Next meeting: November 15th 7:30 pm
Homebrewed IPA judging - bring your IPA to the meeting!
 (keeping it all for yourself is just cruel to the rest of us!)

Novembeer 2002 Issue
Beer steins are back! Get yours now!

By Brian (I'd increase the gravity) Thatcher

IPA Judging this Month

At the meeting this month we will be judging homebrewed IPA, so this is a call for all you hopheads out there to present your delight. Bring your IPA to the meeting to share with the rest of us, keeping it all for yourself is just cruel to the rest of us.

There will be one more style to brew for this year, it will be a holiday ale/winter warmer. We are scheduled to sample commercial examples of these at the December meeting and judge homebrewed versions in January, when we will decide a Homebrewer of the Year. There is no set style guideline for these since several different styles can be labeled as such, but most tend to be somewhat robust in alcohol and lean toward malt in the flavor profile. A few commercial examples include Deschutes Jubelale, Full Sail Wassail, and Pyramid Snowcap.

New Belgium, Brouwerij Boon Plan Historic Blend

Colorado's New Belgium Brewing Co. and Brouwerij Frank Boon of Belgium have announced a historic venture that will result in a cross-Atlantic beer blended from batches produced at each brewery. The concept is a work in progress, but the plan is to ship a beer currently undergoing the natural alchemy that occurs only in Lembeek, Belgium to Colorado. This kriek will be blended with a beer being brewed at New Belgium specifically for this venture. The resulting beer will age at the Fort Collins brewery before being released. Frank Boon visited New Belgium last week and signed a Letter of Intent alongside Kim Jordan, CEO of New Belgium, during a press conference. Boon also attended the Great American Beer Festival. "Europeans will tell you Americans water down their beer, that they put ice in it," Boon said Saturday. "They don't know what has occurred in the last 20 years. They need to come here and see how much as changed."

[Knowing our luck, this will only be available at the brewery just like the wood aged La Folie that I like so much. I might have to make another trip to Colorado when it's ready.  - Brian]

Library Bar & Grill bartenders will 'dress like librarians'
From the Real Beer Page, Oct. 30, 2002, http://www.realbeer.com

OCT 30, 2002 - A new bar in Tempe, Ariz. has offered to trade patrons beer for books.

So far the Library Bar & Grill hasn't had many takers. Its "Beer for Books" sign gets plenty of attention from passersby, but fewer than 50 beer coupons have been handed out in trade.

"We thought we might give away thousands and thousands of beers, but it hasn't worked that way," owner Julian Wright said. For trading in a book, a person receives a free beer, two books gets a mixed drink, and three earns a free menu item. For 100 books, you'll get a party for 10.

"People are too lazy to lug books down here," Wright said.

Wright has room on the shelves for 4,000 books. Besides the bookshelves, the library theme carries to the bartenders, who will be dressed as librarians, and the servers, donning school uniforms, featuring plaid skirts.
The Library is being built on the first floor of the historic Laird Building, constructed in 1893, and renovated in the 1990s to reflect its original Victorian look.

[Wow, I will be in Arizona for Christmas, I wonder how many books I can carry in my luggage. - Brian]

The Brews Brothers 2002 Novembeerfest homebrewing competition was a great success. Read the results here!

Monthly Meeting Schedule

Club 2002/2003 Events Calendar

These are the rest of this year's club events.

Upcoming Events

Great Canadian Beer Festival, November 22nd and 23rd
Victoria Conference Centre, Canada
http://www.gcbf.com

1st Annual Tacoma Holiday Beer and Wine Fest, November 22nd - 24th
Tacoma, WA. Convention Center
Live bands, judging and an Apple Cup football party
253-572-4774

Holiday Ale Festival, December 6th, 7th and 8th
Pioneer Courthouse Square, Portland, OR
12-10 Fri, 11-10 Sat, 12-6 Sun, http://www.holidayale.com/

Great Alaska Beer and Barley Wine Festival, January 17th and 18th
Anchorage, Alaska
907-562-9911

Toronado Barley Wine, February 15th - 22nd
Toronado, San Francisco, CA
http://www.toronado.com/

Real Ale Festival, February 26th - March 1st
Finkel Foundry, Chicago, Il
http://www.realalefestival.com/

4th Annual Whiskeys of the World Expo, Saturday March 22nd
The Hotel Nikko, San Francisco, CA
Speakers start at 3 PM, Tasting session 5-10
1-888-748-2400, www.celticmalts.com