True story: I love to Google random word combinations that involve beer. And by doing so, I stumble across some pretty awesome (and some not-so-awesome) things. So I have decided that, from now on, I am going to start posting my awesome discoveries on Drink With The Wench in the category I am calling FTW — aka For The Win.

Photo: Julie Pinkston

Who doesn’t love getting beer as a gift, especially when served up in a fun and rustic fashion. Etsy shop owner Julie Pinkston has come up with a line of custom handmade wooden beer carriers — The perfect vessel for gifting beer, whether it be homebrews or special craft beers.

Pictures on the website show carriers for 4 and 8 bottles, but each is custom made, so you can request the perfect size for your occasion. And on top of that, you get to choose the wood.

Photo: Julie Pinkston

At $60 a pop, these bad boys aren’t cheap. But, when you think about the time and effort going into building them, as well as how cool and classy they look — it’s not that bad of an investment. Plus, they are completely reusable — the gift that keeps giving FTW!

Check out the Etsy shop here.

Big news in the beer industry just hit the stands today: Independence Brewing Company, the only craft brewery in India owned and operated by a craft brewer, has partnered with Stone Brewing Co.’s CEO and Cofounder, Greg Koch, to bring independence from boring, yellow fizzy beers to the emerging beer connoisseurs in India.

This is big news in the world of craft beer. It is encouraging and exciting to see more and more countries outside of the “Western World“embrace and celebrate craft beer. Hopefully, IBC’s presence in the Indian craft beer market will help to ignite a craft beer revolution across the entire country — inspiring more breweries to open and more craft breweries to export to India.

Upon receiving this news, I approached the owners for more information, and I am honored to say that they gave me an exclusive interview to coincide with the announcement, which will follow this post shortly.

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OFFICIAL PRESS RELEASE

April 29th, 2012.  Independence Brewing Company (IBC) is a new brewing venture founded by Shailly Bist and Avanish Vellanki to bring genuine craft brewing to India.  With an aim to offer Indians something other than the yellow, fizzy, industrial lagers that have become a fixture in India, IBC hopes to offer a unique array of craft brews across a variety of styles not previously offered in the nation.  IBC brings Independence from Boring Beers!

IBC is also proud to announce the addition of Greg Koch, CEO and Cofounder of Stone Brewing Co., to the team.  Greg will serve as a partner and Chief Advisor to IBC. “I’ve had a chance to visit India and witness first-hand why Avanish and Shailly are so excited, and I have to say I agree with them!  There is tremendous opportunity in India for craft beer.  I also have to say that I’m really excited about these two guys and look forward to helping them bring Independence from boring beers to India!” said Greg Koch.

“We are really excited to work with Greg!” said Avanish Vellanki, Cofounder of IBC.  “We are tremendously honored and moved by Greg’s excitement about India; Greg clearly sees the tremendous opportunity in the country, and we look forward to introducing truly exceptional brews together!”

IBC will set up its first craft pub brewery in the city of Pune, in the state of Maharashtra, India, one of India’s fastest growing technology centers. With a national landscape in which only a handful of beers exist in the nation, and a regulatory environment that has only recently awoken to the microbrewery concept, IBC hopes to bring the extensive and passionate craft brewing culture in the US to India.

IBC will be the only craft brewery in India owned and operated by a craft brewer.  “We are tremendously excited about the opportunity to bring to India something we truly love, and we think Indians will love too – truly exceptional craft beers,” said Shailly Bist, Cofounder & Head Brewer of IBC.  “India has such a rich artisanal culture, and we think it’s about time that IPA had a homecoming!”

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Follow Independence Brewing Company on Facebook and @IndeBrewCo on Twitter.

At any given moment, I could walk into a local grocery store, corner store, or even a gas station and find at least one craft beer option on the shelf.

The amazing growth that the U.S. craft beer industry has experienced over the past few years has, sadly, made many of us American craft beer lovers take it for granted. Especially where I live in Northern California, a region of the country that boasts some of the greatest brewers in the world. Most of my neighborhood bars and restaurants have at least one craft beer, if not only craft beer, on the menu.

