August 2008 Newsletter

Hi All,
The next WSB meeting is Saturday the 23rd of August, 4pm-ish, at John and Emilia Altman's home in Indianola.

Kitsap County Fair Homebrew Competition 2008
Judging for the Kitsap County Fair homebrew competition has been completed but only Vic knows the results, or maybe he hasn't even tallied them yet. We won't announce the results until the KCF opens on August 20.

Last year we had a virtual tie between several entries. Depending on scoring methodology 5 different entries could have won. We appealed to experienced BJCP judge and homebrew event organizer Jon Tobey for an impartial ruling on which scoring methodology to use in lieu of a pre-announced method. This year we declared the straight mean average as our decider, just as Jon suggested last year. Hopefully there will be no ambiguity this time around. Believe it or not the GABF has had this issue too and had to withdraw an award and switch it with another brewery after the public announcement and presentation on the stage. Ouch!

We haven't settled on the date(s) for the awards presentation ceremony(ies) yet but we'll email all entrants and other interested parties once those are set.

There were some incredible homebrewed beers/meads/ciders and very few iffy ones. I believe there were 67 entries this year. For most rounds of judging we had 5-6 judges, but for a couple we only had 3-4 that came and went, and allergy issues with special ingredients DQd some of them.

With ever more entries each year the club needs to push more folks to get confident in their judging abilities for future contests.

From time to time when you settle down for a beer take the time to really analyze it for appearance, aroma, flavors, and overall presentation. Print out some judging sheets and familiarize yourself with the process. Very few folks say this takes away from their pleasure in a beer by doing this but more folks have found it makes them appreciate what they're drinking much more.

We owe Matt, Vic, Brad, Marti, and Bill (and all our judges) a great big thank you for all their hard work and worry about the event this year.

Call SCB about Silver Springs Malt Liquor availability, but I think it goes on tap today:
http://www.silvercitybrewery.com/news.htm#seasonals

From a Silver City mailing:
ROCK THE WOODS!
We'd like to send a special invitation to all of our Royalty Reward members to join us at our co-sponsored event at McCormick Woods Golf Course this Saturday, August 16th.

Silver City Brewery will be providing the Beer Garden in addition to a Summer BBQ provided by our friends at McCormick Woods.

This is a Family Friendly Event and is sure to be fun for groups of all ages. The concert will be presented in the Golf Range Amphitheater which provides a fabulous outdoor venue on the grass. Bring your lawn chairs and blankets!
Tickets Available at Silver City: $15 / each $5 Off with Military ID Children 12 and Under are FREE

Put it on your calendar today. This is one event you will NOT want to miss.

75 Years of Beer
REMEMBERING SILVER SPRINGS BREWERY:
Do you have any Silver Springs Brewery memorabilia? Bring it in and let us display it ~ Or anything from Port Orchard that might represent the 'End of Prohibition'

The 'Best' memorabilia piece submitted from that time period as judged by our GM Josh Klein will receive a $50 Gift Card for Silver City.
We will be taking entries until 8/14 and displaying them until 8/24

Please submit Entries via photo attached in an email to josh@silvercitybrewery.com or call Josh @ 360 698 5879 x25 and let him know what you have in mind.

"We join with breweries, distributors, importers and beer lovers all over the U.S. to celebrate and say that enjoying beer is a legal privilege," said Don Spencer, Brewmaster of Silver City Brewery.

It was a big moment in our own county, Silver Springs was born on the coat tails of the end of prohibition and its founding slogan was "if beer is to be drunk then why not KITSAP beer!"
Construction on Silver Springs Brewery started in early 1934 and by mid 1934 they were brewing as much as 50 barrels a day which is about 10 times as much as Silver City's current production. Sadly in 1949 after well over a decade of "Deluxe" brewing in port Orchard, the controlling shares were sold to a Tacoma brewery and the equipment was moved. Thus ended brewing in Kitsap County for most of the rest of the 20th century until the birth of Silver City Restaurant & Brewery.

Historians note that Prohibition officially ended on December 5, 1933, with the ratification of the 21st Amendment. But earlier that year, newly-elected President Franklin D. Roosevelt took steps to fulfill his campaign promise to end the national ban on alcohol. He spurred Congress to modify the Volstead Act to allow the sale of 3.2 percent beer in advance of the Twenty-first Amendment being ratified. On April 7, 1933, Roosevelt himself received newly legalized beer at the White House to toast what was the beginning of the end for Prohibition. In the 24-hours that followed, more than 1.5 million gallons of beer flowed as Americans celebrated.

Silver City Wall Construction will Shut Down Brewery for 2 Weeks

Construction
After 12 years of producing award winning beer our brewery exterior wall is in need of repair. In the upcoming weeks, the front wall of our facility will be torn out and replaced. This will, unfortunately, halt production in the brewery for a short period of time. Fortunately, our Brewmaster Don Spencer has some great friends in the local beer community that will be making Guest Beer Appearances at Silver City that will enable us to continue pouring great Northwest beer.

