I picked up a copy yesterday of "1001 Beers You Must Taste Before You Die" and thanks go out to Stephen Beaumont and the publishers who felt inclined to recognize our Humulus Ludicrous as one of those 1001.

This is the third time in less than a year that Half Pints has ended up in print as part of the national history of beer by being included in the conversation about what makes real craft beer in Canada so damn good. You can see that where a national identity with regards to craft beer had been lacking due in part by the majors sucking so hard at brewing anything worth drinking - case in point. While the big guys continue to grasp at straws like an 18 year old at a 80's dance party, craft brewers continue to hone their skills and stick it to them.

Congratulations therefore are offered to all the Canadian breweries mentioned in the book, but especially:
The Bushwakker for their Palliser Porter - my old Alma mater has brewed this dark porter regularly since day one. It's from an old homebrew recipe that Bev had won a national award for. Just like Mozart never goes out of style, so it is with the Palliser Porter.

Wild Rose for their Cherry Porter - Brewmaster Dave Neilly has some really good brews up his sleeve so we should keep our eyes out for whatever comes next.

King Brewing - my favourite Pilsner - alright Summit does a wicked one, too - but this is my favourite Canadian Pils.

In Other News:
Beer Wars is officially available for rent on MTS VOD & Shaw On Demand. Despite there being some minor quibbles about who should've or who shouldn't have been included in this look at the American Brewing industry, it's not a bad documentary overall.

The film takes a look at the American brewing industry from a craft oriented standpoint. The big guys play the Snidely Whiplash to the craft industries Dudley Do-Right, always tethering store owners to the rail lines to get market share and such.

It's interesting to me to note just how ass backwards the American three tiered distribution system is compared to the few in Canada that work the same way. It makes me feel lucky that we have the MLCC, even if it does have its faults (not unlike everywhere else).

Labels: 1001 Beers You Must Taste Before You Die, Business of Beer, Humulus Ludicrous

There's lots of good news on the beer front here at Half Pints, but I thought this one was particularly special. It comes from my old alma mater, the Bushwakker in Regina. They hold beer tastings from time to time and for this one, we had a beer in the running.

Thanks to Grant Frew for passing the results along:

The results of Tuesday night's IPA tasting event are as follows:

1. Half Pints Humulus Ludicrous Imperial - 100 IBU 41.19

2. Green Flash Imperial - 100 IBU 39.67

3. Green Flash West Coast - 95 IBU 38.22

4. Pike - 60 IBU 37.97

5. Lost Coast Indica - 57 IBU 36.42

6. Pyramid Thunderhead - 67 IBU 34.42

7. Dogfish Head 90 Minute Imperial - 90 IBU 33.24

8. North Coast Acme - 55 IBU 28.70

Labels: Humulus Ludicrous, Regina

Nicole called me yesterday to not-so-subtly remind me that it's been too long since my last update. We've been busy with all things beer and today is no exception.

A few weeks ago we realized that we were going to run out of St. James boxes a lot sooner than we originally thought. It's been a popular beer over the last few weeks and with the hot weather, even more so. We were out of boxes for two weeks-ish and have now re-stocked the stores with their supply.

On the positive front, we've signed up for the Great Canadian Beer Festival in Victoria, as well as the Flatlander's Beer Festival here in Winnipeg. You'll be seeing the brewery at both in some form or other. It turns out Ethan's first day of Kindergarten coincides with the GCBF's first day so, Nicole and I will be staying home that weekend. Seems kinda odd that you'd have your first day of school ever on a Friday, but I'm not the one who runs the show there.

Tonight is the Zoo's Bear Social and we've donated a schnazzy stainless BBQ for the event that will help raise money for the Winnipeg Zoo. We've specifically kept our logo off it because we figure the last thing the winner will want is a "Half Pint's" BBQ. Well, that and the fact that we're not in the BBQ business. With all the talk recently in the papers about Zoo funding and such, we're happy to be supporting them as:

1. They need it. Seriously.
2. Our kids love it. And what Winnipeg 30 somethin' doesn't remember the time they almost slipped into the pond at Fanny's Farm while trying to avoid a friend during a game of tag.
   
3. It could be world class again if we all pitch in. This is just one way we pitch in.

Next week, we're the proud sponsor of the VIP Tent during Canada Day Festivities at The Forks. You'll see members of the Half Pints crew on site, making sure the beer flows and the stock is full. It's great to be a part of this event as the WSO is playing, and we know what fans they are of Half Pints.

On the brewery front:
We've brewed the Humulus Ludicrous again for a mid-August release. There will be a limited supply because other provinces (BC & AB for example) have asked for it, too. Keep your eyes peeled for the date and we'll try to make our hophead customers happy. FYI, we had a few of these stored away since the last time we brewed it, and have been slowly doling it out as critics, reviewers, and photographers have asked. We had a couple in from Pennsylvania the other day and during our quick walk around the brewery, we cracked open the second last bottle. For a beer that's two years old, it's held up quite nicely.

We've also been brewing up something new that you may be able to pry out of Chris, but not me. Suffice to say, it's gonna be a good one.

Labels: Festivals, Humulus Ludicrous, St. James Pale