SLIF !!! Vol VIII

Well, it appears we have made it to yet another Friday! The weekend is at hand! Lets start it off with your favorite glass of beer, and why not yet another edition of The Beer Czars "S.L.I.F. Vol. VIII......lets do this!

Arizona Beer Compass......
Last week, my wife and I had the pleasure of meeting Whitney Hayes. She runs and writes the new beer searching tool for us Arizonans called "Arizona Beer Compass". If you are like me, and are a more visual person, sometimes looking at a list of breweries isn't all that helpful (especially if you aren't familiar with the area you are looking in). So having it displayed in map form, that tells you where are all the breweries, tap rooms, and even soon to be breweries, all displayed on a map, here you go. Zoom in, out, click on the brewery nearest you to get info, its all interactive, easy to use, helpful, and completely awesome! Check it out right here!


Mother Road "Street View" tour of their Flagstaff brewery and tap room...
Speaking of maps (I am a huge fan of maps by the way). Mother Road Brewing Co. in Flagstaff as a cool new feature. You can take a sort of walking tour of their brewery using Google Maps Street View. Its pretty awesome, check it out here.....






How to order beer like an annoying hipster!
If there is one thing I think the beer community can do better, is to make fun of itself. There are those that find the humor in it, but there are still a lot that can't stand the thought of poking fun at their beloved beverage, or those that enjoy it. Well, I am not one of those people! I can laugh at just about anything, and this video made me actually laugh out loud.....check this out.

 

 

 

 

Phoenix has a new brewery coming to town!                        Mother Bunch Brewing will be opening its doors hopefully sometime this summer, they are moving into a Crossfit gym that is moving. Read all about it here.....

 

 

 
 
Take Beer Pictures like a pro, with your phone!  I started this blog, partly because I was always posting pictures of beers I was drinking, when a high school friend suggested I start a blog. So I did. They weren't very good photos, but they worked. Now, with advances in cell phone cameras, and apps, you have plenty of options for taking your photos. If you are looking for tips on how to take those pic's like a pro?? Well, now Draftmag has a great piece written by a beer photographer, check it out here....

Home Brewing kits

Have you been thinking about getting into brewing, but don't really know where to start, or where to go for equipment? Well, the fine folks at Kegworks have put together some kits that have pretty much all you need to start brewing! So, if you want to start a new hobby, passion or even an obsession, check out their link here.....

 

 

 

So there you have it folks, this weeks weekend kick off! Also, just a reminder, we are still collecting your winter beer photos for our "friends and fans photos" post coming up soon, so, check below for all the details as to what we are looking for, how to get it to us etc., and we will take care of it!

 

So, go grab your favorite weekend beverage, and enjoy yourself, stay safe!

 

Until next time

Bottoms up my friends

 

The Beer Czar

 

Shower Beer, yeah, its a real thing!

The Shower Beer is defined by Urban Dictionary as

 "The beer you take into the shower when you're in a hurry to go out and still need to get cleaned up, or want to relax from a long day."

 

or as

 

 "The most delightful beer in the world. Can be anything from Pabst to Guinness, but must be consumed within the shower and while the shower is on."

 

 

 

A while back, on The Beer Czar Facebook page I posted a pic of a product geared towards the "shower beer". I had never heard of such a thing, but there seemed to be a fair amount of common knowledge around the subject, so I wanted to look into it a little further.

 

I was a little shocked to be honest. A quick Google search will yield results such as comment threads, blog posts Reddit threads, tons of photos, how to guides, do's and don't guides, and even products geared towards the shower beer (here and here).

 

 

Why have I never heard of this? I am a fairly active member of the beer community, I shower on an almost daily basis, why have these two wonderful worlds never collided for me before now?? It seems a match made in heaven if you think about it, I mean, drinking beer, naked? Yes please! So, I wanted to know what you thought about it, so I asked the question on our Facebook page...."have you ever had a shower beer?". Well, it was one of my most responded to posts on our Facebook page. The results were a tad shocking to me. The question was multiple choice, the choices and results were as follows....