Look for these local Washington beers to make their debut's in late August. In the meantime, come down to the brewery and check on our progress updating the brewery for another great 12 years of award winning beers.

From: hoodcanalbrewery@gmail.com

Hood Canal Brewery will be holding its 6th Annual Anniversary Potluck on
Saturday, September 6th.
Festivities shall commence at 4pm, bring something to eat & share.
One dollar discount on beer.

In other news, we've got the growler coolers back in stock. So if you've been wondering when we were going to have them again... well, there you are.

Take care,
Stacy

P.S. Don's 55th Birthday will be September 5th. :)

Hood Canal Brewery
360-297-8316
Open Daily 12-8pm
www.hoodcanalbrewery.com

From:
publican@beveridgeplacepub.com

Pubsters,
SAT, AUG 16, 6:30 AM & SUN, AUG 17, 7:30 AM (THAT’S RIGHT – A.M.!)
ENGLISH PREMIER LEAGUE BEGINS!

We’re gonna do something crazy here and open the pub early so you crazy soccer fans can get in your first fix of matches from the best soccer league in the world. We’ll have coffee (and tea) and juices, or perhaps you’d prefer a mimosa or red beer or stout to wake you up. Matches currently scheduled:

SATURDAY
7:00am - Everton (anchored by U.S. keeper Tim Howard) v. Blackburn Rovers;
9:30am - Liverpool (lead by Steven Gerrard) v. Sunderland (the loudest fans in England ); 11:30am - West Ham United v. Wigan Athletic (an epic battle).

SUNDAY
8:00am - Manchester Utd (defending champs) v. Newcastle Utd (lead by Michael Owen);
10:00am - Aston Villa (w/U.S. keepers Friedel & Guzan) v. Manchester City

THUR, AUG 21, 7:00PM – SCUTTLEBUTT BREWERS NIGHT!
Head Brewer Matt Stromberg will talk beer while we enjoy an excellent variety of malt and hop goodness. More details soon.

THUR, AUG 28, 7:00PM – CIDER, MEAD, AND SAKE MINI-FEST!
And now for something completely different! In the interest of expanding your fermented beverage experience, we’re teaming up with Click Distributing to bring you an eclectic selection of ciders, meads, and sakes. Don’t think this is all sweet stuff that brings on a hang-over, we’ll have super dry cider from France , a spicy mead from Africa, and a barrel-aged sake from Japan , among others. The event will be festival style (from the pulpit!), so you can buy tickets for whatever you want to try.

WE’VE GOT SOME CATCHING UP TO DO
We’ve held out as long as we can (it’s been over two years since our last draft price change) but in the wake of hop, barley, and oil price increases which have impacted keg prices by over 15%, as well as across-the-board inflation, the time has come. Effective August 18th, regular pint prices will be $4.50, with Happiest Hours $1 off all Washington micro pints. Micro Monday will still be a heck of a deal at $3.00 per pint for Washington micros. And remember, unlike other places, all of our prices include the 9.98% sales tax (yeah, it’s that much – I think we’re still paying for the Kingdome!), so there’s no extra add-ons. Just think of it as a $4.10 pint plus tax. We trust you’ll understand the necessity of this, and we hope things stabilize so that it will be at least another two years before we have to do this again.

Happiest Hours (Mon -Fri 3pm-6pm, Sat & Sun 2pm-6pm)
Also, don’t forget that we still offer $1 off glass pours, $1.50 off 375ml bottles, and
$3 off 750ml bottles on all Wine, Sparklers, Mead, and Port during Happiest Hours.

Cheers! Gary, Terri, Jennifer, Rob, Dennis, Kate, and Devrim

From Pike's newsletter:
PIKE BREWS PRO-AM PORTER

Pike was one of ten Washington breweries asked to participate in the National Pro-Am Competition in Denver at the GABF this October.

Each brewery selected a recipe from the winning entries in the Puget Sound Pro-Am Home Brew Competition. Pike chose to brew the winning Porter recipe with home-brewer, Dean Priebe of Leavenworth, WA. This special seasonal release will be on tap at The Pike Pub in mid-August. Pike Pro-Am Porter will also be featured at The Pub at Piper's Creek 4th Annual Cookoff on Friday, August 8 and on Saturday, August 9 at the Fiddler's Inn BBQ and Pike Night. For details, see our Upcoming Events. below.

Below is the email, printed with his permission, that Dean Priebe wrote to Head Brewer, Drew Cluley, about his experience of brewing at Pike.

Drew,
After brewing with you and the crew last Friday, I thought I had a pretty good idea of what being a professional brewer was all about. However, true understanding came an hour after I left the brewery. I stopped at Albertsons to get some ice to keep the beer cold. I was walking back to the car with the ice, proudly wearing my Pike Brewing t-shirt, when a car with two hot chicks slowed down, rolled down a window and shouted "that's great beer". All I could do was grin from ear to ear and nod vigorously. I'm sure you get that all the time and have some suave come-backs, but that's something new for a humble homebrewer like me.

