Wood'ja Beer event Tommorow 2/12 At The Nodding Head Brewery and Restaruant in Philadelphia, PA

Barrel aged beers just getting more experimental and popular and Samson Street's finest, The Award Winning Nodding Head Brewery and Restaurant is is having a wonderful beer event this weekend on Saturday Feb 12th. Starting at 3 pm some very unique and rare suds will be poured. Barrel aged beers just getting more experimental and popular and Nodding Head is plan This is surely an event not to be missed. Brewer Gordon Grubb's beers never disappoint. The "Phunk" barrel has a phenomenal track record in producing outstanding beers. If you are going to be in town, this is a must!

Here is some more info about the barel aged beers set to be poured for the event :

(Cask Two-Year-Old) Wee Heavier, (9.5%ABV) which is a strong, Scottish-style ale that has been aged in a wooden cask that once held Calvados brandy, and more recently JW Lees Harvest Ale. This ale is very dark in color, and full-bodied with a 'roasty' character and sweet malt flavors. It'll make your belly happy. (Disclaimer: the two-year-old barrel aged beer could possibly be volatile or magnificent. Either way, we have plenty of great back up beers - it's all part of the fun).

Pho-Tay, (7%ABV) which is our O-Tay aged in the Phunk Barrel. This beer started off as a golden ale brewed with eighty-four pounds of organic buckwheat and Belgian yeast, giving it a unique spicy character. It then, of course, picked up oak and brett characteristics.

Saison De La Tete, (6%ABV) which is a blend of a young saison, and a sour barrel aged, low alcohol, hoppy pale ale. Then, we added flavors of brett and oak to the slightly funky saison character.

ALSO: SPECIAL GUEST BEER FROM FRIENDS AT RUSSIAN RIVER

Consecration, (10%ABV) which was aged in American oak Cabernet Sauvignon barrels. They not only use Brettanomyces, Lactobacillus, and Pediococcus, but also add currants to the beer while it is aging in the barrels.

I am not 100% sure, but I have a feeling Nodding Head will be pouring their additional house beers in addition to the the beers to be tapped for the event. This is a pay as you go (ie pay per beer and no cover charge) beer event.

21st Ammendment Brewery to can their "Bitter American" beer

A session beer in a can. Why not? San Fransisco's 21st Amendment Brewery has decided to release brewpub and previously draft only favorite in cans. 21st Amendment informs us that "4.4% ABV, 42 IBUs, with full hoppy flavors that you would find in an India Pale Ale." "Bitter American" is generously hopped with warrior and cascade hops and dry hopped with simcoe and centennial hops. High gravity beers have their place but 21st Amendment makes a very logical statement as to why they decided to release this beer in the winter " The bigger beers are fun to enjoy, but they sometimes get you in trouble with your significant other, the floor below your bar stool or the morning after for that matter." This beer is defiantly not your typical late winter seasonal.

21st Amendment has become one of my favorite breweries. Canned beer is a wonderful alternative to bottled beer. Canned beer uses 75% less packaging than glass, does not shatter, hides light, not nearly as heavy, and easier to transport. The cans used in brewing today are lined and do not have the metal taste that accompanied the beer you stole from your grandfather's fridge. 21st Amendment are the forefathers of canning styles of beer which have previously been available only in bottles.

This is the third seasonal the San Fransisco based brewery currently can. Their other two seasonals "Hell or High Watermelon", a tasty watermelon wheat beer and "Fireside Chat" a tasty 7.9% abv beer spiced with cocoa nibs. I am always excited to have new beer available in cans and look forward to trying this one. Some of my favorite beers are low gravity beers, you get to try more beers and not fall off you're bar stool. I have never been let down by the wonderful folks at 21st amendment brewery. The beer will be available soon in cans and on draft wherever 21st Amendment beers are sold.

2010 Deschutes Abyss

One the world's most eclat and coveted beers, Deschutes Abyss has just been released. Drink up. Beeradvoate.com ranks this beer #5 in the world. Deschutes never lets a thirsty person down.

Classified as a Double or Imperial stout and pouring a very dark brown with a creamy white head. The Abyss weighs in at 11% ABV and 65 IBU's. Deschutes's highly creative beer is amply hopped and is made with brewers licorice and black strap molasses. The beer is also dry hopped with vanilla beans and cherry bark. Abyss is aged in bourbon, oak, and pinot barrels. The bourbon and licorice are very effervescent and contribute to the complexity of this sipper of a beer.

The Abyss is truly a phenomenal and special beer. If you are lucky enough to find some, I suggest having a bottle right away and putting a few in your cellar for a later day. Deschutes promises that "this precious liquid only gets better with age."

Bend,Oregon's Deschutes is not available everywhere in the US yet. If you wish to see Deschutes in your market, contact your local distributor and tell them you wanna drink Deschutes. They are truly a extraordinary brewery who makes superb beers at a very reasonable price. Their Mirror Pond has long been one my favorite beers.

"Our Side, A Collaborative Gypsy Ale": a beer from masterminds Mikkeller and Stillwater

Two of the world's hottest and most eccentric brewers Mikkel Borg Bjergsø from Denmark and Brian Stillwater from Baltimore, Maryland have joined forces to make a beer. Mikkeller and Stillwater make for an ideal team. Both brewers have been generating amazing results and have been producing some of the most coveted beers in the world. Their joint project beer will certainly generate some buzz. What a wonderful way to start 2011!

