The Brewsletter
May 2011
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The Official Newsletter of the Hampton Roads Brewing & Tasting Society (HRB&TS)
Presidential Pontifications - C.J., aka. Chris Jones.
OK, like most of us, I did sneak a peek at the Royal Wedding on Friday - saw lots of pomp, lots of circumstance, saw lots of women with hats. Didn't see any beer. Weird. On April 25th, NPR reported that "guests at the upcoming wedding of Prince William and Kate Middleton may be disappointed to hear no beer will be served. The "Daily Mirror" reports beer is banned from the reception. Champagne and wine will be served instead of beer, though bride and groom plan to stay sober to savor the experience, we're told. An unnamed insider told the Mirror beer is not an appropriate drink to serve in the presence of the queen."
No wonder the Queen has that stiff upper lip. Champagne and wine? Imported from across the Channel? From France? Sheesh!
Our next meeting will be held at Rob and Jodi's Botanical Gardens, aka. their home, in Virginia Beach in a few days. We can bring homebrew and commercial beers, so plan accordingly. I'm not sure which beer goes best with azaleas, but I'm guessing most do.
May 7th is National Homebrew Day and weather permitting, I plan on doing that very thing in our backyard in the AM; if it's raining, I'll be in the kitchen. If some of you haven't made that short leap to homebrewing, extract brewing is a piece of cake; drop in and I'll show you. I've gotten into brewing half-batches so I'm dealing with one case worth of flavor at a time, not two, to keep tweaking my palate, so the entire process ought to wrap up no later than 1300.
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See you in a few days! C.J.
Meeting Location - Diane Catanzaro
As Joni Mitchell penned and CSNY sang, "We’ve got to get ourselves back to the garden!" After a winter of very fine indoor meetings the HRB&TS is back to the garden, namely Rob and Jodi's bucolic backyard in the Chick's Beach section of Virginia Beach. Explore the nature path! Linger by the lilypads on the lake! Sip ale among the azaleas! A favored HRB&TS rite of spring is the May meeting at Rob and Jodi's bloom-perfumed paradise.
To take advantage of the daylight, we'll start at 7 pm. Also, dress for outdoor weather…a light sweater or jacket is often needed this time of year once the sun sets. Feel free to bring the kids, as there is plenty of space for all ages to run around and play.
The HRB&TS will provide burgers for the grill, but a pre-prepared/no fuss side dish or nosh is heartily welcomed...or just bring some homebrew or commercial craft beer to share. And pop an "extry" in the bag for Rob and Jodi as a token of appreciation for the hard work they put into having their little acre of paradise ready for the HRB&TS! See you on Wednesday.
Competition Coordinator Corner – JP Messier
Brewing Competition
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2011 Hampton Roads Brewers Cup Standings |
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|
Brewer |
Club |
Points |
|
Lee Dodd |
HRBTS |
6 |
|
Andrew Jackson |
BARF |
5 |
|
Chris Knight |
BARF |
4 |
|
Dan Tully |
BARF |
1 |
|
Doug Boyd |
HRBTS |
1 |
|
Jennings Lyon |
HRBTS |
1 |
|
Rob Pearson |
BARF |
1 |
|
Steve Clark |
BARF |
1 |
|
Jason Kuller |
HRBTS |
1 |
|
Paul Hutchings |
HRBTS |
1 |
|
Chris Jones & Dianne Catanzaro |
HRBTS |
1 |
|
Justin Crandall |
BARF |
1 |
|
JP Messier |
HRBTS |
1 |
|
This could easily be you …… |
|
If you get brewing ……. |
Below is the schedule for the year. Plan ahead and brew with us. There are many great brewers in our ranks and we need you to make this competition successful.
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2011 HAMPTON ROADS BREWERS CUP SCHEDULE |
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Month |
Style |
BJCP Category and Sub Category |
|
15 June |
Weizen |
15 (A) |
|
21 September |
American IPA |
14 (B) |
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21 December |
Belgian Tripel |
18 (C) |
Commercial Beer Judging
The month prior to each of the HRB Cup events, we will conduct a commercial beer tasting as was done last month but in the style of that next event. So look ahead and come on out and join us learn about the styles, hone our judging skills and share in a club event. This next event will take place on Wednesday, May 18th and we will be learning about Hefeweizens; BJCP Category 15A. Mark it down on your calendar.
Step up and actively help us out with our Club and make it what we all want!
About the HRB&TS: The Hampton Roads Brewing and Tasting Society is dedicated to promoting the enjoyment of home brewing. The annual dues are $20 per individual and $25 per family. Members are encouraged to support the reasonable enjoyment of beer and observe the laws of the Commonwealth of Virginia, the Federal government, and the Golden Rule. Persons attending HRB&TS meetings and events are solely liable for actions attendant to their participation. HRB&TS maintains a NO SMOKING policy during all meetings so that members may better enjoy fine beers. Visit the HRB&TS online at www.hrbts.org.