James May’s Man Lab – Solving the Problem of Carrying Beer
It’s a problem many of us have faced during our lifetime – you’re out socialising down the pub with friends and it’s your turn to buy the round of beer. However, while you may be skilled enough to carry 3 or even 4 pints of beer in one go, when it comes to carrying more than 4 pints out comes the dreaded tray! It’s very rare to make it back to your table without the tray being knocked and your beloved beer being spilt, which is why James May and Simmy from James May’s Man Lab have found a solution.
They have come up with a prototype carrying device which relies on atmospheric pressure – a rubber disc seals the beer glass, while a pressure gauge allows it to be carried or hooked to a carrier. This allows you to carry a whole round of beer back to your table without spilling a drop however busy the bar is. Genius!
Here’s to Oktoberfest – The World’s Biggest Beer Festival!
If you love beer, sausages, yodelling and lederhosen, then it’s that time of year again! September 22nd sees the start of Germany’s (and possibly the World’s) most famous Beer Festival: Oktoberfest.
Every year over 6 million people flock to Munich to join in the annual Oktoberfest, the world’s largest fair and most renowned beer festival. Oktoberfest has a rich history, dating back to the wedding celebrations of Crown Prince Ludwig and Princess Therese of Bavaria in 1810 and have remained an important event ever since.
The modern Oktoberfest is a grand event with people from all corners of the globe attending and consuming over 7 million litres of beer in 16 days! The fair also boasts a funfair, live music from various cultures and genres and a huge selection of stalls and tents serving traditional Bavarian Fayre such as Schweinebraken (Roast Pork), Hendl (Roast Chicken), Pretzels and of course the international favourite: Bratwursts, so you’ll never go hungry.
All of the beer at Oktoberfest is brewed within Munich city limits and must be at least 6% vol to qualify, so be prepared! Oktoberfest beer is not to be taken lightly; you don’t want to turn into a "Bierleichen" (German for "beer corpse")
It’s also customary to see the locals (and quite a few visitors too!) dressed traditionally in Lederhosen or Dirndls (for the ladies) and quaffing large quantities of beer from Steins. You might even get to experience the ’Beer Boot’ which makes a Yard of Ale seem like a walk in the park!
If you’re thinking of attending; plan ahead. Needless to say Munich gets very busy this time of year, despite being a European hub centre. Flights around the festival date can become unavailable very quickly and hotels few and far between due to the massive influx of international visitors. For bookings and more information on Oktoberfest go to: www.Oktoberfest.de/en
1: Hofbrauhaus Oktoberfest Stein Glass 35oz / 1ltr
2: Giant Glass Beer Boot 3.5 Pint
3: Hofbrauhaus Ceramic Beer Stein Lion Motif 35oz / 1ltr
4: Plastic Yard of Ale Glass with Lid 2.4 Pint
If you can’t make it to Oktoberfest in Munich then you can easily host your own version at home. Just stock-up on Steins, cook up some sausages, pour yourself a Lowenbrau and if you’re feeling daring; dust off the Beer Boot and dance the night away!
The Great British Beer Festival – Fight the Tax Hike
The Great British Beer Festival - http://gbbf.org.uk/
Today is the launch of CAMRA’s Great British Beer Festival at London’s Olympia. The Olympia is transformed this week into a giant pub offering over 800 different Beers, Ales, Ciders and traditional Perries to over 50,000 attending pub fanatics.
This arena gives credit to Individual and established brewers from all over the world who continue to brew exciting and original beverages that keep the fans of traditional brewing coming back for more. It’s not only the real ale veterans who keep coming back, more and more younger drinkers are turning to real ale despite a downfall in pub sales. Also CAMRA has recorded a doubling of female ale drinkers ensuring the scene continues to be fresh and lively.
It’s not all about the drink though, supporting the event this week are food stalls from around the world and daily entertainment from bands such as Mad Dog McRea and the Deborah Bonham Band and more.
Tickets are on sale now from http://gbbf.org.uk/
Fight the Tax Hike!
