Category Archives: Craft Beer Talk

My musings about craft beer and the craft beer world. Topics will range from beer reviews, tastings, events, chats with brewers, etc.

Craft Beer Talk

Pushing The Reviews

Perhaps I’m learning more about Search Engine Optimization or perhaps I’m lucky. My article about former classmate Edwina Marquand is now the first link when searching for her name. In a future article I’ll be sure to do the same for another former classmate by the name of Kevin Pelch. After all, he is the one who gave me the nickname Ropeman in the 10th grade. It is a name I used proudly for years until Anne Langley gave me the one of Brainmuffin. That, however, is writings for another time.

As many readers know, I also write as the Cincinnati Craft Beer Examiner. As the Cincinnati beer scene is going crazy these days, it is quite a bit keeping up. Several breweries have opened over the last few years, including Listermann’s (yes, the home brew supply place), Mad Tree and Double Barrel. Oh, what to do.

Well, it is time to do reviews. Not of one beer from each brewery. No, that wouldn’t feed my OCD very well. It is time to review everything available. Oh great…more text to read. Yes, but also video reviews. Pictures of beer (posted to Flickr too). After all, it is time to combine all my passions into a single, directed future. It is time time to combine beer, photography and writing. After all, Charlie Papazian was the one who pushed me to start on Examiner and it is high time his recommendation was rewarded.

 

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Craft Beer Talk

The Growing Cincinnati Beer Fest

The 2013 installment of the Cincinnati Winter Beer Fest has come and gone. This year continued the tradition of growing and growing. The crowds were bigger. The events louder. The beer list, about the same.

This year saw me passing out beer and checking ids. I did take a few photos here and there, but as I was not the official photographer, there will not be much posted. There will be none of Facebook. There might be a few on Flickr. No idea.

The event has now grown to alienate many of its early supporters. The crowds are now to the point where peace and calm have to be maintained. Some puked near the Kentucky Ale booth. Someone else pulled down the Brew Monkey’s large mug display. A guy tried to pick a fight with security. All in all though, still a well behaved crowd.

 

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Craft Beer Talk

Tomorrow Will Be Epic

Budweiser promotional beer girl at a sporting ...
Budweiser promotional beer girl at a sporting event, the Canadian Grand Prix (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

It is late. I am drinking a 4-Play Porter by Shades of Pale Brewing Company. I am blogging. It is our last night in Utah.

Tomorrow, or should I say later today, it will be a rather early rise. Packing, breakfast, some souvenir shopping and then off to Arches National Park. We went there tonight to look at the stars. I took a few photos. I’ll post links once I’ve processed them.

The porter, by the way, ain’t too bad. Here in Moab, they do have a Microbrewery. Been there three times. The beers are good and the food is excellent. The gelato is unbelievable, especially the vanilla. I digress.

Tomorrow is also our long drive back to Salt Lake City. At the end of that drive, however, is the epic portion of this whole trip. That is when we arrive at Epic Brewing Company. I’ve been looking forward to this since we decided to visit Utah. Yes, it is the last day and I still have to drive to turn in the rental car. Yes, I cannot over indulge. Yes and all that. The tour and lunch will still be Epic, no matter what. After all, it is Epic Brewing!

Already in touch with Epic Brewing as the Cincinnati Craft Beer Examiner, I look more than forward to the visit. I’ll get to talk to the brewers, see the facilities and taste the freshest beers possible. All in a state know more for Mormons than beer. Yes, it will be Epic.

So, cheers everyone. Pictures will be taken. Ideas will be exchanged. Beers will be tried. Epic-ness will be had.

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Craft Beer Talk

Time to Bottle

Today has finally arrived. Today I set about bottling my first pale ale containing rye malt

Pale Ale
Pale Ale (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

as a specialty grain. Today is the day I get to see if it has survived secondary. Today is the day. And I’m starting late.

On weekends, many times I don’t set my alarm. I wake up at 6am anyway or the dogs get all manner of excited and want to go out by then. Not today. No noise. No barking. Up at 8:15 am. Ugh. So much to do: stretch, clean kitchen, move fermentor, sanitize bottles, prime beer, bottle, label, etc.

Oh yeah, and post about today’s activities.

Why?

I have decided to take a more personal turn with my blogs. Yes, I’ll still write about marketing strategies, business practices, interpersonal relationships, changing the lives of others and so on. I have listened to your voices and will make good changes. The topics upon which I have received the most feedback are, in order of responses, most to least: photography, personality types and homebrewing beer. Awesome. More attention to them and today it is beer‘s turn.

Next up? Bill Cosby.

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