| FEATURE NEWS |
| Oat Milk Beer It seems Americans can’t get enough oat milk of late. Sales of the plant-based milk have surged by more than 300% in the past few months. So, what’s next? An oat-milk beer, of course. Dogfish Head, the Delaware-based brewer that’s now owned by the maker of Sam Adams beer and is a major name in the world of craft beer, has just introduced Hazy-O!, a product that’s indeed made with oat milk. Dogfish founder Sam Calagione says he was noting how popular the plant milk was becoming and thought it might be the “perfect ingredient” for a hazy IPA, a style of IPA that’s less bitter. He says he was particularly inspired by his conversations with baristas, who praised oat milk for “its silky-smooth attributes.” The process of making the beer is not so simple, however. Dogfish’s recipe doesn’t just call for oat milk to be used in the brewing, but also different types of oats themselves, from rolled to malted. But in any case, the beer fits into the Dogfish lineup. Now you really can put beer on your Cheerios though Calagione suggests pairing Hazy-O! with spicy foods, particularly hot wings or curry. . |
| Brewery Manager a Bi**H A customer recently cussed out one of the employees of a brewery over the mask policy, and then followed it up with a thoughtful email that read: “Ya’ll suck. Your manager is bitch and your beer tastes like hot old orange juice.” And with that, Beale’s Beer in Virginia has just announced a new beer called “Your Manager Is Bitch,” directly mocking said customer. I know, I know, the name is lacking an “A,” but that’s because the brilliant customer forgot about a type-o. And although the customer’s email claimed their beer tasted like hot, old OJ, Beale’s new “Your Manager Is Bitch” actually tastes like pecan pie, with “notes of caramelized sugar and warm, toasted pecans.” It's quite good by all accounts. They even included the hateful email on the can just to dig the customer even further in the ground. "I know this might be the ultimate petty move, but I gotta say, I’m all about it. In fact, I absolutely love it." said the offended manager. "B.C." |
April 2021
| Virginia Beer Co. Wins Championship “Champion Brewery” has a nice ring to it, and that’s just what Beer52 — a United Kingdom based craft beer cultivation and subscription organization that serves thousands of international brews annually throughout the UK — has named The Virginia Beer Company. There is no secret that Williamsburg’s Virginia Beer Co. loves sharing beers & cheers abroad. Since opening in 2016, the brewery has been working closely with the Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, the Virginia Economic Development Partnership, and the Brewers Association‘s EDP to bring the flavors of Williamsburg to Europe, Asia, South America, Australia, New Zealand, and the United Kingdom. "We were of course humbled, flattered, and thrilled to learn that the thousands of subscribers to Beer52 had voted VBC as their favorite US brewery of 2020,” reflected VBC Brewmaster Jonathan Newman. Despite the many variabilities that 2020-21 has brought, the Virginia Beer Co. more than quadrupled its international exports in 2020 No Food, Just Beer William Shakespeare said that "a quart of ale is a meal for a king." A brewery owner in Cincinnati, Ohio is catching that spirit for Lent. Del Hall will be drinking a lot of beer over the next six weeks, because he will be on a liquid diet of beer, coffee, tea and water. "I'll be having three to five beers per day. It's not like I'm drinking constantly. If you are, you know, eating your standard diet, it gets boring. You don't eat the same thing every day. So I'm definitely not gonna drink the same thing every day," said Hall. This is the third Lenten season Hall has been on a beer diet for Lent. He says each year he loses 40-50 pounds, getting all of his calories from beer. Not only does he lose weight each year, he also lowers his cholesterol and blood pressure. "How does your body adjust to it? Are you drunk all the time?" "No, the human body is an amazing thing. We are used to going through as hunter- gatherers, feast and famine, right? The problem is, we never go through the famine any more," explained Hall. Hall is co-owner of 16 Lots Brewery in Mason, OH. He knows firsthand how the pandemic has affected bars, restaurants and breweries. This Lent, he's going to raise money for those local businesses through Sergeant Del's virtual tip jar. When Lent is over, Hall will take all of the money he has raised, and share it evenly with the bars and restaurants that ask to be part of the fundraiser. And don't worry, he says safety is important and he always has a designated driver. " Last year I became Uber platinum through this ordeal, I used Uber so much."The Lent season will last until Holy Saturday on April third. Hop Time The process of growing hops is pretty simple, according to Ryan Roesler. Homebrewers can start by planting the hops around springtime usually, allowing them to grow up a trellis, clothing line, deck, or fence. The hops can then grow upwards, anywhere from 12 to 14 ft. The hops need to dry for two to three days after harvest. Early in the process, the young hops are actually edible. They can also be made into decorations. "In the springtime when the hops chutes first come out of the group, they'll look very similar to an asparagus," said Roesler. "They're purple, and you can clip those off and steam them or saute them and they're very good." Get busy and plant your hops now! |
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