Beer culture

Jay Brooks reviews Michael Jackson’s appearance on Late Night With Conan O’Brien.

Jay gets it somewhat right when he notes, “Conan and the two previous guests were, I thought, quite rude at times to Michael and the entire segment could be seen as a metaphor for the general ignorance of the public about beer.”

Actually, it seemed that Lucy Liu was mostly putting up with Jon Lovitz, who was a jerk. Conan could have posed better questions but was civil – particularly compared to the audience, which takes us back to the point of the attitude toward beer by the general public. Jackson last appeared on O’Brien’s show more than seven years ago and you wonder how much progress thas been made in the interim.

On the other hand, if it weren’t beer then Jackson likely would not have been there. Correct us if we’re wrong, but do food writers go on this show or wine writers? Jackson was invited because he is a professional beer drinker, and who doesn’t like the sound of that?

Did O’Brien even mention that the Beer Hunter was in town to sign books at Whisky Live New York? Or that Jackson has been nominated for a prestigious James Beard Award for his book Whiskey?

Three books in the world were nominated, but Jackson was on Late Night with five beers in front of him and reminding people to visit BeerHunter.com because of beer. Yes, beer deserves more respect – but it has appeal, and there’s much to be said for that.

It’s been more than seven years since Michael Jackson, aka The Beer Hunter, appeared on Late Night With Conan O’Brien but we still remember how much fun that was and look forward to an appearance tomorrow (April 5) night.

Jackson will be discussing beer (of course), perhaps whisky and certainly the release of the latest version of “The Great Beers of Belgium,” the fifth fully revised and expanded edition of the book, including more than 300 new photographs.

As the last time he appeared on Late Night, Jackson will be taking beers for O’Brien to taste. Look closely and you might catch a glimpse of the first labels for the Lost Abbey brand from Port Brewing, including one for Avant Garde.

Speaking of “beer therapy” – it’s time for a little of our own. Daily blog posts will return April 5.

Slate discovers the faux Irish pub revolution. A wonderful lead begins the story: “Ireland, as much of the world knows it, was invented in 1991.”

It looks behind the business of exporting Irish pubs – and as much Irish-ness – as possible in fascinating detail. The story also details how St. Patrick’s Day has recently changed in Ireland:

A few decades back, St. Patrick’s Day was a relatively quiet day in Ireland. It was a religious holiday; pubs were closed, and no one dyed anything green. A typical Dubliner might attend Mass, eat a big meal with the family, and nod off early. In the ’90s, my friends who grew up in Dublin used to go to a hotel on St. Paddy’s Day to watch the American tourists sing Irish drinking songs and celebrate excess.

Where there is celebrated excess, there is a market to exploit. In 1995, the Irish government saw potential in international “Irish” revelry. They reinvented the holiday at home to kick-start the tourist season. Now thousands of partiers head to Ireland for the “St. Patrick’s Day Season” as Guinness has called this time of year. (It used to be called “March” or, for Irish Catholics, “Lent.”) In Dublin, the festival lasts for five days and adds about 60 million euros* to the economy.

All quite true, but a new book, The Parting Glass: A Toast to the Traditional Pubs of Ireland, reminds us that the real thing is alive and well in Ireland.

How can you not like an event called Brew Year’s Eve?

On April 7, breweries all over America will raise a pint in celebration of the day that beer once again became legally available at the end of prohibition.

While full repeal came on Dec. 5, 1933, an amendment to Prohibition legalized beer with 3.2% alcohol by weight (4% by volume) starting on April 7 of that year. From that date on, the country’s brewers were back in business and Americans enjoyed legal beer for eight months before wine and spirits were once again legitimate.

“Today more than 1,300 small, traditional and independent breweries operate in the US and because of them Americans have plenty to celebrate,” said Ray Daniels, Director of Craft Beer Marketing at the Brewers Association. “Brewers provide jobs, pay taxes and contribute to tens of thousands of community, charitable and service organizations each year.”

To celebrate repeal brewers across the country will be host Brew Years Eve parties on April 7. Details are at www.BrewYearsEve.com

The first ever gluten beer festival held anywhere (that we’ve heard of) drew a happy crowd of 1,600 earlier this month in Chesterfield, England.

Supported by Britain’s Campaign for Real Ale (CAMRA) it even featured cask-conditioned gluten free beer. Check out the pictures. The site comments “Not everyone in the pictures are coeliacs, some are friends and family, and others will be at the festival to drink non-GF beer. For once you cannot tell the difference! The coeliacs are as likely to have a beer before them as the non-coeliacs!

The tasting notes – peppered with comments like “I can drink beer again” – should make you smile, and include the vitals (abv, amount of gluten) for each beer.

The name of the website may leave you a little disoriented: Eat Beer.

Even when we consider a beer such as Celebrator Doppelbock liquid bread it is still liquid and we pour it in a glass instead of eating it with a fork.

OK, silliness aside, the the National Beer Wholesalers Association (NBWA) is holding a contest to promote beer as an ingredient when cooking. Its “Cooking with Beer Challenge” is designed to find the best recipe in the country featuring brew. The winner will receive a seven day trip to Cancun, Mexico. The press release says “to soak up the sun and enjoy America’s beverage” and if you’ve previously been to Cancun you’ll understand the importance of the part in quotes.

Recipes entered by July 31 will be judged by a panel of food experts to determine which top ten recipe creators will receive an expense-paid trip to participate in the final cook-off in New York City this fall.

“This cooking contest reinforces several of our key messages with consumers,” said NBWA’s Vice President of Public Affairs Michelle Semones. “It highlights the immense variety of beer found in stores around the country – something that would not be possible without distributors to help get these smaller products to market. It also reminds consumers that beer has a natural place at the dinner table – whether livening up a recipe or as the perfect accompaniment to one.”

Beer is the only required ingredient in the recipes, which may be for any type of dish: appetizers, soups, entrees or baked goods. The more creative use of beer as an ingredient the better.

Stephen Beaumont of World of Beer started with a compliment:

First off, let me say for the record that I like both ratebeer.com and beeradvocate.com and feel that they both fill important needs within the beer world, allowing aficionados casual and obsessive the chance to share and discuss their views about this beer or that.

But he surely knew what would happen when he offered some perspective on a RateBeer’s press release touting “The Best Beers in the World.”

The discussion has reached 8 pages this morning. Jump in anywhere and you might be moved to offer a variety of comments.

The one that seems most relevent this week: Here’s the passion that’s missing from the first Here’s to Beer commercial (that debuted during the Super Bowl).

You probably already knew this but we like to repeat it a few times a day: the health benefits of beer are not all that different from the benefits of wine.

Here’s a nice report about how “Beer Isn’t All It’s ‘Cracked Down’ to Be.” On the list:

– Bone protection.
– Lower risk for cardiovascular disease.
– Better heart attack survival.
– Improved cholesterol levels.
– Sharper brains.
– Healthier kidneys.
– Antioxidant effect.