Brew Strong,
Dean

FRIDAY, AUGUST 15: SUNSET SUPPER IN THE MARKET
7:30 pm - 11:00 pm
Every year, on a Friday night in August, the Market's birthday is celebrated at Sunset Supper at the Market. More than 70 first-class restaurants, wineries, breweries and beverage companies serve their delicious creations in a buffet style setting right in the Pike Place Market arcade and on the cobblestones of Pike Place.

Drew Gillespie, General Manager of the Pike Pub along with other members of our Pike team will be pouring PIKE NAUGHTY NELLIE GOLDEN ARTISAN ALE (named for Nellie Curtis, madam of the LaSalle Hotel in the Pike Place Market, where Pike was founded), PIKE IPA AND PIKE XXXXX EXTRA STOUT.
Please stop by for a sample and an "I Like Pike" sticker.
Sunset Supper

FRIDAY, AUGUST 22: ART INSTITUTE OF SEATTLE BEER DINNER
Brewmaster Dinner with The Pike Brewing Co. Owner Charles Finkel
Portfolio, the teaching dining room of The International Culinary School at The Art Institute of Seattle, invites the public to a Brewmaster Dinner. Enjoy the breathtaking view of Elliott Bay from the fifth-floor restaurant as you learn about beer and food pairing.

Upper-level students, directed by Chef Instructor David Wynne, prepare a five-course menu accompanied by five beers produced by The Pike Brewing Co. Learn from Brewery Owner Charles Finkel and Restaurant Manager Dieter Schafer the elements in the food and beer that make them great together.

6:00 pm
The Art Institute's Portfolio Restaurant
2600 Alaskan Way, Seattle
$68, tax and gratuities included
Reservations required 206-239-2363
Infowww.ais.edu or WineDieter@cs.com

SUNDAY, AUGUST 24: PERCHE 'NO BEER DINNER
Why not?
One of Seattle's finest Italian chefs is Asian. Why Not? Perche 'No.
Originally on Queen Ann, Perche No developed such a following that they moved to a larger venue off Stone Way, near Woodland Park awhile back. Visiting Perche No is like dining on a garden terrace, and inside, on two levels, it is like a quick trip to Italy to eat slow food. David Wong is a master chef. He bakes he own fantastic bread, makes all the restaurants delicious pasta by hand, cures his own prosciutto, and even makes his own lemoncello. Lily, David's wife, is the consummate host, following up every dining experience with an email and a photo of happy guests, the table laden with delicious and colorful food, wine, and beer. Perche 'No is busy, but let's keep it a secret; if more people knew how great it is, those of us who have discovered it wouldn't be able to get in. David's wine list reflects his love and knowledge of the subject and the beer list is the best, of any Italian restaurant in Seattle. Pike beer is, of course, well represented, so
when David and Lily invited us to give a beer dinner paired with their food, we jumped at the opportunity. Please join us for a great experience on Sunday, August 24 at 6:30 p.m. -Perche 'No.
Live Guitar and Piano.

Event Menu
6:30 p.m. - $50 per person
Reservations: 206.547.0222
PERCHE 'NO PASTA & VINO, INC.
1319 N 49th St., Seattle, WA 98103
www.perchenopastaandvinao.com

Pliny The Elder is pouring in Pacific City, OR!
OK, it's also coming soon to Portland and Seattle but Twist Wine Company in Pacific City has it first (only $4/pint), perhaps because Vinnie Cilurzo's sister Chenin is one of the owners of Twist. For more details check:
http://twistwine.com/

On that note, here's an interesting piece from Bloomberg news featuring Russian River Brewing and Mr. Cilurzo:

http://www.bloomberg.com/news/marketsmag/mm_0908_story6.html

Craft Beer's Pranksters

Microbrewers are pushing the limits by adding ingredients like berries and espresso beans and boosting the alcohol content.

By Elin McCoy
Bloomberg Markets, September 2008

The noisy, zany Russian River Brewing Co. brewpub in Santa Rosa, California, is packed with about 100 people sipping Vinnie Cilurzo's innovative craft brews on a Sunday afternoon in May. I duck into the small, adjoining brewery with Cilurzo's wife and co-owner, Natalie, for a taste of his latest experiment, a collaboration with a visiting Italian craft brewer. ``Fleurette has flowers added to it,'' Natalie, 39, says as she fills a glass goblet with the just-finished beer, whose uncommon ingredients include dried rose petals and violets, honey, cracked pepper and elderberry concentrate. As I savor the unusual floral aroma and spicy, complex taste, I'm thinking, ``This is beer?''

Though Russian River makes a broad range of traditional ales and stouts, Vinnie Cilurzo, 38, is famous for aging beer in wine barrels and inventing the double (or imperial) India pale ale, an exaggerated, extra-strong IPA heavy on the hops. Both are part of the fast-growing American ``extreme'' beer craze that embraces everything from alcohol levels higher than wine to the addition of oddball ingredients like espresso beans. These flavorful brews have about as much in common with a can of Bud as box wine does with a $100 cult cabernet.

