London Calling -- Happy New Year!

Hi everyone -- a very Happy New Year from London! I stood for 5 hours on Waterloo Bridge to get these shots, so I hope you enjoy them!

Hello, from The Anchor pub in London's Southwark borough

 

I really, really liked the Leffe Blond Abbey I had here.

'You can take sex and violence off television, but where ya going to put 'em?'

American beer earns a promo in front of a London pub

Hi folks -- I'm back in London. I exited a bus the other day in front of The Hop Exchange in the Southwark area. The Hop Exchange was supposed to be used for exactly what it says -- the exchange of hops -- but oddly enough, it never was.

Anyway, a few doors away I passed The Wheatsheaf pub. On the sidewalk in front of the store was a sandwich-board type of sign screaming to the world that Anchor Steam beer, made in San Francisco, was available inside.

Smooching in London

Yes, folks, I'm back in London. Stay tuned for beers and views.

How 'bout some boozy whipped cream, baby?

Whipped Lightning is "the world's first alcohol-infused whipped cream."

Here's what Paste Magazine's Daily Awesome recently said about Whipped Lightning:


It comes in nine flavors, to boot, including German chocolate, caramel pecan, hazelnut espresso and strawberry colada.


Although the website stresses the perfect union of their Whipahol cream with cocktails, shooters and other drinks — we here at Paste think it’d taste dreamiest paired with today’s pumpkin pie.

Read the full post here.

You know, at the departed Living Room Coffee Bar & Used Book Store, I used to make myself "Poor Man's Sundaes." I took a soup-bowl sized coffee cup; I filled it with whipped cream; I drizzled chocolate syrup on top. OK, I dumped chocolate syrup on top. 

Can you imagine what a Poor Man's Sundae would be like with Whipped Lightning?

Price check: Samuel Adams Winter Lager

Myrtle Beach / Grand Strand folks: Six-packs of Sam Adams Winter Lager have been running $8.49 at The Market Common Piggly Wiggly, Forestbrook Food Lion, and the Lowes Foods at S.C. 544.

Let me know if you see a sale on Sam Adams Winter Lager! Make a comment below.

Oh crap -- S.C. alcohol law gets screwed up

Eva Moore, writing in the Free Times of Columbia:

Lawmakers are scrambling to figure out how a state law passed this year ended up barring businesses and individuals from serving beer and wine at special events.


Because of that law, starting in January, the Department of Revenue will only grant special-event permits to serve beer and wine to nonprofit organizations and political parties. They will stop issuing permits to businesses and individuals — promoters, caterers and other event organizers, for example — who must obtain licenses every time they want to serve beer and wine in a location without a permanent beer and wine license.


“Somebody screwed up,” says Tom Sponseller, head of the South Carolina Hospitality Association.


According to Rep. Mike Pitts (R-Laurens), the bill’s sole sponsor, the law was just supposed to make it easier for nonprofits that frequently hold events to apply for multiple licenses at once.

Read the entire article here.

Price check: Sierra Nevada Celebration

The Lowes on S.C. 544, the Piggly Wiggly at The Market Common, and the Food Lion on Forestbrook Road each were selling Sierra Nevada Celebration for $8.99 per six-pack of bottles. So it's a buck-fifty per bottle. Not the most affordable beer around, to be sure, but less expensive than Avery Brewing Co.'s Old Jubilation Ale. Just how much is Old Jubilation? Find out here.

Magic Hat's Black As Night Winter Lager is now in Myrtle Beach

I found it at the Forest Brook Food Lion -- a six-pack of bottles for $7.49.

Changes for S.C.'s alcohol licensing for special events

From Adrienne R. Fairwell, public relations officer for the S.C. Department of Revenue: 

Change in Law - Special Event Permits to Sell Beer, Wine, Liquor Amended

Changes to issuance of alcoholic beverage special events licenses effective January 1, 2011

Individuals and organizations will soon see changes in the way they apply for special event licenses and permits due to legislation passed during the 2010 legislative session.

In order to obtain a temporary beer and wine and/or liquor license, the applicant must be a nonprofit organization and must follow the below mentioned guidelines:

• The non-profit must be exempt from federal income tax pursuant to certain subsections of section 501 of the Internal Revenue Code

• A criminal records check is required and must be conducted within 90 days prior to the date of the application

For purposes of this law change, non-profit organizations are those that are organized exclusively for social, benevolent, patriotic, recreational or fraternal purposes, and which are exempt from federal income taxes.

