World Class Beverages Beer Stuff

Summer Travel - San Francisco

2010-06-22T13:19:00.000-07:00

As we continue our Summer Travel series, I can’t help but think about how many great beer destinations there are out there and how we could spend lots of weeks talking about where to go to drink great beer. But, I digress…we are looking at locations that meet several criteria, not the least of which is somewhere for Arizonans to go to get out of our summer heat. Last week we looked at San Diego with their wonderful beaches and year round moderate temperatures…and we found some wonderful beer. This week we head up Interstate 5 to the city by the Bay, San Francisco. Of course, if you prefer the more romantic route, a cruise up the Pacific Coast Highway will get you there as well with much better scenery. Regardless, we are not here to talk about the trip, but about the destination. San Francisco, from Gold Rush times until Prohibition was the brewing center of the West Coast. Whether it was the malting houses on Fisherman’s Wharf or the hop fields in the North and East Bay, beer was intertwined with San Francisco’s history.

My first stop in San Francisco is always the Toronado. This is the original and it looks it. Located at Haight and Fillmore, it is found after a fairly long climb up one of San Francisco’s infamous hills…take my advice and get a cab or bus to get there. Once inside, you will be greeted by approximately fifty taps, all flowing with fantastic craft beer or some high end specialty import. Last time I was there, there were no less than four of the highly sought after Russian River beers on tap, as well as other local gems like Moonlight Brewing, Marin and Drake’s. There will also be plenty of beers from places that we in Arizona are more familiar with like Anderson Valley, Bear Republic and North Coast Brewing. Take your time and enjoy, this is the place that celebrated its 20th anniversary with beers brewed especially for the event by brewers like Vinnie Cirluzo and Tomme Arthur. Examine the lists carefully and choose wisely, you will never get through all the goodies you will find here.

Another fine local beer bar is City Beer Store and Tasting Room. Get something to take home, but by all means, enjoy a few beers while you are there. It’s more central to the main hotel areas, situated on Folsom, just a couple of blocks off Market. There is also a different vibe, and it can sometimes be a gathering place for the professional beer community in San Francisco after their workday is over. You never know what you will find on draft, so enjoy.

There are some fun breweries in the area, most with pubs attached so you can eat while you drink. 21st Amendment Brewery celebrates the repeal of Prohibition daily at their restaurant. In keeping with that theme, enjoy the Brew Free or Die IPA or the Hell or High Watermelon Wheat Ale. A great variety of classic pub food prepared in some interesting ways provides a complete experience at 21st Amendment. Before the 21st Amendment was passed, speakeasy bars were rampant across America. These small clubs that were carefully guarded quenched the thirst of Americans for the almost fourteen years that we were, legally anyway, a dry country. Not far from 21st Amendment is the Speakeasy Brewery. Open to the public only on Friday afternoons, and only to those who know the secret password (don’t tell anyone I told you, but it’s “good beer”) there is always something special on tap.

Just outside of the city lies an assortment of great beer in any direction. If you are heading north across the Golden Gate Bridge, a stop in Novato will take you to Moylan’s. Moylan’s head brewer Denise Jones is considered one of the finest brewers in California and her beers are crafted so well they leave you wanting more. Whether you order the hop bomb they call Hopsickle or one of the more traditional Irish or English style beers, be sure to try the food as well. You can also stop at their sister brewery, Marin Brewing in Larkspur, south of Novato. This is a brewery that does fruit beers very well, try the Blueberry Ale; the natural blueberry flavors are just enough to give you the taste without overwhelming the taste buds. If hops are your thing, go for the White Knuckle Double IPA. It won’t take long to figure out where they got the name from.

Pyramid Brewing Company has two Alehouses located to the west of the city, one in Berkeley and one in Walnut Creek. Treat yourself to one of the favorites available here, or explore some of the beers that are only available at the Alehouses. If you’re looking for a brewery tour, the Berkeley Alehouse is also home to one of Pyramid’s two production breweries (the other is in Portland) and is a great experience if you have never seen a larger brewery in action. It includes samples and for the under 21 crowd, they have plenty of their Thomas Kemper sodas available. Plan about 45 minutes for the tours a some time after that to enjoy a pint or two along with a snack at the Alehouse.

This is just a small bit of the great beer available in and around San Francisco. Check out Beach Chalet Brewery, Anchor Brewing, Iron Springs and Magnolia as well. Other great beer bars include The Alembic, The Bistro and British Bankers Club. There are, of course, many more great places in a town with a beer tradition as rich as San Francisco’s. And we haven’t even touched on wine country yet, look for that in the fall, just before many people are making trips to Napa and Sonoma. As always, you can pinpoint locations by checking out www.beermapping.com.

Summer Travel - San Diego

2010-06-09T11:36:00.000-07:00

Summer is rapidly approaching, we have had our first 100 degree day in Phoenix and more are on their way. If you are like the typical Valley resident, thoughts are turning to how to cool off during June, July and August. Typically, I prefer to stock my fridge with great beer, shut all the blinds and hide from the heat for three months. It appears that not everybody likes that method of surviving the heat. Some of you like to get out of Phoenix for a few days or weeks. The only problem is figuring out where to go, and where are you going to find great beer when you get there. I want to spend some time looking at great summer destinations and give you some idea how to make a little beer holiday out of it.

San Diego, which bills itself as “America’s Finest City”, certainly has some of America’s finest beer. Known for top notch breweries and great beer bars, and average high temperatures around 77 in the summer, there is plenty to do for a craft beer fan. All of San Diego County is a tourist hot spot in the summer, and good beer is available everywhere.

Assuming you make the drive in on Interstate 8, just as you leave the Cleveland National Forest, you will come upon the town of Alpine, and just south of the Interstate in Alpine, you will find Alpine Brewing. These guys make a variety of great beers, but are renowned for their IPAs . And why not? Year round selections include Pure Hoppiness and Duet, but if you can find Exponential Hoppiness, Nelson (a golden Rye IPA featuring the Nelson Sauvin hop out of New Zealand) or O’Brien’s IPA, you have a real treat. Pick up a couple of growlers for your room.

Once settled in you can find great breweries everywhere. Head up to the North County area in San Marcos to check out Port Brewing and The Lost Abbey. A quick drive north on the Escondido Freeway and then west on Ronald Packard to San Marcos will get you to the brewery located just off the Packard Parkway. Your best bet is to go Friday after 4:00 PM or Saturday and Sunday afternoon. Tours are informal and last about 20 minutes, but the tasting room is a great place to hang out, the staff are friendly and the beer is some of the best available. Say hello to Terri and Sage who help staff the tasting room. After enjoying some fine beer and the functional beauty of the brewery, take a trip to Escondido and visit the Stone World Bistro for a bite to eat. In addition to great beer brewed in the attached brewery, you will find many guest taps, outstanding food and an outdoor garden that is very relaxing. With a menu of world inspired cuisine featuring locally grown small farm ingredients, you can enjoy a nice meal either inside, on the open air patio or in the one acre organic beer garden.