During the festival CAMRA will be taking the opportunity to gain support for its campaign to abolish the above inflation tax increase which has seen the price of a pint in the UK rise by 42% in 4 years. This hike is stifling the pub industry and as a result 8,000 pubs have closed in the last 5 years and the increase in price has meant that over 50% of adults prefer to drink at home instead of supporting their local. Needless to say CAMRA is driving the petition towards parliamentary debate with over 72,000 signatures already they are a whisker away from securing the 100,000 signatures needed to force the issue in parliament.
To sign CAMRA’s petition; follow this link and support your local pub! http://epetitions.direct.gov.uk/petitions/29664/
The World’s Most Expensive Beers
If you've ever felt ripped off after being handed your change at the bar then think again as the most expensive beer in the world costs $800 for a bottle! Here we compile a list of some of the world's most expensive beers:
Antarctic Nail Ale
You need to be a keen animal lover to purchase this beer at $800 (£514) a bottle as all the profits go to the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society, which opposes whaling in the Antarctic region. This beer is made using water from an actual Antarctic iceberg, melted it in Tasmania and flown to Perth for brewing. Only 30 bottles were made and sold at auction, hence the hefty price tag.
Brewdog’s “The End of History”
Scottish brewery Brewdog are quite well known for their expensive range of beers, but they certainly hit the headlines with their "The End of History" beer at $765 (£492) per bottle. At 110 proof, it's also the third strongest beer ever made as well as the current second most expensive with only 12 bottles made. However the real eye-catching aspect of this beer is the fact that each bottle is encased in roadkill and stuffed by a taxidermist. Not one for the fainthearted.
Carlsberg Vintage 3
Usually better known for their exported lager, Carlsberg produced the "vintage trilogy" in 2008, 2009 and 2010 in an attempt the challenge the luxury wine market with each bottle costing $348 (£223). Only 600 bottles were made, however, this vintage beer offers excellent value for money with an expiry date of 2059.
Schorschbräu’s Schorschbock 57
Made in Germany in 2011, only 36 bottles of this $275 (£176) were made and the brewery claims it's the strongest beer in the world at 115 proof. Any higher and this beer would violate Germany's 500-year-old Beer Purity Law.
Samuel Adams’ Utopias
Samuel Adams’ Utopias boasts a $100 (£64) per bottle price tag and at 24-27 proof is banned in 13 American states. This beer is released every 2 years after being uniquely brewed for 18 years with a touch of maple syrup and comes in an ornate copper-plated brew kettle.
Other expensive beers include Brewdog’s Sink the Bismarck at $80 (£51) which has been freeze-distilled four times, Tutankhamun Ale at $75 (£48) which was brewed in a Cambridge laboratory after a recipe was discovered in the Queen Nefertiti’s Temple of the Sun in Egypt, Crown Ambassador Reserve $90 (£57) which an Australian beer packaged in a champagne bottle and Sapporo’s Space Barley $110 (£70) for a 6 pack which has been brewed in space by scientists!
Cheers!
The Drinkstuff Blog
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Geek your beer with the Android Kegerator
Beer and technology don't often mix well...think inappropriate Facebook pictures and your phone drowned in a pint of beer. However, geeks can now rejoice with the invention of the Android Kegerator (not suitable for Apple users)! This Android tablet operated kegerator, known as the KegDroid has been designed by Google employee Paul Carff. The KegDroid uses a Motorola Xoom tablet running ICS for primary processing and an Ardunio board which links the mechancial pumping processes and an NFC reader to the tablet. Users then swipe their NFC badge over the reader, which pulls information from their Google+ profile to ensure you're old enough to be served by the KegDroid. The user can choose their glass size and beer type, then open the tap while the Android mascot dispenses the beverage straight into a glass. Now that's what technology was made for!
Cheers!
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DIY: Make your own beer kegerator
Question: What's better than beer? Answer: An chilled beer on tap! But there's no need to head down to the pub, because you can make your own draft beer system at home! Robert Hess has made a video giving you step-by-step instructions on how to turn your fridge into a beer kegerator! However, we recommend you ask permission from your partner/parents/flatmate/boss first!
Cheers!
The Drinkstuff Blog
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