Trademarks
What do trademarks and beer have to do with each other? Quite a bit actually. I was browsing the interwebs and came across an interesting article about beer and trademarks. Normally I have no problem with breweries obtaining trademarks to protect their intellectual property (brew names and/or labels). However, Anheuser-Busch InBev (with its recent purchase of Goose Island) has decided to trademark beer names that include area codes. I’m sure this was originally intended to merely protect the newly acquired 312 Urban Wheat, but they have also been granted trademarks for area codes which there is not currently a beer name. This includes D.C.’s beloved 202 area code. The problem which arises from this practice is where does this stop? Are they going to trademark any number? Will they actively sue microbreweries with established names to strong arm them?
This is a slippery slope. I fear that Anheuser-Busch InBev will use this as another method to attempt to push their microbrewery competition out of the market. It will most likely stop a local brewery from using names which will identify it with their city. I really hope that these trademarks will not be used for evil. What do you think?
Brew Review: Shintern Eats Crow: DC Brau Public Ale Edition
Alright, I’m willing to say it: DC Brau Public Ale, in its current form, is a solid beer. After trying it a couple of times over the first few weeks it existed, I was thoroughly convinced that the bitterness of the hops was overpowering for a pale ale.
Thankfully, I heard they had tweaked the recipe to reduce the hoppy bitterness, and this last Friday, I had a canned Public Ale at Justin’s Cafe., and it was solid. It is now well balanced and easily could be a sessionable beer.
I won’t take back my previous criticism because I see this new Public Ale as a separate beer, but I will say that if you haven’t tried DC Brau Public Ale, you really, really need to — you won’t be disappointed.
Drink It. It is not life-changing but it is a fantastic addition to DC’s beer scene. Now, we just need to get them to distribute it at the area’s sports venues…
— Shintern
Quick Hit: Most EPIC beer commercial EVER
Yes, it is the self-proclaimed “most EPIC beer commercial EVER”, but it very well may be.
I’ve watched it over and over and still find it incredible. It’s worth it for you to check it out.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uNQa5HCUYCQ
-Tonzi
Quick Hit – The Brauler!
For those of us in the DC area that are now becoming frequent growler fillers (thanks to Mad Fox, Port City, Whole Foods, etc.), this item may be a must-have.
The Brauler from the Zythos Project looks to be a fantastic addition to your beer drinking arsenal.
Check it out and sign up for their mailing list!
-Tonzi
Thanks to The Wookie at It’s Just the Booze Dancing for finding this sweet nugget.
Quick Hit: Breckenridge Brewery Ads
Breckenridge has started an advertising campaign called “Truth in Beervertising” ripping on Big Beer (Coors and Miler at this point). The ads are well done and quite funny. So far they have and introductory ad and three others:
American Craft Beer Week!
It’s that time of year again!
AMERICAN CRAFT BEER WEEK!
It’s a celebration of all that is good with craft beer in America. In other words, a good excuse for you to go out and drink as many American craft beers as possible (while still being responsible)!
Being the big craft beer supporter I am, I decided to go to CraftBeer.com’s Event Page to see what was going on in DC. Surprisingly, there are only 4 things listed. (really?)
Being the resourceful craft beer supporter I am, I knew this was not true, and checked on the Lagerheads and their always impressive calendar.
Spoiler: There are enough things going on that you won’t be able to make them all.
Get out there! It’s American Craft Beer Week! Support your local brewers, and your national brewers. Make it your personal mission to enjoy those tasty beverages! Why are you still reading this?!?
-Tonzi
P.S. – Don’t forget DCBeer’s page!
Happy National Beer Day!
No more of this!
On April 7th, 1933, President Franklin D. Roosevelt signed the Cullen-Harrison Act into law, ending 13 long years of prohibition. While the act required the beer to be less than 4.0% ABV, it was beer none the less. In commemoration of this act, today – April 7th – has become known as National Beer Day. So join me in grabbing a tall frosty one and honor of FDR allowing us to continue to drink our beloved beer.
