MNB loses its first flame war!

The Internet is a cruel mistress. About a month back I commented on a post by Hair of the Dog Dave (always a good read, I might add) on a video about how to chill a beer (or Coke) in 2 minutes. Here’s the original video:


Chill A Coke In 2 Minutes! – video powered by Metacafe

And here is my comment:

“Apparently they did that on Mythbusters. Man, that guy sucks. I bet he sells used cars. Then he comes home and abuses his cat using everyday household appliances.”

Of course, I didn’t know that the creator of the video would stumble upon the same post. But he did. And he read the comments. And then he TOTALLY FLAMED ME! And Dave… He flamed Dave too. His retort:

“Hey hey?be nice. My cats love Coke!”

Oh the heat… It… burns… I can’t… feel my legs… Let this be a lesson to everyone. If you try to act all big and bad on the Internet, it will come back and BITE YOU. To this guy’s credit, his technique works. I tried it. Though I didn’t try it with a cat and a can of Coke, so, I mean…

Cow Tipper Cream Ale: the wait is over

We’ve finally reached some consensus on a name/label for our cream ale. A very special thanks goes out to Dave for developing the name and concept. The only negative feedback we’ve received thus far has been from Andy, who can’t get it out of his head that this is not what cows looked like when they’re tipped over. And so, I write Andy a rebuttal:

Dear Andy,

You’re way too literal, and that is why you have no friends. We’re trying to start a movement here. We think outside of the box, man. You’re still all up in the box ? and at night you are apparently in Farmer Crackett’s pastures disturbing his heifers.

Your friend acquaintance, Jonathan

The Cow Tipper quote is from Claudette Colbert, esteemed Actress and French-American hearthrob: “It took me years to figure out that you don’t fall into a tub of butter, you jump for it.” That is soooo true.

Ommegang… the rebuttal

An unedited email from a fellow brewer and supplier of pot (brewpot) by the name of Peter:

Fellas, sorry I couldn?t make it last night. Dad was in town for a funeral, and we ended up spending the evening with him. Hope the double batch went well!

Now, as to the real business at hand ? Jonathan, I wanted to address your posting on Ommegang. Although Ommegang is a good beer, I have something else in store for you, my friend. Contrary to the label?s impression, Ommegang is not a Belgian-made beer, but a Belgian-style beer that?s brewed in Cooperstown, NY. This is a very important distinction ? in truth, Ommegang (as you shall see on a taste test in the near future) is a far cry from the ales of the true Belgian Trappist breweries, of which there are 6 in the world, and which, in my opinion, make the finest beers known to man.

Here?s a quick rundown of the Trappist style.

Now, I can realize your delight in Ommegang, having never tried a Rochefort 8, for example, or a Chimay Red. But once you try the real deal, I?m pretty sure you?ll have a hard time with Ommegang brews, with the important exception of the Three Philosophers ale, which is the best they make. The advantage to Ommegang is the price ? they usually cost only 50-75% of a Belgian import. However, a much better compromise than Ommegang, if you want to get the Belgian taste, is to go with a beer made by Unibroue in Canada ? they don?t have the off flavors of the Ommegang, I think because their water is more similar?and because they speak French.

Belgian ales have a lot of variety, but there are similarities, too. For example, most breweries have a Dubbel, a Triple, and sometimes a Quadrupel ? other styles include Saison (a very light, crisp beer), a Dark Ale (some bitterness, but fruitier than its English/Scottish counterpart), etc. It?s good to stack up one brewery?s Dubbel against another brewery?s Dubbel ? the complexity is astounding. You can taste 10-15 different flavors in a good Belgian beer; it?s almost the complexity of wine.