But, this is not necessarily the reality outside of California, or even the U.S. Unfortunately, most of the countries in this world (I’m assuming over 90%) have little to no craft beer available in the market, let alone craft breweries. This brings us to India.

Quite ironically, the country known for inspiring the most popular and most brewed category of craft beer — the India Pale Ale — does not boast a thriving craft beer culture. Partially due to its lack of craft breweries, the majority of beer being produced and sold in India is, as one can assume, yellow fizzy macro lagers. Well, until now that is.

In just the past few years, India’s beer industry has experienced a lot of change. Small craft brewpubs have emerged and a few foreign imports, such as Boston Lager, Paulaner and Chimay, have become available in the Indian market — giving Indians a new taste for craft beer and creating a demand for it in the process.

Enter Independence Brewing Company, a new craft beer venture focused on igniting a craft beer revolution in India. Dedicated to offering independence from uninspired, yellow fizzy beers to the emerging beer connoisseurs in India, Independence Brewing Company is the brainchild Avanish Vellanki and Shailendra Bist — two passionate and devoted craft beer geeks with strong ties to India.

What makes IBC’s story so unique, is its support and backing from the illustrious CEO & co-founder one of the U.S. largest and most beloved craft breweries, Stone Brewing Co., Greg Koch. Known as one of the most powerful and strongest voices in craft beer, Greg is not the type to enter into partnerships lightly — especially ventures that involve his greatest love, craft beer. But IBC’s mission struck a chord with Greg, as I am sure it will with other craft beer lovers around the world.

Upon hearing the news surrounding the development of Independence Brewing Company and Greg’s involvement, I reached out to its founders and to Greg to learn more about the project. They granted me an exclusive interview, which I am extremely honored to share with you today. Hopefully, after reading it, many of you will be inspired to get involved in IBC and help to make their amazing dream a reality! Cheers!!!

Shailly & Avanish, Independence Brewing

“Putting the India Back in IPA”

An Exclusive Interview with Avanish Vellanki and Shailendra Bist of Independence Brewing Co.

(with inserts from Greg Koch)

An award winning brewer/ mechanical engineer and a Wall Street investment banker is quite a powerful partnership. How did you two meet?

Shailly: Back in 2010 we were both independently exploring the possibility of starting a brewery in India. One of our common friends, a brewer who recently started a brewery in Singapore, suggested we meet. We met in late 2010 over a couple of beers and it instantly seemed like a great partnership. Over a couple more meetings we decided to join forces and start Independence Brewing Co.

How did you both first get into craft beer?

Avanish: For me, it was about experiencing variety.  I think a person can have water downed lagers for only so long before they start venturing out.  In my view, the craft beer market is the natural evolution of any beer market – people anywhere will want to find variety and greater depth to their brews than the industrial lagers are able to provide.

Shailly: I came to the US in mid 2001 for my masters at Purdue. Had my first craft beer, a pale ale, at a local pub brewery in Lafayette, IN where coincidentally I also met my wife to be! You could say that my two loves affairs started back then.

Shailendra Bist, aka "Shailly"

Every craft beer professional has at least one pinnacle craft beer experience that completely changes his perspective on beer. I refer to this mind-blowing moment as a “craft beer epiphany.” What was your first craft beer epiphany?

Shailly: From the first time I tasted a fresh craft beer I knew I had a special liking for it, but it was all still a little distant. The first time I tasted my own craft brew, an all extract IPA which was not necessarily all that good, it totally changed by connection with beer. I felt like it was a friend I knew intimately.

Avanish: It’s hard for me to identify the “epiphany” moment since I think it was very gradual for me.  At one point, around 2008 when I was in New York, I noticed that if a venue didn’t offer some craft brews on tap, or at least some bottled craft beers, I would push for my group of friends to find another venue.  I personally haven’t had one of the mainstream US lagers in over probably over 5 years.

Why did you choose to build a brewery in India? Why not the U.S.?

Avanish: The obvious reason is that India doesn’t have craft beer.  It was a chance to bring something new to the market of our heritage.  It was really, ultimately, that simple.

