MetaFilter posts tagged with Beer

beer bottle band - holiday song

TMezz — Tue, 22 Dec 2009 23:32:56 -0800

cementing the link between beer and creativity cementing the link between beer and creativity, a group of actual grown-ups manage to make music together utilizing only their breath and beer bottles.

If it's Tuesday these must be Froot Loops

escabeche — Tue, 15 Dec 2009 17:41:18 -0800

What cereal should I eat? A flowchart. Also: What fast food should I eat? What chain restaurant should I patronize? What beer should I drink? What frozen entree should I thaw? Bonus question: Can you eat every animal McDonald's serves on a single sandwich? From Eating the Road.

December 5, 1933: The Good Old Days are Back Again

churl — Sat, 05 Dec 2009 02:14:38 -0800

He was elected at the nadir of the worst depression in history; 25% of the workforce was unemployed, two million were homeless. Yet in the face of this, he made us an optimistic and far-reaching New Deal, creating among other programs a federal minimum wage, social security, and the FDIC. He pulled us out of dire financial straits and, when our country was called upon to fight in World War II, he brought us to the cusp of victory. In his unprecedented thirteen years in office, he cemented his undisputed legacy as one of the greatest presidents in American history. But before he could achieve any of this, Franklin Delano Roosevelt had a promise to keep — a promise to the "wet vote," whose indispensable support he had called upon in 1932 during his first presidential campaign when he promised to repeal the 18th Amendment and end Prohibition. And thus, as legend has it, immediately after his first fireside chat from the White House in March 1933, Roosevelt turned to his two top aides and said, "I think it's time for a beer." And yes, indeed, it was. Of course, legalizing beer was only the beginning. As Roosevelt was a man of his word, it quickly came to pass that on this very date, December 5th, in 1933, Congress ratified the 21st Amendment to the Constitution, ended Prohibition, and our patron saint FDR made the toast heard 'round the world: "What America needs now," he said, "is a drink." Today, on the 77th anniversary of that momentous event, let us all raise a glass to that wise and forward-looking man, whose decision ultimately did more than just create 500,000 new jobs: "You saved the very foundation of our Government. No man can tell where we would have gone, or to what we would have fallen, had not this repeal been brought about." In 1933, we celebrated by raising a glass of Miller High Life, Stag, Pabst Blue Ribbon [Previously], Hamms [2] [3], National Bohemian, Old Falstaff, Schmidt's, Blatz, or Budweiser. Of course, today we have a cornucopia of choices, in both our selection of booze and our enjoyment of its oft-sublime advertisements. Please enjoy these carefully selected and hand-distilled ads for Johnnie Walker [2] [3], Jameson, Bushmills, Glenfiddich, Jim Beam, Wild Turkey, Bailey's [2], Absolut [2] [3], Smirnoff [2], Stolichnaya [2], or, if you'd like, you can stick to beer with Guinness [2] [3] [4], Red Stripe, Carlton Draught, or Stella Artois [2]. Cheers and happy repeal day to you, in loving memory of Franklin Delano mother fucking Roosevelt. Please imbibe responsibly.

Beer Calculus -- homebrew recipe calculator

cog_nate — Fri, 04 Dec 2009 12:26:03 -0800

Beer Calculus is a freely available homebrewing recipe generator, which allows you to easily create, save and share your own beer recipe(s). The calculator includes hundreds of malt, hop and yeast varieties, adjuncts and other ingredients, different mash processes, and fermentation and storage variables, and can toggle between US and metric units. Also, if you associate your recipe with a BJCP-recognized style, the calculator will give you guidance regarding your recipe's adherence to the style's guidelines. Homebrewers, have at it!

Scottish brewery launches beer with 32% alcohol content.

Neekee — Fri, 27 Nov 2009 08:40:21 -0800

'World's strongest' beer with 32% strength launched. A warning on the label states: "This is an extremely strong beer; it should be enjoyed in small servings and with an air of aristocratic nonchalance. In exactly the same manner that you would enjoy a fine whisky, a Frank Zappa album or a visit from a friendly yet anxious ghost." (from the BBC) So, who's in?

The Monster at the End of This Beer

robocop is bleeding — Wed, 14 Oct 2009 10:18:19 -0800

Last month, the makers of Monster Energy Drink (Warning: Flash, Ads) sent a cease and desist letter (PDF) to Rock Art Brewery, makers of The Vermonster beer. Brewer Matt Nadeau plans to fight back, even though such a fight would be nasty, time consuming, and very, very expensive. This is not the only time a company with Monster in its name got litigious over the use of the word Monster, nor is it even the only product named The Vermonster!

