On the Road Again: The Aggie Ring Dunk

"Home of the Aggie Ring Dunk"

Hey beer lovers,

Beer culture in Austin can sometimes find roots in other places. Although I do not know if the Ring Dunk has spread, I do know that many Aggies eventually find their way to Austin (and hopefully follow this blog!) As such,Today I am posting from College Station, TX, where my Longhorns will face in-state rival Texas A&M tomorrow in the annual Lone Star Showdown.

Although I don’t have much of a palette for the Aggies’ storied traditions, I am intrigued by one carried on by the students called the Aggie Ring Dunk. Although the University doesn’t recognize this tradition on its website, students at A&M have kept the tradition alive and well. The tradition is mentioned on the University’s traditions wiki, explained in The Battalion (A&M’s student newspaper), found on videos like this on YouTube, and on various blogs including this one, which is number 16 of 22 things to do in College Station according to the blogger.

Many Aggies have dunked there rings here, a North Gate and College Station staple.

This Aggie tradition began at a place in North Gate (A&M’s 6th street equivalent) according to this article in the Battalion. The article says that an Aggie would drink 60 oz of beer from a pitcher in order to fish out their ring from the bottom. In order to give you an idea of how much beer that is, check out my video below:

Although some may be concerned that such a tradition encourages binge drinking, I would say that if you do decide to participate in this tradition, do as my Aggie friend says and “DON’T BE STUPID.” Its a simple rule, you should always know your limit and don’t be afraid to call a cab if you don’t have a DD.

Like all things, the Aggie Ring Dunk isn’t completed by everyone with a ring. Some students in the University chose to not dunk their rings, or dunk them in other liquids. From soda to Holy Water, Were I an Aggie, I’d likely opt for a double dunk, one in a nice light beer and another in the Holy Water. This is the beauty of this Aggie tradition, it has flexibility so that the student can make it there own.

Texas Tailgating Fun

This past weekend was Senior Day for Texas. It was the last home game for Jordan Shipley, Colt McCoy and many other Longhorns. I went out tailgating hard. I got to my tailgate at around noon and participated in all the typical tailgating activities – drinking beer, throwing the pig skin and eating great food. Then I headed to the stadium to see the Horns beat Kansas. Here is a look at the fun:

I also asked my friends what their favorite tailgate beer was. The best, most in-depth response came from my friend, Steven.

Well, see on tailgating day, it’s all about tradition. You’re not supposed to be fancy — it’s barbeque. Burgers and hot dogs, possibly sausages. You don’t want to be the guy who brings the super fancy, like delicatessen (sic) beer. For tailgating, I feel Miller Lite is the best beer. If I was going out, maybe I would try a new hefeweizen or some new dark ale. But for tailgating Miller Lite is the best.

 

Texas laws slowing the growth of craft breweries

Texas Capitol: where state laws are born

I’ve talked to a number of craft brewers lately and one topic that continues to surface is alcohol distribution laws in Texas. Here in the lone star state craft brewers must choose between either a distribution licence for a brewery or a brewpub, they can’t choose both. Below I will explain the difference between the two to the best of my knowledge.

Brewpub License: This license entitles the holder to brew their own beer at their brewpub and sell it on location. However, this license prohibits the holder from distributing their beer anywhere outside of the brewpub. In other words, you will never see Texas brewpub beer (Billy’s, NXNX, Draught House, Love Joys) on any store shelves.

Brewery License (PDF): This license entitles the holder to brew beer at their brewery and distribute it throughout the state. However, the legal hurdle for breweries is the law that prohibits them from selling beer at their brewery. This means that say you go to a brewery tour and afterwards you want to buy a fresh 6-pack to enjoy at home. Well , according to Texas law this is illegal and you’re out of luck. Instead you’ll have to buy that same 6-pack at the nearest store that carries it. This law is especially strange when you consider that Texas wineries do not have to follow this rule. It is perfectly legal to go to a winery, sit down and enjoy a couple of glasses, and even take a bottle home if you choose.

During the last legislative session a number of brewery and brewpub owners actually went down to the capital to lobby for the rules to change. Unfortunately they were not heard and none of the distribution laws were changed. These laws have arguably hindered the creation of craft breweries in Texas because of the limitations they impose. For instance, in states like California and Colorado the beer laws are almost the same as the wine laws and these states have a great deal more craft breweries.