But if I were to put my Banker hat on, I would say the US is a mature beer market and while the craft beer segment is growing, there are a ton of players.  With over 2,000 breweries and over 700 breweries preparing to launch, it would be much more difficult to differentiate ourselves, especially related to where the bar is set in India.  In India, there are only 12-15 bottled brands available in the country, with only another 10 or so pub breweries that have just recently been set up.  And that is in a nation that is quadruple that of the US in terms of population.  Again, it was quite clear what needed to be done.

The main goal of Independence Brewing Co. is to provide a variety of fresh, craft brews for the emerging beer connoisseur in India. What is the current beer drinking culture like in India? How is it different from past years?

Shailly: The beer drinking culture is rapidly transforming. There used to be a time where drinking beer was done discreetly and almost no women drank beer.  With rapid economic development and changing social norms beer drinking is becoming common place in any and all social events, sports events etc. This is the reason why beer volume sales are doubling every 3-4 years! Unfortunately all of this beer is industrial lagers. There are 2-3 good brew pubs that have sprung up and a lot of imported craft beers are entering the market as more and more people demand something beyond that yellow fizzy stuff. We hope we can provide locally made awesome craft beer that Indians can enjoy and be proud of.

Why did you choose the name Independence Brewing Company?

Shailly: We started IBC with the singular aim to introduce real craft beer to Indians and do our part in brining Independence from boring beers! to India. Bring independence, from fizzy yellow stuff, to our consumers by offering far superior choices to what’s available currently and make them aware of what real craft beer can be.

Although Indians have moved on, our struggle for independence from foreign rule and our struggle to establish ourselves as a stable forward looking nation still evoke strong emotions. Our name is also an ode to the independent spirit and identity that we have carved out as a nation.

Why did you choose to partner with Greg Koch on this project?

Avanish: Greg’s success with Stone speaks for itself.  To me, outside of the reputation that Stone has, I really appreciate Greg’s love for the craft brewing space and devotion to spreading that message around the world.  But what I most admire about Greg is how he has approached building a brand – Greg used unconventional branding tactics to assemble a very loyal following, and I think there are tremendous lessons in that.  I think his approach with Stone could be used as a case study for almost any business.

Greg Koch: I did?  From my perspective, I just approached the building of Stone and our reputation from the position of a beer geek.  As in, “what, as a beer geek, would I do?”  So, that’s the voice that I’ll be giving to Avanish & Shailly.  And the reason that I agreed to be an Advisor to them is that they too are devoted beer geeks.  I also think they’ve both got great heads on their shoulders.  I’ll be pushing them not to listen to their heads too much, and instead listen to their own inner beer geeks, and to make decisions more from the latter than the former.

Greg Koch, Stone Brewing

What is Greg’s main role with Independence Brewing?

Shailly: Mostly as an Adviser on our brewery operations, brand building and business in general.   



Greg: There’s that “brand building” phrase again! <laugh>  I’ll be giving my best advice all along the way, all the while telling them to ignore everyone and do it THEIR way.  Of course, by “ignore everyone” I really mean “ignore everyone who does not share your vision, but DO listen to advice and perspectives from those who do share you vision.”  My role is in that latter camp.

You also have an extremely experienced adviser on the team. Who is Pradeep Gidwani and what does he bring to the Independence Brewing Co. team?

Avanish: Pradeep is a veteran of the brewing world in India.  And since India is a very nascent culture with regards to the beer market and brewing, Pradeep literally knows everyone in the space.  Although Pradeep’s prior roles were entrenched in the mass market lagers, launching Carlsberg, Tuborg, Palone and Fosters in India, Pradeep is a true connoisseur of craft brews.  Pradeep, like Greg, wants to see Indians embrace craft beer.  It will be tremendously beneficial to have Pradeep’s input as we move forward.

In addition to investors, how else are you raising funds for the brewery?

Shailly: We will be launching a fundraising campaign soon on Kickstarter (crowd funding, www.kickstarter.com) to raise some additional funds. It’s amazing what a lot of people with small contributions can do when they get excited about an idea. We are excited about our campaign; we have a very interesting video on there featuring Greg in it! Greg in his latest fuzzy look! We also have some very cool gifts to give away, many of which are made by traditional craftsmen in India, like a tap handle made using the ancient art of lost wax casting by tribals from Bastar region in India.

