Insurance I get.

And now, A NEW COMPETITOR HAS ENTERED THE ARENA:

Solid brew for that niche.

Had it with dinner at Gunshow a couple weeks ago.

Also, extra points for being available in a 12 pack.

Shit that's awesome.

Working through a twelver of Brooklyn Summer cans, which I recalled liking, and damn is it not all that good now. Either it changed, or I did.

I don't know what kind if gig we're talking about, but I got drug tested before I started this job because I'm covered by the same (union) rules as the factory guys, and if they do "shitty work" then we gotta pay for a prosthetic hand or something.

At the Bruery, it ain't likely union work. I'd be surprised if they had more than 75 employees.

They're probably gonna ask you to pick up a box of dildos at some point and want some assurance that you won't be high as a Georgia pine and drop that fucker on your foot and sue for workman's comp.

I get pee tested for part time work at an engineering consulting company. Auditors like to see it and it cuts their insurance cost.

Yeah and that 12 pack was $14.99 versus 9-10 bucks for a six pack of All Day or Bitter American. Combine that with it also being local and I can see it being my new go to sessioner. Had a couple last night and its up to the job.



I recall you liking that more than me last year; I think I preferred the Harpoon summer beer. I've had both this summer and didn't really think much of either. (Didn't stop me from taking a case of the Harpoon to Florida for beach/boat drinking).

Another one I'm crossing off the list that I thought I remembered liking is Cisco Indie Pale Ale. The hops are just too stanky for a canned beer.

So the Big news/controversy around these parts lately in regards to beer is the revival of the Storz label. It was one of the two major breweries of yesteryear to exist in Omaha besides Falstaff. They are contract brewing all their beer here in Lincoln at Blue Bloods Brewing Co, and the homebrew club I belong to made most of the test batches for their products. I got to try their Lager today, when I was at the brewery for a Homebrew club function. It isn't anything I would pay more than $5 for a sixer, and nothing I would want to consume on a regular basis.

We just finished up the inaugural Lincoln Beer Week. It was basically just a trial run for next year, but there was some good local events and I had some decent beers at a Green Flash function on Wednesday Night, including their Citra session IPA, their Double IPA in cask form, a barley wine and Saison Diego.

August 24th is Great Nebraska Beer Fest in this coming Saturday, so I should have a nice list of beers and maybe some pictures with a few brewers to share.

Had a good conversation with a wholesaler on the phone Friday while doing research, about contract brewing. He had a lot of points I wouldn't have thought of, which I guess is good because that's why I called him.

A couple of recents:



Stillwater - Beer Table, Table Beer

It's a belgian pale ale with a nice frothy head, light and well-balanced with nice bready taste with some light bitterness from the hops, some fruit notes and crispness from the belgian yeast, and some funkiness from the Brett. I've been drinking a lot of their beers lately and have been really impressed. This is only 4.7% too so highly sessionable without giving up flavor. Seriously, they might be a top 5 brewery for me right now.



Hangar 24 - Helles Lager

This is a new offering from them and it's a really nice version of a Helles Lager and it's available in cans by the 12 pack. Perfect for summer time session drinking.

I also had a pretty great beer cocktail last night made with Maui Brewing's Coconut Porter, Mount Gay Black Barrel Rum, Cynar and Angustura Bitters. Can't remember if it had anything else in it.

That cocktail sounds GREAT.

Yeah it was really good. Funny thing is I'm not really a fan of that beer on its own but as a flavor component in that cocktail it was terrific.

Both those beers sound fantastic bG. Pretty bored with the 12 pack can offerings round here.

So did you hear anything back from Night Shift, Ky?

edit: was just there and asked about the job and mentioned you. i think they're calling you tomorrow for an interview or something.

So last night was the Stone Brewing tap takeover here in Lincoln. It was one of many events in the Lincoln/Omaha area to help launch Stone here in Nebraska.
There brewers didn't fly in until today, but I will get to speak with them and many others at Great Nebraska Beer Festival on Saturday.
I had Stone Pale Ale, Stone IPA, Stone Ruination IPA, Stone Smoked Porter, Stone Levitation Ale, Arrogant Bastard Ale and Oaked Arrogant Bastard Ale.
Flights were only $6, so it was a pretty good deal.

You are correct (and once again very kind). Interview on the phone today at 10:30.

Good beer, but annoying head brewer / marketing style.

Just had the interview. I think it went really well.

