From Forbes.com Once a magnet for those looking for a free beer, brewery tours have gotten much more sophisticated in recent years. Along with that gratis beer, breweries the world over are offering everything from in-depth tours to lessons in beer-making. Some have even built restaurants or brewpubs where visitors can lunch on a Kobe burger and wash it down with a German-style ale. Add it all up, and you have more than just a free beer; you have a perfect Saturday afternoon.  read more »

Chimay 25th Anniversary Celebrations and Special Package Released Throughout U.S.A.AUSTIN, October 06, 2008 - Chimay Trappist Ales have been brewing in Belgium for 146 years and U.S.A. inhabitants have been able to take pleasure in this incomparable beverage for 25 years in the states. In recognition of this grand occasion, Bires de Chimay has designed a special collector goblet to recognize the exportation of Chimay Trappist Ales to the United States for 25 consecutive years. Various Chimay-selling bars throughout the United States will host Chimay 25th Anniversary Celebrations throughout the remainder of the year.  read more »

Here's post number two for the 5th Annual Beer Advocate Extreme Beer Fest. Find the first post here.

775. Smoke

Beer Stats:
Brewery: Surly Brewing Company
Alcohol: 9.50%
Style: Baltic Porter, BJCP Style Guide

Pours a clear, dark brown/red. Topped by a thick beige head. The aroma is smoky with a bit of maltiness and fruitiness. The flavors are malty and fruity with some light roast and a nice smokiness throughout.  read more »

By LUCY BURNINGHAM Published: June 25, 2008 (NY Times online) WHEN Matthew VandenBerghe brings home his favorite beers, he doesnt make room for them in the fridge. He takes them to his beer cellar. Its a pitch-black basement room that stays 54 degrees year round. Sprayed concrete walls conduct the cool ground temperature while creating a cave-like appearance, and water he has had piped in drips down one side, both adding to the troglodyte effect and keeping the humidity between 60 and 70 percent.  read more »

More Belgian imports are likely in the wake of InBev's deal for Anheuser By CHARLES FORELLE and JOHN W. MILLERJuly 19, 2008; Page W4 Amid all the patriotic tub-thumping about the recently sealed takeover of Anheuser-Busch, maker of all-American King of Beers Budweiser, by Belgian-Brazilian InBev, one vital fact has gotten lost. Americans could soon get to drink a lot more, and more unusual, kinds of beers. WSJ's Charles Forelle and John Miller travel to Belguim to speak with Joris Pattyn, one of Belgium's finest palates, as he weighs in the beers owned by InBev, including Budweiser.  read more »

Cambridge, MA . 05-02-08/05-03-08 . On Friday, May 2nd 2008 The Cambridge Brewing Company will kick off their Nineteenth Anniversary Party. Keeping with tradition the event will feature nineteen beers on tap and nineteen dinner specials, one for each year of business. Many of the favorite and now famous CBC beers will be featured including Red God IPA, Bannatynes Scotch Ale and Tripel Threat, among others. The dinner menu will feature an eclectic blend of beer-focused and American cuisine.  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 »

(Downingtown, PA) Victory Brewing Company, an independent craft brewery located in Downingtown, PA, has brewed three small batch specialty beers at the commission of the German Hop Growers Association. The styles crafted include a Select Pils, Tettnanger Pils, and Sapphire Belgian Strong Ale. Each of these three beers were brewed to showcase the high quality hops produced in Germany to potential American brewing clients. These filtered beers were produced as a collaborative effort between Eric Toft, American-born, German-trained Brewmaster of Private Landbrauerei Schonram, and Victory Brewing Co. The German Hop Growers Association sends Victory the hops, Eric formulates the recipe and Victory brews the beer.  read more »

After eating dinner at Cafe Polonia David, Win and I went to Deep Ellum for more beer. Deep Ellum was a planned stop about a year ago when David and Dave came up to visit on St. Patrick's Day, but we never made it then because of numerous detours to bars of lesser quality, and serious inebriation. We were in much better shape when we set out for Deep Ellum this year, and were in comparatively better shape when we finished up our night this year, though not by much. These beers were again split three ways, so therefore no ratings.

I need to start making notes about the bars that I go to, because I remember being impressed by the atmosphere at Deep Ellum, but I don't remember much of it now.  read more »

Time for another round of On Tap. Okay, so my other On Tap posts have never left the confines of Barleys, but this time I wanted to turn my attention to a bar that has added a whole new element to the Asheville beer drinking scene. I will admit that I have not been going to the Thirsty Monk nearly as much as I would like, but personal circumstances have limited my budget so far this year, and I have really missed going into one of Asheville's best beer bars. The Thirsty Monk seems to be doing really well, and that is a testament to the great beer drinkers in this town.  read more »