*Note: The new legislation applies to applications beginning on or after January 1, 2011. Therefore, New Year’s Eve events starting December 31, 2010 and ending January 1, 2011 will not be affected.

For a complete listing of ABL legislative changes please visit www.sctax.org and click on the Alcohol Beverage Licensing link.

Miller High Life -- Alternative Fuels ad

Thanks to Beer Runner.

Winter seasonal beers to look for along the Grand Strand

This afternoon, I found Avery's Old Jubilation Ale available in six-packs of bottles at the Piggly Wiggly (The Market Common) for $11.99. I also found a single bottle in the mix-and-match section. Thank God. A bottle at $1.99 is easier to buy.

Check out this recent column to see some of the winter seasonal beers available, or soon to be available, on the Grand Strand.

Free your mind, and the rest will follow?

The Center for Cognitive Liberty & Ethics certainly looks interesting.

A clever use of free speech fights a malicious use of free speech

From Donald Bradley, writing in the Kansas City Star:

As if a bell tolled a neighbor’s trouble, folks came running.

The first showed up before the sun Tuesday, huddling and shivering in the cold and the dark. Others soon came, and before long their numbers stretched a block on both sides of Mechanic Street in front of Harrisonville’s Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic Church.

People drove from three or four counties away. Buses arrived, bellowing exhaust into the cold, bringing loads of schoolkids and senior citizens. People took off work. Some brought dogs. Farmers parked pickups nearby.

It wasn’t a fire, but a burning sense of what was the decent thing to do for one of their own who had given his all.

By 9 a.m., an hour before the funeral of Army Cpl. Jacob R. Carver, an estimated 2,000 to 3,000 people, many of them waving American flags, lined nearly a half-mile of the street in front of the church, making sure Fred Phelps and his Westboro Baptist Church/family congregation were crowded out, peacefully kept far from shouting distance of the funeral.

“This soldier died so (Phelps) could do what he does, as stupid as that is,” said Steve Nothnagel of Harrisonville as he looked at the turnout. “I’m so proud of what is happening here today. This is a community coming together. I know it’s not just Harrisonville; they’re coming from all over.”

The call had gone out by word of mouth and Facebook: Come to Harrisonville, line the streets. Let’s protect this family on this saddest of days.

Read more: http://www.kansascity.com/2010/11/23/2467169/in-harrisonville-thousands-line.html#ixzz16JSSZHtU

How big of a deal was beer on the first Thanksgiving?

Maybe not quite as much as we'd like to think, but the story is interesting anyway.

Meanwhile, you might check out some last-minute suggestions on beer-Thanksgiving pairings.

Beer cultures around the world

Sam Calagione, founder of the Dogfish Head brewing company, has an interesting article in the Huffington Post on beer cultures around the world. Read it here.

Also, four months ago, I published a cover story on Pabst Blue Ribbon. If you missed it, read it here.

London: The Ultimate Girl's Night Out with Alesha Dixon presented by Malibu Rum

~

Aisleyne Horgan-Wallace
~

Must try: Honey Wheat at Liberty Steakhouse & Brewery

Last week, Liberty Steakhouse & Brewery in Myrtle Beach tapped a Honey Wheat. This beer was brewed with 55 pounds of local honey. It might be the best Honey Wheat I've tried: I could definitely taste the honey, but the beer was not sweet, and I thought belonged in the light-to-medium weight class. I'll be writing about it in my next column in the Weekly Surge.

Whatever happened to the Pussycat Dolls?

Heard any music from the Pussycat Dolls lately? I didn't think so.

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA - Thursday November 4 2010. Former Pussycat Doll Jessica Sutta enjoys an evening at the Verizon/HTC Incredible Launch at Voyeur in West Hollywood. Photograph: Josephine Santos, PacificCoastNews.com

Content © 2010 PacificCoastNews All rights reserved.

For the affordable Americana beer party

Of course, the beer you serve at a party says a lot about you. Down-scale quality is the current token of hipness. Sometimes, you want to say you're one of the real, working, unpretentious folks. But you also want some quality.

