I’m going to go off the topic of beer for this one:
Here is a list of Taxpayer Funded State Agencies in California:
California Academic Performance Index (API) * California Access for Infants and Mothers * California Acupuncture Board * California Administrative Office of the Courts * California Adoptions Branch * California African American Museum * California Agricultural Export Program * California Agricultural Labor Relations Board * California Agricultural Statistics Service * California Air Resources Board (CARB) * California Allocation Board * California Alternative Energy and Advanced Transportation Financing Authority * California Animal Health and Food Safety Services * California Anti-Terrorism Information Center * California Apprenticeship Council * California Arbitration Certification Program * California Architects Board * California Area VI Developmental Disabilities Board * California Arts Council * California Asian Pacific Islander Legislative Caucus * California Assembly Democratic Caucus * California Assembly Republican Caucus * California Athletic Commission * California Attorney General * California Bay Conservation and Development Commission * California Bay-Delta Authority * California Bay-Delta Office * California Biodiversity Council * California Board for Geologists and Geophysicists * California Board for Professional Engineers and Land Surveyors * California Board of Accountancy * California Board of Barbering and Cosmetology * California Board of Behavioral Sciences * California Board of Chiropractic Examiners * California Board of Equalization (BOE) * California Board of Forestry and Fire Protection * California Board of Guide Dogs for the Blind * California Board of Occupational Therapy * California Board of Optometry * California Board of Pharmacy * California Board of Podiatric Medicine * California Board of Prison Terms * California Board of Psychology * California Board of Registered Nursing * California Board of Trustees * California Board of Vocational Nursing and Psychiatric Technicians * California Braille and Talking Book Library * California Building Standards Commission * California Bureau for Private Postsecondary and Vocational Education * California Bureau of Automotive Repair * California Bureau of Electronic and Appliance Repair * California Bureau of Home Furnishings and Thermal Insulation * California Bureau of Naturopathic Medicine * California Bureau of Security and Investigative Services * California Bureau of State Audits * California Business Agency * California Business Investment Services (CalBIS) * California Business Permit Information (CalGOLD) * California Business Portal * California Business, Transportation and Housing Agency * California Cal Grants * California CalJOBS * California Cal-Learn Program * California CalVet Home Loan Program * California Career Resource Network * California Cemetery and Funeral Bureau * California Center for Analytical Chemistry * California Center for Distributed Learning * California Center for Teaching Careers (Teach California) * California Chancellors Office * California Charter Schools * California Children and Families Commission * California Children and Family Services Division * California Citizens Compensation Commission * California Civil Rights Bureau * California Coastal Commission * California Coastal Conservancy * California Code of Regulations * California Collaborative Projects with UC Davis * California Commission for Jobs and Economic Growth * California Commission on Aging * California Commission on Health and Safety and Workers Compensation * California Commission on Judicial Performance * California Commission on State Mandates * California Commission on Status of Women * California Commission on Teacher Credentialing * California Commission on the Status of Women * California Committee on Dental Auxiliaries * California Community Colleges Chancellors Office, Junior Colleges * California Community Colleges Chancellors Office * California Complaint Mediation Program * California Conservation Corps * California Constitution Revision Commission * California Consumer Hotline * California Consumer Information Center * California Consumer Information * California Consumer Services Division * California Consumers and Families Agency * California Contractors State License Board * California Corrections Standards Authority * California Council for the Humanities * California Council on Criminal Justice * California Council on Developmental Disabilities * California Court Reporters Board * California Courts of Appeal * California Crime and Violence Prevention Center * California Criminal Justice Statistics Center * California Criminalist Institute Forensic Library * California CSGnet Network Management * California Cultural and Historical Endowment * California Cultural Resources Division * California Curriculum and Instructional Leadership Branch * California Data Exchange Center * California Data Management Division * California Debt and Investment Advisory Commission * California Delta Protection Commission * California Democratic Caucus * California Demographic Research Unit * California Dental Auxiliaries * California Department of Aging * California Department of Alcohol and Drug Programs * California Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control Appeals Board * California Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control * California Department of Boating and Waterways (Cal Boating) * California Department of Child Support Services (CDCSS) * California Department of Community Services and Development * California Department of Conservation * California Department of Consumer Affairs * California Department of Corporations * California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation * California Department of Developmental Services * California Department of Education * California Department of Fair Employment and Housing * California Department of Finance * California Department of Financial Institutions * California Department of Fish and Game * California Department of Food and Agriculture * California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (CDF) * California Department of General Services * California Department of General Services, Office of State Publishing * California Department of Health Care Services * California Department of Housing and Community Development * California Department of Industrial Relations (DIR) * California Department of Insurance * California Department of Justice Firearms Division * California Department of Justice Opinion Unit * California Department of Justice, Consumer Information, Public Inquiry Unit * California Department of Justice * California Department of Managed Health Care * California Department of Mental Health * California Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) * California Department of Personnel Administration * California Department of Pesticide Regulation * California Department of Public Health * California Department of Real Estate * California Department of Rehabilitation * California Department of Social Services Adoptions Branch * California Department of Social Services * California Department of Technology Services Training Center (DTSTC) * California Department of Technology Services (DTS) * California Department of Toxic Substances Control * California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) * California Department of Veterans Affairs (CalVets) * California Department of Water Resources * California Departmento de Vehiculos Motorizados * California Digital Library * California Disabled Veteran Business Enterprise Certification Program * California Division of Apprenticeship Standards * California Division of Codes and Standards * California Division of Communicable Disease Control * California Division of Engineering * California Division of Environmental and Occupational Disease Control * California Division of Gambling Control * California Division of Housing Policy Development * California Division of Labor Standards Enforcement * California Division of Labor Statistics and Research * California Division of Land and Right of Way * California Division of Land Resource Protection * California