I got a great gift in the mail today. Copy 8 of 10 of Ron Pattinson’s new book, WAR! He wrote about the book’s release this very morning from his home in The Netherlands and by suppertime a copy was in my mailbox here in Canada. Compiling his studies to date on the years of World War I and World War II, it is a great example of the work he is doing to bringing actual detailed primary research to the question of the history of beer.
One wishes all beer writers were so concerned with the facts as we witnessed today from Roger Protz who went all freaky handbags over BrewDog’s new and insanely strong beer. He’s received a number of head shaking responses, deservedly so given his use of language like “over-inflated egos and naked ambition” and “the wild buckeroos” and “what were you smoking last night, chaps?” and “this bunch of ego-maniacs” and “anxious to give beer a bad name.” The oddest thing is that he goes off on his own ice flow all the while misunderstanding the technical process used for actually making the beer, baldly claiming it had wine yeast in it… not that wine yeast would get you a 32% beer. One wonders what Protz was thinking or, in fact, had been smoking himself when he wrote such a blurt. He has certainly gone a long way to discredit his own opinions on experimental beer generally. For a more measured response, you may want to read Pete Brown’s post on the new and insanely strong beer from last Thursday…you know, when it was news.
Now with the Xmas 2009 Beer Blog Yuletide Photo Contest Extravaganza. First, a couple of solo entries from Canada.
Chris Berry of Kanata, Ontario sent this one picture to the right which sorta looks normal… until you have a good look at the baby’s face. Frank MacDonald of Torbay Newfoundland kept the kids out of the photo to the left. It was taken at the Grizzly Paw Brewpub in Canmore Alberta.
Next, Jeff Alworth of Portland, Oregon has sent in some photos from the scene there. I have no idea how he got to put in 8 entries but never having been to Oregon I can’t be sure this is not some sort of cultural thing, some sort of secret message to us all. Maybe he can’t count. Better not mess with the photo set just in case:
Finally Tim Connelly of Cambridge Massachusetts sent in these pictures which are entitled “Inside Cantillon,” “In a Galway pub,” “Outside of a Galway pub,” “The Franciscan Well Brewery Pub, Cork’ and “Brooklyn Brewery”:
Four more great entries. I better starting beating the bush for more prizes. Here I go. Off to email brewers until all I have are bloody stumps for hands. Why? I don’t do it for you. I do it for Santa.
[Original comments…]
Stan Hieronymus – November 30, 2009 8:36 PM
http://www.appellationbeer.com/blog
So eight is the new five?
Can I enter eight?
Alan – November 30, 2009 8:50 PM
Do you hereby solemnly swear that you in fact cannot count?
Jeff Alworth – November 30, 2009 9:33 PM
http://beervana.blogspot.com/
You know I can’t count by looking at what I get paid to do for my day job: statistics.
FYI, as descriptions for those not familiar with the Oregon beer scene:
1) cherries in Double Mountain’s kriek,
2) Double Mountain brewery,
3) l-r Rob Widmer, John Foyston (beer writer), and Fred Bowman (founder of MacTarnahan’s),
4) FredFest in honor of Fred Eckhardt’s 83rd birthday,
5) Astoria Brewing,
6) Skamania Lodge beer fest in the Columbia River Gorge,
7) beers at Cheers to Belgian Beers, one of the 3,219 Portland fests, and
8) my Honest Pint pic. You know all about the Honest Pint Project, right?!
Alan – November 30, 2009 9:50 PM
You had another. The secret #9. But it was not attached. I don’t know what this means.
And fancy pants tag lines for photos will not sway me. The photo has to live on its own merits. Did you see that baby’s face???
Stephen Beaumont – December 1, 2009 10:23 AM
http://www.worldofbeer.com
A question, Alan: How come you’re not talking about the hefty price tag attached to Tactical Nuclear Penguin?
Alan – December 1, 2009 11:27 AM
1. Because it is a bargain compared to Utopia?
2. I made an error by writing “insanely” when I meant to should have written “insane”?
But you are quite right. I dropped the ball. The price is insane. I can only point out that the eyeballs on that baby set off some very weird mojo.
Alan – December 1, 2009 11:36 AM
Roger may have allowed the smoke to clear in his head given the conclusion of his reply: “Lets be good, bibulous friends. Criticise by all means but let’s keep the venom out of it.”
Given he is the one who used the language he did, this is a bit ingenuous. As Grannie said, handsome is as handsome does.
Jeff Alworth – December 1, 2009 1:11 PM
http://beervana.blogspot.com/
And fancy pants tag lines for photos will not sway me. The photo has to live on its own merits.
I mainly contributed these because every other one of the 82 Portland beer bloggers had gotten in on it. I felt there was a certain incompleteness. Owing to my, er, modest photography skills, I was taking the opportunity to pimp Oregon. You see, this is what we Portland bloggers do best. Even Bill’s dirt pile was boastful, saying as it did: “See, now this–this–is a dirt pile.”
So I had to label them–for promotional purposes.
Jeff Alworth – December 1, 2009 1:13 PM
http://beervana.blogspot.com/
And I’ve completely forgotten what the ninth photo was. Probably the winner.
Alan – December 1, 2009 1:15 PM
Great googlyboogly! Pumping up the state. Excellent. I need more of that. More elbowing each other out of the way, shouting out that “I matter” in the swelling ocean of beer imagery and thought.
Just as long as you don’t do what can now be called “a Protz” I am fine with it.
gyfdxdg – December 12, 2009 5:32 AM
ths is a wird website!