Let the Sun Shine

I owe Lee so much. This guy is one of the coolest beer bloggers ever, and you have no idea how shamefully I’ve treated him. Because I am self-absorbed. And lazy. Which is hurtful to others. And whatever else it was that my second grade teacher said I didn’t want to grow up to become. Actually, I was sick as a dog, and had just started my new gig, so time-strapped and exhausted doesn’t even begin to cover it. We met in the parking lot of Boulevard, where they were about to begin a tour. Because I couldn’t make it to hang out with them at Grinders. I, being me, made them late for the start of the tour. God, don’t you want to be friends with me?!

Lee is this most amazing person. He lives in Austin, the capital of cool, and the lucky man got to visit the exotic location of Kansas City while on vacation. OK, well, that wasn’t so hot. But his wife? Is adorable. And the man actually brought a COOLER, full of TX beer, all the way to KC, just for me. How do I repay him? By not even talking about it for over a month. Shameful!

Lee brought me many beers. One of them was the limited edition Shiner 98 Bavarian Style Amber Ale. In bottles, of course. The fact that it had “Amber” printed right on the label meant that it was the first one I tried. Honestly, as soon as I got home. Congested head meant that even the husband got in on the beer review, noting the nose and confirming taste for me.

The beer poured golden-red into a room temperature pint glass, with a thin head of lacy froth. It smelled familiar, a little like the Shiner Bock I drank too much of at a conference in Austin. A little hoppy, a little malty, a little generically beery. (Man, can you believe that I don’t write for a living? What a grasp on the English language.)

The taste is slightly dry, and the hops really aren’t as aggressive as a hop-fearing light beer drinker might think. The carbonation is higher than I expected, with the low level of head it poured out of the bottle, but I liked it. Still has that "thick" beer mouthfeel. Better than Shiner Bock. Some of the Beer Advocate peeps thought it was not as nice as previous years’ releases, but this being my first, I thought it was quite nice. I had absolutely NO problem drinking the rest that were in the fridge, after beating the husband away from that shelf with a broom.

Lee, I owe you more reviews. I promise that they will come. Hopefully before Boulevard releases that new Belgian saisson farmhouse ale you got to try. Because you had better believe that I will make good on at least that promise.

Something for Saturday

Flying Monkey Brewery gives free tours and samples every 1st and 3rd Saturday of the month. It's the third Saturday of July, so it is time for another round of brewery tours and beers. Get some friends together and come out!


FREE FREE FREE FREE FREE FREE FREE FREE
Noon-3pm this Saturday!


FLYING MONKEY BREWERY
311 N. Burch St
Olathe, KS
913-599-0563
(two blocks west of I-35 and Sante Fe)

Map of 311 N Burch St Olathe, KS 66061-3649, US

Field Trip!

Our employee summer party is taking place this afternoon in the kind-of-still new Muelbach Suite at the Boulevard Brewery. There will be trivia, and beer, and like, 300 co-workers. OK, probably not all 300 will show. Because some people actively avoid fun and beer and other people. They cannot be helped. It should be a lovely afternoon. I'm hoping to get a sneak peek at whatever is brewing and bubbling down stairs in those giant silver vats. If I do, you know, I'll share.

The Inevitable Return Of The Great White Dope

Part of my hiatus from blogging has been my hiatus from tasty brews. It's hot, and I have been quaffing watery mass-produced stuff in ice cold bottles. It is cheap, works well at BBQs, is low in calories, and for some reason, all of that has been very compelling. Shhhh. Don't tell. Gotta maintain this facade. So instead of talking about how I am not really worthy of beer snobbitude, let's talk about why no one else is drinking beer these days. What the heck is going on?

Miller Light recently debuted Chill, a Mexican Vacation themed beer, based on the michelada, which is apparently a popular drink at Mexican resorts. They test launched it in Texas, so I am not really sure if they want the people who vacation in Mexico, or the people who came here from Mexico to drink it. But either way, they want someone, to drink something brewed by Miller, and soon. They be hurtin'.

UK beer sales are down, so naturally, analysts blame the rain (…?) Really? Do people in the UK really drink more beer when it is nice outside? Do they drink more OUTSIDE than inside? Do they not go to pubs when it rains? Or it is because so much of the consumption of beer happens during big events?

Even Guinness is struggling. The company that owns the brewer may even shut down their historic St. James brewery in central Dublin. (NOOO! I haven't visited there yet!!) Why? Smoking bans are driving beer drinkers out of the pubs. They are buying beer at the supermarket and taking it home, but a Guinness is tied to the idea of a pint from a tap. Huh. Sales are still strong in the US due to our infatuation with anything imported.

Japan isn’t drinking beer this year, either? Notably, the young people stayed away, so what ARE they drinking? Oh, apparently imported wine is making a big surge there now. Huh. So yay for California wines, I guess.

************

I actually have overdue drafts of reviews of TEXAS beers, saved on another ‘puter. I swear they will be coming soon. “Soon,” loosely translated as, “whenever I get off my lazy summer keister and edit them.”

I've gone all ADD again

The new job, setting up our next house projects, vacation dreaming & booking, birthday party planning and piles of social events stacking up across my outlook calendar, combined with the thick hazy air of summertime demand me to sloooooow it all down. I have notes on beers, and owe reviews, especially to Lee. I'm just so darn lazy that the nagging guilt hasn't eaten away at me yet. So until I am appropriately ashamed and come back to be responsible, or feel a spark of inspiration, I am on beer sabbatical.

