Working at a wealth management firm that deals in securities, I am ever more aware of the sharp slump in the economy.  It gets depressing!  In fact, just the other day I was viewing a chart from Dow Theory Letters that showed the daily advance or retreat that the DOW has taken for the past several years.  Of course there were slumps and peaks on the graph that are typical of any dynamic market...nut then came 2008.  It was unsettling.  The line on the graph (the graph is about 4' X 3') shows the DOW plummeting to suicidal deaths.    I see this, then I hear harrowing tales of unemployment (I myself was in that leaky ship a couple of months ago), I see boarded up houses, I smell the fear of recession in the air, and I find myself craving good news of any variety.  Fortunately, this week it came in the form of beer...and not just from the joy I get from emptying a bottle, but from the industry itself.   Earlier this year we talked about how beer is somewhat recession retardant--maybe resilient--would be a better word.  Well, we seem to be right...so far. First of all there is this gorgeous and ...

I thought that this would be a nice post the day before the election.  Of course this is a hypothetical article characterizing the debates that the two have had.  I will also throw in some more vicious rumors that have occured.  This is not an endorsement of any particular candidate.  How much more bipartisan can I get?  All of this will happen in the context of talking about beer. Question : Do you support beer? McCain:  My opponent has voted against numerous beer bills that I had a hand in promoting.  I have a track record of beer advocacy and have fought for beer rights.  My opponent has hated beer his whole life.  Although he lacks experience to run a brewery.  You will see that I have the experience necessary.  My opponent has been close friends with a man who purposely brewed skunky beer in an attempt to undermine our beerconomy.  He listened to a preacher of beer hate for 20 years.  Friends, we don't need someone who doesn't understand beer in this confusing time of the mirco-brew revolution.  We need someone who is looking out for Joe 6 pack, 12 pack, 24 pack, 30 pack, pony keg and keg.  We need ...

I was looking on our blog stats for this site the other day.  We have been up for a couple of months now, and I've really enjoyed writing.  There were days that I we got 2, 4, or 6 hits.  Now we are averaging 30 or so hits a day.  One day we even got 98 hits.  I was hoping for two more.  Now we have reached a little over 1000 hits on our blog.  There are blogs out there that get thousands or even millions of hits a day.  Am I jealous?  In one sense I am.  Those sites make money or fame for people.  Those sites are well established and look to be around for quite a while.  In another sense, I am not jealous at all.  Those who become interested in this site are discriminating readers and beer drinkers. Many sites appeal to a mass audience that really has nothing to say, contribute, or add to the conversation.  We count on those who read this site to be passionate about the subjects written on the site.  We desire that those who get on here have something unique to add to the content.  To that end, I want to encourage you, the ...

Some seemingly oxymoronic things fit so well together, that when combined they result in brilliance:   Peanut butter and pickles, Guns and Roses, Alec Baldwin and Jack Donaghy, and beer and politics.  Of course, as per the theme of this blog necessitates, I intend on focusing on the latter of these medleys (although Axl and Alec tempt me to stray).  I do hope this post results in deeper, much more intellectual, ponderings in the future, whether in the seldom utilized comments section, or in posts to come. First off, tip of the hat to you, Half Moon Bay Brewing Company for your satirical commitment to patriotism and clever marketing in your recent "Alection."  (If the stars align and you find your way to this humble brewski shrine, please, feel free to send us a sample of you life's labor).  Half Moon Bay has made it possible for all us Joe-the-Plumbers of America to show our love for our candidate of choice to all those who sidle up to the bar next to us.  They have filled thousands of bottles with the same recipe and dressed them up in either Obama labels or McCain labels.  Supposedly, this will shed some light on the ...

Recently my wife came home from grocery shopping with a six pack in hand.  Since she had been at Walmart and made no other stops, her choice was limite, so she decided to let us give Budweiser's new journey into clearly charted water a chance...Budweiser American Ale.  So I poured a glass.  It looked better than I thought it would in the glass; however, the reddish hue was far lighter and clearer than my expectations allow.  The fragrance was strangley familiar.  What did it smell like...it was so familiar...oh yeah, Budweiser American Lager.  The way of describing the flavor is by comparison.  Imaging a pint glass filled 2/3 with Bud, 1/3 with a mild ale (e.g. Bass Pale Ale), and a pinch of read foold coloring for good measure and you have a prety good idea.  If I were to grade this beer against the world of Ales out there, I'd give it an F, but if all the other products put out by Budweiser were the standard, sure, it would get an A. Will Budweiser American Ale last?  No...but not because it has underachieved at quality.  Here's why...the cap is pry off, not twist off. Here's where I am going with ...

Should the legal drinking age in the US be amended?  How young is too young? The recent hullabaloo sparked by over a hundred college presidents suggesting that teens are mature enough to make wise consumption decisions certainly has the authors of Thank Heaven for Beer thinking.  In fact, consider this post a segue for a future discussion on the topic.  But until further notice consider this story, hot off the press from Oklamoma City. An Oklahoma City woman, Rosa Adame, has been arrested and accused (accused...not convicted; innocent until proven guilty)  with putting beer in her child's bottle. Usually such a scenario (beer+baby bottle) is limited to a silly frat party drinking game.  If only such were the case! Apparently Adame was so intoxicated she was unable to stand up (we here at THFB suggest not [caption id="attachment_158" align="alignright" width="250" caption="ahhh...this is more like it"][/caption] drinking as much beer as Adame).  The police had apparently been called when someone noticed beer in the child's bottle.  Adame's four children have all been placed in protective custody.  There is no need to rehash what has already been written, so go HERE to read the story for yourself. While we may still be making up our minds on whether ...

When I was in my early 20's, 22 to be exact, I really developed an interest in beer.  I started trying beers.  My toe was dipped in the ocean at the time (now I feel like I'm swimming).  Having been been recently married, I shared my new found enthusiasm with my wife.  One thing is true about women, they listen better and are more thoughtful than us men.  Well, my wife took note of my new found desire for beer.  Around Christmas time I started noticing strange packages that I couldn't figure out.  By the by, I am extremely gifted at guessing gifts.  Yet I was perplexed.  What was it?  My fixation on the presents grew and grew but to no avail.  Finally, the fateful day was upon.  As I undressed my presents with unbridled avarice, I discovered the gift of a life time.  My life was changed from that point foreward.  From that moment I was a homebrewer (albeit I had to buy some equipment).  Not only was I a homebrewer, I also gained a huge interest in any and every beer that I could get my hands on.  I tasted qualities and subtleties in beer that weren't there before.  ...

With the foreclosure rate through the roof here in the US of A and the fate of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac nervously taking up residence in the backs of our minds, it is about time for some good news. Sure the economy is as low as it's ever been in my short but pleasant life, but consumers across this great nation are standing up for what's important:  beer!  When times are tough, uncertain, and scary, we Americans often resort to our guilty pleasures to cope.  In the past, smoking and gambling were prime seducers, but with the outlawing of public smoking across the nation, and the high price of gas, beer is King. According to a Washington Post article (the source for this half glass full story), beer consumption is at an all time high.  In July more than 16 million barrels of domestic brew were sold here in the us, up 1.4 percent, the largest increase since 1990, and impressive increase for such a rooted industry, so says the Beer Institute. Try to remember 1990...American soldiers were shipping off to Iraq, George H. W. Bush was in office, and the US economy was stumbling into a recession.  Sounds eerily familiar, ...