beerphilosopher.com - Drink Wisely!

Make Mine a Smutty!

noreply@blogger.com (Shawn Patrick Connelly) — Thu, 12 Jan 2012 14:48:00 +0000

A quick announcement to my readers who don't already follow me on Facebook and elsewhere, yet another excellent craft brewery is making its way to the southern Illinois market ... please welcome Smuttynose Brewing Company! Koerner Distributor - the largest distributor of craft and specialty beer in the region - is handling the Smuttynose portfolio in our market and they have several great Smuttynose beers in inventory now, so you should begin seeing them on better retailers shelves and coolers just about any time now, including the IPA, Shoals Pale Ale, Old Brown Dog, Star Island Single, Robust Porter and Big A IPA.

Also, look for Smuttynose on draught at the Hangar 9 and Kindling Spirits soon too!

It's a good day for good beer!

Will A-B's New Draftmark Hit the Mark?

noreply@blogger.com (Shawn Patrick Connelly) — Mon, 19 Dec 2011 18:09:00 +0000

An early Christmas gift arrived on the front porch this morning from the folks at A-B ... it's their brand new Draftmark tap system. If you haven't heard about the new, battery-operated gadget you can find out more from the company's website here. While the arrival of this new home draught system may not qualify as news to most craft beer drinkers, it is interesting to note that one of the three beers available for the system at roll-out (set for February 2012) is Bass Ale - a respectable English pale ale. The other two are Budweiser lager and Shock Top Belgian-style wit. I'm a little surprised that Stella Artois wasn't among the initial brands set to be released, but the marketers at A-B Inbev likely see the Belgian lager as too close in terms of target audience to Budweiser. I'd imagine that more brands in the portfolio will be added if the new system proves successful in the marketplace in 2012 - maybe even some Goose Island beers down the road? Who knows.

Draftmark's 1-gallon refill with special spout

Speaking of the marketplace, the Draftmark system is being released to a very limited test market in the St. Louis area first, and then throughout the greater St. Louis area in February. The obvious appeal of the system, although I've yet to test it out myself, is its size, portability and - one would assume - affordability. The rechargeable battery-operated system fits easily into the average home refrigerator with a very small footprint. The beer refills, sold in 1-gallon plastic jugs with a special connector, seem compact and easy to install not to mention easy enough to tote along to a party or move to a different location on a whim. I didn't see any projections on what the system, or its refills, will retail for when released but I've got to think that it will be comparable to the Heineken BeerTender system, or less.

Draftmark's customizable tap handle

The most glaring down side, as I already noted, is the limited beer selection. If this product catches on, however, this will surely improve substantially with time. I'll be curious to see if the brands will be limited to obvious A-B Inbev selections only (which is my suspicion), or if the system will be compatible with other brands packaged in similar 1-gallon plastic dispensers. I've seen similar plastic bottles in 6-liter size used for packaging home brew, but this 1-gallon size/configuration may well be proprietary. This will make it tough for the Draftmark system to compete for a wider audience when compared head to head with other home systems capable of using a 5-liter mini keg, which is available in a wider variety of beer brands ... including craft beer like Bell's Oberon.

Time will tell if Draftmark hits the mark or not, but in the meantime it will be fun to give this gadget a try since I love new technology and, of course, beer. It is undoubtedly a cool concept that has potential. Let's see where this goes in the months to come.

Black IPA Cask Coming to Hangar 9

noreply@blogger.com (Shawn Patrick Connelly) — Fri, 02 Dec 2011 00:53:00 +0000

I'm pleased to convey the news that the Hangar 9 will be tapping a very special cask of Summit Black IPA on Wednesday, December 7th at 5pm. Mark your calendars and come out to Hangar 9 to support craft beer in southern Illinois and great venues like Hangar 9 who are at the forefront of the craft beer revolution in this region! Show up, have a pint or three and toast to better beer ... Right here! Posted from my iPad2

Big Muddy Beer & Cheese Tasting Announced

noreply@blogger.com (Shawn Patrick Connelly) — Thu, 17 Nov 2011 13:07:00 +0000

On Saturday, November 19th, from 11-2pm, join us at the Neighborhood Co-op in Carbondale for a beer, wine and cheese tasting event! See details below. Hope to see many of you locals there!

Busch is Back?

noreply@blogger.com (Shawn Patrick Connelly) — Fri, 04 Nov 2011 01:44:00 +0000

Okay, I just received this press release which I'm told will hit the business wire tomorrow morning. I suppose you can say you read it here first, assuming you're interested. Looks like William K. Busch, son of the late August A. Busch, will be involved in a new brewing venture in St. Louis. From the pres release, it looks like Busch has assembled a pretty impressive team, including former Morgan Street Brewing Company's brewmaster, Marc Gottfried. I'll copy the press release in its entirety below. Please feel free to comment at will.

PRESS RELEASE

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

WILLIAM K BUSCH BREWING COMPANY LAUNCHES TWO NEW BRANDS

All-Malt Kräftig Lager and Kräftig Light Available Nov. 7

ST. LOUIS, MO. (Nov. 3, 2011) – For the first time in two years, beer lovers in the historic brewing city of St. Louis will soon be able to lift a cold bottle of lager beer brought to market by a member of the fabled family of brewing legend Adolphus Busch.

“There’s a new brewing company in St. Louis,” said company founder William K. Busch. “And our brands – all-malt Kräftig lager and Kräftig light – will be available next week in supermarkets, convenience stores, restaurants and taverns across the St. Louis metropolitan area.”

The new enterprise – the William K Busch Brewing Company – was established last summer by William K. Busch, son of the late August A. “Gussie” Busch, Jr., and great-grandson of St. Louis brewing legend Adolphus Busch. It is an independent company and has no connection or association in any way with Anheuser-Busch InBev or any of its affiliates.

“Adolphus Busch came to St. Louis in 1857 and started a 150-year tradition of brewing the best beer in America,” Busch said. “We’re starting small, like he did, but our ambitions are as big as his were then. Our goal is first to brew the finest beers in America for St. Louis beer lovers – people who know fine beers – and then to expand regionally and nationally.”