Related material:

http://www.texaswatchdog.org/2009/03/beer-drinkers-could-purchase-direct-from-local-breweries-under-compromise-plan/

Credit:

Capitol Image:  http://www.flickr.com/photos/wili/239650420/

The Draught House Pub & Brewery

Due to my unfortunate inability to properly read, I was hoping that I would be able to cover the Draught House’s 41st anniversary this Saturday, but it turns out that it was November 7th, not November 21st. But being the intrepid reporter that I am, I decided to go ahead and slog through another grueling beer tasting for the benefit of you, the reader. It’s a tough job, but someone’s gotta do it.

Anyway, sarcasm aside, the Draught House is one of Austin’s premier breweries with over 6o beers on tap. The Draught House also has a decent selection of house beers to keep any beer aficionado satisfied, regardless of personal preference.

The first one that I tried was their in-house brewed Double IPA, which they described as having “4 pounds per barrel of American hops. Big and floral with aromas of pine, citrus, mango, pineapple. Huge resinous flavor of hops.” I thought this beer was excellent for pairing with food, and I also really enjoyed the overall citrus aroma and flavor. I would give it 4 mugs out of 5 on the Austin Brew Scale.

For my next tasting, I decided to forego trying another in-house brew and instead went with the Green Flash IPA. I mostly based this decision on the fact that the Green Flash was their featured beer that day.

Although it wasn’t bad, I felt that the Green Flash had a much more bitter flavor, and I was not quite as keen on the aftertaste. It definitely had a more “hoppy” flavor to it, and although there was a slight citrus essence to it, it wasn’t as pleasing a taste as the Double IPA. I would give this one a 3.25 out of 5 mugs.

I definitely enjoyed the atmosphere they have at the Draught House; although they have a TV inside, it doesn’t feel like a sports bar, with a decidedly more intimate atmosphere. And like I said before, free pizza on Wednesdays! Hopefully, we will be trying all of the in-house options at the Draught House, so be on the lookout for that in the future.

Lindeman’s Dual: Peaches or Apples?

Hey Beer lovers,

Today, I’m getting back to the basics with a good ol’ fashioned beer rating. However, unlike previous posts, the ratings have been determined by four of my friends. Using the brew guys 5 mug scale, they rated each beer and provided commentary on each.

Tim’s post about Cider got me wondering about what other alternative beers exist and if they are any good. As you may have read in my Houston post, I have tried Lindeman’s Framboise and found it to be pretty good. My friends and I are going to try two other of Lindeman’s fruity creations. If you do not like the taste of the average beer, this post is just for you!

Now for beer number one: Lindemans Pomme Beer

Pomme, which is French for Apple, described perfectly the smell of this beer. Although perhaps the french word for sour, “aigrir,” should have been use as well.

Here are some of the descriptions:

“Smells like sour apple juice mixed with beer…tastes very sour.”

“This one smells a lot more like beer…the taste is very sour, almost like a sour candy.”

“Bubbly.”

Bottle Opening – when beer bottlers go mad

One thing I should note about these beers is that they were packaged more like wine bottles than beers. As such, here is a quick video of how to pop the top if you run into this problem with one of these crazy beers. Also, I apologize for my friends in the background, they will likely be at Chuck E. Cheese tomorrow trying to relive those grade school days.

And now for beer number two: Lindemans Peche Beer

Peche, also a French word, means Peach. Like the Pomme, this beer is brewed (malt based), after which fruit is added to create a second fermentation and add the taste of fruit.

Here is the commentary on this beer:

“This beer is like Welch’s juice”

“I can smell the hops but it tastes sweet and the residual taste is bubbly, almost like flavored sparkling water or wine.”

“Reminds me of a sparkling Cider, maybe a champagne.”

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Overall, my friends enjoyed both drinks, but only requested a second serving of today’s winner…

Peche!

Here are the ratings from today’s tasters:

Pomme: 2, 2.5, 3, 3 (all out of five)

Peche: 4, 4, 4, 4.5 (all out of five)

Thanks again for reading and be sure to come back for our posts on Monday!

