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iBeer Suing iPint

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Steve Sheraton, magician and inventor, created a little application or the iPhone last year called iBeer. iBeer gives the illusion of a pint of beer on your iPhone, and even allows you to drink it down by tilting your iBeer to one side, the way you’d drain a real pint of beer.

iBeer

Coors appears to have stolen the idea for iPint, promoting one of their global brands, Carling. According to news reports:

Hottrix, a small Las Vegas-based novelty software company, which now owns the rights to Sheraton’s digital gimmicks, last week filed a lawsuit against Coors, seeking $US12.5 million ($18 million) in damages for lost profits and the brewer’s “ill-gotten gains”. The suit claims that iPint had been downloaded more than 6 million times since it launch on July 11 and, being a free download, “significantly” impaired the number of iBeer (paid) downloads.

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Barney’s Beanery to “Rock the Beer Vote”

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Barney’s Beanery, the third oldest restaurant in Los Angeles and venerable roadhouse/famed celebrity hangout, will be hosting its third “Rock the Beer Vote” with patrons getting a head start casting their votes beginning on Tuesday, October 28th and running until polls close at 8 p.m. on Tuesday, November 4th.

As with the Kerry vs. Bush and Super Tuesday competitions, all presidential candidates will be assigned a brand beer: John McCain (Bud Lite) and Barack Obama (Stella Artois) with each premium brew sold at $3-a-glass (to promote continuous voting) and the colorful photo images of Barack Obama and John McCain on the spigots. At the three Roadhouses, bartenders will be monitoring the vote count on electronic screens in the seven-day voting marathon.

Barney's Beanery

Better than an exit poll data, and more joyous than your average stodgy polling place, this method of voting allows people to have fun and voice their opinions (loudly if need be) while they vote. The original West Hollywood Beanery, as well as more recently opened roadhouses in Santa Monica on the Third Street Promenade and on Colorado Blvd. in Old Town Pasadena, will have every strategically placed TV monitor tuned to a rotating series of political commentators as the votes roll in across the land. For more information, visit Barney’s Beanery website.

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2,000 Pints For the Queen of England

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On Wednesday, a truck showed up at the delivery gate for Windsor Castle, the Queen of England’s private residence, laden down with twelve beer barrels, enough to fill 2,000 pint glasses. Unfortunately, the staff had no record of so large an order. It turns out the beer was meant for the Windsor Castle Pub, in the nearby Berkshire County town of Maidenhead. Apparently they were ordered in anticipation of World Cup qualifying match between England and Croatia. The beer finally made it to the pub about three hours after the start of the football game.

Happy Queen

Queen Elizabeth II. I think that’s the same face I’d make, too, if 2,000 pints showed up on my doorstep.

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Ohio Brewery Recalls … T-Shirts

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Trying to squelch a beery urban legend that has been misquoted by historians and beer enthusiasts since the early days of Repeal, Dick Stevens, owner of the Elevator Brewery & Draught Haus has decided to belly-up to the bar, so to speak, and replace t-shirts sold at the award-winning brewery and eatery that incorrectly attributes Benjamin Franklin to a much quoted phrase that the Founding Father never uttered. Beer-themed web sites, brewing organizations and even “beer writers” are fond of quoting Franklin and his supposed love of beer – “Beer is proof that God loves us and wants us to be happy.”

But after recently hearing a lecture by Chicago-based brewing historian, Bob Skilnik, that convincingly asserts that Franklin was writing about rain, its nourishment of grapes, and ultimately, its conversion into wine, Stevens decided to do his part in correcting this historical inaccuracy.

Franklin Quote

“We do everything we can to serve up the best tasting beers at the Elevator,” says Stevens, “always striving to brew them true to style. To then sell or give away t-shirts that quote a historical untruth is simply not our style. I hope that we can set the record straight about this little white lie that has been repeated for years. I have no doubt that ole Ben enjoyed a tankard or two of beer with friends and associates, but this beer quote, while well-meaning, is inaccurate.”

He adds, “To all our customers who have purchased the erroneously quoted Ben Franklin t-shirts, we do apologize and ask that they return the t-shirts to the Elevator where we will immediately exchange it for a new t-shirt, free of charge. Let me emphasize that this recall will entail absolutely no cost to our loyal customers, and help them save face.”

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Hop-Picking To Be Featured on Dirty Jobs

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The hit cable television show Dirty Jobs, where host Mike Rowe and his crew are “shown performing difficult, strange, and/or messy occupational duties alongside the typical employees” was in the Yakima Valley last week shooting an episode during the hop harvest. According to the Yakima Herald-Republic, “Rowe spent two days picking and inspecting hops, working the kilns that dry the hops and making bales, [HopUnion owner Ralph] Olson said. In addition to visiting HopUnion, which provides hop leaves, pellets, extracts and oils to the craft brewery industry, Rowe worked in the fields at Loftus Ranches in Moxee.” The episode is expected to ait sometime this winter, though no date has been set.

