Speaking of Beer

Show 49: California Beerin’

Charlie — Fri, 09 May 2008 23:01:25 +0000

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 ofmy 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!

Beers to Find for Show 49

Charlie — Fri, 18 Apr 2008 20:49:38 +0000

OK, this time around we take a break from the obscure, regional, barely-distributed beers and tackle instead a couple of large-to-mid-sized relatively far-flung (within US borders at least) beers, from yes, you guessed it, the West Coast. Whew! Hey, if every show was about beer everyone in the world could get, we’d always be drinking Budweiser. The beers are both from California’s Bear Republic Brewery, and they are:

Red Rocket Ale [alternatives: Lagunitas Censored, Fat Tire, anything containing the word “amber” or “red’]

and

Racer 5 India Pale Ale [alternatives: Bell’s Two Hearted Ale, Stone IPA, any number of IPA’s characterized by the word “aggressive”]

Get yours in time for the next show and the new Wachowski Brothers movie.

Show 48: The Beers From Brazil

Charlie — Wed, 09 Apr 2008 21:33:15 +0000

Prebeer Preamble: Today’s show is brought to you (literally) by the country of Brazil. Marcelo Carneiro da Rocha, SoB listener and brewmaster at Brazil’s first craft brewery, Cervejaria Colorado, contacted me recently and asked if I’d like to sample his wares. I said “”Well, duh”, and the result is this episode. Until this point, the Review Krew’s Brazilian beer experience has been limited to Xingu, a nice-try-maybe-but-next-time black lager. So now it’s time to find out what the land of anacondas and Carnival can do with a beer if it really tries…

Beer #1: First up is Cauim Pilsner, a bohemian-style Pilsner brewed with cassava root, which is itself the basis for a traditional Brazilian libation also called cauim. It pours out really pale, and some fearful comments get thrown around. Still, for the cause we soldier on. Are our worst fears confirmed, or does character eventually join the party?

Interbeer Interlude: Beer As Folk. “Alan Shapiro.” SBS-Imports is the coolest beer and cider importer on the planet, and that includes you, Mr. Merchant du Vin (if that is your name…). What exactly is the role of the importer and why should you care? Tune in to this fascinating conversation I had recently with SBS-Imports founder Alan Shapiro at my local Whole Foods, and you will find the answer. (Part 1 of 2)

Beer #2: Next up is Appia Weiss, a hefeweizen brewed using orange-blossom honey produced by killer bees. I’m not sure why, but I find that extremely cool. Does the beer live up to it’s exotic expectations?

Beer Geek Moment: Brewing Water. The underpraised ingredient that makes up an overwhelming majority of that beer in your hand gets a long-overdue Moment of its own. What’s the big deal about lowly old water? Turns out, plenty.

Postbeer Postscript/Bonus Round: To help the numbers roll out smoothly, I surprise Mike and the Krew with two more Brazillian beers, DaDo Ilex and Eisenbahn Dunkel. We give each a once over (hickory?!?), then get to the reporting. Which of Marcelo’s generous offerings do we like best? Tune in and find out!

Alan Shapiro photo courtesy of Sheila Unwin. Thanks Sheila!

Joe Murphy, still much missed one year later

Charlie — Tue, 01 Apr 2008 20:44:15 +0000

If you go back a ways with me, you probably know that my initial podcasting experience included a nice big dose of Joe Murphy. Back in the Day, I would periodically swing by Draco Vista studios with some beer for the fine folks at the Dragon Page–and later Michael and Evo’s–Wingin’ It! podcast. Joe almost always passed on the beer, but was a role model in conducting yourself with restraint and class, and maintaining your sense of humor, when all around you was going to chaos. I took Joe’s lessons to heart, and hopefully some of that comes through on Speaking of Beer.

Anyway, here’s a tribute compiled by Tee Morris and everyone at the Joe Murphy Memorial Fund, with far-flung testimonials reflecting on Joe on the first anniversary of his passing.

I wonder what Joe would think of my new favorite beverage, Jones Cream Soda…

Beers to Find for Show 48

Charlie — Tue, 01 Apr 2008 02:38:51 +0000

You won’t be able to find these beers. There, I said it. OK, maybe if you’re a resident of the greater Sao Paulo area, or are vacationing in Rio, but otherwise forget the show beers and go for one of the worthy alternates. For completeness, the beers are:

Cauim Pilsner [alternatives: Lagunitas Pils, Pilsner Urquell]

and

Appia Weiss [alternatives: Pyramid Hefeweizen, Three Floyds Gumballhead, Samuel Adams’ Summer Ale]

Both brews are from the Cervejaria Colorado, Brazil’s first craft brewer in the modern age. Prepare for some good beer and very, very poor pronunciation.

