Unibroue Beer Social @ 3 on Fourth

Hi Everyone.... Let's drink some beer shall we?
Hope you can make it.

I Want This Book!

So, October 18th, in the wonderful land of beer, a brand new book about Belgian Beer was introduced at the famous Bruges' Beer Pub't Brugs Beertje in Brugge, Belgium! This book is called "All Belgian Beers" and its about ALL THE BELGIAN BEERS IN THE WORLD! (which are only in Belgium) Yes. I want this book so badly.

Never before has such a comprehensive focused guide with 756 unique Belgian Beers been published. Actually I don't know if that's true, but it's a really comprehensive book! You know what the kicker is? It was written by a woman!

Hilde Deweer has painstakingly put together this 1568 page volume with great care and precision, highlighting each beer on 2 pages with a picture (pictures are good), flavor description, beer style, fermentation style, brewery, ingredients, alcohol volume percentage, color, appearance, serving tips, serving temperature, and other pertinent information. YEAH BEER CHICKS ROCK!

The other cool thing about this book is that while it is voluminous, its still small enough to fit inside your huge Chloe handbag. Keep it like a journal because the lower part of the left page has some space to write down personal experiences, so it's a book to carry with you - all the time. I want it.

I don't know if this book is available in the United States yet, but you can click HERE for more ordering details and information in English. The book is 35 Euro. I don't know how much that is in American dollars, but I want it.

Savor the Season - Thank You.

Thank you all of you who came to visit me tonight at the Tasting Experience at the Savor the Season event benefiting Break the Cycle. As per many of your requests, I'm posting the list of the beers I featured at the tasting. It was so much fun meeting so many people in my industry that are interested in quality over quantity and taste above all!

I need to also thank from the bottom of my heart Craftsman Brewing Company and Unibroue for once again providing me with some of the best beer in the world! Your beers won raves and made me look good.

I also wanted to say what a thrill it was to meet Bonnie Graves - Wine Consultant and Sommelier or as she says "Fancy Wine Girl," Joni and Denise of Saltistry or as I call them "the Salt Girls." You have to check out their salt gifts (truffle & salt - need I say more?) at their website. It was a thrill to meet Hasty, Madame Chocolate, THE most amazing Chocolatier ever, and Barrie Lynn, the Cheese Impressario - think 6 year aged artisanal cheddar in a dried hibiscus flower! GO CHICKS! You rock it! We will definitely work together again! All we need is a bacon girl....any out there?

Beer Celebration !!

I had a great time this past weekend hanging out at Stone Brewing's 11th Anniversary Party in Escondito, CA.

It was a fabulous event with thousands of craft beer fans and LOTS of really great beer.

Highlights were talking and filming with Stone Chairman, CEO and fellow beer blogger Greg Koch whose mantra, "Fizzy Yellow Beer is for Wussies," resonates in every one of his company's beers; and getting to walk around the event tasting and comparing beers with Mark Jilg, Owner and Brewmaster at Craftsman Brewing Company.

Other great things were Port Brewing's own Vince Marsaglia in a tent making Arrogant Bastard Ale Onion Rings (yummy), and getting freshly brewed soda's (my favorite was bright blue, tasty and refreshing) from people who call themselves The Society of Barley Engineers.

Here are some of my favorite beers of the festival:

Craftsman Berliner Weiss - Pasadena, CA
This is a style of unfiltered wheat beer that traditionally uses two different types of yeast that produces a light, bright, lemony, zesty and slightly sour beer. I had this paired with bratwurst and sour kraut and was a very happy chick. This is a new release from Craftsman shouldn't be missed. According to Mark, this beer is less than 4% abv. Perfect for the hot last dog days of summer.


Green Flash Summer Saison - Vista, CA
I loved this beer. This is a GREAT example of a well-rounded, perfectly balanced Saison. I find that some Saison styles made in the United States, although good beers in their own right, are much more similar to an American Hefeweizen than a true Saison, but Green Flash nailed it with this one. Rustic and earthy, but with a round finish, distinctive dryness and spicy high notes, this beer killed.

