“Beer Hunter the Movie” – Celebrating the Life of Michael Jackson

Posted on August 29, 2013 by Thebrewholder

For those of us who only know Michael Jackson from his published works, “Beer Hunter the Movie” provides a wonderful glimpse into the personality of “the world’s greatest beer writer and craft beer champion.” Released on April 18, 2013 for public screenings by Wander Media Productions, Beer Hunter is both a documentary and a celebration of Michael Jackson’s life and accomplishments.

As the film explains, Michael Jackson was the original “beer blogger” and introduced the world to different styles of beer through his groundbreaking work, “The World Guide to Beer,” first published in 1977.

Michael’s passion for beer resonates throughout Beer Hunter The Movie, both in his on-camera appearances and through the testimonials of respected brewers such as Garrett Oliver of Brooklyn Brewery and Fritz Maytag of Anchor Brewing. It becomes clear through these and other interviews – conducted after Michael passed away of Parkinsons’ disease in 2007 – that Michael not only changed the beer world through his writing, but also profoundly inspired those who knew him personally as a result of his belief that beer deserves the same – if not more – respect than wine.

If you have read any of Michael’s writing, or simply want to know more about this beer icon, Beer Hunter The Movie is a great film for you. Just one piece of advice – make sure you have some craft brew available when you watch it. It is inevitable that at some point during the film you will feel compelled to raise a toast to this dear departed friend of the U.S. craft brew revolution!

The Beer Hunter is being shown through screenings at select locations – maybe even at your local pub. Check out The Beer Hunter website to see if there will be a screening near you. If you can’t find a screening, you are in luck – for a limited time you can purchase a Special Edition DVD with over two hours of extra footage directly from the site.

Cheers!

The Brewholder

Not Nice

Posted on August 20, 2013 by Thebrewholder

A beer geek walks into a bar and says to the bartender, “Give me one of your finest craft brews; give everyone in here a craft brew; and have one for yourself.” The bartender serves everyone a beer and draws one for himself. He asks the generous beer geek for payment, and the beer geek says he has no money. The bartender physically ejects him from the bar. Undeterred, the beer geek picks himself up, dusts off his copy of “Tasting Beer” and limps right back into the bar. He crawls onto a bar stool and says to the bartender, “Give me a brew and give everyone else here one too. But none for you – you get too mean when you drink.”

Cheers!

15 Best Craft Breweries…

Posted on August 15, 2013 by Thebrewholder

Yesterday, USA Today published an article entitled, “Top 15 craft beer breweries in the USA.” The article gave the results of a poll that started with “some of the country’s leading craft beer experts” and ended with 11,500 votes from readers of TheDailyMeal.com. The top 15 breweries selected were indeed impressive, including Russian River, Stone, Founders, and, in first place, Dogfish Head. I enjoyed the article, but I noticed that Dogfish Head and Cigar City were the only East coast breweries to make the cut. Maybe I’m just regionally biased, but I can’t figure out why Victory and Ommegang didn’t make the top fifteen. Oh well, maybe next year.

Cheers?

Anything But Tired…

Posted on August 10, 2013 by Thebrewholder

You’ve probably seen a million commercials – a group of friends in a small pub, laughing, talking – looking like they are extremely comfortable there. Typically my nights are not like that – but last night it was – thanks to some good friends I hadn’t seen in years and Tired Hands Brewing Company. http://www.tiredhands.com.

It all started innocently enough – I reached out to one friend who I hadn’t seen in probably eight years, and before we knew it, it was time for an ad hoc reunion for three of us. So we tried to find the most convenient point to meet, and geographically, it was Ardmore, Pennsylvania. Instantly, I told the group that we had to go to Tired Hands Brewing Company – you know, Philly Beer Scene’s “Brewpub of the Year” 2013.

Tired Hands, which only opened in 2012, won the Brewpub of the Year based on its brew – such as its HopHands Pale Ale (4.8% ABV, an aromatic pale ale brewed with oats and hopped with a blend of Amarillo, Simcoe, and Centennial); but also because of the care and passion inserted by Brewmaster Jean Brouillet IV into his new creations, like the Kickphone IFlip, (5.5% ABV), an IPA brewed with wheat and hopped with Citra, Simcoe, Centennial and Amarillo hops.

I was inspired to write about Tired Hands not only because of those brews that I sampled (which, of course, were outstanding), but because the entire evening made me feel as though I was in one of those commercials. My friends were already seated at a rough-hewn wooden table when I arrived; the brick walls and warm lighting reminded me of a comfortable living room. The bar and the wall behind, including the menu, were inviting in their earth tones.

Tired Hands Bar

The menu

After a few minutes, and a few swigs of the HopHands, it was as if eight years had not passed and we were back in the “old days.” We reminisced and laughed heartily – and ordered another round. Jean gladly filled our glasses from behind the bar, and I can only assume he felt a sense of satisfaction that his establishment was the catalyst for such a great night.

In my opinion, Tired Hands has mastered the concept of the brewpub – both in its fresh, quality brews as well as providing a welcoming place for its customers to enjoy them. The combination of the HopHands, the cozy and welcoming design of the pub, and the reunion with long lost friends all lead me to strongly recommend that if you find yourself in Ardmore, or can find any excuse to get there, you must go to Tired Hands. Cheers!

August 1, 2013: International IPA Day

Posted on August 1, 2013 by Thebrewholder

Don’t forget – August 1, 2013 is International IPA Day. Make sure to consume at least one of your favorite IPAs and take a moment to thank that pernicious weed for inspiring our creative American brewers to push the boundaries of hoppiness.

And if you’re on Untappd, you’ll get a badge.