"Our Side" is a brand new beer, but the beer's label gives it's lucky recipients some insight "Mikkel and Brian are two of the world’s most unconventional brewers. By designing beers at various breweries around the globe, they have found the freedom to experiment and innovate, resulting in unique beers that often blur the lines of definition. After having met at a festival in Bodegraven, NL the two realized that their first creations both were called Stateside. It was then an obvious decision to make the two recipes into a new product, packed full of piney, resinous hops, and backed by the esters of a farmhouse yeast strain."

Their highly anticipated collaboration beer containing "piney, resninous hops" and fermented with "a farmhouse yeast strain" are elements which promise not to disappoint. This is a new beer and the information on it is sparse, I will post more info when it becomes available.

The Beer makes its official debut later today at 6 pm at 4 very lucky bars. Max’s Taphouse (Baltimore, MD), ChurchKey (Washington, DC), Rustico Restaurant (Ballston, VA) and Rattle & Hum (NYC). I have been to Max's and Rattle N Hum and they are two world class establishments. If you are free later tonight, by all means go have yourself a glass or several of "Our Side". If you make it, please drop me an email and let me know what you think. Cheers.


story compiled from Beerinbaltimore.com

Jubelale- A Festive Winter Ale

So summer is over boys and girls, but fear not, our good friends at Deschutes have you covered. Just in time for for late fall and early winter, Jubelale is released. Jubelale is a Silver medal winner for the "other beer category" at the 2007 Australian International Beer Awards and Gold Medal winner of the 2006 World Beer championship. Jubelale is a spicy, yet hoppy winter warmer designed to put a smile on your face anytime of year, but is really nice for those nights where you need to throw another log on the fire. Tipping in at 60 ibu's and 6.7% abv this silky smooth dark beer goes down nice and easy. Outfitted with Dark Crystal malt and enough hops to appease hopheads this beer warrants your attention and your glass. This year Deschutes proudly decorates Jubelale with a cool new label this year with some wonderful artwork from local Oregon artist Natasha Bacca. Be sure to put some of these in your fridge this as soon as you can!

Available wherever Deshutes beer is sold.

3rd Anual Oktoberfest at World Cafe Live in Philadelphia

The wonderful folks at World Cafe Live are eagerly preparing for their Oktoberfest on Sunday October 24th. The Event starts at noon. Over 30 different breweries from Germany will be poured. The event also will feature stellar food and live music.

World Cafe live is located 3025 Walnut Street in Philadelphia. Conveniently located on University of Pennsylvania's campus.

This is a beerfest , so please take public transportation if possible. World Cafe Live is located less than two blocks from 30th street station

For more info and to purchase tickets, click here . World Cafe's beer events always seem to sell out, so grab tickets soon. I hope to see you there!

Only German breweries will be featured, including:
Aktien,Becks,Bischoff,Einbecker,Flensburger,Franziskaner,Hacker-Schorr Klosterbrauerei,Paulaner,Schneider,Spaten,Warsteiner,Weihenstephan,Weltenburger, and many more!

2010 World Beer Cup Results

Backed by the Brewers Association, the results from the 2010 World Beer Cup have been revealed. Originating in 2004, The World Beer cup has weeded through tons and breweries to find the best beers produced in the world. This year's contest featured entries from 642 different breweries bringing 3,300 different to be judged. 44 countries entered the contest, hoping to win an award for 90 different styles of beer. The winners of this year's World Beer cup should be extra proud this year, since its inception the amount of breweries and beers entered has more than doubled.

In the Award most pertinent to US Craft beer, Ballast point was the big winner. Ballast point took the Gold for "World Beer Cup 2010 Champion Brewery and Brewmaster
Small Brewing Company". Ballast point's "Sculpin" and "Big Eye" are two stellar IPAs that surely contributed to their award.

Philadelphia area breweries earned several awards. Newark Delaware based "Iron Hill" were crowned "Best Large Brewpub". Iron Hill currently runs 8 stellar Brewpubs in the immediate Philadelphia area. The pride of Samson street, "Nodding Head" took home the silver in the "German-Style Sour Ale" category with their flagship beer, "Ich Bin Ein Berliner Weisse". Yards Brewing Company took the Bronze medal in the "Extra Special Bitter or Strong Bitter" with their killer session beer "ESA".

In addition to some amazing beers, lots of the beers also had very clever names. Some of my favorite beer names from this year's competition were "Dude! Where's My Vespa?" from Rock Bottom in Arlington, Va, "Bourbon Barrel Aged Piper Down Scottish Ale" from Ballast Point, and "Thor's Hammer" from Central City Brewing from Surrey, Canada

Experimentation and deviation from the norm seemed to be a refreshing aspect of this year's World Beer Cup. The categories for "Wood- and Barrel-Aged Strong Beer" and "Herb and Spice Beer or Chocolate Beer" were the categories with the largest entries. These two categories each received more entries than the "American-Style India Pale Ale" and the "American-Style Imperial Stout" category.

Click here for a complete list of winners.

Congrats to all the winners and a big thanks to all the 642 breweries who made this happen and the Brewers Association for hosting a wonderful contest.


picture and results compiled from the official World Beer Cup 2010 web page