Follow the hosts on Twitter:
@SeacoastBevLab
@BeerBabe
@2BeerGuys
@Momeredith
@RealBeerNut

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In the first 34 episodes we have had 13 brewers on the show:

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All of the above shows will air live on their respectful dates at 8pm EST. Don’t forget that you can watch the shows live and chat with the hosts and viewers all from SBLPodcast.com.

We are always working on providing great content to all craft beer enthusiasts and have much more in the works. If you have any suggestions please reach out using the hashtag #SBLPodcast, or send me an email.

To subscribe to the podcast go to SBLPodcast.com.

Cheers,
B

Along with their film ‘Exit 7a’, they will be joined by the following films:

• This is Chiang Mai
• Dead Astronaut
• Simpatica
• Mum
• Ben & Eric Go Drinking
• Requiem for Black Gold
• Cows
• Howlin’ Wind

Grab a pint or two and watch some short films Thursday. For more information check out the event page. To keep up with the Hammer and Saw Films, check out their website.

Cheers,
B

Follow the hosts on Twitter:
@SeacoastBevLab
@BeerBabe
@2BeerGuys
@Momeredith
@RealBeerNut

Subscribe on YouTube

Jake Metzler is a home brewing fanatic who loves to write and share his knowledge with others. When he’s not brewing, you can probably find him rock climbing and/or listening to eighties metal.

A few years ago I started brewing my own beer, and it definitely changed my perception of a lot of things- first of all beer, but other things as well. I’m a pretty analytical person, and I realized that a lot of the processes in brewing are applicable to other areas in life. So here you have it, the principles of home brewing as I see them, and how they apply to life in general.

Learn from others

Philosopher John Locke had a theory, summed up in Latin as Tabula Rasa, or in English as “blank slate.” Basically he proposed that when we are born, our mind is completely blank; there are no pre-programmed thoughts or ideals. Those are put onto us by the people and events in our lives, and the environment we live in.
The first time I brewed, I didn’t know what I was doing. I had a great home brewing kit that provided me with all the ingredients I needed and walked me through the process, but my slate was still pretty blank.

Luckily, there is this awesome resource called the internet. I did a quick “home brewing tip” search. A lot of the information was vague, but it did help me become familiar with certain terms. It also made me give up any plans of taking shortcuts, as that was where other people’s problem had started.
When you’re trying something new, you probably don’t know a whole lot about it. Utilize the assistance of others who have gone before you. Ask for advice; ask for help even. If you have a buddy who brews, he’ll probably be more than willing to help you out in exchange for a six-pack.

Prepare

When I’m trying a new recipe, whether it be for food or drink, I stick with the written instruction exactly. This way if I don’t like something, I know it was the recipe, and not something I did. When I make the item again, I’ll tweak it to my preferences.

My first brewing experience was supposed to be well-planned and timed perfectly. I started the process almost immediately after work so that I could still get to bed at a decent hour. Of course, the best laid plans….
Things were going well until I needed to cool the brew. It was taking longer than the instructions said it would. Maybe I didn’t have enough ice surrounding my container. Maybe my water wasn’t cold enough. Maybe I was too aware of every minute passing, so that a half hour seemed like an eternity.

Then I realized I didn’t have my tubing ready. And my carboy wasn’t sanitized. And suddenly my beer being cool didn’t matter because I was completely unprepared.
We all experience this in life; it’s a lesson we ignore all too often. When we plan ahead, things go much more smoothly. Nowadays I have a checklist of tasks that need to be done before I start the actual brewing process. This keeps me on track and makes the whole experience much less stressful.

Keep it Clean

Sometimes making a mess can be fun. With brewing though, there is a large risk of contamination. This means that sanitization is extremely important. Just as you wash your hands after touching raw meat, wash your hands and equipment before and after each step of the brewing process. This way you can avoid bacteria growing along with your yeast.

