really simple BEER syndication

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(36 items)

May 11, 2008
23:49
Darklord Virgins
» ‎ Good Beer Show, The

Enclosure: [download]

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Mikey sings a new song. We drink three top shelf New Belgium beers namely the 1554 Brussels Style Black Ale, Abbey and Trippel. We top off the show with a 2008 bottle of Dark Lord.

If you want a new song written, Mikey’s email is mikey@mikeymason.com. Basic Brewing who sent Bonus Beer Bob a goodie bag is here.

DOWNLOAD SHOW #153

Constantines
“Hard Feelings” (mp3)
from “Kensington Heights”
(Arts & Crafts)

Buy at Rhapsody
Stream from Rhapsody
More On This Album

Young Lions (mp3)

Shine A Light (mp3)

Cake
“Rock ‘n’ Roll Lifestyle” (mp3)
from “Motorcade of Generosity”
(Upbeat Records)

Buy at iTunes Music Store
Buy at Rhapsody
Stream from Rhapsody
Buy at GroupieTunes
More On This Album

Jolene (mp3)

23:16
Hops progress pictures...
» ‎ Beer Bits 2

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Sorry, some of the pics are a bit askew...

Cascade

Willamette or Hallertau with new trellis.

Willamette or Hallertau on the left. Chinook on the right.

22:53
Copenhagen (København)
» ‎ Beer Me! Blog, The

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Paris the Infinitely Generous is allowing me to tag along on her trip to Copenhagen next week, May 19-23. There seems to be no shortage of breweries in town; if you've been there or if you live there, please pass along any tips on which ones to visit! Also, my flight there involves a four-hour layover at Frederic Chopin Airport in Warsaw, Poland. My Polish language skills consist of tak, nie, and piwo, so that should be an adventure. Actually, my Danish language skills aren't much more advanced than that. Useful-phrases lists for both languages would be mighty handy...

22:17
Hopworks Urban Brewery - Portland, OR
» ‎ BrewTherapy

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Hopworks has been open for month or so now, and yesterday we took our first trip over to check it out, and we weren’t disappointed with the wait either.

Sunday evening, 6pm, and the place was pretty packed already. We didn’t explore the whole building but it looks like there is a dining area, a bar side and also another upstairs dining area. There was a 15 min wait for a table at 6pm, but we opted to sit at the bar.

The bar staff were pretty slammed when we sat down and it took a few minutes for them to get to us. Our bartender for the night was Miami a really nice guy who looked after us well for the night, he had a good sense of humor and was never far away when we needed another beer.

HUB currently has about 10 beers on draft and two on cask beer engines. There wasn’t a single beer I tried that I didn’t like. The Velvet ESB was a great beer, but the Deluxe Old Ale was even better, definitely one of my favorites of the night. The cask IPA was good, great flavor, but served a little colder than I personally like and with just a tad more carbonation that I would prefer. That said it worked well, and I would definitely drink a few more of those. The star of the night, beer wise, was El Diablo a Belgian Strong Golden served by the glass!

I also got to meet Christian Ettinger, the owner and master brewer at HUB. When things got busy behind the bar he just stepped in and poured a few beers. One of the best things I saw was when he grabbed a beer he had just poured and topped it up before it went out! It didn’t even look short to me. Thats what we need to see more of!

Christian was kind enough to give me the tour of their impressive 20bbl brewery, the walk in cold room is just massive with all the bright tanks serving the taps upstairs. Everything in the pub and brewery is designed with being Green in mind and the kettle is even oil (reclaimed from the fryer) fired.

We decided we had to try one of their pizzas for dinner, and we opted for the “Going Green” with artichoke hearts, sun dried tomatoes, feta and pesto olive oil base. It was excellent! I’m excited to try some of the other pizzas as well as their other entrees.