Bonus Show #3: Second Anniversary MicroBrewed-tacular!

Charlie — Fri, 21 Mar 2008 23:45:58 +0000

I compose this post on or about the second anniversary of the Speaking of Beer podcast, and it’s been an outstanding 24 months filled with all kinds of beery good times. To celebrate this podcasting milestone (2 years is still considered a “milestone” in the podosphere, isn’t it?), here’s a super-deluxe souped-up MicroBrewed segment from Tee Morris and Paul from Des Moines. They conclude the epic “Des Moines series” at local brewpub Racoon River Brewing Company, and with the help of bar manager Mike Crownover wend their way through RRBC’s sampler tray. Beer-love practically oozes from their pores as they enjoy some of the best the Midwest has to offer. Enjoy!

porn videos

Beer and Brains

Charlie — Wed, 19 Mar 2008 13:49:31 +0000

Thanks to Brian for first alerting me to these stories:

Apparently, beer-drinking scientists have a tough academic road ahead of them. Sorry, Cathy the Beer Guy’s Sister…

Also, if you know a beer-snubbing wine snob, lay this story on them. Apparently, wine causes more brain damage than beer!

Show 47: Speaking of Oskar Blues

Charlie — Wed, 12 Mar 2008 23:41:34 +0000

Prebeer Preamble: Every once in a while comes a beer that knocks my proverbial socks off. It can be some crazy new beast of a brew or a cool riff on an old style, but it gets me jazzed and has me falling prostrate before the goddess Ninkasi in effusive thanks for the mere existence of beer. As luck would have it, I recently ran across not one but two such brews, both from Oskar Blues Brewery, makers of Old Chub and Dale’s Pale Ale. The fact that they’re only available in cans makes it just that much cooler…

Beer #1: So who best to join me in sharing my new favorite beer? Why my original co-drinker Eric, that’s who. After a twenty-show hiatus, the guy who helped me start it all chills with me and enjoys a brew called simply Gordon.

Interbeer Interlude: Beer As Folk. “Dale Katechis.” Dale is the mind and madness behind Oskar Blues, as well as the namesake for OB’s hop-monster Pale Ale, and it was a real pleasure to sit down and talk with him for a while. Of course we cover the whole “can question,” but conversation spans more than just that. Tune in to hear about Dale’s thoughts on Hanna Montana…

Beer #2: Eric and I now try a Ten Fidy Imperial Stout. Recently, scientists claim to have invented the blackest black, but Dale & Co. beat them to it with this inky, hypnotically dark beer. And while the appearance evokes titters of glee, it’s when we bring them up to our mouths that the party really begins.

Beer Geek Moment: Carbonation and Conditioning. Among the most important, yet least appreciated, parts of any good beer are the bubbles. Just what do these tiny little wonders of nature do for the beer and how do they get in there? Listen and learn!

Postbeer Postscript: Eric has had to endure my practically obscene gushing about both beers today, so it’s interesting to see how the numbers shake out. Was Eric spending the show in quiet agreement with my enthusiasm, or secretly waiting to take these beers down?

Beers to Find for Show 47

Charlie — Sat, 08 Mar 2008 07:04:51 +0000

Theme? Well pick one. The beers are:

Gordon. (from Oskar Blues Brewing Company) [alternatives: Dogfish Head 90 Minute IPA, and that’s about it]

and

Ten Fidy (from…er…Oskar Blues Brewing Company…) [alternatives: Port Brewing Co.’s Old Viscosity, and that’s about it]

So, there you have it. Scare up the brews, fire up your beer-can-launching fridge, and let’s get serious…

Show 46: The Wort of Darkness 2, Stout-tastic Boogaloo

Charlie — Fri, 29 Feb 2008 21:09:07 +0000

Prebeer Preamble: Dark beers stir their own special passion in the beer enthusiast, and it’s been a while since this show has simply reveled in the blackness. Well the wait is over, because today is all about the special magic that roasted, toasted, and even charred grains bring to the beer-drinking experience. The black style known as stout has many sub categories, promising many similar shows to come, but for now we’re going to look at the two ends of the stout spectrum.