In life, it’s always good to approach things with a “best practices” approach. Making your bed in the mornings and washing dishes right after meals are good practices that promote forethought and discourage procrastination. All sanitation takes is conscious thought and effort and it results in a clean, safe brew. Putting the same toward life in general will reap great benefits.

Take Time for Appreciation

Of course the whole point of brewing is the end result. After waiting for fermentation to take place and then waiting for the beer to settle in the bottles, you finally get to pop open a bottle and enjoy the fruit of your labor.
There is some great research out there about how the way you eat and drink affects your experience of a product. Just like wine connoisseurs have a process for their tastings, having a sort of tasting ritual can enhance your drinking experience.

After opening your bottle, give the beer a moment to breathe. The air will change the taste of the brew. Smell your beer before drinking. Smell is a large percentage of taste, so fully embracing that will unify your senses and help you taste the beer more completely. When taking your first drink, don’t rush it. Enjoy. This not only improves your perception of the drink, but gives you a moment to center yourself. Incorporating this routine in all of your meals and drinks will make eating a peaceful, enjoyable experience.

Learn from Your Experiences

Sometimes your beer won’t be as awesome as you had hoped. Even if this is the case, going through the process of brewing a beer shows patience and persistence. You saw a project through and that is something to be proud of. Now it’s time to analyze what went wrong and try again. Maybe you just don’t like that specific recipe. Maybe you missed a part of the process.

Whatever the case, don’t let a misstep get you down. As with most things, practice makes perfect. So clean up all your equipment, put your chin-up, and get back to brewing!

Follow the hosts on Twitter:
@SeacoastBevLab
@BeerBabe
@2BeerGuys
@Momeredith
@RealBeerNut

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Todd Mott (second from the right), the original brewer of Harpoon IPA

For Immediate Release

20 Years of Harpoon IPA
The brewery celebrates with favorite stories

Boston, MA (April 24, 2013) – Twenty years ago in Boston, Harpoon IPA was brewed for the first time. Harpoon Brewery co-founders Rich Doyle and Dan Kenary were unsure how local drinkers would take to this medium-bodied, hoppy, bitter, copper-colored ale, so they introduced it as a summer seasonal beer. It became an instant New England favorite and in 1994 Harpoon IPA became a year-round beer. Harpoon IPA has since become the brewery’s bestselling beer and to this day it remains Harpoon’s flagship.

Harpoon is celebrating the 20th anniversary of Harpoon IPA by telling the brewery’s IPA story, and by inviting Harpoon IPA fans to share their own stories in the “Tell Us Your IPA Story” contest. The contest will collect stories from Harpoon IPA fans via Facebook through May 12. Stories can include written word, poems, photos, videos, or a combination. Submitted stories will be voted on and the winning story will be announced at HarpoonFest, the brewery’s annual summer festival. The winner will receive the “Harpoon Experience”, which will guarantee VIP entry to all of Harpoon’s festivals and sporting events at both the Boston, MA and Windsor, VT breweries for one year. To view the contest, visit: http://www.harpoonbrewery.com/news/944/Tell-Us-Your-IPA-Story.

“We love telling stories here at the brewery,” says Harpoon co-founder Rich Doyle. “Some stories will live in Harpoon legend, like when we first brewed Harpoon IPA back in 1993. It took all 10 of us working at the brewery to bring the first batch of IPA to life. Ever since then, Harpoon IPA has been the catalyst for our most memorable experiences here at the brewery. We are excited to hear the stories of our fellow Harpoon IPA fans out there.”

To continue the IPA celebration throughout the year, Harpoon will release limited edition 6-packs of two new IPAs, Harpoon White IPA and Harpoon Black IPA. The White IPA, a blend of a Belgian wit and American hops, will be released in May, while the Black IPA will be released later this fall. The two IPAs were also featured alongside Harpoon IPA and Rich & Dan’s Rye IPA in the new IPA Adventure Mix, a limited release IPA variety mix pack that was released earlier this year to kick off Harpoon IPA’s 20th anniversary.