Cilurzo's ideas obviously haven't been stifled by his two-car-garage-size brewing space that's crammed with tanks, dripping hoses and a yellow motor scooter. An alcove holds stacked chardonnay and pinot noir barrels and glass demijohns filled with strains of bubbling bacteria and wild yeasts. These ``bugs and critters,'' Cilurzo says, give the sappy, sour tang to Supplication, his Belgian-style brown ale aged with cherries in pinot barrels.

The American craft brew movement took off in the 1990s, and since then, the number of small breweries in the U.S. has exploded to more than 1,400. Many top brands are distributed nationally, and about a dozen are sold globally. Most can be ordered online, and some can be found at beer havens like Washington's The Brickskeller, with about 1,000 selections.

First inspired by traditional German and British styles, adventurous brewers are now creating their own versions and influencing beer culture worldwide. Belgians are trying American hops, the U.K. has raspberry and coffee beers and Japan has 200 microbreweries.

Ten days later, I'm at Flying Dog Brewery, which was co-founded in Aspen, Colorado, by physicist George Stranahan, longtime friend to late ``gonzo'' journalist Hunter S. Thompson. Though it recently moved to a drab Frederick, Maryland, warehouse, the company's still got an edge. Its Ralph Steadman- designed label for Road Dog Porter with the scrawled words ``Good Beer, No Shit'' precipitated a five-year court battle over obscenity that the brewery finally won in 2001.

Brewmaster and Chief Executive Officer Eric Warner meets me by a shiny brew kettle. Warner is one of only a few Americans to have attended a German brewing school, which was all about making beer from water, malt, yeast and hops. He's gone beyond that. ``We're trying everything. Barrel aging is skyrocketing,'' he says, pointing to four whiskey barrels filled with Gonzo porter that contain added blackberry and sweet-cherry syrups. Gonzo's hop content measures a whopping 85 international bitterness units, four times that of a regular lager.

Warner (who resigned as Flying Dog's ``Lead Dog'' on July 1 but remains a ``Consulting Dog'' until Sept. 1) insists extreme beers are as food-friendly as wine, so I tag along with him to Savor, a beer and food event in Washington where he and 47 other craft beer rock stars are pouring their beers alongside high-end fare like tenderloin bruschetta. The crowd of business types, some of them in jackets and ties, symbolizes just how upscale beer is becoming.

Brewers keep pointing me in the direction of yet another unusual beer. I sample a refreshing watermelon wheat beer with a spicy chicken dish and an over- the-top vintage double stout with 18 percent alcohol that tastes better with a raspberry-flavored chocolate.

``People's taste buds are changing every day,'' says Adam Avery of Boulder, Colorado's Avery Brewing Co., as he pours me one of his malt bombs. The 42-year- old surfer, skier and rock climber, who started as a home brewer, plans to release a beer aged in red-wine barrels next year and predicts that ``sour beers are next.''

Perhaps the most far-out brew is one that isn't being poured: Sam Adams Utopias. With a heady 27 percent alcohol, it resembles cognac and is rare enough that bottles sell on EBay for $300.

Some brewers, such as Garrett Oliver, 45, the influential brewmaster of Brooklyn Brewery, aim for unusual beers that don't sacrifice balance or drinkability. Attired in a dark-blue suit, starched white shirt and red power tie, Oliver nearly convinces me that his soft, round Black Chocolate Stout is a better partner with blue cheese than vintage port.

In a testament to how far craft beer has come, Brooklyn Brewery now makes an ale for Thomas Keller's restaurants, including the Napa Valley's French Laundry. Watch out, wine.

Columnist Elin McCoy is based in New York. emcwine@aol.com

From a WABL mailing:
August WABL Event @ Scuttlebutt Brewing

There are room for about 10 more people so if you want to attend this event please let me know. A few updates- WABL members with a passport will get two tickets for a free pint and there will be some complementary finger foods available. The cask Tripel 7 will be tapped that morning and the Wedding Wit should be on tap as well along with the rest of the regular lineup.

Scuttlebutt Brewing Co. recently purchased a 3bbl system to make small batches at the waterfront location and they hope to brew for the first time in late September. But in the meantime Scuttlebutt is inviting WABL members to check out the newly remodeled back room on Saturday, August 16th. They will tap a firkin of the 777 and also offer ½ price appetizers along with some other value specials just for WABL members. And of course there will be an assortment of Scuttlebutt beers available too. If we are lucky White Wedding Wit, a Belgian Wit that Scuttlebutt’s assistant brewer is going to brew for his upcoming nuptials in early September, may be ready to debut at the WABL party.

The capacity for this event is 80 people. As always if you are planning to attend please send me a quick email and let me know how many people are attending in your group, then we’ll let you know when the event is full.

