Last week, the Gordon Biersch Brewery in D.C. tapped its Bavarian-style "Fest Bier" to ring in another Oktoberfest season. But what most people didn't notice was the more authentic bier on tap that didn't get a party. Although the scene felt Oktoberfestive, with revelers chugging down Fest Bier in liter-sized mugs—some boot-shaped, like in the movie Beerfest—the more traditional Marzen hardly got a nod. According to Gordon Biersch brewmaster Jason Oliver, Marzen is closer to what original Oktoberfesters drank in the 1800s. With heavy wheat and malt tones, the caramel-colored beer is named after the German for March, the last month when Bavarian brewers can conceivably brew. (Warm weather ain't conducive to beer-making.) Over the summer, the liquid ages in... More

Treasury Department proposal would require "serving facts" on beer packaging. Alcohol containers currently aren't required to list alcohol content, calories, carbohydrates, fat, protein, etc. "Tastes great" would still be debatable, but at least you could garner a hint at whether a brew was "less filling." [Washington Post]A recipe calls for melted butter. If you couldn't see it, how would you know when it was liquefied? A class arms the blind with cooking tips and tricks. [ScrippsNews]Americans going loco for Latino food. Ruth Reichl talks about the trend and Gourmet magazine's Latino-food issue. [Reuters]Food critic grumbles about reviewing chain restaurants, procedes to write about them anyway. Panera Bread, Romano's Macaroni Grill, Stanford's Restaurant & Bar. [Seattle Post-Intelligencer]China tells the World Health... More

Photograph from smwarnke4 on Flickr Is every city tattooed with the new Miller Chill ads? On a bus ride this morning zipping between Union Station and Farragut North—the heart of D.C.'s busy office building district—exactly ten bus stop ads (every one except two) plugged the new beer-cum-margarita drink. The Spanglish is pretty entertaining. "Muy Refreshing," "Viva Refreshing," "a Nuevo Twist on Refreshment" or my favorite, "Beerveza"—but geez. That left only one Rush Hour 3 ad and a few nods to Citibank.... More

Photograph from Cruft Labs Who knew?... More

In Frank Bruni's review of Belgian restaurant Resto he mentions one of the more than 50 beers served: "Order the Kwak, a beverage and a puzzle in one. If you don’t remove its hourglass-shaped goblet from a wood cradle at just the right angle, you go thirsty. And if you don’t return it to the cradle just so, it goes horizontal." A tip for Frank Bruni and anyone else unfamiliar with Kwak: it's perfectly acceptable to keep the glass in the cradle, raising the cradle and glass together to drink. And there's a reason for the unusually shaped Kwak glass. Kwak was first brewed in 1791, in the days of the stage coach. Stage coaches would often stop at an... More

Last week I wrote about cooking with beer, so today it seems only fair to point to Josh Rubin of the Toronto Star on pairing food with beer with Brooklyn Brewery brewmaster Garrett Oliver, who "enjoys going toe-to-toe with sommeliers when it comes to food pairings. Cheese is a favourite tool for his battles, but he has also used stews, cassoulet, seafood and dessert."I've had some Iron Chef-style events where I'll be matching foods with beer, and the sommelier will be matching the same foods with wine," says Oliver. "But beer against wine is like fighting someone with one hand tied behind their back. I haven't lost yet, and the people in the audience doing the judging are usually... More

The Denver Post's Ellen Sweets reviews Race Day Grub: Recipes From the NASCAR Family: "Replete with race-related catchphrases - "Speedy Starters," "Raceworthy Main Courses" and "Sweet Victories" - the 140-page cookbook gives entertaining insight into the lives of those who drive the circuit and how they eat on the road. The anecdotal material is engaging, and the recipes ain't half bad. Not all are off the beaten track ("What's Left in the Cabinet?" grilled chicken, sauerkraut pizza, "Conch and Jimmy Chowder") or made with prepared/ canned/packaged ingredients, either." Three recipes to check out; the Crabmeat au Gratin and Shrimp and Vegetable Risotto look pretty good, but the Spicy Beer-Brined Pork Loin is practically calling my name.... More