Well, for quality, affordability, historical roots, and as much Americana as a trucker's cap, buy both of these for your next party:

Pabst Blue Ribbon

Yuengling Lager

Within these two iconic brand names, you can go slightly upscale, or keep it real: Both are available in bottles and cans.

Others? Suggestions?

Delaware . . .

it's now safe to scratch that awkward itch.

A friend's misadventures at Jon Stewart's 'Rally to Restore Sanity and/or Fear'

My good friend Bruce Overby had a tough time in Washington, D.C. Read: Deucerman at Random: I can be reasonable, but...

Art inspired by Disney's Haunted Mansion

At Harold Golen Gallery in Miami. See them all here.

Trippy video: Uffie's 'Difficult'

UFFIE - Difficult from Uffie on Vimeo.

Unlikely end of the world scenario: A conservative Republican starts an ad with 'I am not a witch'

Oh wait -- it has already happened. Click here to see the video.

Oktoberfest has begun! Runs through Sunday!

If you live in the Myrtle Beach area, ease on down to Oktoberfest. Click here for details.

Kelly Osbourne's color-coordination

I have to admit, I never thought about matching one's shoes with one's tattoos.

No, I don't have any tattoos. Or decent shoes.
Fine print:
NEW YORK - SEPTEMBER 15: Kelly Osbourne attends the Jeremy Scott Spring 2011 fashion show during Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week at Milk Studios on September 15, 2010 in New York City. (Photo by Andy Kropa/Getty Images) Content © 2010 Getty Images All rights reserved.

Budweiser ad parody

Click here.

Hahahahaha.

Today's purchases

Tommy at Green's said the Magic Hat, along with many others, just came in today. Stay tuned for tasting notes!

Magic Hat's "Hex," their "Ourtober" Beer and RedHook's Late Harvey Autumn Ale.

Twisted Sister frontman Dee Snider gets a town after his own name

I'm not making this up.

Click here.

For real.

It's official: Stupidity does not adversely affect legs

BEVERLY HILLS, CALIFORNIA - Monday August 30, 2010. Lindsay Lohan, accompanied by her assistant Eleonore Lieven, multiple unidentified men and photographers, leaves a medical building in Beverly Hills. Lohan was dressed rather professionally as she wore a simple jacket, pleated shorts and black high heels. Photograph: Zico, PacificCoastNews.com
Content © 2010 PacificCoastNews All rights reserved.

Blog exclusive: New South's sales of canned White Ale

Here's something that didn't fit into my new column on New South Brewing's upcoming brewery tours:

New South now sells six packs of its canned White Ale in 50 places around the Grand Strand, owner Dave Epstein said.

The brewery is pushing out 60 to 70 cases per week of the White Ale, which was already New South's most popular beer before they started canning it last year.

For now, White Ale is the brewery's only canned beer. Their other beers are sold in kegs to bars and restaurants.

Did you know New South uses a canning machine that was once used to package Dale's Pale Ale?

Visit New South online.

About that handle in a CCU restroom . . .

On campus today, I opened the door to exit a CCU restroom. The handle came off in pieces that scattered on the floor.

The door closed.

I couldn't re-open the door.

I wondered how long I would have to wait before someone else would have to go to the toilet, so I might be liberated from the restroom.

Eventually, I rigged the handle to work well enough to open the door.

I escaped the restroom.

I went to my office and sat at my computer. I wondered if someone else might be experiencing the same thing I just went through.

I called the Facilities phone number.

With a very friendly voice, the lady on the other end advised me with a few bureaucratic phrases.

I thanked her and hung up.

I still have no idea what she said.

If you're presently stuck in the restroom, I'm really sorry.

Dunkin' Donuts on U.S. 501: If you ask for the combo, be very specific about the temperature of the coffee

After waiting at least 5 minutes that feel like 15 in a three-person line at the Dunkin' Donuts/Baskin-Robbins on U.S. 501, where four people are behind the counter, I ask for the Turkey, Cheddar, & Bacon flat bread combo with coffee.

The sign says, Anytime Combos, with small iced tea or iced coffee, $5.39.

I asked for the combo with coffee. I didn't say "iced." She doesn't ask me for clarification.

She says she needs to check if they have any Turkey, Cheddar, & Bacon

About three minutes later, she returns to say they have Ham & Swiss or Three Cheese ("Grilled" on the sign, actually) flat bread available.