Greg: That region is missing a ‘d.’  Oh, and don’t let my “fuzzyness” distract from the message.  Independence Brewing needs support on an important and historic venture.  My beard has got all the support it needs (although maybe I’ll need to start my own Kickstarter campaign so I can afford to replace the razor that I clearly lost).

Have you broken ground on the brewery yet? If not, when do you plan on breaking ground?

Avanish: We will initially be leasing a facility rather than building because of an abundance of existing venues in India that would be a great fit for us.  We would also prefer to use our financial resources to make the best beers we can and find ways to reach as many people as possible.

How big of a system will you be brewing on?

Shailly: We will have a 10hl steam fired brew house with 70hl of fermentation space. We will keep some room for expansion down the line as and when the demand picks up. I can’t wait to start brewing on it! It will be the most well equipped micro brewery in India.

What styles will you be focused on brewing?

Avanish: The goal is to bring to India the diversity of global beer styles.  So we will have quite a variety.  Of course Shailly and I spend the majority of our time drinking American pale ales so the American influence in our beer portfolio will be clear. I, personally, also love the Bavarian Hefs.

Shailly: We like all well made beers, although we can be partial to west coast hop bombs, Belgian triples and British brown porters. Quite frankly starting out we will do an array of styles from a wit to an IPA and slowly we will gravitate to a few core styles. And I am sure the core will have a very Indian identity to it. We will probably never do lagers, though.

Do you have any beer names in the pipeline that you would like to leak to inquiring minds?

Shailly: There are some names but we cannot disclose them at this time. Some very interesting names from our ancient history and then some more contemporary ones. Some names will also reflect our California roots.

Will you be exporting any of your beers to the U.S.?

Avanish: I would love to bring beers to the US, but that’s not in the near-term plans.

What craft brewers, breweries and beers inspire the Independence Brewing Co. team the most?

Shailly: The list is huge! I have been more inspired by home brewers than breweries, but let’s stick to the point, with no particular order:

Brewers

• Vinnie Cilurzo, Russian River Brewing
• Matt Brynildson, Firestone Walker Brewing
• Jerry Vietz, Unibroue

Breweries

• Russian River
• Firestone Walker
• Stone
• Unibroue (sadly taken over by Saporro)
• Abbey Westmalle
• Brasserie Dupont
• Samuel Smith’s
• Three Floyds Brewing

Beers

• RR Pliny (younger and elder), Supplication, Damnation
• Avery Maharaja IPA
• Firestone California Pale, IPA
• Stone IPA, Arrogant Bastard
• Unibroue La Fin Du Monde, Maudite
• Westmalle – Tripel, Dubbel
• Fullers London Porter
• Samuel Smith’s Tadcaster, Oatmeal Stout
• North Coast Brewing Old Rasputin Russian Imperial Stout
• Duchesse de Bourgogne

Avanish: For me, of course Stone is a major influence.  My favorite beer is Stone’s Levitation. For me, the breweries of influence are the one that have great business stories behind it; I love the history behind Brooklyn Brewery and the lessons that Steve Hindy and Tom Potter shared as they experienced the inherent business risks of relying on third-party distributors.  I’m also very impressed with Surly Brewing in Minneapolis, my hometown.

Stone has become famous for its collaboration brews. Since Greg is a big part of Independence Brewing, do you have any plans to collaborate in the near future?

Avanish: In the near-term, I think we are going to have our hands full, but down the road, we would expect collaborations with a variety of brewers to play a large role in our effort to bring craft beer to India.  But honestly, we’ve never asked Greg about that.

Greg:  I’m sure they’ll have plenty of opportunities for great collaborations…eventually.  Once they develop a reputation, craft brewers from other parts of the world will naturally think to themselves “Visiting India and brewing with Avanish & Shailly at Independence Brewing sounds like a really cool idea.”  I know I’ll be doing it at some point, perhaps with someone else from Stone in tow.  That would be really cool.  Also, once the craft brewing industry grows a bit with other entrants doing their own thing in the country, then there will be collaboration possibilities within the country.  It’s a nice thing to think wistfully about, imagining a future where that would be possible in India.  In the meantime however, they’ve got a lot to do and will be focusing on rolling up their sleeves and launching their brewery.