Holy shit.

That was incredibly nerve-wracking, and fun. I have a chance at this.

awesome. what all did they ask you?

I sort of feel the exact opposite of this. Stone has been around for almost 20 years now and they've done a lot to help create and further the craft beer movement in S. CA, and are helping a lot of the smaller breweries grow through distribution deals. Greg Koch was at the Blue Palms Anniversary party I went to a couple of weeks ago, hung out all day, and was talking to anyone who cared to approach him. Seemed like a decent enough guy. At the end of the day though, I think almost all of their beers though are meh.

That's my main problem with Stone as well: Their beers do nothing for me.

I haven't met Greg Koch, but Dr. Bill Sysak seemed like a nice guy. I don't think I have met a brewer from a well known company that wasn't polite and personable, so I can't really give Stone any more credit than I do Boulevard or Green Flash. I don't think their beers are stellar by any mean, but I think they do a better job of keeping their bombers at a reasonable price for average beer consumers than a lot the big west coast craft breweries and they are super anal retentive about keeping their hoppy beers fresh until they reach the liquor/grocery stores. I just don't notice a whole lot of variation in their beers and the hop profile of most of them aren't really what I look for in a high quality IPA.

My only grievance with their marketing strategy is that they don't give out any swag at beer events, and I always enjoy adding to my collection of hats, tees and glassware.

I don't really know how much beer I have left from the festival, but it was a pleasure and a true learning experience. It was hot as hell, we went through a ton of ice trying to keep beer cold and I managed to find enough time to take some photos, talk to some brewery reps and score a free t-shirt from Deschutes. Here's the list of some of the commercial entries I consumed. Their description comes straight from the program, so I'm sorry about the overall length of this post.
GNBF Beer list:

4 Hands:
2nd Hand
Style: Saison A.B.V. 4% I.B.U. 24
2nd Hand is a Belgian style table beer that we dry hopped with Eldorado Hops. 2nd Hands pours a cloudy hue with aromas of pale wheat, spice, and stone fruit.
Contact High
Style: Amber Hybrid Beer A.B.V. 5.5% I.B.U. 45
Contact High is a hoppy American Pale Wheat Ale we dry hop with fresh blood orange zest. Contact High pours a bright orange hue with a big citrus kick.
Abita:
Mayhawk
Style: Belgian Strong Ale A.B.V. 6.8% I.B.U. 24
Mayhawk is a Louisiana take on a Belgian Golden Strong Ale. Brewed with the finest Pilsner and Wheat malts, Noble Hops and large amounts of candy sugar. A traditional Belgian yeast strain provides a bright blend of subtle fruit and spicy notes. These fruity notes are enhanced by the addition of Louisiana Mayhaw Berries which leaves a slightly tart finish and subtle haziness. This ale has a medium body, moderate hop bitterness and a mild alcohol warmth with an effervescent palate. A sipping beer to savor.
Anchor:
Big Leaf Maple Autumn Red
Style: American Amber / Red Ale A.B.V. 6% I.B.U.
A quaffable, well-balanced red ale with character. Its malty complexity and coppery color come from a combination of two caramel malts, pale malt, and a hint of maple syrup
Big Wood:
Jack Savage
Style: American Ale A.B.V. 5.3% I.B.U. 43
Chances are good you know someone just like Jack Savage. If you want to hear a good fish story, or need somebody to run the barbecue, you bet he's your man. Brewed with all American hops, Jack Savage is a good time—gone great.
Blind Tiger:
Cuvee de Rene
Style: Belgian Lambic or Sour Ale A.B.V. 6.2% I.B.U. 16
This is a Belgian inspired Wheat Ale brewed with 2 pounds of Oregon grown red raspberries to every gallon of beer! Named for the Brewmaster's lovely wife, it means vat or cask of Rene's special beer.
Heather Ale
Style: Herb and Spice Beer A.B.V. 5.6% I.B.U. 12
Heather Ale is an ancient brew that dates back to at least 2000 BC. It was originally brewed by the Picts of ancient Scotland. We used 25 lbs of Heather flowers and 150 lbs of Wildflower Honey which adds a Mead like character to the beer.
Boulevard:
Test Nelson Grape Ale
Style: Specialty Beer A.B.V. 4% I.B.U. 10.7
Muscat grape juice was blended into a wort composed solely of pale malt and Nelson Sauvin hops. The resulting brew was fermented with champagne yeast to create a crisp, dry, fruity beer.
Test Westside Rye
Style: Rye Beer A.B.V. 5.2% I.B.U. 36
With a grain bill made up of 25% malted rye, this beer has tangy, piquant notes behind a light to medium body with a dry finish.
Deschutes:
Mirror Pond Pale Ale
Style: English Pale Ale A.B.V. 5% I.B.U. 40
With its definitive hop aroma and hop forward flavor, Mirror Pond is the quintessential Pale Ale. Four different hop additions, and a light touch of Crystal malt, give it a prized aromatic complexity.
Twilight Summer Ale
Style: American Amber / Red Ale A.B.V. % I.B.U.
A lighter, yet full-flavored, aromatic Ale for the long days of summer. Twilight’s solid malt foundation pairs with distinctive Amarillo hops for flavors every bit as intriguing as bigger, heavier ales. A back porch, lingering sunset wonder.

