tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-51810103067676132252024-03-12T21:05:59.213-07:001800MicrobrewiDictate and Quicktatehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00085607959047709822noreply@blogger.comBlogger4125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5181010306767613225.post-19745802439994980122014-02-08T07:42:00.000-08:002014-02-08T07:45:09.128-08:00Overflow crowd of beer lovers awaits Pliny the Younger<h1 class="headline entry-title" style="background-color: white; border: 0px none; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 1.5em; margin: 0px; outline: none 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
Overflow crowd of beer lovers awaits Pliny the Younger</h1>
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<span class="name" style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Kurtis Alexander</span></h5>
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Updated 10:55 pm, Friday, February 7, 2014</h5>
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Brandon Frankel takes a big whiff of the ale as he tastes it for the first time. Frankel drove from Los Angeles for the event. Photo: Lacy Atkins, The Chronicle</div>
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You don't call this stuff brewski.</div>
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The hundreds of people who lined up in the rain in downtown Santa Rosa on Friday morning - some arriving the night before with umbrellas, North Face parkas and a good bit of facial hair - came to pay tribute to craft beer.</div>
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Specifically, they sought this year's batch of Pliny the Younger, a super-hoppy, high-alcohol "triple IPA" that has silenced the whiniest of beer snobs and put the small<a href="http://www.sfgate.com/?controllerName=search&action=search&channel=food&search=1&inlineLink=1&query=%22Russian+River+Brewing+Co.%22" style="border: 0px; color: #015660; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Russian River Brewing Co.</a> on the map. Some call it the best beer on Earth.</div>
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With a limited supply available, the annual release on the first Friday of February has become an affair akin to the revealing of an Apple gadget or a cult sneaker, a testament to a craft-beer explosion in which imperial stouts and sour ales have nudged into a marketplace once dominated by the likes of Miller and Bud.</div>
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Sales of Russian River ales and other U.S. specialty brews have pushed craft-beer sales to 10.2 percent of the domestic beer market, in dollar terms, according to the Brewers Association, an industry group.</div>
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"Believe the hype," said 28-year-old <a href="http://www.sfgate.com/?controllerName=search&action=search&channel=food&search=1&inlineLink=1&query=%22Darin+Yamashita%22" style="border: 0px; color: #015660; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Darin Yamashita</a>, who flew in from Hawaii on Thursday with his brother just for a taste of the prized juice. "I love it. Bitter, but very, very smooth."</div>
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The doors of the taproom opened shortly before 11 a.m. to those who waited the longest - hardy souls who closed the bar the previous night, then headed outside with lawn chairs. As the day wore on, the line didn't let up, with enthusiasts reporting wait times of up to six hours.</div>
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"It's all about the experience," said <a href="http://www.sfgate.com/?controllerName=search&action=search&channel=food&search=1&inlineLink=1&query=%22Jon+Houland%22" style="border: 0px; color: #015660; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Jon Houland</a>, who came from Minnesota's Twin Cities for the storied release. "Where else besides church and comic book conventions are you going to find people interested in the same thing you are? Everyone is speaking beer."</div>
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The hubbub over Pliny the Younger, now in its 10th year, went beyond the swillers. Opportunistic merchants hawked herbal tea and pizza to out-of-towners. Two hotels offered special "Younger packages." Though one elderly woman who walked by the line was perplexed - "What's everyone waiting for, free coffee?" she asked - the local paper pronounced, "Let the Pliny Madness Begin."</div>
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Brewmaster <a href="http://www.sfgate.com/?controllerName=search&action=search&channel=food&search=1&inlineLink=1&query=%22Vinnie+Cilurzo%22" style="border: 0px; color: #015660; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Vinnie Cilurzo</a>, who owns the pub with his wife, Natalie, has come to expect crowds for Pliny the Younger. But he said he's still humbled by the turnout.</div>
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Widely credited for introducing the double IPA (India pale ale) style, Cilurzo described his triple IPA as chock-full of hoppy bitterness and aromatics. Pliny the Younger pushes the upper limits on flavor for beer, but still achieves a flawless balance, or so say the critics.</div>
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"If there's anything that makes it a little different this year, and better, it's that we've become better as brewers at selecting the hops," Cilurzo said.</div>
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The line to taste Pliny the Younger at the <a href="http://www.sfgate.com/?controllerName=search&action=search&channel=food&search=1&inlineLink=1&query=%22San+Francisco+Beer+Week+Opening+Gala%22" style="border: 0px; color: #015660; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">San Francisco Beer Week Opening Gala</a> on Friday night wasn't as long as the one in Santa Rosa, but it was close. More than 100 people lined up for the Younger when the doors opened at 6, but hundreds of others bypassed the fervor and sampled the pale ales, IPAs, stouts, sours and other styles from the 80 other breweries in attendance.</div>
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The craft beer spectacle at the South of Market event was part 24-course tasting menu and part high school kegger. Beer industry representatives from <a href="http://www.sfgate.com/?controllerName=search&action=search&channel=food&search=1&inlineLink=1&query=%22Sierra+Nevada%22" style="border: 0px; color: #015660; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Sierra Nevada</a>, Lagunitas, Anchor, Linden Street and other Northern California breweries showed off their finest craft beers, some of which, including Lagunitas' S.F. Beer Week Fusion, were brewed specially for this week.</div>