WABL Event @ Scuttlebutt Brewing Co.
Saturday, August 16th, 1-5pm
1524 W. Marine View Dr.
Everett, WA 98201
www.scuttlebuttbrewing.com

Shoreline Central Market Brewfest
(Ed. note: Maybe we should bug our local original Poulsbo Central Market to do this sort of thing.)

Shoreline Central Market’ craft beer promotion starts today, August 13th through August 31st and here’s their updated schedule:
[pre]August 14th 3-7 pm Cooking with beer demo
August 15th 3-7 pm Pike Brewing Co.
August 16th 2-6 pm Full Sail Brewing Co.
August 19th 4-7 pm Lazy Boy Brewing Co.
August 20th 3-5 pm Snoqualmie Falls Brewing Co.
August 21st 4-7 pm Fish Brewing Co. (sampling next door)
August 22nd 3-7 pm Laughing Buddha Brewing Co. (sampling next door)
August 23rd 3-7 pm Hale’s Ales Brewery (sampling next door)
August 24th 3-7 pm Baron Brewing Co.[/pre]

Call the store to find out more info. WABL will have a table on August 19th, 22nd & 23rd so make sure to stop by and say hello!

Shoreline Central Market
15505 Westminster Way N
Shoreline, WA 98133
(206) 363-9226
www.shoreline.central-market.com

Mini Beerfest @ Laughing Buddha
Join the Laughing Buddha Brewery for the Mini-Beerfest and sample beers from four Seattle microbreweries! Meet the brewers from Laughing Buddha, Baron Brewing, Schooner Exact, and Two Beers Brewing. Laughing Buddha’s autumn Purple Yam Porter may pour. Space is limited to 200 people, so please pre-register at http://beerfest.eventbrite.com. $13 early bird, $15 at the door. 21+ only.

Mini Beer fest
August 23rd, 3-7 p.m.
Laughing Buddha Brewing Co.
9320 15th Ave S, Unit CE2
Seattle, WA 98108
http://beerfest.eventbrite.com

More events:

1st Annual Fish Brewing Co. Golf Tournament (Saturday, August 16th)
Tumwater Valley Golf Course
4611 Tumwater Valley Dr. S
Olympia, WA 98501
www.fishbrewing.com
9 am shotgun start, scramble/best ball team format. $60 includes: greens fees, cart, driving range/balls.
Signup deadline is August 1st. Tickets available at the FishTale Brewpub. Players may sign up as a single, pair, or foursome. Each team is a foursome and all players will be advised of the final pairings August 1, 2008. Players are registered at time of payment. At the completion of the tournament, Fish Brewing will host the presentation of the prizes and invites all players to celebrate the event with Fish beers donated by the pub.
Prizes- if a 72 player participation is met, a minimum of $720 in prizes will be awarded for longest drive, closest to the pin, low team score, and other contests to be announced July 1, 2008.

Laughing Buddha Tasting (Saturday, August 16th, 3-6 p.m.)
Pete’s of Bellevue
134-105th N.E.
Bellevue, WA 98004
(425) 454-1100
www.petes.cc

Snoqualmie Falls Brewers Dinner (Wednesday, August 20th)
Iris Grill
317 NW Gilman Boulevard # 28A
Issaquah, WA 98027
(425) 557-7899
www.theirisgrill.com
Typically a haven for wine aficionados, the Iris Grill is letting its wild-side out as it puts together an exquisitely prepared gourmet dinner paired with the Snoqualmie beers. Head Chef Matt DiMeo promises to pull out all the stops for this 4-course beer dinner which costs $75 per person.

AHA Rally @ Big Time (Saturday, August 23rd, 2-5 p.m.)
Big Time Brewery
4133 University Way NE
Seattle, WA 98105
www.AHARally.org
Take a VIP brewery tour, meet Brewmaster Bill Jenkins and mingle with Washington's finest beer connoisseurs and homebrewers. Entrance is free to all current AHA members and Designated Drivers*. Non-members can join the AHA for a discounted membership rate of $33/one-year US membership. * Designated Drivers do not get a one-year AHA membership and may not drink alcohol at the event. Please RSVP, space is limited!

Great Canadian Beer Festival
September 5-6
Friday 3-8, Saturday 12-6
Royal Athletic Park
Victoria, BC
http://www.gcbf.com/

Fremont Oktoberfest
September 19-20
Along the Ship Canal
Seattle, WA
www.fremontoktoberfest.com

Hopfest (Friday, September 26th- )
Brouwer’s Café
400 N. 35th St.
Seattle, WA 98103
www.brouwerscafe.com
Come get your hops on. Brouwers’ 4th annual Hopfest will run until there are no more hoppy beers left to drink. There will be 60+ on tap with two casks.

Oktoberfest @ Elliott Bay (Saturday, September 27th)
Elliott Bay Brewery Pub
4720 California Ave SW
Seattle, WA 98116
www.elliottbaybrewing.com
Chicken dance, live music & food specials.