Division of Law Enforcement General Library * California Division of Measurement Standards * California Division of Mines and Geology * California Division of Occupational Safety and Health (Cal/OSHA) * California Division of Oil, Gas and Geothermal Resources * California Division of Planning and Local Assistance * California Division of Recycling * California Division of Safety of Dams * California Division of the State Architect * California Division of Tourism * California Division of Workers Compensation Medical Unit * California Division of Workers Compensation * California Economic Assistance, Business and Community Resources * California Economic Strategy Panel * California Education and Training Agency * California Education Audit Appeals Panel * California Educational Facilities Authority * California Elections Division * California Electricity Oversight Board * California Emergency Management Agency * California Emergency Medical Services Authority * California Employment Development Department (EDD) * California Employment Information State Jobs * California Employment Training Panel * California Energy Commission * California Environment and Natural Resources Agency * California Environmental Protection Agency (Cal/EPA) * California Environmental Resources Evaluation System (CERES) * California Executive Office * California Export Laboratory Services * California Exposition and State Fair (Cal Expo) * California Fair Political Practices Commission * California Fairs and Expositions Division * California Film Commission * California Fire and Resource Assessment Program * California Firearms Division * California Fiscal Services * California Fish and Game Commission * California Fisheries Program Branch * California Floodplain Management * California Foster Youth Help * California Franchise Tax Board (FTB) * California Fraud Division * California Gambling Control Commission * California Geographic Information Systems Council (GIS) * California Geological Survey * California Government Claims and Victim Compensation Board * California Governors Committee for Employment of Disabled Persons * California Governors Mentoring Partnership * California Governors Office of Emergency Services * California Governors Office of Homeland Security * California Governors Office of Planning and Research * California Governors Office * California Grant and Enterprise Zone Programs HCD Loan * California Health and Human Services Agency * California Health and Safety Agency * California Healthy Families Program * California Hearing Aid Dispensers Bureau * California High-Speed Rail Authority * California Highway Patrol (CHP) * California History and Culture Agency * California Horse Racing Board * California Housing Finance Agency * California Indoor Air Quality Program * California Industrial Development Financing Advisory Commission * California Industrial Welfare Commission * California InFoPeople * California Information Center for the Environment * California Infrastructure and Economic Development Bank (I-Bank) * California Inspection Services * California Institute for County Government * California Institute for Education Reform * California Integrated Waste Management Board * California Interagency Ecological Program * California Job Service * California Junta Estatal de Personal * California Labor and Employment Agency * California Labor and Workforce Development Agency * California Labor Market Information Division * California Land Use Planning Information Network (LUPIN) * California Lands Commission * California Landscape Architects Technical Committee * California Latino Legislative Caucus * California Law Enforcement Branch * California Law Enforcement General Library * California Law Revision Commission * California Legislative Analyst’s Office * California Legislative Black Caucus * California Legislative Counsel * California Legislative Division * California Legislative Information * California Legislative Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender (LGBT) Caucus * California Legislature Internet Caucus * California Library De velopment Services * California License and Revenue Branch * California Major Risk Medical Insurance Program * California Managed Risk Medical Insurance Board * California Maritime Academy * California Marketing Services * California Measurement Standards * California Medical Assistance Commission * California Medical Care Services * California Military Department * California Mining and Geology Board * California Museum for History, Women, and the Arts * California Museum Resource Center * California National Guard * California Native American Heritage Commission * California Natural Community Conservation Planning Program * California New Motor Vehicle Board * California Nursing Home Administrator Program * California Occupational Safety and Health Appeals Board * California Occupational Safety and Health Standards Board * California Ocean Resources Management Program * California Office of Administrative Hearings * California Office of Administrative Law * California Office of AIDS * California Office of Binational Border Health * California Office of Child Abuse Prevention * California Office of Deaf Access * California Office of Emergency Services (OES) * California Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment * California Office of Fiscal Services * California Office of Fleet Administration * California Office of Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) Implementation (CalOHI) * California Office of Historic Preservation * California Office of Homeland Security * California Office of Human Resources * California Office of Legal Services * California Office of Legislation * California Office of Lieutenant Governor * California Office of Military and Aerospace Support * California Office of Mine Reclamation * California Office of Natural Resource Education * California Office of Privacy Protection * California Office of Public School Construction * California Office of Real Estate Appraisers * California Office of Risk and Insurance Management * California Office of Services to the Blind * California Office of Spill Prevention and Response * California Office of State Publishing (OSP) * California Office of Statewide Health Planning and Development * California Office of Systems Integration * California Office of the Inspector General * California Office of the Ombudsman * California Office of the Patient Advocate * California Office of the President * California Office of the Secretary for Education * California Office of the State Fire Marshal * California Office of the State Public Defender * California Office of Traffic Safety * California Office of Vital Records * California Online Directory * California Operations Control Office * California Opinion Unit * California Outreach and Technical Assistance Network (OTAN) * California Park and Recreation Commission * California Peace Officer Standards and Training (POST) * California Performance Review (CPR) * California Permit Information for Business (CalGOLD) * California Physical Therapy Board * California Physician Assistant Committee * California Plant Health and Pest Prevention Services * California Policy and Evaluation Division * California Political Reform Division * California Pollution Control Financing Authority * California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo * California Postsecondary Education Commission * California Prevention Services * California Primary Care and Family Health * California Prison Industry Authority * California Procurement Division * California Public Employees Retirement System (CalPERS) * California Public Employment Relations Board (PERB) * California Public Utilities Commission (PUC) * California Real Estate Services Division * California Refugee Programs Branch * California Regional Water Quality Control Boards * California Registered Veterinary Technician Committee * California Registrar of Charitable Trusts * California Republican Caucus * California Research and Development Division * California Research Bureau * California Resources Agency * California Respiratory Care Board * California Rivers Assessment * California Rural Health Policy Council * California