Women Enjoying Beer

How Do You Quench Your Thirst?

Jul 13, 2010 Something To Think About, craft beer Leave a comment

What quenches your thirst? And what specifically are you trying to quench?

In the beer world, quenching – for me – involves context as well as what’s in my glass. What to consider?

Well, time of year and climate of locale for one. For example right now, in Southern Oregon, it’s hot and dry. Bring on a refreshing session beer (a range of them is great). As the evenings cool down, I’ll always welcome a full flavored stout or porter with some ice cream or other yummy complementary dessert. A crisp hoppy Pale or IPA with fresh citrus fruit in a tart – mmmm! also makes a swell choice.

Consider also availability of beer where you’re at. What’s fresh on tap at the spot you’re sitting or driving to or through. Fresh is always better (as long as it’s not green). Available beer could also be some home brewed beer as well if someone decides to offer to share.

And what about what’s new? Consider what’s new to the market as well as what’s new to you. What haven’t you tried – or had in a long time. What’s newer to the market, perhaps even an exclusive roll out or tasting event of a special beer.

Quenching involves your physical thirst as well as your metal thirst. What makes you satiated and happy – although I’d actually put happiness with satiation.

Have fun quenching this summer.

HUBba hubba

Jul 12, 2010 Beer & Other Edibles, Events Leave a comment

Hello All You Female Beer Enthusiasts!!

Coming right up – this Thursday’s Women Enjoying Beer event will feature HUB beers – Hopworks Urban Brewery, based out of Portland, OR. Perfectly appropriate especially since it’s Oregon Craft Beer Month!!

If you’ve saved your seat – you’re set. If you haven’t yet or know another woman to forward this to if they’d enjoy it, you can RSVP directly to me until end of day tomorrow (Tuesday the 13th) via this email or by calling 515.450.7757.

We’ll be at 4 Daughters Irish Pub in , OR. Plan on starting at 7 pm and going until 830. You’re very welcome to come early – enjoy dinner and drinks – and stay late (they are open until 11 pm). We’ll be up the stairs, to the back of the building.

Come ready to savor the flavors of these Organic Beers paired with fine 4 Daughters Irish Pub food. Matt, the very accommodating and beer happy chef, will again be taking good care of us.

It’s only $15 per woman – heck of a hot weather value!

Come quench your thirst for tasty quality beer and yummy foods. See you soon -

Slainte!

Ginger

Beer Is Not Wine CBS!

Jul 9, 2010 Myth Busting, Something To Think About, Unbelievable, craft beer Leave a comment

I feel ultra compelled to share the following with you.

As a member of the Brewers Association, one receives a daily Monday through Friday e newsletter chock full of great information, conversation, happenings and so on. Horst Dornbusch posted this spot on piece this week.

This, sadly, made me laugh out loud - and then get slightly pissed off.  ‘To wit’ indeed Mr. Dornbusch.

I’m in your camp and wanted to share it with WEB followers. If you agree readers, SPEAK UP !! Call CBS, NBC, FOX, whoever demand accuracy and proper representation and get them to realize Craft Beer is NOT a novelty nor nearly this ridiculously monochromatic. You get the idea. Act and we shall all receive.

Here it is.

“Mainstream Media Still does not (!) Understand Beer

Jul 7, 2010 Beer & Other Edibles, Events, education Leave a comment

The next Women Enjoying Beer meet up is coming up next week – July 15th, Thursday. This month we’ll meet at 4 Daughters Irish Pub in Medford.
In honor of Oregon Craft Beer Month, we’re featuring the realllllly tasty and diverse beers from Hopworks Urban Brewery (HUB) – Portland. Mmmmm!

Details:

• Thursday July 15th, 7 – 830 pm.
• Flight of 4 HUB beers and 4 matching foods (as usual feel free to supplement the evening with additional beer and food as you wish on your own, come early & stay late!).
• Only $15 per person for all the beer, food and fun.
• RSVP’s please by July 13th to me directly – this email or phone 515.450.7757.

Also – there is still room on the Oregon Craft Beer Rafting Trip put on by White Water Warehouse. What a fabulous opportunity to treat yourself and a friend to a great trip, fresh air, quality beer (Ninkasi) and meet new people – all in the splendor of the state of beautiful Oregon on the Rogue River. Details here.

Speak up if you have requests of beers, locations, field trip destinations, and foods to try. Your input is valued and always encouraged.

We’re also very glad to be available to you for private events (beer, food, dinner parties, and the like). What a great way to celebrate friendships, business relationships, and employee appreciation by hosting a totally singular event for people who are important to you. Call me when it’s convenient for you to talk about the possibilities.

Get in touch today to save your seat – and one or three for friends joining you this month. Many thanks.

Cheers!

Ginger

Terroir

Jul 7, 2010 Myth Busting, Something To Think About, education Leave a comment

All About Beer has a really informative, good to read article this month entitled  How Does Your Beer Taste? And How Do You Taste Your Beer?

Part of what we taste involves terroir.

Terroir has been a term long used in the wine world. It’s starting to be applied in the beer world too – as it should be.

