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CAMRA & The First International Gluten Free Beer Festival
CAMRA, the world-renowned Campaign for Real Ale, is standing up to promote the social/community life of those with Celiac (Coeliac) Disease by giving space for the First International Gluten-Free Beer Festival in Chesterfield, UK.
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Friday the Firkinteenth - Cask Conditioned Philly Event
Now a registered trademark of The Grey Lodge Pub, Friday the Firkinteenth is a special one-night event celebrating cask-conditioned ales, exclusively held on each Friday the 13th, giving this event "limited-edition" status.
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Trappist Beer - The Select Seven
It is no wonder that a mysterious aura surrounds the world of Trappist Beer. Brewed in small quantities, but with the same dedication to perfection that had become their trademark, this beer became known throughout the world as the champagne of Belgium.
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Beer Fox Tip of the Week:

Blending beers for the heightened pleasure of ever-refreshing aroma and flavor is an artful skill.  Although it has been standard practice in many pubs throughout Europe and Australia, it is one that has met with high tides and ebbs in the USA, but is always a fun alternative.  Some Standard Classics and New Kids:

Black & Tan - Draught Guinness and Draught Bass or Harp

Half & Half - Pilsner and Draught Bitter Ale

Chocolate Covered Strawberry - 2/3 Lancaster Strawberry Wheat & 1/3 Lancaster Milk Stout

Chocolate Cherry - 1/4 draught Cantillon Kriek & 3/4 Cask-Conditioned Rogue Chocolate Stout

Black Velvet - Stout & Champagne

Black Velveteen - Stout & Hard Cider

Milky Rose - Mackeson Triple XXX Milk Stout & Ragin' River Ale

Shandy Gaff - Draught beer & Ginger Ale

Hammer Into Anvil - 1/2 Iron Hill Anvil Ale & 1/2 Heavyweight Brewing Co. Perkuno's Hammer Imperial Porter

Victory Dirty Ho' - 1/2 Old Horizontal Barleywine & 1/2 Storm King Stout

Beer Fox Laugh of the Week:

A young man was pulled over by the Mississippi State Police for speeding. The officer stepped out of his patrol car, adjusted his sunglasses, and swaggered up to the young man's window. "What chew driving so fast for boy? You going to a fahhr? Let me see your license, boy." The young man handed over his license.  Then the officer noticed that the back seat of the car was full of large knives. The officer said, "Tell me boy, why you got them knives on that there back seat?" The young man replied, "Well sir, I'm a juggler." The officer spat some tobacco juice and then he said, "A juggler; well you don't say. Boy, put cha hands on the trunk of yer car; you going to jail!"

The young man pleaded with the officer not to take him to jail. He offered to prove to the officer that he was a juggler by way of demonstration. He said, "You can even hold me at gunpoint while I juggle for you." The officer reluctantly allowed him to prove his point while he held him at gunpoint.

Two miles down the road at Joe's Tavern, Billy Bub was drinking it up with Jerry Lee Jones. Billy Bub soon left and got into his old, rusty pickup truck. He proceeded down the road trying his best to stay on the right side. All of a sudden Billy Bub spotted the most unbelievable sight of his life! He drove to the nearest phone booth and dialed the number for Joe's Tavern and asked for his buddy, Jerry Lee.

When Jerry Lee got on the phone, Billy Bub said, "Whatever you do when you leave that tavern, don't go north on route 109. The state police are giving a sobriety test that nobody can pass!"

Beer News:

Spoetzl Brewery, the oldest independent brewery in Texas, is rolling out Shiner 96, a limited edition Marzen-style beer, as a tribute to the brewery's 96 year heritage.  Shiner 96 is the first in a group of five commemorative beers to be released, one each year, to mark Spoetzel Brewery's 100th Anniversary in 2009.

In addition to the new commemorative series of beers, Spoetzl has redesigned its packaging for six Shiner Specialty Beers:  Shiner Bock, Shiner Kolsch, Shiner Blonde, Shiner Hefeweizen, Shiner Light, and Shiner Dunkelweizen.  Brand logos have visual energy, due to their angular layout, while each individual beer displays unique illustrations for branding purposes:  A shiner Bock Ram's Head, the original brew kettle, the Texas Horned Toad, and the like...

Craft Brew of the Week Award:

Cask Conditioned Uncle Teddy's Bitter - Victory Brewing Company, Downingtown, PA, USA
Style:  English Bitter

This authentic "ordinary" bitter grabs your immediate attention with its golden body, awash with orange lights and a creamy head that has true staying power.  Subtle aromas of fruit and malt drift up to meet your olfactory senses - lightly earthy, with an air of floral hops.

Your mouth is greeted by malt sweetness and light toast, airily scattered with mild fruit flavors and an impeccable balance of biting hops.

Highly drinkable, this is what session beer is all about!

Cheers!

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Carolyn Smagalski, Beer and Brewing Editor
http://Beer.bellaonline.com