6th Annual Fresh Hop Ale Festival (Saturday, October 4th)
Millenium Arts Plaza
7 S. 3rd St.
Yakima, WA
www.freshhopalefestival.com
Join in the excitement of 16 award-winning craft breweries, live music, homebrew demos, a cigar tent, plus local food and wine. Among Washington beer festivals, the festival's premise is specific and unusual. Here's the deal: to create a "fresh hop ale" brewers must get "wet" Yakima hops (which provide aroma and flavor to beer) from the vine to the vat within 24 hours to create the headlining ale. The Yakima Valley should be a priority stop for anyone interested in coming to beer's "source" -- the Valley produces almost 77% of America's hops used for brewing. Also, check out Friday night Brewers' Dinners at local restaurants, and the 2nd annual homebrew contest! Tickets are $30 in advance and $35 at the gate.

GABF, 27th Annual
October 9-11 and thereabouts for related events
3 day, 400 breweries, 1800 beers
Denver, CO
www.beertown.org
http://www.beertown.org/events/GABF/

An interesting website that shows the ownership of various beer brands and the market shares of various megabrewing companies:
http://money.cnn.com/magazines/fortune/storysupplement/beer/2008/

There are too many country beer and drinks songs to keep up with so pardon the mass of them added to this newsletter. Most of them are quite fun, have a read:

Artist: Brooks Garth
Song: Long Neck Bottle
Album: Sevens

Longneck bottle
Let go of my hand
Hey jukebox don’t start playin’ that song again
‘Cause there’s a girl at home who loves me
You know she won’t understand
Longneck bottle
Let go of my hand

Hey barroom mirror on the wall
Go stare at someone else
Don’t show the world the fool I am
Just keep it to yourself

Longneck bottle
Let go of my hand
Hey jukebox don’t start playin’ that song again
‘Cause there’s a girl at home who loves me
You know she won’t understand
Longneck bottle
Let go of my hand

Dance floor seems you’re underneath my feet
Everywhere I turn
I oughta waltz right out of them swingin’ doors
But that’s a step I just can’t learn

Longneck bottle
Let go of my hand
Hey jukebox don’t start playin’ that song again
‘Cause there’s a girl at home who loves me
You know she won’t understand
Longneck bottle
Let go of my hand

Rednecks, White Socks, and Blue Ribbon Beer
performed by both Johnny Russell and Hank Thompson

There's no place that I'd rather be than right here
With my red necks, white socks and blue ribbon beer
The barmaid is mad 'cause some guy made a pass
The juke box is playin' there stands the glass
And the cigarette smoke kinda hangs in the air
Rednecks, white socks and blue ribbon beer

A cowboy is cussin' the pinball machine
A drunk at the bar is gettin' noisy and mean
And, some guy on the phone says ill be home soon dear
Red-necks white socks and blue ribbon beer

CHORUS:
No we don't fit in with that white collar crowd
We're a little too rowdy and a little too loud
There's no place that I'd rather be than right here
With my red-necks white socks and blue ribbon beer

The semis are passing on the highway outside
The four thirty crowd is about to arrive
The sun's go-in' down and we'll all soon be here
Red-necks, white socks and blue ribbon beer

REPEAT CHORUS:
There's no place that I'd rather be than right here
With my red-necks, white socks and blue ribbon beer

Artist: Haggard, Merle
Song: I Think I'll Just Stay Here and Drink
Album: For the Record: 43 Legendary Hits

Could be holding you tonight,
Could quit doing wrong, start doin' right.
You don't care about what I think.
I think I'll just stay here and drink.
Hey puttin' you down don't square no deal.
Least you know the way I feel.
Take all the money in the bank.
Think I'll just stay here and drink.

Listen close and you can hear,
That loud jukebox playin' in my ear.
Ain't no woman gonna change the way I think.
Think I'll just stay here and drink.

(Instrumental Break.)

Hurtin' me now don't mean a thing.
Since lovin' you, don't feel no pain.
My mind ain't nothin' but a total blank.
I think I'll just stay here and drink, yeah.

(Instrumental fade out.)

Artist: Haggard Merle
Song: Bottle Let Me Down

Each night I leave the bar room when it's over
Not feeling any pain at closing time
But tonight your memory found me much too sober
Couldn't drink enough to keep you off my mind

Tonight the bottle let me down
And let your memory come around
The one true friend I thought I'd found
Tonight the bottle let me down

I've always had a bottle I could turn to
And lately I've been turnin' every day
But the wine don't take effect the way it used to
And I'm hurtin' in old familiar ways

Tonight the bottle let me down
and let your memory come around
The one true friend I thought I'd found

Tonight the bottle let me down
Tonight the bottle let me down

Artist: Haggard Merle
Song: Workin' Man Blues
Album: For the Record: 43 Legendary Hits

It's a big job just gettin' by with nine kids and a wife
I been a workin' man dang near all my life
I'll be working long as my two hands are fit to use
I'll drink my beer in a tavern,
Sing a little bit of these working man blues

