Beer Utopia wallpaper is available in the Downloads section

Not long ago Chipper Dave set the interwebs abuzz by suggesting that Twitter might replace the pub as the sour economy keeps more people home. The fact that there was such a strong reaction, both positive and negative, indicates that the idea struck a chord with a lot of people.

Let’s take the discussion a step further. How do you, the readers/viewers of Beer Utopia and especially those under 30, use the Internet in general and social networking specifically to tap into the Culture of Beer? Do you use tweet while you drink to let your friends know about the incredible microbrew you’ve found? Do you use Facebook to arrange meet-ups at the pub? Do you Digg good home brew recipes? Do you stumble good beer sites? Beer is best when shared with friends but does that extend to the web?

Please be social and share your thoughts in the comments. Your comments may even be used in an upcoming article in Yankee Brew News about craft beer drinkers using the web to share their love of craft beer and socialize with other beer drinkers.

Popularity: 7% [?]

Image from prohibitionrepeal.com

Today marks the 75th anniversary of the official end of the failed social experiment known as Prohibition. On December 5, 1933, Utah became the 36th state to ratify the 21st Amendment, which repealed the 18th Amendment. With two-thirds of the states ratifying the amendment, 13 years of Prohibition came to an end. (It’s ironic that 75 years later the residents of Utah are still fighting to legalize home brewing.)

21st Amendment Brewery has posed the questions, “What does the repeal of Prohibition mean to you? How will you celebrate your right to drink beer?“

To me personally, the burgeoning US craft beer movement is the greatest result of the repeal of Prohibition. This blog and the Culture of Beer, both of which are near and dear to me, wouldn’t exist without the craft beer movement. Of course there was a flourishing craft beer industry prior to 1920 that was made illegal by the 18th Amendment. It took 50 years or so after repeal for the craft beer industry to really start to make a comeback and only in the past couple of years has craft beer started breaking into the mainstream.

If alcohol had not been legalized, we would still be drinking. Despite the intentions of the temperance movement, both then and now (yes, they are still around), criminalizing alcohol does not stop people from imbibing. John D. Rockefeller, Jr., a prohibitionist, admitted this in 1932:

When Prohibition was introduced, I hoped that it would be widely supported by public opinion and the day would soon come when the evil effects of alcohol would be recognized. I have slowly and reluctantly come to believe that this has not been the result. Instead, drinking has generally increased; the speakeasy has replaced the saloon; a vast army of lawbreakers has appeared; many of our best citizens have openly ignored Prohibition; respect for the law has been greatly lessened; and crime has increased to a level never seen before.

Image from prohibitionrepeal.com

The “evils of alcohol” include health benefits, social change and empowerment, and economic benefits. Plus, modern society is the result of beer drinking so it can’t be that bad. I’m not condoning abusive use of alcohol but I don’t condone the abusive use of vitamins, prescription drugs, or any other of a myriad of beneficial substances that can be less than beneficial when abused.

Something else important to me that wouldn’t be possible without the 21st is home brewing. Home brewing wasn’t explicitly legalized until November 1978, and it is still illegal in some states, but that wouldn’t have been possible if alcohol in general weren’t legalized. There is an intimate knowledge of beer that can only come from making your own. I remember smelling hops and malted barley for the first time and having a eureka moment when I finally understood where the deliciously complex flavors of beer come from.

So, to celebrate the 75th anniversary of the repeal of Prohibition, I can’t think of a better way to excercise my right to drink than at my local pub, which supports the local economy as well. I’ll also be brewing a batch with a friend this weekend. We’ll have to come up with a special anti-Prohibition recipe.

What are you doing to celebrate?

Popularity: 5% [?]

Some time ago Men’s Health ran an article titled 32 Things You Can Do with Beer. Some of the things, like putting a cold beer near the thermostat to make the heater come on using beer as a compass or to loosen rusted bolts, while very MacGyver-esque, are a little far-fetched. Others, like using it to kill slugs or make beer bread are well known uses for our favorite beverage.

I don’t know if this article inspired others to make similar lists, but you can find articles like 21 Great Uses for Beer and 17 Things You Can Do with Beer all over the inter-tubes. Most of them have about the same information with a little variation.

So let me add some new uses for beer that don’t appear on any of these lists (that I saw) which are consistent with MacGyver’s propensity to take the mundane and turn it into a clever force for good:

1. Make a beer bottle solar-powered water heater
Isn’t exactly a use for beer but those bottles won’t empty themselves! If anyone can turn trash into a working home appliance, it’s Mac.

2. Change the world
Beer can be a catalyst for change by bringing people together for a greater good. MacGyver is politically liberal: standing for environmental preservation, racial equality, assisting the poor. Drinking Liberally sounds right up his alley.

3. Bake a cake
As highlighted here on Beer Utopia, there is a delicious recipe for Guinness cake. Of course, MacGyver would probably use Dragonhead Stout. (because he’s Scottish… get it?)

4. Drink it!
Seems kind of obvious, does it not? I mean, Scots love their beer as much as their neighbors to the south.

The thing that bothers me about these lists is the notion that you need to do something with beer besides enjoy it. Sure MacGyver could probably escape from a Russian Gulag with a bottle of Baltika Parnassus but would he? I mean, he’s a smart guy. I’m thinking he could find a paper clip and a old shoe to serve as his means of escape and save the beer for after.

My advice is use shampoo to wash your hair and WD-40 for those rusty bolts. Life is too short to waste beer! I’m sure MacGyver would agree.

Popularity: 5% [?]

The tagline of this blog is Tap into the culture of beer, but what is the culture of beer? This is something we pondered as we considered dedicating a blog to the subject. After all, what is the point of a blog dedicated to something you can’t define?

As it turns out, defining beer culture is not easy. It may be because beer is the oldest and most popular alcoholic beverage on the planet, but there seems to be many opinions on the culture that surrounds our favorite drink. I don’t think there is anything wrong with that; not everyone likes the same kind of beer so why should the experience enjoying beer be the same for everyone?

Some people take great pleasure in making their own beer and the craftsmanship and creativity that goes into making this ancient beverage, much like a gourmet cook enjoys making a fine meal. Others have no interest in making it but enjoy drinking different styles and savoring the endless combinations of colors, aromas, and flavors that make each beer unique. Of course, there are those who are obsessed with “breweriana,” the collecting of beer bottles, cans, and other beer-related objects. The social aspect can’t be ignored either; for some, an evening at the local brewpub, enjoying a microbrew and good conversation, both of which are unique to that specific space and time, is about the closest one can come to Utopia on Earth.

The culture of beer is as varied and magical as the process of combining malt, hops, yeast, and water to create a potion worth savoring. So raise a glass of your favorite brew and toast your fellow beer lovers around the world. We are as diverse and wonderful as the culture itself.

Popularity: 9% [?]