Quick announcement

I've been AWOL. For that I apologize. I have lots to share, but I have to save it for another day. I changed jobs, I met Lee, he gave me beer (!!), I've been sick, and I have a whole bunch of TX beers to report on soon. Stay tuned...I'll be back soon, I swear.

Standin' outside on a Friday, Livin' on tha edge

I am *pretty* sure it is going to rain tonight, so the First Friday Bob Schneider concert might get rained out. I hope not. But either way it is still warm and summery and it is a nice evening to pop down to the Crossroads, see some art, and drink a good beer or two.

Blood is thicker than beer...wait, what?

My Dad got married this weekend, so I had the privilege of having both of my brothers, one sister-in-law and one long time girlfriend over to my house last night. This required beer, so we ran to the friendly neighborhood liquor store. We picked up a selection of things, but the most popular by far was the six-pack of O'Malley's Irish Cream Ale. I only got one myself. And when it was gone, everyone begrudgingly drank my youngest bro's Warsteiner. His girlfriend liked the Schlafly's Raspberry I had left in the fridge, so overall, we cleaned out my beer stock.

But back to the Irish Cream Ale, brewed by a little local brewery in Weston, MO, that recently reopened. I had been to the underground pub in Weston before, but they didn't have the brewery back up and running when I was there. If you have a chance to go, you should. It is quite the experience, sitting in the giant cellar, listening to live music bouncing off the stone walls. When you order an Irish Cream Ale at a bar in town that serves it on tap, you get the whole nitro tap experience, like with Guinness. This is my best Caffrey's replacement! Much more so than Boddington's, love it as I do.

Hey Y'all! Miss me?

I just came back from a work/ad/media/conference jaunt right outside of Austin, TX that was fun and interesting and oh-my-god humid. But since this is the beer blog, I thought I would tell you about what I drank. In quantities far too large, by the way. I drank Shiner Bock, brewed by the Spoetzl Brewery, which is located somewhere around Houston, Austin and San Antonio.

Shiner Bock has been brewed at this brewery since 1913, but used to be a seasonal beer for Lent. (Huh? Keep reading...) Today Bock makes up 80% of all the beer sold by Spoetzl, who used to keep their business within a 70 mile range, but now are actively growing distribution. They just started appearing in parts of Missouri.

I drank many bottles of Shiner, like this one. For a random point of reference, one of the friendly Texas bartenders who we kept hopping during our cocktail hours told me that she thought Shiner Bock tasted kind of like Sam Adams. It might, maybe, to some people, but not really to me. Sam Adams is more of a dark lager, while a bock is a style all on it's own. BeerAdvocate is at the ready with a description:

The origins of Bock beer are quite uncharted. Back in medieval days German monasteries would brew a strong beer for sustenance during their Lenten fasts. Some believe the name Bock came from the shortening of Einbeck thus "beck" to "bock." Others believe it is more of a pagan or old world influence that the beer was only to be brewed during the sign of the Capricorn goat, hence the goat being associated with Bock beers. Basically, this beer was a symbol of better times to come and moving away from winter.

As for the beer itself in modern day, it is a bottom fermenting lager that generally takes extra months of lagering (cold storage) to smooth out such a strong brew. Bock beer in general is stronger than your typical lager, more of a robust malt character with a dark amber to brown hue. Hop bitterness can be assertive enough to balance though must not get in the way of the malt flavor, most are only lightly hopped.

Average alcohol by volume (abv) range: 5.5-7.5%

So it comes with a little ABV kick. And as I said, I drank many bottles of Shiner, maybe one too many. I never poured it into a glass (because I am classy!) so I can't note anything about color, or head, etc. All I can tell you is that it smelled sweet, kind of malty, tastes smooth, sweet, and only has a little bit of carbonation.

The Demon You Know

I ate so MUCH. I could have kept a whole village alive on the food I consumed this weekend. It is actually quite astounding. I only managed to try 2 beers. (Hey, cut me some slack, this weekend was all about MOM, not all about beer.)

I tried one of A-B's newest brews, the "craft" types they are brewing for different regions. I had a Demon Hop Yard IPA at Westbrook Lobster in Clinton, CT. I didn't expect much, so I wasn't surprised when it poured a clear and filtered amber color into the pint glass. I was suprised to detect a fair amount of hops, and a taste that actually bit back! I wouldn't say that it was anywhere near the BEST IPA I've ever had, but it was pretty darn good. So...wow. Good job.

My brother & sister-in-law were up for a beer last night, so we cruised to New Haven and hit up the Bru Room at BAR, in the Yale neighborhood. We didn't have any (thank god) but I saw the HUGE pizzas they were bringing to the tables, and I think we'll have to do that sometime. They looked & smelled wonderful. I had a pale ale, which seemed nice and balanced and went down easily. My brother had a thick and sticky stout, which was sweet and delicious, but I was far too full to appreciate it all. The bar started to get crowded around 11:30-midnight, full of Yalies in ironic t-shirts, and we had to get home early to get up for the big family brunch the next day.

Moms Day Hiatus

I'm going on my own mini vacation, and vacation to me always means fresh seafood, time spent on the water, and grabbing a new beer or two. It's Mother's Day weekend, and I am going to visit my own little madre. As additional benefits there will be the Long Island Sound, my brother and sister-in-law, my grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins, etc. I'll try to grab some interesting beer to talk about here. In the meantime, have a great weekend, and do something nice for your mom, the mother of your children, or yourself if you are a mom.

B.Y.O.B.

