Air Bag + Face = Pain
I need a new tag line!
Ok so as I let you know on Tuesday (wait that would be yesterday….man my days are getting long), we are no longer the first and only blog focusing on Christians who love beer (and I’m glad). In fact we never were. There have been other blogs around before we came on the scene. And I’m happy about this.
But now the tag line for the site needs to be changed. Here are a few suggestions that I have. Let me know what you think in the comments or if you have one that you think would be better.
- For Christians who love beer.
- We carry a beer in one hand and a Bible in the other.
- Where Christians get together for a nice cold one.
- We like to drink beer and talk about Jesus.
- Jesus and Beer could you ask for more.
- Beer Beer Beer Beer ba Beer
I’m kinda having writer’s block on this one. I need some creative help from all you advertising people out there. HELP!
Reinheitsgebot - The German Beer Purity Law - What’s in beer?
If you eat enough Mexican food, you’ll start to realize that everything is the same four ingredients just used in different amounts and order. Beer is pretty much the same way. You might have someone who will get a little creative and add some fruit, but the basic ingredients for beer is barley, water, hops, and yeast. They might use different quantities of these ingredients or prepare the ingredients in a different. But the ingredients will pretty much always be barley, water, hops, and yeast.
The reason for this can probably be traced back to the Reinheitsgebot. Hang out in the world of beer and it won’t be long before you hear the word Reinheitsgebot. Reinheitsgebot, otherwise know as the German Beer Purity Law, is the oldest food quality regulation in the world. The law defined what ingredients were allowed to go into beer.
The law that was put in place in 1516 stated that the only ingredients that could be in a beer were barley, water, and hops (yeast was later added in the 1800’s when Louis Pasteur discovered the role of microorganisms in the process). The law was actually put into place to help hinder competition between breweries and bakeries for wheat and rye thus driving up the price. It also made sure that hops was used as the preservative for beer and not substandard ingredients like soot.
Now not everyone abides to the German Purity law. You will hear about wheat beer, fruit beer, and other beers that replace barley with the respectable ingredient mentioned in their title. They still fall under the category of beer. They just don’t follow the standard ingredients hence the addition of the added ingredient to the title of beer.
So if you’ve ever wondered what is in you beer, now you know and knowings half the battle.
G.I. Joe!
We are not alone!
Since the beginning of time….ok…since the start of this blog, I have been looking for like-minded brothers that blog about beer and Christianity. Like Elijah, I wondered if I was the only one out there. I even made the tag line for the site, “The first and only blog for Christians that love beer.” I googled my heart out looking anywhere I could to find some beer-loving-blogging brothers (say that five times fast after three cold ones). But I came up short…until today.
One of our newest readers, Steve Scott, opened my eyes up to a few brothers out there who are in the same niche as theBeerean.com. There might not be a whole lot of us…but it only takes a few to change the world (right Brad).
Pilgrams Pub - Our reformed brother, Jason, gives some good reviews on beers and biblical insight to Christian liberties.
Better Drinking - This brother (haven’t gotten his name yet) has some very insightful articles on beer styles and Christian perspectives on drinking.
EnjoyingBeer.com - I think this site has multiple authors. EnjoyingBeer.com has some great reviews/looks at different brews and breweries out there.
So take some time today to get to know our beer-loving-blogging brothers. Drop by their sites and let them know that you appreciate what they do.
Thanks be to God for letting me know that I’m no longer alone in this world.
Looks like I’m going to have to change my tag line now….any suggestions?
Things to Come…
I normally don’t blog on the weekend. But as I was sitting here drinking my Newcastle Brown Ale, I was thinking about how God has truly blessed theBeerean.com in the month-and-a-half that it’s been around. I started theBeerean.com on April 20 and in that time we’ve already had 885 visits, 1925 page views, and 34 subscribers (my goal is to get to 100 by the end of September). God has really been at work.