-Pyzocha
Say It Ain’t So
Oh Goose Island, how we love your tasty beverages!
You’ve brought us the delightful Bourbon County Stout. A beer that’s so big and boozy, it’s tough to get through just one.
You’ve brought us the 312. A beer that’s light and crisp and perfect for a hot summer day.
You’ve brought us the Sofie. Full of flavor and spice.
Now you’ve brought us sadness… via Beer News.org
AB-InBev? Really? How could you? How could you do this to us?!? You were so good to us! We were so good together! Like mac and cheese or peas and carrots, like Bennie and the Jets or Simon and Garfunkel (well, maybe not them). Noww you’re just going to be a part of machine that pumps out the beers that we all hate.
It’ll never be the same.
/frowny face
-Tonzi
What’s in your fridge?
Readers and J Streeters, what selection of beer is sitting in your refrigerator right now? Let us know in the comments section.
Here’s what’s in mine:
-Pyzocha
Mmmmm… Hopslam Cask
I have some exciting news! Word on the street is that RFD will be tapping a cask of Hopslam on Thursday. And as, Tammy from the Lagerheads says:
This limited release beer is great anyway you have it, but many prefer it on draft to in the bottle, and on cask to draft.
So there’s that.
Get to RFD early on Thursday for this surely-to-be-gone-in-an-hour beer. (but not before me, cause I’d like to get a couple in)
-Tonzi
Best. Hoodie. Ever.
What you’re looking at here is the Columbia Sports Landslide Hoodie. Yes, it’s clothing, but it’s not just any slab of fabric. From the Columbia site:
Front pockets are strategically designed to hold two bottles or cans, so you can safely stash your beverage while you high-five your buddies or hold hands with your lady.
Yes, it holds 2 bottles or cans! And yes, that’s a bottle opener built into the bottom!
It’s never too late to get me a belated birthday gift!
If I don’t get this soon, I’m going to go crazy.
Special thanks to our friends over at Booze Dancing for spotting it!
Washington Post Beer Madness!
If you’re reading this blog it’s probably because you really like good beer, or because you secretly want to have Shintern’s children (a clue: he’s game). So if you love beer, and want an opportunity to provide your biased opinions to a wider audience, here’s your chance.
The Washington Post is looking for judges for their annual “Beer Madness” event in March. Send in a witty, clever, or sultry email and you might get selected to help pick the winners of their domestic craft brew bracket.
Good Luck!
-X
Ballpark Brews: End of Lines?!? – Updated
A few people have sent this link to me about this new beer dispensing system. It is unusual in that it fills a special cup from the bottom, then the hole is apparently covered and held in place by gravity. They can apparently fill 56 beers in a minute. This is impressive and as much as I am hopeful that this will end beer lines, I don’t believe this will totally end the lines because there’s the whole paying for the beers that takes almost as long as filling a beer. Any improvement is welcome though, so let’s get these into ballparks and arenas ASAP!
-Pyzocha
UPDATE: According to Ted Leonsis, owner of the Wizards and Capitals, the Verizon Center now has installed this dispenser!
Local Breweries to Watch
Draft magazine put out a list of 12 breweries to watch in 2011, including a few “local” breweries: Stillwater in Baltimore and Evolution Brewery in Deleware (aka Maryland East). I can clearly see why. Stillwater’s Statestide Saison is a really great effort. Evolution makes a number of great efforts too (e.g., Rise Up).
Shintern and I got to spend an hour with Mike from Evo Tuesday night, and I’m definitely going to keep my eyes on Evo this year. Mike shared with us a few things that Evo was planning for this year to get you excited. They are going to start bottling their whole Menagerie series and by next fall should be bottling the Rise-Up too. Mike also picked up a couple of firkins to fill and will be returning them to RFD at a yet to be released date with some great new brews (he just said they’d be filled whatever “interesting” beer they had at the time) for us to try. Stay tuned.