Pub wise, the place is pretty big and pretty loud. Not sure if the dining room area is quieter but the place definitely has a vibrant feel to it. There’s also a pool table in the bar side of the pub. The bar is no minors, but it looked like the rest of the pub was kid friendly. There was a big mix of folks from baby boomers to SE Portland hipsters.

Anyway, we really enjoyed our visit and are looking forward to heading back over more this summer, especially when the patio opens!

Hopworks Urban Brewery
2944 SE Powell Blvd
Portland, OR 97202

Tel: 503 / 232-HOPS (4677)

22:12
Please excuse this brief non-beer interlude.
» ‎ Hoosier Beer Geek

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Nails in the coffin or exorcism ritual?

More here.

And I'm drinking a Founder's Dirty Bastard, in case you're wondering.

22:04
Q & A with Pete Brown (author)
» ‎ Beer, Maine & Me

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Over the last several years Pete Brown has travelled the world and drank beer. The fruits of his labors are two extremely entertaining books; Man Walks into a Pub and Three Sheets to the Wind. Currently, while running his own marketing consulting firm and also keeping up his beer blog, Pete is writing another fascinating book about beer (IPAs in particular). That is obviously a lot of work (almost all of it devoted to beer no less!) so I am thankful that he was nice enough to take some time to answer some of my questions.
Cheers Pete!

(RHP) Your career is pretty much centered around beer, both as a writer and a marketing consultant, when you have a chance to unwind on a Friday evening what is your beer(s) of choice?

(PB) The first pint on a Friday would ideally be a well-kept Timothy Taylor’s Landlord – just a perfect session pint, not too strong, perfectly balanced. It goes down so well it virtually evaporates from the glass!

(RHP) In Man Walks into a Pub, you really did a lot of soul searching for the British beer drinking populous. What do you think was the most interesting thing you learned about the history of beer in the UK? Anything odd?

(PB) There were so many. When I started Man Walks into a Pub I was only going to do a couple of chapters on the history of beer, and then spend most of the book talking about modern-day advertising campaigns. But the history just kept growing until it took over the whole book.

Overall, I was fascinated by the role that beer plays throughout our entire history – how it helped win and lose wars, build industry, drive technology, and keep us alive.

(RHP) Three Sheets to the Wind was a great read as both a travelogue and a history guide, you definitely went a lot of places but were there any that you wish you could have added to the quest?

(PB) I had a much longer list of countries I wanted to get to but I ran out of time and money. The three places I was really gutted about missing out were Russia, Brazil and Nigeria. I’ve since been to Russia, but only overnight, and I got to spend a week checking out Brazil as part pf my next book. But the Guinness drinking culture in Nigeria is something I’m still looking forward to experiencing one day.

(RHP) As an American, I'm always interested to learn another perspective on our beer culture and how it compares to others. What do you think are some of the biggest difference between our two beer drinking cultures?

(PB) From a global perspective our two cultures are more similar than most – we have similar attitudes to beer and alcohol in general. But the biggest difference would be around ale and craft beer. The American scene is so optimistic and forward-looking, and so you get ale being quite cool and fashionable, and lots of experimentation taking place by brewers. Here ale was a tradition that almost died out, and we fought to preserve it, so the industry is still quite backward-looking – it’s all about keeping old traditions alive. This makes us less experimental. And we have a downer on our own old traditions – so a bottle of Bud here would be regarded as far higher quality by many drinkers than, say, a pint of Landlord or a Sam Smith’s Oatmeal stout. The Bud would certainly cost a lot more. The craft brew movement in the US took its inspiration from British ale brewing – now we’re starting to see some signs that Britain is finally starting to learn from the US.

(RHP) Your trip to the US in Three Sheets to the Wind had you visiting NYC, Milwaukee and Portland, Oregon. Were there any beers that you had over here that really stood out in your mind?

(PB) Bridgeport IPA was my first love. I know there are better IPAs out there and more extreme IPAs out there, but Portland was the first time I ever experienced that piney, grassy, citrus fruit hit of North American hops, and something like that never tastes as good as it did the first time. Nowadays I’m a huge admirer of what Dogfish Head are doing – I just wish we could get their beers over here!

