John Bryan with Firestone Walker was nice enough to bring some of the incredible 12th Anniversary along to share with me and the boys. I hear it’s trading for about $150 buck a pop so we were way thankful to get our lips on it. If you can get this beer DO IT!
Aug 242010
A bottle conditioned 750ml of Black Fox’s “Don’t Call Me Wit” you say? DOn’t mind if I do! Another great beer from John and Nicole Schneider!
Aug 222010
After 2 years I decided it was time for another vacation. Last time out me and my bro Geoff headed out to New York and Boston for a baseball and brewery excursion. This time we took on the Windy City. Chicago was an absolute blast! I love the people, the city and especially the beer! In addition to catching both Cubs and Sox games, we were lucky enough to check out some great beer drinking destinations. Goose Island took us into the main brewery and showed us thier ever growing operation. Brewmaster Greg Hall was also cool enough to grab us some Harvest Ales right of the bottling line… can you say fresh and delirious? We also did a lot of time over at the brand new Revolution Brewing. This place is now one of my favorite breweries around. Matty and the crew out there brew some fantastic beers and they make some damn fine food to boot (try the bacon fat popcorn). All in all a fantastic vacation. Can’t wait to see all of em again at GABF! We took some video at the breweries too, look for those here and at BeerTapTV in the coming days!
Until next time beer lovers…
Aug 172010
Yet again, craft brewers around the nation are reporting big gains in the first half of 2010. I went over to the Craft Lager Fest in Manitou Springs and spoke to Zak from Shmaltz, Tim from Oskar Blues and Jason from Trinity to see why craft beer’s popularity continues to grow.
Aug 032010
On this episode of Taste Buds, Erik Boles and yours truly of BeerTapTV give Coors’ Colorado Native a shot. Yes I realize it’s from a macro but it’s part of a craft series and it was free so what the hell!
Aug 022010
Mike and Camden Bristol enjjoying a stroll in the woods.
Bristol brewery is mourning the loss of their friend and mascot tonight. According to a press release Camden Bristol, the dog behind Laughing Lab passed peacefully over the weekend. All of us are well aware what the pups mean to our local breweries. The dogs of craft beer are just as recognizable as the beer themselves at the brewery. My heartfelt condolences to all of the Bristol family and cheers to you Camden. On a side note, a wake will be held at Bristol tomorrow (Tuesday) from 5-7 with $2 of every Laughing Labs going to Safe Harbor Lab Rescue.
Here’s the official word from Bristol.
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| Run, Laugh, And Rest In Peace, Camden Girl.
July 28, 2010, Camden Bristol, the original Laughing Lab, passed peacefully from the Bristols’ sun porch to what we imagine to be a bone-filled, bacon-wrapped, behind-the-ear-scratching, trail-running, barkfest of a dog party in the sky. From the beginning, Camden was asked to be more than a dog, and she took on the role with a bit of grace, a lot of pluck, and a strong sense of duty. A stray found in Florida and named after the Bristols’ favorite town in Maine, Camden was both brewery fixture and figurehead for 16 years. If you were a regular at the old Forge Road location, you knew her well. You knew she would sleep under the desk until there was a customer to greet. And that she was clever enough to open the front door to let herself out, but you had to set your pint down to get up and let her back in. Kids who entered with their parents were barked at fervently (no need to check IDs). That is, all except four year-old Alexandra Zurenko, who won Camden’s heart with pocketfuls of goldfish. She could also let herself out at the “new” brewery on busy Tejon Street, which was one reason that when Amanda started staying home with Mercer, Camden did too. Although many times she would wander from the house back to the brewery, looking for Mike. Always looking for Mike. Camden was what most labs are, and what every laughing lab should be: funny, friendly, loyal, and wise. If you spilled your Warlock on the rug, no problem—she’d handle the cleanup. Having a rotten day? Nothing a genuine look of concern and a few big licks couldn’t fix. Sick? A snuggle on the sofa, chin on your legs, was just the thing. And she was a late sleeper. Enough said. Camden the Wonder Dog, as she was once dubbed by a brewer, was also a survivor. She was run over by a car two different times, gored in the abdomen by a well-appointed buck, took liberties with her arthritis medicine, and lived to tell the tale thanks to Drs. DeWaal, Dye, and Johnson at Westside. Above all else Camden was a steadfast companion, requiring little in return but love and a warm leg to rest her chin on. She was a dog you could exchange knowing looks with. She always understood. We will miss the click of her nails as she followed us down the hall and the jingle of her tags as she stole cookies from the kitchen counter and hid them in the fireplace, but we will always remember what she taught us: Camden is survived by her step-sister and protegé for the past year, Halifax. A one year-old from Safe Harbor Lab Rescue, Hallie takes up the mantle of laughing lab-in-residence with great enthusiasm, as she does everything, but also with a strong sense of duty. When you see her, don’t hesitate to offer a meaningful pet and a word of encouragement. She knows she has a big collar to fill. And we are convinced that, fill it, she will. |
Aug 012010
I love beer blogging!