-X
Happy Holidays!
From all of us at J Street Beer Review, have a safe and happy holiday and new year!
Maybe you’ll luck out and Santa will put some craft beer in your stocking.
We’ll be taking a little time off to celebrate. See you all in 2011!
Farewell Brickskeller
As we mentioned almost two weeks ago, the last day for the Brickskeller was Saturday, December 18th.
If you’re reading this now, you’ll notice that the 18th was a couple days ago. If you made it in time, I hope you enjoyed it. If not, then you missed out on seeing a D.C. landmark.
Last Hurrah for the Brickskeller
Image from http://capitalspice.wordpress.com and Aude, courtesy of Wikimedia Commons
No one likes bad news, especially me. But today I have to share some with you.
The Brickskeller is closing.
Here at J Street Beer, we have on good authority that the final day for the DC craft beer pioneer will be December 18th, 2010.
So, if you have plans this weekend, cancel them. This weekend may be the best opportunity you have to visit a bar that was at the forefront of the craft beer scene. Get there before it’s gone!
Also, this Thursday they’ll be having a tasting of Christmas beers! Get your tickets!
-Tonzi
Happy Thanksgiving!
From all of us at J Street Beer, HAPPY THANKSGIVING!!!
Enjoy the turkey, the stuffing, the potatoes, the cranberry sauce, and don’t forget the veggies. And always remember, beer is better than wine. So have a beer with your feast this Thanksgiving!
CHEERS!!!
100 Posts – A Sincere Thank You!
This is our 100th post. It’s hard to believe we’re still alive and kicking after a 100 posts, but here we are.
All of us here at J Street Beer Review want to say a quick thank you to all of you out there reading our stuff. We’re having a great time writing it, and it’s our hope that you’re having a great time reading it.
We’ll continue to bring you our notes on beer and life, and our insanely biased views of our favorite (and hated) beers. Well, as long as you keep reading it.
Again, thank you very much for you support!
And, as always, feel free to tell us what you think in the comments or via email. (we like it when you talk to us)
-Tonzi
A Note of Appreciation to a Dedicated Beer Drinker
I just wanted to throw up a quick post to show my appreciation for X and his dedication. He risked life and liver to provide us with a 10 hour long beer consuming marathon that is a testament to his pride as a true beer drinker.
All of us here at J Street Beer are impressed by X’s effort and proud to be a part of this epic beer adventure.
Thank you to everyone who watched. And a huge thank you to X for making it an enjoyable Friday afternoon.
Try not to vomit tonight.
-Tonzi
See? They Do Have Beer In The Sticks!
All this week I’m out in Rockville, Maryland for training. It’s at a location that’s pretty hidden away, about a mile from Shady Grove metro station.
For those of you that don’t know the metro system, Shady Grove is the farthest you can get out of the city on the red line in the northwest direction. It’s so infrequently traveled to, that the metro actually alternates trains traveling out that far. So, every train going northwest goes at least to Grosvenor. If you want to go to the last 4 stops on the line, only half the trains go out there. I like to call them the red-headed step-children of the metro system.
Since I’m all the way out here in no-man’s-land, and we often get nice long breaks for lunch, I decided to wander a bit.
50 Most Fattening Beers
It’s all the rage to be health conscious and count calories. However, it can be difficult to determine the nutritional information of beer since it is not included on the bottle. This is due to the fact that beer, and all other alcohol, is regulated by the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau (TTB); unlike the FDA, the TTB does not require any nutritional information on the bottles. So how can you calorie counters know which beers to avoid? Well The Daily Beast made a list of the 50 most fattening beers (50 page slide show egad!) where they give the calorie count, carbohydrates and ABV. Not sure what pool of beers they used, but it’s a starting point. Cheers!
drboozenstein
jtonzi
Jesse
X
pyzocha
samdinning
shintern1909
The J Street Beer Review 