I came across another couple of beer blogs today: SudsPundit and The Beer Blog. Actually, I found SudsPundit first via Technorati (linking to me here) and The Beer Blog via SudsPundit. They both look pretty good; check 'em out.

Yes, back online tonight (finally!) after the long weekend. So, let's get it started with three links I found interesting:

• Brewery responds to copyright fight with cheeky beer label: Bethlehem Brew Works had to rename their "Rudolph's Reserve" seasonal ale because of a copyright dispute. The new name? Rude Elf's Reserve. Nice.
• Ales for the seasons: Overview and roundup of some seasonal beers.
• Czech brewers defend their famous beer amid claims it is deteriorating: Trouble in the Old Country! :) I'm not sure why CAMRA is picking on Czech brewers... maybe the Brits are jealous because (according to the article) "Czechs annually drink 160 litres (42 gallon) of beer per head, more than any other nation"...?

As is obvious, I don't have much to write about beer at the moment. In the meantime, check out A Good Beer Blog. It's quite, er, good.

The Holiday Ale Festival is gearing up December 3rd through 5th in downtown Portland:

The only beer festival in the Northwest to be held outdoors in the dark, cold and often wet month of December, the Holiday Ale Festival is heated and tented, and takes place in the heart of downtown Portland at Pioneer Courthouse Square.

Highlights include on-site food, craft vendors selling unique handmade gifts, a root beer garden, appearances by Santa Claus and Ebenezer Scrooge, and seasonal background music. The event takes place in a clear topped tent underneath the boughs of one of the region's largest decorated Christmas trees.

Free admission, except for the $4 souvenir mug, and then $1 for a taster of beer and $4 for a full beer. Most of the breweries participating are from here in the Northwest.

Via BlueOregon.

Seems to be a busy night for blogging, and for brewery renovations. Anyway, found this on the Newport News-Times: Rogue Ales breaks ground on brewery expansion.

The $1.5 million brewery expansion project will add 30,000 square feet to the brewery and is the "final culmination of a major mistake" that began in 1989, Joyce said. At that time, the brewery was housed in an 800-square-foot building on the Newport Bayfront and employed seven people. Rogue Ales now employs 180 and after the expansion, will operate its brewery in a 55,000-square-foot facility....

The southwest corner of the brewery facility, where outside tanks sit on concrete near the west-facing loading bay, will soon house a new bottling line. The big cooler will be expanded, along with storage space for empty glass; and Joyce projects that in time, a distillery will be added for the production of Rogue Rum and upcoming offerings of Rogue vodka and gin.

The renovation will also include the addition of a museum and gift shop on the east end of the building to greet visitors of the planned Newport event center, and the repositioning of the loading bay doors to the south side - just east of the big red (empty) fermentation tank that serves as the brewery's gateway.

One of my favorite breweries getting bigger... that can only be a good thing.

We bottled up the Pumpkin Ale this evening, after 8 days in the fermenter. Normally, I would have racked it to a secondary fermenter for another week or so, but I wanted to be able to open a bottle (or two, or three...) for Thanksgiving next week, so no biggie. It smells pretty good, and tastes pretty good too (even for a green beer).

The final gravity is 1.014. So with the original gravity at 1.062, that equals an alcohol by volume of 6.3 percent. Not bad. I can't wait to open a bottle up next week!

Oh, for the interested, I primed it with one-half cup of honey boiled in one cup of water. Yes, honey. It ferments thoroughly and cleanly, and seemed like the perfect complement to this beer. (And, I don't have any corn sugar or malt extract handy to prime with...)

Andy pointed me to this story today: BridgePort BrewPub closing for 10-month renovation.

BridgePort BrewPub, a Portland landmark, will close its doors on Dec. 23 for a 10-month renovation.

...the remodel will retain the soul of the building, while broadening the appeal of the pub to the booming population of the surrounding neighborhood.

Changes include a bakery, a large glass atrium in the rooftop, expansion of the main bar to two stories, and the addition of a rooftop bar. BridgePort is the oldest microbrewery in Oregon, but I've never actually been to the brewpub. Sounds like some interesting changes, maybe I'll check it out sometime after next October if I happen to be in Portland.

10 months? Jeez. At least their brewing and dock sales will still be open...

Also BridgePort's own article here.

Ernie Garven, who wrote the jingle for Hamm's beer about the "land of sky-blue waters" (in 1952!), died last week at age 90.

Does anyone remember that jingle? Or even Hamm's beer? I sure do, but I'm beginning to think I'm the only one. I busted out that song on somebody at work not too long ago, and they looked at me like I was crazy. They didn't even recognize the Hamm's name. Oh well.

For posterity, the words are:

From the land of sky blue waters (waters),
From the land of pines, lofty balsams,
Comes the beer refreshing,
Hamm's, the beer refreshing.

Well, it's sort of a review: over on my other blog I wrote about visiting the Old St. Francis School after work today (er, yesterday). Basically, it's awesome. And there's a little bit about beer, too. :)

Looking for a way to gain notice of your beer and grow its popularity? Come up with a great, outstanding name. That, and relocate to Montana to brew—or at least that's the inference from this article. The highlight beer of the article is "Olde Bongwater Hemp Porter" (from Kettlehouse Brewing Company in Missoula, Montana). Hmm.