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S.F. Beer Week "has gotten bigger and bigger and bigger," said <a href="http://www.sfgate.com/?controllerName=search&action=search&channel=food&search=1&inlineLink=1&query=%22Bob+Brewer%22" style="border: 0px; color: #015660; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Bob Brewer</a>, who has worked at Anchor Brewing for 29 years, attended the Opening Gala since its founding and swears that's his real surname. "It's an invitational now. It's a phenomenon."</div>
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Pliny the Younger is named after the storied lawyer and author from ancient Rome. It's available only on draft and rationed over a course of two weeks, through Feb. 20.</div>
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Bowman Chaney wasn't taking a chance, nabbing the first spot in line. "I always wanted the chance to try it," said the 24-year-old from Sacramento. "It's like Disney World here, but for adults."</div>
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Brewing an ardent following</h3>
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It has been 10 years since Russian River Brewing Co. introduced its Pliny the Younger Triple IPA. In a decade, the beer's limited February release has become perhaps the biggest phenomenon in the U.S. craft beer industry and has helped propel Russian River into the top tier of American craft breweries. Here's a timeline of the brewery and its most famous brews:</div>
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<strong style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">1994: </strong>Vinnie Cilurzo, who grew up in a winemaking family, founds <a href="http://www.sfgate.com/?controllerName=search&action=search&channel=food&search=1&inlineLink=1&query=%22Blind+Pig+Brewing+Co.%22" style="border: 0px; color: #015660; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Blind Pig Brewing Co.</a> in Temecula (Riverside County). He operates it for about three years.</div>
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<strong style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">1997: </strong>Cilurzo and his wife, Natalie, move to Sonoma County. He starts work as the brewmaster at Russian River Brewing Co., an operation then owned by Korbel Champagne Cellars.</div>
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<strong style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">2000: </strong>Russian River debuts its double-hopped India pale ale, Pliny the Elder, at the Double IPA Festival in Hayward. Its namesake is the Roman naturalist and philosopher who died in 79 A.D. and who some folks say was one of the first people to write about hops. The name's genesis aside, the beer still holds a perfect 100 score on beer-rating website Beer Advocate and is the No. 3 beer overall.</div>
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<strong style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">2003: </strong>Korbel sells the Russian River brand to the Cilurzos.</div>
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<strong style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">2004: </strong>Russian River Brewing's brewpub opens in downtown Santa Rosa.</div>
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<strong style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">2005: </strong>Pliny the Younger debuts. The triple-hopped India pale ale clocks in with an alcohol content of more than 10 percent. It's available for only two weeks a year because of its time- and cash-consuming brewing process.</div>
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<strong style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">2008: </strong>Cilurzo wins the Brewers Association's Russell Schehrer Award for Innovation in Craft Brewing, one of the industry's most prestigious honors.</div>
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<strong style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">2008: </strong>Russian River's production brewery opens about a mile from the brewpub, allowing for beers to get to three times as many thirsty fans.</div>
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<strong style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">2010: </strong>Beer Advocate users give Pliny the Younger a perfect score and the No. 1 ranking, making it the unofficial best beer in the U.S. The day of the beer's February release, Russian River is overwhelmed by the throngs of fans and runs out of the Younger within hours.</div>
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<strong style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">2013: </strong>Russian River works with the <a href="http://www.sfgate.com/?controllerName=search&action=search&channel=food&search=1&inlineLink=1&query=%22Flamingo+Hotel%22" style="border: 0px; color: #015660; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Flamingo Hotel</a> in Santa Rosa on a special Pliny the Younger package deal in response to the throngs of suds-soaked tourists who flock to Santa Rosa each February. (A second hotel joins in on the promotion in 2014.)</div>
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<strong style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">2014: </strong>Pliny pursuers should expect a line at the Russian River brewpub that at times surpasses last year's eight-hour wait.</div>
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<em style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">- <a href="http://www.sfgate.com/?controllerName=search&action=search&channel=food&search=1&inlineLink=1&query=%22Tim+O%27Rourke%22" style="border: 0px; color: #015660; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Tim O'Rourke</a></em></div>
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<a href="http://www.sfgate.com/?controllerName=search&action=search&channel=food&search=1&inlineLink=1&query=%22San+Francisco+Chronicle%22" style="border: 0px; color: #015660; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">San Francisco Chronicle</a> staff writer Tim O'Rourke contributed to this report. Kurtis Alexander is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. E-mail: <a href="mailto:kalexander@sfchronicle.com" style="border: 0px; color: #015660; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">kalexander@sfchronicle.com</a>Twitter: <a href="http://twitter.com/kurtisalexander" style="border: 0px; color: #015660; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">@kurtisalexander</a></div>