She doesn't say they are out of Turkey, Cheddar, & Bacon. She says they have Ham & Swiss or Three Cheese ("Grilled" on the sign).

I say Ham & Swiss.

She gets my coffee, a hot coffee.

I still think I'm getting the combo for $5.39.

Another three minutes. My food is brought to the counter and placed in a brown paper bag.

She rings me up for $3.99 plus $1.69 for the coffee: $5.68, plus 60 cents for our politicians to play with, bringing the total to $6.28.

I look confused. The combo price is $5.39. I point out that the combo says it comes with a small iced tea or iced coffee. She says the coffee doesn't equal an iced tea.

She doesn't mention, as the sign does, iced coffee, which might stand a chance of being equal to a hot coffee. She just mentions iced tea.

Had she told me that hot coffee costs more when I order the combo? No.

I point out that I ordered the combo. She gives me the receipt and tells me I can look at how the price is broken down.

I ignore the tip jar.

I still love Juliette Lewis

Cast member Juliette Lewis signs autographs at the premiere of The Switch at the Arclight theatre in Hollywood, California August 16, 2010. The movie opens in the U.S. on September 2. REUTERS/Mario Anzuoni (UNITED STATES)Content © 2010 Reuters All rights reserved.

And there's always Jennifer...

Christmas in ... August

NEW YORK - AUGUST 12: The Radio City Rockettes perform during the 2010 Radio City Christmas Spectacular Kick-Off at Radio City Music Hall on August 12, 2010 in New York City. (Photo by Astrid Stawiarz/Getty Images) Content © 2010 Getty Images All rights reserved.

In case you missed Kourtney Kardashian yesterday . . . .

BEVERLY HILLS, CA - AUGUST 06: TV personality Kourtney Kardashian arrives to the Comcast Entertainment Group's Summer TCA Cocktail Party on August 6, 2010 in Beverly Hills, California. (Photo by Alberto E. Rodriguez/Getty Images)Content © 2010 Getty Images All rights reserved.

Jimmy Carter made craft beer possible?!?!?

Apparently so.

Check out this blog post from The New Republic. Oy. Vey.

Please follow me on Twitter! Click: http://twitter.com/cfburch4 .

Jeff Goldblum -- on screen and on stage

What a bummer to hear that Jeff Goldblum is quitting Law & Order: Criminal Intent.

I recently saw him on stage in London as Mel in The Prisoner of Second Avenue, a comedy by Neil Simon.

In the first half of the play, Goldblum made Mel into a comic crazy guy; later, he made Mel into a compelling, quirky, renewed man.

Goldblum is a great talent, which might explain why the current London production of Simon's play has been extended by two weeks.

I'm surprised that Law & Order: Criminal Intent hasn't received better ratings with Goldblum in a lead role.

Croissants' GM & executive chef do 'Fat-Off 2010'

Press release:

Croissants Bistro & Bakery announced this week that their General Manager, Will Gravely and their Executive Chef, Bradley Daniels will be competing in what they have named the “Fat-Off 2010”.  In an attempt to better their personal health while bringing the staff together, they created the 18 week contest.  

The “Fat-Off 2010” began July 26th and will end November 29th.  To begin the challenge, the men each weighed in and then set a goal weight to be reached by the end of the contest. There will also be weekly goals, including “Push It Week” where the boys must do as many push-ups as possible and “Customer’s Week” where the customers will set that week’s goal via email. Suggestions should be sent to Lyndsay@Croissants.net. At the end of the 18 weeks, the winner will be determined by total pounds lost (measured in a percentage), the number of bonus points achieved by reaching each weekly goal, and by whoever is closest to reaching their goal weight. Says Executive Chef, Bradley Daniels, “I am excited to participate in this contest and am thrilled to have the support of our amazing staff. I am looking forward to continuing this healthy lifestyle and reaching my goal.” For more information on Croissants Bistro and Bakery’s “Fat-Off 2010” call 843.448.2253 or visit www.Croissants.net.

About Croissants Bistro & Bakery

Croissants Bistro & Bakery began fifteen years ago as a life-long dream of owner, Heidi Vukov.  Throughout the years, the restaurant has continued to grow. A SC Certified, Fresh on the Menu restaurant, open for breakfast, lunch and dinner Monday through Saturday, Croissants is proud to be Myrtle Beach’s only low-country bistro.

