Here's the latest article from the Beer and Brewing site at BellaOnline.com.

Big Bold Barley Wine
There he stood – a deep copper-mahogany, with ruby lights shooting through his body. A thin head of cream laid like a mesh blanket on his surface.

http://www.bellaonline.com/articles/art48219.asp

Beer & Barley Wine in the Alaskan Winter
As the cold winds blow in with the jet stream, the Sleeping Lady lies in wait for her lover Nekatla to return from the North.

http://www.bellaonline.com/articles/art48034.asp

Beer Cookery - Eric the Red Potatoes & Wintered Greens
The Beer Fox says, “A taste of Northern culture - hearty and full of vitamin-rich goodness.”
http://www.bellaonline.com/articles/art48011.asp

Beer Cookery - Molten Cherry Chocolate Cake
The Beer Fox says, “ Rich, dark, chocolaty, and just a hint of coffee makes this a molten, mouth-watering slice of pleasure!”

http://www.bellaonline.com/articles/art47882.asp

Beer Fox Tip of the Week:

On Wednesday, December 20, 2006, Anheuser Busch introduces Redbridge Gluten Free Sorghum Beer to the American beer market. Brewed in Merrimack, New Hampshire, USA, the new gluten free beer will be available in specialty and organic and health food grocery stores across the nation.

Beer Fox Laugh of the Week:

A magician worked on a cruise ship. The audience was different each week so the magician did the same tricks over and over again. There was only one problem: The captain's parrot saw the shows each week and began to understand how the magician did every trick. Once he understood, he started shouting in the middle of the show, "Look, it's not the same hat!" or, "Look he's hiding the flowers under the table!" or "Hey, why are all the cards the ace of spades?" The magician was furious but couldn't do anything. It was, after all, the captain's parrot.

Then one stormy night on the Pacific, the ship unfortunately sank, drowning almost all who were on board. The magician luckily found himself on a piece of wood floating in the middle of the sea, as fate would have it . . with the parrot.

They stared at each other with hatred, but did not utter a word.

This went on for a day . . . and then 2 days . . . and then 3 days. Finally on the 4th day, the parrot could not hold back any longer and said...

"OK, I give up. Where's the damn ship?"

Beer News

On Monday, December, 18, 2006, Rob Imeson, President of The Michael Jackson Rare Beer Club, sent out the following letter on behalf of Michael Jackson, the Beer Hunter and leading authority on beer and whiskey:

"Good Afternoon:

I have been asked to write to you by Michael Jackson - who is currently traveling and researching on behalf of the Rare Beer Club.

Michael is notorious among his friends for his passionate commitment to his work, and for the fearsome schedule he sets himself. What he has kept from us is the fact that he has been suffering from Parkinson's disease for at least a decade and perhaps twice as long.

During that time he has written several thousand tasting notes and several hundred articles and has also presented scores of tutored tastings, speeches and book-signings around the world. Further, Michael has produced new books such as Ultimate Beer, The Great Beer Guide, Scotland and its Whiskies, and Whisky - The Definitive World Guide which, incidentally, was named best drinks book of 2006 in the James Beard Award and also the recipient of three other international honors. He has this fall compiled an anthology of his writing for Slow Food and completed a further revision of the fifth edition of The Great Beers of Belgium; his Complete Guide to Single Malt Scotch is also in its fifth edition.

Michael has great praise for the work of the medical profession in the development of treatments to combat Parkinson's. He has recently been prescribed some new medication, and the calibration of doses has caused some problems, which are gradually being ironed out.

He tells us: “When everything is in place, I can run almost as well as I did when I played Rugby League. The problems arise when I become absorbed in writing, or in a conversation, and forget my medication. Even the slightest delay can make me very unsteady on my feet - unable to walk at times - and slurred in my speech. Understandably, people think I am drunk, especially given my profession. I am not. My wild days were long ago. My writing has always fostered the notion of tasting more and drinking less, and I am true to that philosophy. The Gods have a sense of irony in making me look drunk when my intake of alcohol is at its most modest.”

As you can tell, Michael is in excellent spirits and very much looks forward to the next chapter of his life which he obviously expects to be productive. In addition to being a great example by the way he has lived with this disease, Michael is already talking about projects that will benefit others with Parkinson’s disease and you can be assured that we will be hearing a lot more from him in that regard in the future.

I know that you will all join us in wishing Michael the best during this holiday season and into 2007 and beyond as he continues to lead the discovery of exciting new beers!

Best regards,

Robert Imeson
President
The Michael Jackson Rare Beer Club"

This letter was published with permission.

Craft Beer of the Week Award

Brooklyn Winter Ale 2006 - Brooklyn Brewery, Brooklyn New York, USA

Style: Scottish Ale

In the pour, the rich amber-chestnut body is tinged with crimson highlights and topped with a thin, off-white head. Your nose fills with toasted malts, brown sugar, and fruit - cherries, dates, raisins - mixed with earth and Christmas spices.

Flavors are full of holiday memories - fruit filled breakfast cake, cloves and nutmeg, and toasted cinnamon bread sprinkled with brown sugar. An earthy pine lingers in the background, tempering the rich malt backbone. Hints of butterscotch and caramel add to the joy. A nice warmer to accompany your fireside chat.

Cheers!

Please visit Beer.bellaonline.com for even more great content about Beer and Brewing. To participate in free, fun online discussions, this site has a community forum all about Beer and Brewing located here -

http://forums.bellaonline.com/postlist.php?Cat=0&Board=326

I hope to hear from you sometime soon, either in the forum or in response to this email message. I thrive on your feedback!

Have fun passing this message along to family and friends, because we all love free knowledge!

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

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