Alesmith Brewery is located just north of Miramar Road between the 805 and the 15. For the past 15 years this tiny brewery has put out a variety of handcrafted artisan ales. With an award winning head brewer and a dedicated staff, its no wonder that every beer from them is a gem. Make time on either Friday or Saturday afternoon to stop in and see what they have to offer. From Alesmith, head east on Miramar across the 15 and you will be in the area of one of the best kept secrets in San Diego beer, Ballast Point Brewery. Actually, all the folks in San Diego know what a great brewery Ballast Point is, but sometimes they get lost amongst all the celebrity brewers that come from California. But recently being named Small Brewery of the Year at the World Beer Cup should change all that, sounds like they may be approaching the realm of celebrity brewers. You can’t go wrong with any of their beers, the Calico Amber, Wahoo Wheat and Big Eye IPA are all particularly good, but keep any eye out for some of their specialty beers such as Sculpin, Dorado or Victory at Sea. Even well kept secrets have well kept secrets, and Ballast Point’s is their Homebrew Mart. Located on Linda Vista, not far from Hotel Circle, the front of this store is a typical home brewing supply store, but in the back is a small tasting area where you can sample many of the great beers that Ballast Point puts out.

There are many other fine breweries in San Diego, but the county also is home to some of the best beer bars in the state. Starting in the downtown area, you can find The Yard House and right next door to that is The Local Eatery. The Local is everything you would expect in a neighborhood watering hole, including great beer. Look for some rarities from Port Brewing and The Lost Abbey as well as other California breweries on tap here. A little further away, in the Gaslight District is Downtown Johnny Brown’s. With 18 taps of craft beer, the occasional cask conditioned special and good food, this is a can’t miss spot.

As you venture a little out of the downtown, there are many more beer bars. Try Hamilton’s off of 30th Street. The oldest beer and wine license in the county and a certain pride in being descended from Sparky’s which they describe as a “beloved dive bar” gives you an idea right away what you are dealing with. Plenty of taps and even more bottled beers on their menu. They even have a tab on their web site for their juke box. Continuing north on 30th Street you come across The Linkery and The Toronado San Diego. Named after the famous beer bar in San Francisco, The Toronado does its northern sister bar proud. Nothing but specialty beers, a bottle list to die for and an appealing food menu will make this stop a memorable one. Go a little further north and a little bit west and find O’Brien’s Pub. Not a big place, they still manage to fit in over 20 taps and a great bottle selection. O’Brien’s is one of those places that always attracts the best beers and the best drinkers. And while at the beach, hit up the Pizza Port restaurants in Ocean Beach, Solano Beach, Carlsbad and even San Clemente (if you get that far north)

San Diego is a great area to visit and we hope that now, armed with a little beer knowledge, you can make it an enjoyable trip. Later, we will take a look at San Francisco and Colorado as summer beer destinations.

Day Drinking in Arizona

2010-06-01T12:20:00.000-07:00

I’ve always loved the drinking songs of Tom T. Hall. The classic, to me anyway, is “I Like Beer”. That song gets right to the point and addresses the situation head on. Another favorite from Mr. Hall is “Day Drinking”, a story about a couple of guys out on the town since 9:30 or 10:00 that morning. Not only that, but they are regulars at spending the daytime hours in bars telling the waitress how they won the war. Thinking about that song, along with a couple of afternoon beers, it occurred to me that Phoenix is a town with some great day drinking bars. Bars that are at least as much fun during the day as they are at night, some might be more so. We have plenty of them, so let’s focus on the ones that feature great craft beer.

Right at the top of the list has to be TT Roadhouse. Located on 68th Street, just north of Thomas in Scottsdale, this tiny bar is real easy to drive right by. Once you get in there, its an enchanted world. A dozen or so tap handles, featuring a variety of great beer, including Moose Drool, SKA Decadent, Bell’s Oberon, New Belgium Ranger IPA and more make this a great place to hang out on a bar stool all day. Everything about the place is fantastic. The jukebox has been described as the best in the Valley, and it is one of those few bars that looks good with daylight streaming in the windows. It’s not exactly classy, but definitely more than a dive bar. They describe it best when they call themselves “A maverick cult on the fringe of respectable drinking.” That, along with a friendly bar staff and owner and a good mix of people hanging out says all you need to know about TT Roadhouse.

Sun Up Brewery at 322 E. Camelback is on our list. A small bar and dining area gives way to a courtyard which seems comfortable even during the worst of the summer, and beyond that, the brewery building which also has a large open space filled with tables, and another bar. Brewmaster Uwe Boer can frequently be seen through the glass working hard on his amazing beers. Everything from the Trooper IPA to the Armadillo Red and the Light Rail Cream Ale get his exacting attention. There are several other beers always on tap, and expect to find a cask conditioned specialty most of the time. The food is outstanding so you can maintain your nourishment while having a couple of beers. Best of all may be that they are less than a five minute walk to the light rail stop at Camelback and Central.

If you ever had a drink in Tempe, you probably know the Yucca Tap Room, but did you know that they now have some great beer there? And you may think that Yucca is all about great bands, and it is. Still, sitting there during the day time nursing a Bell’s Oberon or a Left Hand Milk Stout poured off the nitrogen faucet makes for a relaxing afternoon. You have the opportunity to shoot a little pool or play an arcade game or two in case you need a break from relaxing on your bar stool watching the world go by. Of course Yucca is one of those rare places where you can start your day at 6:00 AM with Happy Hour.

If you don’t like pool and arcade games, or just sitting there staring out the window, how about a little Off Track Betting? Stray Cats on University in Tempe allows you to bet on the horses while enjoying some fine craft beer. Have Ska True Blonde, Dale’s Pale Ale or New Belgium 1554 on draft while you wager on the ponies. You may not win, but you will never have enjoyed losing so much.

If you’re up in North Phoenix, stop by Mellow Mushroom at I17 and Deer Valley. Located in the middle of two large shopping areas, you can relax and unwind at a bar featuring 36 craft beers on tap, over 50 bottles and cans of craft beer, great pizza and a couple of truly fun daytime bartenders. Happy Hour, with half price pints, starts at 3:00, but you’ll probably arrive right after lunch and spend the afternoon.

On 7th Street at Sheridan, look for The Main Ingredient. Matt Diamond, who has been behind the scenes at many great bars and restaurants in Phoenix, steps out front to present his version of a great bar. With a patio as big as the inside, a top notch staff, and Sonoran Inebriator, Oskar Blues Gordon and Avery White Rascal on tap, how can you go wrong? Couple that with fantastic food and you can let the day run right in to the evening. If you need anything else…Happy Hour runs all day until about 6:00 PM.

If wine is more your thing, take a trip to Cave Creek and try out Brix in the Stagecoach Village shopping center. Described as, “If Billy the Kid and Wyatt Earp drank wine, this is where they would drink it,” Brix is a fine place to while away an afternoon. A wonderful selection of wines, an owner who will talk sports, country music, politics or just about anything else that interests you and a diverse clientele make this a great stop. On any given day, you might find yourself sitting next to the guitar player from one of the hot local bands, a professional bull rider, or any of the other fascinating people you might meet there. This is one of those places where one visit makes you a regular. And, look for some good beer to be available there shortly.

