End of History beer in squirrel and stoat encased bottles

We’ve written before about Brew Dog Brewery, the Scottish brewery that likes to push the envelope of brewing. Their latest extreme beer really takes the cake, though. It’s not enough to create a 55% ABV beer called “End of History”, they decided to stuff the bottles into dead animals (WTF?) and sell it for £500 (about $750US).

This 55% beer should be drank in small servings whilst exuding an endearing pseudo vigilance and reverence for Mr Stoat. This is to be enjoyed with a weather eye on the horizon for inflatable alcohol industry Nazis, judgemental washed up neo-prohibitionists or any grandiloquent, ostentatious foxes.

The End of History: The name derives from the famous work of philosopher Francis Fukuyama, this is to beer what democracy is to history. Fukuyama defined history as the evolution of the political system and traced this through the ages until we got the Western Democratic paradigm. For Fukuyama this was the end point of man’s political evolution and consequently the end of history. The beer is the last high abv beer we are going to brew, the end point of our research into how far the can push the boundaries of extreme brewing, the end of beer.

This blond Belgian ale is infused with nettles from the Scottish Highlands and Fresh juniper berries. Only 12 bottles have been made and each comes with its own certificate and is presented in a stuffed stoat or grey squirrel. The striking packaging was created by a very talented taxidermist and all the animals used were road kill. This release is a limited run of 11 bottles, 7 stoats and 4 grey squirrels. Each ones comes with its own certificate of authenticity.

Sorry, all 12 bottles have been sold.

Abita Brewery's Save Our Shore Charitable Pilsner

We recently posted a press release from Abita Brewing Company about their S.O.S. Beer which is being sold to raise money to assist those impacted by the oil spill disaster. See press release here

We were able to interview David Blossman, President of Abita Beer, and he was kind enough to answer a few questions:

1) An unfiltered Weizen Pils with 7% alcohol is an unusual brew. Did you create the beer especially for the SOS campaign or was it something your brewers were already working on.
We created the beer just for the SOS campaign. It just seemed right to make a big brew for such a big cause. Our goal was to brew something that beer aficionados would talk about and enjoy, yet still be very drinkable for the average craft beer lover. I think the unfiltered weizen pils is perfect. It has a beautiful gold color and the pleasant hop bitterness balances out the sweetness of the malt. The beer finishes with a nice dry hop aroma. We hope it sells very well and raises a lot of money for the SOS foundation.

2) Why did you choose to distribute the Charitable Pilsner in 22oz bottles instead of 12oz bottles?
We want to raise money for Charity, but we also want to raise awareness around the country about the dire situation here on the Gulf Coast. The size of the bottle gives us a big canvas to get that message out there. It was also a question of timing. We wanted to get the product out there so we could start helping right away. The 22 oz bottle meant we could hit the market sooner. Instead of dealing with two suppliers (6 Pack wrap and label) we only have one supplier for the 22 oz bottle.

3) How much money has been raised so far and how much do you expect to be raised?
We’ve raised over $8,000 from merchandise sales alone since we announced the SOS project. The SOS brew won’t reach shelves until later this month and we are very encouraged by the interest in the product. After hurricane Katrina we raised over $550,000 with Restoration Pale Ale and I think SOS can be just as successful.

4) Where exactly is the money going?
We have established “SOS – A Charitable Fund” that will assist with the rescue and restoration of the environment and helping people and their families survive this disaster. The Northshore Community Foundation administers the fund and 100% of all the money will go to charity. An advisory committee made up community members will ensure that the funds get into the hands of the folks in need quickly and efficiently.

5) How long will S.O.S beer be available?
SOS will be around for at least a year and we’ll keep making it as long the need is there.

6) If I do not get Abita S.O.S. in my area, can I still contribute?
You can purchase merchandise, like t-shirts, hats, car magnets and other items at our website sos.abita.com. 100% of the net proceeds go to the SOS fund. You can also make a direct tax-deductible donation to the fund at the site.

Full disclosure: BeerUtopia.com is running Abita S.O.S. banner ads on our side free of charge to help spread the word about this charity.

Hops are what gives beer it’s unique taste, bitterness and aroma. Researchers at N.C. State University are trying to see if Hops are a viable crop to grow.

Hoping to build on the craft-brewing and local food movements, N.C. State University researchers in Raleigh and a handful of farmers in the mountains are growing experimental plots of hops, the cone-shaped flower clusters that brewers add to beer for bitterness and aroma and as a natural preservative.

Jensen, who is growing on land once used for tobacco, said it’s a huge amount of work but one of the few crops that, on paper at least, could bring in decent income for farmers, which is what led her to try it. Hops can sell for more than $10 a pound in small quantities, and it’s not unusual for an acre to yield more than 2,000 pounds. (Read full article)

I will be trying to grow some Hops here in Arkansas and will keep you up to date with my success or failure. But at $10 a pound it’s worth a try.

As you should know, we are in the middle of American Craft Beer Week. A month ago, House Resolution 1297 was introduced and sponsored by Betsy Markey of Colorado to recognize and support the goals and ideals of American Craft Beer Week. Yesterday, May 18, it passed.

House Resolution 1297, sponsored by Rep. Betsy Markey, supports “the goals and ideals of American Craft Beer Week.”