The right tool for the job

rmd1023 — Tue, 13 Oct 2009 12:39:37 -0800

It's time to kick back and relax with a tasty bottle of $BEVERAGE - often but not always beer. But how to open it? And what tool to use? Klein Tools has a bottle opener that fits with the rest of your tools in your tool pouch. You can have one that's in a functional catspaw nail puller, or one in a sadly nonfunctional hammer. You can have one built into bike tools, or made from bicycle chain. There's a patent for a glove with a bottle opener, or you could wear your opener in the heel of your shoes, carry it in a lighter, or risk looking like you've had some kind of accident while using any of several designs for belt buckle bottle openers. For lounging in front of the television, there's one in a universal remote or built into a fork And for everywhere, you can have one that's built into an ipod shuffle case. And while you could use the self-described world's best, perhaps the thing to do is simply to EXTERMINATE THE BOTTLE CAP previously and previously

Beer-proof Lederhosen

ZenMasterThis — Thu, 17 Sep 2009 18:03:02 -0800

It's about freakin' time (SLdSL).

ManLaw #1 - Profit!

mrmojoflying — Sun, 13 Sep 2009 08:01:55 -0800

A ManCave "advisorship" offers real men the opportunity to host MEATings (think male-targeted "Purse Party" or "Passion Party") where pink is forbidden, beer is Never, Ever, Seriously, Never refused, and various other bro codes are always in effect. Multi-level network marketing for lifestyle products is nothing new, but it is perceived to be a woman-dominated business. Can wanna-be network marketers break into the masculinity market? Maybe they need a Zelda of their own.

A Teachable Moment

robocop is bleeding — Fri, 31 Jul 2009 07:50:08 -0800

With tensions high on both sides, it might be time for a teachable moment. What made Pabst Blue Ribbon in alcoholic fuel of choice of the stereotypical hipster? Some think it is its No Marketing Marketing strategy. But Pabst's avoidance of advertising wasn't always the case (previously). Pabst marketed pretty heavily on TV back in the day, but given the quality of one of their final commercials, one could see why they gave it up. Bonus: One of the great things about the revival of Pabst Blue Ribbon is that it showed that there is still some interest in the older, blue collar lagers of America. To this New Englander's mind, that means Narragansett. In 2005 Mark Hellendrung bought the rights for this staple Rhode Island beer from Pabst and revived the brand by following PBR's marketing example. Of course, 'gansett has an advertising history all its own featuring early 60s comedy duo Nichols & May: Film Star, Castro, and Horse. With the resurgance of interest in local lawnmower lagers, could we be seeing a National Bohemian (warning, annoying clip intros) revival in the future? ANSWER: ˙ssǝupɐs ɟo llnɟ sı oq ʎʇʇɐu 'ou

“I remember from the get-go, it wasn’t a normal crowd.”

NotMyselfRightNow — Sun, 12 Jul 2009 07:19:37 -0800

Thirty years ago today was the infamous "Disco Demolition Night" at Chicago's Comiskey Park. It didn't go exactly as planned: "In the warm air that night, baseball’s routine and soothing sounds mixed with the tribal cadence of off-color chanting, the drifting scent of marijuana and the sight of vinyl records descending through the summer dusk like Frisbees." It wasn't the first time a 70s baseball promotion went astray. Considered by some "the worst idea ever," "Ten Cent Beer Night" at Cleveland Municipal Stadium five years earlier ended when "a large number of intoxicated fans – some armed with knives, chains, and portions of stadium seats that they had torn apart – surged onto the field, and others hurled bottles from the stands." (Previously on MeFi)

You will drink it and you will like it

adamrice — Tue, 07 Jul 2009 07:01:57 -0800

North Korea's first TV advertisement for beer (BBC article with video).

Wow. This is uh... This is a black day for baseball.

wayofthedodo — Thu, 04 Jun 2009 16:48:05 -0800

June 4, 1974. Rangers at Indians. Ten Cent Beers.

