Brookston Beer Bulletin

Jay R. Brooks on Beer

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Beer, Water & Responsibility From Full Sail

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full-sail-blue
Boy, the Hood River is picturesque, especially as it’s filmed in this newly produced video for Full Sail Brewing, all about Beer, Water & Responsibility. In today’s Press Release, they discuss their water and how they strive to use it wisely.

A great brew begins with great water. Full Sail is located in Hood River, Oregon at the base of Mt. Hood, where pristine water literally flows from the springs on the mountain. The video was filmed at and around the brewery, celebrating both the breweries exceptionally low water use and the beauty of the environment that inspires this commitment to preserve this valuable resource.

“When we look out from our brewery we can see both the Columbia River and the snow-capped peaks beyond, highlighted up against the clear blue skies. We feel so lucky to work in this truly amazing place. It would be impossible to live and work in the Columbia River Gorge and not be inspired by the sheer beauty of the place. It’s not hard to figure out what would attract us to this setting. And it is our love for this environment that drives our sustainable practices, so pure water, local ingredients and responsible processes are poured into each and every pint,” says Full Sail’s Executive Brewmaster, Jamie Emmerson.

It really is a beautiful part of the country, something of a paradise, especially since there’s so much good beer all around.

Sorting Cases Of Beer … Fast

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romania
In case you didn’t see this, it’s been up since last November, but it’s pretty funny, and mesmerizing to watch, especially from the laziness of your own couch or office chair. The video is simply workers at a beer distributor in Romania sorting the cases on mixed pallets as the come into the warehouse. I”m not quite sure why it’s called “Sorting Cases of Beer Like a Boss,” I think I’d call it “Sorting Cases Like It’s Friday Afternoon Minutes Before Quitting Time.” Or maybe happy hour was about to start?

Upcoming Pliny The Younger Day On NBC

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russian-river
New England Cable News, an NBC News affiliate, had a nice video on Russian River Brewing, and Pliny the Elder and the upcoming Pliny the Younger release, which this year will take place February 1. It’s a nice piece, by Garvin Thomas, but when they return to the Anchor, she should have just kept her mouth shut, instead putting her foot well and truly in it. But watch the video first, concentrate on the good vibes, and see if you notice it, too.

At the end, they talk about the poll that the American Homebrewers Association takes annually, asking nationwide members to pick the best beer in America, and how Pliny has been picked as #1 four years in a row. The 2012 Poll got a record 16,445 votes from homebrewers around the country. But that didn’t stop the snark. Understandably, since this is New England Cable News, the announcer chided the list because there were no New England breweries in the Top 25 and the highest ranked New England beer was Samuel Adams, which tied for #31. I understand that’s their audience but was the snark really necessary? She then states almost all of the beers on the list were from the West Coast, saying “not a surprise since the American Homebrewers Association is based in California,” implying that the voting must have been rigged in favor of West Coast beers. Of course, the AHA has been in Boulder, Colorado since 1978 and has members all across the U.S., not concentrated in the Western states. That was just moronic and completely unnecessary. Congratulations to Vinnie and Natalie on the coverage.

Beer In The Pacific Northwest

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gigantic-brewing
My buddy Ben Love, who last year opened his own brewery in Portland, Gigantic Brewing, just sent me this cool video featuring his “master brewer,” Van Havig, who joined him at Gigantic, after many years at the Rock Bottom in Portland. The short film, entitled Victory, was created by Jerry Makare as a project for the University of Oregon Multi-Media Journalism Program Foundations class (J610) in Fall 2012. Havig makes some great points. Portland is an amazing place to drink beer, and what he’s saying, I think, holds true for a few other pockets of the country, but as far as I know, the market penetration of specialty beer there is second to none. It’s certainly one of my favorite places to enjoy a beer.

The Magic of Brewing, the Joy of Beer

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magic
Take a tour of the Suffolk brewery Greene King with head brewer John Bexon hosted by UK beer writer Roger Protz. The video, entitled The Magic of Brewing, the Joy of Beer, runs just under a half-hour and includes a tour of Greene King’s “traditional brew house and fermenting area, taking in the ancient wooden vats where Strong Suffolk is matured.” Enjoy.

Ice Plus Beer

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kirin
I tend to view the concept of ice plus beer with horror, but apparently in Japan it’s “so cool.” That’s at least the opinion of Kirin, whose uncharacteristically low-tech commercial make the case for its coolness. The verdict? The ad: pretty cool. Ice plus beer: not cool.

Under the Anheuser Bush

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music
Another historical oddity, Under the Anheuser Bush, was a song written around 1903, with words by Andrew B. Sterling and music by Harry Von Tilzer. This version is sung by Billy Murray and is a 1903 Old Edison Recording.

anheuser-busch-song-1904

Here’s the lyrics:

Talk about the shade of the sheltering palms
Praise the bamboo tree and it’s wide spreading charms
There’s a little bush that grows right here in town
You know it’s name it has won such renown
Often with my sweetheart just after the play
To this little place then my footsteps will stray
If she hesitates when she looks at the sign
Softly I whisper, “Now Sue, don’t decline….”

Rave about the place where you swells go to dine
Picture you and me with our sandwich and stein
Underneath the bush where the good fellows meet
Life seems worth living, our joy is complete
If you’re sad at heart take a trip there tonight
You’ll forget your woe and your eyes will grow bright.
There you’ll surely find me with my sweetheart, Sue.
Come down this evening, I’ll introduce you.

Come, come, come and make eyes with me
Under the Anheuser Bush
Come come drink some Budwise with me
Under the Anheuser Bush
Hear the old German Band
Just let me hold your hand YAH!
Do, do come and have a stein or two
Under the Anheuser Bush!

Here’s Verse 1:

And Verse 2:

Under-the-Anheuser-Bush

Below is yet another version, a little more scratchy than the other one, but is also sung by Billy Murray. It was recorded in Philadelphia on January 15, 1904 and is Take 4. I found it at the National Jukebox at the Library of Congress.

This one was recorded on vinyl by Monarch Records.

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Reuters TV Interview With Jim Koch

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Reuters TV has a lengthy interview with Boston Beer Co. founder Jim Koch, conducted by Robert Wolf, who is “an outsider advisor to President Obama,” on the President’s Council on Jobs and Competitiveness. The interview, part of the “Impact Players” series, is business-focused, but they also discuss the present state of the beer industry and Koch’s history and background. It runs just under half an hour. Enjoy.