 

 

1. Never done it...  14.29%
2. I've done it once, that's all...  7.14%
3. I have on occasion, I don't make a habit of it..  42.86%
4. Love it, do it quite often...  32.14%
5. Don't ever shower with out one..  0%
6. Only when I have company...  3.57%

 

 

I got over 50 responses! So, it seems most, 85% to be exact, have at least tried the shower beer, 75% of them indulging in the practice on at least a somewhat regular basis. A few of the things that seemed to play a factor, at least for the folks responding to our little, unscientific survey was age, and time of year. Some said they use to be a 4, now that they are older, they are a 3. It also seems summer time is the preferred time to partake in a shower beer

 

So, I figured, why not? I love beer, I shower daily, plus I normally prefer to shower at night, so I figured it would just lend itself to the occasional shower beer if I had a favorable experience with it. One shot against it I thought, before trying it (at least for me), I am not the kind of person that lingers in the shower. I take about 3 minute showers normally (I don't have any hair to shampoo), and I wasn't planning on shot gunning a beer in the shower, so well, I had mixed feelings as to what to expect. So, one evening, after getting home from the gym (that isn't a joke, yes I do actually go on occasion) I decided it was time to try it. This is what I learned....

 

First, I think cans or plastic cups would work best, a must really. I made the mistake of pouring my Mudshark into a beer snifter, and well, with wet, and sometimes soapy hands, it became an almost stressful affair at times, afraid I would drop my glass, and break it, and lets face it, you are a bit more exposed then you normally are when you are in the shower, and the thought of a cut needing a trip to the ER to get stiches from an injury I sustained in the shower was a bit embarrassing.

 

Second, make sure the beer is quite cold, colder then you would probably normally drink it. Drinking in the shower is sort of like drinking in a sauna, its a bit hot and steamy in there, and it will warm your beer at a disappointingly, and surprisingly rapid rate. This could be why summer maybe "shower beer season". Summer beers would work best I think, they taste pretty good really cold, and you don't normally take scalding hot showers when its 115 out. 

That being said, this could be (and was for me) a very enjoyable practice. If you don't have kids running around, and you have some extra time to kill, or you are trying to save time and start pre-gaming even earlier, this is for you! I don't see myself doing this on a regular basis, but after mowing the lawn (as was suggested as the best time to indulge in one by a fellow blogger) or other yard work, after a hike, or lengthily workout, I can see a shower beer being a wonderful way to relax, unwind, refresh and cleanse yourself, all at the same time. Multi tasking at its best!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I still want to hear from you if I haven't already. Is this something you do, have done? Even better, if you decided to try it, as a result of reading this, I want to hear from you, send us your thoughts or even photos of your prized shower beer if you have them, we would love to read or see them!!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Until next time

Bottoms up my friends!

 

The Beer Czar

 

 

p.s.- the photos were all taken off a public Reddit "shower beer" thread, and already made public. None of the photos are of fans or readers of The Beer Czar (that I know of)

 

 



SanTan's Sex Panther, on shelves now!

OK, so its not made by Odeon, it is not illegal in 9 countries, and I am pretty certain there are no bits of real panther in it, but I do know its good. Damn good!

SanTan Brewing released their seasonal porter "Sex Panther Double Chocolate Porter" a week or so ago. Its on shelves now, so run out and get yourself some.

I don't want to review the beer per say, I will let you have the pleasure of doing that, but I do want tell you a little about it, and what to expect from it. First off, lets get something clear from the get go. The "Double" in "Double Chocolate Porter" refers to the amount of chocolate ( Colonial Rosewood Cocoa by the way) that is in it, this is not a "double" or Imperial porter. So don't grab this thinking this is a heartier porter, this is standard American Porter, with double chocolate. That being said, this is a damn fine porter. Porters are among my favorite styles (especially this time of year), so I am always looking for a good one, and a good local one at that. Its hard to fine good porters these days, so thank god for Sex Panther, and thank you SanTan!!

This beer has really nice chocolate notes in the aroma ("its quite pungent, its a formidable scent, it stings the nostrils" Ron Burgundy) and a good subtle chocolaty body in the flavor, with

some slight notes of sweet molasses, and even some hints of hop bitterness if you search for them. This is a very smooth, easy drinking porter.
 As with most porters, this pairs well with some smoky (not real spicy however) meats and cheeses, and is just outstanding with some sweet chocolate desserts. I was at a beer group meeting in SanTan's Brewers Dining room recently, and we had a chance to try Sex Panther, paired with a soft brownie with peanut butter chocolate chuck gelato, and it was OUTSTANDING! I imagine some nice raspberry chocolate cake would be wonderful as well.