For small businesses trying to make a go of it in a competitive market, a good name is just as good as advertising without costing tons of money.

In Montana it is a strategy, often combined with the mystique of the state, that has made the state an unlikely player in the craft brew market in the western United States.

Consider, for example, Big Sky Brewing Co.'s Moose Drool Brown Ale, sold in 10 states from Wisconsin to Washington and Alaska....

It's an equation that favors Montana. And like the brews they represent, Montana beer names have earned national attention from beer drinkers and experts alike. Moose Drool was the top vote-getter in a 2002 national survey of top 10 beer names in the country. Erin Go Braless, of Kettlehouse Brewing Co., earned special mention and the pub's Bongwater has often been cited as an excellent and provocative name, Hieronymous said.

Without a doubt, having a good name—in any business model, not just brewing—can help you stand out and be noticed. Rogue does a good job of that with their beers, for example (Dead Guy Ale, anyone?). However, I think a name like "Olde Bongwater" is, for me at least, something I would likely avoid.

This article from the Mail Tribune highlights three small breweries in Southern Oregon—Caldera Brewing Company and Standing Stone Brewing Company of Ashland, and Walkabout Brewing Company of Central Point—and hits upon the growth the industry is starting to see again. I found it particularly interesting because these truly are small breweries:

"We're continually growing," Caldera head brewer and co-owner Jim Mills said. "It's not super-fast, but we're up about 11 percent year-to-date."

Upstart Walkabout has seen double-digit growth the last couple of years and is catching up to Caldera's production level.

...According to the Oregon Liquor Control Commission, Caldera sold 887.6 barrels of beer (a barrel is two kegs) in the state during the first six months of the year, making it Oregon's 35th top seller of beer.

Standing Stone's sales also have increased. President Emile Amarotico estimated the brewpub will sell about 310 barrels of beer in 2004, up from 300 barrels last year. Aside from some individual keg sales, Standing Stone sells the majority by the pint or pitcher inside the restaurant. Through the end of June, they had sold 135.5 barrels, according to OLCC figures.

So, roughly, Caldera will be at about 1500-1700 barrels for the year, Standing Stone at 310, and Walkabout at 533. I would probably classify these guys as "picobreweries" rather than microbreweries (except for Standing Stone, which is a brewpub), but it's good to know they're seeing growth (and it's good to know where to go next time I'm in the area).

Looks like McMenamins Old St. Francis School will be doing a "soft launch" by opening their doors on the 16th, two days before their official grand opening. If you're in Bend on Tuesday, grab your chance!

News of the weird: Brewing company goes looking for Lemurians. It's very odd; I've heard the term "Lemurians" before but I didn't know they were supposed to be living on or under Mt. Shasta.

Even worse, I didn't know there was a brewing company in Weed (California)! We drove through there a little over a month ago when we took a trip to San Diego.

Plenty of lore surrounds the Lemurians, a mysterious civilization some say is real and others consider the leprechauns of the north state.

Regardless, the Mount Shasta Brewing Co., based in Weed, wants to know what a Lemurian looks like. Owner Vaune Dillmann said his Siskiyou County brewery has concocted a beer dubbed "Lemurian Lager."

Seen a Lemurian lately?

The Mount Shasta Brewing Co. in Weed is holding a contest asking for images of Lemurians, a fantastic civilization said to inhabit Mt. Shasta. The winning picture or description, received by Nov. 26, will bring $100 and become the label for the brewery's latest beer, Lemurian Lager.

Seems innocuous enough. But you can always count on the crazies to come out of the woodwork...

But in the spiritually attuned city, not everyone is pleased with the idea of a Lemurian marketing a cold frothy one.

"It's like advertising Jesus drinking beer," Aurelia Louise Jones of Mount Shasta said in disgust.

Jones, a writer and leader of spiritual workshops, said she is in contact with Lemurians and has written books about them in four languages.

Making Lemurians advocates of alcohol is ridiculous, ignorant and breeds misconceptions about them, she said.

"They are beings of light. They don't drink beer, and they would be a very poor representation," she said.

Kuro5hin has a decent article on brewing beer (Contradiction in Terms: How to make beer) that does a good job of covering the basics, from ingredients to drinking. Actually, looking it over again, it's probably one of the better online beginner's sources for brewing, concise and well written. I don't necessarily agree with all the steps, but you won't go wrong following it.

My batch of Pumpkin Ale is fermenting up nicely. When I checked it this morning, roughly 12 hours after I pitched the yeast, it was already active—the airlock was percolating beautifully. And it's going strong this evening, too. This should turn out to be a good beer.

I started a batch of my Pumpkin Ale this evening, five gallons of it, and now the house smells like sweet wort and pumpkin pie. I think it'll turn out to be a good beer, no problems at all tonight, not even a runaway hot break (which leads to a potential boilover).

