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

PBG 2011 Natalie DeChico Future Ambitions
Beer Fox Carolyn Smagalski, Co-founder of the Philly Beer Geek Competition, loves hearing how winners position themselves to win: what their goals are, how they expose themselves to opportunity, and how their ambitions lead to new adventure.

http://www.bellaonline.com/articles/art172311.asp

Philly Beer Geek 2011 Natalie DeChico Sounds Off
Carolyn Smagalski, Beer Fox and Co-Founder of the Philly Beer Geek Competition, drills down to the heart of Philly Beer Geek 2011, Natalie DeChico: her opinions and the choices she makes about beer.

http://www.bellaonline.com/articles/art172308.asp

Natty Eisbock Beer Geek '11 Talks About Beer
Carolyn Smagalski, Beer Fox and Co-Founder of the Philly Beer Geek Competition, interviews Philly Beer Geek 2011 Champion Natalie De Chico about the triggers that got her interested in beer.

http://www.bellaonline.com/articles/art172297.asp

Natalie DeChico Philly Beer Geek 2011 - Interview
Carolyn Smagalski, Beer Fox and Co-Founder of the Philly Beer Geek Competition, interviews Philly Beer Geek 2011 Champion Natalie De Chico about the 2011 competition.

http://www.bellaonline.com/articles/art172295.asp

Ray Deter of dba - A Tribute
He was a bar guy. Unpretentious, smart, opinionated, obsessed with good beer … cask-conditioned or craft brewed, it didn’t matter.

http://www.bellaonline.com/articles/art172268.asp

Zythos America 2011 - Tale of Tom Peters
The Zythos Beer Fest in Belgium fell back-to-back with Philly Beer Week, but Tom Peters thought an echo of Zythos was just what America needed.

http://www.bellaonline.com/articles/art172258.asp

Savor 2011 - American Craft Beer & Food
Savor: An American Craft Beer and Food Experience has been aptly named by the Brewers Association to describe the elegant mingling of food and beer, sumptuous combinations with a focus on both flavor and fashion.

http://www.bellaonline.com/articles/art172259.asp

2011 Philly Beer Geek Finals Highlights
From the beginning, Natalie DeChico presented herself as a winner. This petite young woman had been preparing herself to be the next Philly Beer Geek for months ...

http://www.bellaonline.com/articles/art172119.asp

Ladies Beer Tea in Philadelphia
Big events, such as the Forum of the Gods, the International Great Beer Festival, and Zythos America, anchored Philly Beer Week, but only one was totally focused on women: The Ladies Beer Tea at the Belgian Café in the Fairmount region of Philadelphia.

http://www.bellaonline.com/articles/art172110.asp

From the Beer Fox Archives

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

The song goes, "pour some sugar on me..." but if you want to add a bit of zest to your cakes, pour a little beer on them and let it soak in. Not so much that they are soggy, of course. Use a bit of finesse - some Scottish Ale does the trick with Spice cake, Oatmeal Stout for a rich Chocolate cake, or Belgian Dubbel for a Black Forest cake. Quelque Chose is delicious in a Cherry pie.

Beer Fox Laugh of the Week

Two women were out for a Saturday stroll. One had a Doberman and the other, a Chihuahua. As they walked down the street, the one with the Doberman said to her friend, "Let's go over to that bar for a drink."

The lady with the Chihuahua said, "We can't go in there...we've got the dogs with us."
The one with the Doberman said, "Just watch and do as I do."

They walked over to the bar and the one with the Doberman put on a pair of dark glasses and started to walk in.
The bouncer at the door said, "Sorry, lady, no pets allowed."

The woman with the Doberman said, "You don't understand. This is my seeing-eye dog."
The bouncer said, "A Doberman?"
The woman said, "Yes, they're using them now. They're very good."
The bouncer said, "OK, come on in."

The lady with the Chihuahua thought that convincing him that a Chihuahua was a seeing-eye dog may be a bit more difficult, but thought, "What the heck," so she put on her dark glasses and started to walk in.

Once again the bouncer said, "Sorry, lady, no pets allowed."
The woman said, "You don't understand. This is my seeing-eye dog."
The bouncer said, "A Chihuahua?"
The woman said indignantly, "A Chihuahua? They gave me a Chihuahua?"

Beer News:

craftbeer.com has a Craft Beer 101 course available on their website to teach novices about the basics of craft beer. This comprehensive course for newbies takes about an hour to complete. At only 15 bucks, it is well worth the ching-ching. http://www.craftbeer.com/pages/beerology/beer-studies/beer101-course/

Merchant du Vin has a new website, chock full of good info. An added plus: You can easily locate retailers nearby, based on zip code, who carry Merchant du Vin beer. http://www.merchantduvin.com/

Between June 1 and August 14, 2011, Ghost River Brewing is running a contest to win a Ghost River Pungo 100 Kayak, a Canoe Trip for 6 Down the Ghost River, or a Ghost River Brewing Gift Pack Cooler! To register, go to http://www.ghostriverbrewing.com/kayak/

Beer Fests and Events:

Great American Beer Festival - September 29-October 1, 2011 - Colorado Convention Center, Denver, Colorado, USA - http://www.greatamericanbeerfestival.com/ The GABF, celebrating 30 years in 2012, SOLD OUT in one week!

Mondial de la Biere 2011 Strasbourg Europe - October 21-24, 2011 - Strasbourg Exhibition Park (Wacken), Strasbourg, France -http://festivalmondialbiere.qc.ca/en/festivals/mondial_de_la_biere_strasbourg_2011/

Cicerone Certification Program Master Cicerone Exam - Nov. 9-10, 2011 Chicago-area venues. Registration opened July 1, 2011. Plan to arrive in the area on Nov 8. Testing ends at 5 pm on Nov 10. For information, visit: http://www.cicerone.org/

12th Annual Big Beers, Belgians and Barleywine Festival - Jan 5 - 7, 2012 - Vail Cascade Resort, Vail, Colorado, USA - Featured Brewmasters for 2012: J. Todd Usry of Breckenridge Brewing Co and John Mallett of Bell’s Brewing Co - http://www.bigbeersfestival.com/

Craft Beer of the Week Award

Avril - Brasserie Dupont, Tourpes-Leuze, Belgium
Style: Biere de table (Table beer), 3.5%

Unfiltered and golden, organic, and filled with aromas of fresh bread, there is nothing more authentic and quenching for a warm summer day than this light-in-alcohol table beer from Belgium. Flavors of citrus, pepper, farmhouse yeast and flowers dance on the tongue. This is a great complement to summer foods - salads, spicy dips, and grilled seafood. A must-do for any picnic!

Cheers!

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

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