The NBWA (National Beer Wholesalers Association) posted a short video yesterday celebrating the 77th anniversary of the ratification of the 21st Amendment, ending Prohibition, which occurred December 6, 1933. It’s never too late to celebrate that. Enjoy.
Sam Calagione Discusses Brew Masters On Fox News
Fox Business yesterday did an interview with Sam Calagione, of Dogfish Head Brewery, promoting his new Discovery channel show, Brew Masters.
A Chanukah Whassup
With Chanukah a.k.a. Hanukkah beginning this evening at sundown, I thought I’d share this gem, a spoof of the popular Budweiser Whassup spots from a few years ago, though they were actually called “True,” at least internally. The original is below in case you want to remind yourself what they’re spoofing. L’Chiam.
A Jewish Whassup
The Original Whassup — a.k.a. “True”
Beer Nation’s Farm To Table Video
Beer Nation, a “web-based series exploring the craft beer revolution,” recently posted a great overview video of the Farm To Table side event that took place during the Great American Beer Festival for the second time this year. You can watch the video below or at the Beer Nation website.
For The Love Of Beer
I’ve known about this for a little while now, but it seemed like Thanksgiving was a good time to try to help spread the word about this project. For the Love of Beer is a film project by Alison Grayson to highlight, well I’ll let her tell you.
For the Love of Beer is a documentary devoted to the stories and the passion of the women at the forefront of the Pacific NW beer community. It’s not for feminism or equality … it’s for The Love of Beer.
Frankly, that’s something I’m very thankful for: women in beer. Beer had traditionally been a man’s world because beer was all the same, not terribly complex or diverse and didn’t add as much as it could to a food experience. Not to mention the big brewer’s advertising beginning in the Sixties became more focused on marketing to young males, alienating many women in the process. Craft beer changed all that and women have been a big part of that movement, especially in recent years. The fact that a growing number of women are brewing beer and enjoying beer is having a profound impact on craft beer and the direction it’s heading.
Have you ever met a brewer or beer geek who’s significant other didn’t like beer? They always tell the tale with a sigh of resignation. Life seems better when your partner shares your obsessions. I know I’ve told this story too many times, but before I even asked my wife of 15-years out on a date, I took her to a brewery and ordered a sampler for her. At that time she didn’t drink good beer, but because of her positive reaction to the experience, I asked her out on the spot and we’ve been happily drinking together for over fifteen years. In fact, we spent our honeymoon touring breweries in Oregon and Washington, which is the geographic subject of Grayson’s film.
You can see more of her film work at her Vimeo page for Grayson Productions. But watch the trailer of the beer documentary in progress below. The film first caught my eye because my friend and colleague Lisa Morrison is featured in the trailer and, presumably the finished film as well. That’s reason enough to support it, but then there’s also Tonya Cornett, the terrific brewer from Bend Brewing.
For the Love of Beer Trailer from Grayson Productions on Vimeo.
John Holl On Thanksgiving Beers
My friend and colleague, John Holl, was fortunate enough to appear on his local cable television station in New Jersey, News 12 New Jersey. He brought along several beers to suggest for the holiday tomorrow, including:
- Sam Adams Infinium
- New Jersey Beer Co.’s 60 Shilling Mild
- Saison de Buff (A collaboration between Victory, Stone, Dogfish Head)
- Founder’s Breakfast Stout
The Many Sides of Sam Calagione
In honor of the debut of Sam Calagione’s new Discovery Channel series, Brew Masters, Anat Baron (the director/writer/producer of Beer Wars) posted this short video of Sam and his Dogfish Head Craft Brewery that was originally shown at the “Alamo Draft House in April 2008 as part of the Dogfish Head Off-Centered Film Festival.” In the post, A Star Is Born, Anat reminisces about her first meeting Sam and working with him on her movie. Thanks for sharing, Anat.
The Many Sides of Sam Calagione and Dogfish Head Craft Brewery from Beer Wars on Vimeo.
E.J. Phair Now Open in Pittsburg’s Liberty Hotel
E.J. Phair of Concord, has opened its second location in Pittsburg. The new alehouse is in the historic Liberty Hotel in the downtown area at 200 East 3rd Street. Beginning this week, they’ll be airing a new television commercial on Comcast, which you can see below.
St. Luke’s Bottle Band
Believe it or not, since 1979, St. Luke’s Lutheran Church in Illinois has had a musical group, the St. Luke’s Bottle Band. According to their website, the band was “founded by Professor Paul Phillips. Over the past few years the St. Luke’s Bottle Band has been featured on National Public Radio, the NBC Nightly News, Wild Chicago and the Jenny Jones Show. The band has traveled to Atlanta Georgia to perform for the American Lutheran Church Musicians Conference, as well as Door County, Wisconsin, to present a concert at the Fish Creek Auditorium. The Bottle Band has appeared on An American Moment with James Earl Jones and twice on the Late Show with David Letterman.” (Thanks to Tom D. for sending me the link.) In addition to Scott Joplin’s Peacherine Rag below, there are a number of additional videos of the bottle band performing, including a rousing kazoo version of John Philip Sousa’s Washington Post March. The also have a Facebook page. Enjoy.
Craigslist TV: Drinking Buddy For Hire
I must confess that at first I was skeptical about a press release I received yesterday from Craigslist TV, a new division of Craigslist, which they describe as “an online documentary series. In March 2010, craigslist provided “opt in” check boxes for craigslist users interested in having their adventures on craigslist chronicled, and sponsored the friendly folks at Brownstone Entertainment to follow up on those stories.” They also have a YouTube Channel.
I don’t now how many they’ve done, but the one they sent me is episode 204, and it follows the exploits of a bartender — Daniel — who listed his services for hire as a “drinking buddy,” offering people that he’d listen to whatever they wanted to tell him for the price of a drink. It sounded pretty goofy to me, but it actually seems to work. Like many good bartenders, he does seem to be a good listener and he has an intuitive grasp of what they need to hear in response. As three out of the four we see tell him — and remember this is L.A. after all — it’s cheaper than therapy and just as effective. So what could have been downright creepy is instead oddly sweet and almost moving. When Daniel talks about his philosophy of doing this, he seems sincere and watching him work, he seems fairly effective. Maybe this will become a recognized profession at some point. After all, who likes to drink alone?