Here are the latest articles from the Beer and Brewing site at BellaOnline.com.

Twelve Best Beer Books of 2012

What would the year be without a Best Beer Books of 2012 list? Take inventory of the bookshelf in your personal library. If these are missing, be sure to put them on your New Year’s Bucket List for 2013.

http://www.bellaonline.com/articles/art179130.asp

Craft Beer vs Mass Produced Beer – 15 Eye Openers

Why craft beer? What exactly is it, and why should you care? How is it different from mass-produced beer?

http://www.bellaonline.com/articles/art179090.asp

Dreaming of a White Christmas

When it’s time for a holiday party, most fashionistas seem to think of the little black dress, embellished with sequins and lots of gold jewelry; but that little black dress must be the most hyped-up accessory in America.

http://www.bellaonline.com/articles/art178894.asp

A Few of My Favorite Things

December rocks! Whether you are preparing to celebrate Samichlaus Day, Chanukah, Christmas, Dongzhi, Kwanzaa, or Boxing Day, you may get momentarily distracted searching through the rows of tasty craft beers that add color and warmth to your winter holidays.

http://www.bellaonline.com/articles/art178829.asp

Cyber Monday Beer - Ultimate Relaxation

Wait … did I say “quaffing beer”? Absolutely. Cyber Monday is a day of total relaxation, and there is nothing better than starting the day with eggs and a delicate wheat beer in the morning

http://www.bellaonline.com/articles/art178759.asp

From the Beer Fox Archives:

Counting Calories in Beer

As one who has finally committed to eating healthy and losing weight, I am not looking to sabotage my efforts with high calorie foods. But my love of beer, particularly those seasonal beers that spark up the holiday season, could easily set me on the path to failure.

http://www.bellaonline.com/articles/art173969.asp

Beer Fox Tip of the Week

I’ll bet many of you didn’t know that chocolate is a fermented food. So are sourdough breads, pickled vegetables, olives, yogurt and cheeses. How about salami, prosciutto, crème fraîche, kimchi, sauerkraut, and hot pepper sauce? And beer.

When looking for ideal pairings, remember that these fermented foods are already optimal candidates by nature of their complementary processes. You will still need to take care to match strength of flavors and strength of alcohol level, as well as texture and aroma. But using the natural attributes of each will help you discover what nature has already designed.

Beer Fox Laugh of the Week

On New Year's Eve, Marilyn stood up in the local pub and said that it was time to get ready. At the stroke of midnight, she wanted every husband to be standing next to the one person who made his life worth living.

Well, it was kind of embarrassing. As the clock struck - the bartender was almost crushed to death.

Beer News:

Rogue Ales and Spirits grows honeybees in the farms and fields of the Wigrich Appellation in Independence, Oregon. The honey produced at the Rogue Farm Micro Hopyard celebrates the land and its lush fields of rye and corn, woodruff, lavender and berries. Rogue Farms 19 Original Colonies Mead, crafted with Hopyard and Wildflower Honey, Jasmine Green Tea leaves, coastal water and champagne yeast is as pure as it gets – light, spritzy, and delicate and distributed in 22 ounce silkscreened bottles and on draft.

Beer Fests and Events:

Big Beers, Belgians and Barleywines Festival – January 10-12, 2013 at Vail Cascade Resort & Spa, Vail Colorado – Features a Homebrew Competition, CraftBeer.com Taste-off, Dry Dock Seminar, Firestone Walker Seminar, Art of Blending Hops Seminar, and Experimental Brewing Seminar. Also features the Calibration Dinner, Welcome Reception and Friday’s Brewmasters’ Dinner, and a commercial tasting segment. For info: http://www.bigbeersfestival.com/

19th Annual Great Alaska Beer & Barley Wine Festival – January 18-19, 2013 at the William A. Egan Civic & Convention Center, Anchorage, Alaska - Festival attendees get a commemorative glass, 30 samples, special guest Steven Pauwels, Brewmaster Boulevard Brewing and Jim Roberts, aka Dr. Fermento, beer writer and all around beer aficionado. For info: http://auroraproductions.net/beer-barley.html

Pike 5th Annual Chocofest – February 10, 2013 at Pike Brewing Company, 1415 First Avenue, Seattle, Washington – “It's a virtual orgy for food and drink lovers!” announce the Finkels. Owners and representatives from more than 60 vendors will include local wineries, distilleries, cider makers, brewers, and importers, along with restaurants, brewers, bakers, cheese makers, and a coffee roaster, too.” For reservations and info: Tara at 206-812-6604 or email at: tshuttleworth@pikebrewing.com

Craft Beer of the Week Award

Road Slush Oatmeal Stout – New Glarus Brewing Company, New Glarus, Wisconsin, USA
Oatmeal Stout – 6.2% ABV

The rich color of cherry cola fills the glass while a lean head forms like a seal over the body beneath. Aromas of chocolate, nuts, earth, and coffee lie in a wash of caramelly sweetness. On the palate, the full body sinks into the tongue, rich with chocolate malts, caramel coffee and silky nut. Roasty and highly drinkable! Quaff on!

Cheers!

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

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