Safe Schools * California San Francisco Bay Conservation and Development Commission * California San Gabriel and Lower Los Angeles Rivers and Mountains Conservancy * California San Joaquin River Conservancy * California School to Career * California Science Center * California Scripps Institution of Oceanography * California Secretary of State Business Portal * California Secretary of State * California Seismic Safety Commission * California Self Insurance Plans (SIP) * California Senate Office of Research * California Small Business and Disabled Veteran Business Enterprise Certification Program * California Small Business Development Center Program * California Smart Growth Caucus * California Smog Check Information Center * California Spatial Information Library * California Special Education Division * California Speech-Language Pathology and Audiology Board * California Standardized Testing and Reporting (STAR) * California Standards and Assessment Division * California State Administrative Manual (SAM) * California State Allocation Board * California State and Consumer Services Agency * California State Architect * California State Archives * California State Assembly * California State Association of Counties (CSAC) * California State Board of Education * California State Board of Food and Agriculture *California Office of the Chief Information Officer (OCIO) * California State Children’s Trust Fund * California State Compensation Insurance Fund * California State Contracts Register Program * California State Contracts Register * California State Controller * California State Council on Developmental Disabilities (SCDD) * California State Disability Insurance (SDI) * California State Fair (Cal Expo) * California State Jobs Employment Information * California State Lands Commission * California State Legislative Portal * California State Legislature * California State Library Catalog * California State Library Services Bureau * California State Library * California State Lottery * California State Mediation and Conciliation Service * California State Mining and Geology Board * California State Park and Recreation Commission * California State Parks * California State Personnel Board * California State Polytechnic University, Pomona * California State Railroad Museum * California State Science Fair * California State Senate * California State Summer School for Mathematics and Science (COSMOS) * California State Summer School for the Arts * California State Superintendent of Public Instruction * California State Teachers Retirement System (CalSTRS) * California State Treasurer * California State University Center for Distributed Learning * California State University, Bakersfield * California State University, Channel Islands * California State University, Chico * California State University, Dominguez Hills * California State University, East Bay * California State University, Fresno * California State University, Fullerton * California State University, Long Beach * California State University, Los Angeles * California State University, Monterey Bay * California State University, Northridge * California State University, Sacramento * California State University, San Bernardino * California State University, San Marcos * California State University, Stanislaus * California State University (CSU) * California State Water Project Analysis Office * California State Water Project * California State Water Resources Control Board * California Structural Pest Control Board * California Student Aid Commission * California Superintendent of Public Instruction * California Superior Courts * California Tahoe Conservancy * California Task Force on Culturally and Linguistically Competent Physicians and Dentists * California Tax Information Center * California Technology and Administration Branch Finance * California Telecommunications Division * California Telephone Medical Advice Services (TAMS) * California Transportation Commission * California Travel and Transportation Agency * California Unclaimed Property Program * California Unemployment Insurance Appeals Board * California Unemployment Insurance Program * California Uniform Construction Cost Accounting Commission * California Veterans Board * California Veterans Memorial * California Veterinary Medical Board and Registered Veterinary Technician Examining Committee * California Veterinary Medical Board * California Victim Compensation and Government Claims Board * California Volunteers * California Voter Registration * California Water Commission * California Water Environment Association (COWPEA) * California Water Resources Control Board * California Welfare to Work Division * California Wetlands Information System * California Wildlife and Habitat Data Analysis Branch * California Wildlife Conservation Board * California Wildlife Programs Branch * California Work Opportunity and Responsibility to Kids (CalWORKs) * California Workers Compensation Appeals Board * California Workforce and Labor Development Agency * California Workforce Investment Board * California Youth Authority (CYA) * Central Valley Flood Protection Board * Center for California Studies * Colorado River Board of California * Counting California * Dental Board of California * Health Insurance Plan of California (PacAdvantage) * Humboldt State University * Jobs with the State of California * Judicial Council of California * Learn California * Library of California * Lieutenant Governors Commission for One California * Little Hoover Commission (on California State Government Organization and Economy) * Medical Board of California * Medi-Cal * Osteopathic Medical Board of California * Physical Therapy Board of California * Regents of the University of California * San Diego State University * San Francisco State University * San Jose State University * Santa Monica Mountains Conservancy * State Bar of California * Supreme Court of California * Teach California * University of California * University of California, Berkeley * University of California, Davis * University of California, Hastings College of the Law * University of California, Irvine * University of California, Los Angeles * University of California, Merced * University of California, Riverside * University of California, San Diego * University of California, San Francisco * University of California, Santa Barbara * University of California, Santa Cruz * Veterans Home of California
These agencies employ hundreds of thousands of workers, directly and indirectly via contract. ALL at taxpayer expense! And let’s not forget the (often lifetime) health benefits and pensions! We’re constantly told that services to children and the elderly will be cut if we don’t raise our already high taxes. Or we’re threatened with less police and fire protection if we don’t fork over more of our hard earned money.
Why can’t we start by removing some of the redundancies?
For example…
California Children and Families Commission
California Children and Family Services Division
California Consumers and Families Agency
California Healthy Families Program
California Access for Infants and Mothers
Couldn’t these 5 agencies be consolidated, streamlined and millions/billions of taxpayer dollars saved?
Or perhaps these:
California Department of Health Care Services
California Department of Managed Health Care
California Department of Mental Health
California Department of Public Health
California Health and Human Services Agency
California Health and Safety Agency
California Office of Binational Border Health
California Office of Statewide Health Planning and Development
California Primary Care and Family Health
California Rural Health Policy Council
Not to mention the agencies that have been created to deal with your health on the job:
California Division of Occupational Safety and Health (Cal/OSHA)
California Occupational Safety and Health Appeals Board
California Occupational Safety and Health Standards Board
California Board of Occupational Therapy
Who knew that the State was so concerned with your physical, mental, managed, public, Binational, rural, family, and occupational health? With this many agencies and bureaucracies involved, it’s a wonder that we can stay healthy at all!
