Friday

NYBYCU

We're in the throes of planning our trip to New York later this year. Imagine my excitement when I ran across this nifty site: The Ultimate Beer Guide to NYC. Unfortunately, none of the recommended bars are within stumbling distance of my hotel (the Affinia, at Lexington and 50th--anybody know anything about it?). Regardless, it has some intriguing suggestions, including this description of a carry-out joint, The Ginger Man, that is only a mile away: "Inside the 5,000-square-foot pub you can sample an international lineup of suds pouring from 70 taps and two casks, then cart off your favorite selections in a 64-ounce screw-top ($6) or porcelain flip-top ($25) growler. You can also fill mix-and-match six-packs with bottles ($6”“$50) from the collection of 150 offeringss. All to-go beer orders are 15% off the regular price. 11 E 36th St between Fifth and Madison Aves
." * * * * * * * Brauereisterben. Beer is dying in Germany. It's hard to believe, but it's true. Slate has assembled an impressive array of statistical and anecdotal evidence and put together an excellent article about brauereisterben--brewery death. "German brewing has dropped to less than 100 million hectoliters of production for the first time since reunification in 1990. (That's less than half of the United States' annual output.) The same study revealed that consumption dropped almost 3 percent last year alone, to 101.8 liters per person per year, and that it's down about one-third overall since the previous generation. The number of breweries in the country has also dropped–by about half over the last few decades to around 1,300. (There are nearly 1,700 up and running in the U.S.) The vaunted Weihenstephan brew master degree program in Munich adopts a dour tone on its student prospectus, saying the majority of graduates don't actually become brew masters but instead head for jobs in mechanical engineering and the chemical and pharmaceutical industries." Interestingly, though, America is reaping the benefits. Just as talented Jews fled Nazi Germany, talented brewers are fleeing dry Germany and helping us put out some top-notch beer. "Sierra Nevada Brewing Co., founded 30 years ago by home brewer Ken Grossman in Chico, Calif., took top honors in a hotly contested 2010 World Beer Cup category, besting 68 other brands, many of them German. The bracket? German-style pilsner." Also interesting: The famed German beer purity law--water, hops, barley, malt, wheat, and yeast only--no longer exists on the books but it is the de facto law, and it's hindering development. "It puts a vice grip on innovation by demonizing flavor- or body-enhancing additions of any kind: oats, ancient grains (such as spelt, millet, and sorghum), spices, herbs, honey, flowers other than hops, and any other natural fermentable starches and sugars. This taboo rules out trying Belgian, French, and New World brewing styles, which often call for refermentation in the bottle with sugar in a manner similar to Champagne." The article ends on an upbeat note for German beer, but overall, things don't look great for the beer giant. I should've gone to Germany when I was 17. * * * * * * * Funky Ad. I guess this is really cool if you have 3D on your computer, but it's unique and kinda cool even without 3D . . . plus, you can buy this Japanese beer in the U.S.