Thursday, January 28, 2010

Classic Miller Lite Beer Commercials - Tastes Great Less Filling

"Tastes Great!" "Less Filling!" Although I can't really say much about the taste of Miller Lite, known way back when as Lite Beer from Miller, I loved the commercials. The ensemble of former athletes, comedians, pool sharks, and other rogues never failed to make me smile. Watching these commercials as a kid, got me interested in beer. Hey, I guess advertising really works.

The First Annual Miller Lite Board Meeting


The First Lite Beer Open



The First Lite Beer Softball Game



The First Lite Beer Bowling Tournament


The Great Pool Shoot Out

Wednesday, January 27, 2010

Home Brewer T-Shirt

I love this new t-shirt. Design-wise, it has hints of a world famous stout, with a beige shield displaying a pint of stout with hops and barley.

The words "Home Brewer" across the center of the shield. Around the border of the shield are the words "I make hand-crafted ales and lagers." In the lower portion of the shield "Brewed with care and skill, my beer tastes awesome and is vastly superior to the watered-down corporate swill you drink."

Get it now at BrewerShirts.com!


Tuesday, January 12, 2010

Home Brewing Beer = Automatic Man Card Points

I hang out with a bunch of "car" guys. They're into classics: Shelby Cobras, Triumph Spitfires, Ferraris, that sort of thing. They break down cars, build engines and take their machines down to a nearby road track to race them. At least two of these guys have full-on garages, complete with lifts and multiple bays.

Personally, I'm not that into cars. Don't get me wrong. I can respect the power of a V8 and all that but I'm not going to be able to disassemble, deconstruct and rebuild my engine, I'm just interested in making sure the darned thing starts when I want it to.

Our weekly gatherings inevitably end up with half the guys out in the garage examining parts while the rest of us prop up the keg. And that's okay. It has introduced me to "Top Gear", the hilarious BBC show hosted by three gearheads who do unusual stunts and tricks with cars and car culture.



One evening, discussion among the group turned toward manly things and the inevitable challenges to the status one's "man card". Is Formula One manlier than NFL Monday Night Football? Baking cookies did not cut the mustard. Racing cars. Running a business. Building houses. Fixing household problems without calling a repair guy. Illegal file sharing. Siring offspring. Barbecue (not grilling, I mean smoking meat of a charcoal pit). That kind of thing counted.

Then it was my turn. Before I could say anything, a voice from the other side of the room chimed in, "Dude, Dave brews beer." They all nodded, grunted and raised their glasses.

Yes. I brew beer. It's my contribution to the group, no, it's my contribution to society.

When the economy collapses and social order breaks down, my ability to turn water and grain into beer ensures me a revered place in the loosely assembled mob of survivors. So I got that going for me.

Contribution to Society T-Shirt
"I brew beer. What's your contribution to society?"

Sunday, January 10, 2010

Beer Geek T-Shirt

Beer Geek T-ShirtAre you a beer geek?

Do you pontificate on the differences between traditional British India Pale Ales and the newer American IPAs?

Do you keep a beer journal?

Does vacation planning for you consist of researching the local microbreweries, brew pubs and beer festivals of your destination city?

If so, then you need the Bubbly Beer Geek t-shirt from BrewerShirts.com for your collection.

This smart looking shirt expresses your affinity for and knowledge of great beer in big bold type, with the word "beer" formed out of bubbling beer.
Beer Geek t-shirt with bubbling beer text

This design is available in a variety of colors and sizes.

Other items available in Beer Bubble text include...
- Beer Snob shirts
- Home Brewer shirts
- Brew Master shirts
- Hop Head shirts

Get these and other great shirts for beer enthusiasts at BrewerShirts.com.

Monday, January 4, 2010

Dogfish Head 60 Minute IPA Clone Recipe

I am a big fan of the hoppy American-style India Pale Ales. This is my take on the amazing Dogfish Head 60 Minute IPA. It's an easy recipe for even the novice homebrewer.

Steep for 50 min:
1/2 lb crystal malt
1/2 lb carapils

Bring to boil - 6 gallons H20

3 lbs amber dried malt extract

1 oz Warrior pellet hops - 1 pellet/minute for 60 min.

1/2 oz Amarillo pellet hops - 1 pellet/minute for 30 min

1/2 oz Simcoe pellet hops - 1 pellet/minute for 30 min

3 lbs amber dried malt extract - add at 15 min

1 oz Irish Moss at 15 min

Ferment - Safale US -05 dry yeast
2 weeks minimum - fermentation

Secondary Fermenter....
Dry Hop - 1/2 oz Simcoe pellet hops
Dry Hop - 1/2 oz Amarillo pellet hops

For extra flavor, I add skip the secondary fermentation and add the dry hop additions above directly into the keg. Place some glass marbles at the bottom of the keg. Then add your hop pellets to a nylon knee-high stocking (just a couple bucks for a 12 pack at the your local grocery story). Tie off the end and drop it in the keg. The marbles keep the stocking away from the end of the dip tube to avoid clogs.

"Humulus Lupulus" T-shirt for HopHeads
humulus lupulus hops craft beer tee shirtHumulus Lupulus Hops IPA T-shirt