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iDictate and Quicktatehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00085607959047709822noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5181010306767613225.post-23893700419369321172013-05-06T15:52:00.000-07:002013-05-06T15:55:15.000-07:00 8 best beer towns in the USA<br />
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8 best beer towns in the USA</h1>
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By <strong style="color: black; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">Lauren Passell</strong>, for CNN</div>
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updated 1:39 PM EDT, Mon May 6, 2013</div>
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<img alt="The nation's civic leaders in making, celebrating and, of course, drinking hop juice. " src="http://i2.cdn.turner.com/cnn/dam/assets/130503105537-usa-beer-bend-horizontal-gallery.jpg" /></div>
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<strong style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">STORY HIGHLIGHTS</strong></div>
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<li style="background-color: transparent; background-image: url(http://i.cdn.turner.com/cnn/.e/img/3.0/global/red_bull.gif); background-position: 0px 5px; background-repeat: no-repeat no-repeat; border: 0px; color: #333333; font-family: arial; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 9px 7px; vertical-align: baseline;">Portland, Oregon, boasts more breweries than any city in the world</li>
<li style="background-color: transparent; background-image: url(http://i.cdn.turner.com/cnn/.e/img/3.0/global/red_bull.gif); background-position: 0px 5px; background-repeat: no-repeat no-repeat; border: 0px; color: #333333; font-family: arial; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 9px 7px; vertical-align: baseline;">San Diego, California, was chosen to host 2012 World Beer Cup -- the "Olympics of Beer"</li>
<li style="background-color: transparent; background-image: url(http://i.cdn.turner.com/cnn/.e/img/3.0/global/red_bull.gif); background-position: 0px 5px; background-repeat: no-repeat no-repeat; border: 0px; color: #333333; font-family: arial; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 9px 7px; vertical-align: baseline;">Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, is a beer explorer's must-see town, despite state controls that regulate purchases of packaged beer</li>
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<strong style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">(CNN)</strong> -- The history of beer in the United States is a rich one dating back to the colonies, when soldiers were paid in spruce beer and cider. From there beer weathered a Revolution, Prohibition and a right turn at Albuquerque before positively exploding with deregulation of the industry through the early 1980s.</div>
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Ever since, Americans have been sampling, celebrating and sophisticating the unofficial national beverage in ways previously unimaginable, and it seems nearly every town's gotten into the act.</div>
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But not all cities are carbonated equal. Some have begun to take beer personally, innovating its craft and consumption and throwing festivals to honor the finest ales and lagers -- creating a blueprint for the rest of the country to follow. Still others have been doing this all along.</div>
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This is the story of those towns, the top eight cities in America for beer explorers.</div>
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We've scored each out of 10 for history, breweries, bars and events, and would like to think every one of you will read the whole piece quietly, captions and all, nodding sagely as the indisputable truth of every line hits home. But, this is the Internet and if there's one place where froth belongs besides the top of your pint of ale, it's the comment box below. Feel free.</div>
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<img alt="Portland, Oregon: More breweries than any city in the world, where you'll find Hopworks Urban Brewery, Alameda Brewing Company, Cascade Brewing and family-owned Hair Of The Dog, all renowned for their care and creativity." src="http://i2.cdn.turner.com/cnn/dam/assets/130503104656-usa-beer1-portland-horizontal-gallery.jpg" height="180" width="320" /></div>
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<strong style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">1. Portland, Oregon</strong></div>
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<strong style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">History: </strong>6<br />
<strong style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">Breweries: </strong>10<br />
<strong style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">Bars: </strong>10<br />
<strong style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">Events: </strong>7</div>
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Portland boasts more breweries (52) than any city in the world. It's also America's largest craft brewing market, with 69 breweries in the greater metro area, owing to state sales regulations that favor consumer tastes over discounts and kickbacks, allowing small brewers to compete with mass marketers.</div>
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But the Rose City isn't just about quantity. PDX is where you'll find Hopworks Urban Brewery, Alameda Brewing Company, Cascade Brewing, and family-owned Hair Of The Dog, all nationally renowned for their care and creativity.</div>
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Fairs like The Oregon Brewer's Festival, the Portland International Beer Festival, and Portland Beer Week -- America's first organic beer festival -- ensure that beer spirit in the city runs high all year, while <a href="http://hopworksbeer.com/biketobeerfest" style="border: 0px; color: #004276; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;" target="_blank">Biketobeerfest</a> celebrates two things exalted by the region: bikes and beer. Portland is also home to five of Draft magazine's top 100 craft bars -- Saraveza Bottle Shop & Pasty Tavern, Horse Brass Pub, Apex, Bailey's Tap Room, and Belmont Station.</div>
