Great American Beer Festival

Just got home from the South Dakota Festival of Books. Rain fell on Sioux Falls the ENTIRE time. Real rain. Lots of rain. As in torrential rain. On Wednesday, the 27th, I leave for Denver (sure to be sunny and dry!) for the Great American Beer Festival, where I'll be signing books. This is the nation's oldest beer fest, and the second largest (topped only by the Oregon Brewers Festival). I've never been to the GABF, so am looking forward to experiencing what I only know as a historical event (I researched its origins and early years for the book). But this will also be my first opportunity to meet people that I only "know" via telephone or email. I interviewed quite a few brewers and other industry folks for the beer book, and have been in touch with various others since the book came out. So either way, this looms as A Pretty Big Deal for me.

The Beer Bracketologist

I'm bracketing beer! Don't know what bracketing is? Don't feel bad; until last week, I didn't either.

Think of a sports tournament, the classic example being the NCAA college basketball tournament. It starts with 64 teams, or 32 pairs grouped in BRACKETS. The pairs play. The winner advances to the next bracket, or round. Eventually only four are left, the famous Final Four, and those two pairs play each other and then the winners of that round face off -- and a winner is declared.

So these two guys in New York are writing a book titled The Enlightened Bracketologist: The Final Four of Everything, in which various "experts" will bracket their specialties, with the goal of determing "the best" of whatever it is they're bracketing. Chris Matthews is bracketing famous speeches. Heidi Klum is bracketing lingerie; Arnold Palmer is doing golf swings. Elvis Costello is pondering Beatle songs that were never number one. Someone else is bracketing Elvis Costello. One guy is bracketing red wine, and another one typefaces. [UPDATE: not all of these people made it into the final edition.]

And I -- drumroll please -- am bracketing beer! It's been quite the project, not least because first I had to come up with 32 beers. And then pair them up. And then taste them and pick winners of each round. I know. I know. "Tough job," you say, cackling, "but someone's gotta do it."

So you say, but I'm here to tell you that this has been hard on my poor stomach! I ran the first five rounds over two days, but today I'm still so overdosed on beer that I'm putting off the contest between my Final Two until tomorrow. And no, I'm not gonna tell you which brew comes out on top. I don't think the book's editors would be too happy with me.

But you don't have long to wait: The Enlightened Bracketologist hits the bookstores in March 2007. About the same time as the NCAA men's basketball tourney plays out. Coincidence? Or not? You be the judge!

It's Time to Save Brewing's History

On September 8, I had the pleasure of speaking at the annual CANvention of the Brewery Collectibles Club of America. While I was there, I met Alan Paschedag, who is the front man for the BCCA's effort to establish a museum of brewing. Their website is here.

I think the United States might be the only western country that does NOT have some sort of brewing museum -- at least nothing professional. That's a shame. One thing I learned when I research the beer book was that much of this nation's brewing history (like so much else of our history) is lost to us. Records have been destroyed. Breweries demolished. There's no archive of brewing records (see the point about destruction of records.....)

It's too late to save our nineteenth century brewing history. But I'd love to see brewers and beer fans step up and try NOW to save the history of microbrewing. It's not too early to think about it. Many of the founders of the brewing "revolution" are in their 60s. It's time to save their stories (which I tried to do in AMBITIOUS BREW) -- and to provide a place where they can donate their records and files.

The members of the BCCA have made a bold first step in that direction. They've arranged to lease, rent-free, three stories of space in what was once the Lemp Brewing complex in St. Louis. They've also hired a museum design firm to draw up plans for a proposed museum and to create a presentation portfolio. I admire their resolve and their courage.

What's needed now are donors. I hope -- truly hope -- that some of the micro- and regional brewers can be persuaded to fund the next step. Can be persuaded to provide the seed money that will make the BCCA's vision a reality. Beer needs leadership -- and money! -- in order to save its own history. And the time to start is now.

Carolyn Smagalski -- The Beer Fox

This morning I spent about an hour on the phone with Carolyn Smagalski. She's the Beer Fox over at BellaOnline. You can find her corner of that website here. She wanted to talk about my new book (she'd read an advance copy of it).

That was great -- but I was even more thrilled to be talking with such an amazing woman. She has a "real" full-time job -- and still finds time to write cookbooks (cooking with beer!) and serve as the beer editor at BellaOnline, a task that involves writing a regular column and cranking out a newsletter. I have NO idea how people like her manage to find the energy to deal with what amounts to two jobs -- but I'm awed by her energy and by her passion for what she does, both of which are evident in her Bella columns. Their content ranges from discussions of "current events" in the brewing industry to suggestions for creative pairings of food and beer.

She exemplifies what I've found to be true about "beer people": They're smart, creative, passionate, and fully engaged with the world around them. So I've added another inspiring role model to my collection. Carolyn, you totally rock!

Hops Harvest

Last week, the Wall Street Journal ran a story about brewers who make seasonal, limited edition beers using fresh (as opposed to dry) hops. I had great intentions of commenting on the story at the time, but let's face it: Right now "blogging" is not at the top of my to-do list.

Anyway, last Monday the fabulous Jay Brooks, of the equally fabulous Brookston Beer Blog, helped out with the hops harvest for two breweries in his neighborhood (Russian River and Moonlight). He's posted some fantastic pictures and terrific commentary to go with them. Check it out at his blog. It's the entry for August 29, 2006.

Beer Blogs R Hip?

Well, I dunno how hip they are -- given that there are, what?, fifty-seven bajillion blogs out there.......but here's a nice article about beer blogs. Thanks to Hedonist Beer Jive for the tip.