The Next-to-Last Brewers Games Post
I plan to do a full recap of the Brewers Games at some point during the week. I haven't quite figured out how to tackle it, yet; I'd like to make my report interesting for those of you who weren't there. But while that post percolates in my brain, I am duty bound to give a little wrap-up.
1. The Winners
The competition at the Brewers Games involves something like eight beer-related tests of strength, athleticism, and comedy. Of these, something like half involve kegs. It is no wonder, then,
that two of the strongest competitors were beer distributors--Maletis and Point Blank. These guys look like the defensive line of the Pittsburgh Steelers, and they know how to handle a get. Point Blank finished third, I think, and Maletis (team nickname: the Barley Pops) were the overall winners. Hopworks finished a very close second.
The trophy, which you can sort of see in this photo at the awards ceremony (those are the Maletis Men), is extremely cool. It's a chromed keg atop a wooden base. As is the case with the Stanley Cup, the trophy goes to the winner for the year, and their name is added to the base. So congrats to Maletis.
2. The Beers
I managed to sample a few beers over the course of the weekend. Although these three deserve further exploration, I tried Full Sail's new pilsner (LTD 03), Ninkasi Radiant, and a pilsner Deschutes brought for the event. The Full Sail was a preview bottle Lisa Morrison brought, and we split a bottle on Friday night. Very tasty. More a Bavarian pils than Bohemian, but full of flavor and life. I tried the Radiant during the event. Emceeing is a hugely involved affair, and it allowed very little time for beer drinking. Still, a hand-delivered glass from the brewer, Jamie Floyd, meant I was able to get one beer in. I had no real time to study it, but it was as the name suggests, a bright, saturated, sunny beer. Definitely a crowd-pleaser. Finally, I had a pils Deshutes brought as my post-Games beer. Unfortunately, I was starting to get cold, the beer was poured into a plastic cup, and my impressions are dim. I hope to have all three again and tell you more. Look for the FS and Ninkasi to hit the stores soon.
More to come--
1. The Winners
The competition at the Brewers Games involves something like eight beer-related tests of strength, athleticism, and comedy. Of these, something like half involve kegs. It is no wonder, then,
that two of the strongest competitors were beer distributors--Maletis and Point Blank. These guys look like the defensive line of the Pittsburgh Steelers, and they know how to handle a get. Point Blank finished third, I think, and Maletis (team nickname: the Barley Pops) were the overall winners. Hopworks finished a very close second.The trophy, which you can sort of see in this photo at the awards ceremony (those are the Maletis Men), is extremely cool. It's a chromed keg atop a wooden base. As is the case with the Stanley Cup, the trophy goes to the winner for the year, and their name is added to the base. So congrats to Maletis.
2. The Beers
I managed to sample a few beers over the course of the weekend. Although these three deserve further exploration, I tried Full Sail's new pilsner (LTD 03), Ninkasi Radiant, and a pilsner Deschutes brought for the event. The Full Sail was a preview bottle Lisa Morrison brought, and we split a bottle on Friday night. Very tasty. More a Bavarian pils than Bohemian, but full of flavor and life. I tried the Radiant during the event. Emceeing is a hugely involved affair, and it allowed very little time for beer drinking. Still, a hand-delivered glass from the brewer, Jamie Floyd, meant I was able to get one beer in. I had no real time to study it, but it was as the name suggests, a bright, saturated, sunny beer. Definitely a crowd-pleaser. Finally, I had a pils Deshutes brought as my post-Games beer. Unfortunately, I was starting to get cold, the beer was poured into a plastic cup, and my impressions are dim. I hope to have all three again and tell you more. Look for the FS and Ninkasi to hit the stores soon.
More to come--