Sneaky sneaky. Here's a way to save money, make friends, and quite possibly enjoy attending college sporting events a tiny bit more. For the dudes, the BeerBelly. If you already have a large "natural" beer belly, I guess you won't really mind it sticking out a little bit farther for one day, right?

Never fear ladies, they're working on a Wine Rack right now, so you don't have to look like an alcoholic pregnant chick. You know. Unless that's the look you are going for.

Flava In Ya Ear

It is Friday and I've got this in my head. I can't explain everything, sometimes I can only report the news. (But whoa, Busta looks so young!)

So I was purusing some other beer blogs, and came across Hail the Ale. (Hey looky, they have sponsors!) I saw this post about Michelob's flavored beers coming out soon. And I remember writing a post that was similar, but I forgot that it was NOT about Michelob, but rather about Anheuser-Busch, and apparently I had saved it as a draft for a while, and never published it. Curious. Am I losing my mind already?

So read about A-B's fruit beer here, and Michelob's there, and get ready for a summer filled with girly beers.

Grind it out

I love Grinder's, the sandwhich/pizza shop in the Crossroads. They have great food, wonderful beers, and they've actually opened a gigantic outdoor music venue. Last week they had hometown groups Pomeroy and Anything But Joey, but this Friday they've got Robert Randolph and the Family Band, AND Ziggy Marley. On Wednesday the 9th, George Clinton & the Parliament Funkadelic and Four Fried Chickens and a Coke are playing. I am so excited.

Bob Schneider is playing on June 1st, and that's a FREE show! Love First Fridays. So go reserve your G.A. tix now.

This picture from Grinder's MySpace cracks me up. Yay. Scooters. Really.

Its Fruity!

You'll have to try them for yourselves. I've realized that I am a strict no-fruit-in-my-beer-sort-of-girl.

Anheuser-Busch last week unveiled “fruity“ pilsners as the latest brews in its Michelob family. The debut comes as the summer grilling season is set to get underway, coinciding with the top selling season for alcohol.

The beers are “light and refreshing with a subtle hint of real fruit,” the company said.
The new beverages come in three flavors: Pomegranate Raspberry, Lime Cactus and Tuscan Orange Grapefruit.

"Adults who live an active lifestyle will appreciate the subtle fruit flavors and light effervescence found in these beers," said Jill Vaughn, Anheuser-Busch brewmaster. "Michelob Ultra Fruit Infused beers are perfectly balanced and best enjoyed when paired with bold ethnic dishes and lighter fare such as grilled chicken."

"Anheuser-Busch has had great success with Michelob Ultra and Michelob Ultra Amber and we wanted to provide consumers with a refreshing summertime offering," said Eduardo Pereda, director of Michelob Family, Anheuser-Busch, in a statement.

The brews are now available through Labor Day in grocery and convenience stores in 12-bottle variety packs or single-flavor six-packs.

Rogue Agent

I have a big bottle of Rogue American Amber chilling in the fridge at home. It was my name on it. Literally. 5:45ish this evening. There might be a review. There likely will not. But I promise that it will be enjoyed.

It's only Tuesday. I can't be so Loverboy already.

Dustin knows ALL of the good stuff! He says that the Parkville Brewfest is coming up, that he's been to it in the last few years and that its a good time.

Event Details:
April 28th - Micro (brewers) Festival

English Landing Park, Parkville, Missouri
Saturday, April 28th 2007 from 1:00 PM to 5:00 PM
Sample beers from Regional Craft Breweries at this festival, including:

Boulevard Brewery, Kansas City, MO
75th Street Brewery, Kansas City, MO
Free State Brewing Co., Lawrence, KS
Blind Tiger Brewery, Topeka, KS
Little Apple Brewery, Manhattan, KS
McCoy's Public House, Kansas City. MO
Power Plant Brewery, Parkville, MO
23rd St. Brewery, Lawrence, KS
Weston Brewing Co., Weston, MO
O'Fallon Brewery, O'Fallon, MO
Schlafly Bottleworks, St. Louis, MO
Upstream Brewing Co., Omaha, NE
River City Brewing Co., Wichita, KS
Augusta Brewing Co., Augusta, MO
Granite City, KC locations but it is a chain
Flying Monkey Brewery, Olathe, KS
and more!!

Guests will be supplied with a commemorative logo tasting glass, a custom tasting note sheet, and live Blue Grass music.

Learn home brewing techniques from the Kansas City Home Brew club.

Admission is $20.00 per person payable at the gate, and guests are encouraged to bring lawn chairs and blankets to enjoy a relaxing day in the Park. Beer will be available at the festival, but cannot be taken out of the park. Outside alcohol will not be allowed into the festival site.

