Ünnecessary Ümlaut

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A surplus of geekery by :: Fred Abercrombie

Beer: Sierra Nevada’s The Empire Strikes Black

sierra_empire

This awesomely-named brew is actually a collaborative effort. From a thing Sierra Nevada does called “Beer Camp.” They invite big cheeses from other breweries to not only geek out on all things Sierra, but concoct a new beer recipe together, brew it, then take it back to their own brewpub’s to share with their peeps. Pretty rad.

Hopefully Toronado will snag some. Keep your eyes out.
More info at Beer Spot.

Beer: Top 50 Craft Breweries List Released

The Brewers Association released their list of top craft brewing companies (based on ’08 sales). Go, Lagunitas! See the full list.

2    Sierra Nevada Brewing Co.    Chico    CA
15    Anchor Brewing Co.    San Francisco    CA
18    Stone Brewing Co.    Escondido    CA
24    Gordon Biersch Brewing Co.    San Jose    CA
27    The Lagunitas Brewing Co.    Petaluma    CA
28    Firestone Walker Brewing Co.    Paso Robles    CA
31    BJ’s Restaurant & Brewery    Huntington Beach    CA
39    Karl Strauss Brewing Co.    San Diego    CA
41    Lost Coast Brewery and Cafe    Eureka    CA
44    North Coast Brewing Co.    Fort Bragg    CA
49    Anderson Valley Brewing Co.    Boonville    CA

While 11 of the 50  top-selling craft brewers are from California, it’s Vermont that has the most breweries per capita. I think we’re too busy enjoying local brews to brew our own. That’s my excuse, anyway.