Uniting the Beer Community

netbros — Wed, 03 Jun 2009 13:19:45 -0800

Greatbrewers.com releases the Beer Sommelier. Beer is increasingly considered the ideal beverage to accompany food for its palate cleansing carbonation and its diverse range of styles featuring flavor and aroma characteristics that can enhance any dish. But selecting the right beer style to complement a specific dish, and tracking down a retailer that carries that style presents inherent challenges. Masterfully select the best beer styles to pair with any dish, see examples of those styles, and track down individual beers in your neighborhood with the Beer Sommelier. "The process starts with a vertical row of large picture boxes, each repping a main ingredient, from the meaty (beef, fish, poultry, game), to the not-so-meaty (nuts, fruit, cheese, chocolate); click one and a second row'll appear, offering schloads of popular dishes within the category, i.e., Pasta breaks into mac & cheese, lo mein, lasagna, etc., Bread rocks blinis and corn fritters, and Seafood runs from chowder to caviar, for that special occasion worth a vintage 1974 Schlitz. Once a dish's specified, a third row'll appear featuring general styles of beer to pair with it (i.e., German-style strong doppelbock, Bamberg-style Marzen Rauchbier) as rec'd by a cred-heavy trio of industry vets, with links to a fact sheet on the style (flavor profile, typical ABV, bitterness, appropriate glassware), and myriad examples of the style from a database of over 2,100 craft beers, each with its own page replete with tasting notes, availability, and tap type required, aka, "keg connection." (via Thrillist Nation)

Best Beer City USA

mygothlaundry — Fri, 08 May 2009 13:45:26 -0800

Asheville, NC and Portland, OR have tied in the contest for Best Beer City in the USA. It was a heated contest (scroll down for the comments) done in conjunction with Craft Beer Week, an event we can all support. Asheville is a beer city, it is true and clearly, so is Portland.

Wait... No Pirate Vs. Ninja?!

Bageena — Tue, 05 May 2009 03:09:13 -0800

Haven't you always secretly wondered what would happen if a ninja accidentally stumbled into, say, Bill and Ted's time traveling Phone Booth and ended up somewhere around 7th century BC, only to come face-to-face with a feisty Spartan? Have you not pondered what would happen if you locked up an Apache with a Gladiator inside some sort of 21st century battle dome? Are you frustrated because you feel like there's nobody doing proper scientific studies to see what would happen when you pit two historically violent warriors that could have never actually met in real life? Worry no more people - I present to you Spike TV's newest offering - Deadliest Warrior! The show basically goes like this; you take two crazy fighters who, previous to the show, have only been pitted against one another in heated debates between young men in line for the midnight showing of the newest X-Men movie (or really awesome drunk people). The show's 'Host, Simulation Consultant, and Blogger', Max Geiger brings in experts representing each warrior. The experts bring in weapons that are historically accurate which are then tested on a variety of dummies that are stuffed with SCIENCE! The data from said SCIENCE! all goes into a computer simulation based on an unreleased commercial game engine by these guys. Not just the SCIENCE!, which is actually pretty cool (ballistics gel, pig carcasses, high speed photography), but also, as Max aptly put it: "The simulation's inputs include real world scientific data gathered by one of my co-hosts, Geoff Desmoulin, who is getting his Ph.D. in Biomedical Engineering. Our number crunching is balanced out by Dr. Armand Dorian, an ER doctor who keeps our work firmly grounded in the actual trauma our tests cause." The reviews are in! Variety seems to feel it might be possibly the stupidest show ever, appealing only to the lowest common denominator! Newsarama was a little nicer, pointing out that there are some people on the show trying to make it as scientific as it can possibly be, while also having a great time. Either way, do you care? Don't you want to watch a Viking fight a Samurai? Or a Pirate against a Knight? You can apparently only watch the latest episode on the website, here. Also, looking forward on the Wikipedia, it does look like the show might slip-slide from whatever tenuous grasp they have on ideas for fights as they start doing shows about William Wallace versus Shaka Zulu or finally, the IRA versus the Taliban. I have only one thought. How could they have NOT had a Pirate versus Ninja episode? FAIL!

Tried 'em all and it might sound queer, but my favorite drug is an ice cold beer.

mudpuppie — Mon, 27 Apr 2009 15:28:14 -0800

How to brew beer in a coffee maker, using only materials commonly found on a modestly sized oceanographic research vessel. [Via.]

Largest microbreweries in America

baphomet — Sun, 29 Mar 2009 13:53:13 -0800

A map of the top 50 craft breweries in America by volume. State map of per capita beer consumption. The rankings:

Boston Brewing Company, Boston MA
Sierra Nevada Brewing Company, Chico CA
New Belgium Brewing Company, Fort Collins CO
Spoetzl Brewery, Shiner TX
Pyramid Brewries, Inc., Seattle, WA
Matt Brewing Company, Utica NY
Deschutes Brewing Company, Bend OR
Boulevard Brewing Company, Kansas City MO
Full Sail Brewing Company, Hood River OR
Harpoon Brewery, Boston MA
Alaskan Brewing and Bottling Company, Juneau AL
Magic Hat Brewing Company and Performing Arts Center, South Burlington VT
Anchor Brewing Company, San Fransisco CA
Bell's Brewery, Inc., Kalamazoo MI
Shipyard Brewing Company, Portland ME
Summit Brewing Company, St. Paul MN
Abita Brewing Company, Abita Springs LA
Gordon Biersch Brewing Company, San Jose CA
Brooklyn Brewery, Brooklyn NY
Stone Brewing Company, Escondido CA
Rogue Ales, Newport OR
Long Trail Brewing Company, Bridgewater Corners VT
New Glarus Brewing Company, New Glarus WI
Kona Brewing Company, Kahlua-Kona HI
Dogfish Head Brewing Company, Milton DE
Firestone Walker Brewing Company, Paso Robles CA
Great Lakes Brewing Company, Cleveland OH
The Lagunitas Brewing Company, Petaluma CA
Flying Dog Brewery, Denver CO
Sweetwater Brewery, Atlanta GA
Bridgeport Brewing Company, Portland OR
Rock Bottom Brewery, Louisville CO
Odell Brewing Company, Fort Collins CO
BJ's Restaurant and Brewery, Huntington Beach CA
Victory Brewing Company, Downington PA
Mac and Jack's Brewery, Redmond WA
Lost Coast Brewery and Cafe, Eureka CA
Big Sky Brewing Company, Missoula MT
Pete's Brewing Company, San Antonio TX
Otter Creek Brewing Company, Middlebury VT
Karl Strauss Brewing Company, San Diego CA
Breckenridge Brewing Company, Denver CO
Gordon Biersch Brewery, Chattanooga TN
Anderson Valley Brewing Company, Boonville CA
Boulder Beer Company, Boulder CO
North Coast Brewing Company, Fort Bragg CA
McMenamins, Portland OR
Utah Brewer's Cooperative, Salt Lake City UT
Capital Brewing Company, Middleton WI
Blue Point Brewing Company, Patchogue NY

Check out BeerAdvocate for more info about these breweries and their crafts.

It's Philly Beer Week

fixedgear — Sat, 07 Mar 2009 06:20:51 -0800

It's Philly Beer Week. And that is pretty great. But what is really cool is this, the keg Hammer Of Glory. Scroll down and click embedded video to watch. It made its way through Philadelphia by bike, foot, and wheelbarrow to the opening tap, where the mayor used it to tap the first keg.

There ain't nothin' finer than an ice-cold LONE STAR

fiercecupcake — Fri, 27 Feb 2009 16:17:07 -0800

Lone Star Beer. Immortalized in song, it bills itself as the National Beer of Texas. Once brewed in what is now known as the historic San Antonio Pearl Brewery, it's still brewed in Texas, though Texas anti-hipsters will be chagrined to know that Lone Star's latest owner (since 1999) is Milwaukee-based Pabst. Still, it's the cheapest beer in Texas, and the bottles have an extra perk: a rebus^{not this guy} on the inside of the cap. (A good bartender or waitperson'll bring you that with yer longneck^{not this one}.) This guy has collected nearly all (he's missing TWO!) of the 400+ puzzles and their answers. Metafilter, it's beer-fifteen.

Cheers.

mudpuppie — Fri, 23 Jan 2009 12:06:51 -0800

The aluminum beer can just celebrated its 50th birthday. Beer cans, first marketed in the 1930s, were originally made of tin-plated steel. Though often frowned upon by beer snobs, aluminum cans are making a comeback among some microbreweries.

Wendy & her amazing mouth

rageagainsttherobots — Mon, 19 Jan 2009 08:38:45 -0800

An American woman is showing off her amazing mouth on Japanese TV shows.

But have you really put any thought into that list?

Artw — Thu, 15 Jan 2009 13:45:06 -0800

Top 10 Science Fiction Flicks For The Thinking Man (beerandscifi version) - The Portland based blog (with a very admirable focus) takes on the Rotten Tomatoes list with a less dull alternative. (via)

Keg Beer 101

shockingbluamp — Fri, 28 Nov 2008 21:55:07 -0800

It's party season and a good time to start thinking about topping last year's lame office party. It may have been a few years and maybe you have forgotten some critical lessons from college. Thankfully, there is a science to keg beer. Think it all through and make some plans. You could also hide the vodka and tonic for you and your close buds and be a dick to everyone else. Have fun!

Is that "annals" or "anals?"

uncleozzy — Tue, 18 Nov 2008 11:47:21 -0800

Sam Calagione, founder and president of Dogfish Head, spent some time talking to the New Yorker about his experiments in brewing, many of which are considered to be "extreme beers." The article (very briefly) portrays Garrett Oliver, brewmaster at Brooklyn Brewery, as waving a dismissive hand at such brews, but Oliver steps in to say that his opinion was misrepresented. As one can expect from internet drama, the article's author shows up to insist that he has represented Oliver's quotes fairly. Also available: an audio log of a taste-test and "extreme" beer discussion; the New Yorker article on a single page.