“We’ve got quite a number of microbreweries and entrepreneurs that are creating jobs, and we wanted to celebrate that this is a craft,” Markey told POLITICO.

“I think beer has been a tradition since this country was founded,” said Markey. “We wanted to celebrate entrepreneurship — and good beer!”

May 17 – 23 is the official American Craft Beer Week. There are events planned all over the country. Go to AmericanCraftBeerWeek.com and select your state to see what is going on close to you.

From the Brewers Association:

Beer lovers, craft brewers, homebrewers, beer distributors, retailers, and even U.S. Congress are all making special plans for the annual American Craft Beer Week taking place across the country May 17-23. The “Mother of All Beer Weeks, ” organized by the Brewers Association, celebrates small and independent craft brewers and highlights all that America loves about craft beer. In 2006, the week became the largest national effort focusing on American craft brewers and remains so today.

…

A House of Representatives resolution, H.R. 1297 (PDF file), was introduced on April 22 to recognize and support the goals and ideals of American Craft Beer Week. This Congressional effort highlights the valuable role that small and independent craft brewers play through community citizenry, economic contributions—including the estimated 100,000 jobs in the industry–and the resurgence in a rich brewing culture not seen since before Prohibition.

Also, in the works for the 2010 American Craft Beer Week are special brewery tours, beer and food pairing events, special release craft beers and festivals all across the country. Participating breweries are encouraging beer enthusiasts to sign the Declaration of Beer Independence, an official document to support America’s small and independent craft brewers, which is available on the American Craft Beer Week website and Facebook page. And, both breweries and homebrewers alike will brew a special recipe called American Craft Beer Wheat to celebrate.

Watch CBS News Videos Online

On Sunday, April 25 The Gaslight Brew Club and the Daraughboard15 Beer Appreciation Club had its annual  bus trip to one of the country’s most excellent beer festivals – TAP NY at Hunter Mountain. There we had the ability to sample beers from over forty breweries and enjoy great food. This is the groups most popular trip of the year.

We started the morning with coffee and bagels at the Gaslight Brewery. At approximately 9:30, We settled in on the bus with a supply of brews on board for the ride to upstate New York. It was a fun, comedic and a slow trip. The bus driver or the bus seemed not to be able get up to speed.

This year, either due to the economy, weather or a combination of both, the event was a little lackluster as compared to NY Tap 2009. The food was a disappointment. The beer was the usual goodness. The people, not trashed, were entertaining. The beers I liked the most were Whiskey Porter from Browns Brewing, Dark Matter from Brooklyn Brewery, and creamy McStout from John Harvard’s Brew House.

Overall, the trip and event was decent and worth the day.

They say a picture is worth a thousand words. Hopefully these pictures I provide in the slideshow fill in where my words left off. They encompass the entire day. Enjoy.

For more information on TAP go to www.tap-ny.com

http://www.flickr.com/photos/gservo/sets/72157623940573264/show/

“May your glass be ever full. May the roof over your head be always strong. And may you be in heaven half an hour before the devil knows you’re dead.”
-Old Irish Toast

This post was submitted by gservo.

A 33 year old programmer tries to bring the monastic brewing tradition to Washington.

The 33-year-old computer programmer is neither a monk nor Catholic, but as he surveys this emerald-green oasis in the midst of the city, he talks excitedly about his “American abbey project”: an attempt to bring the monastic brewing tradition to Washington.

In bygone centuries, beer was safer to drink than water, and monks brewed it for their own consumption as well as to supply thirsty wayfarers. As early as the ninth century, the Abbey of St. Gall in Switzerland had three breweries in full operation. Today, there are perhaps 18 monastery breweries throughout Europe that earn their keep by selling beer, most famously the Belgian Trappist breweries such as Chimay and Orval.(full article via The Washington Post)

I have tried to tell every one a good craft beer is heavenly. Maybe I should talk to our local monks at Subiaco Abby and see it they have any beer brewing tips?

As a graphic designer I have always be fascinated with labels especially Beer and Wine labels. I was very interested when I ran across this article at DallasNews.com

Halbert, who lives in Fenton, Mo., has made a career out of illustrating beer labels. His work appears on packaging from Anheuser-Busch InBev, MillerCoors and Samuel Adams, so if you’ve had a beer in recent years, you’ve probably owned a piece of Halbert’s art.

Halbert specializes in scratchboard, a technique where the artist etches black-and-white images into a clay board, giving an old-time, engraved-wood appearance. Breweries’ design firms hire him to draw wheat strands or hop vines or malted grains for labels, packaging and advertisements. read full article here

I did a quick google search and found his website  http://www.inkart.com/index.html take a look and next time you drink a beer maybe Michael Halbert drew it

Workers at Carlsberg Brewery in Denmark strike after they are told they can only drink free beer at lunch…

Jens Bekke, a spokesman for Carlsberg, the world’s fourth-biggest brewer, said: ‘There has been free beer, water and soft drinks everywhere. Yesterday, beers were removed from all refrigerators.

He said drivers and warehouse workers were particularly upset because they have lost the right to drink three beers a day outside lunch hours. (from Dailymail.co.uk full article here)

I don’t know about you but a few beers at work makes work more fun. Maybe we should all strike for free beer…