I keep my nose on the grindstone, I work hard every day
Might get a little tired on the weekend, after I draw my pay
But I'll go back workin, come Monday morning I'm right back with the crew
I'll drink a little beer that evening,
Sing a little bit of these working man blues

Hey hey, the working man, the working man like me
I ain't never been on welfare, that's one place I won't be
Cause I'll be working long as my two hands are fit to use
I drink a little beer in a tavern
Sing a little bit of these working man blues

Sometimes I think about leaving, do a little bummin around
I wanna throw my bills out the window catch a train to another town
But I go back working I gotta buy my kids a brand new pair of shoes
Yeah drink a little beer in a tavern,
Cry a little bit of these working man blues

FRANKIE AND JOHNNY
(Jimmie Rodgers)
« © '29 Peer International, BMI »

Frankie and Johnny were sweethearts oh Lordy how they did love
Swore to be true to each other true as the stars above
He was her man he was doing her wrong
Frankie went down to the corner just for a bucket of beer
She says Mr Bartender has my loving Johnny been here
He's my man he was doing me wrong
I don't want cause you no trouble I ain't gonna tell you no lie
I saw your lover an hour ago with a gal named Nellie Bligh
He is your man and he's doing you wrong
Frankie looked over in transom she saw to her surprise
There on the cab sat Johnny making love to Nellie Blie
He is my man and he's doing me wrong
Frankie drew back to her kimono she took out a little 44
Rutty tooo too three times she shot right through that hardwood door
She shot her man he was doing her wrong
Bring out the rubber tied buggy bring out the rubber tied hack
I'm taking my man to the graveyard but I ain't gonna bring him back
Lord he was my man and he's done me wrong
Bring out a thousand policemen bring 'em around today
And locked me down in the dungeon cell and throw that key away
I shot my man he was doing me wrong
Frankie she said to the warden what are they going to do
The warden he said to Frankie it's a electric chair for you
Cause you shot your man he was doing you wrong
This story has no moral this story has no end
This story just goes to show that there ain't no good in man
He was her man and he's done her wrong

Brad Paisley - Better Than This lyrics
Artist: Brad Paisley lyrics
Album: 5th Gear
Year: 2007
Title: Better Than This

That sleepy little campfire. Popped and kinda crackled. We were heating up the pork and beans. And Bubba said, man it don't
get any better than this. If you know what I mean. We sat there for a minute. Listening to the crickets. Thinking this was
pretty hard to beat. 'Til Junior stood up. Spit in the fire and said. Boy's, I hate to disagree.

(Chorus 1)
But if a busload of women, really good-looking women just suddenly pulled in here. And ol' Joe T. Garcia showed up with
fajitas. And a hundred gallon keg of beer. And Haggard dropped by and brought Willie with him. And they started taking
requests. Now don't get me wrong boys. This is pretty good. But it could get better than this.

If Bill Dance and Hank Parker floated by in a boat. And volunteered to be our fishing guides. And Richard Petty pulled up in
the old 43 car. And asked us if we wanted a ride. We'd all sit around. Singing "Poncho and Lefty". Playing poker, smoking
big cigars. Now don't take offense ya'll. I'm perfectly content. Just sitting here under the stars.

(Chorus 2)
But if a busload of women, really good-looking women just suddenly pulled in here. And ol' Emeril Lagasse showed up with
kielbasa. And a hundred gallon keg of beer. And Haggard dropped by and brought Willie with him. And they started taking
requests. Now don't get me wrong boys. This is pretty good. But it could get better than this.

(Chorus 3)
But if a busload of women, really good-looking women just suddenly pulled in here. And Little Jimmy Dickens showed up with
fried chicken. And a hundred gallon keg of beer. Merle Haggard dropped by and brought Willie with him. And they started
taking requests. Now don't get me wrong boys. This is pretty good. But it could get better than this. Yeah don't get me
wrong boys. This is pretty good. But it could get better than this

Title Pledge Allegiance to the Hag
Artist Eric Church (feat. Merle Haggard)
Album Sinners Like Me (2006)

There's a little dive on a dead-end road
Called the Cross-Eyed Cricket Waterin' Hole
Where you can hear the sound of a steel guitar
An' get loud an' rowdy with PBR
But at the top of every hour, man, you can hear a pin drop
As ol' Jack drops a quarter an' plays Merle on that jukebox, an' we stop

Chorus:
An' tip our hats
An' raise our glasses of cold, cold beer
They say country's fadin'
But we still wavin' that flag around here
An' when it's time to go, you know you're welcome back
Where the people pledge allegiance to the Hag

When the weekend comes an' the weather's clear
There's a high spot fifteen miles from here
Where you can always find a few dusty trucks
With the windows down an' the radio up
We sit there poppin' tops, shootin' bull an' singin' songs
But you can bet your boots that when Haggard comes on

(Repeat Chorus)

One of these days when my time has come
You can take me back to where I'm from
Put me on a westbound train
An' ship me off in the pourin' rain
Don't cry for me when I'm gone
Just put a quarter in the jukebox an' sing me back home