Remember, this is just a listing for the State of California! this doesn’t even take into account all of the City, County, and Regional bureaucracies.
Now try to imagine the thousands of agencies, commissions, bureaus and departments ‘acting in your behalf’ at the federal level…
Is it any wonder that we’re untold trillions in debt?
What can we do about it?
Demand accountability and reform from your elected officials and candidates for public office. Hold their feet to the fire. Make them understand that unless they change the way the system works, they will not be part of that system.
You have the power of the pen, the power of your voice, the power of your vote.
I don’t know about you, but I’ve had just about enough of faceless government functionaries having WAAAAAY too much influence over our lives.
News is filtering down that the European Union aka EU is trying to influence the way North Americans drink.
The EU has sent a cease and desist notice to the Brewers Associations of the US and Canada over using established ‘regional’ names in their beers and ales.
That’s right kiddies, Europe wants North America to stop using regional terms like ‘Belgian’, ‘Scotch’ ‘English’ etc., in beer names and descriptions. No more Belgian Tripel or Dubbel. No English Milds, Pales, Browns or IPA’s. No Irish Stouts or Reds. No more French Farmhouse style ale. Even the term ‘pilsner’ could be subject to this request, as Pilsen is a Czech town! Dortmunder, anyone? Berliner Weiss…I don’t think so, that’s a protected term!
I am willing to wager that AB-InBev is behind this. Think about it; It’s the only way they can even think of slowing down the unbridled growth of the craft beer movement; through ceaseless litigation and regulation of innovative North American craft brewers!
Let your local brewers (and Brewers Association) know that you won’t stand idly by and let the EU tell you what you can and cannot drink!
Vancouver Craft Beer Week is a celebration taking place throughout metropolitan Vancouver from May 10 16, 2010. It aims to inspire a broader interest in all aspects of beer in order to cultivate a flourishing craft beer culture in the region. This video is in honor of the tireless efforts of craft brewers from British Columbia, as well as the rest of Canada.
The Vancouver Craft Beer Week organizing committee is proud to announce the first ever BC Beer Awards by Brewery Creek. On Monday, March 22nd, an expert judging panel will review over 150 beers from all across British Columbia at the Alibi Room, Vancouver’s premier tap house. Judging for the event is NOT open to the general public. Media are invited to join judges and volunteers at 9:00am to witness the judging process, as well as learn about the intricacies of craft beer and to find out more about the upcoming Vancouver Craft Beer Week.
The only blind judged beer competition in British Columbia, the BC Beer Awards judging panel boasts such beer experts as:
Don Tse – A BJCP Certified beer judge, freelance beer writer and consultant, Don has been writing professionally about beer for seven years. His articles have appeared in beer publications such as All About Beer, Ale Street News and Beers of the World.
Abram Goldman-Armstrong – A beer writer in Portland, Oregon, Abram has been a BJCP National Rank Judge since the age of 21, judging at competitions such as the Great American Beer Festival, the Okanagan Fest-of-Ales, and Portland’s Spring Beer and Wine Fest. He co-organizes the North American Organic Brewers Festival, the world’s largest organic beer festival.
Megan Flynn – The publisher of Beer Northwest, a quarterly magazine covering beer, food, and lifestyle in the Pacific Northwest, Megan travels North America in search of the best beer and beer personalities, continuing to develop her pallet into one of the most diverse on the continent.
James Nevison – Columnist for The Province newspaper, where his “Wine Guy” column appears weekly each Thursday. He is the co-author of five bestselling wine books, the latest is Had a Glass: Top 100 Wines for 2010 under $20, $25, and $30. Recently James was named a “Top 40 Foodie Under 40” by Western Living magazine.
Winners will be announced at the BC Beer Awards by Brewery Creek award show on Friday, May 14th, one of Vancouver Craft Beer Week’s signature events. For further information please contact:
If you haven’t heard, Vancouver is hosting Canada’s FIRST EVER craft beer week, May 10-16 2010!
You can follow VCBW on Facebook or Twitter for updates on events.
Vancouver Craft Beer Week will be a celebration of all things craft beer, featuring brewmaster’s dinners, pub crawls, brewery tours and tastings, a homebrew competition, a Women in Beer event, The 1st Annual BC beer Awards and a slew of other great events.
Brewmaster dinners will include local luminaries like R & B Brewing, Russell Brewing, Storm Brewing and more. In addition, there will be dinners/pairings hosted by some of the best brewers from the US including Green Flash and Deschutes. Restaurant’s slated to participate include some of Vancouver’s best and most cutting edge fine dining establishments like Salt, Refuel, The Irish Heather, Habit, Cascade, R.T.L, Jake’s Steakhouse and more!
The BC Beer Awards will feature over 150 entries from ALL of British Columbia!
The Vancouver Homebrewer Awards and cometition will feature some of the best and brightest local homebrewers. The Best of Show brewer will be given the opportunity to brew a batch of their award winning beer at either The Mark James Group’sYaletown Brewpub or Dix BBQ!
The pub crawl will cover some great local breweries and brewpubs on a walking tour and then shuttle across the water to Granville Island to enjoy even more great locally brewed beer!
More events will be added in the coming weeks, so check back often, and be sure to follow VCBW on Facebook and Twitter
If you were fortunate enough to be in attendance for the Vancouver screening of the documentary film “Beer Wars”, count yourself lucky. If you couldn’t make it, shame on you!