Avanish

What role will social media play in Independence Brewing’s marketing strategy?

Avanish: Social media will play a very large role, but when the time is right.  Shailly and I have a lot of work to do to prepare the business for the future, so over the near-term, we are going to be focused on execution first and foremost.  However, as we move closer to the official opening of the business in India, we promise that we will be quite active in the social media channels.  We hope everyone in the US follows along as we try to foster the craft beer movement in India!

Follow Independence Brewing Company on Facebook and @IndeBrewCo on Twitter.

For fun, if you were a style of beer, what would you be and why?

Shailly: A Saison, easy going but can sneak up on you.

Avanish: Russian River’s Pliny the Elder, because it’s a serious beer.  Shailly always tells me I need to loosen up!

Last but not least, what does craft beer mean to you?

Shailly: History, passion and innovation in a glass.

Avanish: To me, craft beer is a brew that has extravagant simplicity… where to truly appreciate it, it requires a small degree of concentration but, at the same time, it hits you with a composition that is much more than the sum of its parts.

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Special thanks to Avanish, Shailly and Greg for taking time out of their busy schedules to answer my questions. I wish the best of luck to all of you, and on behalf of craft beers lovers everywhere, I raise a toast in your honor! Cheers!!

If I had a dollar for every person that asked me to re-post an infographic or post a link to an article on my site, let’s just say I’d have a lot of dollars. But, from time to time, I find that some of the infographics are worth sharing. When done right, info graphics can be educational, colorful and rather entertaining — especially for those who might be unfamiliar with or new to a subject, such as craft beer.

Stumbled across this one from FrugalDad.com, and found it playful and interesting. Cheers!

Source: FrugalDad.com

According to one of its founders, Jay Brooks of Brookston Beer Bulletin: “The Session, a.k.a. Beer Blogging Friday, is an opportunity once a month for beer bloggers from around the world to get together and write from their own unique perspective on a single topic. Each month, a different beer blogger hosts the Session, chooses a topic and creates a round-up listing all of the participants, along with a short pithy critique of each entry.” (Some of you might remember that I had the honor of hosting The Session in October of 2010)

Today’s topic was chosen by none other than my new husband (sorry if this is news to any of you, more details to come), Angelo De Ieso of BREWPUBLIC.com — arguably Portland’s most beloved beer blogger and beer blog. The topic of today’s discussion is: What Drives Beer Bloggers?

As with most beer bloggers, my original reasons for starting this blog are drastically different from my current goals  and direction.

I make absolutely no claims at being a beer expert but, in my defense, I am no beer novice either. Instead, I prefer to think of myself as a student of the art of crafting beers. In his post, Angelo sites About.com’s 10 Reasons to Start a Blog. Using this list as a reference, I originally started this blog to:

#5 Connect with People Like Me (aka beer lovers): When I started my blog, I was a regular member of The Columbus Underground, a large social media based community focused on all things Columbus (food, beverage, politics, sports, etc). At the time, my passion for beer was growing and I noticed that the city didn’t have a beer blog or anyone organizing beer events. So, I took a stab at it.

#7 Stay Active or Knowledgeable in a Field or Topic (aka beer): In my very first blog post I wrote, “My personal goal is to become more educated on the world of beer. The goal of the blog is to take my readers along on my adventure and train ride through beerland. I intend on learning through a plethora of experiences including beer tasting, home-brewing, traveling to breweries, taking courses, and so on and so forth.” I had left the restaurant industry for a career in marketing, and I saw my blog as an opportunity to stay connected to the world of food & beverage — specifically, beer.

#10 Have Fun and Be Creative: I’m a writer by trade, true story. As a kid, I spent hours and hours reading science fiction — and then more hours attempting to write my own sci-fi short stories. Throughout my years in school, I won several essay writing competitions. (Ironically, I won the opportunity to speak at my 5th grade “DARE” graduation ceremony — ha! And look where that got me…) When I graduated college, I took the GRE with the intention of getting a Master’s in Journalism. That dream shortly ended when I landed a gig as a restaurant manager — which ultimately put me on the path to where I am today. Moral of all this: I needed a creative outlet for my writing, and starting a blog turned out to be the perfect solution.