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<strong style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">Top draws:</strong> Hopworks Urban Crosstown Pale, Deschutes Hop Trip Ale</div>
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<img alt="The Bay Area is bursting with micro- and nanobreweries that have been experimenting with food-inspired brews like nowhere else. The city's Toronado Pub hosts arguably America's preeminent barleywine festival." src="http://i2.cdn.turner.com/cnn/dam/assets/130503104703-usa-beer2-san-francisco-horizontal-gallery.png" height="180" width="320" /></div>
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<strong style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">2. San Francisco, California</strong></div>
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<strong style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">History:</strong> 8<br />
<strong style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">Breweries:</strong> 9<br />
<strong style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">Bars:</strong> 9<br />
<strong style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">Events: </strong>7</div>
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The Bay Area is bursting with micro- and nanobreweries that have been experimenting with food-inspired brews like nowhere else. Take Almanac, which uses seasonal produce in its brews, or Moonlight Brewing Company, which picks redwood twigs and cedar bark from brewer Brian Hunt's own backyard.</div>
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There's history here, too. The sale of Anchor Steam Brewery in the 1960s precipitated the production of several signature beers at a time when mass-marketed light beers were the trend. The following decade saw the opening of New Albion Brewing in Sonoma, the first new brewery in California since Prohibition and the first microbrewery in America.</div>
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Following suit have been 21st Amendment Brewery, Speakeasy, Drake's, Black Diamond and Social Kitchen and Brewery. Notable bars include La Trappe Cafe and The Toronado Pub, which hosts arguably America's preeminent barleywine festival. And finally, there's San Francisco's Beer Week and the San Francisco International Beer Fest.</div>
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<strong style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">Top draws:</strong> Moylan's Tipperary Pale Ale, 21st Amendment Brew</div>
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<img alt="With 30-plus breweries in the county and its own IPA category, San Diego's a beacon on any beer explorer's map. " src="http://i2.cdn.turner.com/cnn/dam/assets/130503104710-usa-beer3-san-diego-horizontal-gallery.jpg" height="180" width="320" /></div>
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<strong style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">3. San Diego, California</strong></div>
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<strong style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">History:</strong> 5<br />
<strong style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">Breweries:</strong> 10<br />
<strong style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">Bars: </strong>9<br />
<strong style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">Events:</strong> 8</div>
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With 30-plus breweries in the county and its own IPA category, San Diego's a beacon on any beer explorer's map. For a pint, hit up former firefighter Pat McIlhenney's beer-centric restaurant, the Linkery, which offers brew-paired dinners, and Toronado, which boasts an exhaustive beer list.</div>
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A trip to San Diego isn't complete without sampling the suds at Karl Strauss, Ballast Point, Lost Abbey, Green Flash, and Stone Brewing Co., declared by <a href="http://beeradvocate.com/mag/" style="border: 0px; color: #004276; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;" target="_blank">BeerAdvocate magazine</a> the "All-Time Top Brewery on Planet Earth."</div>
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As for events, San Diego was chosen to host the 2012 World Beer Cup -- the "Olympics of Beer" -- and San Diego Beer Week draws crowds from all over to celebrate 10 days of tastings, pairings and live music. If you visit, don't miss five San Diego bars mentioned in Draft mag's top 100 American beer bars: Tiger! Tiger!, Small Bar, O'Brien's American Pub, Blind Lady Ale House, and Hamilton's Tavern.</div>
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<strong style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">Top draws: </strong>Alpine Ale, Lost Abbey Duck Duck Gooze</div>
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<img alt="The Pilgrims built a brewery in Boston because beer was safer than the water -- little wonder the city consumes the most beer per capita in the United States. " src="http://i2.cdn.turner.com/cnn/dam/assets/130503104718-usa-beer4-boston-horizontal-gallery.jpg" height="180" width="320" /></div>
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<strong style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">4. Boston, Massachusetts</strong></div>
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<strong style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">History:</strong> 10<br />
<strong style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">Breweries:</strong> 7<br />
<strong style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">Bars:</strong> 8<br />
<strong style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">Events:</strong> 7</div>
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The first brewery in Massachusetts emerged not long after the Pilgrims dropped anchor, owing to the fact that beer was safer to drink than the water. Though the Pilgrims were aiming for Virginia, they ran out of brew and stopped in Massachusetts -- thus a beer town was born.</div>
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Eventually, Boston was blessed with a number of microbreweries, including the best-selling craft brewer in America, Boston Beer Co. -- producer of Samuel Adams -- and Harpoon Brewery. Notable hits on the bar crawl include Cambridge and Cape Ann Brewing Cos., Deep Ellum and The Publick House, alongside historic pubs like Green Dragon, The Warren Tavern (Boston's oldest) and Sunset Grill & Tap.</div>