Dirty Jobs

HopUnion’s Ralph Olson with Dirty Jobs’ host Mike Rowe.
(photo by Debbie Byrne, Yakima Herald-Republic.)

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Sidewalk Made Safe For Kegs

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The city of Ames, Iowa, a small town in the center of the state, is also home to Iowa State University. Next to Fire Station No. 2 on Chamberlain Street in the Campustown area of town, the pavement concrete is chipped, cracked and breaking apart. That’s because it’s the traditional delivery and drop-off spot for all of the area’s kegs.

The city’s public works department knew the sidewalk needed to be replaced, but were worried that after a couple more years of kegs bouncing on the concrete that it would just have to be replaced again. So they came up with a more lasting solution. Next week Ames will install the first rubber sidewalk in town, which can take the constant pounding of full kegs. The sidewalk will consist of shredded recycled tires from a California company, Rubbersidewalks Inc..

Rubber Sidewalk

Making the world safe for kegged beer, one sidewalk at a time.

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Celebrate Brother’s Day With the Widmers

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By state proclamation and city proclamation, today is Brother’s Day, at least in Oregon and Portland, thanks to the most famous beer-brewing brothers, Kurt and Rob Widmer. On the Widmer Brothers website, you can upload a photo of you and/or your brother and send him an e-card. For every e-card sent, the Widmers will donate a buck to the local chapter of Big Brothers. So if you have a brother, let him know how you feel about him today. It just might help another brother or sister, too.

Widmer Brothers

The Widmer Brothers in 1984.

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What Would You Do For A Kegerator?

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If you’d like to have your own Kegerator to dispense draft beer in your home, all it takes it a video camera and enough creativity to be the next George Lucas or Martin Scorsese. Kegerators.com is holding a video contest with a grand prize of a kegerator. The deadline to submit your own kegerator-themed Citizen Kane is August 13 and full details can be found on the Kegerator website. Just release your inner Jackass in video form, showing just what you’d do to win a free Kegerator, upload it to YouTube or Google Video and then submit it using the online form. That’s pretty much it, though there is the requisite fine print at the bottom, but it looks like pretty standard stuff. Maybe this is how Stephen Spielberg got his big break.

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Happy International Brewers Day

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I can’t see any reason why I can’t toot my own horn here at Beer Therapy. A few months back I had this idea to start a new holiday, and today is the day. July 18 we celebrate the first International Brewers Day. If you see a brewer today, remember to give him or her a hug. Or you could just buy him a beer or drink a toast to her honor, if that’s more your style.

If you want to know more about this new holiday to honor brewers who make the great beer we all love to drink, please visit the official International Brewers Day website. Cheers!

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Multiple Therapists At Beer Therapy

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As many of you probably know, Stan Hieronymus, who’s been dishing out the beer therapy here for many a moon, is on the road. Stan and his wife, Daria Labinsky, along with their daughter, Sierra, are currently on a 15-month trip around the world. You can follow their exploits on The Slow Travelers, a running blog written by the entire family. Stan will continue to post the occasional story here at Beer Therapy, but there will be times when he’s out of range for internet access and times when he’s just too darn busy having fun.

So I’ll be filling in for Stan and taking over the day to day duties of Beer Therapy. I’ll continue to write at my own blog, the Brookston Beer Bulletin, too, and I encourage you to read both. Beer Therapy will remain the place to go for news about the world of beer, whereas I’ll continue to analyze that news on the Bulletin.

Jay Brooks

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Newport, Oregon, has gone to the dogs

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Banjo and MaggieWe recently attended the 2nd Annual Brewer’s Memorial Ale Fest in Newport Oregon and it was a howl.

Brewer’s Memorial Ale Fest honors the memory of Rogue icon Brewer the Brewdawg. This festival was something new for me because, though I’ve seen dogs at other beer festivals, I’d never been to a festival that so many dogs were expected to attend or brought my own along. My wife Bonne (official photographer) and I were a little nervous entering the Ale Fest. Our dog, Maggie the Golden Retriever, is very friendly and easy-going but this was going to be a new and intense dog-experience for all of us, we took a deep breath and crossed the threshold into a whole new kind of beer festival.

Why have a beer festival for a dog, you ask? Besides the obvious answer of “Who needs a reason to have a great beer fest?” (I’m serious, who needs a reason! I want names, people!) Brewer the Brewdawg was not your average canine. Born and raised in the brewery, this beer and business savvy Black Lab ruled the brewery and thru dedication, hard work, and sucking up to his master, Brewmaster John Maier, he eventually rose to the rank of CEO of Rogue Ales. (really!)

