Monday, December 28, 2009
Tuesday, December 15, 2009
Beer lovers have a reason to celebrate early this season, as the inaugural issue of the highly anticipated new Beer Connoisseur Magazine hit newsstands nationwide on December 8. The magazine, which is based in Atlanta, represents a new level of beer journalism, a guide for both novices and experts to the world's most popular drink.
The first issue of the quarterly was mailed to subscribers in mid-November, and next week it will be available for purchase in major cities throughout the U.S. at bookstores such as Barnes & Noble, Borders, Books-A-Million and others. It can also be found at the more than 120 Kroger grocery stores in the Atlanta metro area and at U.S. military bases around the world.
"We have produced a type of title that hasn't existed for this segment," says Lynn Davis, the magazine's Founder and Publisher. Following the rise of the craft beer movement, which has attracted interest from legions of newcomers, The Beer Connoisseur stands apart from the pack as a sophisticated, upscale lifestyle magazine that treats beer, its producers and, of course, its admirers with the kind of respect they now demand.
"The response from both within the industry and among beer lovers has been nothing short of awe inspiring," says Nick Kaye, the Managing Editor. "It seems that brewers and beer lovers alike have been waiting for a publication like The Beer Connoisseur to come along."
The magazine will focus on the marriage of beer and food, with articles in the first issue on the rise of the gastropub trend, beer and cheese pairing, and more, as well as travel, both within the U.S. and abroad. It will also include profiles of brewing icons, and there will be reviews of some of the most sought-after beers in the world conducted by master-level judges. Owen Ogletree runs the southeastern beer review section of each issue.
Readers will also find articles by some of the world's most accomplished beer writers, as well as a wealth of educational resources, at The Beer Connoisseur Online (www.beerconnoisseur.com), which launched last summer. The thriving online community allows beer fans to exchange ideas and stay connected, and it keeps them up to date with the latest happenings in the brewing scene.
Look for the magazine on store shelves soon, or go online to subscribe... http://beerconnoisseur.com/
The Beer Connoisseur – Beer Culture Defined.
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That's about all for now. Take care and remember to always drink responsibly and support homebrewing and craft-brewed beers whenever possible!
Owen Ogletree is an Athens, GA beer writer, beer traveler, nationally certified beer judge, and founder/director of www.ClassicCityBrew.com, the Classic City Brew Fest, and the Atlanta Cask Ale Tasting.
FWD from my friend Bob:
So this past Sunday, my wife and I go to the mall to do some Christmas shopping, pretty boring task, but things you have to do now that Im in my mid 30's and have two kids. So as we are walking through the mall which has apparently turned into less entertaining downtown New Orleans, with vendors having shops in the middle of mall and constantly asking you questions like, "Are you married?", "Does your wife like gifts?", or "Don't you want a portrait with your child?" Its not enough that Im actually in a mall on a Sunday, and all I want to do is just pretend Im having a good time, while thinking about how I had 10 times as much as money and half as much debt 5 years ago, and could do pretty much anything I please. Thinking about how I used to wake up at 11 am on the weekend and my biggest decisions of the day were deciding between Keifers or Pizza Shack, or playing cash games or tournaments on Pokerstars, and Im now making decisions like Disney Store or Striderite?
So while striding through the mall, trying not to make eye contact with anyone that is standing near a "We Buy Gold" stand, I notice a long line of individuals near the Bama Fever/Tiger Pride store. Now I've seen this store and always wondered how it stayed in business, I mean just selling AU and Bama gear? I had never seen more than 5 people in that store on any given day, but today it was a different story. Flyers were out all over the outside of the store announcing, "2009 SEC champions T-shirts will be on sale Sunday" Evidently people were worried they would sell out, because there was approximately 35 -40 people just hanging around waiting to hear the good news. Of course I thought it was pathetic, but I had to admit I was was also jealous of the fact that Bama was one of the best programs in the country, so I walked by and made a comment to my wife who thought it was ridiculous as well. If she only knew what would happen 1 hour later.
As we are leaving the mall, we are walking once again past the Bama Fever/Tiger Pride store, this time no line, just a flurry of activity, which I knew meant the T-shirts were in. I slowly walked by the mass hysteria of people buying 2-3 different T-shirts all announcing Bama as the SEC champions in some capacity. At that point I noticed a family of Bama fans, all holding their T-shirts out staring at them like they just found the golden ticket, and then I noticed the Dad, weighing about 3 bills, tearing off the receipt, which I found odd, but then I noticed him untucking the shirt he was wearing, and I stopped dead in my tracks and watched this 300 lb man, take off his shirt in the middle of the mall, and stand there shirtless while he calmly put on the Bama SEC championship T-shirt. I was stunned, my wife had walked probably 15 feet ahead of me before she realized I had stopped to see this event. Of course watching his 8-10 year old son, follow suit didn't even cause me to blink an eye, and I was calmly watching the wife, wondering if she would go for it. I then realized she was wearing a one piece dress, and I thought, no way she would take the entire dress off in the middle of the mall, and of course she didn't, she was clearly a lady, so she calmly put the T-shirt on over her dress and she was estatic. I didn't know what to do or say. I told my wife what happened and she didn't believe me. I looked around for someone else to confirm what I saw, and I saw a guy about 35 years old, stopped dead in his tracks looking like death, and I simply mouthed the words to him, "Did you see that?" He gave an approving nod and that was that.
One thing for sure though, I will be at the Bama Fever store if Bama wins the National title, and I will be bringing a video camera.
Monday, December 14, 2009
Wednesday, December 9, 2009
We live in a world of disposable deities.
Someone, somehow has managed to press that big, flashing moronic override button and we’re hard-wired straight into the pockets of false idols trying to make a quick buck.
Sadly, for a lot of people the same mentality applies to beer.
Constrained by lack of choice. Seduced by the monolithic, corporate brewers huge advertising budgets. Brain-washed by vindictive lies perpetrated with the veracity of pseudo-propaganda. You can’t help but be sucked down the rabbit hole.
At BrewDog we are on a mission to open as many people’s eyes as possible.
Cast away any aspersions and let the crook of BrewDog be your guide in a whirlwind of conformity and mediocrity.