There are a few other spots in town like Moto on 7th Street and Glendale, Buffalo Wings and Rings in Chandler, Whole Foods (yes Whole Foods, go there and you will understand) in Chandler and De La Cruz if you are out in the Gold Canyon area. All offer good beer and a good environment to spend an afternoon with.

No matter when you have a beer, whether it’s a breakfast beer, a beer with lunch, an early afternoon, or starting the evening off, day drinking is a nice change of pace. Enjoy the places above and go for the good beer whenever you can.

American Craft Beer Week

2010-05-13T16:07:00.000-07:00

The “Mother of all Beer Weeks”…that’s the way they describe American Craft Beer Week (ACBW). A whole week devoted to the magnificence that is craft beer. Craft brewers, retailers, home brewers, distributors, beer lovers and even the United States Congress have been busily making plans to celebrate this week, which runs from May 17th to May 23rd. Last year hundred of events were held nationally to recognize craft beer and its tremendous impact on the American beer drinker.

This year promises to be more of the same. Already hundreds of events are posted on the official web site for the week (www.americancraftbeerweek.org) and over 16,000 fans are following the Facebook page created for the week. The week is designed to be a celebration of small and independent brewers with a focus on featuring why American Craft Beer is some of the best beer in the world. The events are an opportunity to share with the consumer and invite them to join in the celebration. Conducted in a similar fashion to local Beer Weeks made popular in cities like San Francisco and Philadelphia, and which have now spread throughout the nation, expect ACBW to provide plenty of fun and opportunity to drink good beer.

In Arizona, events are still being planned as we go to press, but we already know that Papago Brewing will be featuring one of the newest entrants in to the market on May 20th. Crispin Ciders will be featured from 6 PM to 8 PM that night. Look especially for The Saint and Honey Crisp from the Artisanal Reserve Series. On Friday night May 21st, the Hard Rock in downtown Phoenix will be opening their Sun Up Patio. Sun Up Brewer Uwe Boer will be on hand from 4:30 to 7 PM that evening as the Hard Rock opens its patio. Before every home baseball game look for Sun Up Light Rail Cream Ale and Armadillo Red featured on the patio.

You can also hit The Compound Grill, Trophy's Steakhouse, Red, White and Brew Chandler and Press Coffee Food and Wine for craft beer specials throughout the week. Trophy's and Red, White and Brew will also feature giveaways on the 22nd. In a real show of support, San Tan Brewing Company will be sharing the ACBW love by giving up three of its taps to Arizona brewing brethren. During the week, you will be able to enjoy Papago Orange Blossom, Grand Canyon Pilsner and Sun Up Armadillo Red at the Chandler based San Tan.

We mentioned earlier that Congress was involved in ACBW as well. How so? Glad you asked. House Resolution 1297 adopted on April 22nd recognizes and supports the goals of American Craft Beer Week. Considering the final paragraph of the resolution encourages beer lovers to attend events and celebrate American Craft Beer Week, it seems as if we all have a Congressional mandate to attend these events and enjoy craft beer. As Stephen Colbert said on his television show, “This isn't one of those fake holidays…No, this is officially sanctioned by congress, as of 2006. Which in my book makes it the equal to the separation of church and state." With 62 co-sponsors from across the country and from both sides of the aisle, this resolution is a true act of bi-partisanship and something that each and every member of Congress should be proud of. So complain all you want about health care, and taxes and other hot button topics, but they got this one right.

Enough about American Craft Beer Week, what we really need here is Arizona Beer Week. That’s right, a week dedicated to the wonderful beers brewed and available in the state. Imagine a week bookended by two major events and a whole bunch of little things in between. Beer Dinners, Pint Nights, Promotions, Festivals, Beer Education and more…it makes our heart go pitter patter and brings a little tear to our eye just to think about it. Well rumor has it that the Arizona Craft Brewers Guild and a few others are starting to kick this idea around, and maybe 2011 will bring us our first Arizona Beer Week. That would be one of the next big steps for craft beer in the state. After all if Minnesota and Charlotte and even Cleveland can have a beer week, why can’t we.

For now, we have ACBW, so get out that week, stop by your local watering hole and enjoy some good craft beer. Hit the local breweries and thank them for what they do to support great beer in our state. Attend the events that are going on. In general, take a week to celebrate great American Craft Beer. You’ll be glad you did.

Cinco de Mayo

2010-05-04T16:00:00.000-07:00

First off, are we all clear that Cinco de Mayo is not the Mexican Independence Day? Okay, great. That day is celebrated on September 16th and commemorates the call for separation from Spanish Rule. Cinco de Mayo is more of a regional event commemorating the Mexican army’s upset victory over the French at the Battle of Puebla on May 15, 1862. The holiday is fairly minor in most of Mexico, with the obvious exception of Puebla. It isn’t even considered an obligatory federal holiday, just a voluntary one.

So, how did Cinco (we are on a first name basis) become such a big deal in the USA? For whatever reason, the Mexican community in California celebrated the victory starting in 1863 and the observance has pretty much been continuous ever since. Like many trends, Cinco celebrations spread from California to other states and developed in to a cultural celebration, much like St. Patrick’s Day, Chinese New Year and Oktoberfest have become in this country. Communities with larger Mexican populations embraced the day more than others. Which explains why Arizona has embraced the day so strongly. It does not, however, explain why Birmingham Alabama, which has a Mexican population so small it is included in the category “other ethnic groups”, makes such a big deal out of the day.

We’ve gone two paragraphs without once mentioning beer, well that’s about to change. Because Mexican beer has become such a big part of our culture, it’s only natural that these beers take center stage for Cinco. There are some domestic beers produced in an effort to replicate Mexican styles, but why drink a pretender when you can have the real thing? There are two major Mexican brewing companies, Cuauhtémoc Moctezuma and Grupo Modelo. The latter, as you might suspect, are responsible for the two Modelo beers, Especial and Negra. The Especial is a tasty pale lager produced in the style of most Mexican beers. Negra Modelo is thought by most Americans to be the best of the beers from south of the border. It is a dark Vienna Lager style beer brewed in the German tradition. It has a little more body and flavor than most Mexican beers, so it brings a different drinking experience. Modelo also makes Pacifico and a small brand called Corona. Corona is a phenomenon unto itself. First produced in 1925, it has become the number one Mexican beer in the world. It is also one of the top ten selling beers of any kind. Available in bottles only because they feel that “the best taste experience and maximum enjoyment comes from the glass bottle”, they have foregone a draft product. There are also some beers made by Modelo that are available only in Mexico, Victoria and León come to mind. Keep an eye out for these if you are vacationing in Mexico.

Moctezuma has the other well known Mexican beers, the most popular of which are the Dos Equis brands. The Special Lager is a Mexican style Pale Lager and Amber is a Vienna Lager, a little different than the Negra Modelo, but the same basic style. However the original beer from this brewery was Carta Blanca which was taken from the French, “Carte Blanche”, meaning blank check. Other beers from this brewery include Sol, Tecate and Bohemia. Bohemia is a European style pilsner brewed in the Czech tradition. Tecate is sometimes credited with starting the habit of putting a lime in Mexican beers. It seems they had a brewmaster of Scottish descent and adopted the tradition from Great Britain of providing sailors a lime with their daily beer ration to help prevent scurvy. And, we would be remiss if we didn’t remind you that Dos Equis does employ, The Most Interesting Man in the World. Stay thirsty, my friends!