It was a gala event put on by CAMRA Vancouver at District 319 , a wonderful private event venue. Special Guest for the evening was the inimitable Greg Koch, CEO of Stone Brewing Company. Greg was kind enough to bring a good supply of Stone Beer; their signature ‘Arrogant Bastard’ and ‘Ruination IPA”. For the price of admission, you also got to sample beer offerings from Central City, Driftwood, Granville Island, Howe Sound, R&B, Red Truck, Steamworks, Swans, and Yaletown Brewing. (And if you were really fortunate, some homebrew from yours truly and Adam Henderson)
It was a veritable “who’s who” of the Vancouver craft beer scene. Brewers and owners of all of the above listed breweries, plus folks from DIX Brewery, Storm, Alibi Room, St. Augustine’s and God knows how many more! Brewers, homebrewers, beer geeks, beer snobs, beer enthusiasts, fanboys and girls, you name it! All in all, a very diverse and enthusiastic crowd.
The evening began with a ‘cocktail hour’ of sorts, with all of the brewers above pouring their offerings, hors d’ouvres, and some great beer conversations. It was also a chance to meet up with friends new and old. One my my favorite parts of the evening was the number of people who approached me and introduced themselves. They recognized me from my Twitter avatar! That was freaking cool!
Once seated, we were treated to an brief intro from CAMRA President Rick Green. Rick introduced the masses to a new project; Vancouver Craft Beer Week, being held from May 10-16! This will be our chance to showcase local beer, beer and food pairings, beer tastings, beer themed events, a homebrew competition, BC Beer Awards, and the promotion of craft beer in general. Looking forward to a tremendous week of beer!
After Rick’s introduction, we were treated to a keynote from special guest Greg Koch. Greg shared a brief history of Stone Brewing, the trials and tribulations of growing a craft brewery, and the glorious success of Stone. Stone opened a restaurant/bistro at their new facility in Escondido, CA in 2007. In the 3 years since they opened The Bistro has become San Diego County’s number 1 purchaser of local organic produce. That shows me how we can all make a difference in how our beer AND food are produced.
From there we moved to the main event, the screening of ‘Beer Wars”
The Synopsis
“In America, size matters. The bigger you are, the more power you have, especially in the business world.
Director Anat Baron takes you on a no holds barred exploration of the U.S. beer industry that ultimately reveals the truth behind the label of your favorite beer. Told from an insider’s perspective, the film goes behind the scenes of the daily battles and all out wars that dominate one of America’s favorite industries.
Beer Wars begins as the corporate behemoths are being challenged by small, independent brewers who are shunning the status quo and creating innovative new beers. The story is told through 2 of these entrepreneurs – Sam and Rhonda – battling the might and tactics of Corporate America. We witness their struggle to achieve their American Dream in an industry dominated by powerful corporations unwilling to cede an inch.
This contemporary David and Goliath story is ultimately about keeping your integrity (and your family’s home) in the face of temptation. Beer Wars is a revealing and entertaining journey that provides unexpected and surprising turns and promises to change the world’s opinion on those infamous 99 bottles of beer on the wall.”
While the film focuses primarily on the US Beer Market, pretty much everything in the film applies to Canada as well. At the time of filming, the independent brewers were facing the might of ‘The Big 3′; Anheuser Busch, Miller and Coors. Since then, through consolidation and takeover it’s really just ‘The Big 2′; AB-InBev and Miller-Coors (Molson-Coors in Canada). Remember; these corporations do not have your best interests as a beer drinker in mind. The underhanded (and sometimes illegal) tactics practiced by these behemoths of brewing are astounding.
Canada has been adversely affected, just take a look at this list. Recognize anyone? Molson, Kokanee, and countless others that you’re sure to find being poured at your favorite restaurant or pub (Except for Vancouver’s finer beer establishments, of course!)
To see more truly local, independent beer flowing from your local taps, make your voice heard! Let your local establishments know that you prefer to drink fresh local products. Many Vancouver resaurants promote the fact that they serve local food, ask them why they don’t serve local beer! If they throw “We serve Molson/Canadian/ Kokanee” back at you, let them know that those aren’t truly local beers. If they support local independent farmers, why don’t they support local independent brewers?
My favorite quote from the movie is from Jim Koch (no relation to Greg, by the way), founder of The Boston Beer Company (aka Samuel Adams) ;
“Almost all our beer knowledge comes from Budweiser, Miller and Coors. It’s as if all we learned about food came from McDonalds.”
I don’t know about you, but I want to know more about my beer; where it’s produced, what goes into it, and who really makes it!
If you were unable to make it out for the screening, want to share it with your macro swilling friends or just want to see it again, Beer Wars is now available via On Demand and Digital Download. CLICK HERE
“With five different varieties of superior hops, Hop Head Double IPA (8.0% ABV) packs in the hoppy bitterness like no other. Similar to its award-winning, best-selling little brother, Hop Head IPA, Hop Head Double IPA also boasts citrus aromas and sweet malt undertones with a slightly darker, copper colour. This strong hops taste pairs well with a flavourful meal or sweet dessert.”
My initial impressions:
Pours with a very dense off-white head. Deep copper/orange color. Decent initial hop aroma, very grassy and piney. Not picking up the citrus boasted of by the brewery. Slight alcoholic/phenolic tinge to the aroma. Very malty body, as evidenced by the deep copper color. Bathes the tongue in a resiny mouthfeel. Again, lots of grass and pine, very little citrus if any. The aftertaste is not what I would expect from a DIPA. Not a lot of lingering hop bitterness, more of a metallic, briney taste that lingers for quite some time.
Like many Canadian IPA’s and Double IPA’s, it has a much more English character than a true “West Coast” IPA. Slightly sweet and malt heavy, with a body that doesn’t allow the hops to truly shine.
After all of the hype, including a Canadian Beer Award, I’m left decidedly underwhelmed.
Compared to most Canadian IPA’s and Double IPA’s it’s a strong effort. When compared to benchmarks like Central City Red Racer IPA (and it’s DIPA brother) and Phillips Amnesiac, this DIPA pales in comparison.