In May of 2006, at the ripe old age of 13 years, Brewer passed away. To commemorate his life Rogue Ales decided to do the thing they do best, put on a kick-ass microbrew festival for dogs and nobody would have enjoyed the special event more than Brewer. In Brewer’s honor Rogue Brewery and opens its doors to dogs of all shapes and sizes and their human caretakers for two full days of fun, food, and music. (The festival benefits the Oregon Coast Therapy Animals and the Central Oregon Coast Humane Society.)

As I said, I was a little apprehensive because our dog, hadn’t been exposed to this kind intense dogdom before, and there were dogs EVERYWHERE, but our fears turned out to be totally unwarranted. I’ve never seen so many nice dogs. It was as if they knew the festival was for them and they were all on their best behavior. I didn’t hear a cross bark or malevolent snarl the entire weekend.

The festival featured lots of dog activities and we thoroughly enjoyed watching the Doggy Olympic events, Doggy Dancing, and of course we got our dog washed. Oh yeah! There was a pretty good selection of craft beer there too, many of which were specially brewed to honor the fest and the brewer’s own dogs. A few of those beers were…Laurelwood’s ShihZuu Brown, Boulder Brewing’s Mojo IPA, Steelhead’s Wiley RyePA, Astoria Brewing Company’s Bitter Bitch Imperial IPA, Calapooia’s River Dog ESB, Block 15’s Ridgeback Red, Ninkasi’s Oatis Oatmeal Stout, and last but not least Brewer’s Ale by Rogue. Note: This was the second year for Brewer’s Ale a seasonal single batch release and Rogue debuted a 750ml ceramic Brewer’s Ale bottle.

Though an Ale Fest in name, the event had a completely different feel from your typical beer festival. There was a closeness and camaraderie between strangers. How often have you felt isolated in a beer fest crowd because you didn’t know the people around you and you were too shy to say hello? The dogs broke down those walls. I couldn’t walk anywhere without people and dogs reaching out in friendship to greet my dog Maggie and I and there was an overwhelming sense of community. For a beer fest there seemed to be very little discussion of beer, it was more about the dogs and we all delighted in the beautiful Oregon day with the four footed friends we love so much.

I was interviewed by Ted Fouke who was shooting video of the festival for Purina, he asked me the question, “why do beer and dogs mix so well?” I don’t remember my answer; in fact I think I said something stupid like “Uh … they just do.”

Upon reflection, of course it’s always easier to come up with a snappy comeback after you’ve allowed it to peculate in your brain a bit, I’d have to say the reason they go together so well is dogs and beer affect us in similar ways. I’m sure I can find lots of correlations but I’ll just give you one. Petting a dog and sipping a fine beer have the same effect on the human psyche, it slows the world down and allows you to lean back and enjoy the moment. Brewers Memorial Ale Fest just became an annual outing for this family, see you there next year.

An album of photos from the 2nd Annual Brewer’s Memorial Ale Fest can be found on at Brewer’s Memorial Ale Fest 2008.

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Sapporo will brew a ‘space beer’

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Sapporo Breweries plans to offer a “space beer” in November.

The beer will be made with barley — to be harvested this weekend — descended from seeds that spent five months in 2006 aboard the International Space Station.

Spokeswoman Momoko Matsumura said the test batch will produce 100 bottles. “We’re really looking forward to tasting it when it’s ready,” she said.

The barley project started when Sapporo teamed up with Okayama University biologists working with the Russian space team. The team took 0.9 ounces of barley into space for storage inside the space station from April to September 2006.

Sapporo isn’t planning to sell the special brew, at least for now, and hasn’t decided how it will distribute the planned 100 bottles, Matsumura said.

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Democratic Convention (cars) to run on beer

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The Environmental News Service reports the flex-fuel vehicles at this summer’s Democratic National Convention in Denver will be running on waste beer from Coors Brewing.

Molson Coors is donating all the clean-burning ethanol fuel for the fleet of 400 General Motors flex-fuel vehicles to be used for the convention’s transportation needs. The fleet will be for the use of U.S. House and Senate Leadership, DNC officials and state party chairs, delegates, staff, and members of the media.

Coors’ ethanol is not the corn-based variety — it is made from waste beer generated at the Golden, Colorado, brewery, which now produces about three million gallons annually.

General Motors has pledged that half of the vehicles it produces by 2012 will be flex-fuel capable, and two million flex-fuel vehicles are now on the road. The company currently has 11 flex-fuel models for 2008, and more than 15 planned for 2009.

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Belgian pub toilet game: Don’t cross the streams

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Two Belgian inventors have created a video game for men to play while using public urinals, Reuters reports.

Werner Dupont, a software developer, and Bart Geraets, an electrical engineer, got the idea while drinking Belgian trappist beers, they told Reuters Television at a local festival on Sunday.

