Would Samuel Adams be the perfect tonic for Presidential summit?

Ladies and gentlemen, we now have a full-blown media frenzy surrounding what kind of beer will be served at today’s White House meeting between President Obama, Cambridge Police Sgt. James Crowley and Henry Louis Gates, Jr.  (Not to overstate the obvious, but I think it is pretty clear that we here at Pub Talk have been further out in front of this story than even the largest of news organizations!)

Today, CNN gets into the act with another story about what kind of beer the White House staff should serve.  I think if you look below you will find some terrific selections already offered by our staff, but the CNN story concerns another angle to this subject that we also covered long before CNN thought to report on it.  As I am sure you know, the President has stated a love for Budweiser products.  That’s all well and good.   But in the midst of trying to defend his status as a natural born citizen, we here at Pub Talk thought he would be best served politically by enjoying something produced by an American company, which Budweiser no longer is.

My suggestion was to go with something brewed in Hawaii.  It serves the duel purpose of being American, and showing a strong working knowledge of his own home state.  But there are apparently other options coming from other areas of our great brewing nation…

In a letter to Obama dated Wednesday, Massachusetts Rep. Richard Neal strongly urges the president not to drink Budweiser, now owned by a Belgian company. Nor should the White House consider serving Miller or Coors, Neal writes, both owned by a United Kingdom conglomerate.

Instead, the White House should serve the three men — all with ties to Massachusetts — the local favorite, not only because of its popularity in the region but also because it remains the largest American-owned and brewed beer, Neal says.

Samuel Adams Jim Koch has even offered to brew a special batch just for the occasion.  I suppose that is not such a bad idea, but I still think a Hawaiian brew would be the right choice to help settle many of the President’s current political issues…or whatever you call them!

By Dave McBride.  Follow Dave on Twitter!

Can choosing the right beer help White House avoid political nightmare?

So you have all heard by now that President Obama plans to meet with Sgt. James Crowley of the Cambridge police department and Professor Henry Louis Gates Jr. of Harvard University at the White House over a couple of beers and hash their problems out…okay, well maybe its intended to stop a media firestorm, but I digress.  Either way, the meeting is scheduled for this week and all attention now turns to the details.

Over this past weekend, America Public House Review editor Chris Poh offered a most noble of public services by suggesting some brews that might help ease the tension of said meeting.  Yes, suggesting they serve Loose Cannon Ale may seem to the White House staff to be, on the surface, somewhat snarky.  But perhaps a little humor and self-deprecation should be on the menu. 

According to this morning’s Boston Herald, none of our suggestions seem to be at the top of the list.  But there still is time…

The beer selection for Thursday’s meeting is not known. Crowley prefers Blue Moon beer. Gates likes Beck’s and Red Stripe. The president drinks Budweiser.

First of all, I find it hilarious that some reporter actually cared enough to ask Gates and Crowley what beer they like.  (I also find it somewhat sad that these same reporters felt their time was best spent asking such a question…)  And I suppose taking their tastes into account may be a good way to break the ice.

However, there does seem to be a potential political disaster here for President Obama.  Doesn’t the president or at least someone in the West Wing realize that Budweiser is no longer an American company?  Couldn’t this lead to rumors that Obama was actually born in Belgium and not Honolulu??  Maybe he should switch to one of the fine beers offered by the Kona Brewing Company…just another public service from your friends at the American Public House Review.

by David McBride

What Beer Goes Best With Crow?

The staff of American Public House Review are well aware of President Obama’s penchant for a good brew. We chronicled that particular predilection during his campaign visit to the Bethlehem Brew Works in 2008. We are pleased to discover that his fondness for the juice of the barley has been incorporated into public policy. The latest beneficiaries of his beer tap diplomacy are Sergeant James Crowley of the Cambridge Police Department and Harvard University professor Henry Louis Gates Jr.. Both gentlemen have been invited to the White House for a beer.

The question is which selection of suds will best  smooth over the  ruffled feathers, and what beer goes best with crow?

Here are three offerings from the editors of American Public House Review:

• We suggest beginning the session by serving Thomas Jefferson’s Tavern Ale from Yards Brewing of Philadelphia. What better way to begin any meeting at the White House, than to honor the man whose very words helped to establish the rights and freedoms of this great nation. And with an ABV: of 8.0%  one can quickly undo any prevailing tensions.
• Next we recommend some Loose Cannon Ale from Baltimore’s  Clipper City Brewing. This is the perfect mea culpa malt beverage, when one needs to atone for expressing themselves without the benefit of having all the facts.
• And finally we would close this historic gathering with a pint of  Benevolence, a unique variation  of a Belgian lambic from the Cambridge Brewing Company. Not only would this properly honor the contributions to the  community by both Sergeant Crowley and  Professor Gates; but with an ABV: of  12.6%, that which some might be reluctant to forgive – will most certainly be forgotten!