Visting Real Ale Brewery

Last Friday I set off to Blanco, TX to tour the Real Ale brewery. The town of Blanco is about 50 miles south-west of Austin, but seeing the brewery is well worth the hour drive in my opinion. When I first got there I was kind of surprised to see about 20 people already sampling beers and waiting for the first tour to begin. Below are some of the photos  I took while at the brewery, and for a review of some of these beers check out Bill’s Real Ale post.

This tank was the first sign that I had arrived.

These were the beers being sampled that day. My favorite was the Oktoberfest.

Special Delivery!

Head Brewer Erik Ogershok in tour mode.

The Real Ale brewery has recently expanded their operation. This is some of their new brewing equipment.

Erik demonstrating a mechanical arm used to move kegs after they have been filled.

These oak barrels are used to age beer and create unique flavors.

The Cheap Beer Challenge

The question as to what the best “Cheap Beer” is has raged for decades. Several months ago I decided to put the top cheap beers to the test. Working on behalf of Study Breaks Magazine, I conducted the Study Breaks Cheap Beer Challenge. I selected five thirsty beer enthusiasts to test out five popular low-cost beers – Pabst Blue Ribbon, Miller High Life, Lonestar, Keystone and Natural Light. The beers were poured into non-descript cups and the judges were asked to describe and rate each beer, from one to ten.

Bill Bowman and Jenny Baker find out what the best Cheap Beer is.

The Judges

Chef Coi

Chef Coi made a name for herself on the 5^th season of the popular reality-cooking show, Hell’s Kitchen. Since then, she has continued to cook and keep her palette tuned. She enjoys good beer and relaxing with friends. Coi’s expert taste-buds and sensitive sense of smell will be put to good use.

Ivan Villareal

Ivan loves beer and having a good time. In his free time, Ivan enjoys fishing, going to the lake with his dog, working out and hanging out with friends.  Ivan also enjoys knocking back a couple Miller Lites after a tough day. Ivan claims that his love of beer more than qualifies him to judge this contest.

Brandy Brown

Brandy is an athletic, outgoing girl. She enjoys getting outdoors to swim, wakeboard and play rugby. Of course, drinking beer is also a favorite pastime. Brandy claims to have exquisite taste in beer and boasts more years of beer drinking experience than her fellow judges.

Adi “The 2nd Most Interesting Man in the World” Pavlovic

Adi is an interesting guy from across the Atlantic. He is a huge fan of all varieties of beer, with his favorite being Fireman #4. In his free time, he enjoys working out, doing pushups and partaking in his favorite drinking game, “Blackout!”

The judges taste the beers.

The Results

Layout by Kat Devers

Conclusion

Pabst Blue Ribbon bested our Texas favorites. The judges were shocked when they were told which beers they actually tasted. Brandy was stunned to find out her true desires. “What I thought I liked, I didn’t and what I thought I didn’t, I do. It’s kind of an identity crisis.” After the experience, Ivan was equally shaken. “I don’t think I like light beer as much anymore.” Hollis summed up the experience for everyone. “This was a great experience. Now I know what the best cheap beer truly is.”

Cold Ones: Beerfest

It’s that time again. Tim’s out of money! No, seriously, it’s Cold Ones, the feature where we review a beer-themed movie that has had some impact on the pop culture landscape.

This time it’s Beerfest, the 2006 comedy from the Broken Lizard comedy troupe that also brought you Super Troopers and Club Dread.

In the heat of competition

 

Beerfest tells the story of the two beer-loving Wolfhouse brothers whose grandfather (played by Donald Sutherland) has recently passed. As his dying request, the grandfather entrusts his grandsons with running the family sausage restaurant.

The brothers, Todd and Jan, are then asked by their great-grandmother (played by Cloris Leachman) to go to Munich in order to keep the family tradition by spreading his ashes in the home country.

While in Germany, the brothers participate in Oktoberfest, but soon discover a highly exclusive secret drinking competition known as Beerfest. The brothers also meet their long lost German cousins, the Wolfhausens, and discover that their grandfather stole the family recipe for the greatest beer in the world and fled to America. The Germans outdrink Todd and Jan and force them to go back to America, humiliated and defeated.

Upon returning to America, the brothers decide to return to the Beerfest in one year, this time with a full team of drinkers ready to win. As they go about recruiting, they enlist a player who can down anything known as the “Landfill”, another player who can research the science behind drinking, and a third who specializes in drinking games.

