Beer & Kroger

We meet the nicest people in the beer aisle at Kroger! Hope you enjoyed the IPAs.

Beer Bloggers Writers Conference Friday Night Brew

Look out #BBC15 - we just stopped & picked up some Infinite Amber and Welcome To Scoville Jalapeño IPA from our friends at Jailbreak Brewing Company. 

Of course, if you're in the Maryland area, stop by the tasting room and try a few!

If you're attending the Beer Bloggers Conference, you get to try these AMAZING brews Friday night.

Not Your Fathers Root Beer

Question: Does anyone know where we can find some, "Not Your Father's Root Beer," from Small Town Brewery in the Maryland area?

Our friend, Jen, who is a VERY casual beer fan, said it's one of the best drinks she's ever had. Unfortunately, we've been told our local distributor is sold out for a while.

Has anybody tried it?

Hofbräuhaus Wolters GmbH Pilsner

Enjoyed a Hofbrauhaus Wolters GmbH Pilsner at Claudio's Clam Bar and Wharf for #tallships2015!  Great Pilsner with just the right hoppy bitterness.  Smooth with a crisp finish.  I drank from a can but when poured had a dense white head with a floral aroma.  It was perfect when I was walking around in the hot sun!  

We had some fans that were reluctant to try it but ended up loving this brew.

Coney Island Brewing & Manhattan by Sail

Eric here....I enjoyed a Coney Island Brewing Overpass IPA aboard the fine Clipper City of Manhattan by Sail.

First for the beer..a pretty typical IPA with a moderate hoppy aroma. A hit of citrus upfront with sharp earthy finish. 6.2 ABV. Worked well for a Manhattan sail. I would recommend it. We'll have to get Christian the true IPA fan to try it for you some time!

Second...I want to give a shout out to Manhattan By Sail. Awesome Captain & Crew. It was an authentic laid back sail without the fufu tourist junk. Look them up when in NYC and join them for a Craft Beer Tasting Sail Saturday & Sunday's from 12-1:45. This was not the sail I was on but you can bet Christian and I will be doing it. I didn't get the Captains name so Capt., if you see this drop me a comment with your name. Thanks for an awesome time!!

Mount Carmel Brewing Summer Wheat Ale

Christian and Eric review Mt. Carmel Brewing's Summer Wheat Ale 

Mt. Carmel Brewing's Summer Wheat Ale

Center of the Universe Brewing

The Frank About Beer guys dropped by Center of the Universe Brewing in Ashland, VA. What did we learn? They have an AMAZING line of brews! Let Maria tell you all about them. 

COTU Video

Milkhouse Stairway IPA - Frank About Beer

Eric & Christian from Frank About Beer review the amazing Stairway IPA from Milkhouse Brewing. But things don't work out as planned. Great beer - not so great of a review. 

Milkhouse Stairway IPA - Frank About Beer Video

Frank About Beer 012 - Background Blues 2

The bluesey guitar track played by Christian & featured on the "Weyerbacher Blithering Idiot" video (http://youtu.be/RS6lLGXYVbs). Played on a slightly modded '99 Les Paul through a 1980 Peavey solid state amp.

Frank About Beer 012 - Background Blues 2

Frank About Beer - Flying Dog Beer Hunt

What happens when an awesome brewery has a scavenger hunt that involves a lot of craft beer? A great time, that's what. And the Frank About Beer guys are on the scene to cover it for you.

Frank About Beer - Flying Dog Beer Hunt Video

Frank About Beer - Blithering Idiot Review

The Frank About Beer guys may occasionally be blithering idiots, but you'll have to see what happens when they try Weyerbacher's Blithering Idiot in a great beer review video. Be sure to subscribe to the Frank About Beer channel to catch all the new releases!

Frank About Beer - Blithering Idiot Review Video

Beer, Cans and the Environment

So how does drinking beer affect the environment? We reached out to Gary, a long-time friend of ours, for some answers.