Contact Information:

Croissants Bistro & Bakery

3751 Robert Grissom Pkwy.

Myrtle Beach, SC 29577

843.448.2253

Beerman in London, Part Eleven

To follow up on my column in today's new Weekly Surge, not all cask ales have been good.

I tried one at the Coach & Horses pub in London, not too far from Oxford Circus, at least as far as my long legs and fast walking are concerned.

Royal London Traditional Ale looked like a normal, copper-colored beer, but it tasted like some kind of fruit-and-vegetable health drink. I guess that's due to the yeasts. Maybe it was just the cask or the pour. Royal London Traditional Ale was the first cask pint I received that didn't involve a second pour to top-off.

The beer was so sour and tart, I wasn't sure I could finish it. But I did, and it felt nice in my stomach, and spiritually it was rather uplifting.

Well, tomorrow morning, at an ungodly hour, I'm flying back to Myrtle Beach. I'll miss this throne of beer, this land of ales, this ... England.

Beerman in London, Part Ten

At the Swan pub, near one end of Kennington Garden and Hyde Park, two by Fuller's: one is Chiswick Bitter, and the empty glass was Discovery Blonde. Both were hand-pulled; both were understated and good.

Beerman in London, Part Nine

Tomorrow, as in Friday, I'll go to Hay-on-Wye, a tiny Welsh town on the British border.

Kristi and I are staying at a small hotel known for its bar and ales.

Stay tuned!

Beerman in London, Part 8

From the top of Saint Paul's Cathedral. How far up? The Golden Gallery. Check out the diagram:
http://www.stpauls.co.uk/Cathedral-History/Climb-the-Dome

Beerman in London, Part Seven

I drank Young's London Gold in a pub behind Hard Rock Cafe London.

It was a hand-pumped cask ale, and had just a tiny hint of that bready flavor I notice in some beers, like Heineken -- but not strong.

Mostly, Young's London Gold was a lighter, yummy, summer-friendly beer.

Have you tried it? What did you think?

The original version of 'Dry Web'

I'm still in London; more posts to come. 

Meanwhile, some of my most recent column was trimmed so a late news item could be squeezed into the Weekly Surge.

Specifically, the part of my column entitled "Dry Web" was trimmed, but the original was better, so here it is:

I was staying at a Baptist conference center the night before my PBR article was due.

I’m always racking up the frequent-guest points at Baptist conference centers, and cashing them in for sweet tea and potato salad.

I was there because my wife had gone the center’s accompanying girls’ camp during her growing-up years, and now my daughters are carrying on the tradition.

Don’t get me wrong – it’s a great camp, and the conference center’s room were cleaner than most hotel rooms. I guess working for cranky tourists is a little less motivating than working for the Almighty.

Anyway, I had to do a little PBR-related research to do, so I went online. The Google search returned the results, and I clicked.

Suddenly, a note popped up on the screen: the site was banned, for it fell within the “Alcohol/Tobacco Category.”

I knew I couldn’t bring any alcohol or tobacco – I was really proud of myself for not smuggling any in – but I couldn’t even read about it?

Wouldn’t it count as opposition research?

That’s why I’m an Episcopalian. Our little-known motto is, “The Protestants Who Drink.” Our Jesus turned water into wine, not Welch’s Grape Juice.

Beerman in London, Part Six

Today, I was at the amazing Kew Gardens, about a 30-minute train ride from London, with my wife, known children, and in-laws.

Think Brookgreen Gardens with far more exotic plants, far fewer sculptures, and a long history of royal residents.

In a cafe/restaurant, I got in line to purchase a Budweiser Budvar -- the other Bud, the Czech Bud, the subject of a previous column.

Two open-air, refrigerated shelves held various bottles of water, wine, beer, etc., and I picked up a Budvar at the end of the line.

The bottle didn't seem quite cold enough, so I looked ahead, saw the second chilled shelf, and decided to wait.

At the second chilled shelf, the Budvar was barely colder than room temperature.

But there was no way I was losing my place in line -- it's one of those lines where the bottled-water purchaser has to wait behind the big-food-order-purchaser.

As a testament to Budweiser Budvar, it still tasted great, even barely chilled.

