Given that Dogfish Head Craft Brewery touts its line of singular beers as "off-centered ales for off-centered people," you naturally expect its owner, the 39-year-old Sam Calagione, will be a similarly eccentric character. But he's as down to earth as his beers are out of this world.

After earning an English degree from Muhlenberg College in Pennsylvania in 1992, Calagione moved to Manhattan to take writing courses at Columbia with an eye toward joining its master of fine arts program. Instead, he discovered craft beer. He fell hard, becoming a home brewer almost overnight.  read more »

Here's a few beers from Belmont Station that I recently tried that might be worth your time and money to check out: HaandBryggeriet Haandbakk : Forget all the double A's in the name (unless your Aaron). This wonderful Norwegian sour ale aged in oak barrels is a Nordic exposure to the Flemish. Pouring a deep chestnut-brown body with an attractive tan head, the Haandbakk possesses a welcoming cherry tartness coupled by a musky, tannin-laden nose. This is not a beer for the weekend warrior. This beer is complex and sophisticated. Okay, it's really purposefully infected with the Wild Yeast that you've grown to love in beers like Panil Barrique, Rodenbach Classic Red, and even the Deschutes Dissident. Give this one a whirl. If you are a fan of the style, you shan't be disappointed. RIYL: Deschutes Dissident, Panil Barriquee, Monk's Cafe Flemish Sour Red HaandBryggeriet Doppel Dram : Double IPA all the way. And all the way from Norway, this feisty beer has traveled quite well. Upon first whiff, a sense that this beer is dutifully hopped. Northwest flowery hops and English Goldings/Fuggles give this brew a striking citrus nose. Lemon, orange, grapefruit esters jump out of the bottle and entice the hop zealot. The flavor, however, tells another tale. A deep, chalky malt underpinning give the palate a tenacious shift in opinion. Molasses, toffee grit indicative of the 9% ABV in this spicy brew. The alcohol is carefully masked and the flavor intricacies unfold a new interpretation upon each sip. Enjoy with a friend who appreciates bold and unique hopped beers.  read more »

Wow, there sure are a lot of bloggers participating in The Session... I think my prediction about The Session (and beer blogging in general) taking off this year is on-target.

You've likely already read my Session contribution... so, here are all the rest. In order to be fair, I've tried to list the links in the order that I received them, or first came across them in the blogs if I didn't receive an email.  read more »

(Note: I totally messed up, and have since corrected, this post when it was first published. I plum forgot my #1 favorite of the macro micros BLUE MOON BELGIAN WHITE , made by none other than the Adolph Coors Corporation. Ive tried to belittle and knock down this beer, and every time Ive had it, especially the two most recent times, Ive found it to be fantastic. Correction noted on 8/27/08).  read more »

Great interview from TheFullPint.com and within the interview Stone's Steve Wagner reveals the new Stone 12th Anniversary beer "Bitter Chocolate Oatmeal Stout". Cheers, Frank TheFullPint.com is proud to bring you a one on one interview with Steve Wagner, Brewmaster & President of Stone Brewing Company. Stone Brewing Co was founded in 1996, and started in San Marcos, CA. Stone is famous for larger than life brews, painted on labels, and their gargoyle mascot. Behind these great icons is Steve Wager, Greg Koch and the entire Stone Team.  read more »

Six Colorado breweries made it on the Brewers Association's list of top 50 craft brewing companies, based on sales volume in 2007.

New Belgium Brewing Co. of Fort Collins ranked highest on the craft brewing trade group's list, behind only top-ranked Boston Beer Co. of Boston and second-ranked Sierra Nevada Brewing Co. of California. All three had the same rankings last year.  read more »

We wanted to see if we could grow hops at our brewery in Chico, California so we planted our own hop field selecting our prized Cascade and Centennial varieties along with some specialty hop varieties to experiment with. To our surprise, we not only could grow hops, we were also able to harvest them in late summer due to Chicos ideal climate. Chico Estate Harvest Ale is one of the very few estate harvest ales produced anywhere in the world today. All the hops in the beer are grown naturally on the premises of our brewery in Chico.  read more »

Jason Yester, who used to be the head brewer at Bristol Brewing, is opening a new brewpub right down the street from where I work. Listen to this lineup of their own and other beers that they are going to have on tap:

• Trinity Wit - A distinct and delicate flaked wheat beer flavored with orange peel and coriander.
• Trinity Chi - Golden Speciale, spicy hops and a complex malt interlay with a light fruit ester in this session beer.
• Trinity Flo - Our India Pale Ale combines both English and American brewing traditions to create an aromatic and pleasant hoppy treat.
• Trinity Saison - A French farmhouse ale, brewed using local seasonally available ingredients.

852. Sierra Nevada Summerfest Lager

Jadyn and I had dinner at some friends' apartment sometime in early July. They had Sierra Nevada Summerfest, which was a new one for me.

Beer Stats:
Brewery: Sierra Nevada Brewing Co.
Alcohol: 5.00%
Serving: Bottle, 12 oz.
Style: Czech Pilsener, BJCP Style Guide

Pours a clear golden. Topped by a thick, foamy, white head that slowly fades to a few wisps. The aroma is clean. A hint of sweet maltiness, mostly grassy and spicy hops.  read more »

I first reported the press release for this beer a few weeks back. Normally I do not post stuff like that, because the typical marketing fluff is not worth it (at least not for a post all by itself). I will admit, however, I was intrigued with the beer’s production process (flying fresh [...]