Some beer geek info....
Malt: 2-Row, White Wheat, Caramel, Munich, Special Roast, Chocolate
Hops: Columbus
Yeast: SanTan House
OG: 15.7 Plato
ABV 6.9%
Color: Chocolate Brown
IBU: 20

Look for Sex Panther to be in stores and on shelves from now through March...

Until next time
Bottoms up my friends!

The Beer Czar

What do you "think" you are drinking?

As you may have noticed, I rarely, if ever do reviews on this page. The closest I get to reviewing beers, is when I announce a release, then I will normally put a little something about what flavors are in which ever particular beer I am talking about (normally just from the brewers notes). On occasion, I will offer my opinion on a specific beer, if I find I just love it, and want to share the love with the masses, the most recent example of this that I can recall is SanTan's Mr. Pineapple.

Why do I not "review" beers? I find it to be almost useless for two reason....
 1.) If you want to read reviews on a particular beer, you can go on hundreds of sites, and read thousands of reviews on just about any beer.

2.) Why does my "opinion" of a beer, or anyone else's matter? With the exception of trained processionals, Cicerones, brewers etc, what does it matter what I think of a beer? Looking at brewers notes should tell you all you need to know about a beer and weather you should try it. Looking at the rating of a beer tells you nothing about the beer. In fact, I think looking at ratings may in fact taint your perception of the beer. Here is why....
I can across an article about drinking beer and perception (check it out here), and how it effects your enjoyment of a beer. Basically, it boils down to, if you want to like the beer, or even love, or hate it, you probably will. Taste is our weakest sense, and the one most influenced by other senses (I have no science to back this up, this is my feelings on it). If you are handed a beer from a brewer you respect, and hold in very high regard, and you are told "this is his best beer yet", 9 times out of 10, you will be, at the very least, impressed by this beer, because you want to be.
Conversely, if you are handed a beer, and told it is brewed by InBev, or Coors, chances are, you will hate that beer. You will hate it before you even try it. Because we don't want to like a beer brewed by a large brewery or a "sell out" like Sam Adams, regardless of how enjoyable that beer may be. Its human nature.
Which is why one of my pet peeves when reading reviews is seeing phrases like "not as much hop character as I was expecting" or "not what I was hoping for". Which really only tells me, if you brewed this beer, you would brew it differently, it tells me NOTHING of the hop character, because I have no idea what you were "expecting". I respect reviews that leave much of the "opinion" out of it, and will just say stuff like"hints of this" or a "finish of that", and not crap like "wow, this beer is amazing" or "what crap this was". That isn't a review, that is just an opinion piece.
I've hosted a number of beer tasting, and most of the time, I do blind tastings. This is the only TRUE way to get peoples honest opinions without outside influence. This is why beer competitions are judged in this fashion. This past summer, we hosted a "summer beer tasting". At the tasting were a number of serious, self proclaimed "beer geeks". We tasted a bunch of summer beer styles, and rated them all, without knowing what we were drinking. I wasn't surprised to see that Blue Moon,  and Sam Adams Summer Ale both scored really high. When told they scored Blue Moon really high, I actually got a few that responded "no I didn't, I hate that crap" or something similar. My response to them was "no, you don't, you just think you do".

Line for Founders CBS

This is also the reason I don't take beer too serious, why I don't wait in line hours upon hours for a release, or spend hundreds of dollars shipping beer all over the country in hopes finding that one whale of a beer. With the exception of a few beers, to me, these beers never live up to the hype, and are NEVER worth the time and effort put into procuring them. I can almost always find something similar (not exactly the same, but close) in taste, that is more readily available, at a much lower price. (almost always). So, I just don't do it, my time and money is worth more to me. Again, this is JUST my opinion, I know for a lot of people, the thrill is in the hunt, and I get that, I don't begrudge you that at all, its just not for me.
Its for this reason that I am very reluctant to offer "specific" beers when asked that dreaded question "what is a good beer to have at my BBQ" or something like that, I hate that, seriously, and here is why;  I have no idea what you like, and what I love to drink at BBQ's, you may hate. I've actually been told after recommending a beer "man, I thought you were  a beer guy, we picked up some [whatever beer I recommended] and it was horrible". So, if you asked me for a beer recommendation, except a fairly long, indirect answer, that probably won't give you a specific brand to look for.

