Monday, January 31, 2011

Bud, Miller and ... Walgreens? Pharmacy offers beer at under 50 cents a can

The popular corner-pharmacy Walgreens has moved into the beer distribution/brewing business with the unveiling of its private label brew "Big Flats 1901" this December. This beer comes in at under 50 cents a can with a six-pack priced at just $2.99 in most markets.

Though it may be cheap, reports have been that this beer is actually "not that bad." I can't say we have tasted it, but it brought to mind the interesting and similarly priced "Beer 30" we have come across in CVS pharmacies not too long ago. I remember it was around $10 for a case of 30, and it tasted that cheap too.

Has anyone tried this stuff yet? We'd love to hear first-hand what it is like.

BrewTaps
www.BrewTaps.com 

Tuesday, January 25, 2011

Beer From the Bottom Up

I could not resist posting this clever new invention in the world of draft beer. It is called the "Bottom's Up" draft beer dispensing system made by a company called GrinOn Industries.

The seemingly magic machine fills the specially designed plastic cups through a small hole in the bottom that is then sealed by a magnetic widget when filling is complete. The company was able to demonstrate that the machine can pour 44 draft beers with one machine in just one minute!

From the companies website, it looks like they are in the works of developing a system designed for home use. I don't know when I would ever need the benefit of being able to fill beer glasses that quickly, but it really would be cool to look at.

BrewTaps
www.BrewTaps.com 

Monday, January 24, 2011

The First Canned Beer

According to Wired Magazine, today, Jan 24, marks the first day canned beer was sold to the public. On this day in 1935 the Gottfried Krueger Brewery started selling two of its offerings in cans produced by the American Can Co. Krueger was skeptical, so the can company agreed to install all the equipment in Krueger's brewery for free.

Turns out, it was a big hit. Almost everyone, including the customer, approved of the new container. Other breweries started canning their beer, and the rest is history. Of course, we still think draft beer is the best.

To read the article: First Canned Beer Sold

BrewTaps
www.BrewTaps.com 

Thursday, January 20, 2011

"45 Million Year Old Beer"

Raul Cano, a professor in San Luis Obispo, has created a beer using yeast he harvested from a 45 million year old sample of fossilized amber. Cano apparently considered creating bread with the unique yeast strain, but decided beer would be more fun. We happen to agree.

Along with a few partners, Cano has founded a local brewing company, appropriately named Fossil Fuels Brewing Co., producing about 20 barrels a month according to SanLuisObispo.com. Fossil Fuels currently offers a pale ale, with plans for an amber ale and an Oktoberfest brew in the future.

However, the star of their lineup is their wheat beer. The beer has been described as having a "light copper color with an intense clove aroma" not unlike a German hefeweizen, according to the Oakland Tribune's William Brand. The ancient strain of yeast is also special in that it produces a very clear, crisp ale without all of the traditional cloudiness found in traditional wheat beers.


More info in Fossil Fuels Brewing Co. can be found on their website, www.fossilfuelsbrewingco.com.