Beer #1: I’m joined by a slimmed-down Draco Vista Review Krew (just Mike, Tim, and Brian this time) as we start off in left field with Hitachino Nest Sweet Stout (Lacto) from Japan’s Kiuchi Brewery. Brewed in a storied sake brewery yet made in the traditional milk stout style, this one starts out as a bit of a head-scratcher. Then we actually try it, and everything changes…

Interbeer Interlude: MicroBrewed. “The Royal Mile.” In his quixotic attempt to prove that Portland needs to abdicate its “beervana” status in favor of Des Moines, Iowa, Tee Morris (along with Paul and Andrew) lands at a thoroughly British pub in the heart of the Grain Belt. The night is getting long, and the slightly sloppy happiness that comes with a pub crawl is getting difficult to ignore. And that’s why we love this stuff…

Beer #2: Speaking of sloppy, the next beer really cranks up the warm-and-fuzzies, as we pole vault over the other stout categories and end up in the Imperial realm, with Great Divide’s Yeti. It’s a great big gush-fest as all the stout fans in the room find themselves with the embodiment of the style amplified on every possible axis.

Liquid Literature: “Guinness: The 250 Year Quest for the Perfect Pint by Bill Yenne” Another book review for you by our Eclectic Librarian, Anna from Washington. This time Anna examines a tome detailing the history of Ireland’s Guinness Brewery. So from the historical perspective, is Guinness truly the “perfect pint”, or simply another example of mass-produced and heavily compromised “product”?

Postbeer Postscript: After the Yeti, you know the numbers are going to be big. Just how big? Well you’ll have to tune in and find out. And what’s with Tim foisting a patented SoB quasi-scientific glassware test on the proceedings at the last minute? I mean, didn’t he listen to Show 35?

Beers to Find for Show 46

Charlie — Fri, 22 Feb 2008 11:36:26 +0000

I found my local Whole Foods to be a productive outlet for these two. See what you can do:

Hitachino Nest Sweet Stout (Lacto) [alternatives: Young’s Double Chocolate Stout, Sam Adam’s Cream Stout]

and

Great Divide Yeti Imperial Stout [alternatives: Three Floyds’ Dark Lord Imperial Stout, Stone Imperial Russian Stout, Deschutes Brewery’s The Abyss]

If you like your beer black and/or big, this will be a show for you!

Show 45: Portrait of a Brew Day

Charlie — Thu, 14 Feb 2008 21:04:00 +0000

Prebeer Preamble: Today’s show changes things up, as we spend the entire episode in The Build-A-Beer Workshop. Back on August 19th, 2007, my brewing compadre Shawn and I decided we would brew up two batches of beer simultaneously. This would be Shawn’s third batch of homebrew, and the first on which he’d take point. Me, I thought I’d step up the complexity a bit and do a larger-volume boil. From these slightly ambitious decisions came two interesting brews and lots of hard-knocks lessons about homebrewing. This episode delves into that day deeply, and follows the fruits of our labor through till the end.

Part 1: The Day Itself. Highlights of our brew day, including a salty interjection or two when things don’t go our way. Plus, Shawn and I try to talk ourselves into a good mood, and give a little informaiton about how we came up with the recipes. What you won’t hear is the opressive sound of triple-digit temperatures.

Interbeer Interlude: Beer As Folk: “Peter Zein, part 2.” I continue my conversation with AleSmith Brewing Company’s owner and brewmaster. We talk a little about recipes, the hop “crisis”, and the future of AleSmith. Plus, Peter lets us in on how anyone can brew up their own version of one of AleSmith’s tasty brews.

Part 2: The Fates of the Beers. After their difficult births, each beer embarks on a different path. Shawn’s hoppy IPA gets a thorough going-over (and a name) from hop-headed friend-of-SoB Evo Terra, while my freaky Imperial Stout enters a contest on Wingin’ It 3D to see if it can out-Samuel-Jackson a similar beer brewed by Thomas from Flagstaff.

Liquid Literature: “Brewing Classic Styles by Jamil Zainasheff and John Palmer”. Speaking of Thomas, he delivers this excellent review of a brewing tome that should be strongly considered for any homebrewer’s library. Thomas has even taken at least one recipe for a spin. How’d it turn out?

Part 3: Lessons Learned. We once again flash back to brew day, and find Shawn and I in a reflective mood. Just what did we take from this less-than-perfect brewing experience that will make us better brewers? Tune in and find out!