The yeast I used is Wyeast's American Ale 1056, in the new, giant "Activator" smack pack. If it takes off as promised, I'm sold on these big yeast packs, especially since I don't have the time like I used to to be culturing a "regular" smack pack of yeast for a few days in anticipation of when I might be able to brew... This one was smacked by 5:30 pm, and was ready to burst by 8:40 pm or so, when I was ready to pitch. I've never seen liquid yeast start that quickly, so I have high hopes.

Another note about American Ale 1056 in this recipe: it's a good clean yeast that works well for this type of flavored beer. Plus, since pumpkin ales are rather uniquely an American innovation, it just seems more fitting to use this yeast.

I also used Irish Moss for clarification (trivia: Irish Moss is really a seaweed). One teaspoon five minutes before the end of the boil does the trick.

The original gravity is 1.062, if anyone's interested. I used six pounds of amber dried malt extract (didn't bother with the syrup), one-half pound of 40L crystal, one-half pound of malted wheat, and three-quarters of a pound of Vienna malt. I'll post more updates as the beer progresses, and provide a full report when it's done.

Interesting story on the AP that I picked up from DuluthNewsTribune.com on the historical remnants being unearthed at the now-defunct Pabst headquarters.

A yellowed visitors' registry and vintage photographs uncovered in a basement storage area of the former brewing complex provide a link to the rich heritage of Pabst, once the nation's largest brewer.

A calendar on the wall in one corporate office is still turned to December 1996, when the brewing era came to a halt at the 22-acre complex. Dusty ornaments hang on an artificial balsam Christmas tree in another office area, a reminder of happier times when Pabst managers gathered in Blue Ribbon Hall at the end of the week to swap stories and share the product they had a hand in making....

Remnants of Pabst's brewing history remained behind at the Milwaukee headquarters, some evident in the elaborate carvings and stained glass at its offices and visitors' center, others boxed and buried in the basement.

The Pabst complex remained undisturbed until developers purchased the $10.3 million property in September 2002 and meticulously began picking through the past.

"It looked like a bomb went through it and wiped out all human life and left everything else intact," said Paul Bertling, a partner in Brew City Redevelopment Group.

Brew City president Jim Haertel and his sister, Linda Gleason, of Mesa, Ariz., poked around a basement storage area.

"We saw piles of boxes and papers. We were like, 'What is this?' When we started going through we saw (photographs of) Groucho Marx and Danny Kaye. And we were like, 'Oh, my gosh, these are people that have visited here and left their mark on this place,'" Gleason said. "It was such a thrill because it was history coming to life right there."

I wonder if they're documenting this stuff online anywhere?

Too far for a beer?

A woman has been arrested for digging up her dead boyfriend's ashes from a cemetery more than 10 years ago and drinking the beer that was buried with him, possibly out of spite for his family, authorities say.

I have to wonder: why was he buried with beer in the first place, and what kind was it?

Via A Good Beer Blog.

The 2004 Jubelale from Deschutes Brewery has been out for about a month now, and it's quite tasty. I hadn't yet seen this year's label though until my wife picked up a six-pack this week.

Each year Deschutes commissions a (relatively) local artist to create a label for that year's batch of Jubel. I really like the one they have this year:

Kathleen Powers, a Portland artist who is influenced by 15th Century Flemish painting, illustrated the Jubelale artwork for 2004. Her style encompasses exquisite detail, vivid color and an implied narrative. Her interest in Ireland's countryside also played into the whimsical features for this year's Jubelale art. See more of Kathleen's work online at www.kathleenpowers.com.

I wish I could find a better image than just the bottle there; click it to see the larger one on Deschutes' website.

True to form, the beer itself doesn't disappoint, either; it's rich, malty, sweet, hoppy, has perfect mouthfeel and just the right amount of warmth from the alcohol (6.7% by volume). If you get a chance to get a hold of some, do not pass it up.

The International Mead Festival is taking place November 5th and 6th (this weekend) in Boulder, Colorado. It bills itself as "the worlds' largest and most prestigious mead competition and festival."

Saturday, November 6th is the Georgia Craft Brew Challenge in Atlanta. This is interesting because in Georgia, apparently, beer can't legally have more than 6 percent alcohol (by volume, I assume). So you can't get barleywines, doppelbocks, strong ales, and the like there... This event appears to work around the law and helps to raise awareness to try to change it.

Also November 6th, the Belgian Beer Fest cranks up in Boston. It will "will feature some of the finest Belgian-style artisanal beers from Belgium and North America, plus thoughtful food selections and plenty of beer education." Mmmm... Belgian beer...

The Arizone Real Ale Festival is hitting Phoenix on Saturday the 13th.

The San Diego Wet Hop Beer Festival is at O'Brien's Pub on Saturday the 20th. According to RateBeer, there will be "More than a dozen wet hop beers on draft and cask will be featured from at least three states." Sounds interesting.

Also the 20th (and 21st), the Great Brews of America Classic Beer Festival is taking place in Lake Harmony, Pennsylvania (in the Pocono Mountains). Over 50 beers, music, food and seminars should make this an interesting one.