During the long cold days of winter, many of us find ourselves craving hearty, warming, yet simple meals. More often than not, we reach for the gravy, even though that decision may be at odds with our New Year’s resolution.

I have found two locally available beers that beg to cozy up with rib-sticking stews, pot roast or baked steak and gravy. They are not heavy, dark or strong winter beers; they are subtle, malty beers that will enhance creamy sauces and peppery gravies. Like most beers, their carbonation refreshes your palate before the next bite. (more…)

I actually hesitated — and still have some reservations — about writing a blogpost announcing this year’s re-introduction of HB2934 in the state Legislature. The bill’s sponsors seek to add the definition of “Craft Beer” to the list of lawful beverages that can be sold in the state. The definition of “Craft Beer” according to the bill is a malted beverage with an alcohol content of at least 6% and not greater than 15% alcohol by volume (ABV).

Why do I harbor such reservations? It’s because I am hearing a whole lot of “back-room” talk from several people in the beer distribution biz who say the law is going to change, maybe even this year. This is because the wholesalers are embracing the change (instead of opposing it as in past years). Apparently, they have come to their senses and now realize that selling better tasting, higher priced and higher profit margin beer is good for business. (Momma didn’t raise no dummies!) Drinkers of good beer please stand and take bow; for this is your doing. It just took awhile for the wholesalers to catch on… (more…)

By day, Dr. Chris Dolmetsch is a mild-mannered Professor of German at Marshall University. Yet every time I run into him it’s usually during the evening or a weekend, when Dr. Dolmetsch is just Chris, BJCP beer judge, beer geek and German beer enthusiast. So, it was kind of odd for me when Dr. Dolmetsch sent me a syllabus for a new class he was proposing to conduct for Marshall University. Chris? Syllabus? Beer? Yes, this was really happening and he was asking me to be a small part of it.

The professor had been mulling this idea around in his head for quite some time, usually over a fine German lager while sitting in his kitchen Eckbank (German for corner dining nook). “I assumed that when I first proposed a course titled ‘German Beer’ I would get lots of amazed stares and challenges from those higher up” says Chris. “But that did not happen.”

He goes on to explain: “The course is being offered as a special topics course, meaning that it is not a regular catalogue offering at present, but rather is being given as a kind of experimental course, though it still earns ‘culture’ credit for students majoring and minoring in German or needing such credits for an adjunct program such as International Affairs.” (more…)

In early December, I asked a select panel of beer-geeks to come up with their nominees for the best beers available in West Virginia — and also the worst. Since I had a discriminating panel of judges, all that was left to do was to come up with a catchy name for our annual award. I thought about how prizes like the “TONY” awards came up with their name by using an acronym based on the organization giving the awards. “Beers to You” would obviously be “BTY”…. I give you the “Booty” awards!

The “select panel” is made up of 3 people:

Charles Bockway is somewhat of a wine-geek as well as a beer-geek; always with an open mind and a closed wallet, he has a keen ability to spot beverages that deliver the greatest bang for the buck.

Chris Workman is an all-round contrarian and “wrecking ball” of any online forum or thread in which he participates. He is also a beer-geek with an insatiable desire for Uber-hoppy ales.

Then there is me. An opinionated beer-geek and “annoying patron” to most barkeeps in the local area. I am a “take no prisoners” crusader in the fight to insure each and every craft beer realize its full potential as it leaves its cozy container to appear “center stage,” after having been properly poured into a room temperature, beer-clean glass. (Is that really too much to ask?)

Winner of a 2007 “Booty” for Best Beer in the State of West Virginia: (Remember, this is still a relatively small feat to achieve with the current “restrictive beer laws”. Many of the World’s best beers are unavailable here)

Great Lakes Edmund Fitzgerald Porter (Cleveland, OH) – I cannot say too many good things about this modern American classic. This is “Robust Porter”… I only wish the distributor in Charleston would sell it in kegs so we could drink it on tap! (I am told that the real reason is the distributor is incapable of properly supporting bars that would choose to sell it on tap, meaning they don’t have the knowledge or the will to properly set-up and maintain draft systems… Outrageous! Maybe they need to stick to wine…)

Winner of the 2007 “Booty” for Best New Beer in WV:

1^st Place – St. Peter’s Cream Stout (Suffolk, UK) – Wow! That’s what I said the first time that I sipped one of these earlier in 2007. This beer has it all for a cream stout. It’s rich, full-bodied and is an explosion of roasted flavors with raisin, dates and hints of vanilla. Don’t tell me you don’t like dark beer until you have tried this one. I wonder how much more yummy this would be from a cask?

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