On a 1-100 scale I would rate Tree Brewing HopHead Double IPA no more than 86-88.
Not to say this is a bad beer, it’s just not what I’m looking for in my DIPA. If you want a turbocharged English IPA, this is your beer. If you’re looking for a West Coast style “Hop Bomb”, there are other alternatives.
I have finally, belatedly, begun reading Malcolm Gladwell’s “The Tipping Point”.
It’s a phenomenal look at what (and who) causes epidemics, with the primary focus on social ‘epidemics’; what are the mitigating factors, who are the ‘players’ in these movements, and taking a detailed look at the cause and effect. As I’m reading through the book, being a beer geek, I keep trying in my head to apply his thesis to the craft beer movement, specifically as it applies to Vancouver and BC as a whole.
Where does craft beer fit in the “Law of the Few”? Who are the Connectors, Mavens and Salesmen? What’s the ‘Stickiness” factor as it applies to craft beer? Am I part of this potential epidemic? If so, where do I fit?
I’ve pondered this so much, it feels like my head is going to explode!
What caused Portland, OR to ‘tip’ towards craft beer over mass produced lagers? What happened in Seattle to foment a backlash against macro-swill? Having lived in and around San Diego during it’s craft beer explosion, I’ve seen some the causes and effects first hand. Did I recognize them while they were happening? Of course not!
What were the causes for the change of mindset amongst the local beer drinkers? Was it Greg Koch and Steve Walker founding Stone Brewing? Was it the opening of Pizza Port in Solana Beach? To be honest, I don’t know what the specific tipping point was in San Diego (or Portland, Seattle, Denver, etc.)
What I do know is that I am seeing some of the same changes in attitude and mindset here in Vancouver that I saw in San Diego. As I posted when I moved to Vancouver, I thought that YVR is roughly 5-7 years behind some of the other west coast beer cities. In the year that I have been here I have seen that gap close pretty quickly. We’re still behind the curve, but not by nearly as much!
What happened to close the gap? It’s not like new breweries are popping up all over town. The brewery count is pretty much the same as when I got here.
The subtitle for the book is “How Little Things Can Make a Big Difference” What are the little things happening in BC?
We are seeing changes in the attitudes of the local brewers as much as anything. We’re seeing a drift away from pedsestrian English Ales and Continental Lagers, to more ‘cutting edge’ craft beer. From Iain Hill’s Oude Bruin to Gary Lohin’s Red Racer IPA, to James Walton and his crazy lambics and experimental beers, to Phillips Brewing and their special releases, Driftwood Brewing releasing more Belgian inspired brews, even Granville Island is moving forward with Vern’s Jolly Abbot. Russell, Tree, Swan’s, Vancouver Island, Crannog, Howe Sound are all brewing outside the box of staid, ‘traditional’ beer.
We are seeing a more dedicated craft beer ‘crowd’. Bloggers, writers, and flat-out beer geeks are taking the craft beer message to the streets. People like Chris Bjerrisgaard, Daniel Knibbs, Rick Green, Chester Carey, Gerry Erith, Nigel Springthorpe and myself, proselytizing and educating the masses on the joy and wonder that is Craft Beer. People like Norm Eng and Adam Henderson scouring the bushes to bring us the best and most unique craft beer that America and the world have to offer.
We’re seeing larger and larger groups of people growing bored with the same old stuff. More people filling the Alibi Room and the Whip. Cask nights popping up all over, even in the suburbs! Restaurants like St. Augustine’s changing their beer menus to strictly craft beer. I was impressed to see so many hardcore beer fans at the CAMRA AGM this past weekend.
We’re staging the Inaugural Vancouver Craft Beer Week from May 10-16, yet another opportunity to educate the masses and make Vancouver a beer destination.
Are any of these small changes the tipping point, or are they an accumulation of ‘little things’ signaling a larger movement towards the epidemic stage?
Are we in the early stages of a craft beer epidemic in BC?
I would have to say Yes, Yes we are! And you know what? That’s a good thing!
Before I get to the Craft Beer Fest, a few tasting notes from the week that was;
A couple of weeks back, while making a quick trip to Blaine, WA to check my PO Box and pick up illicit packages, I popped into the Chevron station to get gas. I made a quick peruse of the cold case to see if there were any interesting beers. To my surprise they had a 6-Pack of Sierra Nevada Kellerweis. Not having had the chance to try this golden elixir previously, I quickly slapped down my $8 and went on my merry way. Kellerweis is one of the only American Hefeweizens made using the traditional Bavarian style of open fermentation. Though classified as a Summer beer, it’s been warm enough here in Vancouver into September to make this a good Autumn beer as well. Hazy golden color, as a hefeweizen should be, with wonderful aromas of clove, bananas and pear. Definitely one of the better wheat beers I have had this year.
Next on the list was Jah*Va Imperial Coffee Stout from Southern Tier. Weighing in at a whopping 12% ABV, this is beer not for the faint of heart (or constitution for that matter). Brewed with Cascade and Columbus hops, along with Jamaican Blue Mountain coffee, this stout pours rich and black as night. My initial reaction was that it tasted a bit burnt, but I realized that it was still a bit cool from the fridge, and I let it warm to near room temp before my second taste. What a difference! Big coffee and chocolate notes, accompanied by a whisper of warming alcohol. This beer is very smooth and very deceptive, as it doesn’t taste like a 12% beer. Another excellent offering from the Blackwater Series of Stouts.
