As September begins we are looking back at how quickly the summer went by and looking forward to fall.  School, college football and pro football all kick off this month.  I am still enjoying the grilling season and seeing which beers go best with what I am prepping on the grill. Via the comment section drop me a couple of items that you are grilling up and which beers you are pairing them with.

Also with September it begins the begining of the fall beers hitting the shelves.  Some great Octoberfest beers begin to pop up this week and in the next couple of weeks.  Here a re a couple that i have tried already and ones to keep your eye out for. 

Sam Adams Octoberfest- a longtime favorite of mine

Leinenkugel Octoberfest- great offering from Wisconsin

Capital Octoberfest and their great limited release Autumnal Fire

Lakefront Octoberfest-great local beer

Point Octoberfest-great offering from the Point brewery

Great Lakes -An outstanding beer from Ohio

Tyranena-another great local beer from Lake Mills

Sierra Nevada new fall seasonal-Tumbler.  A great brown ale from California

Again this is just a sampling of beers that I have tried and suggest.  I also know there are some great new offerings from New Glarus, Central Waters and O'so brewing to fill your fridge or cooler.  I had a chance to try some of their other offerings at the Great Taste of the Midwest festival a few weeks back.  As always drop me a note on great beers that you are enjoying and discovering.

Cheers

It is a great time for beer drinkers in Wisconsin to get out and sample new beers.  This week there is a new Beer festival that will be in Milwaukee on Saturday.  They are having over 40 breweries having their products sampled.  It looks to be a great event so check it out if you are at all interested in beer.

Next week the Wisconsin State Fair kicks off and there will be numerous opportunities to sample State and regional beers at various stands throughout the grounds. I encourage everyone to try some of the new beers that will be availible this year.

In two weeks, Madison will host my favorite beer festival:The Great Taste of the Midwest.  It is a hot ticket and if have the luck to score tickests, it is well worth the trip over.  The festival is held at Olin Turville Park just south of the Capitol.  It is a well set up festival with breweries both large and small from all over the Midwest sampling their wares.

Get out and enjoy the great weather and enjoy some of your favorite beers and try some new ones along the way and send me feedback on where you are enjoying beer and what you are having.

Cheers,

I hope that everyone had a great 4th of July Holiday enjoying the great weather and events in the area.  I enjoyed Summerfest, the Waukesha 4th of July parade, and the World Cup 2010 coverage.  I mentioned in my last post about matching beers to the countries and to do a sampling with friends of all the different beers.  ESPN did a World of Beers segment on their webite which I found very entertaining.  The semi finals begin today and it finishes up with the final match on Sunday the 11th.

The smoking ban went into effect on the 5th of July.  This being a statewide ban I believe will have an overall positive effect on the restaurant and bar industry.  Being smoke free will hopefully bring out new or bring back old customers to a lot of these establishments.  Let me know your opinions in the comment section about your feelings with the statewide smoking ban.

Until next time,

Cheers

I have a number of quick topics to touch on for this edition:

Perfect place to have a beer:

I know I have discussed a few times the topic of great or perfect places to have a beer.  This month All About Beer magazine has an article listing the 150 Perfect Places to have a beer.  They list locations from all over the world.  Only 2 are Wisconsin based so we know the list may be flawed.  They are the Great Taste of the Midwest Beer festival in Madison and the Sugar Maple tavern in Milwaukee.  What are some of your perfect locations to have a beer here locally.  It could be an event, favorite dining location or food pairing.  Please comment back with some of your thoughts and i will try and compile a Beer Guy list from the entries.

Some of mine include a weiss beer on a summer night at Von Trier in Milwaukee, a beer on the lakefront during Irish fest, Lakefront brewery's Friday night fish fry and Miller Park-having a nice beer with friends and family at a tailgate.

World Cup

The World Cup begins this week and a great idea for a get together is to try and have a beer sampling including beers from all the participating countries.  Put together a menu with different food items paired with some different beers.  I know some of the countries will not have beers here in SE Wisconsin but there is enough choices and some great food/beer pairings that can be put together over the next month. 