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With this lively scene, it's not hard to believe that Boston consumes the most beer per capita in the United States. It's also home to the American Craft Beer Fest, the East Coast's largest celebration of domestic micros, featuring 600+ varieties from 125+ American brewers.</div>
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<strong style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">Top </strong><strong style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">d</strong><strong style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">raws: </strong>Harpoon IPA, Beer Works Bunker Hill Blueberry Ale</div>
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<img alt="Colorado is fourth out of 50 states in breweries per capita and while there are only a handful in Denver proper, there are loads of notable breweries outside town and in nearby Boulder." src="http://i2.cdn.turner.com/cnn/dam/assets/130503104725-usa-beer5-denver-horizontal-gallery.jpg" height="180" width="320" /></div>
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<strong style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">5. Denver, Colorado</strong></div>
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<strong style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">History:</strong> 7<br />
<strong style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">Breweries: </strong>8<br />
<strong style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">Bars:</strong> 7<br />
<strong style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">Events:</strong> 8</div>
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Colorado is fourth out of 50 states in breweries per capita, and while there are only a handful in Denver proper, there are loads of notable breweries outside town and in nearby Boulder.</div>
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Neighborhoods like Platte Street and the Art District on Santa Fe are peppered with breweries. Elsewhere you'll find Avery, Renegade, New Belgium, Strange Brewing, Dry Dock and others, including Bull & Bush, which writer Steve Body declared "may well be America's best brewpub and restaurant."</div>
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Denver's first craft brewery, Wynkoop, was opened in 1988 by John Hickenlooper, who went on to become mayor, then governor, extending Denver's brewer reach to the highest levels of government. Both Wynkoop and Great Divide are a moon shot from Coors Field, and homemade beers at Blue Moon Brewing Co. are found just behind section 112 in left field.</div>
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The Mile-High City also stages what is widely regarded the largest, most prestigious beer festival in the country, the annual Great American Beer Festival, drawing sudsmeliers from all over the world to taste more than 2,200 brews.</div>
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<strong style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">Top Draws: </strong>Denver Graham Cracker Porter, Renegade Hammer and Sickle</div>
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<img alt="Philly Beer Week is the city's most "hoppening" event, but the Greater Northeast Philadelphia Beer Festival, begun in 2011, is already proving a worthy companion. " src="http://i2.cdn.turner.com/cnn/dam/assets/130503105515-usa-beer6-philadelphia-horizontal-gallery.jpg" height="180" width="320" /></div>
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<strong style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">6. Philadelphia, Pennsylvania</strong></div>
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<strong style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">History: </strong>9<br />
<strong style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">Breweries:</strong> 6<br />
<strong style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">Bars:</strong> 8<br />
<strong style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">Events: </strong>7</div>
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In the city of brewery love, outfits like Victory, Sly Fox, Nodding Head, Yards and Flying Fish have been vanguards of local brewing since the city's barley rush of the 1990s. And since 1860, McGillin's Olde Ale House has been a beloved showcase for those and other local brews longer than any in Philly.</div>
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Three less-ancient bars made Draft mag's top 100 -- Eulogy Belgian Tavern, Grey Lodge Public House and Memphis Taproom, which enjoys a sterling reputation despite an endorsement by Guy Fieri. And no beer itinerary is complete without writer Michael Jackson's favorite spot, Monk's Cafe, a love letter to Belgian (and other) brews that will awe the savviest palate.</div>
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Philly Beer Week is the city's most hoppening event, but the Greater Northeast Philadelphia Beer Festival, begun in 2011, is already proving a worthy companion. One caveat to all this beer-fueled euphoria: complicated state controls regulate the purchase of packaged beer. Don't let them kill your buzz.</div>
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<strong style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">Top Draws:</strong> Yards Philadelphia Pale Ale, Victory Hop Devil IPA</div>
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<img alt="With one brewery for every 9,111 people, descriptors for Bend include "beervana" and "Beer City, USA." " src="http://i2.cdn.turner.com/cnn/dam/assets/130503105522-use-beer7-bend-horizontal-gallery.jpg" height="180" width="320" /></div>
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<strong style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">7. Bend, Oregon</strong></div>
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<strong style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">History:</strong> 5<br />
<strong style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">Breweries: </strong>8<br />
<strong style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">Bars:</strong> 8<br />
<strong style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">Events: </strong>8</div>
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With one brewery for every 9,111 people, descriptors for Bend include "beervana" and "Beer City, USA." And that number is constantly changing, with newcomers like Crux Fermentation Project and Worthy Brewing Company recently fattening Bend's ranks.</div>
