Brooklyn Oktoberfest Gets a Facelift

And guess what . . . I don't like it. Surprise, surprise. Come on, they had a good thing going. The colors they are using now are atrocious. They hurt my eyes. Luckily, the beer is still good. I love it, been drinking it since my early beer blogging days.



Old.



New. The colors are worse in real life. The silver is reflective. Ugh.

What is really weird, the Brooklyn Brewery website still has the old design featured. Apparently the web dept likes the old design too.

Things change, get over it. Right. Central Market has six packs now.

HB660 - New York Times

NYTimes covers HB660.

Also, check out Tim's fish tattoo front and center. Sick.

NYT on Growlers

Growlers are not an unfamiliar thing in these parts. And that is good thing. Bierkraft (in my old n'hood Park Slope) gets even more coverage today in the NYT. I've never seen one store get so much coverage. Don't get me wrong, I loved that place, just seems heavy handed. It's like me with Beer Town Austin, jeez.

NYT: Bowling For Brews

Best opening line ever:

Each time I’m buckling my 5-year-old into his car seat on the way to another of his peers’ birthday parties, I say a little prayer that there will be beer.

Read the rest here. Bacon Barleywine!

B is for Burger

Texas Monthly is rating the top 50 Texas burgers in their August issue. Personally my favorite burger is Bonnie's in Park Slope, Brooklyn, NYC. Though Austin does have some damn good burgers.

The thing is you got to have the perfect package: Good burger, good fries, good beer. That is what Austin seems to lack. No one place can pull it together. Am I wrong?

Bonnie's always had three good taps. An ample load of canned/bottled beer. Fries, perfect. Burger, spiced just right. Chipotle mayo on the table. Forget about it. No Texas joint can beat it. I wish they could. Enlighten me.

The Pour: A Beer, Please, and a (Good) Menu

Christopher Smith for The New York Times

Eric Asimov, nytimes writer and blogger who does not cover beer enough, checks in with a look at NYC hits and misses regarding beer bars and food menus. This sort of relates to my post from Monday. You think he read my post and decided to write this piece? Fat chance. Very fat.

Bierkraft

I love living in Austin. But there are some things I miss about Brooklyn. One of them is living a few blocks from Bierkraft.

Barack's Beer

Sixpoint Brewery was one of my favorite breweries during our four years in Brooklyn. And today I saw this at BeerAdvocate:

SIXPOINT CRAFT ALES BREWS "HOP OBAMA" ALE IN TRIBUTE TO INSPIRING PRESIDENTIAL CAMPAIGN EFFORT

BROOKLYN, NY, BREWERY RELEASES ONE-TIME ONLY CREATION IN NEW YORK AND MASSACHUSETTS TO QUENCH THIRSTY PALATES DURING FIVE-WEEK PRIMARY BREAK

BROOKLYN, N.Y. (MARCH 10, 2008) - Sixpoint Craft Ales today announced the release of the "Hop Obama" ale in both New York State and Massachusetts. Beginning next week, all supporters of the democratic process will be able to hoist a glass of this limited-edition beer that was brewed in tribute to the inspiration that has been Senator Barack Obama's presidential campaign. The beer will be available in finer bars and restaurants for a limited time throughout both states. It is expected that the beer will only last for the duration of the Democratic primary hiatus, which begins Wednesday, March 12 and extends through April 22.

In keeping with the Illinois senator's unifying theme, the "Hop Obama" is an indefinable ale that doesn't adhere to traditional style guidelines. The 5.2% ABV creation contains five different kinds of European crystal malt and three different kinds of Pacific Northwest Hops. Combined with a Scottish yeast strain for fermentation, the result is a highly drinkable beer with a big malt background and an "Obama" of hops that imparts floral and citrus notes with just a hint of spiciness.

"The Hop Obama is our unique Sixpoint creation brewed in honor of the inspirational surgency of Senator Barack Obama," said Sixpoint brewmaster Shane Welch. "Although we do not intend this beer to be a direct Sixpoint endorsement of Obama, we believe the delicious and refreshing quality it represents reminds us of the Senator's successful grassroots campaign that positively blossoms each and every day."

All Sixpoint Craft Ales are unpasteurized and unfiltered and brewed in small, 15-barrel batches using predominantly domestic hops, European malts, a special house yeast, and 100% New York City tap water.

Related Links:
http://www.sixpointcraftales.com
http://www.barackobama.com

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