Gary is the President of Operations for Schupan Industrial Recycling Services, one of the largest recyclers in the United States, and a major player in aluminum can recycling. Just to give you an idea of their scale, in Michigan alone, they recycle 2-3 billion aluminum cans each year. That’s a lot of beer cans!

According to Gary, an aluminum can will be recycled an indefinite number of times, since aluminum is infinitely recyclable. So the can of beer you’re enjoying today could be holding beer 100 years from now. Mind-blowing, right?

“The best use of a recycled aluminum can is for it to be made back into a new aluminum can. Some cans will make it into other products, but more than 90% end up as a new aluminum can.” Gary goes on to explain that the chemistry of an aluminum can is quite delicate, and new cans must meet strict FDA guidelines.

Ready for some real numbers? Recycling 1 aluminum can will save the equivalent energy of burning an incandescent light bulb for 4 hours, or can run an average television for 3 hours! So if you recycle that 6-pack, you’ve powered your TV for a full day of sports, or nine movies.

So why is there still a stigma on aluminum cans? “Testing shows there is no taste difference when beer is consumed from an aluminum can. There is actually a food-grade coating inside the can, so the beer never even touches the aluminum. The coating is thicker for soda otherwise the acid in the soda will eat through the aluminum. Beer is colder in an aluminum can, and it holds the temperature longer than any other container.”

We even asked about those fancy aluminum bottles that have shown up the last few years. “Aluminum bottles are more costly to produce, and are therefore more expensive for the consumer. They have been more popular than the industry projected, especially at trendy clubs, etc.”

Now the really important question - what kind of canned beer does Gary like? “I am now very partial to a pint can of Bell's Two Hearted IPA.” Good call!

So this Earth Day, be sure to not only drink responsibly, but recycle responsibly, too.

Frank About Beer - St. Patrick's Day Giveaway

A behind-the-scenes look at some shenanigans that happened during production of our St. Patrick's Day video, and why it didn't make it to air time. Plus, keep watching to find out how YOU can get an exclusive giveaway from Frank About Beer. WARNING: this video is labelled as NSFW for some mildly offensive language.

Friday the 13th is coming......

An FAB review gets a disturbing visit!

Frank About Beer Friday the 13th Video

FAB Reviews Sweetwater 420

Eric and Christian review a staple of Southern beer, 420 Ale from SweetWater Brewing. What happens when the wives leave us home? Is Eric really an Ale-hole? Why is SweetWater one of our new favorite brands? Find out all this and more.

FAB Reviews Sweetwater 420 Video

Frank About Beer - Background Blues 3

The bluesey, rockin' slide guitar track played by Christian & featured on the "Crank Arm Brewing" video (http://youtu.be/l0g1Y4YqnP4). Played on Christian's heavily modded Stratocaster, famously known as, "The Stratillac" through a 1980 Peavey solid state amp.

Crank Arm Brewery

Eric's on the road this week tasting the beer & meeting some cool folks at Crank Arm Brewing in Raleigh, NC. What the heck is a "Tasting Wheel?" And do you want on it? Take a look for yourself.

Crank Arm Brewery Video

Frank About Beer 013 - background Blues 1

The bluesey, rockin' guitar track played by Christian & featured on the "Sweetwater 420" video (http://youtu.be/QIDpPwSZ9h4). Played on a slightly modded '99 Les Paul through a 1980 Peavey solid state amp. 

Background Blues 1

Jailbreak Brewing and Market Tavern

The Frank About Beer guys are invited to meet up with Ross from Jailbreak Brewing at the Market Tavern in the trendy new downtown that is Main Street in Sykesville, MD. For beer/wine & foodies, Market Tavern is a cool place that you need to get to ASAP.

Jailbreak Brewing and Market Tavern Video

A strong IPA and a quaint inn

Even when we're on the road, there's always time to sample the local brews and pass them along to you.

This time, I tried Yards IPA while staying at the beautiful Glasbern Inn outside of Allentown, PA.

And I discovered why you need to check out them both.

Yards IPA & Glasbern Inn