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Already cemented into Bend beer culture is Deschutes, the godfather of local craft brewing, which recently expanded its flagship location. The Ale Apothecary, like its name suggests, blends modern and old-fashioned brewing techniques for what they're calling Bend's only steampunk brewery.</div>
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Getting your beer passport stamped at all nine of participating breweries on the Bend Ale Trail will net you a prize, and dog lovers will appreciate Boneyard Beer, where they can try the world's first organic, non-alcoholic brew made for dogs, Dawg Grogg.</div>
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Your itinerary's bound to overlap at least one of Bend's annual beer celebrations, like Central Oregon Beer Week, The Little Woody Barrel-Aged Brew & Whiskey Festival, Bend BrewFest, The Fermentation Celebration and Bend Oktoberfest.</div>
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<strong style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">Top Draws: </strong>Deschutes Inversion IPA, Silver Moon Hound's Tooth Amber</div>
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<img alt="With at least five major beer events, Asheville keeps the party going all year round with its own Oktoberfest, Beer Week and Winter Warmer, Best Firkin, Beer City and Brewgrass Festivals." src="http://i2.cdn.turner.com/cnn/dam/assets/130503105529-usa-beer8-asheville-horizontal-gallery.jpg" height="180" width="320" /></div>
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<strong style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">8. Asheville, North Carolina</strong></div>
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<strong style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">History: </strong>5<br />
<strong style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">Breweries:</strong> 7<br />
<strong style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">Bars: </strong>7<br />
<strong style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">Events: </strong>9</div>
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Yes, Asheville. It's relatively new to the beer scene, but with 11 breweries yielding the highest per-capita total in the country, it's already building a global rep. A day trip to Asheville offers a chance to try roughly 50 local beers, almost all of which can be tasted at The Thirsty Monk, a must-see on any Ashevillian beer pilgrimage.</div>
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But it's less the number of breweries or bars here than it is the culture that earns Asheville its cred. There is serious pride in the local craft, and its small-town appeal means all you have to do is roll over and you'll find yourself in one of the city's renowned breweries, like Wedge, Green Man and Wicked Weed.</div>
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The city also pumps beer into mustards, shampoos, ice creams, cakes, dog biscuits, and soaps. And with at least five major beer events, Asheville keeps the party going all year round with its own Oktoberfest, Beer Week and Winter Warmer, Best Firkin, Beer City and Brewgrass Festivals.</div>
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<strong style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">Top Draws: </strong>Asheville Shiva IPA, French Broad Ryehopper</div>
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<a href="http://1800microbrew.com/">http://1800microbrew.com</a></div>
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iDictate and Quicktatehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00085607959047709822noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5181010306767613225.post-19179203525800382752012-12-19T17:27:00.003-08:002012-12-19T17:51:57.530-08:00A Sign From Above? Needing New Roof, Monks Sell Rare Beer In U.S.<div class="category" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #6d8ac4; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 1.2rem; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: bold; font: inherit; letter-spacing: normal; margin: 0px auto; opacity: 0.5; orphans: 2; padding: 0px; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: lowercase; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: normal; widows: 2; width: 557.933349609375px; word-spacing: 0px;">
<a href="http://www.npr.org/blogs/thesalt/161357400/foodways" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #6d8ac4; font-size: 12px; font: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: initial; vertical-align: baseline;">foodways</a></div>
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<b>A Sign From Above? Needing New Roof, Monks Sell Rare Beer In U.S.</b></h1>
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by<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><span style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 12px; font: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-transform: uppercase; vertical-align: baseline;">TERI SCHULTZ</span></div>
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<time datetime="2012-12-12" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 12px; font: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span class="date" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 12px; font: inherit; margin: 0px 0.8em 0px 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">December 12, 2012</span><span class="time" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 12px; font: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>3:05 AM</span></time></div>
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<a href="http://www.npr.org/programs/morning-edition/">Listen to the Story</a></h3>
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<img alt="Beers made by Trappist monks at St. Sixtus Abbey's Westvleteren Brewery in Belgium are sought by connoisseurs. For the first time, the monks are exporting the beer overseas, including to the U.S." class="img" src="http://media.npr.org/assets/img/2012/12/11/trappist_glasses_wide-395f3baae26e4e97829223c11e98660b1963afb8-s4.jpg" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; display: block; font-size: 14px; font: inherit; margin: 0px; max-width: none; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; width: 557.933349609375px;" title="Beers made by Trappist monks at St. Sixtus Abbey's Westvleteren Brewery in Belgium are sought by connoisseurs. For the first time, the monks are exporting the beer overseas, including to the U.S." /><a class="enlargebtn" href="http://www.npr.org/blogs/thesalt/2012/12/12/166987378/a-sign-from-above-needing-new-roof-monks-sell-rare-beer-in-u-s?sc=emaf#" style="background-image: url(data:image/png; background-repeat: no-repeat no-repeat; border: 0px; bottom: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: white; display: block; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 1.6rem; font-style: italic; font: inherit; height: 27px; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; position: absolute; right: 0px; text-decoration: initial; text-indent: -999em; vertical-align: baseline; width: 27px;" title="Enlarge">Enlarge image</a></div>