The group then embarks on a year-long training session where they deal with spys, deaths, and the discovery and creation of the secret beer recipe. The movie culminates in a climatic showdown at the Beerfest.

Unfortunately, no real-life beers were featured in the movie, just a myriad of different drinking games that the viewer is discouraged from trying. In fact, there is a disclaimer at the beginning warning you not to imitate the drinking behavior in the film or else you might die.

Personally, I wish there had been a similar warning about watching the film as well, since quite frankly, this was not a very good movie. Extremely overacted with tons of misfired jokes, the film just ambles about from one failed gag to the next without so much as a giggle. Even the normally very funny Will Forte falls flat. But the biggest crime of all was the squandered opportunity to show real beers and real tastings.

Here’s a clip in case you might want to check it out anyway:

Photo Credit: http://www.chicagonow.com/blogs/blackhawks-confidential/beerfest.gif

 

After Class Power Burgers and Beers

Hey Beer lovers,

Going to UT, while fun at times, often entails a lot of hard work, especially as finals draw near. Sometimes after class folks just want to sit down with a good burger and cold beer to escape the grind of the academic day. After a recommendation from one of our readers, I decided to check out a couple of bars within walking distance of campus. Although the drag serves as a rallying point for students, there is another area just north of campus with a couple of old, relaxed bars with plenty of food and big screen tvs.

Crown and Anchor Pub

Before today, I had only been to Crown and Anchor once, when my Uncle (a UT alum) visited for a game. He was insistent on going here and with the incredible selection of beers, I’m not surprised. C&A has around 32 draft beers and 98 more in bottles! The happy hour, which runs from 11am-7pm, brings down the price of draft beers from $3-$4.50 to $2-$4 per pint. The prices are dependent on which category the beer falls into (Domestics, Mid Range, and Premium). The bottled beers start at $2.50 and go up from there. C&A also has a couple of dart boards and pool tables for your entertainment needs.

While at C&A, I tried Bootlegger Brown Ale, which is brewed here in Austin by Independence Brewing Company. I also enjoyed a cheese burger and fries. Together, it cost around eight bucks.

The Ale was pretty good, slightly bitter but very easy to drink. I’d give it a 3.75 out of 5 mugs on our Austin Brew rating scale.

Posse East Bar and Grill

Like Crown and Anchor, prior to today I had only been to Posse once. However, at the time I didn’t realize the great variety of food they had. Fish tacos? Check. Chalupas? Check. Burgers? Of course…Check! The menu, which included hot wings and chili chesse dogs as well, was very reasonable. I spent about the same ($8) on a beer and burger (slightly bigger the C&A but without fries).

Posse had a relatively modest selection of beers, around 40 or so draft and bottled. The prices are identical to C&A except for non-happy hour premium drafts ( 25 cents more here). Luckily, on Wednesdays and Sundays, happy hour lasts all day at Posse!

I tried the Widmer Hefe, which comes from Widmer Brewery in Oregon.  I talk about it little in the video below. Overall, a 3 out of 5 mugs on the scale.

Overall, I had a good experience at both locations. Be sue to let us know which one YOU prefer! If I get more than ten different comments from you all (ten different people), I’ll invite the person with the best comment to join me on another comparison post next week! The first round will be on me!

Until next time,

Cheers!

-Adam

Real Ale Beer on a Sunny Day

Today was a chilly day in Austin, but last Saturday the weather was Spring-like. I took advantage of that awesome weather and chilled by the pool, had a little barbecue and sampled the Real Ale Brewery’s sampler pack. Here is my take on the three beers in the pack, plus a bonus review by a guest beer aficionado.

I give the Rio Blanco Pale Ale a 3.5 out of 5 mugs, the Brewhouse Brown Ale a 4 out of 5 mugs and the Rio Blanco Pale Rye Ale a 3 out of 5 mugs.

My esteemed beer tasting colleague, Andrew gave Natural Light a 4.25 out of 5. It should be stated that Austin Brew does not endorse his rating.

I will conclude with a quote from Frank Zappa, via Real Ale Brewing.

You can’t be a real country unless you have a beer and an airline – it helps if you have some kind of a football team, or some nuclear weapons, but at the very least you need a beer.