Where do you find all these beers on Cinco? Well just about any Mexican restaurant is going to have something going on, but some of the bigger events will be taking place at the Sandbars in Scottsdale, Peoria and Chandler; Barrio Cantina, Eva’s in Casa Grande, Arribas, Dos Gringos and Macayo’s. You can also look for fun times at Salty Senorita, Valle Luna, Top Shelf and Fuego Bar and Grill in Tolleson.Devil’s Advocate in Tempe and Kiley’s Grill in Chandler will also have events. Much like St. Patrick’s Day, many of these events start as early as noon and will be in full stride as the work day ends. Get there early as there may be lines at many locations later in the evening.

Cinco is celebrated at more than just Mexican places. Cody’s in Cave Creek is planning a major event and is putting together what they say is the world’s largest piñata. If you have been looking for an excuse to get to Cave Creek, this could be it. Devil’s Advocate in Tempe and Kiley’s Grill in Chandler will also have events. Mill Street in Tempe will host several events at non-Mexican bars as well.

Most of the time, this column is about craft beers, but Cinco is one of those holidays that demand a break from tradition. If you’re a craft beer drinker, just embrace the spirit for one day, and enjoy a Corona or Tecate. If you have to have a craft beer, then there is only one choice. The only Mexican craft brewery available in Arizona is Cucapa which comes from Mexicali. With several flavors including the Chupacabras Pale Ale, named after the mythical, or not so mythical, Goat Sucker, a Yeti like beast that is blamed for livestock deaths across the Americas. You can find Cucapa at the Yard House, Blanco Tacos and Tequila, Old Chicago Mesa, and Los Sombreros to name a few.

Enjoy Cinco de Mayo, responsibly of course, and relax with some enjoyable Mexican beer. Don’t worry about what food you are pairing it with. Cinco is about friends and fun, and celebrating the Mexican culture. At least that’s my plan.

Beer and Health

2010-04-28T09:04:00.000-07:00

For many centuries and in many languages, we have raised a glass of beer and toasted to good health, always believing it to be wishful thinking. Recently, scientific study has provided some confirmation that a toast to good health may go beyond the fact that enjoyment, refreshment and good times with good friends can lead to a healthier life. There is growing evidence that moderate consumption of beer brings health benefits. While nothing is conclusive and certainly moderation is the key, there is good news, both on the nutrition and the health side.

There is evidence to suggest that light drinking reduces the risk of stroke and heart disease by as much as 20%, or more. Dr. Norman Kaplan, a researcher at University of Texas Southwest Medical Center conducted a study of 70,000 health nurses. He reported that those who consume one or two beers each day had a 30-40% lower rate of Coronary Heart diseases and a 20% lower rate of stroke than the control group who did not drink regularly. Healthcare giant Kaiser Permanente conducted a similar study using almost 130,000 people with similar results.

Studies have also shown that moderate alcohol consumption may help increase high density lipoprotein or HDL, also known as good cholesterol. Alcohol drinkers in general have statistically significant higher levels HDL or good cholesterol. They also have lower levels of fibrinogen, a protein that is associated with blood clots. Beer, specifically also contains higher levels of polyphenols which cut levels of LDL or bad cholesterol.

The ingredients in beer serve to increases anti-oxidants in blood stream. Barley and other grains, hops and yeast all contain anti-oxidants which survive the brewing process and make it in to the consumer’s blood stream. Anti-oxidants serve to protect the cells against the damaging properties of reactive oxygen, reducing oxidative stress. Oxidative stress has been shown to have a link to cancer, aging, atherosclerosis, and neuron-degenerative diseases (Parkinson’s, Alzheimer’s). It doesn’t mean that beer prevents these diseases, but it can help to create an environment that supports resistance of them.

Besides the soothing experience of enjoying a beer, there is also scientific evidence to suggest beer can actually lower blood pressure. The alcohol we consume is ethanol, which is shown to have substantial antithrombotic effects, similar to aspirin. A daily aspiring is recommended by many doctors for their patients over 50, especially those at risk for hypertension or heart disease. Dr. Kaplan’s studies at the University of Texas also seemed to support this theory.

One of the biggest questions surrounding beer is does it have any nutritional value? It does…beer contains many essential vitamins and minerals. There is quite a variety of nutrients in beer. Richer beers, notably Belgians have long been considered liquid bread. For years monks in Trappist Orders throughout Europe have used rich beers to provide basic nutrients during times of fasting. Specifically, beer contains a substantial amount of B-complex vitamins which provide some very key health benefits. The most powerful of the B vitamins is B6 which lowers levels of Homocysteine which can increase the chance of heart disease. Beer also contains magnesium, selenium and dietary silicon which improves bone density and can postpone the onset of osteoporosis.

Beer not only stands up to wine, but in many ways surpasses it. Wine for years has touted the fact that the flavanoids found in it are healthy, and this is true. However, Beer on average contains the same amount of flavanoids as red wine, and 5 times as much as white. Dark beer contains substantially more than lighter beer, therefore much more than even red wine. Unfiltered beers contain even higher amounts of these good things. Beer also provides a 30% increase in B-6 into the blood plasma, as well as dietary silicon. Very few of the nutrients found in the raw products for wine survive fermentation and filtering, whereas virtually all of them do for beer. This means that even though wine appears to contain many health ingredients, as a finished product, beer contains substantially more.

It can not be stressed enough that moderation is important. One to two beers per day is considered a reasonable amount. It certainly should go without saying that any information provided herein is not to be considered in lieu of a trained medical opinion. As with most medical studies, correlation does not necessarily equal causation. The evidence may just suggest that healthier people drink beer, rather than beer making people healthier. Regardless of the actual circumstances, it seems like one more good reason to consider a beer at the end of the day.

Annual Beer Education (no really) Trip

2009-07-30T22:40:00.003-07:00

Its been a while since we have had a blog post, and what better way to start back than to recount our trip to Europe. Some of you may remember that we take an occasional beer education trip to meet our suppliers and learn a little more about the world of beer.

We started with connections through Minneapolis and landed in Amsterdam around 10:30 AM, more or less well rested. A quick shower at the hotel and we set off to explore our new surroundings. Enough exploration, we found the Vildeman or Wildman bar. They had some great beer choices, so it seemed as good as place as any to stop. Very friendly bar tender who spent a good bit of time talking beer with us. Most of us started with La Trappe Dubbel but Ron, of course, had the Girardin Kriek. They also had a good bit of American beer and we were happy to see tap handles for Flying Dog In Heat Wheat, Left Hand Juju Ginger and Great Divide Titan.

We had a nice trip through the Heineken Experience and a soothing boat tour, although warm Amstels might not have been the best choice. Afterwards we had a casual dinner and some of us (mostly me) called it an early night.

Up bright and early on Day 2 for a trip to the Heineken Brewery in Rotterdam...okay, its not in Rotterdam, but thats where we ended up due to some faulty information. Once we got there we got a World Class (pun intended) tour including the Heinken Oud Bruin, which, sadly, we do not get in the states. We made it back to Amsterdam for some bar hopping...especially Arendsnest where they serve nothing but Dutch beer, although, the owner is opening a new bar in September which will feature nothing but American Craft beer. With a little luck, Ron could be a superstar at that bar.

