CrapMonkey Podcast - Music, Technology, Beer, Seattle » beer

What’s On Tap? Find Out With Taplister

Travis — Sat, 24 Jul 2010 01:27:27 +0000

Taplister is a free application and website that helps you find out what’s on tap in your local pubs. The CrapMonkey Podcast caught up with Ken Baer, Chief Technology Officer of Taplister, to find out what this crowd sourcing tool was all about. Click below to hear the interview.

Oregon Brewfest 2010 Kickoff Parade

Travis — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 23:48:39 +0000

Video from the Oregon Brewfest 2010 kickoff parade.

Beer Fetching Robot

Travis — Thu, 15 Jul 2010 01:08:30 +0000

Finally, robots have a purpose thanks to this innovation from Willow Garage.

Celebrate the 4th by Barbequing with Beer

Travis — Sat, 03 Jul 2010 19:35:34 +0000

Lots of us will be Barbequing with a beer in hand on the fourth of July – but how many of you plan to use that brew to enhance the flavors of your meal? From glazing to basting to marinating - a little beer goes a long way to liven up your BBQ. The simplest approach to cooking with beer would probably have to include the hot dog. I like to get a rich, flavorful Stout and marinate brats in it for an hour or so, and then throw them on the grill. Brats don’t generally absorb a lot of the beer while marinating, so I also use a flavor injector to inject the Stout into the dogs as they cook. This keeps them moist for the entire duration they are cooking and the result is a deliciously juicy beer brat with a hint of stout flavor. Yum.

Are brats a little too elementary for you? There are lots of other great recipes to choose from:

Beer BBQ Cowboy Steak: To some, steak is king of the BBQ. Crown your king with a splash of beer.
Burgers with Hoison-Stout Sauce: Hoison is a Chinese dipping sauce – add a little Stout to the mix, and you’ve got a winning recipe.
Beer-Can Chicken: Cooking a chicken over a partially filled beer can keeps the meat amazingly moist and tender. We’ve actually done this with a Turkey (and a large can of Foster’s Beer) for Thanksgiving and the results were mouth watering.
Beer Marinated Portobello Mushrooms: If you have vegetarians in the household (as I do), this might be a great option for you (and it uses blonde ale, rather than the darker beers recommended in many of the other recipes referenced here).
Stoute Chili: What’s a BBQ without a little Chili? This one’s meaty, but I’m sure the clever cook could sub the beef for veggie grounds or Seitan.
Beer-BQ Sauce: Have your own traditional 4th of July BBQ recipe? Then maybe you just need to make a little Beer-BQ sauce to introduce into the mix.

Countdown to Seattle Beer Week

Travis — Sun, 09 May 2010 17:58:17 +0000

One of the nicest things about Spring in Seattle is the arrival of Seattle Beer Week. On May 13th, the week kicks off with an opening party at Hale’s Brewery (the producer of this year’s official SBW beer). Following the kickoff – breweries and taphouses around Seattle explode with activity dedicated to enjoying quality beers. The week (which is actually closer to 10 days) was established to recognize Seattle’s role in the micro and craft brewing industry and to encourage locals to get out and appreciate the great beers that this region is known for producing. A complete list of events is available here and a map of participating locations is also available.

Fremont Oktoberfest 2009

Travis — Mon, 21 Sep 2009 03:17:15 +0000

This weekend I paid a visit to Oktoberfest in Fremont. There were a lot of great beers to choose from and they did a good job keeping order in the beer pouring booths. It was clear which line lead to which beer, and the pouring staff were courteous and many were knowledgeable about the beers they were serving. The weather was perfect for brewfesting and, when the sun went down, mood lighting illuminated the streets of Fremont and enabled the festival to keep rolling along.

My main complaint (which is the same from prior years) is the tiny size of the beer tasting mugs. The small cup size forces you to spend most of your time in lines. This is frustrating since there are other forms of entertainment (contests and bands), but you must sip your 4 ounce beverage slowly if you choose to take in a band and enjoy a beer simultaneously. Brewfests that serve in 14 ounce cups (with a 4 ounce fill line) are much more conducive to entertainment acts because you can enjoy tastes (1 token each) until you wish to enjoy other festivities, then fill your mug and hang out for a while (usually 4 tokens for a full fill).

All in all, it was a great event and I didn’t even catch the Texas Chainsaw Pumpkin Carving this year. It has come a very long way since my scathing review of 2007 (even though the price for entry has actually increased since then). Did you miss Fremont Oktoberfest this year? Check out the video below for a taste.

Thanks to Adhesion for the dance track (Helgas Death Disco) used in this video. Sadly, I’m not sure who performs “Beer”, the other music track in this video.

Jim Koch on Enjoying Beer

Travis — Mon, 07 Sep 2009 23:08:35 +0000

Fast Company recently sat down with Jim Koch to discuss the proper way to enjoy a beer (specifically a Samual Adams). Take note of the glass he is using. A couple of years ago, Samual Adams designed and released the glass after researching the “best” glass design for showcasing the aroma and flavor Samual Adams Boston Lager. They are available for purchase from Samual Adam’s eStore.

Seattle Spring BrewMuster

Travis — Sun, 14 Jun 2009 20:25:29 +0000

On Saturday, the CrapMonkey Podcast hosted Seattle BrewMuster at Gallagher’s in Edmonds and the turn-out was great. There were four batches brewed by a total of sixteen brewers who encompassed all skill levels. Some had tried their hand at brewing before, and others didn’t even drink beer but wanted to try out the brewing experience. In addition to brewing, the attendees also engaged in fun conversation and enjoyed the tasty beers that Gallagher’s keeps on tap. There were also occasional raffle drawings for prizes ranging from beers to glassware.

Brewers will meet in a few weeks to enjoy and bottle their beers and the brews will be judged and awarded later this summer via a BrewMuster webcast (check back at CrapMonkey or BrewMuster for details). Photos from the event are available on Flickr. Thanks to all who attended and to the folks at Gallagher’s for helping us out. I hope to see you at the next Seattle BrewMuster.

Kiss Cafe in Ballard

Travis — Sat, 13 Jun 2009 18:35:14 +0000

Last night I checked out Kiss Cafe in Ballard for the first time and was really impressed. It had a nice atmosphere, friendly people, and an awesome beer selection (bottles and cans only). They also have an innovative offering called the “99 Bottles of Beer Club.” View the video below to find out more!

Music provided by Barrett Tagliarino (sourced from the Podsafe Music Network).

Is Hold Music Taunting You?

Travis — Fri, 27 Mar 2009 16:32:15 +0000

After sitting on hold for 15 minutes waiting for a conference call, I decided this would be an appropriate time to re-post the hold-music song. Can you relate?
(Download Version)