What originally started as a fun project and virtual notebook, has since turned into a platform for advocating and advancing the craft beer industry. Craft beer is my life, it is my raison d’etre. It is my hobby, it is my career. It is what I wake up for every morning, and the reason I can’t sleep at night.

Here is the part where many of you might want to stop reading, as I am about to get philosophical and deep.

9/11 happened two days after I moved into the dorms my freshman year of college. As with many people, that day completely altered the course of my life. I grew up in a historical town named for a Revolutionary War general in NY, just 60 miles north of Manhattan. American history was extremely important to my town, my family and myself. As a kid, my parents and teachers taught me to always fight for what I believe in, and to always seek and believe in justice.

When I left for college, my sights were set on the FBI. After 9/11, everything I thought I knew about the world completely changed. My extremely liberal teachers unveiled a world that I had never seen before — a world of injustice, broken promises, lies and deceit. I felt betrayed and broken-hearted, and started to search for a new purpose in life. 2nd quarter, I found it….

International Studies 201: Introduction to Peace Studies – The meanings of peace and peacelessness in today’s world, varied approaches to peace, contributions of many disciplines and professionals, and the significance of peoples’ movements.

Learning Objective #3: Students develop abilities to comprehend and assess individual and social values, and recognize their importance in social problem solving and policy making.

My professor’s name was Dr. B. Kardaras. I would linger after every class just to listen to him talk with other students and, on occasion, bombard him with philosophical questions that had no concrete answers. On the last day of class, I approached him with tears in my eyes, fear in my heart, and the question that haunts and drives us all….”What should I do with my life?”

His response, in its simple yet inspirational glory, has never left me. “Ashley, it has been a long time since a Ghandi-like figure has been in this world.” He went on to say that people should never underestimate the impact they can make on this world, no matter how small the contribution or trivial the subject. And so, this brings us to the purpose of this blog and my answer for the question: “What Drives Beer Bloggers?”

“Be the change you wish to see in the world.”

Although the origins of this quote are widely disputed, but it doesn’t stop the words from being true. “If we could change ourselves, the tendencies in the world would also change. As a man changes his own nature, so does the attitude of the world change towards him.” — Ghandi.

I have always wanted to make a significant difference in this world. But until I found craft beer, I didn’t know what I would do and how I would do it.

Over the years, Drink With The Wench has metamorphosed into more than just a blog. I am more than just a blogger. I don’t want to just be a part of the craft beer movement, I want to be a leader in it. Although my actions appear selfish at times, my focus has and always will be on promoting craft beer and the people who make it. My goal is to create and inspire change in the beer and beverage culture. I want to be the change.

I am proud to say that I am no longer the novice enthusiast that first set out to write this blog.

I am a craft beer evangelist on a mission to revolutionize the beer industry through education, innovation & advocacy.

I blog, therefore I am…. or should I say: I am, therefore, I blog.

Cheers!

In honor of Earth Month, Whole Foods Market (@WholeFoods) and The Beer Wench (@TheBeerWench) are encouraging friends and fans to toast to organic beers with their Apr. 10 “Save the Planet, Drink Organic” Twitter Tasting.

The organic beer-themed tasting takes place on Twitter from 8-9 p.m. ET on Tuesday, Apr. 10. The tasting, featuring four organic beers from some of the world’s most respected and innovative brewers, includes:

• 8 p.m. ET: Dupont — Avril (led by @belgianexpert): The brewer’s favorite beer. Light in alcohol, full in flavor. 3.5 percent alcohol by volume (ABV).
• 8:15 p.m. ET: Samuel Smith — Strawberry Ale (led by @merchantduvin): Smooth malt and aromatic strawberry flavors merge together in an elegant fashion with fresh, ripe strawberries. 5.1 percent ABV.
• 8:30 p.m. ET: Bison Brewing — Honey Basil Ale (led by @bisonbrew): Creatively infused with fresh, organic whole leaf basil and organic clover honey. Crisp and herbaceous with a hint of sweetness. 6 percent ABV.
• 8:45 p.m. ET: Hopworks – Rise Up Red (led by @HopworksBeer): Mahogany smooth with mild caramel sweetness, balanced by local Cascade and Centennial hops for a crisp finish. 5.8 percent ABV.
• 9 p.m. ET: After party (free for all!)