Busch said the idea of starting a new chapter of his family history came to him two years ago when he realized that for the first time in a century and a half, no member of his family was involved in the business of brewing beer in his home city of St. Louis.

“That didn’t feel right,” he said, “because like everyone else in my family, brewing is in my blood.”

As the idea to get into the beer business took shape, Busch realized he could not make it happen without the help of people with broad experience in all phases of the brewing business.

“You don’t live your whole life with Gussie Busch without hearing everything there is to hear about the beer business,” he said. “But I knew that if this company was going to be successful, I’d need not only my own experience but also a talented team of management professionals at my side.”

On board as directors and shareholders of the company are James F. Hoffmeister, president and chief executive officer, with 40 years of brewery experience in finance, administration and senior management; Gary J. Prindiville, Jr., vice president and chief operating officer, a 25-year veteran with experience as a senior manager in brewery operations, strategic planning and information technology; Michael J. Brooks, executive director, a senior executive with 19-years of brewery experience in sales and wholesaler operations; and Marc Gottfried, vice president/brewing and head brewmaster, an award-winning certified brewmaster for 16 years and a recognized expert in the brewing of mainstream, lager beers.

“Altogether,” Busch said, “these guys have almost 100 years of experience in all phases of the brewing industry.”

Initially, the William K Busch Brewing Company’s brands will be brewed under the supervision of company brewmaster Marc Gottfried at City Brewing Co., a traditional brewing facility in LaCrosse, Wisconsin. But the company’s plans include the construction of a downtown St. Louis brewery capable of brewing millions of barrels of beer annually.

Details of the brewery development plan will be announced in the near future, according to Busch.

“Our first brewery will be small compared to the giant international breweries operating here and around the country,” Busch said. “But we are not a brewpub or ‘craft’ brand brewer. Regardless of its size, our brewery here will be a powerful first step in our plans to become a successful brewer of mainstream national brands in the U.S.”

“In fact, that’s what Kräftig means in German: ‘powerful’.”

Busch explained that the brand name is not meant to describe the alcohol strength of the brands, which will be comparable to other premium regular and light beers brewed in this country.

“We wanted a brand name that reflects my family’s German brewing heritage. And we wanted it to make a statement about the strength of our commitment and the fact that we believe our beers will become powerful new entries in the American beer marketplace,” he said.

“Therefore – Kräftig.”

Kräftig and Kräftig Light are all-malt beers, brewed from only the four primary ingredients used for centuries by master brewers in Germany – pure water, barley malt, hops and yeast. No rice, corn or other added grains are used in the brewing process to reduce costs or alter taste.

“The ingredients we use in our brewing process,” said Busch, “are simply the best available to any brewer in the world – fine barley malt, premium brewers’ yeast and hops from the ‘noble’ varieties of imported Hallertau, the purest and most expensive hops in the world.”

Initial distribution of Kräftig brands – beginning November 7 and continuing through the remainder of the year -- will focus on the St. Louis Metropolitan area, including surrounding counties in both Missouri and Illinois. Regional and national distribution plans and projections will be announced at a later date.

“In the 19^th Century,” Busch said, “my great-grandfather started a family tradition of brewing the finest beers in America. In the 20^th Century, my grandfather and my father carried on that tradition and made their beers known and respected and successful around the world.

“For the 21^st Century, my goal is to add a new chapter to that tradition and help take it indefinitely into the future.”

The William K Busch Brewing Company was established in the summer of 2011 and is owned by Busch and four partners, all of whom are involved in the management of the company. Temporary corporate offices are located in Clayton, Mo., with contract brewing operations in LaCrosse, Wisconsin. The company is not associated with Anheuser-Busch InBev or any of its affiliates. For more information, please visit Facebook.com/EnjoyKraftig. EnjoyKraftig.com will be live on Nov. 7.

# # #

Will You Get a Share?

noreply@blogger.com (Shawn Patrick Connelly) — Tue, 18 Oct 2011 16:07:00 +0000

Not only will this Saturday bring the 2nd Annual Big Muddy Monster Brew Fest back to southern Illinois, but the Hangar 9 is getting in on the craft beer action as well with the tapping of a couple of very special beers all the way from San Marcos, California ...

I'm excited to announce to local readers that The Lost Abbey's The Angel's Share will be tapped at 4pm this Saturday. If you're not familiar with The Angel's Share, it's worth your while to click the link above and read up on this very special - and rare - release the Hangar has secured for their discerning clientele.

And if that's just not enough to satisfy your better beer itch, They'll also tap Port Brewing's Older Viscosity - a massive Bourbon barrel-aged Strong Ale that's definitely worth trying as a slow sipper on a lazy (or busy) Saturday afternoon or evening.

One word of warning, though. If I were you, I'd arrive at The Hangar 9 as soon as possible after the beer festival if you want to try one - or both - of these rare beers. They will go very fast after their tapping at 4pm.

I hope everyone will take advantage of this terrific weekend for beer in southern Illinois
and support local interests like The Friends of Murphysboro's fest and The Hangar 9 - both are huge craft beer supporters and a big part of the reason that we're seeing such growth in the craft beer segment locally. See you this weekend!

The Big Muddy Monster Brew Fest Returns

noreply@blogger.com (Shawn Patrick Connelly) — Sun, 16 Oct 2011 02:17:00 +0000

On Saturday, October 22nd from 1- 4pm, southern Illinoisans and beer fans everywhere - at least those within reasonable traveling distance - will once again converge on Riverside Park in my home town, Murphysboro, IL, for the 2nd annual Big Muddy Monster Brew Fest - a celebration of better beer featuring over 25 craft breweries, live music and other beer-centric vendors. Last year's fest was a huge success by all accounts and a clear indication that the region is ready to embrace beer ... and by beer, I mean something other than Keystone Light.