For more information contact:
Angelo Gangai - Event Co-Chairperson
Warren Crouse - Event Co-Chairperson
PARKVILLE MICROFEST
Ph: 816-505-2227

~~~~~~~~
The Power Plant Brewery and Stone Canyon Pizza are reason enough to visit Parkville again. This festival just puts it over the edge for me. Plus, have you seen the forecast?!

Hey! Why don’t you bang your head against this?

I went to the beer tasting on Friday. I like Cellar Rat’s store a lot, and I had a nice time. It would have been more fun if more of you were there. But that’s ok. I had a going-away get together to go to afterwards, so I couldn’t stay anyway. On the way out the door, I snagged a 6 pack of Schlafly’s more recent seasonal releases, a Raspberry Hefeweizen. “Light, summery, girly, to be drank cold," were the types of things I imagined as the lovely man behind the counter rang up my purchase.

I stuck the 6 pack in my car, and went on a later-than expected, Friday-fueled bar crawl of sorts. I didn’t crack into one of the bottles until later on Saturday. Turns out that I should have grabbed the Summer Kolsch instead. And I really should have known better. I don’t do fruit beers.

It doesn’t really taste like beer with a raspberry tang as much as it tastes like a beer cocktail with raspberry flavored soda. Remember the shandy? Yeah, it’s kind of like that. I didn’t hate it. I didn’t love it. I drank one, and left the other 5 in my fridge, hopefully to offer to a more girlier girl than me.

It smelled a little sweet, like raspberry candy, when I opened it. It poured into my glass pink (pink!) but with mild cloudiness and beer-like qualities, so it didn’t look like pink lemonade or anything. It settled to a orangey-pink color with a light pink head of foam. It reminded me of the green St. Pat’s yuck, and it turned me off a bit. The flavor of the beer wasn’t raspberry, as in fresh raspberries, but rather raspberry-flavoring, like Kool-Aid. Kind of artificial. There were underlying beer flavors, to be sure, like some yeast and malts, and the slightest twinge of wheat.

To be fair, I don’t like 75th Street Brewery’s Royal Raspberry either, and was never fond of any of the fruity beers the now-extinct microbrews around here offered. So yeah, I know. What was I thinking? I guess I was trying to keep an open mind. The answer is that I still don’t like it. But if you do, you know where to find some for free!

Friday Happy Hour

A neighbor in the Crossroads district of KC, Cellar Rat Wine, is hosting a few tastings this week. They are primarily a wine place, so the first tasting is for those of you:

Thursday April 19th, 5:30pm - 8:30pm
20 Great Wines all priced under $20!

There are so many great values out in the wine world right now. We have chosen 20 wines that we feel represent some of the best bargains that are currently available. You may recognize some of them, but most of them are smaller production, up and coming wineries, newly discovered regions or just wines that have gotten overlooked. Come see for yourself why some of the best wines in the world can still be had for less than $20 per bottle.

Here are some of the wines we will be sampling:
Agricolas Costamolina, Pillar Box, Trevor Jones, Las Rocas, Gran Feudo, Galida Cava, Juan Gil, Clara Benegas, Qupe, Crios, Gianni Gagliardo, Regusci, A to Z, Zaca Mesa, Vega Sindoa, Altos de la Hoya...

*cost for the tasting is $10 - and you get to take home a Cellar Rat engraved wine glass.

For the beer people (my people!) they are hosting a FREE beer tasting on Friday. Yeah!

Friday April 20th, 5:30pm - 8:30pm
Handcrafted & Specialty Brews

Join us for our first ever tasting of handcrafted & specialty brews. No Budweiser, Miller or Coors' products here! We will be sampling some of the hottest brews in the market, both domestic and imports. Here is a partial list of brews we will be pouring:
Boulevard Lunar, Rogue Imperial Stout, Pilsner & Pale Ale, Schlafly, O'fallon, St. Peters, Houblon Chouffe just to name a few...this is a free tasting!

Well, Now I'm Trapped

I ran by Batson Liquors on my way home on Friday. (...do not say Batshit, do not say Batshit, it's Batson...) That's the store I mentioned before that sells all kinds of interesting beers by the individual bottle. I picked up a nice selection of things, so now I have motivation for reviews sitting in my kitchen.

The first one I tried was Orval, a trappist beer brewed by monks in Belgium.

First, what is a trappist? It is a Belgian Pale Ale, defined per BeerAdvocate: Belgian Pales consume the Belgian brewing scene, and were initially brewed to compete with Pilseners during the WWII time frame. They differ from other regional Pale Ale varieties, by traditionally being less bitter, using aged hops for a delicate hop finish, and boasting sweetish to toasty malt overtones. They should be decanted properly, leaving the yeast in the bottle. This will showcase their brilliant color range from pale straw yellow to amber hues. Most will be crowned with thick, clinging, rocky white heads. Flavors and aromas will vary. Some have natural spice characters from yeast and hops, while others are spiced.


The Orval website is deep, so if you ever want a step by step education on the monk's brewing process, click here. Here's a picture of the beer in a brewing vat, with a motorized stirrer keeping the malts from thickening too much. They even have the rules of drinking their fine beer:



Beer, a refined drink in the same way as wine, must be stored away from the light; it must be maintained at a temperature between 10° and 15°C (46° and 56° F); it hould be served at this same temperature and in its special glass; one should taste the sediment of the beer separately.





Me being me, I stuck it in my fridge, chilled it a bit too much, and poured it into a pint glass, what with my kitchen cabinets sorely lacking a tulip shaped "beer chalice." Fancy-schmancy, I just can't deal with owning glassware dedicated to any one purpose. Wine glasses? Yes, we have some. Do not ask me if they are for red or white. The are for WINE. Ahem.



So, back to the Orval. When I popped off the cap, it immediately starting foaming out of the bottle, so you can imagine what the glass looked like - half beer, half thick foamy whitecap. It took a while to get it all into the glass. I tried to leave the yeast in the bottom of the bottle, and not in my glass. It is a deep golden color and slightly cloudy, reminding me of cider in the fall. I smelled a mix of fruity, malty, nutty tang, like citrus and berries and brown sugar with a kick. And maybe just because it looked like cider, I thought I got a hint of apple. At 6.9% ABV, there was a bit of the alcohol sting in the scent as well.



