We blame the industry for this… It used to be that when we wrapped up our Weekend Picks on Friday, we could coast through the weekend. There was little need to check in for updates – things were pretty much done. But clearly all that’s changed.
So here’s some of what’s happened in the world of craft beer while you were off enjoying yourselves.
Redskins NFL Franchise Caught Selling the World’s Most Expensive Out-Of-Date Beer (Lanham, MD) – Given the immense scrutiny currently aimed at the Washington Redskins — their name controversy and the team’s lackluster performance over the last decade — you’d think owner Dan Snyder would be more careful not to alienate the team’s fans. And now The Washington Post is reporting that FedEx Stadium has been serving expired World Cup-branded Bud Light since Washington’s home opener on September 14th.
Out On The Town (Washington, DC) – We’d like to thank the whole Affligem crew for having us out at a very cool event they threw last Wednesday to showcase Affligem Blonde Ale and to celebrate their historic Belgian heritage. They took over the trendy Trunk Club Showroom in DC – transforming the spacious seventh-story showroom with a beautiful view of the city into a mashup of music, fashion, designer cuisine, and serious Belgian beer. From the classical string ensemble playing rock classics to a personal pouring presentation given by Affligem Ambassador John Carrabus, this was a beer event with vision and style and needless to say, we had too much fun.
Pacific Northwest Breweries Fresh Hop Beer Alert (Seattle, WA) – ACB’s main office is based on the East Coast and we get a little pissed when “Fresh Hop” season hits the Pacific Northwest because we don’t have much of that kind of thing out our way. Seattle’s flush with Fresh Hop brews right now and if you’re looking, here are what some breweries are pouring. Elysian’s currently serving their citrusy Kama Citra, packed with early-harvest wet Citra hops from Moxee, Washington. Fremont Brewing will soon be bringing back their beloved Cowiche Canyon Fresh Hop IPA, brewed with organic Citra and Simcoe hops gathered in Yakima. And Two Beers Brewing has their popular Fresh Hop IPA on tap. Enjoy!
Feel Good Beer News (Belgium) – “In an effort to eliminate disruptive delivery trucks driving through its picturesque streets,” Mashable is reporting that “the Belgian city of Bruges approved plans Tuesday to create an underground pipeline for transporting beer.” The De Halve Maan brewery is a big deal in the city, hosting over 100,000 tourists a year and it offered to fund a beer pipeline in the historic part of the city in an effort to ease the stress on the streets and cut down on the loud trucks traveling through the cobblestone streets.
Feel Bad Beer News (Canada) – Get ready to spend more money on your craft beer coming up, because prices may soon skyrocket. Turns out that bad weather up in Canada has severely depleted this year’s barley crop and since that country is the second-largest producer of malting barley, shortages are expected. Eater reports that the barley shortage is expected to hit “craft breweries the hardest because they are much smaller and typically keep less malt on hand.”