Hail the Ale! Beer Blog

I was recently sent a Newcastle DraughtKeg to review so I brought it to a party to share and see what others thought of it.

The keg holds 5 liters (10 pints) of Newcastle and includes it’s own tiny tap system that keeps it fresh for up to 30 days in your fridge or Krups BeerTender. The suggested retail price is $22.99. The tap system is easy to configure and worked great for pouring pints without any mess or excess head.

The feedback from others was positive. Most everyone I talked to liked the idea of having a mini keg of beer and thought it was a great party idea. The only complaint I heard was that it was filled with Newcastle. Hey, you can’t please everyone…

If Newcastle is your thing, you are having a party, or just like miniature kegs, I’d definitely suggest picking one of these up.

Yeah, I know. There’s twenty-something days left in the year and things could change, but before everyone gets wrapped up in the holiday spirit/chaos take a minute and think: what was your favorite beer this year? Bonus points for why.

Mine: Cigar City Final Push (Ratebeer / BA). As to why, there’s a couple reasons. Since the first couple sips I knew this would be one of my top beers. By the end of the glass it had made it to the top of the list. Also, I had the pleasure of sharing this with friends at a good friend’s bachelor party at my local (and highly rated) beer bar, Redlight Redlight.

Leave yours in the comments.

Ever want to save an open beer for the next day? While some may scoff at this proposition I’ve found that when dealing with good craft beer in bombers or high ABV beers there are times where half a beer is enough and a full one is too much. If you fall in this boat, lucky for you there’s Beer Savers.

They sent me a six pack of these handy silicone bottle caps to review so to give them a real world test, I bought a six pack of Brooklyn Lager. I opened one an noon on Sunday, put a Beer Saver on it and put it back in the fridge with it’s friends. Come Monday night, I opened both and poured them side-by-side to see if there was any noticeable difference in head. Here’s what it looked like:

There was no noticeable CO2 pop when I opened the one with the Beer Saver, but they poured about the same. I think there was a bit less head due to my poor left-handed pouring technique. Oddly, I don’t practice pouring two beers at the same angle at the same time too often.

The real proof was in the drinking. I couldn’t tell a difference one way or the other between carbonation level between the two. I think an opened beer that was capped right away with a Beer Saver and put in the fridge would do equally as well. I wasn’t sure how these would work but I was happily surprised. Now, I can save that half beer instead of throwing it out or drinking too much.

You can buy a six or twelve pack at the Saver Brands online store.

A couple weeks ago, the Stella Artois World Draught Masters competition regional semi-finals were held in Orlando at club Firestone. I was invited to attend but ended up being out of town for work. However, a couple friends went to check it out and gave me some notes and photos. Between that and the press materials, I almost feel like I was there

Contestants compete by pouring Stella according to their nine step pouring ritual:

1. The Purification: Use clean and rinsed branded glass.
2. The Sacrifice: Open the tap in one quick action and let the first drops of beer flow away.
3. The Liquid Alchemy Begins: Hold the glass just under the tap without touching it at a 45° angle.
4. The Head: Lower the glass to allow the natural formation of the foam head.
5. The Removal: Close the tap quickly and move the glass away so beer doesn’t drip into the glass.
6. The Beheading: While the head foams up and overflows the side of the glass, smooth it gently with a head cutter.
7. The Judgment: The right amount of foam is usually about 2 fingers.
8. The Cleansing: Clean the bottom and sides of the glass.
9. The Bestowal: Present the beer on a clean beer coaster with the logo facing the consumer.

Fifteen regional finalists and one wild card will compete in Boston on September 17 for the title of U.S. Draught Master and a spot in the World Draught Master competition in London on October 28. The Orlando winner was Grant Huff, seen here pouring the winning Stella.

More photos from my friend Jason at hoppd.com:

Into beer and WordPress (or at least WordPress)? I’ll be giving a talk on WordPress caching at WordCamp Boulder on July 10. If you’re in the area come on out and listen to all these great speakers talk about all things WordPress.

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

Found via Boing Boing, this bottle opener ring (or keychain) is functional and bad ass. Click the pic for more photos or to buy one in your size.