The first sip seems tart, and then warms into a more sweeter flavor, almost a sticky consistency, but finished quite dry. This is probably a "thick" beer for most of you. The Husband liked it, but said he'd never drink more than one. I loved it, but I don't know if I would have many more than one at a time either.

The bigs roll out another little batch

I got updates today from Brandweek and BeerAdvocate on the same topic:

Anheuser-Busch has a company-wide local specialty beer program, which was introduced to brew specialty beers that are uniquely tailored to regional taste preferences. The program was initially launched at Anheuser-Busch’s Merrimack, N.H., and Columbus, Ohio, breweries in March 2006 and was later extended to the company’s St. Louis brewery in September 2006. Those beers were the Burnin’ Helles Bock, Demon’s Hop Yard IPA, and Mule Kick Oatmeal Stout.

Today, Anheuser-Busch introduces Ascent 54 -- an authentic German-style dunkel weisse (dark wheat) beer available on draught in select bars and restaurants in Colorado. (Dunkels are quite the trend this year, huh?) Per the articles/press releases:

Ascent 54 is an unfiltered beer with a delicate sweetness, complex taste and a surprisingly light finish that complements its blend of specialty malts and unique spicy aromas. The beer is a deep-bronze color and has a distinctively dense and long-lasting foam head. This specialty beer was crafted by a small, hand-picked group of beer lovers from various areas of expertise at Anheuser-Busch’s Fort Collins brewery who chose the beer style, created the recipe and selected Ascent 54’s name and tap marker design.

“As members of this community for more than 20 years, we took great pride in crafting a beer specifically geared toward the discerning palate of Colorado’s adult beer lovers,” said Steve Presley, senior assistant brewmaster of Anheuser-Busch’s Fort Collins brewery. “People who thrive on trying new and different styles of beer at their favorite neighborhood pubs will enjoy discovering this one.”

For Ascent 54, the development team chose a blend of German Hallertau-Hallertau and Hallertau-Tettnang hops, which contribute to the brew’s complex taste and light finish. Also included is 50% malted wheat, combined with the finest Munich, caramel and chocolate malts, which give the beer its rich, deep-bronze color. A Bavarian weisse yeast strain was imported for use during fermentation to ensure the beer developed its expressive palate and characteristic weisse aroma.

”Ascent 54 is best served in a tall glass with a wide opening, which allows the beer’s aroma to funnel straight to the nose. The beer’s complex flavor pairs well with barbequed meats, spicy cuisine, traditional German fare, cheese and a variety of sweet desserts including apple pie, strudel, pecan pie and lemon cake.

Brewed at Anheuser-Busch’s Fort Collins, Colo., brewery, Ascent 54 contains 5.5% alcohol by volume.

Some of you who visit live in Colorado. Can you help me out? Go out, grab a glass, and let me know what you think. I'm curious as to how the mega brewers do, with their attempts at small batch, regional, specialty brews.

It is still Wednesday, right?

I woke up at 4 am, to leave the house by 5 am, to catch a flight at 6:20 am. What time did your ass wake up? Yeah....rock on, business warriors. The Drury next to the airport is not the hot spot you may imagine.

But how did you spend your Wednesday night? Mine ended with a couple of Schlafly's, watching Chuck Berry, the world's greatest experimental whammy twang bar king crimson stunt guitarist at Blueberry Hill in St. Louis. I'd post pics, but I'm so flippin' brilliant, I don't have the required connections. I might do it later. I might not. I'm like that.

That's right, I shot that. Mr. Berry, checking out the chest on the young, cute, blond sound engineer who happened to be wearing a tank top. Ha!

The last sentence kills me

Beer bottles foil robbery
HERALD STAFF REPORT

BRADENTON - A few well-placed beer bottles halted an armed robbery early Tuesday in the 2900 block of 6th Street East, according to a sheriff's office report.

According to the report, three men were sitting outside their home when three men approached - two of them armed with handguns - and demanded money. The unarmed man searched the three victims, taking money from one.

One of the other victims was then struck in the face with a handgun.

When the people inside the home realized what was going on, they began to throw beer bottles at the gunmen, striking one in the forehead.

The men then ran, while having beer bottles thrown at them, but fired several times in return.

No one was injured by the gunfire, the report states.

It was unclear whether the bottles were full.

Another new beer!

The 75th Street Brewery is coming back in full swing after the fire that destroyed nearby Kennedy's bar. Monday, April 9th (that's today!) 75th St. will be giving everyone a sneak peek at their newest brew - Saxy Golden Ale.

Monday, April 9th @ 5:30-close

What makes this brew so "Saxy?" According to the brewers, it's smooth. From the email they sent to their customers:

Saxy Golden Ale is golden in color with a light to medium body. The aroma is clean with a slightly spicy hop finish. And like KC's own jazz legend Charlie Parker, this ale is a [75thStreet] classic!

Looks like a pretty nice summer time option, don't you think? They tap the sneak peek tonight, and while that may run out, they officially tap the whole shebang on Friday, the 13th.

All the cool kids are doing it

Really. Tonight. You should go. It will be an intimate evening at a tiny club, full of beer sloshing, Red Bull & vodka fueled, dancing, yelling KC addies and excellent music. And if you go to the pre-party, you can pre-drink for one low price. It's totally just like you did in college!

Feather your mullets.
Get the IROC-Z tuned up.
Extend and lock the metal horns.
It's time for BATTLE OF THE AD BANDS PART DUH!
Friday, April 6th @ The Brick - 1727 McGee
Doors 9:30 pm, Show 10:30 pm
Cost: $10.00 at the door, $15.00 and we'll throw in a badass t-shirt

Want to start the night early?
Check out the pre-party:
Berg Studio, 1525 Grand (walking distance to the show)
