It's in the (aluminum) cans

I finished my Weekly Surge cover story on the Cheap Beer Taste Test, featuring Dave Epstein and Brock Kurtzman of New South Brewing Co., Eric Lamb of Liberty Steakhouse and Brewery, and Pete Velez of Gordon Biersch.

The beers? The tasting notes? The results?

Look for all the answer in this coming Thursday's edition of the Weekly Surge.

Tomorrow, I get shot, blindfolded

That's right -- I will be photographed for an upcoming cover of the Weekly Surge. Scott Smallin will do the shooting.

Coffee for dogs

I was on the back patio this morning, throwing the tennis ball into the yard so Lucy, a four-month-old black lab-great dane mix, could play fetch.

Mosquitoes began to accumulate on my legs, so I placed my cup of Cashua Coffee's Mocha Java on the bricks encircling a tree.

Lucy sniffed the cup, and then started lapping.

She even came back to it, and lapped it until the cup tipped over.

Oddly enough, she is still, at the present moment, taking her normal mid-morning nap.

Must not have made it strong enough.

MB brewers try six cheap beers in taste test

I'm writing an upcoming cover story for the Weekly Surge which will feature the results of my Cheap Beer Taste Test.

Four local guys in the brewing business tasted six cheap beers from cups labeled only with A, B, C, D, E, and F.

They didn't know it, but those beers were: Pabst Blue Ribbon, Miller High Life, Steel Reserve, South Paw Light, Milwaukee's Best Ice, and Natural Light.

Who were the brewers, and what were their opinions of these beers? Look for upcoming editions of the Weekly Surge to find out.

Cheap beer taste-test

I'm trying to gin-up a cheap beer taste-test among our local brewers, for a Weekly Surge cover story.

Any suggestions on which beers I should use in the taste test? Of course, I have some in mind already, but I'm open to suggestions. The beers must be cheaper than $5 per six pack.

Wearable beer dispenser?

Apparently ... yes.

Click here to read about it, and see a pic.

Guinness really is good for you, new research suggests

According to the BBC:

The old advertising slogan "Guinness is Good for You" may be true after all, according to researchers.

A pint of the black stuff a day may work as well as a low dose aspirin to prevent heart clots that raise the risk of heart attacks.

Drinking lager does not yield the same benefits, experts from University of Wisconsin told a conference in the US.

Guinness were told to stop using the slogan decades ago - and the firm still makes no health claims for the drink.

The Wisconsin team tested the health-giving properties of stout against lager by giving it to dogs who had narrowed arteries similar to those in heart disease.

They found that those given the Guinness had reduced clotting activity in their blood, but not those given lager.

Read the full article here.

Miller High Life minis

"High Life" comes at a cheap price. I bought eight squat, little bottles for $3.69 at the local Food Lion.

These little half-size bottles are hilarious -- who drinks them? What's the appeal? Portability?

All kidding aside, for a cheap beer, Miller High Life has some roots. There's the long-standing name brand. There's the art deco-era symbol of a young woman sitting on a crescent moon.

I actually think I like the taste.

Did I just say that publicly?

CNN's Ed Henry: Why not Sam Adams for Obama, Gates, Crowley summit?

CNN's Ed Henry had a good point: Samuel Adams is an all-American brew, the largest American-owned brewer. Why not pour some Boston Lager for the Obama, Gates, and Crowley summit this evening?

Apparently, the selection of the best beer is somewhat controversial.

Redhook Tripel Belgian Style Ale: Limited Edition

I found a Redhook Limited Edition Tripel at the store two days ago.

I hope it's not too limited -- I want to pick up another.

Redhook's Tripel has berry notes, and perhaps a more subtle flavor than some of its Belgian counterparts.

The one-pint, 6-ounce bottle was priced at $6 and change.

Very good -- buy a bottle while you can.

Casting out the estrogen with Rush and Iron Maiden

Kristi's in Chicago, Maggie's at camp in the N.C. mountains, Sadie's on a roadtrip with grandparents, and a friend took Audrey to spend last night.

For the first time since we moved, our new house became a bachelor pad.

Lucky me, the VH1 Classic channel was broadcasting full-length concerts of Rush and Iron Maiden yesterday evening -- both filmed in Rio de Janiero!

With no one else around, I could listen to the concerts at a suitable volume.

Beastie Boy MCA, Adam Yauch, has cancer

Sad news, but the type of cancer he has should be treatable. Watch the video below.

Fris vodka

I recently discovered Fris, a Danish vodka that is allegedly "freeze distilled," whatever that means. Either way, 750 ml for $13 and change (after tax) isn't a bad deal.

While my beloved Ketel One has a bit more of a mineral touch and a hint of marshmellow -- and while my equally beloved Firefly has that mellow muscadine touch -- Fris has a lighter body and more delicate flavors with a refreshing finish. I might add Fris to my favorites list.

Have you tried Fris? What do you think? Click the comment link and let us know.

Troops getting beer and pizza for July 4

Here’s some patriotism for you: Beer and pizza, born on the Fourth of July.

MillerCoors has decided to donate 8,000 cases of beer to U.S. troops in the Middle East, according to BizJournals.com.

The beers – all 192,000 of them – will be shipped in time for the troops to celebrate Independence Day. No word on whether those brewskies will remain chilled on the way over.

The donation is being made through Pizzas 4 Patriots, a nonprofit which will send 25,000 pizzas from Pizzeria Uno along with cases of Coors Light and Miller Lite.

The beer and pizza were scheduled to be loaded onto a DHL jet at John F. Kennedy International Airport last weekend. DHL, a shipping company, is another corporate sponsor of Pizzas 4 Patriots.

MillerCoors is a joint venture formed last year that combined U.S. brewing operations for Molson Coors Brewing Co. and SABMiller PLC, according to Bizjournals.com.

technorati tags: beer pizza military news

Coffee and beer

I think both coffee and the darker beers -- browns, porters, stouts -- should be full-bodied and hearty while staying far away from bitterness.

This can be a little tough for American tastes (not to offer a comparison with any other cultural-national identity).

I remember talking to a woman, while I was standing behind the counter at the dearly departed Living Room Coffee Bar & Used Books in Myrtle Beach. She did not like Starbucks's coffee. We carried on a mutually affirming rant against Starbucks's bitterness.

I assured her that a coffee from Timor, which I had fresh in the big Fetco air pots, would avoid bitterness. It was darker, and full-bodied, but not bitter. The label of the coffee, roasted by Larry's Beans, noted smoothness and a walnut tone.

I thought I was about to make a convert.

But when she tried it, her response was, "No. No." She looked disappointed. My beautiful Timor coffee did not surpass Starbucks, not to her tastes anyway.

So she left, and while I might be confusing her with someone else, I think she wanted directions to Dunkin' Donuts.

So the difficulty in communicating -- darker beers as well as full-bodied coffees -- continues on.

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technorati tags: coffee beer commentary