I was also thinking about how I would like to share with you guys a few things that are planned for in the near future of this blog. As most of you know, I’m having my first kiddo any day now (Shannon’s due date is tomorrow). In order to keep this blog running while I take some much needed paternity leave (just a week), theBeerean.com is going to have its first Reader Week.
I’m going to turn this blog over to the readers for a week. You guys are going to share your insights on Jesus, beer, and culture. I’ve already received my first post from Clayton Bell, and I have to say that I’m excited. I try my best to read the blogs of my readers (the ones that I know of), and I know what you guys are capable of. This should be one awesome week. If you would like to participate, check out this post for the details (please, please, please).
There is one other thing that I’m really excited about that I plan on starting next week. Starting this coming Tuesday, I’m going to do a weekly post called Beer 101. Our friend Brad Ruggles was kind enough to design one stellar header for this weekly post.
Beer 101 will be an education in beer. How is this different from Beer Tip of the Week? I’m glad you asked. Beer Tip of the Week focuses on sharing tips to enjoy your beer more. Beer 101 will focus on answering your questions about beer. I’m not an expert, but I’m really good with google. Each week we’ll look at topics like:
- How is beer made?
- What beers go with what foods?
- Beer Style Spotlights
- What ingredients go into different beers?
- Beer Glass Spotlight
- Location Spotlights
- Brewery Spotlights
You get the idea. Beer 101 will be an education into the world of beer.
You can also participate in Beer 101 in a unique way also. If you haven’t noticed, I’ve installed a new widget in the sidebar of the site. It’s a service called skribit. Skribit allows you to submit topics/questions that you want me to write about and then everyone gets to vote. I’m predominantly looking for questions to answer in Beer 101, but suggestions can be for general topics too.
Since day one, I’ve wanted to have theBeerean.com shaped by the readers not me. Of course I’ll always be working to improve this site on my own, but I want you to be the driving force behind that. Because ultimately this isn’t my site, it is our site. I’ve had that mindset from day one, and I plan to keep it that way.
Well that’s all I have for right now. I just wanted to give everyone a heads up for things to come. I have to get back to enjoying my weekend with my wife and play some mad Wii Mario Kart.
Beer Tip of the Week - Episode 6 - Keep it the Same Style Stupid
I know most people have heard about the KISS method (Keep is Simple Stupid). I’m going to call this the KISSS method. My friend Mario shared this concept with me the other night when we got a few drinks together.
He said any time that you go out to get a few drinks to stay with the same style of beer. This will allow you to distinguish the different flavors in a beer from one brand to another. If you jump from one extreme to another, it is going to hinder your ability to really get the full flavor of the beer.
So the next time you go to the bar for a couple of cold ones, remember to Keep It the Same Style Stupid.
Coyote Ugly decided to give up…
I just thought I would give you a quick update on what went down with the whole Coyote Ugly v. the First Presbyterian Church in Charlotte, NC. The Charlotte Observer put out an article yesterday wrapping up the story.
The Coyote Ugly owner decided to not fight for the location and decided to cancel the lease at the location. The property owner Stefan Latorre sent out a press release on Tuesday announcing the cancellation.
The release came days after nearby residents and churchgoers flooded city officials with complaints that the bar would bring heavy drinking and unruly behavior to a corner shared by a day care center. It also came hours before residents were to speak about the issue at a City Council meeting.
Latorre also used the press release to let the residents know that their fears were based upon the fictional movie and not on reality. He also went on to state that this isn’t something new to the location.
“The Coyote Ugly organization was, by far, the best alternative we had received for this space that has been the home of numerous bars, restaurants or bar-restaurant combinations, none of which lasted long-term,†Latorre wrote.
Latorre went on to say that he is going to continue to find a bar or bar/restaurant to fill the property. In my favorite quote of the whole article Latorre tells the residents of the area,
We hope people who choose to live in center city will understand and fully appreciate the circumstances that come with living in a vibrant urban area,
Translation: You people live in a freakin’ urban area. There are going to be bars. So shut up and get over your self-righteous selves.
You can read the whole article here.
Keep those sinners away from our Church!