Many representatives from regional breweries will be on hand pouring samples of their wares for an eager crowd and a volunteer army will be pouring bottled versions of dozens of other terrific craft beers from around the country. If you're someone who has been wanting to try something new and broaden your beer horizons, this is certainly your event. This is not designed to be a "beer geek's" festival primarily. Beer lovers, and those who are interested in getting to know beer better - or better beer - will find an equally enjoyable experience. Your not likely to find many rare pours on this fall Saturday in Murphysboro, but what you will find is a large crowd of friendly folks enjoying an afternoon of great beers right here in southern Illinois ... something that would never have been said just a few short years ago. The cause of better beer has come a long way in a very short time around here and this festival is a significant part of that growth and expansion for imbibers and brewers - professional and prospective - alike.

Back on October 2nd, I had the privilege of judging at the BJCP (Beer Judge Certification Program) sanctioned home brew competition that is associated with the fest and the winners - who've already been announced online here - will be formally recognized as well. There were nearly 100 home brew entries this year which is even better than last year. One of the most exciting aspects of this, for me, is that a successful competition like this is further indication that there is a thriving beer culture in the area that goes well beyond the casual "fan" of craft beer - home brewers are passionate about their craft and they're devoted and loyal. This bodes well for the future of better beer 'round these parts, me thinks. Others have taken notice as well, like this terrific overview from Jade Elwess on the Ladies of Craft Beer site.

If this all sounds like a hoot to you, you'll be interested to know that tickets are $20 in advance and may be purchased online at Southern Tickets Online or at the Illinois Liquor Mart in Murphysboro, Warehouse Liquor Mart or ABC Liquors in Carbondale or for $25 at the gate the day of the event. For directions to Riverside Park, click here.

Hope to see many of you there this coming Saturday!

Oktoberfest at Kindling

noreply@blogger.com (Shawn Patrick Connelly) — Thu, 01 Sep 2011 18:04:00 +0000

Click on Flyer for full-size version

Sunday, September 18th marks the 3rd annual Oktoberfest celebration at Kindling Spirits, Food & Florals in Carterville. This year's event is sure to be even bigger and better than in previous years. Now only will we have an incredible selection of German draught beers taking over the taps at Kindling for the night, we'll also have a terrific menu of German-inspired food and entertainment from an authentic German band - The Old Comrade German Band. For more details, check out the event page on Facebook.

Because this event sells out each year, we are asking that people who wish to attend RSVP to Kindling to assure there are open seats available. Tickets, which include dinner, beer and entertainment, are only $25.

Our celebration will begin at 6pm on Sunday the 18th. Call (618) 985-2226 to reserve your tickets while they last. Prost!

noreply@blogger.com (Shawn Patrick Connelly) — Thu, 01 Sep 2011 16:01:00 +0000

Founders CBS coming in October!

PRESS RELEASE

Grand Rapids, Michigan, September 1, 2011 - Founders Brewing Co. Vice President/Director of Marketing Dave Engbers announced last month that the highly anticipated Canadian Breakfast Stout (CBS) will be the second release in the company’s 750mL “Backstage Series”. It will be released to the market on October 3, 2011, with a taproom release party on October 1.

The taproom release at 235 Grandville Ave SE in downtown Grand Rapids will begin at 11 a.m. on October 1. There will be about 1700 bottles available for purchase at $18 each. A strict limit of two (2) bottles per person will apply, and all bottles will be available on a first-come, first-served basis. Because a line is expected to form before 11 a.m., numbers will be handed out so that the line can remain intact once the taproom doors open. CBS will be featured on draft, and CBS merchandise will be available in the Founders company store, which is on the north end of the taproom. As with all Founders specialty products, growler fills will not be available for CBS.

There has been a great deal of anticipation and speculation regarding the upcoming release after the success of Blushing Monk, the series’ debut, earlier this year. Canadian Breakfast Stout is the epitome of why Founders launched the Backstage Series: it brings some of the brewery’s most sought-after beers, which have been available primarily at the taproom or at a few select events, to a much larger audience.

Canadian Breakfast Stout is an Imperial Stout brewed with a blend of coffees and imported chocolates, then aged in spent bourbon barrels that have most recently been aging pure Michigan maple syrup. The final product has had stellar reviews and is currently the fifth highest rated beer in the world on www.BeerAdvocate.com.

“Releasing small specialty batches is a great way for us to connect to our core beer enthusiast,” Engbers explains. “Fundamentally, we are a small brewery, and we love to do things our own way. This isn’t about flooding the shelves with a beer that we hope people will try; it’s about producing the best damn beer we can brew and offering it to those enthusiasts who have supported our passion for great beer.”

The company is not revealing any additional releases in the series, but Engbers says they will consist of many of the “popular one-offs” that have been offered in the taproom over the years and have become favorites among patrons and brewery staff. “I think part of what people love about Founders, besides our beer, is that we listen to what they are saying,” says President Mike Stevens. “With our new line, now we can offer them more of what they’ve been asking for.”

The company expects to release one more product in the 2011 Backstage Series later this year.

Founders Brewing Company opened their doors in 1997 with the vision of creating some of the most unique craft beer in the world. Today, Founders has a loyal following with several beers lauded as winners of national and international awards in their respective categories. In 2009, they were ranked as the second fastest growing brewery in the United States, and they are currently rated the second highest brewery in the world by RateBeer.com.

Wit and Whimsy

noreply@blogger.com (Shawn Patrick Connelly) — Wed, 31 Aug 2011 15:56:00 +0000

Be at Hangar 9 for the release of Shlafly's new beer!

Friday, September 9th at 6:00pm, the Hangar 9 will once again host a Schlafly Beer release party! The last one, which you can read about here, was an absolute blast. I'll be out of town on the 9th, unfortunately, but I'd love to be in Carbondale for the release of the third beer in Schlafly's Anniversary Series - a Belgian-style witbier brewed with citrus.

Be sure and show up, support local better beer venues like Hangar 9 and report back to me on how the party shaped up, won't you?

In other wit-ty news, check out the latest experimental brewing project my friend and fellow beer blogger, Marika Josephson, has undertaken. She's creating beers from all local ingredients. This project is about a beer made from ingredients exclusively obtained at the Neighborhood Co-op grocery store. Very, very cool. I envy Marika's adventurous brewing spirit ... it (almost) makes me want to throw convention to the wind (intentional nod to the wild, ambient yeast strains that surround us) and brew with wild abandon.