For my next tasting, I went back in time a bit, as I had not had much Bear Republic in a while. Courtesy of Norm Eng at Beer Thirst, I delved into a Hop Rod Rye and Red Rocket Ale. I had forgotten how good the Hop Rod Rye is! It’s basically an Imperial IPA with 20% rye malt added to the grist. A bit darker than a typical IPA, it explodes with hop flavor and aroma. It finishes a bit on the sweet side, which is a nice balance to the hops. The Red Rocket is an American Red Ale, with lots of malt character to balance the Centennial and Cascade hops. At 6.8% ABV, it’s definitely not a session beer, but it’s so damn smooth you want it to be!
Red Chair IPA from Deschutes Brewing is up next. This is one of my favorite IPA’s right now, very well balanced with a big hop presence. Copper/amber in color, the pine and citrus notes come through on the nose and palate and the malt backs it up to achieve an extremely quaffable IPA. It paired perfectly with my homemade green chile and chicken enchiladas.
Final home tasting is a beer I have been seeking out for a while, BrewDog Punk IPA and it was right in my backyard at Brewery Creek. I guess I can use the excuse that I don’t get downtown very often, but you probably don’t want to hear it! Punk IPA uses one of my all-time favorite hops, Nelson Sauvin, from New Zealand along with Maris Otter Pale Malt, with Northwest hops Ahtanum and Chinook for good measure. BrewDog bills it as a “post modern classic pale ale” and a a “trans-atlantic fusion IPA”. Yeah, that about covers it! You get lots of citrus and pine notes from the NW hops and the Nelson gives it a hint of a tropical flavor. A very nice IPA and fairly priced at Brewery Creek. (Also available at Viti Wines and Lagers)
We packed up the minivan and headed out way too early on a Saturday; Myself, Daniel Knibbs from Dead Frog, Chester Carey the beer and BBQ guru from Brewery Creek and beyond and Chris from TrueCask.com. (Sorry Chris, if I try to type your last name my spell check would explode!). The rest of the crew had never been to Haggen Market, so our first stop was a mini beer run in Ferndale. My first visit to the Ferndale store and I was not disappointed! Terrific craft selection including BrewDog, Stone, Deschutes and more. After a fair amount of time wavering about what we should grab, we all loaded up 4-6 bottles each and made our way back to the van.
Next stop Seattle!
Before we could make our way to the festival, we were forced to make a stop at 99 Bottles, one of the premier beer stores in the entire Northwest. I had previously made a phone order with Tiffany, one of the wonderful owners, so I could procure the last 7 bottles of Stone Juxtaposition Pilsner, a collaboration between Stone, BrewDog and Cambridge Brewing. (Expect a separate post on this amazing beer!) Daniel, Chester and Chris were like kids in a candy store. Daniel and I went shelf by shelf; had that, had that, ooh haven’t had that, got that at home, had that…ad infinitum.
So many choices!
I focused on wet hop/fresh hop beers, as I am a HUGE fan of the style. Wet hops have a higher moisture content than dried hops (duh!), and impart more of the grassy and piney flavors without the astringent bitterness you get from some beers. Since they are available for such a short time, I always try to load up on bottles and get as much on tap as I can handle. Deschutes Hop Trip (which is the beer I’m drinking while writing this post), Rogue Chateau Rogue, the Sierra Nevada Harvest series (Chico Estate, Southern Hemisphere, 13th Harvest, formerly known as Yakima Harvest), along with some seasonal releases like Jubelale from Deschutes. After loading up on way too much beer, we knew we needed to load up on carbs before heading to the fest. Luckily for us, Jimmie Mac’s Roadhouse was just a few short steps across the parking lot from 99 Bottles. We slaked our thirst with the Armadillo Amber Ale (a house beer made by Hales Ales) and chowed down on prime rib sandwiches (a great deal for $9!). With that we were ready to finally make our way to the fest.
After finding parking what seemed like miles away from the fest, we made our way into the First Annual Tacoma Craft Beer Festival. The initial crowd out front seemed a bit light, probably owing to the fact that the fest ran until 9 PM, and the party crowd would show up later (and it did!).
First stop was one of our favorite beers of the day, Schooner Exact Brewing’s 3 Grid IPA, a 77 IBU hop bomb brewed with Chinook, Columbus, Cascade and Amarillo hops, served on cask with an additional dose of Cascade in the cask! Being CAMRA members, we were all excited to see the first booth pouring cask beer. Alas, they were the only brewery pouring a cask conditioned beer. Hoppy, tart, yet extremely well balanced.
In no particular order we sampled beer from Iron Horse, 21st Amendment, Stone, Two Beers Brewing, Elysian Brewing, Diamond Knot, Big Al to name a few. Shortly thereafter we tweeted up with the famous/infamous SudsyMaggie. This girl is a hoot! She qualifies as an e-quaintance, as we met through Twitter, and have tweeted/chatted back and forth about beer for 6 months and this was our first face to face meeting. Who says you can’t meet good people online?
Big standouts for me on the day were the Cherry Stout from Walking Man Brewing, the Jubelale from Deschutes, and the German Pilsner from GABF Small Brewpub of the Year, Chuckanut Brewing of Bellingham, WA.
My personal faves for were the Union Jack IPA from Firestone Walker (back to back Gold Medal winner in the American IPA category at GABF!), and Ommegang Rouge Grand Cru, a Flanders Red sour beer. I’ve had pretty much every beer from Ommegang, I’ve even taken the tour, but this was my first taste of the Grand Cru Rouge and it was freaking awesome!
I was excited to see that several breweries brought fresh hop beers to the fest. Sierra Nevada Southern Hemisphere, Deschutes Hop Trip, a Fresh Hop Ale from Big Al, another from Two Beers Brewing and Lupulin Fresh Hop Ale from Full Sail. My personal favorite is the Hop Trip, followed VERY closely by the Sierra Nevada and the Full Sail.
None of us could believe that this was a first time festival. Everything was well done, very well organized and I can’t wait for the 2nd annual Tacoma Craft Beer Festival!