(RHP) I've heard that you are writing a third book to do with beer. What is that one going to be about? Any idea when it will be availble?

(PB) It’s my epic recreation of the voyage of India Pale Ale, from Burton-on-Trent to Calcutta by sea, via the Cape of Good Hope. I did the travel between September and December last year and am now deep in to finishing off my first draft. As well as the travel element, I’ve been into the archives and I’ll be dispelling a few myths about IPA, telling the story as it’s never been told before. Hopefully this one will get a US publication deal, and we’re looking at spring 2009 as a release date. Hope it all works out because I’d love a reading tour across the States, trying as many IPAs as I can!

Pete Brown's books:

21:36
Blue Moon Rising Moon
» ‎ SevenPack Beer Blog

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I don’t agree with the political and spiritual organizations the Coors company aligns itself with but I feel we still have a responsibility to review their beers objectively and honestly. I will say I am happy that I didn’t have to patronize the company, rather I am drinking a bottle someone gave me because “he” doesn’t care for the taste…With the rise in the microbrew popularity, The folks at Coors have had to expand their Blue Moon line to keep up with the competition. They are following the path made famous by Jim Koch (at least to me) by producing seasonal offerings on a grand scale. The Harvest Moon wasn’t terrible but nothing to write home about, and much the same can be said about the Full Moon. This season’s offering is a wheat-style brew with a summer ale twist.

It has a clear, golden hue. The head from this pour is substantial and disappears quickly. It smells bitter sweet, predominantly of lemon-lime and malt. The taste is a combo of lemon and spice. Their is no rhyme or reason to the flavor. It washes over the palate and stays long after the liquid is gone. There is little hop presence in this beer, although the carbonation burn is quite apparent during the swallow, then it subsides and vanishes as quickly as it came. The Rising Moon is a simple beer, nothing exciting or special. It is no better than the other “micro-knockoffs” created by the macro companies. These beers just don’t have the same personality or characteristics that the micros have. If you’re happy with overpriced grocery store beer this is the beer for you. But if you are insulted by the mass production of a cheap product bypass this brew and support a local/up and coming brewery who’s livelihood is based on serving you a quality beer.

21:32
#248 Sierra Nevada - Bigfoot Barleywine 2008
» ‎ Year of Beer

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Sierra Nevada has released their Bigfoot Barleywine for the last 25 years. This is a limited seasonal release.

There is a strong floral hop aroma to this beer, with citrus and pine notes. The color is a medium brown with red highlights and pretty clear. The head pours thick with good retention, keeping the beer covered in foam for a long time.

There is a strong malt profile, with lots of grain and biscuit flavors. There is some mild sweetness with a caramel taste. There is also a lot of hops with grass and pine flavors being predominate. This is a 9.6% beer and the alcohol taste is clear and sharp, hitting against the sharp hop bitterness. This beer has a medium body with good carbonation. The finish is bitter and sharp.

I think the bitterness and alcohol flavors are mixing poorly making this beer a little hard to drink. I've had a few from this batch already and didn't notice this, but I wasn't pay as much attention. Since this is a barleywine I think letting the beer age for a year might really help mellow out the taste. This is more of a malty IPA than a barleywine.
21:31
#246 Morgan Street - St. Louis Dark Lager
» ‎ Year of Beer

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May 8-10th was the St. Louis Brewers Heritage Festival, an outdoor festival to celebrate brewing is St. Louis. Anheuser-Busch, Schlafly, Morgan Street, and Square One all made the same St. Louis Dark Lager as a festival beer. A festival beer made by a home brewer was also servered which I blogged a few weeks ago. The St. Louis Dark Lager is believed to be a common beer server in the St. Louis area before prohibition.

The aroma is malty with some brown sugar notes. The color is light brown or copper and clear. The head is medium with good retention, but coming off a jockey box and a huge CO2 system head can be a tricky thing.