Perhaps one day. For now, I'll live vicariously through Marika's great documentation of these outside-the-box brewing experiments and continue to crank out conventional - yet tasty - beers in my nice, controlled environment.

Cheers to better beer made - and enjoyed - right here in southern Illinois!

Council Allows Beer and Wine Sales

noreply@blogger.com (Shawn Patrick Connelly) — Wed, 20 Jul 2011 13:08:00 +0000

Regretfully, I don't have time to comment at length on last night's Carbondale City Council meeting wherein the issue of alcohol sales at city grocery stores was once again discussed ... and, this time, voted on. Fortunately, The Carbondale Observer and The Southern are on the issue and give us a recap of precisely what went down at last night's meeting.

All in all, it sounds like the meeting was a success, at least from the perspective of the grocery stores and the majority of residents who supported change to our existing liquor codes. This is good news and I want to thank the entire Council for their efforts.

Cheers everyone!

Carbondale Council Cluelessness Continues ...

noreply@blogger.com (Shawn Patrick Connelly) — Wed, 22 Jun 2011 17:54:00 +0000

Carbondale's city council met last night to discuss an amendment to the current city liquor code - an issue that's been hotly debated for some time now - but once again no progress was made due to the fact that no council member would step up to second a motion made by councilman Lee Fronabarger to discuss the issue. After the meeting, mayor Joel Fritzler posted the following statement on his Facebook page:

"The majority of a Carbondale City Council once again showed why many people consider Carbondale to be business-unfriendly while, at the same time, showing their support for a handful of individuals over the wishes and expectations of the majority and to the financial detriment of Carbondale. A difference between the existing and the previous council is only two members of the existing council (Fronabarger & I) were willing to allow a discussion of the agenda item. However, since the mayor is not able to make a motion or second a motion, Councilman Fronabarger's motion, to even allow council discussion of the alcohol issues, died for a lack of a second. This didn't stop a few council members to then speak for about a half an hour during Council Comments about why they didn't want to discuss the agenda item."

Many of us were hopeful that a change in the mayoral office and council would bring about a swift change to Carbondale's ridiculous liquor ordinances, but this appears not to be the case. Despite mayor Fritzler's best efforts, members of the council seem to remain beholden to a very small minority's interests and their own shortsightedness. What a shame.

I'm still confident these ordinances will change in time, but I'm extremely disappointed that some of our elected city officials are hell bent on making it as hard as possible to make progress on this issue and do what's right by Carbondale and the vast majority of the city's citizens who have clearly expressed the desire to see beer and wine available at grocery stores in town. As mayor Fritzler stated, the council is clearly "showing their support for a handful of individuals over the wishes and expectations of the majority and to the financial detriment of Carbondale."

I think it's time we let these council members know (again) that this is unacceptable. Here is a link to a list of Carbondale's council members. Please consider emailing a note of support to mayor Fritzler and councilman Fronabarger, of course, but I'd really like to urge my local readers and friends to email each council member and express your disappointment with their obstinance and obstruction of the obvious will of the people. I think it would be great to flood their inboxes with reminders that they should be looking out for Carbondale and its citizens, not a select few influential individuals who have expressed opposition to change. Who's with me?

Self-Distribution Lives On in Illinois

noreply@blogger.com (Shawn Patrick Connelly) — Thu, 02 Jun 2011 18:12:00 +0000

Image via Wikipedia

This is, admittedly, a little late in coming to BP readers, but Governor Quinn signed SB754 into law yesterday, marking the end of a lengthy battle between small brewers in Illinois and the brewing behemoth, Anheuser-Busch InBev.

In truth, this may be the end of this battle, but there's still plenty of fighting to do. While this law secured self-distribution for production breweries in the state, it offers little in terms of a boost for aspiring brewpubs in Illinois. Bottom line, though, this is a huge step in the right direction and a good foundation on which a future amendment to the legislation might be brought forth to secure a better position for brewpubs as well.

A special thanks to the guys at Guys Drinking Beer for their diligent work on this issue. Buy 'em a good one if you run into them! Cheers!

Masters of the Brewniverse Film Debuts at Hangar 9 Tonight

noreply@blogger.com (Shawn Patrick Connelly) — Wed, 01 Jun 2011 14:24:00 +0000

Watch the film at Hangar 9 TONIGHT at 8pm!

A film project created by two Southern Illinois University students - Ian Havermale and David Powers - will debut at Hangar 9 TONIGHT at 8pm.

A movie at Hangar 9, you wonder?

This is a project highlighting the emergence of craft beer and the homebrewing culture in southern Illinois and features many of the usual suspects who are driving the growth of craft beer culture locally. Should be a very exciting and fun time.

I recently interviewed co-creator David Powers about the film project and below is the text of that conversation. I hope you'll join me, and many others better beer devotees, at Hangar 9 tonight!

BP: For starters, tell us a little bit about the concept of the film and what you hoped to accomplish with it?

DP: This film is the thesis project of both Ian and I. The concept of the film is that beer exists in many forms other than the light lagers that are associated with Anhauser-Busch and Miller-Coors. We hope that this documentary raises awareness of that fact, and encourages people who have never tried any beer other than the beer their father drank to not be afraid to experiment. We also want people to realize that due to the monopolistic practices of the big breweries, starting a small local brewery is extremely tough. I hope that people will also see the benefits of supporting local breweries and why it is important that they be allowed to self-distribute their own beer.

BP: Why craft beer as the subject?

DP: The idea for a documentary about craft beer came as a result of our friendship with James McCoy and Kyle Groves, two home brewers. Over the last year, I have learned more about beer than I ever thought possible. Expanding my beer tasting horizons has been one of the best parts of being down here. If we can convince others that there is more to beer than what they see on tv commercials, then the documentary will have been a success.

BP: What did you learn about beer you didn't know before starting this project?

