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

Rodenbach 2007 Vintage Oak Aged Ale Batch No. 230

Our evening venue adopted the tone of a Viennese coffee house … joie de vivre, Bohemian kitsch. Elegant, hedonistic, lively

http://www.bellaonline.com/articles/art66726.asp

Manayunk Brewery & Restaurant Headlines Hopfest

It was Saturday, April 24th, and the streets of downtown Manayunk were abuzz with sidewalk café-ers, window shoppers, and those seeking out local food and drink.

http://www.bellaonline.com/articles/art66631.asp

The Bronze Chicken of Beer

We all have talents and aversions, and my Beer Fox Brain simply did not accept the challenges necessary to process the fundamentals of electromagnetic bronzing. But that was before I knew Phil Farrell and his famously-photographed rubber chicken.

http://www.bellaonline.com/articles/art66588.asp

Gourmet Haus Staudt Gets Sudden Exposure

Thanks to Apple and a lost iPhone, those of us on the East Coast of the United States are primed for a new adventure to Silicon Valley.

http://www.bellaonline.com/articles/art66568.asp

From the Beer Fox Archives

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How to Order in a Beer Bar & Not Look Stupid

How savvy are you in a beer bar? As a woman who writes about beer, I have grown to be passionate about the subject. Sometimes I am embarrassed by my own enthusiasm, because I catch myself being … well … the epitome of the Beer Fox.

http://www.bellaonline.com/articles/art65550.asp

Beer Fox Tip of the Week

"Did you know?" facts for beer enthusiasts:
Did you know? ... the Orval glass was designed by Henri Vaes, the architect of Abbaye Notre-Dame d'Orval.

Did you know? ... Aventinus was actually a man named Johannes Thurmayer of Abensberg. He was a Latin scholar and was the first to record the history of Bavaria. He also mapped the region in the 16th century.

Did you know? ... The malt shovel and mashing fork are symbols of the art of brewing.

Did you know? ... The six-pointed hexagram was the “Brewers’ Star,” a symbol that came out of Southern Germany, and was widely used as a tapping sign.

Did you know? ... "Privatbrauerei" on German beer labels implies that private owners are dedicated to making great beer as a source of pride, rather than in working for the big bucks to satisfy the whims of shareholders.

Beer Fox Laugh of the Week

This list may be long, but I wanted to give you the opportunity to choose your own favorites, like I did:

1. I think part of a best friend's job should be to immediately clear your computer history if you die.

2. Nothing ticks me off more more than that moment during an argument when you realize you're wrong.

3. I totally take back all those times I didn't want to nap when I was younger.

4. There is great need for a sarcasm font.

5. How in the world are you supposed to fold a fitted sheet?

6. Was learning cursive really necessary?

7. Map Quest really needs to start their directions on #5. I'm pretty sure I know how to get out of my neighborhood.

8. Obituaries would be a lot more interesting if they told you how the person died.

9. I can't remember the last time I wasn't at least kind of tired.

10. Bad decisions make good stories.

11. You never know when it will strike, but there comes a moment at work when you know that you just aren't going to do anything productive for the rest of the day.

12. Can we all just agree to ignore whatever comes after Blue Ray? I don't want to have to restart my collection...again.

13. I'm always slightly terrified when I exit out of Word and it asks me if I want to save any changes to my ten-page research paper that I promise I did not make any changes to.

14. "Do not machine wash or tumble dry" means I will never wash this ... ever.

15. I hate when I just miss a call by the last ring (Hello? Hello? Damnit!), but when I immediately call back, it rings nine times and goes to voicemail. What did you do after I didn't answer? Drop the phone and run away?

16. I hate leaving my house confident and looking good and then not seeing anyone of importance the entire day. What a waste.

17. I keep some people's phone numbers in my phone just so I know not to answer when they call.

18. I think the freezer deserves a light as well.

19. I disagree with Kay Jewelers. I would bet on any given Friday or Saturday night more kisses begin with Miller Lite than Kay.

20. I wish Google Maps had an "Avoid Ghetto" routing option.

21. Sometimes, I'll watch a movie that I watched when I was younger and suddenly realize I had no idea what the heck was going on when I first saw it.

22. I would rather try to carry 10 plastic grocery bags in each hand than take 2 trips to bring my groceries in.

23. The only time I look forward to a red light is when I'm trying to finish a text.

24. I have a hard time deciphering the fine line between boredom and hunger.

25. How many times is it appropriate to say "What?" before you just nod and smile because you still didn't hear or understand a word they said?

26. I love the sense of camaraderie when an entire line of cars team up to prevent a "stoop" from cutting in at the front. Stay strong, brothers and sisters!

27. Shirts get dirty. Underwear gets dirty. Pants? Pants never get dirty, and you can wear them forever.

28. Is it just me or do high school kids get dumber & dumber every year?

29. There's no worse feeling than that millisecond you're sure you are going to die after leaning your chair back a little too far.

30. As a driver I hate pedestrians, and as a pedestrian I hate drivers, but no matter what the mode of transportation, I always hate cyclists.

31. Sometimes I'll look down at my watch 3 consecutive times and still not know what time it is.

Beer News:

If you own a beer bar, brewery, restaurant, bottle shop, or beer distributorship in the Philadelphia area (or within 100 miles of Philadelphia) SPONSOR a Philly Beer Geek for the 2010 Philly Beer Geek Title! Nothing is more satisfying than seeing the pride in a winner's eyes and knowing you helped increase the love of craft beer!