7:30-9:30PM
$20 gets you unlimited drinks at the party, entry to The Brick and that sweet t-shirt.

Plus, BOTAB ‘06 winners Miss Major and Her Minor Mood Swings will be rockin’ the house.
For more info and streaming audio samples of the bands, visit http://ad2kc.com/botab

Heavy info

As a public service announcement to the internets, please continue reading for the caloric content of your my favorite brews! The blanks are for beers that don’t share that kind of information with me. If you have a lead on it, let me know. If you have a beer you’d like listed, tell me. I’ll update as time goes on.

~*~Updated in August 2008, and again in January 2008 to include the **estimated** Weight Watchers point values of all the beers for which I have nutritional info. Some I calculated, some I found via many many internet searches. I credit DietFacts, Dottie's Weight Loss Zone, RealBeer, brewers' individual sites, and too many others to name.Some might be the "old" WW points system, but guess what? It's close enough. Use those flex points wisely, chickadees.~*~

If you have info of your own, regarding beers not listed here, please share!!

Beer Name	Calories	WW pts.
Amstel Light	93	2
Anchor Steam	152	3.5
Beamish Red
Beamish Stout	146	3
Beck's Light Beer	105	2.5
Beck's Oktoberfest	140	3
Beck's Orginal	292	6
Beck's Premium Light	64	1.5
Blue Moon	171	3.5
Boddington’s	154	3
Boulevard Bully Porter	194	4
Boulevard Irish Ale	182	4
Boulevard Lunar Ale	157	3
Boulevard Nutcracker	224	4
Boulevard Pale Ale	163	3
Boulevard Stout	149	3
Boulevard Unfiltered Wheat	155	3
Boulevard Zon	153	3
Bridgeport Black Strap
Bud Light	102	2.5
Budweiser	143	3
Chimay
Coors	148	3
Coors Light	102	2.5
Corona	148	3
Corona Light	109	2.5
Delirium Tremens
Demon Hop Yard IPA
Dos Equis XX	145	3
El Presidente
Fosters	125	2.5
Goose Island Honker’s Ale
Goose Island Nut Brown
Guiness	125	4
Harp	153	3
Harpoon Ale
Harpoon Summer
Harpoon’s Octoberfest
Heineken	160	3.5
Heineken Light	99	2
Holy Grail Ale
J.W. Dundee Honey Brown	145	3
Kalamazoo Two Hearted
Killian’s Irish Red	163	3
Leinenkugel's Honey Weiss	149	3
Leinenkugel's Red	166	3
Magic Hat #9	215	4
MGD	148	3
Michelob Light	133	3
Michelob Ultra	95	2
Miller	152	3.5
Miller Chill	110	2
Miller Lite	96	2
Murphy’s Irish Red	171	3
Murphy’s Irish Stout	150	3
New Belgium 1554
New Belgium 2 Below
New Belgium Fat Tire	159	3
New Belgium Skinny Dip	108	2
New Belgium Sunshine Wheat
Newcastle Brown	150	3
Orval Belgian Pale Ale
Pete’s Strawberry Blonde	160	3
Pete's Oktoberfest	189	4
Pete's Summerbrew	163	3
Pete's Wicked	174	3
Pete's Winterbrew	170	3
Red Stripe	153	3
Rock Bottom
Rock Bottom
Rock Bottom Red
Rogue American Amber	176	4
Rogue Imperial Stout	363	7
Rogue Shakespeare Stout	201	4
Rolling Rock	142	2
Salvator Doppel Bock	251	5
Sam Adam’s Cream Stout	195	4
Sam Adam’s Light	124	2.5
Sam Adam's Ale	160	3
Sam Adams Octoberfest	165	3
Samuel Smith’s Nut Brown
Schlafly's Pale Ale	155	3
Schlafly's Pilsner	170	3
Shiner Bock	143	3
Shiner Light	120	2
Sierra Nevada Pale Ale	171	3
Sierra Nevada Stout	210	4
Smithwick’s
Stella Artois	140	3
Warsteiner Dunkel
Warsteiner Verum	152	3
Widmer Bros Hefeweizen	159	3
Yuengling Lager	135	3

O'Dowd's STILL wants you to come have lunch

Social Networking, old school

Tonight, I'll be at Draws for Paws at the Town Tavern. $15 at the door goes to an excellent, furry cause, and gets you 2 beers and pizza. Dude. I am so there.

Tomorrow I have been invited to attend the American Copywriter KC ad blogger people meeting coffee thingy. (Because the regulars, like Jeremy & Celeste, were asked to bring new people.) At 7:30. AM. Those that know me are laughing out loud. This is probably not going to happen. Do you know that we only have one shower in our house? One shower. Two people that work in advertising. One shower. And are not morning people. At all. We shall see. I know that I can make it somewhere early, but I am not pleasant. Which means maybe it is best if I do not make it anyway. Hmmm. Debating.

What are YOU doing next Friday?! You should be at the Ad2 Battle of the Bands, PART DUH! It's at the Brick, April 6th, doors at 9:30 pm, battle at 10:30, and it will be a blast! The bands rock, the DJ between sets is awesome, and all the cool kids will be there. Click on the pic for more details:

Miller should call me

Can you say ouch? The poor CMO at Miller. That's cold.

When Crispin Porter & Bogusky President Jeff Hicks called Miller's CMO Randy Ransom to quit the brewer's advertising account last week, a surprised Mr. Ransom tried to talk the agency president out of resigning. "Is there anything we can do to stop this?" he asked. Mr. Hicks replied that he'd already issued a press release.

And now the marketing dept of SABMiller has to face distributors in Vegas without an agency, an ad strategy, or clever TV creative to get them excited about the brand, headed into peak beer sales season. I don't envy that.

They should give BARKLEY a call. That would be the coolest.

When I grow up...

This story hit my radar today. Now I know what I want to be when I grow up. Whenever that happens...

Four Points by Sheraton announced the winner of their search for a Chief Beer Officer today, kicking off the week by ringing the bell at the NYSE. The hotel chain started it's search in November 2006, and expected to have someone in place by mid-January. As it goes with these sorts of things, it is late March, but hey, at least they have someone!

Scott Kerkmans, the "Beer Director" of Draft Magazine, will act as an independent, part-time consultant for the hotel chain’s newly launched program, Best Brews. In this role, the CBO will be responsible for sharing his in-depth knowledge of the wide world of beer on a monthly blog and help cultivate, curate and promote Best Brews’ offerings at brewery tours, beer festivals, and on bar stools across the country.

Over 7,500 aspiring CBOs applied for the position - predictably enough came from beer capitals like St. Louis, Milwaukee and Boston, but also South Korea, Dubai, and the Maldives. In all, citizens of all fifty states and 31 different countries on six continents applied for the CBO spot, which in the view of the folks at Four Points by Sheraton reflects the unifying love of lagers and the passions unleashed by pilsners.

Maybe the buzziest isn't the best