Beers to Find for Show 45

Charlie — Fri, 08 Feb 2008 21:39:51 +0000

The next show will be a patented “Change of Pace” episode, so the exact drink-along beers are not utterly crucial (if, indeed, they ever are). Still, to get into the swing of it, track down some Stone Ruination IPA, or other hop-o-liscious West Coast double IPA, and maybe an imperial stout like North Coast’s Old Rasputin. Next week’s all about the homebrewing, so if you haven’t yet checked out the Build-A-Beer Workshop and gotten brewing with the cool kids, you still have some time before the show drops.

Show 44: Beery Business

Charlie — Fri, 01 Feb 2008 01:23:25 +0000

Prebeer Preamble: The word “business” is unlikely to get the average beer enthusiast’s blood pumping, yet it is often the single most influential underlying factor in any given aspect of our lives, beer included. Today we shine the spotlight on the world of business as it applies to beer. You see, the craft beer market has been booming in recent years, while the Megabrewers’ sales have remained flat. Interesting strategies have emerged as a result, as we shall see…

Beer #1: I’m joined by the Draco Vista Review Krew (this time around it’s Mike, Brian, Tim, Thomas, and Kris) as we dive in to Green Valley Brewing Co.’s Wild Hop Organic Lager. Ooooh, organic. This must be from one of those hippy commune nanobreweries, right? Uh….no.

Interbeer Interlude: Beer As Folk “Peter Zein.” AleSmith Brewing Company from San Diego, California, is a prototypical craft brewery: owned and operated by homebrewers, prone to experiemtation, and prioritizes the quality of the beer above all other concerns. I was honored to talk with head brewer (and owner) Peter Zein about what it’s like to balance the joy and passion of brewing great beer with the cold equations of running a business (part 1 of 2).

Beer #2: Next the Krew pops open some Stone Mill Pale Ale, again from “Green Valley“. The beer itself takes back seat to a discussion of truth in advertising, as there is no mention of the true brewer’s name anywhere on the packaging.

Beer Geek Moment: The Hop Shortage of 2008. If I had a nickel for every time someone’s asked me about the current “hop crisis”, well…I’d have a lot of nickels! Today we try to get to the bottom of things. Are we truly at Threat Level “Red” in regards to hops and beer? [note: wholesale hop prices have risen beyond those quoted in this Moment. The point, however, still stands….]

Postbeer Postscript: The talk of business strategies has pushed aside some of the evaluation today, but with the numbers comes what folks really think. And what exactly do we think of these to micro-macros? Tune in and find out!

Blog Post

Charlie — Fri, 25 Jan 2008 00:51:00 +0000

OK, so this has nothing to do with beer, but one of my other passions is cinema, especially of the obscure/cult variety. Apparently word got around, because Jack Mangan recently invited me onto his Deadpan podcast to share my thoughts on the 1984 punk/absurdist classic “Repo Man,” and the results can be found here. If you too lean towards the twisted when it comes to movies, pop a cold generic one and check it out!

Beers to Find for Show 44

Charlie — Fri, 25 Jan 2008 00:18:45 +0000

Perhaps in anticipation of some more “exotic” beers to come, next time around we’re looking at some widely-available-in-a-North-American-sense brews. Heck, they’ve got ‘em at my local area Wal-Mart. Seek out the following:

Wild Hop Lager [alternatives: Yuengling Traditional Lager, JW Dundee’s Original Honey Brown]

and

Stone Mill Organic Pale Ale [alternatives: Bass Ale, Saranac Pale Ale, Samuel Smith’s Organically Produced Ale]

Both beers are USDA Certified Orgainc, and no, that’s not the theme. Let’s just say that scratching the surface of their brewer, the “Green Valley Brewing Company” reveals something almost sinister…

Show 43: Winter Warmers, San Diego Style

Charlie — Wed, 16 Jan 2008 20:51:21 +0000

Prebeer Preamble: As the screaming ice-banshee howls of a winter wind shake your constitution to its very core, nothing brings you back to heartening feelings of summer warmth like a really, really strong beer. This has been the general operating principle for centuries, and here in the 21st, America’s west coast is stepping up to the winter warmer challenge. Today I’m joined by homebrewing compadre Shawn, as we sample a pair of southern California brews engineered to put a little fire in your furnace.