DP: The biggest thing I learned since starting the project is how hard it is to get a small local brewery off the ground. With everything they face, from securing loans, to locking down a distributor for their product, to being able to brew a good beer, there is way more to the retail beer making business than I realized. I also realized why allowing a small brewer to self-distribute is so important, as it allows them to create a fan base for their beer that distributors can draw on when the brewer reaches that point. Without that, the distributor is taking just as much of a risk in buying an unkown beer as the brewer is in making it.

BP: How long did the entire project take to complete?

DP: The project began in January at the start of the Spring Semester at SIU. It will be/was screened in its finished version for the first time on May 9 with the other documentaries that were made this semester.

BP: Any other thoughts on your project you'd like to share?

DP: I’d like to thank all the people in Southern Illinois, Mississippi, Chicago, and Indiana who contributed to this documentary and I hope that beer drinkers everywhere enjoy it with a cold glass of their favorite in hand. Oh by the way, the name of the documentary is Masters of the Brewniverse. Catchy, huh?

What: Masters of the Brewniverse screening
Where: Hangar 9 in Carbondale
When: 8pm on June 1st, 2011

Too Cool for (Beer) School?

noreply@blogger.com (Shawn Patrick Connelly) — Wed, 11 May 2011 17:38:00 +0000

Learn Beer Brewing at SIU! Click to Enlarge.

My good friend, Matt McCarroll, who is not only the proprietor of Windy Hill Hops but also an Associate Professor in the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry at Southern Illinois University is offering the first-ever beer brewing course at SIU this summer.

The course is entitled "The Chemistry of Beer and Brewing" and while chemistry - as it related to beer brewing - will be covered, a previous knowledge of chemistry is not necessary for those interested in taking this new course.

The best news of all? You don't even have to be an enrolled SIU student to participate. Thanks to the Division of Continuing Education at SIU, non-credit access is available to anyone who wants to know more about beer and how its made.

Here's an except from the course overview:

This course covers the science and chemistry of beer and brewing. The history of beer and brewing will be introduced to follow the evolution of beer as a food and beverage, including how beer has impacted society and how how brewing has been affected by society. The chemistry of the four basic ingredients of beer (water, malt, hops, and yeast) will be explored, as well as the chemistry of the brewing process.

The various styles of beer will be introduced and discussed with respect to how the styles can be achieved based on the chemistry of the ingredients and process. Home brewing and commercial brewing will be compared. The course does not presume a background in chemistry and various chemical concepts will be introduced on an as needed basis. The lecture portion of this course is the non-credit version of CHEM 180 and is taught by Dr. Matt McCarroll, Associate Professor of Chemistry and Biochemistry.

Sound interesting? You bet. If you're interested in enrolling - and having the honor of being a student in this first-ever class which is pretty cool for bragging rights - click on the link above to the Division of Continuing Education and fill out the online registration form provided there.

The lab portion of the class is restricted to those 21 and older.

The lecture portion of the course will be conduced on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, & Thursdays: June 14 - July 12. The lab portion of the course will take place on Mondays: June 20, June 27, & July 11 & Saturdays June 25 & July 9.

Charleville Beer Coming to Illinois

noreply@blogger.com (Shawn Patrick Connelly) — Wed, 11 May 2011 15:10:00 +0000

Charleville Beer is Coming ... but likely not on this truck!

I just received some welcome news yesterday - it seems that Charleville Vineyard & Microbrewery, based in Ste. Genevieve, Missouri, will be bringing their excellent beers to our market area. If you're not familiar with Charleville or their beers, you can read all about it on their website here.

I am a fan of this little brewery and we'll now have access to their flagship beers - Half-Wit Wheat, Tornado Alley Amber and Hoptimistic IPA in 22oz. bombers and draught. Additionally, I'm told we'll also see their seasonal selections like Tripel Wit and the soon-to-be released Mucho Hoppo Double IPA! Very nice.

Look for Chaleville beers on retailers shelves any time now ...

We're the Blog of the Week!

noreply@blogger.com (Shawn Patrick Connelly) — Tue, 10 May 2011 13:30:00 +0000

A special thanks to WSIL-TV, our local ABC affiliate, for featuring the beerphilosopher.com blog on this morning's news program. If you didn't see the segment, you can view it here. I'm excited to see more and more coverage for craft beer and craft beer-related news in the media these days! Cheers!

Senate Bill 754 Passes?

noreply@blogger.com (Shawn Patrick Connelly) — Tue, 03 May 2011 16:49:00 +0000

BREAKING NEWS:

I just received word that Senate Bill 754 - the bill that will allow brewers in Illinois to (continue to) self-distribute - just passed. The word from Springfield is that the bill passed by a vote of 48 - 1 - 3.

I don't have final confirmation yet, but this is what I'm hearing right now. More to come on this important legislation as I get it.

Big Muddy Brewing, Connelly Collaborate on New Beer

noreply@blogger.com (Shawn Patrick Connelly) — Mon, 02 May 2011 13:53:00 +0000

Meet the Monster at Hangar 9 on Thursday, May 5th!

Maybe it's the high water at the Big Muddy River, but the Big Muddy Monster seems to be particularly active of late. There have been recent sightings all the way up in Peoria and it's been spotted in a couple places around Carbondale by eyewitnesses.

In an obvious ploy for recognition, I'm even told it's been booked for an appearance at the Hangar 9 this Thursday, May 5th, from 5pm-8pm.

This is one social monster! At least a monster of the "social lubricant" variety, anyway.You see, the monster I'm speaking of is a beer. To be more precise, the brand new beer from Murphysboro's Big Muddy Brewing Company (Find Big Muddy Brewing on Facebook here).

Big Muddy Monster India Brown Ale is a style-bender, of sorts. It's essentially a marriage of an American Brown Ale with a hop-centric India Pale Ale. The result is a 6.5% ABV, 65 IBU (International Bittering Unit) monster of an ale with robust malt backbone and one mean, mean hop-streak. The beer is brewed with five different varieties of specialty malts, three separate hop additions during the boil and a generous dose of Citra hops during conditioning to give the beer a very lively, distinctive aroma that hits the senses before the first sip is ever taken.