Posted by: Chris Poh

Beer and Baseball in America

Beer and baseball.  Can you think of two things in this country that go better together?  The two have lived a symbiotic relationship for decades.  I grew up a Yankees fan, thanks be to God, and I remember after a homerun Phil Rizzuto would declared it “Miller Time”.  In the 1950’s, a giant Ballantine Ale banner adorned centerfield at the big ballpark in the Bronx declaring itself the “Stadium Favorite”.  Despite the exorbitant cost, and missing at least a half an inning on line at the concession stand, a game just ain’t a game without a beer.

So you can imagine my delight last night as I entered Coca-Cola Park, the home of the AAA Lehigh Valley IronPigs, and while strolling to my seat saw a stand selling beer direct from the Bethlehem BrewWorks.  A pint of a delicious red lager, followed by a pint of the Pig Pen Pils, and I was a man enjoying life the way it was meant to be!

Minor League baseball does a lot of things well.  The tickets are priced right, the games are fun and exciting, and stadiums usually attempt to bring in a bit of the local culture.  Whoever decided to go get this beer deserves my thanks and admiration.

Posted by: David McBride

The World Can’t End Before 10,759 A.D.

You can forget about  Nostradamus,  the Mayan Calender, the Bible code and all that other end times malarkey. The answers to mankind’s future lie not in the written ravings of a Frenchmen or the ancient texts; but can be found in a simple document penned in the city of Dublin in 1759. 

It was there that  Arthur Guinness put his signature on a sacred pact that allowed him to lease the dormant brewery at St. James’s Gate for the next 9000 years. The very funds that made this tenancy possible came to Arthur by way of an inheritance from his Godfather, the Reverend Arthur Price, Archbishop of Cashel. Even someone with a rudimentary understanding of the relationship between Ireland and its clergy would know that this was a covenant between Heaven and Earth, and the terms of that agreement are sacrosanct.

Since we now know that the folks at Guinness are releasing a special anniversary stout this spring to mark the 250th year of production at the original brewery, we can calculate that there are approximately 8,750 years left on the lease and that mankind’s stay on planet Earth is good until at least 10,759 A.D. Although, based upon our continued unreasonable behavior, it’s probably not to early to begin to negotiate an extension.

Today over 750,000 “pilgrims of the perfect pint” visit St. James’s Gate each year. Recently Madeleine Best Henn, a contributing editor to American Public House Review, visited the Guinness compound in Dublin. Click here to read her account.

And for those of you who can’t travel to Ireland for that spot-on pint of Guinness, here is the secret of the perfect pour, courtesy of the pros at Diageo.

For the perfect pint, tilt the glass to 45 degrees and carefully pour until three quarters full. Then place the glass on the bar counter and leave to settle. Once the surge has settled to perfection, fill the glass to the brim. This is the legendary Guinness ‘two-part pour’. It takes 119.5 seconds to pour the perfect pint.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Posted by: Chris Poh

The Good Dogs, the Bad Dogs and the Best in Show

Uno - Last Year's Big Dog

I found myself last evening in one of those unfocused stream of consciousness modes. Perhaps it was the direct result of my decision to split my television viewing between the Westminster Kennel Club Show, (Lots of top dogs on their best behavior) and President  (The top dog…behavioral attributes yet to be determined) Obama’s first official news conference. I scanned the crowd at Madison Square Garden looking for our  associate editor and photographer, Kathleen Connally, (A well bred lassie) who was collecting images for her upcoming photoblog in  American Public House Review.

As I watched the handlers reward their canine charges with goodies from their pockets after each successful turn around the green carpet, I decided that I also was in need of a treat in keeping with the occasion. The question before me now was would I open a bottle of  Sea Dog Old East India Pale Ale from Topsham, Maine or would I pour myself a glass of  Chocolate Lab Red Wine from the Finger Lakes region of New York State. As is most often the case, I chose the  grain over the grape; but the consideration of the wine did trigger a recent memory.

On this past Sunday afternoon while keeping watch over my patrons at the Barking Dog Saloon at the Indian Rock Inn  I met one George McGonigal, (An extremely kind and well mannered dog) from Ithaca, New York. We spoke at length about our favorite places to imbibe while traveling the Finger Lakes. It was a great  pleasure speaking with someone that also appreciated the beer from Roosterfish Brewing in Watkins Glen, dockside cocktails at the Showboat on Seneca Lake and the tubular delights (A very good hot dog) served from the cart outside of Maloney’s Pub in Hammondsport.

At some point during this bit of recollecting I switched back to our Commander-in-Chief  just in time to hear his opininion on steroids and  Alex Rodriquez, (A very bad hot dog). While I appreciated Mr. Obama’s thought provoking  gravitas on all sorts of matters, when all was said and done his performance  did not garner a best in show for the evening. That honor would go to the Ukulele  Orchestra of Great Britain for their rendition of  The Good the Bad and the Ugly. I thank our creative director, Ed Petersen, (A really fine dog) for sending me the late night You Tube that rescued this dog from the proceedings at Westminster and Washington.

