Daily Loaf

Behold! Greg Koch’s 45 minute “Be Remarkable: Ethics, Camaraderie, Passion” keynote speech from the 2009 Craft Brewer’s Convention. With inspiring ideas in regard to industry practices, plenty of beer geek humor, and “I Am Craft Brewer” intro montage goodness. Read the rest of this entry »

Bit from the Stone Brewing website via Vimeo:

“I Am A Craft Brewer” is a collaborative video representing the camaraderie, character, and integrity of the American Craft Brewing movement. Created by Greg Koch, CEO of the Stone Brewing Co. and Chris & Jared of Redtail Media…and more than 35 amazing craft brewers from all over the country. The video was shown to a packed audience of 1700 craft brewers and industry members at the 2009 Craft Brewers Conference as an introduction to Greg’s Keynote Speech entitled “Be Remarkable: Collaboration Ethics Camaraderie Passion.” As is tradition for the CBC Keynote, a toast to the audience was offered. This time, the beers offered for the toast were all collaboratively brewed craft beers including Isabella Proximus, Collaboration Not Litigation, AleSmith/Mikkeller/Stone Belgian Style Triple, Jolly Pumpkin/Nøgne-Ø/Stone Special Holiday Ale, and 2009 Symposium Ale “Audacity of Hops.”

Happy, powerful, beery video after the break:

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Quality of life for insatiable hopheads living in Florida has improved substantially within the last few months. A colossal beer from San Diego’s Stone Brewing has entered the local market, leaving a mass of traumatized taste buds in its wake. Stone’s website describes Ruination IPA as “a liquid poem to the glory of the hop, so called because of the ruinous effect on your palate.” And let me assure you, this is not a clever marketing statement; it’s the honest truth.

Hops are female flowers from the plant Humulus lupulus, which are used in brewing to add aroma and bitterness. Alpha acids in resin secreted by the hops are mostly responsible for the bitter taste and subsequent IBU (International Bitterness Units) rating. On average, most brews rate between 15 and 45 IBUs. Stone Ruination has over 100 IBUs. To achieve this catastrophic bitterness, Ruination IPA is brewed with high alpha acid Columbus and Centennial hops and then finished with a hearty Centennial dry hopping to enhance the brew’s Humulus lupulus smells and add another layer of aggression to the brew’s overall flavor.

Now, let’s talk IPA (India Pale Ale): Read the rest of this entry »