That’s all that I am legally allowed to comment on, so if you want to here more about our adventures click here
Sorry for the lack of posts lately, been uber busy with family stuff.
A group of us traveled to the Great Canadian Beer Festival in Victoria a couple of weeks ago and it was Awesome!
We started the day by sharing a bottle of Cuvee De Tomme 2009, a wonderful cherry sour from Lost Abbey. What a way to destroy the palate at 10 AM! We also downed a bottle of Victory at Sea from Ballast Point, an Imperial Coffee Porter with Vanilla Beans.
Once at the fest, we focused mainly on BC Beers and the handful from the States that we can’t readily get. An immediate standout was the White Bark Wit w/ Brett from Driftwood. Simply beautiful. As much as I love brettanomyces, I hadn’t thought of adding the bacteria to a wit bier. Stroke of brilliance for the Driftwood boys! They were also pouring a raspberry lambic/framboise, which was nice, but still a bit young. Hopefully they can cellar some away, as this beer will be spectacular in 6 months or more.
The Cascadia from Daniel Knibbs at Dead Frog was one serious kick ass concoction. I don’t quite know how to categorize it, but it was awesome! Daniel took the first runnings from a brown ale, hopped the ever-lovin’ snot out of it, fermented it down, and then dry hopped the bejeezus out of it and served it on cask. A malty hoppy flavor bomb from hell! Gary at Central City was serving his amazing Red Racer IPA (kicked up a notch, methinks) and a Double IPA version sporting over 100 IBU’s which was honestly one of the best double IPA’s I’ve had in a long time. The Phillips Amnesiac DIPA on Cask was another great effort from Matt Phillips and Crew, as was the Boundary Bay IPA from Bellingham WA. Jeez, can ya tell I like me some IPA?
After that much of the fest is a blur, I just know I had a great time, and can’t wait for next year. Maybe there will be a new BC brewery serving amazing craft and barrel aged beer? Hmmm?
Last Sunday went to the Whip for Cask Sunday, Anacortes IPA dry hopped with lots of hoppy goodness. Very nice! I haven’t been a big Anacortes fan, but that IPA is changing my beer addled mind. After the cask, we broke open several bottles from our respective stashes; Spring 2008 Hair of the Dog Blue Dot, Ninkasi Ticerahops, 2009 Sierra Nevada Southern Hemisphere Wet Hop Ale, and Lost Abbey Angel’s Share aged in Bourbon barrels.
As to the HOTD Blue Dot, the ’08 seemed to have lost a lot of it’s hop character, but was still very appealing. (I have 4 bottles of ’09 coming soon!) The Tricerahops was, like most offerings from Ninkasi, rock solid. a big bold DIPA with lots of citrus notes. The Sierra Nevada Harvest is as always, amazing. As with most wet hop beers, the bitterness is drastically toned down due to the excess moisture present in the hops before drying, so what you get is amazing hop flavor and aroma without the some of the astringency you get with kiln dried hops. We popped the cork on the Angel’s Share next, and there is not much more I can say about Tomme Arthur’s beers. Big, smoky, chocolate, coffee, raisins, oak…WOW!
We also tapped a bomber of Phillips Brewing Crazy 8′s Annu-ale, brewed to celebrate their 8th anniversary. The description on the label is a bit vague, and I don’t know quite where to put this one. Big beer, 8% ABV, lots of malt, lots of hops. Not quite an IPA, but lot’s of character. Definitely warrants another go.
Also through my Norm at Beer Thirst, I discovered a new beer stop close by in Bellingham, WA. Haggen Food and Pharmacy has a great craft beer selection, lots of NW beers not available north of the border. And it beats driving down to Seattle. I was able to pick up Ninkasi, Sierra Nevada Harvest, Deschutes Red Chair IPA (they are getting Hop Trip this week!), Elysian and several varieties of Rogue that I hadn’t seen before. (They must have had 15 or more Rogue beers in bombers!) So when in Bellingham, definitely give Haggen’s a try, they have several stores in Bellingham and one in Ferndale.
Speaking of Elysian, their 2009 Night Owl Pumpkin Ale is spectacular. One of the 3 or 4 best pumpkin beers I have had. I think I like it so much because it is very similar to a pumpkin ale I have homebrewed in the past. I used over 1 pound of fresh pumpkin in a 5 gallon batch, they used over 7 lbs per barrel which is a pretty similar ratio. Spices (cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, allspice, clove) are added at the end of the boil and also post fermentation. The result is a deep amber ale that smells like a pumpkin pie! There is enough pumpkin and spice to carry over to the palate without overpowering it like many of the others I have tried. Good stuff!
Also, there is a rumor (or is it rumour?) floating about that there could very well be a new BC craft brewery popping up on the radar. I’m not privy to all the details (or am I?), but I’m hearing that it will be exclusively focused on craft styles, no mass market lagers, cream ales and the like. I’m told that the focus will be on artisan ales and lagers, with lots of experimentation with organic malts, brettanomyces and lactobacillus, barrel aging and the like. Keep your fingers crossed, this is just the kind of craft brewery BC needs!
Speaking of BC Craft Breweries, The Canadian Brewing Awards were announced this week, and BC was well represented. Congratulations to Gulf Island Brewing (Gold), Russell, (Bronze, Silver) Nelson (Bronze), Tree Brewing (Gold for Hop Head Double IPA, Bronze), R & B (2 Silvers), Old Yale (Gold), Bushwakker (Silver), Swan’s (Bronze), Howe Sound (Silver, Honourable Mention), Dead Frog (Gold, Bronze) Phillips (2 Silver and a Gold), Lighthouse (Silver) and Whistler Brewing (Gold). A complete list of the winners can be found here. Keep up the good work, BC is definitely a beer force to be reckoned with!
That’s all I have for today, hope to post more tasting notes and news soon.