But I remember, way back in 1998, when I spent three months over here, seeing a news article on the front page of a tabloid about Brits trying to regulate the temperature of beer. Maybe that was more about pubs and tapped and hand-pulled beer. Either way, apparently, the idea of cold beer is still working against convention.

Beerman in London, Part Six

The waiter poured me just a couple of inches in a labeled, snifter-style glass and stopped.

"For emergency," he said with a laugh.

This was not the Peroni we usually see in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina.

Peroni Gran Riserva is intended to be more upscale than the Peroni Nastro Azzurro we always see at Carrabba's.

I had Peronia Gran Riserva at Ask, an Italian restaurant (with great food!) next to the genius Design Museum.

It was even served in a snifter-style, labeled glass, and was 6.6 percent alcohol. That might be due to the double malting -- "birra doppio malto" -- claimed on the label. Either way, the malting certainly brought out a distinctive, sophisticated taste, smoother and heavier than the Peroni Nastro Azzurro.

For one 12-ounce bottle, Peroni Gran Riserva was about 3.70 pounds, compared to 3.30 pounds for Peroni Nastro Azzurro, if memory serves.

I don't think we have Gran Riserva in Myrtle Beach, but if we do, try it.

Beerman in London, Part Five

Today, between Henry IV Part One, and, incidentally, Henry IV Part Two, at The Globe Theatre, Kristi and I went to Founders Arms Riverside Pub.

I ordered a hand-pulled Wells Bombardier English Bitter.

Hand-pulled beers are not powered by carbon dioxide. Founders had those taps, too, but apparently the hand-pulled, or pumped, beers are unique to the U.K.

The guy pulled my beer, slowly filling the pint glass. He pulled the handle twice, and when the glass filled, with a bit of head on top, he set it aside and got Kristi's Strongbow cider from the regular taps.

Then he returned to my pint, and pulled the handle again, making sure the glass was filled.

That was awesome -- genuine respect and care for beer, even in a busy pub and restaurant.

The lamb kabobs were great, too.

Beerman in London, Part Four

We've placed an online order with the grocery chain Tesco -- and guess what they will deliver to our place here in London?

Well, boring food, of course, but also 500-milliliter bottles of Fuller's ESB -- only one of the best beers, ever, and the original ESB (extra special bitter).

Meanwhile, my Pabst Blue Ribbon cover story for the Weekly Surge is now available online. See what Scott Smallin did to me with his camera! And PBR is not just a big cultural story right now -- it's also one of the biggest business stories of the year: click here.

Beerman in London, Part Three

As in January, so in July: Stella Artois ads everywhere.

The ads in the tube stations declare Stella is made with only four ingredients: malt, hops, maize, and water.

Maize = corn.

Should we thank them for leaving out the rice?

Beerman in London, Part Two

This is cute:

BBC News this morning calls it the "U.S. Oil Spill."

Not the "BP Oil Spill."

The "U.S. Oil Spill."

Beerman in London, Part One

I never see 12-ounce cans on the beer shelves in the grocery stores here.

I haven't studied each can available, but they all appear to be 16-ounce or 24-ounce cans.

Yesterday morning, when we arrived at our place in Lambeth, my in-laws, Kristi and I celebrated by splitting a can of Strongbow cider.

One of the funniest things I've ever read

Click here -- enjoy!

Beer thief arrested, for the 154th time!

Read it all in this Asylum magazine blog post.

Heh heh heh . . . .

15 low-alcohol, drinkable, summer beers

Read about them here.

Beer books by Dogfish Head founder Sam Calagione

Now that Dogfish Head beers are in the Grand Strand market, you might want to check out some of the books written by brewery founder, Sam Calagione.

Tell the Weekly Surge your PBR stories!

Hey folks! Use the comments link below to tell us your Pabst Blue Ribbon stories, praises, curses, whatever! Your comments could appear in an upcoming cover story for the Weekly Surge! So scroll down and tell us what you think today!

Dogfish Head swims into the Grand Strand market; or, what I did at Mellow Mushroom last night

Today, I went to the Piggly Wiggly at The Market Common and bought a four-pack of Dogfish Head 90 Minute IPA.

I also saw Midas Touch, Palo Santo Marron, and Immort Ale, the first two of which I had tried the night before.

That's when I had chatted with Claus Hagelman, indie guru for Dogfish Head Brewery, at Mellow Mushroom about his company's beers and its move into the Myrtle Beach market. (I also talked with some of the Yahnis Co. guys, who will be distributing the Dogfish Head products in our area.)