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Beers made by Trappist monks at St. Sixtus Abbey's Westvleteren Brewery in Belgium are sought by connoisseurs. For the first time, the monks are exporting the beer overseas, including to the U.S.</div>
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The 12th day of the 12th month of 2012 is not a day of deliverance but of delivery for devout American fans of Westvleteren 12, brewed by the reclusive Belgian monks at<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><a href="http://www.sintsixtus.be/eng/home.htm" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #4774cc; font-size: 16px; font: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: initial; vertical-align: baseline;">St. Sixtus Abbey</a>.</div>
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The celebrated beer — often called the best in the world — is usually only available for sale at the abbey, located in the Belgian countryside. But starting Wednesday, buyers in the U.S. and other countries can purchase the beer at <a href="http://121212xii.wordpress.com/2012/12/03/hello-world/" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #4774cc; font-size: 16px; font: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: initial; vertical-align: baseline;" target="_self">select retailers</a><span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>for $84.99 for six bottles.</div>
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Why this sudden blessing for beer lovers? The abbey happened to need an expensive renovation recently. But its 21 monks live an austere life — which means, among other things, that they purposely lack cash reserves. So the monks reluctantly made the decision to export small amounts of the precious nectar overseas for the first time.</div>
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And, says Mark Bode, the longtime spokesman for the Westvleteren Brewery, "I think it will be the last." Bode is one of very few people privy to the monks' views, as no visitors are allowed inside the abbey.</div>
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"They say, 'We are monks, we don't want to be too commercial. We needed some money to help us buy the new abbey and that's it,' " Bode explains. "Back to normal again."</div>
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At the abbey in western Belgium's countryside, "normal" entails a life entirely focused on prayer. The monks rise at 3 a.m. to start the first of seven prayer sessions per day. In between, they busy themselves in the kitchen and the garden, and with tasks like painting — and brewing.</div>
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<img alt="The Trappist monks who brew Westvleteren beer are exporting only enough of it to raise money to make renovations to their abbey in western Belgium." class="img" src="http://media.npr.org/assets/img/2012/12/11/abbey_ext_vert-70ee0665f57f57acdb918edddaa0884ca89b4c3f-s2.jpg" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; display: block; font-size: 14px; font: inherit; margin: 0px; max-width: none; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; width: 260.8500061035156px;" title="The Trappist monks who brew Westvleteren beer are exporting only enough of it to raise money to make renovations to their abbey in western Belgium." /><a class="enlargebtn" href="http://www.npr.org/blogs/thesalt/2012/12/12/166987378/a-sign-from-above-needing-new-roof-monks-sell-rare-beer-in-u-s?sc=emaf#" style="background-image: url(data:image/png; background-repeat: no-repeat no-repeat; border: 0px; bottom: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: white; display: block; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 1.6rem; font-style: italic; font: inherit; height: 27px; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; position: absolute; right: 0px; text-decoration: initial; text-indent: -999em; vertical-align: baseline; width: 27px;" title="Enlarge">Enlarge image</a></div>
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The Trappist monks who brew Westvleteren beer are exporting only enough of it to raise money to make renovations to their abbey in western Belgium.</div>
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The monks have brewed the same amount of beer every year since 1945 — about 3,800 U.S. barrels, just the amount needed to sustain the abbey. Sales of the beer are tightly controlled.</div>
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The resulting scarcity created demand on a regional scale, even before beer websites started an international craze by giving Westvleteren's beers a stellar taste rating.</div>
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In the brewery's cafe, beer connoisseur Andrew Stroehlein, who has<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><a href="http://40beersat40.blogspot.be/" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #4774cc; font-size: 16px; font: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: initial; vertical-align: baseline;">blogged his way</a><span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>through an estimated 500 Belgian varieties, says he went through, well, hell and high water to get some Westvleteren.</div>
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"You call the number over a series of days, weeks, months and nobody answers," he says, recounting how he tried to contact the abbey's beer shop. "Then finally somebody does answer. They tell you when you can come; they tell you what beer you can buy; they tell you how much you're gonna pay. And if you don't like it, then God be with you."</div>
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Nevertheless, Stroehlein has eagerly made a second trip on this day to get a taste of the Trappist treat, more than two hours' drive from Brussels deep into Flemish pig-farm country, suitably hard to find at the end of a long, narrow street.</div>
