Thank You

Just wanted to say a quick thank you to the people who helped make Beer 101 such a success last night. Attendees, you were a great audience: receptive, asking intelligent questions and appreciating great beer. Ian Blackburn and the Learn About Wine crew, thank you so much for your hard work. Pouring so many beers to so many people is not an easy task. I'd also like to thank Craftsman Brewing Company, Deschutes Brewery and Epic Wines for supplying our group with some of the best adult beverages in the world. If you attended, I would love for you to drop a line to give feedback. We'll be doing more classes in the future. Right now we're thinking about doing an Oktoberfest class exploring German beers as well as a Holiday Seasonal Ales class for, you know...the Holidays. These are in the works.. so stay tuned and thank you once again. Please click on the links below to be directed to the brewery sites if you want more information on the beers that were featured at the seminar.

Sincerely,
C to the P

Craftsman Brewing Company
1260 Lincoln Avenue #100
Pasadena, CA 91103
626-296-ALES
www.craftsmanbrewing.com

Deschutes Brewery, Inc.
541-385-8606 p.
541-383-4505 f.
901 SW Simpson Ave.
Bend, Oregon 97702
www.deschutesbrewery.com

Epic Wines
P.O. Box 39
Santa Cruz, CA
800-322-3742
www.epic-wines.com

Just Like Heaven

Every once in a great great while, something is brought to my attention that I had absolutely no idea existed: something so extraordinarily wonderful, that I am astounded by my own ignorance. It happened yesterday while I was watching the Food Network.

I was preparing for my Beer 101 class and half listening to the TV when I heard "stout" and then I heard "ice cream" and then I heard "float" What? I backed up the DVR and low and behold, it was true. Using Guiness Stout instead of root beer, they were making Stout Floats.

A beer ice cream float? Shut up!

Apparently, this idea has been around for quite some time, and I can see why. Beer actually pairs beautifully with dessert. Rich full-flavored beers are needed to balance the sweetness of most desserts. According to the Brewer's Association, "Chocolate loves a dark beer. Milk chocolate is wonderful with Belgian-inspired strong dark ales...Fruit beers have an obvious affinity for fruit desserts, but they can be magic with chocolate as well."

So... back to the beer float - just imagine the possibilities: a Young's Double Chocolate Stout and Ben & Jerry's Vanilla Ice Cream, A Rogue Hazelnut Brown Ale with Chocolate Ice Cream, Haagen Daz Strawberry Cheesecake swirl and a fruity Belgian lambic. Its genius. Its inspired. Its just like heaven.

School is in Session

In partnership with Learn About Wine, I am teaching my very first Beer class and tasting! Learn About Wine is right in line with what I'm trying to do with beer. Ian Blackburn, the founder of Learn About Wine, has a list of unique classes, events and tours that remain on the cutting edge of the industry. His classes and events push aside the myths and legends and give you the information you need to advance your wine knowledge and appreciation. It's fun, friendly and great for all experience levels!

	Beer 101 - The History, Folklore, Appreciation and Much More! Learn the different beer styles, from Pilsner to India Pale Ale. Learn how to store, pour, and serve beer the proper way (yes there is a right way!) Be enticed by the stories of beer coming from centuries of brewing, drinking, and kegs of enjoyment. Learn how to distinguish the subtle flavors of beer, proper vocabulary and tasting/food pairing techinic. Sample from a variety of high quality brews such as: Mirror Pond Ale Black Butte Porter Obsidian Stout Inversion IPA Castelain Scaldis Saison Dupont Craftsman Favorites: Triple White Sage Heavenly Hefe 1903 Prohibition Lager Biere de Blanco Orange Grove Ale Location: Monsoon 1212 3rd St Promenade Santa Monica, CA 90403 Date: Thursday, Sep. 07, 2006 7:00 PM - 9:00 PM Only $39 with advance ticket purchase; $49 at the door Do not wait, these tickets will sell out!
	CLICK HERE TO PURCHASE TICKETS