Anyone planning on going? Any recommendations for where to go for good beer? Got any good jokes?

Originally called the Wellington glass, it became so popular in the city of Newcastle that it was renamed the Geordie Schooner – a tribute to the local residents nicknamed “Geordies.” The city of Newcastle’s bartenders continue to serve Newcastle Brown Ale in the same glass, and now beer drinkers stateside can appreciate the tradition.

The Geordie Schooner’s style is designed to enhance the draught beer experience, creating a unique pour that highlights the beer’s incredibly smooth flavor. The robust glass shape is as functional as it is good looking. The wide rim traps the rich, caramel aromas, thereby enhancing the flavor. The Schooner’s nucleated bottom features an etched star that allows CO2 bubbles to escape out of the ale, retaining the creamy foam head to create a refreshing and lively taste until you reach the bottom of the glass.

Mine must have gone through the Ace Ventura treatment because it arrived a bit broken:

That didn’t stop me from pouring a chilled Newcastle in it though:

According to the release, this glass will show up in select bars and restaurants in the US (not sure about other countries) in a 16 and 20 ounce version.

In case you’re wondering what a “nucleated bottom” looks like, here’s the star etched in the bottom:

Has anyone seen this in the wild anywhere yet?

I couldn’t find much info. on the TTL site about the format, but it looks like you buy the aforementioned beers and someone will guide the tasting via Twitter updates which will show up on the event page. You can use their web interface to sign in to Twitter to post during the tasting and it will append your tweets with the #ttl hashtag. You could also just use your normal Twitter client and put the #ttl hashtag in there.

If you are interested, check out the event page, sign up, and obtain your ales. I’ll be attending and tweeting as @hailtheale.

The Beerdolier at Uncrate. A must for tailgating season.

Link via: Phil

Next, Asahi’s beer pouring robot (via Hack a Day).

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I’ll be checking this out soon since I have the itch to start brewing and need to do some more research before I get going.