Kind of like the namesake fabled monster itself, I suppose, there's really nothing very delicate about the beer. When it's around, it demands attention and respect ... and just might thump you if you're not careful. I can vouch for the fact, however, that the beer smells much better than the beast. Or so I'd imagine, having never actually sniffed the latter.

The forth beer to go into full production at Big Muddy Brewing, this one is the "biggest" in terms of alcohol content and aggressive flavor. Heretofore, Big Muddy Brewing has systematically designed beers that are quite "user- friendly." This approach has gained the brewery both acclaim and derision. Largely the former from the average beer drinker, because one can approach the beers without having to stretch the palate too far. The derision has come from the minority few who take their beer geekdom far too seriously and accuse Big Muddy beers of being too simplistic or average. These will be the same folks that love to review beers on Beer Advocate and seem to forget that there's life beyond the Imperial Double whatever-the-heck Stout or Quadruple-hopped Pure Lupulin Resin IPA.

Call them session beers or gateway beers, the flagship brands of Big Muddy - Kinkaid Wheat, Authentic American Pale Ale and Saluki Dunkeldog are solid, all-malt beers with obvious mass appeal. They're also highly drinkable and "moderately" flavored by design. Their target market is less the hardcore beer geek and more the average beer drinker who is curious about expanding their palate and trying something more flavorful - something that craft beer offers everyone.

Deal with it.

Okay, now that I am off of my soapbox regarding Big Muddy's few, albeit vocal, detractors I say this in the interest of full disclosure. I have had the pleasure and privilege of working with Chuck Stuhrenberg (owner and brewmaster at Big Muddy) quite a bit of late. I'm assisting in the brewery frequently and, with regard to the new Big Muddy Monster India Brown Ale, I'm the collaborator.

The base recipe for the new beer is mine and Chuck had enough faith in me to ask me to collaborate with him on this project. We brewed a pilot batch, shared a little bit with a few trusted friends, and agreed it had serious potential. Shortly thereafter, the beer was brewed at full production scale - 200 gallons of hoppy, monstrous brown ale.

The beer is now ready to be unleashed on the public. This last weekend, the beer headed north to the Peoria for the Peoria International Beer Festival and it was very well received, according to Chuck. As I already mentioned, this Thursday from 5pm - 8pm, an official release party will happen at the Hangar 9.
Two days later, on Saturday May 7th, we'll be hitting the road to take the Monster to the St. Louis Microfest as well.After that, look for the monster to arrive on tap at Kindling and maybe a few other local venues in the weeks to come. Although bottling is planned, I believe, this beer is available on draught only for the time being. I might mention, too, that this beer is also a "seasonal" release and may not be available year-round like the other three Big Muddy beers.

On a personal note, this is my first "commercial" beer. This might not be a big deal to some, but for me - and I'm sure other long-time home brewers who aspire to brew professionally one day who have had this opportunity - this is a milestone in my beer career. I owe a huge debt of gratitude to Chuck for believing in me and letting me share in the great success of Big Muddy Brewing Company this way. Cheers, Chuck!

So, please mark your calendar and try to come out and see us on Thursday night, meet the new Monster and celebrate local beer and the premiere beer destination in Carbondale. There's a rumor that the Big Muddy Monster himself might even show up ...

Schlafly Event Update

noreply@blogger.com (Shawn Patrick Connelly) — Tue, 19 Apr 2011 19:11:00 +0000

Just in case the special release party to be held at The Hangar 9 for Schlafly's 20th Anniversary release, Hop Toddy Ale, isn't enough to get you out of the house on Friday, April 29th, maybe the addition of their Dry-Hopped APA will tip the scales for you.

No? You've had it, you say? What if I told you that the popular APA will be on cask for this little party?

If you've never had a cask-conditioned beer, you really owe it to yourself to come out and enjoy beer in it's raw, unadulterated form. It'll be a little warmer, a little less carbonated, but you'll get intense aromas and a smoothness that you just can't get from force-carbonated beer.

Again, be at The Hangar 9 on Friday, April 29th beginning at 5:00pm. My friend Kent Householder from Schlafly will take good care of you! Stop in and say hello.

Time for a Hop Toddy

noreply@blogger.com (Shawn Patrick Connelly) — Mon, 18 Apr 2011 17:14:00 +0000

Hop Doddy will be on Draught at Hangar 9 on April 29 ONLY!

As you may or may not know, Schlafly Beer is celebrating their 20th anniversary by releasing a series of four one-off beers that are available in very limited supply. The first beer in the series was an Imperial Pilsner, released back in January 2011.

The next beer in the series is real beer-style breaker. It's called Schlafly No. 20, Volume 2: Hop Toddy. Hop Toddy is the brainchild of brewing operations manager at Schlafly Bottleworks in Maplewood, James "Otto" Ottolini and a couple of cohorts that are heavily involved in St. Louis' terrific local food movement. Here's a description of the beer from a recent press release:

"This wheat ale is brewed with local wheat and honey, with a hint of concentrated lemon juice. A dry-hopping with Citra hops and aging in bourbon barrels makes it the beer equivalent of a hot toddy."

And here's what the Schlafly Beer website has to say about the new beer.

A hot toddy with a cool summer twist! Sounds interesting, doesn't it? While this beer will be available in 750ML bottles in limited quantities in southern Illinois, you're probably thinking "wow, I'd love to try this on draught, but I don't know if I can make it up to St. Louis to find it. " What if I told you you didn't have to?

You see, there are three stand-alone release parties for this new beer during the month of April - one already happened at O'Leary's Restaurant in Sunset Hills, Missouri on April 13th. Another keg will be tapped at Mangia Italiano in St. Louis City this Wednesday, April 20^th, at 5:30pm. And the third ...

Where in Missouri? How about nowhere in Missouri. How about right here in Carbondale?

I'm extremely excited to announce that The Hangar 9 on Carbondale's Strip will be the only Illinois pub to tap a keg of this rare elixir from Schlafly. The Hangar 9 also has the distinction of hosting the last of the three release parties for this rare beer. You will want to be at The Hangar for this one, trust me.