“This thing had to be invented by Belgian people and that’s what we are,” they said.

The ‘Place to pee’ booth is designed for two users at a time and offers two games – blowing up aliens in outer space or skiing down a virtual slope. Gamers hit their target by aiming at sensors positioned on either side of the urinal.

A specially designed paper cone allows women to play too.

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My taste buds got a workout at the Annual Spring Beer & Wine Fest

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The Spring Beer & Wine FestReported by Banjo Bandolas

Take a native Oregonian with time on his hands like Steve Woolard, weaponize him with a passion for great food and drink, and assign him the mission of educating the community about great Northwest fare and you’ll have some idea of what the nation’s largest springtime sampling event, The Spring Beer & Wine Fest, is all about.

The event started in the spring of 1994 as the Spring Beer Fest, the “& Wine” wasn’t added until 2001 when vintners and wine became more prominent. Another addition to the Spring Beer & Wine Fest that same year was the Culinary Stage where Master Chefs create dishes using the beverages available at the festival.

Though the Fest has been around for quite some time it was my wife Bonne, and my first trip to the event. The Oregon Convention Center seemed cavernous as we walked what seemed like a mile from the elevators to the hall that held the event. I was surprised that, after 14 years, the event wasn’t as big (or as loud) as many of the other festivals I attend. In fact the size of the room seemed to dwarf the actual event. There seemed to be plenty of people in attendance but the space and the layout kept people dispersed and allowed for a comfortable expectation of personal space.

The Fest lived up to its motto “A Taste of the Best,” as we sampled top-shelf local and regional wine, beer, spirits and food. What does an education taste like? Well, I’m used to beer festivals. Places where bratwurst, BBQ, pretzels, and chili-fries reign. To be fair I have been to wonderful tastings pairing beer with cheese, chocolate, and all sorts of wonderful things, but this was something different.

The Spring Beer & Wine FestWe’d select a beer then stroll over to one of the many food booths to combine flavors like Mom’s Booze Balls (who could resist?) with Rogue Shakespeare Stout, and Pelican Doryman’s Dark Ale with a bite of Rogue Creamery’s Pesto Cheese Curds. Oh…My….God! I could go on and on, and we did.

I wanted to attend the seminars like the Cheese Smackdown, a “battle” between wine and beer experts as they match their beverages with selected cheese, letting the audience decide which pairing is best which is described by fest Marketing Director Lisa Morrison as “kind of like the American Idol of food.” Other seminars like Chocolate 101, Classy Cocktails With Indie Spirits and the panel discussion on beer and food pairings were forgotten as we conducted our own little seminar called, “what do you think would go good with this?”

Time flew! The next thing I knew, 5 hours had gone by and it was time for us to go meet friends. Next year I’m going to allow more time and actually attend the planned seminars. Probably, maybe, okay I make no promises. The Spring Beer & Wine Fest has so much going on that it’s just too much fun running around. I guess I’ll have to come for both days next spring just to be on the safe side.

People’s Choice awards for 2008 Beer Competition, from springbeerfest.com

For the second straight year, Astoria Brewing Co.’s Bitter Bitch Double IPA grabbed the People’s Choice Award.

Despite the brew’s bitter name, the win is an especially sweet one for owner Steve Allen, who lost his brewer right before the Spring Beer & Wine Fest. Allen was considering having to miss the fest this year after he learned that they didn’t have enough of the award-winning beer for the festival. But in true “beer community” spirit, a Portland-based brewer from another brewpub, Vasilios Gletsos, stepped in and brewed up a batch of “the bitch” just in time for the fest!

The Spring Beer & Wine FestThe competition was a tight one this year, with many beers garnering numerous votes. Bitter Bitch only beat the second-place winner, Hopworks Urban Brewery’s Survival Stout, by three votes!

The People’s Choice Award is the result of ballots fest-goers submit as they are sampling among the more than 80 beers at the Spring Beer & Wine Fest.

The 15th Annual Spring Beer & Wine Fest is slated for April 10 & 11, 2009 at the Oregon Convention Center – always Easter weekend.

Peoples Choice Awards:

1st Place – Astoria Brewing – Bitter Bitch
2nd Place – HopWorks Survival Stout
3rd Place – Tied – Calapooia Chili Beer & Ninkasi Tricehops Double IPA

Winners of the Saturday Morning Beer Judging:
Amber, Brown & Red
Gold – Pelican Pub & Brewery Anglers Amber
Silver – Lost Coast Brewery Downtown Brown

Belgian-Style
Gold – North Coast Brewing PranQster
Silver – Widmer Belgian Golden Ale

Double IPA and other Strong Ales
Gold – Stone Brewing Ruination IPA
Silver – Lang Creek Brewing Zeppelin Imperial Ale