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"It's the holy grail of so many beer connoisseurs," he says. "This is where they want to reach. This is it."</div>
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Sitting nearby in the brewery's cafe are two patrons who came by train from the Netherlands.</div>
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"Because of the whole story, it's worth traveling for ... it's a legend," says John Stienen.</div>
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"But even without the whole story, if you take your time and pay attention to it, then you notice the difference," says Theijs van Welij. "And you really think, this is really one of the few quality beers that you should have tried in your life."</div>
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Back in Brussels, Stroehlein delivers a bottle of Westvleteren to Christine Frazer, who has been anticipating this first sip for a long time.</div>
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"That's lovely," she says, after sampling the brew. She adds with a smile, "It's like a sweetie, like a bonbon. Oh, yes!"</div>
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When there is criticism of Westvleteren's taste, it tends to be that it's overly sweet.</div>
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Jean Hummler owns one of the most successful<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><a href="http://www.moederlambic.com/bars/fr/home/" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #4774cc; font-size: 16px; font: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: initial; vertical-align: baseline;">lambic pubs in Brussels</a>. The acidic lambic beers require more complex brewing processes — and, Hummler suggests, more sophisticated palates — than Trappist ales such as Westvleteren.</div>
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"It doesn't contain any special malt, with a lot of candy sugar. As professionals, we consider Westvleteren as a heavy, dark sweet beer," he says. "It's easy to be famous and popular when you're working on the mild and sweet side."</div>
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That criticism wouldn't bother the modest monks at St. Sixtus. Bode says that while they're proud of their product, the hype makes it more difficult to live a life of silence and seclusion.</div>
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"They don't want the publicity. They don't need it," he says.</div>
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But, he is reminded, that kind of notoriety can come in handy when you need a new roof. "One time in a lifetime, yes," he says, with a laugh.</div>
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iDictate and Quicktatehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00085607959047709822noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5181010306767613225.post-91686098597827297112012-12-12T15:40:00.005-08:002012-12-12T15:40:45.040-08:001-800-Microbrew has re-launched as a Microbrew Club Comparison Guide<b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1-800-Microbrew has re-launched as a Microbrew Club Comparison Guide</span></b><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1-800-Microbrew takes the guesswork out of evaluating and comparing the many options currently available when trying to select the “right” beer club membership. We contacted members of several clubs and evaluated a wide assortment of previously featured microbrewed beers. Our Beer Club Reviews were based on variety and quality of beers, overall value, newsletter content, customer service and website navigation.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">For nearly 2 decades, 1-800-Microbrew has introduced beer lovers to a vast selection of hard-to-find, handcrafted beers from across the country and around the world. We’ve reviewed a vast array of craft beers including classic German Pilsners, Bavarian Hefeweizens, Malt-driven bocks, Irish Stouts, Belgian Strong Ales, Strong Porters, English Bitters, Winter Warmers and more.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The Beer of the Month Club with the highest rating is the <i><u><a href="http://www.1800microbrew.com/index.php">Microbrewed Beer of the Month Club</a><span id="goog_149587652"></span><span id="goog_149587653"></span><a href="https://www.blogger.com/"></a></u></i>.</span><br />
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<li class="heading"><strong style="color: black; font-size: 18px; margin-top: 0px; padding-top: 0px; size: 20px;">Microbrewed Beer of The Month Club </strong></li>
<li><strong class="founded" style="color: #056839; font-size: 16px; margin-top: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">Founded: 1994</strong><br /><img src="http://1800microbrew.com/images/stars/5_stars.png" style="border: 0px; max-width: 100%; vertical-align: middle;" /></li>
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<li class="list_under_heading" style="margin-left: 0px; padding-bottom: 5px; padding-left: 0px; padding-top: 5px;"><strong style="color: #056839; font-size: 16px; margin-top: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">Web Site:</strong><br /><img class="stars" src="http://1800microbrew.com/images/stars/5_stars.png" style="border: 0px; max-width: 100%; vertical-align: middle;" /><br />Best user experience, most informative, easy to order,<br />most professional.</li>
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<li class="list_under_heading" style="margin-left: 0px; padding-bottom: 5px; padding-left: 0px; padding-top: 5px;"><strong style="color: #056839; font-size: 16px; margin-top: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">Quality of Beer:</strong><br /><img class="stars" src="http://1800microbrew.com/images/stars/5_stars.png" style="border: 0px; max-width: 100%; vertical-align: middle;" /></li>
<li class="list_under_heading" style="margin-left: 0px; padding-bottom: 5px; padding-left: 0px; padding-top: 5px;"><strong style="color: #056839; font-size: 16px; margin-top: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">Newsletter Quality/Education:</strong><br /><img class="stars" src="http://1800microbrew.com/images/stars/5_stars.png" style="border: 0px; max-width: 100%; vertical-align: middle;" /><br />Professionally written, informative, great tasting notes.</li>
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<br />iDictate and Quicktatehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00085607959047709822noreply@blogger.com0