Until next time,

Cheers

Next week it is American Craft Beer Week across the US.  It is a national celebration across the US with events at breweries.  It is a growing celebration of all that is craft beers here in the U.S.  On a national basis craft beers were up 7% in 2009 vs 2008.  The numbers were even higher here in Wisconsin.( Detailed numbers are being released next week)

The Brewers association classifies Craft brewers as those that produce  less than 2 million barrels annually.  Wisconsin boast over 70 breweries, brewpubs and microbreweries across the state.  What a great state to live in if you enjoy beer.  In fact if you are still finalizing summer vacation plans, look into a brewery trip for visiting a number of great breweries that each have their own distinct style.

Next week, some breweries are hosting guest taps from other state breweries as a sign of the togetherness of the breweries.  So plan a trip to your local brewery( or not so local) and enjoy the experience.  Usually this week really signifies the start of warmer weather as we head towards summer.

Some suggested breweries to enjoy next week: Leinenkugel in Chippewa Falls, Lakefront in Milwaukee, Sprecher in Milwaukee, Capital-Middleton WI, Point brewery-Stevens Point, Ale Asylum-Madison, Tyranena-Lake Mills and New Glarus-from New Glarus.  These are just a small listing of the state breweries.  Please send me a comment letting me know which beer(s) you celebrated American Craft Beer Week with.

As always enjoy responsibly and raise a toast to the great beers of Wisconsin

This past weekend the World Beer Cup was held in Chicago in conjunction with the 2010 craft brewers conference.  There were some winners here from the state in different categories.  They judged beer styles by 90 different style basis.  The winners will get the title for two years since the next World Beer Cup is not scheduled until 2012.

The 1st question  of my article today is to see how many of you would have guessed 90 as the number of styles to be judged?  The number of new beers and new breweries continue to multiply.  The brewers association in their state of the industry report state that craft beers are up 7% for 2009 vs. 2008.  In a very tough economy that number is surprising considering the overall beer industry was down for 2009.

Consumers are still buying their favorite IPA or amber beers.  The great lakes region which Wisconsin is a part of was up 15.3% for craft beers.

The whole craft movement is good news for the region as we have a huge list of craft (micro) breweries from the state and region that support the economy and their local communities.  Milwaukee is home to Lakefront, Milwaukee Ale House, Sprecher and many other brew pubs and breweries.  Wisconsin is home to those breweries as well as Leinenkugel, Capitol, Tyranena, New Glarus, Point, Ale Asylum, Minhas, Sand Creek, Central Waters and Furthermore.  There are numerous regional breweries as well.

So this week go out and celebrate spring with a craft beer and give cheers to your favorite local brewery.

This past weekend signals the countdown to spring.  Every year on the 4th Saturday of February, Capital brewery holds its annual Bockfest to launch their very popular Blonde Dopplebock.  The brewery in Middleton, WI sets up an outdoor event with music, food and of course beer.  This year I got to enjoy the festivities with 2500 other festivalgoers on a sunny Saturday afternoon.

As we enter the month of March it would be a great time to give you some great beers that are out for the Spring.  Spring beers signal (hopefully) the beginning of spring.  There are a number of great spring beers to try and here is a quick check list of beers that you may want to check out.

Leinenkugel 1888 Bock

Blue Moon Spring Ale

Sam Adams Noble Pils-New seasonal beer for Sam Adams

Sierra Glisade Bock-Golden bock-new seasonal for this California brewery

Point Brewery Einbock

Capital Brewery Maibock and Blonde Dopplebock-

Great Lakes Conways Irish ale- great beer from this Ohio based brewery

Lakefront Snake Chaser- Very good irish stout from this growning Milwaukee brewery

Tyranena Down n Dirty Oatmeal Stout-New seasonal from this Lake Mills based brewery.

This along with some seasonal entries from Sprecher, New Glarus, New Belgium make for some interesting choices for you as you are at your favorite restaurant or bar or are looking to buy beer to have at home.  As always please let me know some of your favorites and I will pass on in a upcoming blog.

With the fire this week at Pizza Man in Milwaukee there have been a huge number of memories flooding in.  That gave me an idea.  Have readers send me their favorite Wisconsin beer destinations.  This can be your favorite spot to get a beer, favorite brewery tour or favorite festival.  In the comments please give me your favorites and I will compile and list on a later post.

Now is the time for some great spring seasonal beers to be hitting the shelves soon including Leinenkugels 1888 Bock, Sam Adams Noble Pils, and Sierra Nevada's Golden Bock.

I know Spring seems a long ways away but hopefully these beers can make it seem like it is right around the corner.

Just wanted to put a reminder out there for everyone with the Holidays approaching to take a minute and review some items to remember when drinking or hosting parties.