There are amber malt flavors with some caramel notes. A subtle fruit flavor is present giving the beer a lights overall flavor. There is also a dry tannin flavor that might be normal for beers made over a hundred years ago.

Overall this is an acceptable beer. Perfectly drinkable just nothing that great. After sampling 4 dark lagers in a row and I can say I am not a fan of the style.

21:16
Amazing Vintage Beer Charity Auction Results - $719.30 For ONE Beer!
» ‎ The Brew Basement

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If there was any doubt about it before, there certainly isn’t now. Beer enthusiasts are a generous lot.

Of course, it always helps to have the right motivation. In this case, some absolutely tremendous rare and aged brews proved to be the correct motivating factor. Check out the dollar amounts raised by Liquid Solutions through their online auction to benefits a local Oregon Parkinson’s Disease charity (sorry for the blurry screenshot - click on it for a better look):

Considering that each lot had anywhere from one to six or so beers in them, those are some outstanding results! Of particular note are the five auctions for Hair of the Dog - Dave 1994. These five lots raised $478, $505, $503, $633 and $719.30 respectively - and that’s for only one single beer in each of the lots! Wow.

On a personal note, I had an early bid in on the Avery lot before it had any real action. Unfortunately, it quickly climbed out of my price range.

Congratulations to Liquid Solutions, and to everyone who won one of these incredible lots! If anyone reading happened to win anything, I would love to hear your account of this auction - and whether or not you plan on trying these brews anytime soon.

Jason

jason@brewbasement.com

www.brewbasement.com

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20:50
Big Sky “Scape Goat” Pale Ale
» ‎ SevenPack Beer Blog

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Next up from Big Sky is a beer with a picture of a goat on the label…

The Scape Goat gives a very clear pour with ample carbonation. The color is a very deep golden with hints of amber - certainly darker than most any pale ale I’ve seen, with a spotty off-white head. The aroma is rather surprising for a pale ale. There is some light malt here, which isn’t odd, but it’s joined with a candy sweetness that is akin to SweeTarts - this makes for an aroma that is certainly pleasant (who doesn’t like SweeTarts?), but is admittedly a bit odd. In the mouth, this beer is more typical of a pale ale, albeit with a bit more hop. The initial sensation here, and the one that sticks around for the front part of the mouth, is of a sweet malt with a noticeable carbonation burn. Towards the back of the tongue, we could a good blast of hop - the bitterness here is somewhat floral but has a rich musty note to it, as well. This hoppiness really takes shape at the back of the throat to give us an aftertaste that is rather strong and creeps up into the nose. As far as pale ales go, this is a bit different than the gold standard (Sierra Nevada). However, it is very good - sort of an india/pale ale hybrid - heavier on the hop with a bigger overall profile. I suppose it’s only fitting that a beer with a goat on the label should be larger than life (I don’t know what I meant by that). Quite good, and another impressive brew for Big Sky.

20:31
Progress at The Four Firkins
» ‎ MNBeer - By, for and about Minnesota beer. Dedicated to MN breweries, brewpubs & homebrew

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Here are a couple of photos as a tease of what’s to come at The Four Firkins in St. Louis Park. Carpeting has been removed, floors have been installed, walls have been painted and fridges and shelving arrive next week. More importantly, Jason’s ordering beer soon. The grand opening is slated for May 24th… if only I could make it! Urgh.

20:09
Planning to Visit Oktoberfest? Get a Mortage.
» ‎ LIQUID DIET: the blog

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A liter of beer will cost more than $12 at the Munich Oktoberfest this year.

18:48
One week ’til Savor, an American Craft Beer & Food Experience
» ‎ Beer Activist

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Move over wine, here comes craft beer. Savor is America’s first modern national event aiming to elevate beer to a seat at the grown-ups table of high cuisine. For as long as anyone can remember, beer has been the pedestrian beverage that knows its place: the bar, the barbecue grill, and the front porch after cutting [...]

