Travel by the Pint Vidcast

[Travel by the Pint]

It has been a pleasure to meet all of you at the recent LBG meetings. Michael and I are new members, and on Wednesday were able to open our first bottles of our first homebrew. It was a relief that it turned out, and even better than average. It was a blonde kit from Homebrewers Outpost, and very similar to New Belgium's Mighty Arrow. Definitely inspired us to try again, and something a bit more advanced.

We'd like to invite you to check out our video podcast, Travel by the Pint (http://www.travelbythepint.com). Yesterday we posted Part II of our interview with Ron Jeffries of Jolly Pumpkin Artisan Ales. Ron's sour ales are 100% barrel aged using wild yeast, creating a fusion of his own artistic vision and classic European styles.

We won't be at the May meeting. Instead we'll be in the Holland, Michigan area interviewing more brewmasters for upcoming episodes. Hopefully we'll see all of you in June.

Thanks!

-Sally

[Blktre]

I think this is not only something fun you two are doing, but something that's very informative. Thanks for sharing and cant wait for the next show!!!
Cheers,
Andy

[Melonmon]

I just viewed Episode 1. What a wonderful job you guys are doing. I'm very impressed. Makes me want to go to Fayettevile, AR and Miami. OK! Who'd a thunk?

[Travel by the Pint]

Thank you for the wonderful feedback! Producing this has been a labor of love, to say the least.

-Sally

[Blktre]

I posted this on Brews-Bros and the Brewboard as well.

[Travel by the Pint]

Quick update on our shooting schedule. We're on the road again, but managed to get Part I of Vino's posted before our departure.
Yesterday we interviewed Steve Buszka, formerly of Bell's, about a new brewery/distillery in the works. He's got some groundbreaking ideas about vodka that may even make a vodka drinker out of me. That'll be in season 2.
And Friday we picked up a six of Pickle Tink at Schmohz in Grand Rapids. Pickle Tink is a strawberry wheat. The strawberry notes are clear without being overpowering. I was hoping to bring it to tasting in June, but it looks like we'll be on the road again, so it may be July. We'll keep it in the fridge until then.
Cheers
-Sally

[Travel by the Pint]

Two vacation tips:
We recently had the pleasure of visiting two great brewpubs - one in central Missouri, and the other in the Black Hills of South Dakota.
If you are in the Jefferson City area, I strongly suggest stopping in at Prison Brews. The food is terrific, as well as the decor. And the beer? I had an IPA that was one of the best I've had in a while.
Heading west? Check out Crow Peak in Spearfish, SD. It's a bit off the beaten track and they have extremely limited hours. But the beer is well worth the effort.
Both will be featured in Season 2 of Travel by the Pint.
Assuming that there isn't a technical failure, I hope to upload Part II of the Alltech interview while on the road in the next few days.
-Sally

[Travel by the Pint]

We just uploaded a new episode of Travel by the Pint, and the first of our special festival reports. The episode on the Saint Louis Brewers Heritage Festival includes an interview with Ellen's counterpart in St. Charles. http://www.travelbythepint.com
-Sally

[Travel by the Pint]

We posted another episode of our vidcast over the weekend. This is part II of our interview with brewmaster Duncan Williams of Grizzly Peak, Ann Arbor Michigan. It's a tad longer than most (about 2x as long) but rich with information about the chemical process of nitrogen dispensed beers, their unusual Pugsley fermentation system, and much more.
Enjoy!
http://travelbythepint.com/blog/2009/07 ... k-part-ii/
-Sally

[Travel by the Pint]

I posted Part I of my interview with Right Brain Brewery in Traverse City last week, and hope to post Part II first thing tomorrow.
Right Brain is making a name for themselves in the Michigan market by brewing an ever-changing menu of statement beers. Brewmaster John Neidermaier strives to keep a few flavors on tap that will make people think. In other words, he wants a few beers that will sell slow. He also rarely repeats a beer, even those that customers have raved over.
The audio on these episodes is not the best. Sorry about that. The morning of my interview I woke up with a terrible case of food poisoning from the previous night's supper, and my concentration was nearly entirely on not hurling. One of the hazards of my profession, I'm afraid - being sick on the road with no time to recover.
I managed to keep everything down long enough to pull off the interview. You'll have to trust me that that was a major victory (as well as a small miracle.) I'm just disappointed that my condition prevented me from sampling any of their beers, but I definitely plan to the next time I'm in Traverse City. Michael raved about them!
http://www.travelbythepint.com
-Sally

[Travel by the Pint]

Another couple of episodes have been posted. The latest are from Fredericksburg, in the Hill Country of Texas. Fredericksburg Brewing Company was the first brewpub to open after the laws in Texas changed. The area's German heritage is evident both in their brewing practices and menu.
If anyone is planning to head that way for Oktoberfest, be sure to check it out!
http://www.travelbythepint.com
-Sally
PS: We're nearly finished with Season 1. Season 2, which will begin in mid- to late-fall 2009, will include breweries and pubs in New Mexico, Colorado, South Dakota, Ohio, Kansas, and Missouri.

[Travel by the Pint]

Back in town again - for a little while, at least. Since my last update, I've posted two episodes on Lumber Baron in Bay City, Michigan. You might be interested to know that Lumber Baron is owned by the same man who began the Tough Man competitions.
But most recently I've posted part one of an episode on Bluegrass Brewing Company in Louisville. They brew some traditionals, but they also throw in some fun, funky stuff. And they don't pilot! It's sink or swim with them.
Some guild members may remember brewer Jerry Gnagy, whose first head brewer position was at Sports Page where 23rd Street is now located. Is all this bringing up a lot of memories? It probably is! I'll just leave it at that.

http://travelbythepint.com/blog/2009/09 ... ny-part-i/

-Sally

[Travel by the Pint]

Season 2 is well underway, beginning with two episodes at Steamworks in Durango. Our most recent episodes are at Three Rivers in Farmington, New Mexico http://travelbythepint.com/blog/2010/01 ... s-brewery/ Three Rivers answers the question: what would a brewery be like if it were run by a former surfer dude? Go for the brews (around 50 styles in a year using 4 different yeasts at any one time), and linger to look at their amazing collection of antique beer labels from the Czech region.
The second part of that interview is available on iTunes now, but it will be a few days before it appears on our blog. That episode includes a chat with the current brewers.
-Sally

[Travel by the Pint]

I uploaded episode 0208 this afternoon, which focuses on Founders Brewing in Grand Rapids. This was a sit-down interview with Dave Engbers and Mike Stevens. It was a very honest interview, and gives a lot of insight into the partner's amazing friendship. If I were to subtitle this episode, it might be: "Which one is the really crappy beer?" In other words, it's quite a ride.
It's on iTunes now, but will probably lag a few days before we can post the video player on our web site.
Cheers!
-Sally