After Joe lost his Vin de Cereale at the airport...a long and very sad story...we got on a plane for the Czech Republic. More details to follow on this leg of the trip.

On day 2 we were off to the He

Summer Events

2009-06-17T08:35:00.002-07:00

Usually we are pretty slow in the Summer, but that doesn't seem to be true this year. I have been updating our calendar and we seem to be pretty busy. Let's get you all the details so you can make your plans...but why not just do all of them?

Coming up this weekend, we have two big events, one traditional and one very new event. Either one should be great. First we have the Made in the Shade festival to benefit Sun Sounds up in Flagstaff at the fairgrounds. We'll have a decent little turnout there with some fine beers being served. Go to www.azbeer.com Down in Phoenix we will be pulling out the stops for the first ever DRAFT Magazine Craft Festival to benefit Public Television station KAET Channel 8. This event is at Turf Paradise (inside in the air conditioning) and will feature some food pairings to complement the beer as well as some more exotic stuff. We will be pouring Lost Abbey Bourbon Barrel Angels Share, The Bruery Saison Rue, Tripel Karmeliet, some special releases from Breckenridge and a whole host of other great beers at our various tables. Look for the "Beers of" tables to sample our wares. This is also our first event as the distributor for New Belgium and they will be there with four beers including 1554, Sunshine Wheat, Skinny Dip and Mighty Arrow. Go to www.draftmag.com for more information.

So much for this weekend, Zak from Shmaltz will be in town for Fourth of July and he will be hosting a traditional Coney Island Fourth party at Papago Brewing. Featuring the Coney Island beers on tap, and some surprises to make the day authentic, Zak will be the belle of the boardwalk. I wouldn't be surprised to see more from Zak that week either.

Tomme Arthur comes to town on July 15th and will be at Magnum's that evening to sample some Port Brewing and Lost Abbey products. The next day will find Tomme at Papago for a nice promotional event. Friday July 17th, Tomme hits the road to Tucson where he'll have a party at 1702. Knowing the guys at 1702, nothing would surprise me...much like following your favorite band, look for something special at this event. Finally, we wrap it up on Saturday July 18th, back up in the Valley with a very special beer dinner at Boulders on Broadway. If you've never been to one of their beer dinners, make a point of attending this one. They put out some great food and it always seems to hit the spot just right when paired with the beers. I haven't seen the menu yet, but it will be excellent. Nothing would surprise me at this event.

Okay, we'll have more stuff going on this summer, but you'll have to check our calendar at www.worldclassbeverages.com for all the details.

Arizona Craft Beer

2009-05-14T09:44:00.002-07:00

There was an interesting question asked yesterday on RateBeer.com concerning the status of the Arizona Craft Beer scene. Here were my thoughts on that:

The closest thing we have to a brewer putting a big beer in a bottle is Sonoran with their 100 Batch Series. The 200 will be out shortly and carries substantially more flavor than the 100, as well as a substantially lower price. Still expensive, but for a 19.37% ABV beer that has experienced 5 different fermentations, not too bad. Sonoran is also looking at out of state distribution. Papago is now working with Van Steenberge to produce Oude Zuipers, which is now available in bottles (as of this morning). Of course, Prescott (and soon Four Peaks)are canning their beers to add the the growing canned beer movement, which in AZ includes 5 products from Oskar Blues, 3 (the third as of this morning) from SKA, 2 from Big Sky, one from New Belgium, and possibly some others that I have forgotten. We have a fairly solid craft beer scene. We have always been several years behind California and Colorado, but we have been making progress at a good rate. Five years ago, most bar owners, even multi-taps, couldn’t spell IPA, now its one of the faster growing craft categories in the state, right behind seasonals and wheat beers. We have had a couple of new breweries open up in the last few years, we have had several existing breweries begin distribution, including Sun Up and San Tan. What we are missing is a defining entity, be it a brewery, a brewpub, an event, a beer style, or an area of the city. There is talk of a Phoenix Beer Week, which would be great. Imagine a week bookended by the Strong Beer Fest and the Great Arizona Beer Fest, with dinners and tastings every night, including major brewers...and enough interested people to attend them all. We, who already have this passion for craft beer, must continue to spread the word and induct others into our little cult of malt and hops so that we can obtain a critical mass of craft beer drinkers that will push the category over the last few hills. That’s when the fun begins.

So what else do we need? Really the most important thing becomes building a consumer mind set that demands great beer, and won't settle for less. At the Craft Brewers Conference, Greg Koch from Stone talked about "Being Remarkable", as he presented it he was talking about the craft brewers assembled there. But the more I think about it, the more that needs to apply to consumers as well. There's always a time and place for lighter beers, American Premium Lagers and the like, but when you want craft or specialty imports, then I have a message for you. Consumers, Be Remarkable, don't accept mediocrity, don't accept okay, make sure that you are asking for the best beer available, whether it be craft or import. We believe that most of the time those beers will be from our portfolio and that will make us happy. We will make the same committment back to you...we will Be Remarkable and do our best to provide you with the best product you can possibly get in Arizona.

Craft Brewers Conference - Day 3-5

2009-05-01T13:25:00.002-07:00

Okay, so we've gotten Days 1 and 2 out of the way. Things may get a little hazy from here on out, but let's give it a shot why don't we?

We got a late start and enjoyed a couple of seminars before rolling into the main hall for lunch and the expo. More Black Folie and then an opportunity to drink beer from our newest supplier, The Bruery...great beers...sitting next to those beers I noticed Brookly Local 1 and 2...who could resist? We spent some time with some suppliers, both current and potential, and then ended the event in a conversation with Adam Avery, Jim Koch, and some others. Jim Koch is a fascinating man and seems well versed in more than just beer. We stayed for some time, because as Adam Avery said, you don't get an opportunity to have a conversation with Jim Koch every day.

Next up was a small reception featuring an incredible Bohemian style Pils brewed by a small brewery whose name escapes me. I enjoyed this beer with writer and all around beer historian, Horst Dornbusch and Wolfgang Burkart, managing director of Verlag W. Sachon, the publisher for nine different beer magazines in Europe and Asia. Horst explained how this Pils was based on the oldest know recipe using a special malt; and how it was likely the most authentic version of the original Bohemian Pils you would find. As always, Horst is fascinating and our conversation took us back to the 15th century and right up to modern times. Herr Burkart has promised to come visit our main warehouse when he is in the area and perhaps do a story on it for the European magazines.

A long cab ride to Deep Ellum where Shelton Brothers had some amazing beers from their portfolio on tap including a cask version of Dieu du Ciel's Vaisseau de Songes (Ship of Dreams) IPA, also the Rigor Mortis ABT from the same brewery. We also enjoyed Cantillon Vigneronne and a few others. The best part of this was that many of the brewers were in attendance. We had time for a great conversation with Jean van Roy of Cantillon, there on his first ever visit to the U.S. The whole time we were there, we were teased by a Russian River Pliny the Elder handle, however, it was not to be tapped without Vinnie in attendance, and we were long gone by the time he arrived.