18:29
¿Cómo se pide una cerveza?
» ‎ boakandbailey.com

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This post was written in response to a “meme” passed to us from CAAC, and begun on Culturilla Cervecera, on how to ask for a beer in your home city. This is a useful topic, as in Spain every part of the country has a different word to describe different measures, as you can see from following the links. There’s even a link here to a Portuguese version if you’re planning a holiday there…

If you’d like to chip in with how to order a beer in your respective country, then do feel free. I remember getting totally lost when an Australian tried to explain about “schooners” and “middies”.

En Londres, como en todas partes del RU, se pide “a pint” [paynt] o “a half” [harf] de cerveza que quieres p.e. “a pint of Pride, please”. Se puede usar nombres genéricos como “bitter” o “lager” si hay sólo una opción.

Si quieres beber de una botella, sólo necesitas decir el nombre (p.e. “A Duvel, please”). No tenemos nombres distintos para tamaños distintos. A veces se oye la expresión “nip bottle” para una botella pequeñita, pero nunca la he oido en un pub.

NB: Una pinta británica es 568ml, y una media es exactamente eso - pero una pinta americana es 473ml. En teoria, se puede comprar un tercio de pinta, pero nunca he visto estos vasos en un pub, sólo en beer-festivals.

Otras cosas muy importantes:
- Normalmente no hay camereros en pubs británicos o irlandeses. Se pide la cerveza de (a? en?) la barra, y se paga imediatamente.
- Se compra cerveza “in rounds” - se turna para comprar cervezas para sus compañeros. “it’s my round” = “me toca a mi”
- Normalmente no damos propinas a los barmanes. Si quieres darle una propina a alguien en un pub, dile “and one for yourself” (“y uno para usted”) después de pedir tus bebidas. El barman añadirá el precio de una pequeña bebida a las que has pedido. Pero eso es muy inusual – yo he dado una propina en un pub inglés sólo una vez en mi vida.
- No se olvides “please” y “thanks” - yo sé que los españoles ríen de nosotros ingleses en España porque decimos “gracias” todo el tiempo pero en Inglaterra no es posible sobreusar estas palabras.
- Si quieres probar cerveza tradicional, busca la descripción “cask conditioned” o “real ale”.
Boak

16:23
American Craft Beer Week and Savoring Washington, DC.
» ‎ Beer Examiner

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There are lots of reasons to be in Washington, DC this coming week, May 12-17. It’s American Craft Beer Week, so you guessed it, beer is the reason I’ll be in the Capital from Monday through Saturday for lots of business, great beer and food.   Let me start at the end of the week and work backwards.

            On Friday evening, Saturday afternoon and then again on Saturday evening the Brewers Association will be hosting SAVOR; Savor: An American Craft Beer and Food Experience.

            Enjoy a reception-style sampling of your choice of 35+ sweet and savory appetizers and 96 craft beers from 48 American small craft breweries. Converse with the luminaries of the craft beer industry - brewery owners, brewers and representatives will be on-hand - serving you your beer. Meet and listen to presentations by an A-list of beer and food personalities, including Boston Beer founder and brewer Jim Koch, Dogfish Head founder and owner Sam Calagione, award winning California brewing legends Vinnie Cilurzo (Russian River Brewing Co.) and Tomme Arthur (Lost Abbey Brewing Co.) as well as Senior wine editor at Food & Wine magazine, Ray Isle, Dave Lieberman, chef and TV host on the Food Network and Marnie Old, award-winning sommelier and Director of Wine Studies at the world-famous French Culinary Institute in New York City.

            The event is surely to be a food and beer lover’s paradise and I’ll be there for all three sessions helping to host and toast America’s beer drinkers. Savor will be held at the Andrew W. Mellon Auditorium, 1301 Constitution Ave., NW. Times: Friday, May 16 from 6:30 to 10 and Saturday, May 17 from 12:30 to 4 (this session already sold out) and 6:30 to 10 in the evening. Admission: $85; Click to link to ticket information and event details. No tickets will be sold at the door. Event information also call 1-888-822-6273.

