Harpoon Brewery in Boston challenged Brooklyn Brewery in New York to a Super Bowl bet...and lost. With the Giants win over the Patriots 17-14, Harpoon had to let Brooklyn tap their lager at the Boston brewery.
Either way, this is a pretty cool deal. I think it's great that the two companies could have a fun bet. It's good that they don't take themselves too seriously. Besides, this is good publicity for both companies, a win-win...
I've decided to contact some of the remaining Presidential candidates today (via their web sites) and ask them a few questions about beer and home brewing. I hope that someone from their campaign staff at least takes the time to read through these and respond. Check back later to see if I get any responses. Now onto the questions...
Q: A number of states still have laws that date back to prohibition, banning the hobby and craft of home brewing.If elected what will you do about that? Q: We hear a lot of talk about reducing the prices of energy, particularly oil, but what about the prices of hops and barley?These rising prices are hitting the American consumer in the wallet, if elected what will you do to help with this issue? Q: A number of states are levying higher taxes on beer; ultimately this hurts the consumer and the industry.What are your thoughts on the subject? Q: A question often asked is, "Which candidate would you most want to have a beer with."Do you enjoy quality beer, and if so, what is your beer of choice?
Dave incorrectly identified his beers, but ultimately chose the Brooklyn Lager.
Kenn's Un-Bud Bowl pick
Kenn incorrectly identified his beers, but ultimately chose the Boston Lager.
Erik's Un-Bud Bowl pick
Erik incorrectly identified his beers, but ultimately chose the Boston Lager, kind of...
Bryon's Un-Bud Bowl pick
Kenn tried to trick me by making both beers the Brooklyn Lager, but you can't fool a fool! My pick was the Brooklyn Lager...
Sorry, our 5th guy didn't want to play along, so it was a tie!!! But just like the Super Bowl, it was a close game! (And at least my beer pick matched the winning team... for what ever that's worth...)
When it was determined that the New England Patriots would be playing the New York Giants in the Super Bowl, Harpoon president Dan Kenary dialed up his friend Steve Hindy, president of Brooklyn Brewery, and arranged a wager. The wager: if the Patriots win the Super Bowl, Brooklyn will pour a keg of Harpoon IPA in their tap room and if the Giants win, a keg of Brooklyn Lager will be tapped in Harpoon's Boston tap room.
"It's going to be a great game on Sunday and I wish Steve and all the Giants fans at the Brooklyn Brewery good luck," says Kenary. "I look forward to having a Harpoon IPA in the Brooklyn tap room with Plaxico Burress next week."
On Monday, the brewery that has won the wager will ship a keg of their flagship beer to the losing brewery for tapping on their draft system. The beer will remain on tap until the keg is empty.
Unfortunately, to the best of my knowledge, Harpoon's Lagers are limited to an Oktoberfest (not currently available), and their Kellerbier (not currently available). Please correct me if I'm wrong here. And matching a :ager vs an IPA just didn't seem fair with what I have planned.
So, I ettled on Brooklyn Lager vs Sam's Boston Lager. Not to worry, I'm no snob, and I like a good Sam just as much as the next guy. Besides, Sam Adams was both a "brewery and patriot." And Brooklyn makes a Giant beer...
Call it my version of the "The Bud Bowl" minus the crappy beer. I plan on having the guys that come over tonight do a mini review and blind taste test during the half time. I'll try to post some quick video clips and let you know who wins.
It'll be interesting (at least to me) to see which beer comes out on top, and if the winning beer matches the winning team! Keep in mind, I live in CT, in the center of the state, a little place I call "FunkyTown", which is smack dab in the middle of NYC and Boston. It's basically the "DMZ" for New York and New England. This should be interesting... I hope...
I never got around to writing a review for the Holiday Ale I made this winter. I still have some left and brought a couple over to Dave's a week or so ago so he could try it. As you can see from the photo below, like most of my beers, it is a heady beast! I'll be honest, I poured this one to really show off the head, because the tiny bubbles flow up the pint glass from the inside/bottom much like they do with a glass of Guiness.
And now, in the interest of gaining closure on the whole Holiday Ale brew, here's Dave's VERY short review, before the digital camera crapped out on us... Take it away Dave!
For years I thought about making my own home brewed beer, but thought it would be too difficult. Now I'm finally giving it a go! I will be documenting my experiences here in the hopes of enabling others to learn from my mistakes and hopefully have some fun in the process.
In addition to discussing my attempts at home brewing, I'll also occasionally write about other related topics. Anything from home brew kits, beer reviews & brewery tours, to religion, healthy diets and responsible drinking will be fair game. In the mean time, I invite you to join me as I embark on a brave new journey into home brewing! Cheers!
Soap Box: Beer should be enjoyed responsibly! Drink quality beer and drink it in moderation! Nobody likes a drunkard!
Enjoying quality beer is about taking the time to savor its taste, color, smell, texture and over all quality. Over indulging impairs your ability to do so, and should be avoided.
Homebrewing for Dummies is a clear, concise, how-to guide for the do-it-yourselfer. As it turns out, making beer isn't hard to do if you have a stove, some basic equipment, a little time on your hands, and a wife that wont divorce you if the kitchen smells like a brewery.
Feel like diving into home brewing head first? You should, but don't go it alone. This book will get you on the right path towards making your own Hefeweizen or India Pale Ale with ease. You'll get the recipes and solid step-by-step instructions. This book covers just about everything, but you're on your own when it comes to your wife.
The Basics of Home Brewing
Considering making your own beer? Wondering what it involves? Here's the skinny... The entire process will take about four weeks or so. Once completed, you'll be able to enjoy and proudly share your beer with friends and family. Now, what could be more rewording than that? Here's a high level view of the entire process:
Brewing
Get the equipment and buy ingredients. Your best bet is to grab a starter kit online or from your local beer making supply shop. (30 minutes or so, not including shipping times)
Clean and sanitize the equipment (15 minutes or so, but do a good job, this is very important!)
Brew the beer and start the fermentation (60-90 minutes the first time, my first batch was closer to 90 minutes, that wort takes a long time to boil!)
Fementation
Waiting, waiting and more waiting. Look at the pretty bubbles! (typically about a week)
Bottle Your Beer
Takes about an hour once fermentation is complete. (don't bottle too early, they could expload!)
Bottle Conditioning
Waiting, waiting and more waiting. Look at the pretty bottles! (usually two to four weeks)
"Who in their right mind would believe that the first building the Pilgrims put up would
be a brewery?"
- Bob Skilnik
“I am a firm believer in the people. If given the truth, they can be depended upon to meet any national crisis. The great point is to bring them the real facts, and beer.”
I've stacked up such a slush pile of beers in my notebook, it seems a good
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feat...
When I travel I always trying to find the best local beer store in the area.
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...
While I'm asking questions I thought I would ask this one. Where can you buy
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cultur...
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The beer for today is Atwater Block Vanilla Java Porter.
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Septembeer means only one thing... OKTOBERFEST!!!
I know... it makes no sense. Why call it "Oktoberfest" when it starts in
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We’ve made it to Part Three and in this section we talk about sanitation.
Sanitation is important because it allows us to prevent a bacterial
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...
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buzz...
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a...
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...
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It is bittered with Newport hops I got from Northern Brewer.com a while back
w...
I brewed last Saturday, and holy-crap it was hot! I brew in a west-facing
garage, and I couldn't get started until 1 p.m., because I helped put-on a
little...
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