I too have joined the ranks of the Cap'N and have applied for a position with a local brewery. I would become the Taproom manager at Zipline Brewing Company if I get the position.

Shit dude, nice. You'd be better than any of the taproom managers I've seen around here. "Does anyone know what IPA stands for?"

Pretty interesting exercise going on over at Paste this month.

They're doing a field of 64, March Madness style blind tasting tournament of the best IPA's in America.

You can read more here and click the "bracket" as well. They've arleady posted the Northeast Region results:

http://www.pastemagazine.com/articles/2 ... ign=130321

THIS is awesome. And I correctly called all of those results. Damn, can't wait to watch this unfold.


Bell's takes it all?

Out of that region, I'd say so, unless Founder's pulls the upset.

Did you click the Northeast results?

I'd still say something from the West will win.

Yeah the northeast results are what I was saying I got 100% right.

I printed this out and am making my picks. Should we declare our picks here for fun?



...

so THIS is what it's like to give a shit about college basketball?

Kinds of defeats the purpose that we KNOW what the beers are.

The cool thing that they are doing is that it's blind, so no influence by packaging, brewery reputation, etc.

Huh?

This still seems challenging, and you'd have to have had a lot of the beers to be any good at it. What if my taste is swayed by packaging or what I haven't tried? Just because I love it doesn't mean it will win.

Put up your picks!

a local guy I know has started brewing up some pretty amazing beer. I tend to prefer the Rye IPA or the PA.

I like his offering spread.

He went to Sierra Nevada beer-making fantasy camp a few years ago, and since then he's just gotten better and better. I get there enough to consider getting one of these guys.

but then I'd need to stop finishing growlers within 24 hours of purchasing them...

Interesting - though I don't see any way to regulate the pressure. Also, how much do CO2 cyls cost?

And I wanna go to a similar camp sooooo badly.

Ok, I have made my picks. Not sure how best to post them...?

Northwest bracket picks



Knew nothing about some of these but ultimately it didn't matter, based on who then beats them.

Less than a dollar each.

That thing is pretty neat. I don't get growlers often but when i do, I have been guilty of not finishing them.

Yeah, I haven't filled a 64oz Growler since New Years Eve.

I always get the 32oz. At basically 2 1/2 beers, they're perfect.

I get growlers, and I have yet to have a problem finishing them. In fact I'm usually surprised when they go dry.

I've been thinking of picking up 5 or 10 1/2 gallon growlers that can handle home brew pressurization levels. Shit is SO convenient, almost as easy as kegging but no infrastructure.

i usually finish growlers within a day or two and have had them for at least 4 days without noticing them going bad.

i'm just wondering how would you pick beers in that tournament that you haven't had though?

though i do agree with your choice of boulevard single-wide. shit's good. maybe better than the double.

I was sort of underwhelmed by the Single and LOVE the Double. Different strokes I guess.

i guess i'm gonna have to do a side by side comparison.

Oh shit! I'm down.

Ended up at a different brewspace last night (Dale Bros). There are a whole bunch of these spots around here, all near or within small airports, weirdly enough (Hangar 24, Dale Bros., CCA, there are ones in Chino and Riverside, too).

Anyway, last night was tasting their pale ale, black lager, and porters all aged in rye barrels. I actually think I liked the ryed up lager the best.

Wing it based on what I know of the brewery.

I want reports on my desk in the morning, re: Single-vs-doublewide.

they might have to wait til mid-week.