Have you heard about the church in Charlotte NC that fought to keep a Coyote Ugly Saloon from moving in across the street from them? I first read about it in an article from the Charlotte Observer last week (no I’m not subscribed to the Charlotte Observer…I just have a Google Alert set up to send me anything with the words church and bar in it).
To be honest, I didn’t know what to think when I first read about the situation. I can understand where the church might be coming from. Most of us wouldn’t want a place that is known for half-dressed women using sex to sell booze to horny men moving in next to where we meet to worship.
But the other side of me says this is a great opportunity. This is an opportunity to have the lost right at your front door. The people that go to this place, go to try to fill a void in their lives. Those that are in the church have the only thing that will ultimately fill that void. Jesus.
Honestly I don’t know what I would do in this situation. To promote the placement of this bar would seem to be promoting lewdness, drunkenness, adultery, and cheesy bar chains. But to not promote seems to show that you are a church that is all about keeping the lost and hurting away from the only source of hope.
Seems liked you’re damned if you do and your damned if you don’t.
Beer Tip of the Week - Episode 5 - The four flavors of beer.
When you taste beer there are four basic flavors that come out. These aren’t the only flavors in a beer. The taste of a beer can be as simple as a small strings ensemble or as complex as a full orchestra. But the four predominant flavors in a beer are malty, bitter, sour, and skunky.
Malty:
This is the sweet flavor of the beer. It isn’t necessarily a sugary sweet flavor like candy, but it plays with the sweet taste buds on your tongue.
Bitter:
To find a way to complement the malty flavor in beer, brewers started adding hops to their beer. Hops are the female flower cones of the hop plant and are used to add a bitter flavor to beer. On a side note unlike wine tasters, beer tasters have to actually swallow their beer to taste it since the bitter taste buds are on the back of the tongue.
Sour:
Some beer have a predominant sour flavor. A lot of wheat beers and some Mexican beers excel in this flavor. This is why they generally are served with a slice of lemon, lime, or orange. It helps to enhance the sour flavor.
Skunky:
Skunky is the term used to describe the taste of beer that has gone bad. Unlike other alcohols, beer actually has a shelf life. It will go bad. It will go bad due to age or sunlight exposure. This is why most beers come in cans or brown beer bottles. Brown bottles actually block out the UV rays that will cause a beer to go bad.
Like I said these aren’t the only flavors that exist in a beer, but these are the four predominant flavors that you will find out there. So try around and see what flavors are your favorite and use this information try new and exciting beers in that category.
‘Proverbs 31 husband’ justifies beer habit
Just read the following article that I got from this web site.
MINOT, N.D. — Jack Crocker, a beer-loving machinist and “part-time Christian,” finally agreed to read Proverbs with wife Reanna. He’s glad he did.
“I’m a Proverbs 31 husband all right,” says Jack, then quotes Proverbs 31:6-7: “Give beer to those who are perishing, wine to those who are in anguish; let them drink and forget their poverty and remember their misery no more.”
“That’s my permission to crack open a cold one,” Jack says, having a Coors after dinner.
But Reanna, a new church member, is pushing Jack hard to stop drinking. She insists he is neither “perishing” nor “in anguish.” But Jack researched the Bible on the Internet and found 2 Corinthians 4:16 and 5:2 which say, “Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day,” and “Meanwhile we groan, longing to be clothed with our heavenly dwelling.”
“Everyone is perishing and in anguish,” Jack says. “Until we’re delivered from these bodies, the Bible says to drink up.”
As part of the escalating family tension he created a “Proverbs 31″ category on their weekly budget and listed “beer” under it. He also wants to start a Proverbs 31 Men’s Group with his buddies.
“We’re trying to find where the Bible talks about buffalo wings,” he says.
Sounds like this guy has some man-up issues and I don’t understand the “part-time Christian” part. It sounds like the guy is trying to twist scripture to give him permission to sit around on his butt all day. It sounds like his wife is caught up in trying to convert her husband into churchdom and not to Christ. I must say though that I like the fact that they are budgeting.
