Pumpkin Beer...yes or no?

Without realizing there was a major debate going on about it I threw out this question on Twitter and Facebook, "Pumpkin beer...yes, no, where, when and why?"

In general, most people said yes, it's fall and football is on...duh.

Some, like me, said no, don't care for the taste.

I threw it out there because I noticed that there were pumpkin beers hitting the shelves already in early-mid August. I was more wondering aloud if, much like Christmas decorations in stores, we were going to skip completely over the Oktoberfest and festival beers and just jump straight to Halloween and Thanksgiving.

Then I saw this and realized...it's not just me.

When my day job and hobby collide

I always find it interesting when my day job and my hobby collide on my news feed. Thus it peeked my interest when I saw that Bell's Brewery is suing Enbridge Energy in relation to their 2010 oil spill in the Kalamazoo River.

You heard about that one, right? In case you missed it or were too focused on another major oil spill happening at the same time in a different area of the country, here is a reminder.

In this case Bell's is suing over the possible release of contamination during an upcoming EPA directed dredging operation related to the spill.

Read more here

Beer News

This is what I'd like to do when I retire:

Breweries Not Too Big for Their Barrels

Every other Friday at 2 a.m., Rich Castagna walks out to the one-car garage behind his home in Maspeth, Queens, and fills a 55-gallon stainless-steel barrel with water. While his wife and three daughters are asleep inside the house, he fires up a burner and slowly brings the water to a boil, turning the 150-square-foot room into a sauna.

 Read more here

A celebration of recent legislation:

Hops and change

Finally, government loves you and wants you to be happy
MOST Americans may not realise it, but their country is a little freer, and perhaps slightly tipsier than it was last month. On July 1st it became legal to make beer at home in Mississippi. Alabama lifted the threat of prosecution for homebrewers in May. It is now legal to craft your own suds in all 50 states.

Read more here 

Oh the ills of summer:

Bad buzz: Mosquitoes love to bite beer drinkers, study

Roughly 20 percent of people are more frequent meal tickets for mosquitoes than the rest of the population, and Smithsonian Magazine set out to investigate: Why?
Beer drinkers beware. Mosquitoes love the brew.

Read more: http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2013/jul/16/bad-buzz-mosquitoes-love-beer-drinkers-study/#ixzz2ZXWjR6Cd
Follow us: @washtimes on Twitter

Want to help out a new brewery?

How to Become a Stouperstar – Join the Stoup Brewing Founders Club

“Memberships are available for a limited time only…and at $250, these honeys got velocity. Don’t forget that they make great gifts too.”
I highly encourage you to go learn more about this opportunity. Note the way I used the word opportunity and not offer.
http://www.stoupbrewing.com/founders-club/

Along witha fancy name (Stouperstar), members get a whole list of perks. Not just a growler and a T-shirt, but much more, including beer. Once you’re a member, you are a Stouperstar for life.

Read more here

Craft Beer Expanding Faster Than Any Time Since Prohibition Ended

We love craft beer, and we're not afraid to talk your ear off about it. It turns out, we're not alone. According to the Brewers Association, there are now 2,126 craft breweries in the U.S., more than there have been since 1890. This number includes 350 new breweries that have opened since June 2011 alone. Guys, we get it -- you want more beer. Read more

Happy 4th of July

Happy 4th of July everyone. Whether you're hanging out at the house or you're out with friends or family I hope you have a great day.

As we take a moment to celebrate independence I ask you to take a moment a celebrate another new independence. On July 1, 2013 it became legal in all 50 states to brew your own beer for the first time since before Prohibition.

Celebrate the independent breweries and true craft wine and spirit makers.

Lift your glass to the military, the public servants, the firefighters, EMTs, paramedics and law enforcement officers who serve and protect this great nation.

Here's to all of you and to all of us.

E pluribus unum

Happy Father's Day

I'm sitting in Gettysburg, having a beer next to the battlefield almost 150 years after the battle and all I can think of is, "I wish Dad was here". I get that thought a lot in my travels. For all the cool places I get to go and all of the cool things I get to do I wish I could drag my dad along for the ride.

You see he's the man that taught me all about beer, how to brew it and how to appreciate it. He taught me the right way to treat women and how to use tools the right way. He influenced me to become the man I am today.

I've seen him lose his father, his brother and his mother and for two of those losses I was there with a hug. I've seen him welcome my wife as the daughter he always wanted and my brother's wife as his other daughter.

All of this comes to mind while I'm sitting here and it brings me back to the only day he and I were here.

I had just graduated from boot camp and it was January. A cold January. We were driving home from Cape May with Mom, my cousin Tracey, my then girlfriend Renee and my brother. We had just left Philadelphia and were making our way west. He and my mom had told the girls they could stay in their pajamas for the day's trip. Little did the girls know there was a nefarious plot afoot.

The next thing any of us know is that we are parked outside the Hershey visitors center. The girls were NOT happy but I wasn't surprised. This is par for the course with my family and it's great. If we're nearby we will go out of our way a few hours to visit a battlefield, historic house, Turkeyville or Hershey.

After checking out the visitors center and loading up on chocolate we began our trek west again. As we approached Gettysburg he and I wanted to stop. We of course were vetoed. As we drove through he promised that I'd get back there...and I have.

Dad thanks for everything...one of these days you and I are going to come back here...and go to a few other places. Until then, this one's for you.

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A quick PSA....

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Thank You

Paul