Brew with the Scotsman and Drew Contest

The Scotsman Brew Rig in action!

Are you interested in the process of making beer? Want to drink some fine ales while enjoying fine sausage from Lockeford Meats? Free on September 26th? Enter your name, and if you are chosen, you will be cordially invited to brew with the Scotsman and Drew!

On Sept. 26th at about 10am, we will begin making a batch of strong scotch ale for Drew’s wedding. There will be good beer, good food, and a good time at the Scotsman Estate, and one listener will be invited to join us! Will it be you?

To enter, simply send me your name and preferred contact information (to notify you if chosen) through one of the following methods:

– via text to 800-ALES (800-2537)
– e-mail to scotsman@aleevangelistshow.com
– send me a private message through the Facebook Fan Page

**Enter by 11:59:59 PM on Tuesday, September 15th**. One submission per household, please!

If your name is chosen on Wednesday, September 16th, you will be invited to come brew with us! (Please don’t comment on this post to attempt to enter. It’s not a great idea to provide personally identifiable information on the Internet, Facebook, etc.)

And now for the annoying liability crap…

Terms and Conditions (By submitting your name, you agree that you have read these terms and conditions):
– Brew Day is Saturday, September 26th. This is non-negotiable. If you are not free that day, please don’t submit your name. If something comes up, we will apologize, and will try to invite you to a future brew day. No promises.

– Drunkenness will not be tolerated. The Scotsman is the sole arbiter for when you’ve had too much, and you will be thrown off the property if you can’t control your drinking/behavior.

– By submitting your name, you release Scotsman, Drew, and the Ale Evangelist show from all liability arising from the making of beer, and from any potential mental distress of seeing adults make and partake in the consumption of adult beverages. If you are selected, you’re being invited to come hang out with friends in a backyard…that’s all. You do so at your own risk and under your own care. If this sounds too risky to you, don’t submit your name.

– THIS EVENT IS OFFERED FOR FUN. IT IS OFFERED WITH NO WARRANTIES, EITHER EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO, THE IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY AND FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE. THE ENTIRE RISK AS TO THE QUALITY AND PERFORMANCE OF THE EVENT IS WITH YOU. SHOULD THE EVENT NOT TAKE PLACE OR LIVE UP TO ANYONE’S STANDARDS (INCLUDING PROVIDING BEER OR FOOD OF ANY KIND), YOU ASSUME ALL LIABILITY.

Missionary Work: Brewing this Saturday!

Most of my ale evangelism, it seems, has been focused on the brewing aspect of my life, lately. I’m ok with this. You see, if you’re willing to live the life and go through so much trouble to create something that you can go to the store and buy for less than $10 for a 6-pack, there must be something to this stuff that people just aren’t getting, right? After all, how many people do you know who would take 7 hours out of their Saturday, get a system for chilling their beer down to lagering termps, and work that hard to brew something like Budweiser? The answer? Not too many. Simply investing the time and money in the hobby is enough to tell someone how passionate you are about this beer. Some people will shake their head at you. Others will start to wonder if there’s something about this “beer” stuff that they’ve been missing for all this time.

In it to win it? Why A.E. isn’t a fan of homebrew competitions.

Put your money where your mouth is. Play to win. Fight for the right to party. Our culture is a very competitive one, is it not? Many brewers have made the switch from homebrewing to pro brewing to avoid the rat race. Fighting their way to the top of the corporate ladder wasn’t cutting it for our professional zymurgist friends, so they decided to get off at the next stop and start doing what they loved in order to live. And yet homebrew competitions are more popular than ever, with brewers submitting their concoctions in any number of style categories all to win money, prizes, and bragging rights among their fellow amateur competitors. But is it worth it? Ultimately, the answer is that it depends on what you are “in it” for. For me, the answer is a resounding “NO!” But allow me to explain.

A most excellent brew day experience! – Covenantal Coffee Ale

Exterior shot of Alaskan Brewing Co., taken by Yours Truly back in July, 2008

I’ve mentioned several times on this blog that I’ve been working on a recipe for a coffee-infused brown ale. It’s a dream I’ve had for 4 or so years now; ever since I had a coffee brown ale in Juneau, Alaska at the Alaskan Brewing Company back in July of 2008. They have a tap at their brewhouse that is dedicated to experimental or employee-originated brews. Brews found on this tap will likely never make it into the wild, and the coffee brown I had there was one of those. I thought it sad that they would never release it, as it was easily the best coffee beer I’d ever had. I determined then that I would develop a recipe that was at least a close approximation of that coffee brown, and I am finally getting to the point where I can begin brewing this recipe. This last brew day was a fantastic experience, and I’d love to share it with you, my congregation.

Who knew that brewing would take away time from blogging about craft beer?

You see, it’s not that I don’t have a passion for craft beer anymore. I have been spending a lot of time focusing on my home brewery; specifically, I have been trying to figure out the problem I’ve been having with some efficiency issues, but more on that in a minute. For now, I’d like to ask you a question: Do you brew? If not, why not? You see, I am becoming more and more firmly of the opinion that no other activity will improve your feel for what can be done with beer as much as brewing your own beer.