Later that night we went back to Harpoon where they had 60 cask conditioned beers from across New England available. We didn't know where to start, and it ended far too soon. Back at the hotel bar, we ran into some folks from several breweries and enjoyed a nightcap with Larry Bell.

Friday was a real slow day, several meetings and a quick tour of Quincy Market including lunch at The Black Rose. There was a real nice closing reception and we ended up back at Harpoon for a New England Craft Brewers night featuring kegs from 10 or so local breweries. We spent most of the evening upstairs in the tasting room trying some wonderful treats that Harpoon had put on special for the evening. We bumped into Rick and Sean from Coronado, enjoyed a late dinner and a couple of final beers with them and called it a night.

A great conference from several standpoints, but the most exceptional was the incredible hospitality shown by Harpoon. For the entire week they erected a huge tent in their parking lot and offered up the space for attendees to enjoy local beers in the evening. The fact that they shared each and every opportunity to pour beer with all their New England brethren says a lot about what kind of industry this is, and what kind of brewery Harpoon is.

Craft Brewers Conference Day 2

2009-04-22T20:44:00.002-07:00

What an amazing day. We started out with a great opening ceremony which featured Eric Wallace from Left Hand and Ken Allen from Anderson Valley both receiving major awards. After that Greg Koch from Stone gave the keynote address. It was interactive, it was funny...and I will never be able to look at Adam Avery and Vinnie Cirluzo the same way. Greg talked about Being Remarkable and focused on ethics and collaboration along with some other critical ideas. For our opening toast beer we shared a bottle of Isabelle Proximus which makes an incredible breakfast beer. After a full year in the bottle, its getting pretty good.

Next up was the Exposition Hall...plenty of good beer, a lot of it from Allagash including some amazing brett beers. Also had the Black Folie which is a blend of New Belgium La Folie and Redstone Black Raspberry Mead. Afterwards we sat in on some really informative educational sessions (yes, we have to work here...which reminds me, we had a great supplier meeting yesterday and we may have some really exciting news to announce in a couple of months).

Finally, it was time to relax. We had several events scheduled, including a clam bake at Boston Beer Company, a Shmaltz night at Roadhouse and Global Imports at Brasserie Jo. The Global event was awesome. They had brewers from Bavik and de Halve Maan there and we enjoyed Wittekerke, Gulden Draak, Piraat and Bruges Zot in the proper glassware.

Somewhere along the line, I got an email from Natalie Cirluzo who was blogging from the event. I read her recent post and then immediately saw her...it was kind of weird. Any way, Russian River remains a top brewery, and at the top of our wish list. Nothing to report on that front, but I did my semi-annual grovelling, once again with nothing definite. I continue to try...mostly for the beer drinking people of Arizona, which includes me, so it is a little selfish.

I'm sitting here drinking an Anchor Steam while I type this. Anchor Steam was my first craft beer and this conference always makes me nostalgic. I'll tell you more about Anchor Steam some other time. This is always a great event and we have an opportunity to develop close relationships with our suppliers, as well as other folks in the industry. At the end of the week, those relationships are what matter...that and selling more beer.

Thanks for continuing to follow...more to come tomorrow.

Craft Brewers Conference - Day 1

2009-04-21T10:35:00.003-07:00

We survived our first night in Boston pretty well. We had a couple of Harpoon IPAs with some lobster bisque, followed by a trip to the Barking Crab. This was for a social with our fellow wholesalers from across the country. Drank a little Magic Hat #9, Harpoon UFO, Ipswich Ale, and a few other things. They served great crab cakes and shrimp. Overall we had a fun time. On the way back we stuck our heads in to the Atlantic Beer Garden to get out of the rain. Found the Rauchfetzen from Harpoon's 100 Barrel series on draft. A nice beer whose name means "a whisp of smoke" which is exactly what it was. A very light smoke flavor that allowed the hops and malt to come out and play as well. A lucky find for us. Also had a beer with Adam Avery and briefly saw Tomme Arthur.

The first couple of wholesaler meetings are out of the way and I will spending some time this afternoon meeting with some potential suppliers. No names right now, but they are breweries that we get a lot of requests for, so cross your fingers.

Tonight is the opening reception at Harpoon Brewery, so I'll write more later and will try to update regularly in case any of you care.

Craft Brewers Conference

2009-04-20T05:14:00.002-07:00

Another Scottsdale Culinary Fest is in the books. Always a fun crowd, not necessarily a ton of beer geeks, but a lot of people who are discovering the different flavors they can find in great beer. Most of them are very excited about being exposed to a Saison Dupont or La Chouffe. So that's always a winning weekend.

Anyway, Little Guy is off to the Craft Wholesalers Conference followed by the Craft Brewers Conference in Boston this week. My plane leaves at 9:00 and I'll be in town shortly before 5:00. After that its a week of trying to balance all the great opportunities to learn more about the business with all the opportunities to attend fantastic events and drink great beer. Somehow, I think we'll manage and come home better for it...at least profesionally, physically it could take a little more recovery time.

We'll update you throughout the week here on the blog. Given all the opportunities mentioned above, I trust you will forgive any late night typos or grammatical errors. Tonight its the Barking Crab for some quality time with our fellow wholesalers and then maybe a trip to Cambridge Brewing Company. Things start in earnest tomorrow so this may be the last coherent paragraph you read from me for a while.

Just a night at Papago

2009-04-11T14:48:00.002-07:00

What a great time yesterday afternoon was. Of course, Thursday was Hopapalooza and that was a lot of fun, but Friday afternoon was very enjoyable. Met several folks at Papago to sample a bunch of different beers and turn them on to what exists out in the world that isn't from a big brewery.

We sat at the table under the TV and just kept opening bottles, nothing particularly fancy, just 12 bottles or so of what a typical craft beer drinker might consider everyday beers. Not that Avery White Rascal, Breckenridge Agave Wheat, Ska Pinstripe, Anderson Valley Boont Amber and the rest are everyday beers, but they fall in to what I call "Tuesday Night Beers". You know what I mean, the beer that you always know is going to taste great, and you know so well that you can come home, pull it out of the fridge, and just relax while you watch TV or do the bills or make dinner, or whatever it is you do when you get home on a Tuesday. Beers that you don't have to think about.

Now Tuesday Night Beers are different from the weekend beers, the ones that you have been thinking about all week, and just want to sit on the porch and watch the sunset while you admire how well put together it is, and find all the nuances in the beer. Or a beer that you are waiting to pair with your favorite food, maybe a nice IPA with a favorite Thai dish, or whatever turns you on. Of course, Tuesday Night Beers can easily be weekend beers if you desire; and everybody's Tuesday Night Beers differ. For some it might be Coors Light or Corona or Heineken. For others its something a little craftier.

