A Wee Homebrew Debacle

September 4, 2010 by Andrew Dunfee Leave a Comment

Brewing Scottish Ale without a recipe or a clue.

According to BeerAdvocate.com, “Scottish Ales traditionally go through a long boil in the kettle for a caramelization of the wort. This produces a deep copper to brown in colored brew and a higher level of unfermentable sugars which create a rich mouthfeel and malty flavors and aromas. Overall hop character is low, light floral or herbal, allowing its signature malt profile to be the highlight. Smoky characters are also common.”  Some of their top-ranked examples include:  Old Chub, Dark Island, Blackfriar, and Duke of Winship.  (A full description and competition guidelines can also be found here.)

I’m not super familiar with this style of beer and I definitely didn’t set out to make it, but after a trip to my favorite homebrew store, Stomp Them Grapes, I sort of found myself on the path to do just that.
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Novel Update

September 2, 2010 by Andrew Dunfee 1 Comment

As some may know, I’m in the middle of writing my first novel, called Old Friend Stranger. It’s not something I’m doing because I should or think I’d be good, but something I always wanted to do since I was a kid.  Regardless of how it turns out, I’m having fun.

Now, I don’t exactly know what it’s about. I mean, I do, but putting it into a nice coherent line, in under 150 words (what you’d send to an agent), is damn near impossible. If I do that, I find myself making broad, sweeping generalizations or I find myself focusing solely on one or two characters.
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Obama Hating

September 1, 2010 by Andrew Dunfee 11 Comments

An appeal to the haters.

[WARNING:  I'm not a political writer; this is terribly long and possibly terrible.  I wouldn't even consider this an opinion piece but more of a feelings dump.]

Today, I want to write about something completely unrelated to beer.  I want to talk about Obama.  Why?  Because I’m sick of all the haters.

Obama’s approval ratings are low.  The economy still sucks.  People aren’t happy about the health care bill (even though they probably should be).  They want to know where all the new jobs are.  And in November, there’s a chance Congress is going to get flipped back to the Republicans making his job that much harder (in my opinion) to the chagrin of this country.

Granted, I think we’re all missing the energy and zeal he brought during the campaign.  He needs to not be so freaking cool all the time.  He’s moderately incommunicative and cloistered and not delivering the big, emotional speeches and not holding our hands and telling us how we’re going to get through all this.  And sure, he’s made some pretty big political gaffes.  But truthfully, I’m still a big fan.
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Whoa, Lines

August 22, 2010 by Andrew Dunfee 5 Comments

A perspective of the 1st Justice League of Street Food Bash

Over the past few weeks, I became overly excited for the Justice League of Street Food‘s first-ever Bash/Party/Pig-Out-Session.  I looked forward to delicious food, my favorite beer, hanging out with friends, and experiencing something new, something different.  Sadly, that’s not exactly what happened.
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Gunning for the GABF

August 18, 2010 by Andrew Dunfee 4 Comments

World Wide Stout - By Bernt Rostad

Beers I Must Try at the Great American Beer Festival [Note:  List updated with Reader Suggestions.]

I will be the first beer blogger to admit it–I don’t particularly love the GABF. But it’s not because there’s anything wrong with it; in fact, strong arguments can be made in its case. It’s because I don’t go prepared. I find myself aimlessly wandering from line to line, trying whatever beer in whatever order. The beers are always delicious, but I never remember or learn anything, and after an hour or so, I think to myself, “Can I just sit down at a bar and have a full pint of beer?”

But not this year.  This year, I’m going prepared.
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Beer Full of Miracle

August 18, 2010 by Andrew Dunfee Leave a Comment

Genesis’s Foxtrot Through Beer [Originally posted at Jenn and Beer.  Thanks Jenn!]

I recently started an unprecedented, wholly unnecessary experiment to pair beer with song.  It’s simple.  I pick an album, go through each track, and determine what beer would be best with it and why.  This is attempt #2.

For today’s album, I’ve chosen an old favorite.  It is going to be great, a real hootenanny (no, it’s not by The Replacements), and should go over really well.  I say this because everyone, I mean every single normal person I’ve ever met on the face of this planet (with the exception of Jared & Jason Prosek), has never heard of it.  It’s called Foxtrot from1972 by little known band, Genesis.
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She Hates Ice

August 16, 2010 by Andrew Dunfee Leave a Comment

Library of Congress

Why Terence Trent D’Arby Can’t Sing. [2010 NYC Midnight Short Story Challenge 1 Entry]

The artist readies himself while the three engineers stare.  They stare at ice cubes bathed by soda in a clear plastic cup.  Two engineers fail to see a problem; one sees it clearly.  Jody.  She hates ice.  She looks at Tom, says, “Where’d you get it?”
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Ice Story Recap

August 16, 2010 by Andrew Dunfee Leave a Comment

2010 NYC Midnight Short Story Contest – Challenge 1 (08/15/2010)

[Explanation (added a bit later):  NYC Midnight has a yearly short story contest.  It's 3 rounds and 4 challenges long.  All contestants (400+) are divided into 20 groups.  At midnight on a Friday, each group receives an assignment:  a genre, location, and object.  You have until Sunday at midnight to write a short story (1,000 words or less) based on the assignment.  The stories are judged...  There are multiple challenges, rounds.  Next challenge is in a month...]

Friday night, at bar: Assignment emailed to my phone.  I read it (political satire, recording studio, air conditioner), laugh.  I read out loud.  We all laugh. Ideas are given.

Saturday morning: I bust out a full-size moleskin.  I start a weird mind-map, don’t get far and find myself researching the history of the air conditioner.  I go to the toilet.  An idea about ice pops into my mind.  I don’t think this is going to be the story, but I write it down anyway. I flush the toilet.
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Fan Appreciation

August 11, 2010 by Andrew Dunfee Leave a Comment

2010-08-07:  Great Divide Smoked Baltic Porter Release Party

When I think of parties, I think cheap keg beer in a cramped kitchen, bad hip-hop warbling tinny speakers, people sprawled out on couches.  Or… hors d’oeuvres, wine, cocktail dresses, Matchbox 20, and white linen.

What I don’t think of is this:  a party at a brewery in a large, open space with big, bold beers that you won’t get anywhere else.

I’m at Great Divide.  It’s Friday evening.  The entire brewery is open to the public.  It’s a party to celebrate the release of a new seasonal, Smoked Baltic Porter, and to feature their 16th Anniversary Wood Aged Double IPA.
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11 Songs, 10 Beers

August 8, 2010 by Andrew Dunfee 7 Comments

The Hold Steady’s Boys and Girls in America through beer.

Friends know I’m a huge fan of The Hold Steady.  I probably think about their music too much.  Hector and I are flying to Birmingham in September just to see them.  We were at their Ogden performance in June, and I’ve seen them two times before—once in Chicago at the Pitchfork Music Festival.

While jamming out on guitar to the song Chips Ahoy, a question popped into my mind:  What beer, if I were drinking, would I want right now?  In other words, what beer goes best with this song?

An answer didn’t immediately come to mind, but an idea did.  Could one perfectly pair a beer with a song?  Could I pair a beer to each song off of an album, or more specifically, a Hold Steady album, or more specifically still, the album Boys and Girls in America?
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