My simple motto "if you like it, its a good beer for you". I may hate it, I may share your love of it, but that doesn't make it any less of a great beer for you, at least it shouldn't, and I hope it doesn't. Don't let others opinions effect your perception or enjoyment of any beer. I know the beer community can be pretty harsh towards beer (and people that drink it) that they don't consider "craft" or worthy of drinking. So what, if you like it, drink it, enjoy it, be proud of it. It matters not if you brewed it in a 2 gallon batch in your garage, or if it is brewed by the thousands of gallons at a mega brewery in St Louis, or Golden Colorado, if you like it, its a good beer. Cheers!

Until next time
Bottoms up my friends

The Beer Czar

Fan Photos, volume III, this time, Winter Beer!!

The late, great Beer Czar correspondent, Uncle Gary

OK, its time again for another installment of "Fan Photos!" Its been far too long! In case you missed that last two, you can see them here and here.

Ahhh, Christmas beer!

Given that most of the country is in the midst of an enormous deep freeze, and given that Christmas is so recently in our rear view mirror, I thought doing a Winter Beer theme would be most appropriate.

So, be it you enjoying a beer out in the midst of the cold, enjoying a warm stout by the cozy fire, at a Christmas Party, New Years Party, or on the gold course here in sunny warm Arizona, we want to see your photos!!


Only rules, please don't pull picture's off the internet, please be photos either of you, or that you took yourself, and there must be a beer in the picture. Doesn't have to be craft (we love if it is, but its not necessary) Be it in a can, bottle, glass, red solo cup, whatever, just make sure there is a beer in the picture. Those are the only two rules (oh, and keep it at rated R, ok). Sky's the limit, so, if you have a great pic of you, enjoying a beer this winter, please share it with us!



The boys of New Holland enjoying the patio! (ok, I stole this one)

You can find us on Facebook here, and tag us
Email it us at thebeerczar@gmail.com
or tweet us at @thebeerczar

So, have it, these posts are always some of our most popular, and most fun, so have fun with it, and I look forward to seeing your photos!

Until next time
Bottoms up my friends!

The Beer Czar

TED Talks, the culture of the Craft Beer Industry

I am a fan of TED Talks (most of the time) and my friend Jon sent this one to me, and is a great look and perspective at the culture of craft beer. Given by John Barely from Solemn Oath Brewing. Its only 15 minutes, and well worth it. Take a look





Very cool, thank you Jon!

Until next time
Bottoms up my friends

The Beer Czar

I found Bigfoot, the hunt is over!

The movie poster

I make so secret about the fact that I love all things "bigfoot". Not only do I love the beer, but I am fascinated by the large hairy ape that "allegedly" roams the pacific northwest. It started at a very young age, when our father brought my older brother and I to our very first movie in a movie theater. That movie was "Sasquatch, the Legand of Bigfoot". Ever since then, I have sucked up all info on the elusive cryptid, be it books, movies, documentaries, whatever. So, you will not be surprised when, while browsing the beer isle a few years back, I saw a six pack of a beer called "Bigfoot", a barelywine style beer from the fine folks at Sierra Nevada Brewing Company in Chico CA, the makers of the ubiquitous, delicious Sierra Nevada Pale Ale.
Now, barelywines are one of my favorite styles, and I must say, Bigfoot is a fantastic example of the style. So, it only took a sip or two for Bigfoot to rocket to the top of my favorite beers list, and not just for the name, its a great beer. It has remained there to this day.

Now, I also heard that this particular beer ages well (as is the case with most barelywines). So, after enjoying this beer for a few years, I decided to start stashing some aside for aging. So, every year, starting in 2009 I started stashing a six pack of this fine beer aside. Well, in a few weeks, Bigfoot 2014 will hit store shelves, and when it does, I will have 6 years worth of this beer. I plan on having a small gathering at my place once I get it, and doing a vertical tasting, to take a look at how the beer changes over time, and I plan on writing about it, photographing it, and maybe even video taping it for a short video. To tease the tasting, I was going to write a sort of review of what to expect from the beer etc., but you know, I find beer reviews to be boring and really just too subjective to be of too much use. Well, then I found this video. It's part of Sierra Nevada's video series "Brewer and the Beer Geek". A great video series that covers the range of SN brews and other info. They talk a lot about the brewing process of the beer, the science behind the aging process of it and just do a far better job of explain this beer then I ever could, so here, check out this video....







