ….

Wikio Beer Blog Rankings For October 2011

October 6, 2011 By Jay Brooks

wikio
The October 2011 standings have been released for Wikio’s Beer Blogs. No changes at the Top 2 spots, with Jeff, from Beervana and The New School at 1 and 2 again. Here’s what happened to the Top 20 over last month:

Wikio October 2011 Beer Blog Rankings

1	Beervana (=)
2	The New School (=)
3	Appellation Beer: Beer From a Good Home (+6)
4	Brookston Beer Bulletin (+1)
5	Washington Beer Blog (+3)
6	Drink With The Wench (-3)
7	Brewpublic (-1)
8	Hoosier Beer Geek (+2)
9	Beer 47 (Not in Top 20 in September)
10	The Daily Pull (+4)
11	Road Trips for Beer (Not in Top 20 in September)
12	It’s Pub Night (+1)
13	BetterBeerBlog (+4)
14	A Good Beer Blog (-7)
15	The Brew Site (-4)
16	Beer PHXation (Not in Top 20 in September)
17	The Session Beer Project™ (-1)
18	Seen Through a Glass (-3)
19	KC Beer Blog (-7)
20	San Diego Beer Blog (Not in Top 20 in September)

Ranking made by Wikio

As usual, I included the relative movements of each blog from last month. Four new blogs emerged in the Top 20 that weren’t there last month. Otherwise, only a few moderate swings. For the most part, things to move around too much this month. As always, I continue to stress that this is just a bit of fun and that we shouldn’t take it too seriously. Until next month ….

Wikio Beer Blog Rankings For September 2011

September 12, 2011 By Jay Brooks

wikio
The September 2011 standings have been released for Wikio’s Beer Blogs. I got an e-mail about them while I was on my way to Chile, and responded, but never heard back. The person who compiled the rankings, Florian, apparently had his contract coming up for renewal and wasn’t sure if he’d be back or not.

Jeff, from Beervana, overtaking The New School who had reached thetop spot for the first time last month. Here’s what happened to the Top 20 over last month:

Wikio September 2011 Beer Blog Rankings

1	Beervana (+2)
2	The New School (-1)
3	Drink With The Wench (+3)
4	The Stone Blog (+7)
5	Brookston Beer Bulletin (-1)
6	Brewpublic (-4)
7	A Good Beer Blog (=)
8	Washington Beer Blog (+1)
9	Appellation Beer: Beer From a Good Home (-4)
10	Hoosier Beer Geek (+7)
11	The Brew Site (+5)
12	KC Beer Blog (+2)
13	It’s Pub Night (+8)
14	The Daily Pull (-6)
15	Seen Through a Glass (+7)
16	The Session Beer Project™ (+4)
17	BetterBeerBlog (-5)
18	Oakshire Brewing (=)
19	The Not So Professional Beer Blog (-9)
20	Brewer’s Log (Blog) (-7)

Ranking made by Wikio

As usual, I included the relative movements of each blog from last month. Movement seems to have started to accelerate somewhat, there’s a lot more blogs changing places up and down the list. As always, I continue to stress that this is just a bit of fun and that we shouldn’t take it too seriously. Until next month ….

Wikio Beer Blog Rankings For August 2011

August 1, 2011 By Jay Brooks

wikio
The August 2011 standings will soon be released for Wikio’s Beer Blogs. This month there’s a new sheriff in town, who leapfrogged over Jeff, from Beervana, and me as we were do si do-ing around the beer blogging dance floor earlier this year. Congratulations to the folks at The New School as they ascend to the top spot. Here’s what happened to the Top 30 over last month:

Wikio August 2011 Beer Blog Rankings

1	The New School (+2)
2	Brewpublic (+2)
3	Beervana (-1)
4	Brookston Beer Bulletin (-3)
5	Appellation Beer: Beer From a Good Home (+2)
6	Drink With The Wench (+4)
7	A Good Beer Blog (-2)
8	The Daily Pull (+1)
9	Washington Beer Blog (-1)
10	The Not So Professional Beer Blog (+6)
11	The Stone Blog (-5)
12	BetterBeerBlog (+11)
13	Brewer’s Log (Blog) (+8)
14	KC Beer Blog (=)
15	The Brew Lounge (+2)
16	The Brew Site (+16)
17	Hoosier Beer Geek (+8)
18	Oakshire Brewing (-5)
19	Seattle Beer News (+9)
20	The Session Beer Project™ (-5)
21	It’s Pub Night (-10)
22	Seen Through a Glass (-10)
23	Craft Austin (-4)
24	Top Fermented (+5)
25	The Potable Curmudgeon (-3)
26	San Diego Beer Blog (-8)
27	Beer at 6512 (-3)
28	Musings Over a Pint (-2)
29	Beer-Stained Letter (+13)
30	I Love Beer (+11)