            The Brewers Association is also a hosting a reception for Congressional members and their staff on Thursday afternoon.   Not open to the public, this event is a widely attended event which will feature several of the nation’s top craft brewers and their beers in an effort to promote awareness of the 1,400 small American brewers (and their beers), their business challenges and the contributions these small businesses make to their local communities. Did you know that the average American lives within 10 miles of a brewery?

            Monday through Wednesday I’ll be participating in a Legislative Conference with the nation’s brewers and beer distributors. With all this stuff going on it’s easy to confuse the issues and the reason why all this is important. In my eyes it’s all about the beer drinker. Creating value and helping assure that Americans are able to enjoy the flavor and diversity of America’s great beers. Brewers are one of the most heavily regulated types of business in the country.   Misconceived regulations, fees, rules and taxes can dramatically and quickly threaten the operations of a small brewing business.   That’s why I and hundreds of others are in DC the earlier part of this week, helping to make sure that our congressional leaders are aware of the challenges of making great beer and offering a choice to beer drinkers. It’s not all hops, malt, yeast and water.   But I’ll be enjoying some of the best. Just as you can this week.

            Just to mention a few other activities, check out the Brickskeller and RFD’s events calendars for their line up of beer personalities and beers. Also offering some special beers and brewers is Rustico Restaurant and Bar and Birreria Paradiso.

What’s in my glass?

Last week I was in the German town of Hohr-Grenzhauesen to present the World Beer Cup awards to the European winners. Hohr-Grenzhauesen was once a historical center for the countries ceramic industry. Now with Chinese imports at a lower price (and quality) the town’s ceramic industry has evolved to host a world center for beer glassware design, production and distribution.   A tour of the Sahm Glassware facility provides a fascinating insight into how beer glasses “happen.”   The sight of tens of millions of empty glasses in their warehouse and their production facility is impressive and to tell you the truth, thirst provoking.   I filled one of those glasses with one of my favorite German Pilseners, Bitburger.

Freshness and “local” is a virtue I embrace. The fresh Bitburger Pils I enjoyed in Germany had a lively freshness which imported bottles in America don’t come close to replicating. It’s a long way from Germany to America. No brewer will disagree when I say the closer you get to a brewery the better their beer tastes. So although there are great reasons to enjoy local beer where ever you are, there is justification to travel the world to try other local brews. I was working late.

        Bitburger Pils, topped with an attractive and lasting dense white head of foam, lacing the sides of the glass. Served at a cool 55 degrees F (by my educated guess) and not at taste numbing near freezing temperatures orchestrated perfectly between sweet malt character and the floral and earthy signature of hops. I was intoxicated more from the flavor and aroma than the alcohol.   Never ever drink beer with value out of a bottle, always pour into distinctive glassware. Glassware enhances the enjoyment of beer more than most people realize (more on this in another essay). A little exercise I always execute whenever I enjoy beer is to inhale while taking the beer into your mouth. The mingling of beer aroma and flavors is music unto itself. Gotta go. Beer time.

15:25
Beer is vulgar, says WAG
» ‎ Stonch's Beer Blog

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Beer is vulgar, says WAG

14:50
It's American Craft Beer Week so drink up!
» ‎ Beer, Maine & Me

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This week is American Craft Beer Week and this year's event is focusing on beer and food. However, the main focus is on the American craft beer industry in general and the role it plays in our towns and cities. Most local breweries and brewpubs provide a lot more than just beer to their communities and this is a chance for all of us to both recognize and support them.
Here are some ideas on how you can celebrate American Craft Beer Week:
*Take a tour of a local brewery. Most of them offer free tours with samples at the end. How can you go wrong with that?
*Fill a growler. Its some of the freshest beer you can get and growlers are good for the environment!
*Turn a friend on to craft beer. Slap that can of (insert American macro beer name here) Light out of his/her hand and replace it with a locally made light ale or lager (or any other locally brewed beer for that matter!). You just may change the way they think of beer.
*Eat lunch and/or dinner at a brewpub this week.
HERE is a link to brewery sponsored American Craft Beer Week events nationwide!