Every fifteen minutes, the focus will shift to a different featured beer as brew masters take questions from Twitter fans and share stories about the beers and the breweries. To follow the conversation, use the hashtag #WFMBeer. At least one, if not all, of the beers listed above should be available at most Whole Foods Market stores that sell beer.

Participation is limited to those 21 years or older (duh!).

Twitter Beer Tasting FAQs

What is a Twitter beer tasting?

A Twitter beer tasting is a virtual event where people simultaneously taste beers together, and share their tasting notes in 140 character or less messages on Twitter.

What do I need to do to participate?

At the bare minimum, all you need to participate is a Twitter account and a beer in hand! For each #WFMBeer Twitter tasting, a particular theme is selected by Whole Foods and The Beer Wench. Participation in the Twitter tasting is enhanced when you follow the theme.

How do I follow the conversation?

All people participating in the Twitter beer tasting are encouraged to use the hashtag #WFMBeer in all of their tweets. If you have Tweetdeck or Hootsuite, we recommend that you create and dedicate an entire column to the hashtag, so you can follow the conversation as it happens!

What if I can’t find any of the beers on the “official” list?

You can still participate! Just find a beer or two that fits into the theme and join in. The theme this time around is organic beer — if you can’t find one of the delicious organic beers listed above, just look for the USDA organic logo on the beer shelf in a Whole Foods Market near you!

What if I have questions about the beers that I’m tasting?

You are in luck! Representatives from each of the breweries selected will be on Twitter during the entire event to lead the tasting and answer your questions. All of the representatives are listed next to the beers in the schedule above.

Is it okay to join the conversation late?

Of course! Better late than never!!!

Have more questions? Send me a tweet @TheBeerWench, or leave a message in the comment section below!!!

Coincidentally, Internet week is happening in New York City at the same time as American Craft Beer Week (May 14-20, 2012). Essentially, Internet Week is a large, crowd-sourced festival with events taking place all throughout New York City. Most events are individually run by third parties.

Internet Week NY runs a program called Make the Stage, which allows anyone to enter a pitch or proposal in one of eight categories on www.makethestage.com. Each category awards two winners 45-minute slots onstage at the Internet Week NY headquarters at 82 Mercer, one chosen by public voting and the other chosen by a team of Experts in the field.

Julia Herz, Source: Craftbeer.com

This year Julia Herz, Craft Beer Director at the Brewer’s Association, submitted a talk on the “Localization of Beer”, which has been accepted and is now open for voting. Only two winners chosen per category — one chosen by public voting. Which is where all of you come in!

If any of you have a moment, and are willing, please submit a vote for Julia’s talk here. Note that voting does require you to sign up and enter your name and email address. It is a mere a 30 second quick process and they will not forward your information.

Best of luck to Julia! Cheers to Craft Beer!!!

True story: I’ve never made beer can chicken. Sounds crazy, right? I am a huge advocate for cooking with beer, but have never made a classic beer can chicken. Well, lucky for me, my friend Kevin has… and he is willing to share his recipe with me and all of you!

Now, what makes Kevin’s recipe extra special is not only the use of canned CRAFT beer, but also the addition of bacon. Yes kids, bacon does in fact make everything better. And Kevin’s recipe is living proof!

Kevin’s Beer Can Chicken Recipe

By: Kevin Mocci

Twitter handle: @tapintoct

Blog: tapintoct.blogspot.com

Ingredients

• 1 Small Whole Chicken (4-5 lbs)
  1 Can of beer (I use Dale’s Pale Ale)
  1/2 Cup of your favorite spice rub
  1/2 Tablespoon of Garlic
  1/2 lb of bacon thin or thick slice

Instructions

1. After rinsing the chicken and drying it, remove the insides.

2. Take 1/2 of your spice rub mixture and gently place it between the skin and meat of the chicken (try to do so without tearing the skin, you will be able to see the dark rub through the skin, so you can easily see what area you have covered). Take the other half of your spice rub mixture and rub it on the inside of the bird.

