June 2011 – Good Beer Seal

The Great Hot Dog CookOff and KIMCHIPALOOZA!

Tickets for Kelso’s 6th Annual Great Hot Dog CookOff go on sale July 1st!

20 teams of fierce amateur chefs bring their hot dog prowess to this competition and fundraiser to benefit local charities including Food Bank of New York City. This annual event has grown from a friendly grill off to a hot dog throw down of epic proportions. Don’t miss this opportunity to get some hot dog inspiration. Visit The Great Hot Dog Cookoff website for information and tickets!

What is KIMCHIPALOOZA? Mama O’s Kimchi is going all out at this year’s CookoutNYC event on Governors Island (July 10th- a featured event of July Good Beer Month) and putting together a mess of Kimchi contests including a Homemade Kimchi Contest, Creative Cooking with Kimchi Contest, a Daikon Kimchi Eating Contest and A Super Spicy Kimchi Eating Contest! For rules and more information, check out Mama O’s Kimchee and join in the fun at CookOutNYC.

Bierkraft’s Ben Granger on Charlie Papazian

Just last week, brewer, author, intrepid beer personality and Brewer’s Association President, Charlie Papazian called in to Beer Sessions Radio (TM) causing a bit of buzz amongst some of our close friends in the beer industry. Ben Granger of Brooklyn’s treasured (and recent Good Beer Seal inductee) Bierkraft had this to say in a recent correspondence with Beer Sessions Radio’s host, Jimmy Carbone:

“THE CHARLIE PAPAZIAN? I have and old ass copy of the Joy Of Homebrewing and suggest it to all of the new home brewers that come to Bierkraft. The man is a legend! Please tell him he has much respect in Brooklyn from us. Now [in response to your question re: deans of beer after Michael Jackson] beer “deans” or figureheads when speaking of Charlie Papazian is a difficult comparison. Charlie is a science teacher/home brewer that has climbed to the top of the heap by simply being a bad ass. Most of the figureheads in beer now are commercial brewers, who are recognized for brewing the beers that we drink on a daily basis and have the ability to market themselves as brands. Michael Jackson and Charlie Papazian are quite different in that they were born almost out of Counterculture. They rose to fame and popularity by simply being real people who worked in different aspects of our industry. It is tough to compare to guys like this, I mean they really were and are legends. I guess the real question is; who are the new champions of beer without being brewers or brewery owners? People who have moved the industry forward without letting it lose sight of its past: The Alstrom Brothers, Tom Peters, Alex Hall, Ray Daniels and John Palmer, to name a few.

This is a tough question because I would lump Mike J. and Chuck P. into the same group as Louis Pasteur, Duke William the IV of Bavaria (Reinheitsgebot), and Billy Carter as people who have helped direct the course of craft beer over time into the place we know it today.

Please tell Charlie Papazian that Ben Granger and the staff at Bierkraft say thanks.”

And thanks to you, Ben Granger, for sharing your thoughts with us. We’ll relay the message!

July Good Beer Month

shoe2brew_final4 — Craft Brewing Meets Green Development: A Forum Over Food & Drink

This year’s July Good Beer Month will throw the spotlight on 34 Good Beer Seal Bars, local brewers, charitable organizations, delicious food and great New York City destinations. Keep watching this website for special offers, pub crawl suggestions, and information about upcoming events. Here is a taste of some of the great events of July Good Beer Month 2011! See our July Good Beer Month page or click on the logos for more details.

jimmy2_medium_image — Craft/Beer/Jam at WNYC's Greene Space

Also, check out the Thrillist Rewards we have set up for July Good Beer Month! Here’s how it works: for $30 you get a choice of a curated 4 beer craft flight or a full pour (selected by a knowing bartender!) at one of 20 participating Good Beer Seal Bars. Each $30 Passport is good from July through September 30, 2011. If you are among the First 10 People to fully complete the Passport you’ll get a 1 on 1 beer lesson during NY Craft Beer Week at Jimmy’s No. 43!

The New Good Beer Seal Bars Announced!

Tuesday, June 14: The Good Beer Seal announced the 2011 inductees into The Good Beer Seal with an awards party at Barcade in Brooklyn.

Good Beer Seal Awards 2011 from Letitia Productions on Vimeo.

Without further ado (drumroll please!) The new Good Beer Seal bars are:

Waterfront Ale House (Manhattan)

A great beer crowd assembled to welcome the new bars into the ranks of The Good Beer Seal. Great beer was flowing and Barcade pulled out all the stops to host a great celebration. There was food from Lorimer Market, Jimmy’s No. 43 and Sam Barbieri of Waterfront Ale House brought some of his famous BBQ offerings for revelers to enjoy with their beloved beers. Brewers, bar owners, beer reps, beer writers and serious beer fans jammed the place with joyful discussion as they awaited the announcement of the Good Beer Seal Class of 2011. When the big moment came, each bar was greeted with delighted whoops and whistles from the crowd. When the announcement was over, no one wanted to go home. Why should they? There was still more beer!

The New York Observer covered this week’s event, which you can read HERE, but the biggest news to come out of Tuesday’s Good Beer Seal Awards is that July Good Beer Month is just around the corner. If you missed the party (or if you went and wished there was still MORE party!) don’t worry. An entire month of great beer events awaits you. Keep an eye on our calendar for updates on July Good Beer Month events and visit your favorite (or a NEW favorite) Good Beer Seal bar today.

July Good Beer Month Approaches!

Summer is clearly on its way and with it comes July Good Beer Month, a monthlong celebration of New York City, its craft beer bars, and its vibrant beer culture. The good beer fan can look forward to everything from Cookout NYC to the 3rd Annual Good Beer at BAM to bar specific events around the city. You can find all the information about July Good Beer Month events right here, so keep checking back for more great events.

The countdown to July Good Beer Month starts on June 14th when The Good Beer Seal will announce the 2011 inductees into The Good Beer Seal. A panel of beer writers has been hard at work looking at New York City good beer bars to decide which independently owned watering holes will earn the Seal. Will your favorite bar make the cut? You’ll have to wait until June 14th to find out!