Beer #1: Shawn and I start our quest for relief from Arizona’s mild chill with AleSmith’s Old Numbskull Barleywine Style Ale. Having never tried a beer modeled after northern Europe’s quintessential winter brew filtered through the Cascade curtain of SoCal, beer novice Shawn is not sure what to expect. I try to orient him with the telling question, “Are you ready to get crocked?”

Interbeer Interlude: MicroBrewed. “Hessen Haus.” The massive Des Moines pubcrawl continues for Tee and the boys (”the boys” being Paul and Andrew), as our intrepid quaffers arrive at Hessen Haus, “central Iowa’s only authentic German bier hall.” Since when did Des Moines get so freeking multicultural?

Beer #2: Our internal fireplaces well stoked, Shawn and I now take the potentially ill-advised step of reaching for something stronger, in this case Stone’s Double Bastard Ale. Yeah, what the hell were we thinking?
.
Beer Geek Moment: Cellaring Beer. Big beers have potentially big life spans. What is the point of hanging on to a brew for a year or more? This Moment delves into the very heart of this question. Only extraordinarily patient beer geeks need apply.

Postbeer Postscript: Shawn and I experience some actual “winter” as we’re kicked outside to relate the scores on these beers. Between chattering teeth, we attempt to coherently articulate our opinions. Yeah, good luck on that! Which beer claims the top of the bone-warming crop? Tune in and find out!

SoB Swag Now Available!

Charlie — Mon, 31 Dec 2007 19:13:22 +0000

Just in time for 2008, you too can show your fine taste in beercasts by sporting something from the Speaking of Beer Cafepress store!

Choose from a mind-boggling array of official SoB products in a variety of designs, some of which are actually related to beer drinking. Make up for that botched Xmas gift with something Beer Guy, or just let your beer geek flag fly in uber-cool SoB duds. Thomas, we’ve even got something for your hop-headed dog!

Find splendiferous beer-related consumption here, or click on the link over there to the right.

And a huge “thanks!” to Tom the Beer Guy’s Brother for setting this whole thing up!

Beers to Find for Show 43

Charlie — Sun, 23 Dec 2007 15:15:18 +0000

If you plan on drinking along with the next show, it’s the perfect opportunity to bring a friend into the SoB fold. The beers are BIG, both in bottle-volume and in ABV, and if you tackle them both by yourself you’ll probably wake up the next morning behind a dumpster with a splitting headache and someone’s underwear draped over your inexplicably shaven and tattooed head. Don’t say I didn’t warn you. The beers are:

AleSmith’s Old Numbskull [alternatives: Dogfish Head’s Olde School Barleywine, Rogue’s Old Crustacean Barleywine, Hair of the Dog’s Fred]

and

Stone’s Double Bastard Ale [alternatives: Dogfish Head’s Immort Ale, The Lost Abbey’s Old Viscosity]

It’s not entirely clear what impact the festive holiday season will have on the release date for this show…I’m guessing it’ll come out sometime shortly after the first of the new year, but I might be able to eek it out a little before that. In any case, have a good one (holiday season, that is)!

Show 42: Liquid Christmas 2007–Santa Beers!

Charlie — Fri, 14 Dec 2007 03:45:42 +0000

Prebeer Preamble: One of the most potent symbols of the joyous generosity that marks the December holiday season is a certain St. Nicholas (a.ka. Santa Claus, a.k.a Father Christmas, a.k.a. Kris Kringle, etc.). Today we enjoy a couple of beers that pay homage to that jolly old elf, and see if the north pole’s #1 citizen can inspire a good brew.

Beer #1: With Thanksgiving turkey still settling in our tummies, I’m joined by dinner guests Evo Terra, Sheila Unwin, and Jack Mangan for some Santa’s Private Reserve Ale from Rogue Brewery. Evo likes it real bitter, Jack’s more of a hefeweizen guy, and Sheila can go either way. Whose trigger does this hopped-up amber ale trip? Surely someone’s, right?

Interbeer Interlude: Liquid Literature “Beer and Food: An American History by Bob Skilnik”. In a new recurring interbeer segment, Anna Creech, the Eclectic Librarian, gives us a look into the world of words about beer. Today she reviews a book that might just be on the wish list of your literary beer loving friends!

Beer #2: To cap our evening off, we next reach for Samichlaus Bier from Schloss Eggenberg Brewery*. This one’s a modern-day beer legend, one of the first widely available beers to crack the 10% ABV mark. Brewed annually on St. Nicholas’ Day (December 6th), and aged for almost a year, it’s designed to be a smooth-drinking warmer. So is it warmly received by my guests?