1. Know you limits and be in control of your surroundings-Spacing drinks or alternating between non alcoholic and alcoholic beverages, recognizing that it is not impolite to turn down a drink if it means staying within your personal limits.

2.Cultivate taste and appreciate quality rather than quantity-If hosting try and pair foods that complement beer and wine choices.

3. If Hosting- plan out plenty of finger foods, snacks and non-alcoholic beverage choices to go with your beer and drink choices. 

4. Plan ahead for designated drivers and taxi service ahead of time will make things easier the night of the party.

4. if planning to be out for New Years- there is the Miller Lite Free Rides program.  Free bus transportation will be provided through Milwaukee and Waukesha counties.  Route and schedule info is available by calling 1-800-FREE RIDES or visit www.millerlitefreerides.com.

5. Other areas will be having shuttle and taxi service availible-plan ahead and look at all travel possibilities.

A lot of common sense ideas but all that should be considered during this busy time of year so everyone has a safe and happy holiday season

Cheers

Dave

As you are planning out your shopping for the upcoming Thanksgiving holiday, try to plan on some food/beer pairings for your friends and relatives.  As we await fall and winter take a look for some of the great Winter seasonals that are hitting store shelves and any fall beers that may remain.  Here are some beer choices that will pair well with whatever is on your menu.

Seasonal beers:

Lakefront Pumpkin-A great beer where the name speaks for itself.

Leinenkugel Fireside Nut Brown-Great beer that pairs well with the dark meat from the turkey

Blue Moon Pumpkin Ale-One of the original pumpkin beers

Sam Adams Winter Lager-A  hearty beer that pairs well with stuffing and turkey.

Please pass on any recepies that you would like to share that pair beer with food or even made with food.

Last week in Madison the state assembly began hearings regarding Assembly Bill 287.  This bill would raise the tax on all beer produced in Wisconsin.  Wisconsin is a wonderfull location for new breweries and brewpubs to open.  The reason is the taxes on beer is lower than some other states.  This is one of the rare examples where Wisconsin is a lower tax state.  Wisconsin is also one of the top brewing states with the number of breweries and brewpubs.

Please contact your local representative and let them know this is a bad idea and to pursue other ideas for tax increases.  The sponsers of this bill are trying to leverage that increased taxes would go toward drunk driving initiatives.  The cause may be right but the use of taxes is not.  They also have left out the fact the Wisconsin ranks in the top 5 in the country with total tax impact of +40% of the cost of beer going to one tax or another.

Please note that this tax increase would be bad for the price of beer in this economy and all brewers and distributors are already paying more than their share on products in the market.  Again I encourage everyone to contact their representative for the assembly and say no to another tax increase on beer for the state of Wisconsin.

Feel free to contact me with your thoughts.

Prost!

Last week in Denver was the Great American Beer Festival.  It is held every September and brings over 450 brewers from all over the US to this 3 day festival.  Wisconsin was very well represented with MillerCoors, Lakefront, Capital, New Glarus,Dells Brewing Co.,Great Dane, Rock Bottom,Titletown and Water Street Brewery.    78 Different beer categories were judged and Gold, Silver and Bronze were awarded.  Beer selection ranged from the simple Pilsner to the obscure.  Wisconsin did bring home some awards: Miller, Capital,New Glarus,Rock Bottom,Titletown brewery.

The tone of the festival was obviously positive(how can it not be?  beer is involved), most brewers are seeing light at the end of the tunnel with the economy so re-investment will continue and the holidays will bring a lot of great beer choices.

An interesting article came across my desk today.  The article discusses the growth of the craft beer as the new cocktail since consumers are choosing craft beers over wine and spirits during this recession.  Numbers released yesterday by the Brewers Association show that craft beer grew by 5% in the first 6 months of 2009.  That is borderline amazing considering the beer industry is flat for 2009.

I believe this trend holds thru for the state of Wisconsin as well.  Local craft brewers in the state are showing good numbers for the year so far and are continuing to roll out new products for their consumers.  Lakefront, Leinenkugel's, Capital, Point, New Glarus,Tyranena and Ale Asylum have all introduced new products this year and are enjoying the fruits of their labors.

The question for this entry is "Are you trading off to craft beers from your normal drink order either at the bar or at the store?"

As always please let me know your thoughts and opinions

Cheers!