The release party will be on Friday, April 29^th at 5pm. Look for more details here as they become available.

A huge thanks to the very, very cool people at The St. Louis Brewery (Schlafly) for thinking of us down here in southern Illinois! As a Missouri-based brewery, the folks at Schlafly could have kept all the fun to themselves, but they clearly recognize the support that great beer fans in and around Carbondale have shown them for a while now and they're all about returning the favor.

This is why I consider Schlafly beer to be a "local" beer, despite the fact that they're a hundred miles or so northwest of us. Cheers!

Beer Wars in Illinois

noreply@blogger.com (Shawn Patrick Connelly) — Fri, 15 Apr 2011 14:34:00 +0000

Image via Wikipedia

Things are moving a mile a minute with regard to the proposed Senate bill I mentioned yesterday that would secure self-distribution rights for small craft brewers in Illinois - something only two breweries in the state were exercising - and allow brewpubs in the state to self-distribute (with certain conditions met, which I'll address momentarily) for the first time.

As others have noted, there is a lot of misinformation being disseminated about the merits - or lack thereof - of this bill. Let's be clear - this is by no means a perfect bill and it does not give brewers everything they want. It's limits small, independent production breweries in Illinois to 7,500 barrels per year for self-distribution. They were hoping for something in the neighborhood of 50,000-60,000 barrels. That's much less than what Illinois breweries were seeking and is, in itself, disappointing even though most small brewers wouldn't likely come near the 7,500 cap for years (Big Muddy Brewery in Murphysboro, for example, produced about 500 barrels in 2010.).

Further, this bill as amended does not clearly allow Illinois brewpubs to self-distribute with their brewpub license without requiring them to also hold a craft brewer license "at a location separate from the brew pub's licensed premises." What is not clear here is whether this means that the brewpub must actually own a separate physical building off-premises from the brewpub or if the license can simply be tied to a separate address from the brewpub. This is a key consideration since this detail could "make or break" a potential brewpub start-up who would not be able to afford two separate locations just to be able to self-distribute product off site. If, however, they could obtain the craft brewer license by simply using a different address (a P.O. Box, for example) then there's no issue and brewpubs will get what they want out of this bill. Regardless, having met this requirement, a brewpub would be able to self-distribute up to 50,000 gallons per year under the current bill. They currently don't have the ability to self-distribute at all in Illinois.

Yesterday, I received an email from the Brewers Association (BA) - the trade and advocacy group for U.S.-based craft breweries - encouraging its members to oppose Senate Bill 754 (SB0754). I have to admit that this threw me for a bit of a loop. While I understand that the Brewers Association, and the Illinois Craft Brewers Guild (ICBG) are looking to get the best deal possible for Illinois brewers, whether production brewery or brewpub, I fail to see how opposing SB0754 accomplishes that end. In holding out for a significantly larger self-distribution cap, and insisting that brewpubs get the same right without restriction the BA and ICBG risk winning nothing for Illinois brewers. "Holding out" for a better deal could cost all breweries in Illinois the right to self-distribution, period. As I said before, this bill - which the ICBG calls "watered down" - is far from perfect but it does secure self-distribution rights and it does so at a cap that most Illinois breweries won't reach for some time.

At this point, I believe this opposition to SB0754 is both shortsighted and foolish. I find myself in a very odd spot, being in opposition to the Brewers Association's stated position and that of the Illinois Craft Brewers Guild, but I've given this issue a lot of consideration. I just believe it will be better to take a compromise and secure self-distribution rights than to hold out and risk losing the right altogether. Anheuser-Busch Inbev will only have more time to buy more lobbyists and dissuade more politicians from supporting the bill, as imperfect as it might be. Supporting the bill as currently amended, however, would take advantage of the momentum it has now and would very likely pass the Senate and then the House to become law.

I don't know about others in the craft beer business in Illinois, but I'd much rather lock in the right to self-distribute 7,500 barrels of beer each year than to lose the right altogether. I'd be remiss not to remind everyone that there is still a May 31st deadline to get something accomplished here.

My good friend Chuck Stuhrenberg, brewer and owner of Big Muddy Brewing, has fought very hard for the continuation of self-distribution rights for Illinois craft breweries and he is in support of this bill, even as currently amended. I stand with Chuck here. As he has said, "This isn't perfect, but it fits my business model." Chuck realizes that it is sometimes better to take what you can get than to risk losing everything in the effort to get more. I believe that pretty much sums it up.

I can only hope that the BA and the ICBG will revisit their stated positions on this bill and see that this bill does not "hurt the state's small brewers" in the way that they seem to suggest. I'm, after all, closely involved with one of these small brewers (Big Muddy) - one of only two named in the lawsuit that A-B Inbev filed that started all of this mess, by the way - and Chuck isn't hurt by this. In fact, I think he'll be very happy trying to grow his self-distribution footprint from 500 barrels to 7,500 however long that takes. But give him the right to do so in the first place. That's the real point, isn't it?

Illinois' Beer Battle Wages On

noreply@blogger.com (Shawn Patrick Connelly) — Wed, 13 Apr 2011 17:48:00 +0000


Big Muddy Brewing Battles A-B Inbev

Almost three months have passed since I posted a rather lengthy explanation of the battle being waged in Springfield over the right of small, independent breweries in the state of Illinois to self-distribute their product. As the previous post details, Anheuser-Busch InBev is arguing that they should also have the same right to distribute their product in the state - despite the fact that they are a Missouri-based company - and if they cannot, then breweries like Murphysboro-based Big Muddy Brewing (with whom I have a professional relationship, for the purposes of full disclosure) should not have the right either.

This brief recapitulation is admittedly over-simplified, but in essence this is the heart of the issue. If A-BInbev can't play, then they don't want anyone else to play either.

Since that time, a lot has happened. Too much to detail here, but I'll let this article from the Chicago Tribune catch everyone up a bit. For the purposes of this post, I want to make mention that the bill at issue - now a Senate bill (SB0754) - is appearing before the Illinois state Senate TODAY.