Ranking made by Wikio

As usual, I included the relative movements of each blog from last month. Last month — and for the past few — movement among the top of the list was limited and things were fairly static. All that’s changed this month, as only one of the top 30 is in the same position as last month, and only three moved up or down only one spot. That means of the remaining 26, each one moved at least two spots along the continuum. Things are shaking up.

This month’s champion mover was The Brew Site, who jumped 16 places. As always, I continue to stress that this is just a bit of fun and that we shouldn’t take it too seriously. Until next month ….

Next Session Turns Sour

July 25, 2011 By Jay Brooks

Our 54th Session turns sour … sour beer, that is. Jon Abernathy, who writes The Brew Site, has chosen the topic Sour Beer, which he describes like so:

Instead we’ll be in the heat of the summer and while we’ve had Sessions covering Summer Beers, Fruit Beers, and Wheat Beers already (all which could suitably cover summertime beer enjoyment), it occurred to me that the topic of Sour Beers fits well within the season and (surprisingly!) hasn’t come up yet.
I’ve been gradually exploring Sour Beer and finding myself seeking out and trying various beers which fit into the “sour” realm (yes, I’m purposefully avoiding the word “style” here as it is entirely too loaded): beers inoculated with wild yeasts, soured with fruit (often in conjunction with those wild yeasts and barrel-aging), lactic acid beers like Berliner Weisse-influenced beers and the rare Gose, and so on. It’s a challenging area, both in acquiring a taste for soured beer and in brewing them—fortunately many brewers are being adventurous and branching out these days, giving us many more options.
So that’s our topic for August: Sour Beer. I’ll leave the implementation up to you, but here are some suggestions: seek out and review a sour beer of some kind; write about your experiences with brewing a sour beer; talk about your first sour beer experience; who’s brewing the better sours—Belgians or Americans (or somebody else)?; perhaps a contrary approach—what you don’t like about sour beers. Or if you have the perfect sour beer idea you want to write about, I can’t wait to read it!

Personally, I LOVE sour beer, so this one should be fun. So practice your pucker face and get ready to write all about it for the next Session on Friday, August 5.

IPA Day Holiday Set For August 4

July 7, 2011 By Jay Brooks

IPA-Day
There’s nothing I love more than a new holiday, especially one celebrating a personal favorite: IPAs. The brainchild of Ashley V. Routson and Ryan A. Ross, August 4th has been designated as the date for the new holiday.

From the announcement:

Announcing International #IPADay: A Social Celebration of Craft Beer
Attention all craft beer evangelists, brewers, bloggers, and suds-savvy citizens! On Thursday, August 4th 2011, you are cordially invited to participate in the largest international craft beer celebration and virtual conversation the world has ever seen.
International #IPADay is a grassroots movement to unite the voices of craft beer enthusiasts, bloggers, and brewers worldwide through social media. On Thursday August 4th, craft beer drinkers across the social sphere and across the globe will raise pints in a collective toast to one of craft beer’s most iconic styles: the India Pale Ale. This celebrated style represents the pinnacle of brewing innovation with its broad spectrum of diverse brands, subcategories, and regional flavor variations – making it the perfect style to galvanize craft beer’s social voice.
#IPADay is opportunity for breweries, bloggers, businesses and consumers to connect and share their love of craft beer. Getting involved is easy; the only requirements are an appreciation for great beer and the will to spread the word. Anyone can participate by enjoying IPA with friends, making some noise online with the #IPADay hashtag, and showing the world that craft beer is more than a trend!
Tips on How to Take Part:
Organize an #IPADay event at your brewery, brewpub, restaurant, bar, home, or office (Ex: An IPA dinner/cheese pairing/comparative or educational tasting/cask night/tap takeover…). Share your events on the official #IPADay forum at http://www.ratebeer.com.
On August 4th, share your photos, videos, blog posts, tasting notes, recipes, and thoughts with the world. Be sure to include the #IPADay hashtag in your posts Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, WordPress, RateBeer, Foursquare, Yelp, Untappd or any other social media site.
See what other people are saying by searching “#IPADay” on Google, search.twitter.com, et cetera…
Track down your favorite IPA’s, ones you’ve been meaning to try, and ones you’ve never heard of; share them with friends and share your thoughts with the world.
Have a good time and know that by sharing your experiences online, you’re strengthening the craft beer community at large.