I am presently reading Red, White and Brew which is an interesting story of one man's journey to a number of craft breweries around the US.  This leads me to an idea that all readers should send in their best brewery tours that they have been on whether it is a local one, American one or perhaps an international tour.  I will compile a list and post the results on upcoming post.

There are some outstanding local tours and some great ones within a short driving distance.  Some of my personal ones are Lakefront brewery in Madison and the beer garden at Capital Brewery in Madison.

Some email me your favorites and the reasons why so we can put a travel vacation of brewery tours together for the rest of the summer.

Cheers

With the un-official beginning of summer being marked with the Memorial Day weekend, we can look forward to the warm days.  Of course with the weather we are having it is hard to tell if it is summer or fall.  Anyway here are some interesting choices for summer beers if you are looking to be summer like:

1. Leinenkugel Summer Shandy- A perfect summer beer

2. Blue Moon Honey Moon- A smooth ale for the hot days ahead

3. Sam Adams Summer Ale-made with Grains of paradise

4. Sierra Nevada Summerfest- A light tasting beer from Chico California.

5. Sierra Nevada Kellerweiss- A new beer availible year round from California that will be availible in the next 2 weeks.  A refreshing choice for Weiss drinkers.

6. Capital Wild Rice- Summer seasonal from this Middleton, WI brewery.

7. Point Nude Beach Summer Wheat- The name says it all.

8. Bell's Oberon Ale-A great beer from this Michigan brewery.

9. Tyranena Scurvy- A unique beer from Lake Mills, Wisconsin.

A few choices to enjoy.  As always let me know your favorites and I will put together a best of list.

Cheers!

Last month I had the opportunity to attend the National Craft Brewer's Conference in Boston.  It was a collection of brewers, beer wholesalers, brewery reps, beer writers beer product suppliers(wheat,hops,containers,yeast).  It was a great opportunity to be with other beer people to discuss the issues of the industry.

May 11-17 will be American Craft Beer Week, a national celebration highlighting the culture and contributions of craft beer.  Julia Herz ,spokesperson for the Brewers Association quotes:"Today, 97% of the more than 1,500 U.S. breweries are small and independent craft brewers.  American Craft Beer week is a time to celebrate everyting these breweries contribute to our country and culture, and to also celebrate the diversity of beer styles and brands availible today."

So go out and enjoy your favorite craft beer next week and let me know your list of your favorite craft beers.

Cheers

Hopefully Saturday's snow was the last of the winter season so that we can move on to Spring.  I want to mention a new beer from Leinenkugel's that was introduced in March.  It is their newest year round style-Classic Amber.  It is an all-malt amber lager.  It is brewed with Pale,Munich and firekilned Caramel 60 malts and balacned by a citrus hop complexity.  Some food pairings to try with this new beer are venison, veal tenderloin, a grilled porterhouse steak or a sharp cheddar cheeseburger.  I encourage you to try the new Classic Amber from Leinenkugel's and let me know what food pairings that you come up with for this beer.

Cheers!

While parades, corned beef and cabbage, and lucky four leafed clovers are what typically come to mind this time of year, St.  Patrick's Day celebrations would not be complete without delicious stout beer. 

That said, there are many stouts available that you may have not yet tried.  On or before Tuesday, the 17th is a great opportunity to broaden your horizons and try something new and unique.

But before I get into the details on some of the great stouts out there and an idea for hosting a stout-tasting party, let me explain a bit of the story behind stouts.

History of Stout
Stout is a relatively young style of beer.  It was first introduced to the in the 1700s, as an “extra stout” version of a porter beer.  The name “stout” referred to the fact that this beer was a little more assertive than the regular porter.  The foamy head characteristic of a stout is the result of the centuries old brewing process.  And, while the dark color might be deceiving, stouts are actually light in taste and texture and are often on the lighter side in alcohol content as well.

American Stouts
There are multitudes of stout styles; the most popular are Irish in origin, like Murphy’s Irish Stout, and boast a coffee-like, or ‘toasted’ flavor.  With a great deal of innovation and originality, American brewers have taken this style to a new level.  Whether it's adding coffee, chocolate or even oatmeal to compliment the roasted flavors, American stouts will not disappoint die-hard Irish stout enthusiasts.