The samples I tasted Monday evening blew my mind -- new favorites, and new respect for Dogfish Head.

I'll write about Dogfish Head's move into the Myrtle Beach market for the April 3 edition of the Weekly Surge, and I'll be blogging about these new-to-us brews in the upcoming days. Stick around and check back.

The Bruery's Saison de Lente and Bear Republic's Racer 5 IPA, from Bodega in Conway

I had to file my column before I had a chance to review the two beers I mentioned, so I left a note saying I would offer my tasting notes on this blog.

Saison de Lente was light and very bubbly, almost a champaign in its pour and color. It reminded me of many lighter, Belgian-style beers. Pleasant, and worth the $10.99 for the big bottle.

Racer 5 IPA is my new favorite IPA. Imagine New Belgium's Fat Tire retooled for the IPA profile -- Racer 5 has that exquisite and rich malt profile along with the expected, and in this case, measured, hop presence of an IPA.

Two mugs up on both of these! One place to find them is Bodega in Conway. I also saw Racer 5 on tap at Myrtle Beach's Mellow Mushroom.

Tomorrow: Downtown Sumter Microbrew Festival

Get info here and also here.

Pat Monahan of Train performs with Fantasia: Vh1 Upfront 2010

NEW YORK - APRIL 20: Pat Monahan (L) of Train performs with Fantasia during the Vh1 Upfront 2010 at Pier 59 Studios on April 20, 2010 in New York City. (Photo by Larry Busacca/Getty Images)
Content © 2010 Getty Images All rights reserved.

Coming later this week in the Surge: What a runaway trailer has to do with Victory Helios Ale

The story will be told in this week's edition of the Weekly Surge, due out this Thursday.

Help Loris High School! Vote for their killer design for Vans shoes!

Check out the image of Loris High School's killer design for Vans shoes, and then click here to vote! It's Vans' Shoe Customization Contest, a national competition for a new design of Vans, and the winning high school receives $10,000 for its art department! Vote Loris!

'Cleverest women are the heaviest drinkers'

I'm not making this up:

Those with degrees are almost twice as likely to drink daily, and they are also more likely to admit to having a drinking problem.

A similar link between educational attainment and alcohol consumption is seen among men, but the correlation is less strong.

The findings come from a comprehensive study carried out at the London School of Economics in which researchers tracked the lives of thousands of 39-year-old women and men, all born in the UK during the same week in 1970.

Read it all here.

Vote now!

Read today's Beerman column in the April 8 edition of the Weekly Surge, and then vote (just to the right of this post) on one of the burning topics of our time:

Should Major League Baseball players be allowed to drink beer in the dugouts?

This week's column in the Surge

This week I'll be writing about Thirsty Thursday at the Myrtle Beach Pelicans home games at BB&T Coastal Field, and I'll give a recap of the 2nd Annual Myrtle Beach Beer Fest.

The next Weekly Surge hits the stands Thursday!

Meanwhile, for my recent columns, click here.

Beer for Easter

A fine Belgian Trappist ale would probably be more appropriate for the Christian holiday, but this weekend I'm into Rising Moon, Blue Moon's spring seasonal, a wheat ale made with Kieffer lime leaves and peel.

Dan Aykroyd promoting Crystal Head Vodka

There pics are too good to pass up, even if they are a couple of weeks old.

NEW YORK - MARCH 18: Actor Dan Aykroyd promotes his Crystal Head Vodka at Park Avenue Liquor Shop on March 18, 2010 in New York City. (Photo by Michael Loccisano/Getty Images)
Content © 2010 Getty Images All rights reserved.

All done!

Sent on the Sprint® Now Network from my BlackBerry®

Here's a good Beer Fest crowd

Sent on the Sprint® Now Network from my BlackBerry®

Ha ha ha

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T-shirt at the MB Beer Fest

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Myrtle Beach Beer Fest underway!

Read my preview here.

Get the details here.

I'll be tweeting live tomorrow: Twitter.com/cfburch4 .

The best thing in the cabinet

Firefly Vodka
Sent on the Sprint® Now Network from my BlackBerry®

Courtesy Ed Piotrowski: An advance forecast for Beer Fest

Ed Piotrowski, weather dude for WPDE, says we could have a few showers Friday with highs in the low 70s, but then it will be mostly sunny and near 60 on Saturday. 