Empyrean:
Heavy Oat Stout
Style: Oatmeal Stout A.B.V. 7% I.B.U. 60
Just a few gallons of this chewy roasted ale...let's just say the rest of it wanted to hang out in some bourbon barrels until this winter.

Goldenrod:
Keller
Style: Specialty Beer A.B.V. 5.0% I.B.U. 35
An unfiltered, German-style lager. Amber in color and smooth on the palate, an extended fermentation and conditioning time allows the flavor to develop and turn this "cellar beer" into a liquid masterpiece.

Infusion:
Radial IPA
Style: American India Pale Ale A.B.V. 7.0% I.B.U. 110
Our flagship IPA is a highway of hops!


Moonstruck Meadery:

Cherry 'Two Silver Medals Winner' on Tap!
Style: Mead A.B.V. 10.5% I.B.U.
A traditional honey Mead made with Montmorency Tart Cherries, A tart sweet delight! Carbonated Delight, On Tap! BJCP Beer Styles Guide, 25C. Other Fruit Melomel

Nebraska Brewing Company:

Juniper IPA Cask
Style: Cask Ale A.B.V. 7.0% I.B.U. 68
Our already intensely hopped India Pale Ale prepared in a cask with crushed juniper berries for an extra bit of piney goodness!

Apricot au Poivre Saison
Style: Wood and Barrel Aged Beer A.B.V. 6.8% I.B.U. 27
One of our Reserve Series beers, this Saison includes Black Pepper and Apricot, aged 6 months in french-oak chardonnay barrels. Slightly tart and a little funky, but without covering up the saison and apricot roots.

Ploughshare:
Percheron
Style: American India Pale Ale A.B.V. 7.2% I.B.U. 68
The Percheron is a massive, sturdy workhorse that gets the job done. And our IPA is much the same – with a solid malt backbone and a prodigious hop character with an artful blend of resinous, piney, and citrusy hops.

Rhumble Seat
Style: Spice / Herb / Vegetable Beer A.B.V. 5.1% I.B.U. 13
A tartish rhubarb wheat based on a Belgian-styled witbier, but also including some colored malts and baking spices.

Schlafly:
Pumpkin Ale
Style: Fruit / Vegetable Beer A.B.V. 8% I.B.U. 16
Pumpkin Ale blends the spices of the harvest with full-bodied sweetness for a beer that tastes like pumpkin pie. Pounds of pumpkin form a malty foundation that supports the fall flavors of cinnamon, nutmeg and clove.

Two Brothers:

Domaine DuPage
Style: Belgian & French Ale A.B.V. 5.9% I.B.U. 24
Inspired by the brothers time living in France, this food-friendly ale is deep with amber in color, with a toasty and sweet caramel start. It finishes with just enough hops to clean off the palate. Bon Appetit!

Atom Smasher
Style: European Amber Lager A.B.V. 07.7% I.B.U. 023
With a little tip of the hat to our scientific, pioneering neighbors we created the innovative atom smasher. A heft, full-bodied lager reminiscent of Marzen beers from days gone by. Oak aged to add a complexity, just add Ledersosen! Seasonal.

Victory:

Summer Love
Style: Golden or Blonde Ale A.B.V. 5.0% I.B.U.
This Citra Hopped Golden Ale is summer in a bottle!

There's a few I either left out or that weren't included in the program. I also failed to mention all of the beer I tried from the various homebrew clubs participating. My beer is allegedly available to rate on untappd, but I don't do that, so I'm not sure what my ratings are right now.