Any way, that's my concept of Tuesday Night Beers, maybe some other time I can expound on that (lucky you). But the point of my post was to tell you how nice just sitting around sampling beers with other people can be, especially if you are getting them excited about craft beers. The other great part was that we slowly worked our way up the flavor ladder and ended up with some Port Wipeout, which were were fortunate to have Matt Wells from Port and The Lost Abbey at another table. Matt and his friend Ryan came over and gave us some great background on Wipeout, as well as some discussion on the brewery in general. After a Tripel Karmeliet, Matt brought over the remainder of his bottle of Angel's Share (2008 Brandy Barrel Aged) and we talked about this big beer and all had a small sample...it was outstanding. We wrapped up with some Avery Brabant, and a bottle of Mikeller Beer Geek Brunch Weasel, which gave Ryan an opportunity to tell us all about the Kopi Luwak coffee that is used in making this fine beer. If you are not familiar with Kopi Luwak, I suggest you try the beer and then find out how the coffee is made.

By the way, I have noticed that every time I mention Port or Lost Abbey in a post, it shows up on the Lost Abbey website under Blogosphere. I find this fascinating, so I intend to find a way to squeeze that brewery in to every post as I know that they have more people visiting their web site than read this blog. I may get to be famous yet.

Events this week

2009-04-07T09:22:00.003-07:00

A couple of good ones...Wednesday, April 7th, Chris Miller, Managing Director at Harviestoun's will be doing a very special tasting at Sun Devil Liquors in Mesa. Featured will be Old Engine Oil on draft, as well as Ola Dubh 12, 16 and 30 from the bottle. $10 gets you a sample of all 4 beers and face time with Chris. If you're not familiar with Ola Dubh it is Old Engine Oil matured in Highland Park scotch whiskey casks. Each cask imparts a slightly different flavor. This is a unique opportunity if ever there was one.

On Thursday, April 9th, Hopapalooza comes to Papago Brewing. You won't believe it until you see it, but Papago will be offering many hoppy beers on draft. That should be all you need to know, but if you want more details expect to see Moylan's Hopsickle, Houblon Chouffe, Racer 5, Hop Ottin, Trooper IPA, Thunder Canyon IPA and many others. Also, giveaways while they last.

Lost Abbey

2009-04-03T11:44:00.001-07:00

We had a surprise guest to our meeting today. Tomme Arthur showed up and discussed his beers. We talked about everything including the pending release of Angel's Share, the first time ever in AZ. I asked him about the carbonation issue and he wanted us to know that this is not a strongly carbonated beer, but is absolutely ready for release. The alcohol this year is higher and somewhat inibhited the growth of the yeast. Any way it is good to go and we will see it in Arizona next week. Enjoy.

Events Update

2009-03-28T10:43:00.002-07:00

Some truly memorable events coming up.
April 2 -Corks and Forks at the Camelback Esplanade. Look for Little Guy food and beer pairings at Lon's, Blanca and Arizona Grand Resort booths. I think they will be particularly good.
April 9 - Hopapalooza comes to Papago Brewing. For those of you that missed us at the Great AZ Beer Fest, we will do our best to recreate the event at Papago.
April 14 - Another very special tasting at Enotria, Land of Wine, Scottsdale and 101 near Borders. Every couple of months we kick the wine folks out and do a killer event. Now they have doubled their seating, so I know we better bring our A game. This is always a sell out event, contact Enotria early for reservations.

More updates to come, don't forget to follow us on Twitter. We are LittleGuyBeer.

Beer Birthday

2009-03-27T10:24:00.002-07:00

Michael Jackson, famed beer writer who passed away in 2007, would be 67 years old today. Charlie Papazian has suggested that we all raise a glass in his memory at 6:00 local time. So at 6:00 today, I know I'll be lifting one for Michael. Please join me.

Mexico

2009-03-18T09:11:00.002-07:00

I know I promised you regular updates, but not much to report on right now. I'm on vacation in Rocky Point, and, despite all the warnings about the area, it is in great shape. No problems crossing the border or getting through Sonoyta, the road down is safe and the area is the same as ever...just a little less crowded.

Anyway, this isn't about my vacation, its about beer. Of course I am travelling with a small supply of good craft beer, and enjoyed a bottle of Left Hand Twin Sisters last night, but there is something about being in Mexico and drinking the Mexican beers. Sadly, I haven't been able to find Cucapa, but a couple of cold Tecates (in 24 oz cans for about $1.60 at the Super T) sure help an afternoon pass peacefully. Another great beer that you can only find in Mexico is Victoria. It is a Vienna lager and goes very well with some of the local seafood. Am I looking forward to being back home and drinking all that Little Guy has to offer? Of course, but in the meantime I am maintaining a vigilant watch on the Sea of Cortez with my friends Tecate and Modelo.

New Suppliers

2009-03-13T18:21:00.003-07:00

We are adding two new suppliers to the Little Guy portfolio. As I'm writing this, I am sipping on a growler of Trooper IPA, so you may be able to guess that our first new supplier is Sun Up Brewing Company....what's that you say...Trooper IPA is made by Brewers Den at the Sonora Brewhouse? Well right you were. They are changing their name to Sun Up and we will be offering three of their outstanding beers. Besides the Trooper IPA, look for Horizon Hefeweizen and Armadillo Red in about two weeks. Other than the name, the brewpub isn't changing, still great food, still many great beers...and hopefully we can all convince Uwe to let us sell a keg or two of his really special stuff from time to time.

Our second brewery is The Bruery. A great little craft brewery out of Placentia, CA. These guys are the real deal, specializing in Belgian styles served up in big bottles, always with a unique twist. The Orchard White was named one of DRAFT Magazines Top 25 Beers of 2008, and they have been hailed as "The Brewery to Watch" in 2009.

I would expect some more excitement over the remainder of 2009, so stay tuned, and keep drinking great beer.

RateBeer Awards

2009-03-03T11:53:00.002-07:00

Wow - two posts in one day. This one is about the World's Best Awards for 2009 from RateBeer (www.ratebeer.com). This is a consumer based rating site and every year they compile the top rated beers, breweries etc.

Of the top 100 beers in the world, 21 of them were, or are available in Arizona. Little Guy sells 15 of them.
Of the top 100 breweries in the world, 41 of them have at least 1 product sold in Arizona. Little Guy carries 26 of them.

In addition Papago Brewing (Scottsdale) was named the 12th best beer bar in the world; and Plaza Liquors (Tucson) was the 23rd best beer retailer, while Sun Devil Liquors (Mesa) was the 45th best beer retailer in the world.

Wow, what a great beer state we live in.

One Down, One to Go

2009-03-03T11:22:00.002-07:00

If you missed the Strong Beer Festival, you missed a great event. Beer was flowing, music playing and people smiling. Its okay though, this weekend is The Great Arizona Beer Festival (www.azbeer.com) at the Tempe Beach Park. Saturday and Sunday there will be excellent beer and fine music.

Little Guy will be featuring Hopapalooza 2009, an incredible selection of well hopped beers from a variety of suppliers. Look for our truck for IPAs and Double IPAs from Thunder Canyon, Avery, Lost Coast, Flying Dog, Anderson Valley, Bear Republic, Great Divide, SKA, Breckenridge, Big Sky, Brasserie Achouffe, Shmaltz, Moylans, Abita, Speakeasy and Meantime. We also have a special keg of the yet unamed Breckenridge IPA just for fun. If you're not a hophead, we will have old favorites, Wyder's Pear Cider and Redstone Black Raspberry Mead.

Our suppliers will be there as well. Check out separate booths from SKA (introducing their new IPA, Modus Hoperandi), Big Sky, Breckenridge, Port and The Lost Abbey, Coronado, Left Hand and Alaskan.