This just in…Stump, the ten year old Sussex spaniel has been named Best In Show at Westminster. 

Photo by Barton Silverman/New York Times

I love this dog; but  personally I would have picked either Lilly, the Airedale that protected our marketing director, David McBride, ( A very loving and loyal dog) during his Gettysburg campaign, or Fancy, the Himalayan that is presently asleep on my couch.

Lilly at Gettysburg

Fancy Actually Awake

Posted by: Chris Poh

Creating my own maritime superstition

Sailing the salt seas has always been one of mankind’s most dangerous missions.  Despite dizzying advancements in technology over the centuries, it still remains a difficult and at times deadly occupation.  For the men who fish for crab in Alaska’s Bering Sea, it can often seem downright nutty.  Huge seas, dangerous condition on deck, and unconscionable working hours can make even the hardiest of men weary of his surroundings and of the supernatural forces that seem to control them.

That is why you will find no place more full of superstition than on the deck of a working ocean vessel.  Years and years of experience make the fisherman certain of one thing; these superstitions are not to be taken lightly.

For instance bananas are terribly bad luck on board a ship, as are women and black suitcases.  No sailor would ever be comfortable knowing that a priest or even some flowers are on board, as on a ship both seem to only be useful for funerals.  If you think it’s a good idea to whistle while you work, you’ll soon find that you have whistled up a storm.  You must, under all circumstances, step on board with your right foot first.  And don’t ever, EVER, leave port on a Friday.

But not all superstitions bring about certain nautical doom.  Some bring good luck.  For instance, dolphins following in the wake of a ship are terrific good luck.  Even though I mentioned before that women are seen as bad luck, a naked woman is good luck.  (That’s right!  Those figures on the bow of old sailing ships are not naked just because the guys have been at sea with a boat full of men for months and months.)  And thankfully pouring wine on the deck is also good luck.

Well, I think I have found a new omen that can bring good luck to those at sea.  Captain Sig Hansen of the F/V Northwestern, seen on the Discovery Channel’s immensely watchable reality television series about crab fishing on Alaska’s Bering Sea called The Deadliest Catch, has teamed up with the Rogue Brewery in Oregon to produce Captain Sig’s Deadliest Ale.  Now the name may not sound like it brings good luck, after all the word “deadliest” doesn’t exactly inspire good feelings.  But I am fairly certain that if you toast a glass of this beer to the health and well being of the fleet, it couldn’t hurt.  And while you’re at it, toast to everyone else at sea.  Again it can only help!

Posted by: David McBride 

Trouble A-Brewin’

One of Pennsylvania’s true destinations, the beloved Penn Brewery and Restaurant in the Deutschtown section of Pittsburgh’s North Side, is on the verge of closing its 19th century doors due to failed rent negotiations with its landlord, E & O Partners.

The Penn Brewery, Pennsylvania’s first and largest “craft” brewer, was founded in 1986 by “Mr. Beer,” Tom Pastorius. In 1990 Pastorius spent millions of dollars installing a custom-made German-style brewery — complete with locally made fermenters and storage tanks — in the former Eberhardt and Ober Brewery Building, listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Pastorius’ award-winning beers and accompanying restaurant featuring traditional German dishes turned the architectural jewel into a Pittsburgh icon.

Tom Pastorius, Image © The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

But Pastorius now has to close the brewery and restaurant due to a 360% rent increase by the historic building’s owners, E & O Partners, who have been unwilling to negotiate. In an interview with reporters Bob Batz and Bob Hoover from the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Pastorius said, “E & O decided to increase the square footage that the company’s responsible for. It more than doubled the space from 13,000 square feet to 28,000 by including the outdoor beer garden and loading dock. It also tacked on a bunch of other operating expenses for the entire building on the company’s rent.”

The Penn Brewery is searching for a new location.  In the meantime, the large and heavy brewing equipment must be dismantled and stored – not an easy task – and most of its 50 employees laid off, very difficult news in an area that has closed three additional brewing companies in 2008: John Harvard’s Brew House, Hereford and Hops and the Johnstown Brewing Company (website dismantled).

The last batch of Penn beer was made this week but Penn Brewery has contracted with the Lion Hill Brewery in Wilkes-Barre to continue making its beers with the same recipes and ingredients.  At issue may be maintaining Penn’s hallmark quality in a different and larger facility — Penn won gold and bronze medals at the 2008 Great American Beer Festival in Denver, Colorado, for its Kaiser Pils and Oktoberfest.

For more reading on brewing and microbrewing in Pennsylvania and America, check out Pennsylvania’s Breweries and The American Brewery: From Colonial Evolution to Microbrew Revolution .

– Written & Posted by Kathleen Connally