Ad peeps already know this, but my beer peeps might not. The agency (Crispin, Porter & Bogusky) that has handled Miller Brewing's account for the past year or so, handling all of the Miller Lite and High Life work, quit. My summary is that basically the agency got sick of their creative being watered down by too many "approval processes" (and I am completely conjecturing here) and having all the teeth pulled out of a monster idea by a committee of brand people over at Miller. The problem is that while Man Laws were great fun, but didn't sell the beer. (Kind of a key issue in any advertising relationship.) The spots we've been seeing during the NCAA games, the ones that compare Miller Lite to the competitors, were actually made by Miller themselves. The High Life ads, with the gruff talking delivery truck driver revoking High Life privileges from places that charge $11.50 for a hamburger, are Crispin work, and unfortunately will die with this "F that account," announcement.

Ad people admire and want to be CP+B, for lots of reasons. They're creative, they're kooky, they get tons and tons of press, and they only have to exhale differently to set everyone to chattering about their model-breaking business. Today it is because most of us don't have the ability, the financial security, the chutzpah or the balls to tell a difficult client to shove off. (Assuming that Miller is actually a difficult client.) Ahh, to be an industry darling. Call it paranoia, but when someone is on top, the only long term direction I can see them heading in is down.

Full AdAge article here.

The Phoenix rises

Thanks to Dustin for being quick on the email forwarding. There's an announcement for you all in KC. 75th Street Brewery is re-opening, post fire, tonight!


Ashes to Ashes?
Dust to Dust?
More like KEG to PINT!
WALDO HAS ITS BREWERY BACK!
Thanks to the patience and support of the community and a LOT of overtime by our crew...
THE 75TH STREET BREWERY OPENS TONIGHT AT 6PM!
The Brewery is bringing it all back to the neighborhood - amazing food & award-winning hand-crafted beer - TODAY!
So come by, we can't wait to see you either.

Cheers, beers & a few sentimental tears
Your family at 75th Brewery.

**************************************
So last year I lamented the fact that my favorite little brewpub closed, and they were the only ones that I ever knew to brew actual Birch Beer. And in exploring the 75th Street's site, what do I see? Monarch Root Beer. "...handcrafted from birch bark, almond extract and brewer's malts. " I am almost afraid to ask if it is indeed BEER, or if it is just regular old Root Beer.

Like I could leave it at that?

No, can't leave the St. Pat's stuff alone. Not yet.
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Planning on doing some partying this St. Patrick's Day? If you are, remember to take this number with you. The St.Joseph Medical Center and Yellow Cab will provide cab rides in the St. Paddy's Wagon for those who've had too much to drink. They won't take you to another bar - these rides are only good for a "take me home," trip. The first $25 of the fare is on the house. Rides start at 3 p.m. Saturday and end at midnight. To catch a ride, call (816) 943-3949.
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You don’t have to drink cheap beer with green food coloring tomorrow. It will make your tongue a really ugly color, never mind the taste. Of course you could go for a Boulevard's Irish Ale, which you already know I adore, or a Guinness, which has done an excellent job "owning" St. Patrick's Day. But there are other loverly Irish brews out there from which to choose. In case you weren’t aware, I’ll elaborate.

The top and/or most popular Irish pours (besides Guinness) are Beamish Stouts and Reds, Harp (a lager from Guinness), Murphy's Stouts and Reds (owned by Heineken) and Smithwick's, another red.

Guinness is DARK, like all stouts and has a thick mouthfeel. Surprisingly to some, stouts actually contain quite a bit less calories than their lighter looking cousins. Guinness tastes more like coffee and grains than the others, at least to me.

Beamish Stout is all about unsweetened chocolate and strong espresso. Same stout consistency overall, however. I’ve only had this a few times.

Murphy’s Stout is more roasted malts and a lighter mouthfeel, despite looking very thick and dark. It smells like coffee & chocolate as well, but somehow manages to go down in a way I can only call silky. I *heart* Murphy’s.

Harp is a lager, meaning it is lighter in color and mouthfeel. It is clear gold in color and tastes more ‘crisp’ and smooth than the others.

Beamish Red is red in color, duh, and focuses on malty, caramel flavors. Of the reds listed here, I think it is the mildest/sweetest. Second only to Boulevard’s version.

Murphy’s Red is similar, but with slightly stronger hoppiness. If you aren’t a huge hop fan, this might not be your favorite. I don’t consider this to have much of a kick, but I like Pale Ales and other high-hop beers, so take that with a grain of salt.

Smithwick’s is also an Irish Ale, but it is brown, not red in color. (Don’t pronounce the “w” in that when you order it. Say “smitticks,” or “smiddicks,” unless you want the smart ass 22 year old waitress to correct you. That won’t make you feel very beer snobbish.) This is balanced between malts & hops, but definitely the most bitter of the reds, in my opinion.

Don’t know what to have? Order a Black&Tan or Half&Half, with Harp & Guinness (or Guinness and Bass). You don’t have to struggle with a decision, it looks cool, and certainly makes you more sophisticated than your bar mate, who is chugging something indescribable with green foam on top. Blech.

I love this week!

It's March Madness, St. Pat's is on a Saturday, and today it was almost 80 degrees. Beers were drank on the rooftop deck of the office in the mid-afternoon. Ahhh. Springtime.

Obviously there are a ton of options for celebrating on Saturday. Come to the Parade. You don't have to skip school or work for the first time in years, and it just happens to be one of the largest in the US. I'll be marching in it. Or possibly being dragged thru it by a large ballon. We'll see. Heh. If you're up for it, come to Lew's in Waldo on Friday, to get in the spirit of the holiday. There will be live music & tomfoolery. And me. Plus, it is a fundraiser for the KC St Patrick's Day Parade and Old St Patrick Cathedral. And my last bit of "do as I do," directives, let me add this...GET A CAB! I don't care if you've only had one. GET A CAB. Off my soapbox now.