Terroir is defined by dictionary.com as, well, it’s not there. Heck, the spell check in Wordpress doesn’t even offer it. Hmmm…so let’s go to Wikipedia (there’s a message right there).

Wikipedia states, according to its aggregate style information:

“Terroir (French pronunciation: [tɛʁwaʁ]) comes from the word terre “land”. It was originally a French term in wine, coffee and tea used to denote the special characteristics that geography bestowed upon particular varieties. Agricultural sites in the same region share similar soil, weather conditions, and farming techniques, which all contribute to the unique qualities of the crop. It can be very loosely translated as “a sense of place,” which is embodied in certain characteristic qualities, the sum of the effects that the local environment has had on the manufacture of the product.”

It goes on:

“The definition of terroir can be expanded to include elements that are controlled or influenced by human decisions.”

Finally I’ll clip this snippet “Terroir in other drinks”. Yet – alas!! No even a hint of a mention of beer.

Curious since terroir is all about the influence of where the ingredients were grown or raised. Beer has 4 primary ingredients. The water, grain, hops and yeast will all contribute so many flavor characters, and arguably all 4 could plainly exhibit their own terroir. Is that terroir to the 4th power?

Julia Herz has talked about Terroir per beer. We should all be listening to these ideas.

Tasting goes well beyond the obvious. That’s why you should savor your beer.

Even if it’s hot and you have a great session beer in front of you. It has its own terroir so take at least a few sips and give it the opportunity to expand your thinking and please your taste buds before it simply quenches your thirst.

Happy Beer People

Jul 5, 2010 Good People Leave a comment

Ha! Why do these photos not surprise me??!!

Smart, engaged, happy, fun loving, sense of humor about themselves, beer & the world. It’s what makes my day!

What does your company photo look like?

Opera & Beer

Jun 30, 2010 Something To Think About Leave a comment

I’m a later comer to Opera – perhaps. In the last – oh – say 4 years, I’ve become interested in it. Interested in the musicality of it (I have a big history and appreciation for singing), the performance aspect of it, and the sheer passion that it exudes. The music is moving, lively, engaging, and beautiful.

Don’t take my word for it though. Start listening to whatever kind of Opera music you like and go from there.

Here’s a fun article about Mirella Amoto and her path of passion to beer.

Mirella – let me know when you’re in Oregon next, pints on me. You sound like the kind of person I’d like to hang out with.

p.s. Canada is a favorite destination for me as well…

Dinner With Rhonda

Jun 29, 2010 Celebration worthy, Good People, craft beer Leave a comment

What a delightful way to share a warm summer evening.

My Fine Husband and I had the pleasure of dining with friend and colleague Rhonda Kallman, co-founder of Sam Adams (retired) and founder of New Century Brewing Company, and her husband Matt recently. Since we were in Massachusetts a few weeks ago, it worked out to connect.

I admire Rhonda for her persistence, unflagging belief, and direct style (with a smile). So glad we could get together in her home turf.

Sitting outside, enjoying her beer Edison with fresh seafood, laughing and talking with a very good server taking care of us made for a great night.

Get together with friends often. Savor these experiences.

It’s a big part of what makes the world go round.

Accessory Benefits

Jun 24, 2010 Something To Think About, education Leave a comment

Beer has “many accessory benefits.” – John Hickenlooper, 2009

Mr Hickenlooper has some beer roots – he helped found Wynkoop Brewing, wherein this effort started the rejuvenation and refurbishment of Lower Down Town Denver, Colorado. He tells us beer is in [Denver's] DNA.

I’ll buy that. And the beer too.

So what are some of these accessory benefits?

1. Employment - the small brewers of the country (2m barrels produced per year or less) employ 100,000 people. Never mind the ancillary employment (liquor stores, retailers, suppliers, etc.)

The wages are the tip of the iceberg – what of supplies, crops, building materials, transportation; employment benefits like insurance, medical, and training all trickle too.

2. They help anchor the communities they are in. They give back – generously – and are genuinely invested and interested in their ocmmunities.

3. They’re passionate about their beer. However it manifests, I’d bet big money that the person who helped found the company (brewer, operator, investor) is passionate about beer. Passion moves things forward.

4. They’re fun loving, smart, engaged folks. They come from all kinds of background – technical (brewing or otherwise), law, education, public service, white collar, blue collar – you name it. Great diversity = great information melting pot for the good of the whole.

This is a shorter list that could be greatly lengthened. Hopefully you get the idea.

Supporting your local brewer goes way farther than your own back yard.

Avoid myopia. See and share the vision.

3 C’s

Jun 23, 2010 Good People, Something To Think About, education Leave a comment

3 C’s of Craft Beer, ala – one of my favorites (sharp, in the know, professional, etc.) – Julia. I’ll extrapolate the 3 C’s with some of my own meanings.

Complement – what goes well together?

Contrast – what really strikes a chord being different?

Cut – what can help make a pathway through (perhaps a hoppy beer through greasy foods)?

Sure – we could wheel of more starts-with-a-C words. How about clarity, color, content, context, carbonation, commodity, craft cleanliness, community, commitment.

Any others you care to share?