Strong Beer Festival

2009-02-27T05:04:00.002-07:00

Strong Beer Festival is always one of the best events of the year. Sponsored by the Arizona Brewers Guild and held at the Mesa Amphitheatre, this is a relaxed afternoon, perfect for true fans of craft beer.

The brewers like to do it up right, many have special beers just for the occasion. In our portfolio alone, we will see Lost Coast Olde Ale, a four year old keg of Wild Dog Weizenbock (still drinking great), Moylan's Double Scotch Ale, Moylan's Hopsickle Triple IPA (on draft), Big Sky Old Bluehair, Big Sky Ivan the Terrible, Lost Abbey Serpent's Stout, Lost Abbey Angel's Share and a whole bunch of others.

Remaining tickets are only available at the door. For more details go to the Brewers Guild web site.

Brabant

2009-02-24T08:40:00.004-07:00

I just got an exciting voice mail from Adam Avery. We will be receiving a limited quantity of his new specialty release, Brabant. This is the first in Avery's Barrel Aged Series. Brabant is a province in Belgium which includes the capital city of Brussels and the area slightly north and south. It is divided into the Flemish and Walloon areas, as well as the multi-lingual capital area. It is also a breed of Belgian Draft Horse which appears on the label for the beer.

The beer is a dark ale fermented with two strains of wild yeast and aged in Zinfandel barrels for 8 months. Some of the pilot batches were made using Old Jubilation as a base and I had a chance to try those, and they were spectacular. The dark ale used for this is a new recipe. I am looking forward to, as Avery says, sifting through the vast layers of complexity of this beer.

Pricing should be in line with the Demon series, although availability will be much less. This is a must try beer, and I would suggest buying a couple of bottles to cellar as well. Look for it on the shelves sometime in March...and expect the return of Maharaja around then as well.

Proposed Beer Tax in Arizona

2009-02-21T05:46:00.004-07:00

It has just come to my attention that Arizona legislators are considering a substantial increase in the tax on beer... about 2087% of an increase. Somebody in the legislature wants to take the tax on a gallon of beer from 16 cents a gallon to $3.50 for each gallon. That's an increase of $7.85 in tax on each case. Factor in the fact that retail pricing is ultimately based on the actual cost of the item, so a new tax would be factored into a retailer's profit margins and you are looking at a net increase of over $16 per case at checkout. That works out to $4 per six pack or 70 cents per bottle. On draft beer, the increase would end up raising the price of a keg by as much as $75, meaning that a pint of beer at your local watering hole would go up by about a dollar.

And what does this "luxury" tax pay for? Drug and alcohol treatment programs...at least that's what the proposal says for now. This is a misguided effort to tax millions of responsible beer drinkers because of the irresponsibility of a relatively small minority. I find this totally unacceptable.

Nationally, beer is already taxed 68.6% more than other purchases. Increasing these already high taxes another 2087%, can only lead to more downturn. The folks hurt the most will be the small breweries that will see a substantial drop in business as people can no longer afford to drink their products and instead turn to cheaper liquors. There are approximately 25 small breweries in Arizona that will be adversely affected if this bill becomes law. That's 25 breweries, and maybe 250 Arizonans that will be directly impacted by this proposal. Extend that out to distributors, retailers and other related businesses and this bill has the potential to devastate quite a few lives.

This bill, HB 2524 is set for initial discussion by the House Ways and Means Committee at 2:00 on Monday, February 23rd. For more details go read these two articles, one on this particular issue, and the other about the general concept of increasing beer taxes. http://www.examiner.com/x-241-Beer-Examiner~y2009m2d17-Proposed-state-beer-tax-increases-hard-to-swallow--impacting-jobs-and-beer-drinkers and http://www.examiner.com/x-241-Beer-Examiner~y2009m2d20-Arizona-legislators-trying-to-outdo-Oregon-with-a-2087-increase-in-beer-tax . Sorry about the long links, and the fact they may not be clickable (just copy and paste in to your browser), I haven't figured out this whole blog thing yet.

I encourage you to get involved in this matter and pass this on to other beer drinkers. The job you save just might be...mine.

Lost Abbey Brandy Angel's Share

2009-02-16T10:22:00.003-07:00

Here is some great news, we just got word from Tomme Arthur that we will get some allocation of this year's Brandy Angel's Share. No specifics yet, but we expect to have enough to get it out to all key accounts throughout the state. For those of you that are unaware of this excellent product, it is essentially a barley wine aged in brandy barrels. It is consistently one of the top ranked beers in the world. Previously this beer has only been offered at the brewery, so we are really excited about it being on the shelves.

Oskar Blues in Town

2009-02-13T10:41:00.003-07:00

Marty Ochs from Oskar Blues is in town for the Skirt Chaser 5k to be held at Tempe Beach Lake on February 14th. A fun event from a fun brewery. Any way, it got me thinking about how many breweries are following the lead of Oskar Blues and putting their beer in cans. These guys should get a lot of credit for pioneering canned craft beers. We should see Marty from time to time which means more Oskar Blues events and more Dale's Pale Ale, Old Chub, Gordon and Ten Fidy. Also, Marty tells us to look for a new regular product, Mama's Little Yella Pils. I've had a chance to try it, really good stuff.

Festivals

2009-02-09T20:35:00.002-07:00

Okay, thanks for checking us out. It only took me 4 days to figure out how to get back in to this thing and post again. Anyway, we were doing some planning for upcoming festivals and it sounds like we are going to have some fun.

The Strong Beer Festival is at the Mesa Amphitheatre on February 28 (www.azbrewguild) and we will be pouring some great stuff including a strong ale from Lost Coast, probably some Belgians and maybe a couple of other unique things. Besides that, Port/Lost Abbey, Coronado, Breckenridge, SKA, Big Sky and Moylan's will all have their own booths. Denise Jones, Brewster at Moylan's will be here for one of her first official visits and she is bringing some good beer with her. Think extreme hops and a double version of one of their classic beers, not available in AZ.

Little Guy presents Hopapalooza at the Great AZ Festival on March 7 and 8 (www.azbeer.com). We will be pouring virtually all of our IPAs, a couple of Belgian IPAs and maybe some other hoppy favorites. We also had to include Redstone and Wyder's because you folks all love them despite the absence of hops. SKA, Big Sky, Coronado among others will have their own booths as well. Don't know about you, but I am excited.

Welcome to the Little Guy Beer Stuff Blog

2009-02-05T11:30:00.002-07:00

Okay great beer fans. Little Guy is moving in to the 21st century. This here will be our beer blog where you can regularly check to see what's happening in our world. Occasionally there will be a nugget of good information, occasionally I will say something clever, most of the time you won't even understand why you bothered to check it out.

This stuff is pretty cool, if I do it right, you will be able to see this on the Little Guy Distributing web site (www.littleguydistributing.com) and you can even subscribe to it on Yahoo, Google and other portals. You can comment back to us (keep it clean) and we can share information on great beer. We may have some guest bloggers, maybe a podcast, a twitter feed and Facebook. I have no idea what any of that means, but my technology advisor told me to say that.

Stay tuned, more to come.