A lot of people ask me where I get my inspiration. Besides the obvious (beer), a lot of inspiration comes from my fellow beer bloggers. With a subject as massive and diverse as craft beer I think it’s important to see what other people think of the beers I love. Even more than that, these people are all over the country covering their local places and giving us insights into places we’ve never been in the craft beer world. Here’s a short list of some of my favs. If I forgot you add a comment and pimp out your site!
100 Bottles of Beer: This one is run by Roert “Bob” Archibald, one of the best home brewers I’ve ever come across. Bob is also a beertender at Bristol and shares some of his informative (and often hilarious) home brew stories.
Colorado Springs Craft Beer Examiner: Eli Shayotovich of BeerTapTV shares his thoughts on the Colorado beer scene. A must for anybody in Southern Colorado! Trust me, dude knows his stuff!
Jenn and Beer: Another great Colorado beer mind who travels the state (much like yours truly) to find the best our great state has to offer.
Hoptopia: Not as much a beer blog as one of the ultimate beer guides around! Lee Williams tries damn near every beer known to man and gives you the lowdown. A great resource and he has an i-Phone app to boot!
Drink With the Wench: Believe it or not, this is the first beer blog I ever became a fan of. Ashley Routson (aka The Beer Wench) runs in my opinion the ultimate beer blog. She not only covers the latest in the beer world, but she also interviews other beer bloggers (including me) to get their take on the wonderful world of craft beer.
100 Beers. 30 Days: One of my favs. Laurie Delk runs this blog not only to talk about great beers, but she does it for charity as well! Definitely a worth while cause.
Beernews.org: Fantastic blog for anything and everything in craft beer news. If CNN ran a beer site this would be it! A must read for all craft beer fans!
The Hops Honey: Genevieve Shuler runs a great site dedicated to her exploration of the craft beer world. Like myself she takes beercations and writes about the adventures along the way. Way in-depth blog and definitely worth coming back to again and again.
BasicallyRed: Stevie Caldarona writes a great blog with a lot of east coast influence which I love because it gives me insight to places and beers I need to find! Looking forward to having a beer with Stevie and Lee at GABF this year!
BeerTapTV: Not a blog, but a fun yet in-depth look at all things craft beer. Guys like Erik Boles, Eli Shayotovich and Brandon “Whoptbird” Jones know their beer. But like me, they take a “barstool” or every day kind of guy approach to talking about it. The ultimate Beer TV and Lifestyle website! PS… stay tuned for a big announcement involving your boy Romey and BeerTapTV on August 5th!
There’s about a billion other fantastic beer blogs out there that I haven’t mentioned. Get out there and check em out! You can find a lot of them from looking at the people I follow on Twitter.
Until next time beer lovers…
Jul 282010
Shooting with BeerTapTV
Most any of us in the craft beer universe have seen BeerTapTV. Erik, Eli, Dusty, Jonsey and crew are some of the most informed, influential and inherently hilarious beer guys around. We share a common belief that beer is about having a good time and sharing some great tasting brew with your friends. No time for beer snobs with this crew… as I put it “If I wanted to be an a$$hole I’d be a wine drinker!” Obviously that wasn’t meant as an umbrella term for wine drinkers but I think y’all get the point. Anyway the guys and i have been talking about getting me on the BeerTapTV (BeerTapTV.com) airwaves and this week we finally made it a reality. I gotta say taping “Taste Buds” with the guys was one of the coolest and most fun beer experiences I’ve ever had! Not to mention we had some incredible beer to boot! Not only did we taste the out of this world Parabola barrel-aged Imperial Stout from Firestone Walker., but I got my first taste of Sink The Bismark from Brew Dog (wow! that’s all I gotta say). To top it off, Eli’s wife made one of the best steak sandwiches I’ve ever had. All in all an awesome group of guys! Can’t wait for my next shoot with them! CHECK OUT THEIR WEBSITE (LINK ABOVE) FOR THE BEST BEER LIFESTYLE TV ON THE PLANET!
Here’s the episode of “Taste Buds” with me and Eric!
Until next time beer lovers…
Jul 282010
4th Edition! Great Stuff!
Last week on an otherwise normal day at the office I found a large envelope on my desk. To my delight, the crew over at the Beer Drinker’s Guide to Colorado sent me their brand new map (4th edition).I was a big fan of the 3rd edition and this one is even better! Besides listing all of the great breweries in Colorado, the 4th edition also lists saloons, beer bars and homebrew shops. This map has really evolved into an all encompassing guide for beer freaks like you and I who want to experience the great state of Colorado. Besides the beer stuff, this year also includes info on National and State Parks ski areas, 14ers around the state and even cab services. Mind you this is all in addition to the actual map and the plethora or beer tips and knowledge the crew over at BDGC is known for. The guide is available all over the state or at www.beerdrinkersguidetocolorado.com This is a great craft beer resource for everyone, especially those of you coming out to my home state for GABF! If anyone is coming hit me up o Twitter (feed is to the right of the page) and let’s have some beers!
Until next time beer lovers…
