THE TESTY TIMES 22-Jan-2001 Edition LIVING SECTION: Upcoming Promotions Get Testy! Keep Us Informed! Beer Spotlight of the Week Cooking with Beer SPORTS SECTION: Links to Weekly Scores and Schedules BUSINESS SECTION: Link to Stock Prices Industry News Beer Happenings NEWS SECTION: Ted's Take Did You Know? Beer Quote ############################################################ LIVING SECTION ############################################################ Upcoming Promotions ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ** Think of Taco Mac as you plan your Super Bowl Sunday! Coors/Coors Light Drink a Coors or a Coors Light on draft and keep the pint glass While supplies last!! 7:00 - 9:00 pm Sandy Springs - Thu, Jan 25th Snellville - Fri, Jan 26th Cumming - Sat, Jan 27th Atlanta Thrashers - Bubble Boy Bud/Bud Light Cumming - 8:00-10:00pm, Fri, Jan 19th Snellville - 8:00-10:00pm, Sat, Jan 27th Don't forget to check out the calendar of events on our website for promos in upcoming weeks: http://www.tacomac.com/cgi-bin/calendars/tacomac/WebEvent New Passport Club Members! ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ We're going to start listing new Passport Club members once a month rather than weekly. Watch this spot for future announcements. Get Testy! ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ http://www.testytimes.com/ has it all! Check the weather for your upcoming ski trip, the outcome of last nights game, or what movie is showing down the street... And of course... what is going on at Taco Mac. Want to be the envy of all your neighbors? All you need to do is to get Testy! Testy short and long sleeved shirts, sweatshirts, and hats are available. Testy stout is in stock - and always a free glass with the brew. Who could say "no" to a gift certificate from Taco Mac? Certainly not Uncle Harvey! Gift Certificates available in $25.00 and $50.00 increments. Keep Us Informed ! ! ! ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Please let us know when you move OR when you change your email address. We continue to get returned BREWSLETTERS and bounced back emails. We want to keep you on our mailing lists. Please give your address and/or email updates to Jenny at Snellville, Sandy Springs or Cumming.... or, reply to the webmaster with the corrections. We don't want to lose you! Beer Spotlight of the Week ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ In this new section we're going to focus on one outstanding beer each week. And of course, you can try them at Taco Mac! This week we shine on Bert Grant's Perfect Porter. Try one at your favorite Taco Mac today! Region of Origin: Pacific Northwest, US Style: Plain Porter Alcohol Content: 3.2 abw (4.0 abv) A biography of brewer Grant was called "The Ale Master". For a time his beers carried neck labels appearing to take credit for human happiness. His brand-name Perfect Porter is hardly modest, but the alcohol content is. Despite which, this beer is astonishingly well-rounded in both body and flavor, with suggestions of cocoa powder, toasted nuts, and a touch of peat. Great Beer Guide; 500 Classic Brews, by Michael Jackson Check it out online at Cooking With Beer ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ What could be more perfect for Super Bowl Sunday? Beer Cheese 1 Tbsp mustard seed 1 Tbsp celery seed 1 cup dark Belgian ale 4 ounces cream cheese 1/4 tsp salt 1/2 tsp white pepper 1/2 pound grated Gouda cheese * Blend in a food processor until smooth. Serve with toasted bread rounds and sliced radishes. (Cooking With Beer, by Lucy Saunders) Like this recipe? Check out the book at Amazon.com - http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/078354832X ############################################################ SPORTS SECTION ############################################################ Weekly Schedules ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ A wide variety of sports programs are available at all Taco Macs on our numerous TVs. If you don't see what you want, ask your server and we'll try to accomodate your needs. Rather than listing lengthy schedules here, how 'bout some handy web links to the sport of your choice - Pro Football - http://www.tacomac.com/links/pro-football.html College Football - http://www.tacomac.com/links/college-football.html Pro Basketball - http://www.tacomac.com/links/pro-basketball.html College Basketball - http://www.tacomac.com/links/college-basketball.html Pro Baseball - http://www.tacomac.com/links/pro-baseball.html Pro Golf - http://www.tacomac.com/links/pro-golf.html Rugby - http://www.tacomac.com/links/rugby.html Nascar - http://www.tacomac.com/links/nascar.html Current local and national sports news headlines and more links at - http://www.testytimes.com/sports.html Got something else you'd like us to link to? Reply to this newsletter with your suggestions! ############################################################ BUSINESS SECTION ############################################################ Stock Prices ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ See how our portfolio of industry stocks is doing - http://www.tacomac.com/links/stocks.html Industry News ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ After a successful product launch on the East Coast, Magners Irish Cider is expanding into the Chicago market. Responsible for 75% of the total cider market in Ireland, where it is known as Bulmer's Original Cider, Magners is a refreshing, crisp cider with 4.5% abv. Ale Street News, Brew Scoops, Dec 2000 - Jan 2001 Attorneys for the Milwaukee based BoDeans rock group have filed suit against the Boston Beer Co. for marketing BoDean's Twisted Tea line. The band claims the company is trying to make money off of their name and even has used an ad with guitars hanging over a bottle of BoDean's. Great Lakes Brewing News Vol. 4/ No. 6, Business of Beer compiled by Rick Lyke Australia's Foster's completed its acquisition of Beringer Wine Estates in California. Great Lakes Brewing News Vol. 4/ No. 6, Business of Beer compiled by Rick Lyke Anheuser-Busch announced that it will use one of its Super Bowl ads to address underage drinking, according to a January 10 PRNewswire press release. The ad will feature pop music group N'Sync going door-to-door thanking parents for talking to their kids about