Victory Brewing Prima Pils - Downingtown, PA
This beer was a refreshing break from all of the really BIG beers that I was drinking. It was light and nuanced, reminding me of a true Czech Pilsner. Once again, I remind you girls that lager beers, even though we associate them with the bad tasting, industrialized beers of today, can actually be great beers if made with noble ingredients in a craft environment. This Pils is a nice example of that. Good balance, nice hop finish, malt-roundness, not too bitter.

Thomas Jefferson Ale -
Taps Fish House & Brewery - Brea, CA
I was glad to see my friend Victor Novak from Taps at this event. I really liked this beer, which he said is a beer Jefferson would have had brewed at Monticello two hundred years ago. They describe it as "deep reddish-brown, very full-bodied, with a hint of toffee and a complex, malty finish. " It was a delightful ale at 9.5%.

Savor the Season 2007

Okay, so I have been accused of not letting people know about events early enough, so here is the next one more than a month in advance! This one is kind of high-falutin, and not all about beer, but I'm thrilled to be included and to introduce a whole new group of people to the wide world of beer. I'm still figuring out what I'll be doing in my tasting garden area, but it will be cool, and I will keep you updated.

Here's what was written about the event in gayot.com.

Break the Cycle, an organization protecting the rights of teens experiencing dating violence, is celebrating more than a decade of work with Savor the Season 2007 - a grand tasting gala showcasing Los Angeles' top culinary talents for a night of food and wine, exclusive "tasting experiences," live and silent auctions, music and more. This year's lineup of chefs includes Michael Bryant, Bin 8945; Gautam Chaudhry & Mikel Mark Kim, Tanzore Restaurant & Lounge; Sal Marino, Il Grano; Bijan Shokatfard, Geoffrey's; Jared Simons, Violet; and Suzanne Tracht of Jar, among others.

VIP guests will relish in the Tasting Garden Experience in the Bamboo Garden, led by five culinary experts - Christina Perozzi, The Beer Chick; Barrie Lynn, The Cheese Impresario; Bonnie Graves, founder of Girl Meets Grape; Hasty Khoei, Madame Chocolat; and Joni Fay Hill & Denise Daclan of Saltistry.

General admission is $100; VIP package costs $250 and includes admission to the cocktail and hors d'oeuvres reception, early admission and silent auction preview, exclusive access to the Tasting Garden Experience, reserved seating and hosted parking, and gift bags with keepsake cookbook.

The VIP reception begins at 5 p.m. and the main event begins at 6:30 p.m. For tickets, call Break the Cycle at 310-424-2805 or visit www.savortheseason.org. Wallis Annenberg Building at Exposition Park, 700 State Dr., Los Angeles.

Lift a Pint for Michael Jackson

We've had a big loss in the beer community today. Beer expert Michael Jackson, whom I've mentioned several times in this blog, has passed away. I've read every book that he's written and often looked to them for guidance and answers. Here's what All About Beer Magazine wrote about him today.

"It's not often you get to know an honest to goodness giant. Michael Jackson was a giant, indeed, and his place in the beer community was unique. Now, he's gone. Not exactly surprising, given the state of his health, but still a shock.

Michael gave us our voice and vocabulary, and grounded the history and traditions of beer. Beginning in the seventies with the publication of the World Guide to Beer, Michael began beating the drum demanding more respect for beer. He swirled and tasted beer, filling pages with new words. He traveled unceasingly, discovering styles and traditions long gone or on their way out the door. He chided the mainstream press for its beer provincialism. He even wore one glove, just one glove, to mock a similarly named celebrity.

Originally a newspaper reporter, a badge he wore with pride, he never lost the newsman's love for a breaking story or a tight deadline. He was a prolific writer, an expert in whiskey and fine food as well as a pioneer beer writer.

We will all lift a pint in his memory.

Daniel & Julie Bradford"

Cheers Michael! I hope you are enjoying that big beer chalice in the sky!

If You Build It...

As promised, here is the menu and information for the awesome Summer Beer Bash that Hallie Beaune and I are hosting with Rustic Canyon Wine Bar and Seasonal Kitchen in Santa Monica on Monday, August 27th.

I'm not making any promises, but its looking like the brewers themselves might just be there for our reverence and beer geek questions! And don't forget that a portion of the proceeds are going to benefit Heal the Bay!

Click on the picture or here to enlarge and see the info.

I'm looking forward to seeing you all there!