So, make sure you keep your camera's at the ready, so you can snap another grainy, shaking photos of the big fella! And, keep an eye out for news on the first annual Beer Czar Vertical Bigfoot Tasting, 2014, you might even get an invite!

So, do I believe in Bigfoot? Maybe? Not until one is captured (alive or dead) or some real compelling video is captures, or until I see one myself, I can't believe it 100%, but man, wouldn't it be awesome if he really was out there...I hope he is.

Until next time
Bottoms up my friends!

The Beer Czar

S.L.I.F. Vol VII

Its back! 2014's first edition of SLIF!!! Its a short one, but still a good one I assure you. 2014 will see a lot of changes for us here at the Beer Czar, so stay tuned. Lots of fun things planned in the upcoming year, and I can't wait!!
So, without further ado my friends, lets jump into the weekend, beer in hand!



Bigfoot Fermenting in time lapse!

I make no secret, Sierra Nevada's Bigfoot Barleywine is one of my favorite beers, year after year. In fact, once I pic up a six pack of 2014's version, I will have a six pack from each of the last 6 years of this fine beer! That aside, check out this cool video of the 4 open air fermenters filled with this glorious beer!

Exit 6's epic response to a Cease and Desist letter.

It seems not a week goes by where we don't read about some big bully multimillion dollar corporation sending a Cease and Desist letter to some tiny, mom and pop brewery fear "damage" to their brand. Well, its Starbucks turn. They sent a Cease and Desist letter to tiny little Exit 6 Brewing in Saint Charles, MO (I had to look that up!). Well, the response from owner Jeff Britton is just classic. Its clever, funny, and hits on a few really good points, mainly how friggin stupid it was for Starbucks to worked up about it. All it did was help Exit 6 sales and exposure. Check out the back and forth here, its awesome......



Arizona Beer continues to grow, Grand Canyon Brewing is expanding....

In the last few years, we have seen massive growth in the Arizona beer community. Our big boys, both Four Peaks and San Tan both expanded their operations, now its little Grand Canyon Brewing's turn! They are moving into a 27,000 sq ft facility in Williams. At a cost of $2.7 million, they will increase their capacity to 40,000 bl system (the state limit) although, I would expect production to be below that for a while. You can read all about it here, in the HDE press release....





So there you have it! Lets head into the weekend, grab a beer, and enjoy your time, not that the holidays are behind us, and life is returning to some sort of normal.

Until next time
Bottoms up my friends!

The Beer Czar

Happy New Beer from The Beer Czar!!

Hello, and happy 2014 to you all! 2013 was a good year for us, and I expect, and am committed to making 2014 to be even better. Lots of fun, exciting changes are in the works. so please keep an eye out for things to come!

In the mean time, do you have a fun photo of you, your friends, or family ringing in the new year with a beer, or two? We would love to see it, and share it! If you do, you can email it to me at thebeerczar@gmail.com, or tag us on Facebook!

We can't wait to see them!

Again, I wish a safe, blessed and exciting 2014 to you all, hope to see you around!!!

Happy New Year everyone!

Until next time
Bottoms up my friends!

The Beer Czar!

Merry Christmas from The Beer Czar!

I just wanted to take a moment and wish all of you a happy, and safe holiday, and a very Merry
Christmas! Thank you all for making this a great year for not just me, but this blog as well. Its a ton of fun writing this, and interacting with all of you, and I thank you for it.

This is the time of year of holiday parties and thick, heavy wonderful Christmas brews (they end to
be strong too!). I ask one thing of you this holiday season. If you are at a party, or gathering, and find yourself having more then one or two of these fine beers, PLEASE be smart, and safe, and arrange for alternative transportation. Driving drunk is not only insanely stupid, and selfish, it is also 100% avoidable, so please, get a DD, take a cab, stay where you are, or don't drink. It is really that simple.

Again, I wish all of you a safe and happy Christmas, and wonderful New Year, and I will see you right back here, starting off in 2014.

Until next time
Merry Christmas, and bottoms up my friends!

The Beer Czar