An' tip our hats
An' raise our glasses of cold, cold beer
They say country's fadin'
But just keep wavin' that flag around here
An' I know, it'll keep on comin' back
Long as people pledge allegiance
Where folks still pledge allegiance
I pledge allegiance to the Hag

Before She Does
by Eric Church

I believe that gas is too damn high
Ain't nothin' more American than Mama's apple pie
I believe in love, I believe in peace
But I don't believe we'll ever see it in that Middle East
I believe the Bible is cold hard fact
And I believe that Jesus is comin' back
Before she does

I believe the Sabbath is the day of rest
The tax man and the devil share the same address
I believe don't start if you're gonna quit
I believe in keep your mouth shut and carry a big stick
I believe dogs are better than cats
And I believe that Jesus is comin' back
Before she does

There's absolutely positively no doubt in my mind
That O.J. did it, Lee Harvey didn't and she's really gone this time

I believe that cold cold beer
Tastes better on a barstool than it does anywhere
I believe hard work really makes the man
But everyone should wet a line every now and then
I believe it's best to pay in cash
And I believe that Jesus is comin' back
Before she does

There's absolutely positively no doubt in my mind
That O.J. did it, Lee Harvey didn't and she's really gone this time

I believe she was a real good thing
Can you believe I let a girl like her get away
I believe she meant it the night she packed
And said Jesus is comin' back
Before she does
Before she does
Before she does

Sinners Like Me
by Eric Church

I was fifteen when my daddy's old man
Caught me half way through my first beer
He laughed so hard when my face turned green
He said, “You come from a long line of sinners like me”

Now me and my brother go to see him some times
But he don't have much to say anymore
So we sit on his headstone with a fifth of Jack D.
Here's to a long line of sinners like me
La de dah de dah
La de dah dah de de
I come from a long line of sinners like me

My mama had a soft spot for a hell raisin' boy
So she had two more just like him
It takes an angel to raise a family
That comes from a long line of sinners like me

Well now maybe who knows one day I'll settle down
Give my dad a grandson of his own
And when the doctor smacks him, he'll probably take a swing
Cause he'll come from a long line of sinners like me
La de dah de dah
La de dah dah de de
I come from a long line of sinners like me

On the day I die
I know where I'm gonna go
Me and Jesus got that part worked out
I'll wait at the gates ‘til his face I see
And stand in a long line of sinners like me
I'll stand in a long line of sinners like me

La de dah de dah
La de dah dah de de
I come from a long line of sinners like me
La de dah de dah
La de dah dah de de
Here’s to a long line of sinners like me
I come from a long line of sinners like me

Bar Room Buddies
by Merle Haggard & Clint Eastwood
May '80

Hey I want to sing till the feeling gets right
Well let's harmonize we'll be dynamite
I'll yodel the high notes I've done it for years
Good deal old buddy and I'll pour the beer

There's always some lady alone at the bar
Yeah and you always let her know just who you are
I know a couple gals that we can call down
They'll shake the pictures right all of the wall

We're bar room buddies and that's the best kind
Nobody fools with a buddy of mine
I'll laugh when you're happy and I'll cry when you're blue

We're bar room buddies and we're doing fine
So pour me another we got nothing but time
Old chug-a-lug-a-lugging bar room buddy of mine

The bartender trying to turn out the lights
Well maybe it is time we called it a night
Hell we'll wake up the roosters if we drink them real slow
Well let's have a double and a six-pack to go

We're bar room buddies and that's the best kind
Nobody fools with a buddy of mine
I'll laugh when you're happy and I'll cry when you're blue

We're bar room buddies and we're doing fine
So pour me another we got nothing but time
Old chug-a-lug-a-lugging bar room buddy of mine

Hell we're skirt chasing, tail kicking guitar picking, pool hustling
Old chug-a-lug-a-lugging bar room buddy of mine

Reasons To Quit
Artist: Merle Haggard
Album: Poncho And Lefty

Reasons to quit the smoke and beer don't do me like before
And I'm hardly ever sober and my ol’ friends
Don't come round much anymore
Reasons to quit the low is always lower than the high
And the reasons for quittin' don’t outnumber all the reasons why

So we keep smokin’ and we keep drinkin’
Havin’ fun and never thinkin’'
Laughin' at the price tags that we pay
And we keep roarin’ down the fast lane
Like two young men feelin’ no pain
And the reasons for quittin' are getting’ bigger each day

Reasons to quit I can’t afford the habit all the time
And I need be sober I gotta write some new songs that will rhyme
Reasons to quit there ain't no rhyme or reason when your high
And the reasons for quittin' don't outnumber all the reasons why

So we keep smokin’ and we keep drinkin’
Havin’ fun and never thinkin'
Laughin' at the price tags the we pay
And we keep roarin’ down the fast lane
Like two young men feelin’ no pain
And the reasons for quittin' are getting’ bigger each day