Cheers,
B

If you can’t make those events, don’t let it stop you from stopping in and saying “congrats” to Alex/Gretchen/Butch and see what they have brewing at Earth Eagle. Follow A&G on Facebook and follow Earth Eagle on Facebook for up to date information.

Congratulations on 2 years of bringing out the beer geek in all of us!

Cheers,
B

Follow the hosts on Twitter:
@SeacoastBevLab
@BeerBabe
@2BeerGuys
@Momeredith
@RealBeerNut
@BMWatts

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Portsmouth, New Hampshire — Recognized as a “foodie” destination, with more restaurant seats than residents, Portsmouth has loved its “public houses” from the start. Strawbery Banke Museum’s featured 2013 exhibit, “Tapping Portsmouth: How the Brewing Industry Shaped the City” explores 300 years of that brewing history, literally from the ground up, thanks to the hops grown in the Aldrich House garden.

The new 2013 exhibit offers a pub crawl through history as brewers and tavern keepers kept “something brewing” in Portsmouth, then and now. Brewing helped shape Portsmouth’s history from the beginning, when beer and hard cider were the healthier alternative to water and European settlers frequented four taverns in nearby New Castle and three more in Portsmouth. During the American Revolution, Pitt and Stoodley’s taverns (both now part of Strawbery

Banke) rang with the impassioned voices of loyalists and patriots, including Paul Revere. In the 19th century, thanks to entrepreneur Frank Jones, Portsmouth became synonymous with beer, delivering the nation’s largest output of beer (100,000 gallons per year) across the country. The Frank Jones empire helped shape the seacoast’s hospitality by drawing guests to Wentworth By the Sea and The Rockingham hotels; while other brewers followed suit.

Today, with two major breweries and brewpubs helping to put Portsmouth on New Hampshire’s Beer Tour map, the city is a favorite stop for thirsty travelers and both micro brewmasters and home brewers. The gardens of Strawbery Banke provide constant inspiration and ingredients for the mash. Smuttynose Brewing Co., Red Hook Brewery, The Portsmouth Brewery, Earth Eagle Brewings and A&G Homebrew Supply, along with Kennebunk Savings Bank are funding the new Tapping exhibit and related programs.

The brewers will host collaborative beer tastings in Pitt Tavern and another event is planned right before the annual PASSPORT NH’s Craft Beer & Culinary World Tour that benefits Strawbery Banke and NH Public Television. Talks and demonstrations will discuss beer and brewing techniques in the 17th, 18th, 19th and 20th centuries.

“’Tapping Portsmouth’ looks at Portsmouth from the perspective of a still popular local product that made the city and its brewers famous,” said Lawrence J. Yerdon, President and CEO of Strawbery Banke Museum. “By examining tavern life, the breweries and their marketing then and now we put Portsmouth’s contemporary brewpub landscape into its historically authentic context – and give visitors an added dimension for enjoying the experience.”

The exhibit, “Tapping Portsmouth” opens May 1st and is open daily, seven days a week, 10 am to 5 pm through October 31st.

The Portsmouth Brewery, Smuttynose Brewing Company, The RedHook Brewery, Earth Eagle Brewings are collaborating on the creation of three historical beers that debut at a tasting event on May 3, from 5pm-7pm, on the museum grounds.

The Tapping Portsmouth Brewers Tasting features pours from traditional cask-conditioned firkins in the tap room in Pitt Tavern, marking the first beer being served in the historic space in hundreds of years. A more contemporary draft version of each beer will also be available for tasting during the event.

Chefs Evan Mallett of the Black Trumpet, Susan Tuveson of the Acorn Kitchen and Brent Hazelbaker and Taylor Miller of The Green Monkey will create “small plate” offerings to complement the beers, using local ingredients and spring harvested herbs, lettuces and vegetables from the Museum gardens, under the direction of John Forti, Curator of Historic Landscapes and Slow Food Seacoast advocate. There will be informational booths and access to the “Tapping Portsmouth” exhibit throughout the event.

Tickets can be found by clicking here.

Cheers,
B