With American stouts, the hop bitterness range is quite wide but most are balanced.  Beers with robust flavors like the creamy and malty Sierra Nevada Stout, the dark and rich Bell's Expedition Stout or the tart and slightly fruity Cherry Stout (also from Bell's) are great examples of American-made brews that have earned a solid standing with stout connoisseurs.  

Host a Stout Tasting
This St. Patrick’s Day, host a stout tasting.  Gather some friends and some different types of stouts.  With Lakefront's Snake Chaser; try to identify flavors of toffee and coffee aromas.  When tasting the Breckenridge Oatmeal Stout, look for the distinct flavors of chocolate, coffee, and, of course, oatmeal.  As expected, Bell's Java Stout will have a smooth, velvety coffee flavor.  Note the different aromas that are infused into these American brews, and maybe contrast their flavors with that of traditional Beamish Irish Stout, for example.  Take small sips and cleanse the palate in between tastes with crackers, or different types of fruit and sips of water.

And lastly, remember to drink responsibly wherever you end up this St. Patrick's Day

Another Valentine's Day will be upon us shortly.  But no matter what you're got planned – whether it’s an exciting night out or a delicious, intimate home-cooked meal – beer can play a part in your Valentine’s Day festivities.  Here are a few ideas.

Red Beer and Red Roses
You may already have plans to get your better half a boutique of long-stemmed, beautiful red roses for Valentine’s Day – but that doesn’t mean you should stop there.  Expand on the color theme of your gift by adding a six-pack or two of some great red beers.  Some of your options include Leinenkugel Red or George Killian's Irish Red

Beer and Chocolate – Obvious and Irresistible
Many of the natural complexities of full-bodied beers are echoed in rich, flavored chocolates and vice versa.  Much like how dark-roasted coffees and chocolates pair well, the roasted malt flavor of stouts and porters parallel the deep tones of dark chocolate, a known aphrodisiac.  For a great gift, combine a few varieties of Godiva or Ghirardelli chocolate in a basket with and a six-pack of Bell’s Java Stout.  Other options to pair with chocolate include Beamish Irish Stout and Negra Modelo.

Pairing Beer with Aphrodisiacs
We’ve covered chocolate, so the next obvious and available aphrodisiac to pair with beer would be oysters.  It’s best to fry the oysters, say experts.  That way, the beer’s carbonation and fizz will temper the oysters’ oily richness, for a unique, flavorful experience.  Oysters are great with porters or Stouts, so try them with a  Bell's Expedition Stout,Breckenridge Vanilla Porter or Tyranena Black Hawk Porter.

Get Them What They Love and More
If you’re lucky enough have plans with a beer-lover, take a little time, do a bit of research and you can come up with a gift with a different angle.  If your guy or gal has a favorite style or brand of beer, help them push the envelope and explore other, similar styles and types.  For example, if your sweetie’s favorite brew is a pilsner, like Miller Lite, make up a sampling package that includes other pilsners like Coors Light and Pilsner Urquell.  If he or she is into bocks or dopplebocks, open them up to other brands like Leinenkugel  1888 Bock, Lakefront Bock or Capital's seasonal Maibock..

As everyone continues to face this brutal cold spell I thought I would give everyone some choices for beer selections this weekend for the continuation of the NFL playoffs.

1. Think Spring- Choices are starting to pop up that signal the beginning of spring.  Leinenkugel's 1888 Bock is now avaible and it is simply a great bock beer.  Full of flavor and gives us hope that Spring will soon be here.  Other spring beers that are beginning to appear are Sam Adams White Ale, Lakefront Big Easy( a celebration of Mardi Gras), and Blue Moon Spring Ale.

2. Team choices-Pick a beer that represents the character of each team:

Arizona: To fit with their warm weather, Corona or Corona Light to give you that escape from the cold.

Phildelphia- To fit with their history, Sam Adams beers to go with the Brewer/Patriot that signed the Decleration of Independence

Baltimore: This one is a stretch, but the birthplace of Edgar Allen Poe-stick with dark beers to fit with his writing, look for Stouts( Murphy's,Beamish, Bells Kalamazoo Stout)), Porters( Tyranena Black Hawk Porter) would fit the bill.

Pittsburgh- To pair with the gritiness of the area of Pennsylvania-Pabst Blue Ribbon-a classic blue collar beer perfect to pair with the Steelers.

3. Your favorites:

Pair your favorite beer choice with some great appetizers and snacks for the 2 games this weekend

Enjoy the games.

Cheers