Beer Geek Moment: Juleglugg. Blasphemous as it may sound, beer is not the only beverage out there that people turn to for holiday cheer. Today’s Moment looks at a classic winter warmer from Scandinavia, and includes the traditional recipe enjoyed annually at the Speaking of Beer household. Skol!

Postbeer Postscript: ‘Tis the season for generosity, but do these two Santa-inspired brews feel the love? Who hands out gifts and who’s slinging stocking coal? Tune in and find out!

*Which is in Austria, not Germany as stated on the show. Thanks, Thomas for the correction.

The Beer Safari Holiday Special

Charlie — Sun, 09 Dec 2007 05:54:05 +0000

Groucho, JefferyT, and all the other good folks involved with Beer Safari (including yours truly) want to make your holiday season special with this epic little video. We each exchanged beers with another beercast and filmed the resulting opening, drinking and enjoying. Here’s the 34-minute NSFW result:

Thanks to the good folks at The Beer Report, Should I Drink That?, Pacific Brew News, The Good Beer Show, Craft Beer Radio, Dude Night, Big Foamy Head, and Brain Gravy for including me in this project. Good times…

Happy Holidays everyone!

(And in case you’re wondering, yeah, the Crunchberry beer did kinda suck…)

Show 41: Fan-girl, Fan-boy, Whatcha Gonna Do?

Charlie — Sun, 09 Dec 2007 04:24:16 +0000

Prebeer Preamble: We all have at least one thing we’re completely gaga over: Harry Potter, the New England Patriots, or Battlestar Galactica, for example. For some folks there’s a particular beer that makes them go all mushy inside, and today’s show is deidcated to them. I’m joined by two hardcore fans of specific beers, and grill them as to why they like their favorite brews so darn much.

Beer #1: My sister Nancee is a lover of Spaten Optimator, a dopplebock from Germany. She even went so far as to persuade her local supplier to get it on a regular basis in convenient six-packs so she could buy it by the case. How did this particular beer come to reign “supreme” in Nancee’s personal Beerniverse? Tune in and find out!

Interbeer Interlude; Microbrewed “El Bait Shop, Round 2″ Tee Morris, sans compadre Phil Rossi but joined by Paul and Andrew, wades into the second round of brews at Des Moines, Iowa’s own multi-tap Mexican cantina. Who’d a thunk such a cool place would spring up in Des Moines? I mean, it’s Des Moines for chrissakes!

Beer #2: Podcaster, author, musician, and Joe Murphy Memorial Fund CFO Jack Mangan loses his deadpan demeanor when the topic is Hacker-Pschorr Weisse, his personal favorite beer. This hefeweizen (once again, coincidentally, from Germany) makes him all tingly inside. Take a listen and find out what he thinks of my description of this one (hint: “not much”).

Sudsy Song Segment: Too Much Joy “King of Beers” I am personally a huge fan of this now-defunct power-pop band from the 1990’s. This song is pretty much the thing that sealed the deal. Sample lyric: “Gonna feel like hell tomorrow/so I won’t go to sleep tonight/na na na na na na sorrow/everything’s gonna be alright.” I love these guys…

Postbeer Postscript: With all of the gushing on this show, it’s probably no surprise that the scores run on the high side. Am I swept up in beer-love, or do I play party-pooping foil to my zealous co-drinkers? Take a listen and see!

Schedule issues (and beers to find for show 42!)

Charlie — Sat, 08 Dec 2007 15:53:07 +0000

[sarcasm]Ahh…the blissfully smooth-running world of Web 2.0 new media goodness[/sarcasm]. OK, so there’s the proverbial “good news/bad news” situation that seems to be becoming all too common around here. Bad news: Show 41 is rarin’ to go, but parked at the moment in Podango gridlock. As soon as that clears up (and it could be any minute) you’ll be able to enjoy the glory that is me drinking beer with both my sister and Mr. Deadpan himself, Jack Mangan. Good News: Show 42 will (barring techno-glitches) be out hot on 41’s heels, within a week or so, in time for your Holiday drinking pleasure.

For show 42 please acquire:

Santa’s Private Reserve Ale: [alternative: Sierra Nevada Celebration Ale]

and

Samichlaus Bier [alternatives: a toughie…technically it’s a doppelbock, but at 14 % ABV find the strongest doppelbock you can get!]

Sorry again for the herky-jerky release schedule. Then again, maybe I should relax and have a beer…