Of course, we're still three days out, but that's fairly good news for the 2nd annual Myrtle Beach Beer Fest. 


Stay tuned for updates!


And check this out -- a new Jimi Hendrix album?!?!?

Hard Cider for health and diet

Check this out:

Woodchuck Dark & Dry:  180 calories ... 16 grams of sugar ... 5 percent alcohol by volume

Hardcore Premium Cider:  180 calories ... 14 grams of sugar ... 5.5 percent alcohol by volume

Hornsby's Amber Draft:  170 calories ... 9 grams of sugar ... 6 percent alcohol by volume

Poster for 2nd Annual Myrtle Beach Beer Fest

Who threw the half-empty 24-ounce bottle of Icehouse on my front lawn?!

And why the hell didn't you finish it?

It's not the worst beer ...

Photo of the Day

LA MOLINA, SPAIN - MARCH 19: (FRANCE OUT) Pierre Vaultier (L) of France takes 1st place during the LG Snowboard FIS World Cup Men's Snowboardercross on March 19, 2010 in La Molina, Spain. (Photo by Alexis Boichard/Agence Zoom/Getty Images)
Content © 2010 Getty Images All rights reserved.
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What are you doing March 26 and 27?

I'll tell you what you're doing.

You're going to the 2nd annual Myrtle Beach Beer Fest.

I'm planning to Tweet.

. . .

A big day for beer in Myrtle Beach

If you're in the greater Myrtle Beach area today, you've got TWO Saint Patty's Day celebrations to choose from, and they're scheduled in such a way that you can go to both.

Get more information on both festivals here, and look for my Tweets to the right of this post.

Cheers!

The Weather Channel's Stephanie Abrams

Isn't it cool when a nerd is totally hot?

Don't miss tomorrow's edition of the Weekly Surge!

In tomorrow's edition of the Weekly Surge, I have an interview with Timmy Parrott, store operator at Piggly Wiggly in The Market Common.

Parrott tells the story behind (arguably) the best grocery store beer section on the Grand Strand.

Fiesta Del Burro Loco -- translated

The Crazy Ass Party.

Now THAT is a bottle of wine

LONDON, ENGLAND - A gallery assistant for Sotheby's auction house admires a melchior of Chateau Cheval Blanc 2006 alongside a standard sized bottle on February 12, 2010 in London, England. The melchior sized bottle, which is 18 litres in volume, is to be sold in Sotheby's sale of 'Finest and Rarest Wines & Vintage Port' on February 17, 2010 in London and is expected to fetch up to 4,800 GBP. (Photo by Oli Scarff/Getty Images)
Content © 2010 Getty Images All rights reserved.Retrieved via PicApp.

Beer: the pre-historic initiative behind civilization

From the Independent (U.K.):

Drunkenness, hangovers, and debauchery tend to come to mind when one thinks about alcohol and its effects. But could alcohol also have been a catalyst for human civilization?

According to archaeologist Patrick McGovern this may have been the case when early man decided to start farming. Why humans turned from hunting and gathering to agriculture could be the result of our ancestors’ simple urge for alcoholic beverages.

“Alcohol provided the initial motivation,” said McGovern, a biomolecular archaeologist at the University of Pennsylvania Museum. “Then it got going the engine of society.”

Read the rest here.

'Love on an Escalator'

I like Aerosmith's "Love on an Escalator" -- it's like "Love in an Elevator," only bumpier.

NC State beats No. 7 Duke by 14 points!

London Postcard: Loving the beers here

Here are some worthwhile brews I've sampled while here in London. I'm heading back tomorrow, but if you travel to the U.K., or if you can find any of these in the States, they are very worthwhile:

Erdinger: A German wheat beer that has become a new favorite.

Budweiser Budvar: From the Czech Republic, this is NOT the Anheuser-Busch Bud. In fact, it pre-dates the Anheuser-Busch dominance of the beer market.

Britannia Ale: Fantastic balance, with hopping that leans toward a proper India Pale Ale.

Sambrook's Wandle: Enjoyable, highly drinkable.

Timothy Taylor's Landlord: Good balance, highly drinkable, very light, watery mouth-feel considering the level of character it delivers.