My guess is that it tastes pretty much like any Sapporo beer, but apparently this stuff was brewed with barley grown on the International Space Station. You never know who might be trying to track down some of this brew…
Thanks, Lizzie!
The herky-jerky release of episodes of late has probably raised questions in your mind, with the neologism “podfade” undoubtedly knocking around in there somewhere. Indeed, with fellow old-tymer Farpoint shows like Geek Fu Action Grip and most recently the “Happy Days” to my “Joanie Loves Chachi”, Wingin’ It 3D, ending their runs or changing into unrecognizable versions of their old selves, such speculation is completely justified. And, truth be told, more-or-less on the mark. It’s a sad old song hardly worth singing, but reality is a harsh mistress, and producing a show on my own time, on my own dime in the midst of RL is no easy feat.
That being said, I have gotten so much good stuff out of SoB, and treasure my experiences participating in this whole “new media” deal. The people I’ve met, both face-to-face and in more electronic ways, have uniformly been fantastic, and I count many of them among my closest friends. The opportunities the podcast has given me to speak with passionate brewers from all over the world, as well as the often unsung folks in the Beerniverse who support them, are more than I probably deserve, and I am very grateful indeed. And of course, the mind-blowingly good beer I’ve uncovered in my explorations has enriched my life, and hopefully enhanced yours as well.
So…I can’t really do the show, but don’t want to give it up. After a long (and I do mean long) stint on the horns of this dilemma, vacillating wildly between bagging the whole thing and sucking it up and grinding on, I’ve come up with a compromise that just might work. To wit: the old format is gone. Episodes will focus on a single segment: an interview, a homebrewing experience, side-by-side sampling of a couple of beers, etc. I’ll record as opportunity presents itself, and can thus make no promises as to release schedule. Just stay subscribed, and good stuff will come down the pike when it happens. I think in this way I can keep my passion burning sufficiently hot, keep the shows varied and interesting, and continue flying the flag for great beer. And it doesn’t mean that a “full blown” show is out of the realm of possibility, it’s just that when it does happen it’ll be something I want to do rather than something I have to do. I believe strongly that podcasting, and new media in general, is about keeping love alive and spontaneous, not grinding it up in a media machine. If I wanted that, I’d go into traditional broadcasting. And, just to be crystal clear, I don’t want that.
Whew! All that being said, the next episode will be an interview, but that doesn’t mean you can’t drink along. Scare up some
Gulden Draak [alternatives/additional beers: Piraat, Augustijn, Bruegel, Bornem Dubbel Bornem Tripel]
I think it will accompany the show quite well.
Please feel free to let me know what you think of all this. I do this for you guys. OK, and for the beer….
…but I don’t hold it against you, Jonathan Coulton, because I really enjoy your music. Here’s myself, da Man, and lovely wife (and “Voice of the Beer Geek Moment”â„¢) Carolyn, after a phenomenal show in Phoenix with “JoCo” and astoundingly good opening act Paul and Storm. No real connection with beer here, but how about 16 seconds of “Still Alive“:
More actual beer stuff to follow, as this same evening I had an awesome interview with an amazingly hardcore brewer, to be released shortly.
Prebeer Preamble: OK, this is another West Coast kind of show. Sorry. But listen, I couldn’t pass up the unique opportunity to talk beer with all of my siblings: brother Tom and sisters Nancee and Cathy. And since the only place we ever gather together from our far-flung homes is the little burg of Woodland, California…. Other shows have been Cali-centric, and others have featured family members. But here, you get it all in one entertaining package. Call it my “natural environment”. In any case….
Beer #1: The first of two brews from Bear Republic Brewery, Red Rocket Ale starts us off easy,or so the numbers led me to believe. Is my much-touted distrust of the term “amber” going to taint the experience?
Interbeer Interlude: Beer As Folk. “Alan Shapiro’s Reunion Beer Project.” The four people drinking beer on today’s show have something in common besides DNA: we all lost our father to cancer. SBS-Imports founder Alan Shapiro also had his life touched by the disease. His response: team up with his old brewing kronies (including Pete Slosberg of Pete’s Wicked Ale fame) and produce a beer for a cause. How did last year’s Reunion Beer go, and what’s pouring in ‘08? Tune in and find out!
Beer #2: Next up is Racer 5 IPA. In California “hoppy” is practically the state motto, so expectations are skewed accordingly. Is Clan Beer Guy impressed with this one, or is it just another one-note resin bomb?
Beer Geek Moment: California Common Beer. The most awkwardly-named style of beer has a fascinating history, and as it turns out has earned an honored place in brew history. What’s its story and how does it relate to SoB episodes 12 and 13? Take a listen and see!
Postbeer Postscript: Yes, we are all children of the same mother. Yes, we share 50% of each other’s DNA. But when it comes to scoring up these CA beers, do we share a brain as well? The answer may well surprise you!
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