Even if you've written a letter or called in the past to express your support for Illinois small brewers, and those who hope to become professional brewers, please consider calling again today and voicing your support for this new amended Senate bill. Here's a link to the contact information for our Senator out of the 59th District, Gary Forby.

A last minute update to share ... it seems that A-BInbev's rival, MillerCoors, based out of Chicago, may be getting involved as well. This information is still developing, but a representative at the Illinois Secretary of State's office has stated that MillerCoors is supposedly stepping in and siding with the beer distributors and craft brewers who are fighting A-BInbev's attempt to kill this legislation. Very, very interesting development. Clearly, MillerCoors is no friend of the "little guy" either, but in the big scheme of things, if A-BInbev is successful in thwarting the efforts of small brewers, they gain significant power - and distribution leverage - that would be very difficult for MillerCoors to compete with. In an odd twist of fate, it very well could be that one brewing giant may help save the small brewer from a rival brewing giant. Though their motivation is obviously self-serving, as someone deeply invested in small, independent beer ... ... we'll take it.

I'm with Fritz

noreply@blogger.com (Shawn Patrick Connelly) — Tue, 05 Apr 2011 15:10:00 +0000

Today is election day for the Carbondale (among others, of course) municipal mayoral race and I don't intend to write a lengthy dissertation here on why I am casting my vote for Joel Fritzler for mayor. For starters, others have already done this more eloquently than I could and this is a beer blog. I have no aspirations of co-opting it for political purposes.

Okay, maybe just this once.

The argument has been made ad nauseam that beer and politics don't mix, but I do want to make an appeal to my craft beer-friendly readership who happen to also be Carbondale city residents ... you know who you are. While there are certainly far more serious and pressing issues than the future of beer sales in Carbondale, I know that this is an issue that I am somewhat uniquely positioned to address. This is, if you will, my niche so let me talk about what I know and leave the heavy lifting to others.

Perhaps political campaigns, whether national, state or local, are not your thing and that's fine. I want you to consider, though, that the Carbondale mayoral race is one that can impact you both personally and professionally in the months and even years to come. As others have explained in detail, who we choose as our next mayor will have a significant impact on the freedoms that both individuals and businesses have in enjoying and selling craft beer (and wine, spirits, etc.) within city limits.

I know that many of you who read this blog locally are brewers and aspire to brew professionally one day. On a personal level, I'd wager that you'd like to see more variety and ease of access to the commercial beers that inspire our shared craft. Joel Fritzler has been a champion and advocate for craft beer in Carbondale as a councilman for years now and would continue this advocacy as mayor. Joel has stated that one of the first things he'd seek to do would be to change the current ordinances and allow local grocers (like Schnuck's and the Neighborhood Co-op, to name two who have expressed interest )to sell beer and wine to their customers. The Co-op, for one, has made it very clear that they'd like to focus on local and organic wines and specialty beers in their store.

Allowing retailers like this to sell beer and wine would increase healthy competition, potentially lower prices to the consumer, generate more sales tax for the city (as opposed to losing a lot of it to Walmart in Murphysboro) and expand availability across the board. Carbondale would finally catch up with other small cities throughout the country who haven't been hampered by overly-restrictive ordinances and licensing restrictions.

How could you be impacted professionally? Have you ever dreamed of opening a production brewery or brewpub in Carbondale? Good luck trying to do this under the current state of affairs. Carbondale has been notorious for being a tough nut to crack when it comes to opening a new business. And if that business would happen to be in the business of beer, you could basically forget about it. Strict limits on liquor licenses and obstructionists on the council/commission - influenced by outside interests - would make that a virtual impossibility. Again, Joel has been an advocate for us - and those like us - since he's been in elected office in Carbondale. As mayor, we'd have an influential ally of our own and likely see some of these obstacles overcome in time. Couple this with a favorable outcome to the legislation that is pending at the state level and all of a sudden Carbondale could be a good place to open a new brewpub. How does that sound?

Okay, finally, a blatant appeal to authority here, but Joel is also a personal friend of mine and I consider him the best candidate for mayor of the four individuals running. I'm admittedly biased, but that's just too bad. With as much objectivity as I can muster, I truly believe that Joel "fits" Carbondale best and would not be another Brad Cole-type of mayor. If this statement needs definition, I'll be happy to explain but not in this context. Suffice to say that Joel is a real guy, with real intentions of helping to make Carbondale better. As far as I know, he doesn't aspire to use the position as mayor as a stepping stone to other political offices. Rather, he's running because he believes he can make a difference right here, right now. Isn't that what a mayor should be all about? No pretense, no posturing, no partisanship ... just a desire to see the city he and all of us live in improve.

And that's why I'm with Fritz.

Who are you with? Prove it by getting out and voting TODAY. Here's a list of polling places for your convenience.

Merchant du Vin Tasting this Thursday

noreply@blogger.com (Shawn Patrick Connelly) — Mon, 04 Apr 2011 15:38:00 +0000

Please join me for a special beer tasting at Warehouse Liquor Mart in Carbondale on Thursday, April 7th from 4:30pm - 6:00pm. This event is FREE.

The featured beers - of which there will be a dozen - are from the portfolio of specialty beer importer, Merchant du Vin, and represent some of the finest brands imported to the US from Britain, Belgium and Germany.

Here's a list of what I'll be pouring this Thursday:

Samuel Smith

Organic Lager
Organic Ale
Brown Ale
India Pale Ale
Porter
Oatmeal Stout
Organic Fruit Ale
Certified Organic Apple Cider

Lindemans

Framboise (Raspberry)
Peche (Peach)
Pomme (Apple)

Ayinger

Brau Weisse

Warehouse Liquors is located at 829 East Main Street in Carbondale. Here's a map for your convenience. I hope to see everyone there!

View Larger Map

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Senate Bill 754 Passes?

BREAKING NEWS:

I just received word that Senate Bill 754 - the bill that will allow brewers in Illinois to (continue to) self-distribute - just passed. The word from Springfield is that the bill passed by a vote of 48 - 1 - 3.

I don't have final confirmation yet, but this is what I'm hearing right now. More to come on this important legislation as I get it.

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