drinking. The spot points out that parents have the greatest influence on their children especially when it comes to important decisions such as whether or not to drink. (BEERWeek TM January 15-22, 2001) Beer happenings ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Covert Hops Society - 8th Annual Peach State Brewoff Saturday, Feb 17, 2001 Sweetwater Brewing Co., Atlanta, GA Open to homebrewers of all levels, AHA sanctioned Event. Contact Marlon Hurst, Organizer at 770-761-9448 or mghurst@hotmail.com Details at http://www.coverthops.com/ Toronado Barleywine Festival - San Francisco, CA February 17-24, 2001 Opening day will again be on a Saturday and offers samples of some thirty different Barleywines on draught. Location: Toronado, 547 Haight, San Francisco, California Time(s): 11:30 AM to 2:00 AM Daily Admission: no charge http://www.toronado.com/ Real Ale Festival 2001 in Chicago March 1-3, 2001 will mark the 5th anniversary of the Real Ale Festival, the Chicago-based collection of cask ales that has grown to be the largest such festival anywhere outside of Britain. It will return to the Goose Island Wrigleyville brewpub and is expected to feature more than 200 real ales from across America along with a handful from Britain. For more information, see the web page at http://www.realalefestival.com/ or call 773-665-1300 King Kamehameha's Kona Beach Hotel March 10, 2001 Kona, Hawaii where: King Kamehameha's Kona Beach Hotel Luau Grounds price: Tickets are $30 in advance, $35 the day of the event The event features 25 breweries tapping up more than 50 types of beer and 25 restaurants serving their culinary creations on the shores of Kailua Bay from 2:30 to 6:30 p.m. Classic City Brew Fest in Athens Georgia April 7, 2001 The sixth annual will be held in Athens, Georgia at the Classic Center in downtown Athens and will feature 150 beers from around the world with live bluegrass music. Admission is $17.75 in advance and $20 at the door. Proceeds will benefit local nonprofit charities. For tickets or information, call 706-254-BREW, or visit http://www.classiccitybrew.com/ ISLAY FESTIVAL 2001 May 28 - June 2, 2001 Practically the Holy Grail for Scotch whisky drinkers, tiny Islay (25 miles long, population 3,000) is home to seven of Scotland's famed single malt distilleries. During the festival, each of the distilleries will sponsor a full day of events on their premises: May 28, Port Ellen Maltings; May 29, Lavagulin; May 30, Bowmore; May 31, Laphroaig; June 1, Bunnahabhain and Caol Ila; June 2, Ardbeg; Bruichladdich, date to be determined. Contact the official travel agency of the festival, at 011-44-141-429-0762 or visit their website at http://www.whisky-tours.com/ which will be up in mid-December. More industry news headlines and links at - http://www.testytimes.com/industry.html ############################################################ NEWS SECTION ############################################################ Ted's Take at Testy Times ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ In this month's edition of Ted's Take, Ted offera a few pointers to the NFL... Check it out at: http://www.testytimes.com/teds-take.html Did You know? ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ With permission from Dechutes Brewery, we are posting the first lecture from their Educational Beer Series: Porter There are two styles of porter, brown and robust. Black Butte Porter, Deschutes Brewery's flagship, is a brown porter and according to most authorities, one of the most mysterious beer styles because the historical information about porter is varied and sometimes romanticized. Actual hard statistics and facts about porter remain elusive because the beer style simply began to vanish in the 1930's with a resurgence of interest in the craft- and microbrewery craze. Historically, porter was a London-style ale, known as entire, rumored to have been named such by the original brewer, Harwood, in the Eighteenth Century. "Entire," or porter as it's known today, was called this because it was a pint that was pulled with a little bit of every ale, typically three, a pub owner had available, hence "entire" for entire selection. According to some historians, Harwood then renamed the drink porter, as the bulk of his customers were porters. U.S. history reflects that George Washington was particularly fond of porter and often produced the beer for his own consumption as well as his soldiers. Porter was popular with the working class and was considered the first mass-produced beer in England, with popularity reaching it's peak during the Industrial Revolution. Porter was eventually replaced with pale ales and lagers, and the style was all but forgotten by the early 1930s though still remained popular in Ireland for a much longer time. For an in depth look at porter's history, Terry Foster's book Porter, is filled with interesting, insightful information. This still doesn't answer the all-important question of what are the characteristics and taste of the beer. Brown Porters are "mid to dark brown in color. No roast barley or strong burnt malt character should be perceived. Low to medium malt sweetness is acceptable along with medium hop bitterness. This is a light to medium bodied beer. Fruity esters are acceptable. Hop flavor and aroma my vary from being negligible to medium in character." (Institute for Brewing Studies) Robust Porters, by contrast, are "black in color and have a roast malt flavor but no roast barley flavor. These porters have a sharp bitterness of black malt without a highly burnt/charcoal flavor. Robust porters range from medium to full in body and have a malty sweetness. Hop bitterness is medium to high, with hop aroma and flavor ranging from negligible to medium. Fruity esters should be evident, balanced with roast malt and hop bitterness." (Institute for Brewing Studies) Technical Specs: Brown Porter - Original Gravity: 1.045-1.060 Apparent Extract/Final Gravity: 1.008-1.016 Alcohol by Weight: 4.0-5.2% Bitterness (IBU): 25-40 Color SRM: 30+ Robust Porter - Original Gravity: 1.040-1.050 Apparent Extract/Final Gravity: 1.006-1.014 Alcohol by Weight: 3.5-4.7% Bitterness (IBU): 20-30 Color SRM: 20-35 Beer Quote ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ "Beer that is not drunk has missed its vocation." - Meyer Breslau, 1880