3. Open the beer can and drink half (the best part haha) so that you have 6 ounces left. Put the garlic into the whole in the beer can. Place the beer can, right side up into the chicken. The bird should sit perched up on the can and there should be just an inch or two of the can showing out of the bottom of the chicken.

4. Next, take thee bacon slices and drape them all over the bird, securing them by placing part of each slice into the whole at the top of the chicken. Secure the bacon even further by pushing a few slices of crumpled up bacon into the top of the whole as well.

5. Place the oven rack as low as you need to, to provide enough room for the chicken to cook up right.  You can then place the chicken (which is already on the beer can) into a deep aluminum pan. Be gentle as you put the chicken/pan into the oven, so the bird doesn’t topple over.

6. Total Cook Time 2 hours at 350 degrees. Wait 20 after finishing for the chicken to cool. Enjoy the chicken and the perfectly cooked bacon. Be careful pulling the beer can out of the chicken as it will be hot.

True story: I love discovering awesome things that involve beer. Some things are more awesome than others. And some things, are so awesome that they deserve a wench-approved FTW. Case and point: Goose Island’s latest viral video promoting the launch of 312 in cans.

Now, before we get to the video, I must give credit where credit is due! I found out about the video from Ken Hunnemeder (@HopCastKen), Communications Coordinator at Goose Island and the charming  co-founder of Hop Cast, one of the Wench’s favorite video beer podcasts on the Interwebs. The tweet read as follows:

Beer, dance sequence and Hall & Oats all mentioned in the same 140 character sentence? Color me intrigued!

And, if the video itself was awesome enough, Ken’s adorable face makes several appearances. FTW, for certain my friends, FTW.

As both a craft beer evangelist and an astronomy freak (star and moon obsession, true story), I am particularly excited about Fifty Fifty Brewing’s 5th Anniversary Celebration party this year, during the annular eclipse this May. Known for its highly coveted, internationally award-winning Eclipse series of Bourbon barrel-aged Imperial Stouts, Fifty Fifty Brewing is inviting its friends and fans to experience the pairing of a lifetime: Fifty Fifty’s Eclipse + the Universe’s Solar Eclipse, a once in a year opportunity.

“The planets have aligned, or more accurately, they will on May 20, 2012. While most of North America will be left out, including local cities like San Francisco and Sacramento, Truckee lies in the path of totality for the annular eclipse coming up later this spring.” – (Press Release, Fifty Fifty Brewing)

The celebration will take place at the Fifty Fifty brewpub in Truckee (North Tahoe, CA), starting at noon on May 20th. In addition to live music and awesome beer & food, co-owner, Alicia Barr, says that they anticipate ‘cleaning out the cellar’ to start making room for expansion, and offer some rare bottles for sale including previous vintages of Eclipse, BART, other barrel-aged blends, and some new products as well.

Tickets available at a discount in advance through FiftyFifty’s website.

Event Information:
* Date: Sunday, May 20, 2012
* Time: Noon – 8:30pm
* Venue: FiftyFifty Brewing Co. (Truckee, CA)
* Cost: $14 advance, $17 at the door. $7 for kids
* Bounce house, family games, and eclipse viewing
* Live music throughout the day
* Food: BBQ smoked over Eclipse barrel wood, Sushi from Drunken Monkey
* Drinks: FiftyFifty beer, spirits, water and soda for the kids!

About FiftyFifty Brewing Co.:
FiftyFifty Brewing Co.: Find Your Balance. Located in Truckee at 11197 Brockway Road, between Hwy 267 and downtown Truckee. Open seven days a week from 11:00 a.m. to 2 a.m., FiftyFifty serves both lunch and dinner to complement their variety of beers brewed on the premise. FiftyFifty also features a full bar, seasonal outdoor seating on the patio and live music and entertainment.

Follow @5050Brewing on Twitter