ANNOUNCING:  Philly Beer Geek 2010 Competition!

Philly Beer Geek 2010 Semi Finals Competition is scheduled for:
Tuesday, May 25, 2010
Proudly Hosted by:
Manayunk Brewery & Restaurant, Philadelphia, PA
NOTE: THIS IS A FREE EVENT!

Philly Beer Geek 2010 FINALS Competition
Thursday, June 10, 2010
Proudly Hosted by:
Manayunk Brewery & Restaurant, Philadelphia, PA
NOTE: THIS IS A FREE EVENT DURING PHILLY BEER WEEK 2010!!
Competitions start at 8:00 pm
-Details at http://www.phillybeergeek.com Check back often for updates!

Awards and Prizes:

• GRAND PRIZE of more than $1,000 in gift certificates and prizes
• AN ENGRAVED PLAQUE proclaiming you as Philly Beer Geek 2010
• PRESTIGE & HONOUR of being PHILLY BEER GEEK 2010
• OFFICIAL T-SHIRT bearing the title PHILLY BEER GEEK 2010
• AN ENGRAVED PLAQUE proclaiming your sponsor as Home of the Philly Beer Geek 2010

How to Win the Philly Beer Geek 2010 Title

• Win a Qualifying Round at a Sponsoring Beer, Brewpub, or Restaurant
See Event Calendar for places, times, and dates. Check back often for additions and changes.
• Win one of 6 spots at the Philly Beer Geek Semi-Finals 2010 Competition
• Win the Philly Beer Geek 2010 Finals Competition
• Enjoy the GLORY!

Beer Fests and Events:

Bock Festival & Goat Race - May 2, 2010 - Sly Fox Brewhouse & Eatery, Kimberton Road, Phoenixville, Pennsylvania, USA - 11:00 am - 6:00 pm - Enjoy German food, music, and possibly the largest lineup of Bock beers poured at any brewpub in the nation on a single day: Slacker Bock, Helles Bock, Instigator Doppelbock, two Eisbocks (Slacker and Instigator) and the To-Be-Named-Later Maibock. In the multi-heat goat races, the winning goat is honored by having the To-Be-Named-Later Maibock named after it and the winning owner gets a $75 gift card, usable at both Sly Fox locations in Royersford and Phoenixville.

17th Edition of the Mondial de la Biere - June 2-6, 2010 - Windsor Station and Courtyard, located at 1160 des Canadiens-de-Montréal street (de la Gauchetière West - 11:00 am - 10:00 pm Wednesday through Saturday and 11:00 am - 8:00 pm Sunday - This International North American Beer Festival will present greater significance on the educational side of beer, with the MBeer School of Beerology with Mario D’Eer, Guy Levesque, Tony Forder and Serge Noël, the MBeerconference with Christian Bauweraerts (Belgium), Founder of Achouffe Brewery; Philippe Gaïani (France), Beer Cocktail Specialist; Conrad Seidl (Austria), Beer Writer and Journalist; and Eric Wallace (United States), President and Co-Founder of Left Hand Brewery. The Mondial will also feature Belgium, Brazil and Italy at the Petit Pub, as well as the United States and Ontario. Throughout the hall will be beer exhibitors, food, and beverages from Cassis Mona et filles, Intermiel, Miel Nature and La Vinerie du Kildare. The International MBeer professional tasting Contest continues in its fifth year, where an international jury of experts will choose the winners of one platinum medal and 10 gold medals. For information: http://festivalmondialbiere.qc.ca/

Philly Beer Week Opening Tap - June 4, 2010 - Independence Visitor Center, 6th and Market Streets, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA - 7:30-10:30 pm - The third-annual Philly Beer Week (PBW) 2010 will kickoff on Friday, June 4 at 7:30 p.m., with the Opening Tap, a celebration honoring over 25 regional breweries whose beer helps make Philadelphia “the best beer-drinking city in America.”
The Opening Tap will begin with Mayor Nutter and the ceremonial ‘first tap’ using the official Philly Beer Week keg mallet (affectionately known as the Hammer of Glory) followed by a strolling beer tasting on two levels. Opening Tap tickets cost $40 and can be purchased online at http://www.phillybeerweek.org , no tickets will be available for purchase at the door.

The 2nd edition of the Mondial de la bière - October 22-24, 2010 - Exhibition Park (Wacken), Strasbourg, France - 100 breweries and 400 outstanding beers, beer & cheese workshops, restaurants on-site, and presentations on the history of beer from grain to the glass, including live brewing demonstrations. For information: http://www.mondialbierestrasbourg.com/

Craft Beer of the Week Award

Coffee Club, Black Damnation Series # IV - de Struise Brouwers, De Panne, Belgium
Style: American Double Imperial Stout - 13% ABV

Using Black Albert as a base, 50% was matured on whole Columbian coffee Beans from a craft coffee plantation, then aged for six months in rum barrels. Black Albert is crafted using 100% Belgian ingredients. Coffee Club pours intense black - no, blacker than that! - with a deep mocha head. Aromas of dark malt, tobacco, vanilla, bittersweet chocolate, exotic coffee, licorice, chocolate plum cake, peat, demerara sugar, and florals combine to seize the nose and hold you captive. Spiced chocolate, mocha cappuccino, caramel, plums and voo-doo heat lull the mouth into submission. Excellent, elegant, superb.

Cheers!

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

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