GET OUT AND SUPPORT YOUR LOCAL BREWERY!

14:36
Dog Beer In The UK
» ‎ maeib's Beerblog

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Apparently if your dog watches you drinking beer (s)he will want to too. I know animals like to copy but I'm not sure they're particularly bothered what they are drinking as long as they've got something to wet their whistle.
In spite of this, the Dutch introduced Kwispelbier last year, which is designed as a beer for dogs. Now though, that very same beer is available in Pets At Home stores in the UK. Imaginatively renamed (or should that be rebadged) as Dog Beer, this dealcoholized beer can be bought for £1.99 for a 330 ml bottle.
I haven't got a dog, but if I did I'd give him real beer if he really wanted it rather than this effort. Actually, I'd be more inclined to try it myself; well it's another tick!

13:36
Non-traditional Ingredients
» ‎ Musings Over a Pint

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Via Twitter I was alerted to several items of interest regarding brewers experimenting with alternative ingredients in face of hop and malt shortages and rising costs. Chrisod sent me a link to this Wired article, "Craft Brewers Reformulate Beer to Cope With Hop Shortage".
The shortage -- caused by a dwindling number of hop growers worldwide, and exacerbated by a Yakima, Washington, warehouse fire -- has forced [Pacific Coast Brewing's Donald] Gortemiller to use fewer and different hops than before, changing the flavor of his beer. He's also resorted to beer hacks, like "dry hopping," in which the hops are added late to the mix, consuming fewer hops and yielding a more consistent flavor.

Geistbear sent a pointer to an article from his Geistbear Brewing Blog. In "It's the end of the beers as we know it and I feel fine" he writes:
Economic theory states that one of the possible reactions to scarcity is substitution. The current growth rates of 10% per year of craft brewing I don't see demand subsiding anytime time soon. So there will have to be another answer found and I think it's down the road of substitution. American brewers have proven if they can do anything it is innovate.

Also on Twitter, Brookston advises us to "Seek out Moonlight Brewing's "Working For Tips," a beer Brian Hunt made with only Redwood tip, and NO hops!" I found no info on this new beer on the Moonlight Brewing website. BeerAdvocate classifies Working for Tips as a "Scottish Gruit / Ancient Herbed Ale" and lists a number of beers of this style.

We will likely be seeing a growing number of these alternative ingredient beers. American brewers have long shown they are willing to experiment with new (or old and forgotten) ingredients. However such experimentation is pointless unless American consumers are willing to try results. Are you stuck on your current favorites, or are you willing to try something new?

More commentary on the Wired story:
Alan at A Good Beer Blog:
Wired's Good Summary Of Price Inputs Got Me Thinking
Stan at Appellation Beer:
Monday musing: The bright side of the hops shortage

Update, May 14: Knut Albert has posted about some very non-traditional ingredients.

13:07
I’ll Use Peach Lambic This Year
» ‎ Beer Haiku Daily

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’cause I was a pain
I try to get my mom buzzed
every mother’s day

Written by Captain Hops.

Thing of the Day: Everybody Eats Well in Belgium Cookbook

12:29
Birth of a (Clipper City) Cask
» ‎ Musings Over a Pint

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Thomas Cizauskas, in his blog Yours for Good Fermentables has posted a photo-journal detailing what goes on behind the scenes in preparing a firkin of fresh Clipper City ale. As a fan of the Clipper City Heavy Seas line, I found it quite interesting. I've enjoyed fresh casks of Clipper City beers on several occasi

really simple BEER syndication » May 11, 2008

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