Mark your calendars, stock up on hops and get ready for IPA Day, coming to a bar or refrigerator near you on August 4.

IPA-Day-390x280

Wikio Beer Blog Rankings For July 2011

July 4, 2011 By Jay Brooks

wikio
The July 2011 standings will soon be released for Wikio’s Beer Blogs. Jeff, from Beervana, and I continued our do si do around the beer blogging dance floor, and I bow to my partner after our fourth consecutive month switching places. Perhaps we should merge our two blogs and create a formidable juggernaut, Brookston Beervana? Anyhow, here’s what happened to the Top 20 over last month:

Wikio July 2011 Beer Blog Rankings

1	Brookston Beer Bulletin (+1)
2	Beervana (-1)
3	The New School (=)
4	Brewpublic (=)
5	A Good Beer Blog (=)
6	The Stone Blog (+1)
7	Appellation Beer: Beer From a Good Home (-1)
8	Washington Beer Blog (=)
9	The Daily Pull (=)
10	Drink With The Wench (+14)
11	It’s Pub Night (+6)
12	Seen Through a Glass (+9)
13	Oakshire Brewing (-3)
14	KC Beer Blog (-2)
15	The Session Beer Project™ (+4)
16	The Not So Professional Beer Blog (-1)
17	The Brew Lounge (-1)
18	San Diego Beer Blog (+27)
19	Craft Austin (-1)
20	Beeronomics (+10)
21	Brewer’s Log (Blog) (-10)
22	The Potable Curmudgeon (+4)
23	BetterBeerBlog (+4)
24	Beer at 6512 (+20)
25	Hoosier Beer Geek (+21)
26	Musings Over a Pint (+2)
27	Brewed For Thought (+2)
28	Seattle Beer News (-14)
29	Top Fermented (+12)
30	Beer in Baltimore (+1)

Ranking made by Wikio

As usual, I included the relative movements of each blog from last month. This month, fully half of the top ten stayed put, while in addition to Beervana and myself changing places, another pair — Stone & Stan — did likewise. Only one new blog cracked the Top 10, as the Wench rocketed up 14 spots into 10th place.

I’ve listed the top 30 this time, and will start doing so each month. One additional observation is that of all 30, 13 moved up or down in the rankings one spot or less, whereas nine out of ten did likewise in the top 10. That suggests there’s less volatility in the rankings nearer the top, meaning blogs move up and down more freely nearer the double digits. And the champion mover was the San Diego Beer Blog, who shook up 27 places. As always, I continue to stress that this is just a bit of fun and that we shouldn’t take it too seriously. Until next month ….

Next Session Seeks Redemption, Beer Redemption

June 16, 2011 By Jay Brooks

Our 53rd Session takes us down a more spiritual path, the road to redemption … sort of. Our host, John Holl, of his eponymous Beer Briefing, has chosen the topic Beer Redemption, for which he offers the following confession:

One thing about drinking a lot of beer is that occasionally you’re going to have a bad one. Perhaps it was infected or spoiled by light. Perhaps the brewer or brewery was new and still working out the kinks on a particular style. Regardless, you couldn’t finish the beer in your glass and moved onto the next one.

John goes on to tell the tale of a beer that, in his youth, he found all but undrinkable and gave short shrift to ever after, only to discover — years later — that it wasn’t so bad after all. He continues.

In that moment I realized the foolishness of youth and how many earlier chances I passed up to properly taste this beer. These days it is not uncommon to find [his beer] of various styles in my refrigerator. I haven’t actually visited the brewery yet, but they are now high on my list.
So, what has been your beer redemption?

So drink three Bloody Marys (made with beer) and two Old Foghorns and seek forgiveness, my sons and daughters, just so long as you blog about it for the next Session on Friday, July 1. Your beer redemption is at hand. To start you down the righteous path, say the Beer Prayer aloud every night before retiring from the evening’s drinking:

“Our lager,
Which art in barrels,
Hallowed be thy drink,
Thy will be drunk,
(I will be drunk),
At home as I am in the tavern.
Give us this day our foamy head,
And forgive us our spillages,
As we forgive those who spill against us,
and lead us not to incarceration,
But deliver us from hangovers,
For thine is the beer,
The bitter and the lager,
Forever and ever,
Barmen.”

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