From West to.. East

Though Canada’s craft beer renaissance may be developing slowly and still in its early stages, the movement is steady and irreversible. Which is good news for me.

So far, more interesting beers and diversity has sprung up on the west coast, notably in British Columbia. With native hops, privatized beer vendors, and a far flung geographic location that left a brewing legacy relatively unscathed from Prohibition; this region has picked up the reigns on inventive brewing much faster than its eastern counterparts. Which was bad news for me.

Until today. Tree Brewing Co’s beers are making there way from Kelowna to Toronto to greet me, just as I cross the border. I’m not sure how this fortune has been made possible. Does anyone out there know if they are contract brewing in Ontario, or has there been some miraculous relaxation in cross-provincial distribution laws?

— 4 hours ago with 3 notes

#beer #tree brewing co #toronto #canada #kelowna #british columbia

Fruit of my father’s labor: brewer’s gold homegrown hops

— 1 day ago with 4 notes

#beer #homebrew #diy #gyo

Dad’s tap handle collection (Taken with instagram)

— 1 day ago with 6 notes

#beer #collectibles

Much Love for the Local

A comprehensive article by Curator about the establishment that I have been lucky enough to spend my past year working at. Thanks to my fabulous co-workers, our amazing producers, and patrons (well, most of the patons…you know who you are) for making 61 Local a great spot to be.

— 2 weeks ago with 2 notes

#beer #bars #brooklyn #61 local #personal

I just signed up!

flavorpill:

The GuinnessUS Believer Tour is in NYC from May 22-24, and you’re invited for some tasty samples and some fittingly serious illumination. RSVP now!

— 2 weeks ago with 30 notes

#beer #guinness #event #nyc #things to do

MICROBREW OR DIE!!!!!!!

Remember the 1890’s?

— 2 weeks ago with 9 notes

#portlandia #lol #beer #microbrew #vintage

Home brew gangstas.

(Source: tvraisedme, via beeraucratic)

— 2 weeks ago with 41 notes

#beer #lol #illustration

BrewTrackr: Keeping track of your good libations.

Decent write up, however BrewTrackr isn’t quite in app form yet so I’m not feeling so inclined to play with it. If you do, please let me know what you think.

I do feel inclined, however, to start posting my own beer app reviews. Lucky you!

Thanks @AllaGitel for flagging this article for me.

— 2 weeks ago with 1 note

#beer #tech #iphone #app

Digital Beer

— 2 weeks ago with 7 notes

#ipad #beer #lol #tech

On this day in history…

80 years ago today, NYC mayor Jimmy Walker rallied his way down Fiftieth Street. To read more and see more prohibition protesters, check out the New Yorker’s slide show.

— 2 weeks ago with 5 notes

#beer #prohibition #history #the new yorker #new york city

Locavore brew: Tapping into beer’s agricultural roots

Interesting article about the growing organic supply chain for beer out on the West Coast. Sounds like they still need a malt house, to the likes of Massachusetts’ Valley Malt.

— 2 weeks ago with 2 notes

#beer #local #sustainable #organic #argiculture #west coast

HAPPY LO-FI DAY

Today’s post comes to you via metro north, so I’m focusing on new age fun with a vintage feel! In other news, I’m relocating to Toronto next month, so this Friday’s music and beer pairing gives a nod to both my future home and my current city of Brooklyn.

The song is “Out of Love,” by Mad Ones. Shot in Toronto by Canadian expat and Brooklyn local @MattFinlin, this video has a lovely lo-fi feel and a rough Friday edge.

And the beer is Brooklyn Local 1. That’s because it’s delicious, BK brewed, summery and….vintages well! Vintaging beer is so trendy now, so I should probably make it my new hobby.

Below is a great article on vintaging beers by Food & Wine magazine. It also features our local hero, Garett Oliver. Full link is pasted below, because Tumblr’s crap-app wont let me hyperlink text.

http://www.foodandwine.com/articles/what-vintage-is-that-six-pack

— 3 weeks ago

#beer #music #pairing #brooklyn #brooklyn brewery #toronto #mad ones #garett oliver

oldads:

Barley and Malt Institute - 19590907 Life on Flickr.

Website | Flickr | Tumblr | Twitter

Classic.

— 3 weeks ago with 20 notes

#vintage #marketing #advertising #beer

BEND WITH THE FLOW…OF BEER

Very cool article about the micro brew industry weathering the recession and providing employment in Oregon.

— 3 weeks ago with 2 notes

#beer #oregon #unemployment #news #recession #the new york times

TWITTER ME: How I Won A Social Media War

Lately, a lot of my peers have expressed their distrust or dislike of Twitter. It’s too much marketing output. It’s full of complaints or mundane updates. Well, I finally have a good story to win over and convert the crowds. The moral of the story being: Having an audience gets you what you want.

This is a principal we all know in theory but rarely get an opportunity to exercise in practice.

My husband and I had had a trip planned to California for months. The excuse was to see his movie “Below New York” play at the Newport Beach Film Festival. And of course, there would be some west coast brewery trips for the wife. As loyal JetBlue customers, each with our own mileage reward credit cards, we were able to book ourselves flights from JFK to LAX on flying points. Then came the curve ball: my husband needed to make a quick business excursion to Toronto beforehand, which meant we had to change our departure city from NYC to Buffalo.

We called customer service for advice a month before our trip. Should we pay for a flight change, or just book one additional one way flight from BUF->JFK and catch our original flight? The representative told us: neither! You can call JetBlue at midnight on the day of your departure and get a same day flight change for only $50! Pleased with this good advice, we took it.

24 hrs before our departure, now in Toronto with a rental car due back in Buffalo the next morning, my husband calls JetBlue to make sure there is availability for the flights we intend to take the next day. He explains the advice he was given, and is then told that he was misinformed. Same day flight changes can only take place from the same departure city, not a new one. This circumstance is going to cost us $650, which is well beyond our travel budget.

“But that’s not what your agent told us!”

“Sorry sir, there’s nothing we can do.”

Frustrated, he hangs up and tries again. This time JetBlue admits that there is a note on our record, stating that the agent we spoke to misinformed us at the time of our original inquiry. Yet we were not called back, or emailed, so that we could correctly address the issue. Their offer, to make things right, is to refund our flight points without penalty. After being told there is no other option, we take the offer and cancel our flights. And the Twitter fury begins:

@TheBlager: @JetBlue just ruined our vacation. Now I cannot see my husband @mattfinlin film at #nbff. #crushed

@TheBlager: .@JetBlue Admits their mistake that stymied mine and @mattfinlin vacation and does nothing to fix the problem.

@JetBlue: @TheBlager We’d like to hear more. Will you please leave us a note at http://t.co/QslCTLgj

@TheBlager: on your website ? You can call us we have been on the phone for hours. Check @mattfinlin Reservation and record.

At this point I am trying to fill out their stupid form, but they sent me the wrong link and I really start to lose it on them, tweet pounding with all my might. That’s when my husband’s cellphone rings.

It’s a public relations representative, and she would like to speak with me. She’s nice. She wants to make it all better. She books us new flights to LA, leaving from Buffalo, and returning to NYC. No extra charge. She gives us two flight vouchers for future travel. We’re elated - and of course we tweeted our praises.

— 3 weeks ago with 6 notes

#beer #personal #social media #tech #travel #twitter #Long reads #lol

The BLager

Locavore brew: Tapping into beer’s agricultural roots