Brewing and Beer

Let’s face it, beer smells good; and if you just can’t get enough of that great hoppy aroma, why not lather it into your hair?  Tasmanian Beer Shampoo ($11.50) allows you to do that without bringing a bottle of craft brew into the shower with you.  Brewed by the boutique Tasmanian Dark Isle Brewery. Prized Tasmanian hops straight from the oats houses of the lush Derwent River Valley are infused, then added for their conditioning and antiseptic qualities. You can  actually see the flecks of hops in the bar.  It’s also good for your hair as beer has been famed for generations for its ability to leave hair bouncy, shiny and full of body.

Collaboration brews are gaining some serious popularity as of late, and what is typically a partnership between breweries has naturally evolved into one brewery’s inclusion of a renowned chef to help bring together new ingredients to form a unique Saison.  7 Wives Saison from Sonoran Brewing Company is the first beer in an exciting seasonal series that features local ingredients from Arizona and is brewed with the help and creativity of a distinguished chef.  7 Wives was brewed with input from Jeremy Pacheco, chef at Lon’s at the Hermosa, and includes wheat from Pacheco’s father’s Marana farm, fennel from his garden and McClendon’s Select Organic Farm in Peoria, mesquite syrup from Cotton Country Jams in Phoenix, and fresh pink peppercorns from Singh Farms in Scottsdale.  Saison is a style that should lend itself well to these earthy and peppery additions, especially with an accomplished chef giving the final word on how it should taste.  Look for the collaborated brew where Sonoran beer is sold (Arizona).

The collaboration brew is nothing new to the craft beer industry.  Brewers will often share ideas and ingredients with one another to create something new and typically experimental, but Dogfish Head is trying a new type of collaboration beer by teaming up with none other than hip-hop artist Dan the Automator from Deltron 3030.  Positive Contact is the new creation that will be a beer/cider mix, featuring some of Dan’s favorite ingredients: Fuji Apples, Cayenne Peppers, roasted Farro, and Cilantro.

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Craft beer bars seem to be popping up on every corner in cities like New York, Seattle, Houston and anywhere else with a decent beer community.  Therefore, it shouldn’t come as a huge surprise to see some bars with unique twists to draw customers (though, craft beer should be enough of a draw in itself).

One such example is The Brew Exchange in Austin, TX which opened its doors on February 16 with a pricing format that’s one of a kind.  The 72 beers on tap are all subject to The Brew Exchange’s pricing software that causes each beer to fluctuate somewhere between deeply discounted special offers and the typical six dollar pint.  The prices all move up and down throughout the day, allowing customers to get a premium pint for as little as $2 if the “market conditions” are favorable.  The dynamic prices also allow for certain brews to go on sale all day, simulating a market crash.  Each beer is dependent on the prices of the other beers though, so for example, if a Stone Pale Ale sees a 25% price drop, then the beers that are in that same category will rise by 25%.

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Check out this fantastic video by visual.ly about the fall and rise of American craft breweries over the last 100 years.  Enjoy!

Head on over to Taste Terminal to check out the dates and times when the highly coveted (and highly limited) Pliny the Younger will available at bars across Southern California.  Some have presale tickets available but you’re limited to only one 8 oz. pour.  Still, most locations only received one or two 5-gallon kegs so it will go fast.  Follow the link below to find where the triple IPA will be poured.

http://www.tasteterminal.com/2012/02/14/more-places-to-get-a-taste-of-pliny-the-younger-in-southern-california/

Beerjobber is the new player in the online craft beer game, set to open to the public on February 13 (previously invite only), the site picks up the beer “fresh from the brewery and deliver[s] it straight to your door.”  Having the ability to pick up and ship straight from the brewer means you’re likely to find a new or seasonal beer that isn’t distributed to your state but can be shipped through beerjobber, which allows for breweries to distribute to a wider area without having to deal with postage headaches or finding new distributors.  There are several other online beer stores across the web (links below), but beerjobber’s niche is fresh beer straight from the brewery itself, ensuring you get the best tasting, freshest craft beer from brewers all over the country.

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Brewed in Springfield and delivered by Duff Man himself, this beer…OK not really, but if you’ve longed to work at a nuclear power plant and live next door to Flanders you can take your fantasy one step closer with Duff Beer ($39).  This German Lager comes in at 4.7% ABV and though it does tend to be a bit flavorless and boring, the legendary brew is probably just as recognized as Budweiser across the world.  If nothing else, it’s a great addition to your Simpsons memorabilia collection.

Big Time Brewery and Alehouse has released their highly anticipated Whiny the Complainer.  This triple IPA was made in the same style as Russian River’s Pliny the Younger and was named by former head brewer Bill Jenkins in homage to “the patrons who whine because they missed out on their coveted few ounces of PtY.”  The new ale is Big Time Brewery’s 2,300th beer they’ve served since opening in 1988, making it the oldest brewpub in Washington State and showing that they know what they’re doing.

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It was about one year ago when Sixpoint Craft Ales began releasing their four year-round beers in cans, and they’ve recently announced a new addition to the core lineup, Resin.  Named after the resinous buildup in hop cones when they reach maturity, this Imperial IPA of 9.1% ABV and 103 IBU starts with a strong hop bite which then gives way to a caramel back and a finish of pine.

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