~~~~~~~~~~~~

I also wanted to plug something else here, post St. Pat's. You can make it, it is more than a week after whatever craziness ensues on your St. Pat's adventures. A friend & co-worker of mine is a total dog dude. Pitpull advocate, to be more specific. I'm on his side, for the record. And he's part of this KC Dog Advocates Group , that happens to be hosting their first ever fundraiser in 2 weeks. He posted this on his blog:

Tower Tavern, a newcomer to Martini Corner in Kansas City -- and a rival to Waldo Pizza and Minsky's for the best pie in KC, is hosting the event for them. If you can make the time for Happy Hour, stop in on March 29th. It'll be a great time, great food, great beer, and the money will go to a great cause. The best deal is to let them know in advance that you're coming.

Total Eclipse of the Heart

I feel like I should apologize to someone over at Boulevard Brewing. Jeremy, perhaps? I stole the #1 search result on Google for "Lunar Ale." And BeerAdvocate owns the #1 listing on Yahoo! for "Lunar Ale Boulevard." Not that this SECOND post here on the topic is going to help much. So sorry guys. If you'd like me to post anything specific about your new brew, I'd do so gladly.

Today there will be a Lunar Eclipse

And last night I tried Boulevard's new beer, Lunar Ale, a Dark American Wheat. It won't be widely released until April, so it was kind of a sneak peek. The guys down at Rimann Liquor had already tried it & gave me the run-down, though, so don't think that I am too special. And no pictures, b/c my ancient blackberry has no camera phone technology. Sorry! Here's what I posted over at BeerAdvocate:

The Boulevard Brewery hosted a happy hour for the local KC chapters of the AdClub and PRSA, and opened up the Boulevard bar at their new event space above the brewery. (Very cool space, btw. If I wasn't already married, I totally would have held a wedding reception there!) I had one pint glass of Lunar before drinking anything else, but I didn't take notes. This is from memory. Such that it is.

The glass was handed to me with a light head of cream-colored, fat-bubbled froth that dispersed quickly. The beer was murky, and in color and consistency, reminded me of unfiltered cider. It smelled strongly of malt, and the first sip had a definite bite to it, with light carbonation, followed by a sweet tang. I couldn't place the flavors at all, and somehow it seemed an unexpected combo. The tanginess could have been like cilantro, or maybe cloves, and the sweet seemed a bit fruity. A friend insisted that there was a banana flavor underneath it all, but I can't agree. She also insisted that the beer was called Lunar because it is, "out of this world." Complete with just-Jack-style jazz hands. That's talent, right there, all while holding a beer.

I am a huge fan of browns, and Boulevard, but this seemed a strange combination. It may be a good summer beer, when served ice cold, but it wasn't what I expected. (Probably because someone had told me a rumor that the new beer was going to be some sort of Belgian. Which is not really like a Dunkel.) I guess I'll stick to stockpiling the Irish Ale while it is available, to enjoy beyond March.

****edited to add****
The Lunar Ale is a version of an American Dark Wheat Ale, which is an Americanized version of a Dunkel Weizen. Per BeerAdvocate, hop characters will be low to high with some fruitiness from ale fermentation, though most examples use of a fairly neutral ale yeast, resulting in a clean fermentation with little to no diacetyl. Flavors of caramel and toasted malts might be present. German Weizen flavors and aromas of banana esters and clove-like phenols will not be found.

The aroma of banana esters should not be found in an American, but they are expected in a German beer. So perhaps they were there afterall.