My blog n'at

Saturday was an absolutely amazing day!  Started with heading down to the Strip District to check out a few beer places, pick up some ingredients, people watch the crazy Steelers yinzers, and partake in East End Brewing offerings from their growler shop in the Pittsburgh Public Market. It was there we met Kris and Andi who were in town to do their own craft beer tour of Pittsburgh. One is from Washington DC and the other Ann Arbor, MI which makes the Burgh the midway point. Good thing to know eh?  Being craft beer cheerleaders for our beloved city we gave them a list of places to go and had a couple beers with them. Amazing ladies and I hope they enjoyed their time!

Back at SIDT Studio B the brewing started to take shape. The fun thing for me was finally understanding the basics of the brewing process happening in front of me. Thankfully I did have someone with me because sickpuppy found an error with the instructions that were sent with the brewing kit and a quick call to Northern Brewer had it resolved. Thumps up for great customer service especially on a Saturday!

The whole process, including running out to find a thermometer which WASN’T included with the kit, took about 4 hours which was perfect. We wrapped up just as the sun set and it was time to transfer to the bucket.

There has been some serious bubble action going on the last few days and I’m looking forward to a gravity reading this weekend to see where we are. One thing the instructions didnt factor in was the need for more priming sugar so I made a run for that last night.

I like where this can end up going as a hobby. I don’t get to drink that much at home so expect to get some as gifts just so I can make a new batch.

We did also record a show when we were done so you can be expecting that soon. Until then I have a lot of reading to do and look into subscriptions

He has a long career of making root beer in front of him.

It was 5 years ago on May 5th that the first episode of Should I Drink That was released. Since then the show has been downloaded over 1.25 million times,  featured in countless print/radio/tv outlets across the country and are recognized as an entertaining and educational resource for craft beer advocacy.

What started as 2 drinking buddies talking into a webcam one night in 2006 has blossomed into a cult following with fans all over the world. We felt a need for a show where you could listen about craft beer without the snobbishness and ask questions that you may shy away from because some self proclaimed beer expert was belittling you.

We do this show out of passion. Craft beer is meant to celebrate innovation, flavors and exploration of your own palate.  You’re supposed to have fun with it and not be some elitist prick looking down on people. We offer suggestions on what you may or may not like but that is the beauty of craft beer, everyone’s taste is different so don’t ever feel ashamed for what you like. Craft beer is made for your enjoyment, not for judgement.

Because of this show we’ve been able to experience craft beers from all over the world that the average drinkers never will. We’ve made very good friends and love every single one of our fans!

I’ve always beat around the bush and avoided answering a lot of questions about the show. Not because I didnt know the answer or was ashamed, just some things I didn’t feel like sharing or wanted to make shit up. So here you go, answers to a lot of the questions we get. If you have any feel free to leave them for me in comments.

1) Where did the show name come from?
The original name was going to be “monkeys with hand grenades” or “operation: shortbus”. We sent emails back and forth trying to figure out which one was best. We picked “Should I Drink That?” because it was the most popular thing we would be asked at bars. We knew each show would be able to answer that question.

2) What is with your names?
We decided right away to not use our real names. Not for privacy but hearing from “Doug and Brad” is kinda boring and craft beer is about having fun. Its entertaining. Brad has always had a sick sense of humor so sickpuppy just fit. Father Spoon comes from the podcast which inspired SIDT called The Real Happy Hour. I’ve been called “spoon” since college so the “father” part came from a forum post over there where I started forgiving people for stupid things they did while drunk but the penance would be a drink. I still have the fake collar I made and took a pic wearing that coined the name. You can thank a man named Kurt Johnson.

3) How long did we expect it to last?
Not more than a couple shows. We got rocked that first show and sickpuppy had to go close on his new house that next morning. I think we had material for 3 shows and figured after 5 that would be it because we would run out of material. Our stats went from a couple downloads from friends to a few hundred. Every anniversary we say “only one more year…”, Obviously we never listened

4) DFH 120 chug. What don’t we know?
a) Dick Hammer is a real paramedic and no that’s not his name. In fact he didn’t have one until I blurted it out b) The “10 minutes later” was filmed on my shitty digital camera and was 100% real. It really messed with my head. c) That was  filmed on Good Friday and I had fasted the entire day (I’m catholic).  We shot it at night. d) I had threats against me because of it e) Dogfish Head emailed us about it. Sam and his crew said they loved it and invited us to the brewery. Suck it haters! f) There were 18 pages in the ratebeer.com forums wishing I would die or was dead. we have a pdf of it somewhere g) the video has been viewed over 50,000 times. h) One guy on you tube hated me so much because of it he made a series of videos mocking me. Apparently I really pissed him off.

5) Random facts

• Over 1.25 million downloads. Number of those that are my wife – 0.
• I’ve lived in 3 different places in that time. “Studio B” was a running joke with us. We’ve only recorded there once and it was a garage.
• Studio B is in fact being built, thats no shit. I’m trying to figure out the power I need right now.
• I can’t drink most stouts without getting sick.
• Since the start of the show I’ve lost my dad, gained 2 sons, bought a house, won a car and got my first gray hair.
• Because of the show I learned the skills for my current profession
• I wouldn’t be where I’m at professionally and in a new career if it wasn’t for the show.

I’ve been a known advocate for craft beer for at least the last 5 years because of Should I Drink That but like every fan I have a weakness. Sometimes you just want to tie one on with something cheap that reminds you of simpler times like college or go back to your roots so you remember where you came from. I don’t care what the snobs say, everyone has one and for me that beer is Beast Ice.

I should say “was” me.

I owe it to my readers and myself to stay on course so with that I’m going to try and not drink one macro all year. Why may this seem difficult? We go to a lot of wedding receptions, sporting events, tailgates, private clubs and picnics where that is the only fermented beverage of choice. If I’m at one of your functions and I drink a coke don’t be insulted. Its not you its me

Baby O’s arrival has changed everything. Previously with Teaspoon I was able to put him to bed on a Saturday night around 8 and by the time Lushie was sleeping I could either go out or pick up a cheap case to get ripped while in chat or playing Xbox. Now my time to consume is very limited and won’t be wasted on fizzy yellow stuff.

It comes down to appreciation. My free time is very limited and valuable so I owe it to myself and to my palate to savor these moments. I’m not going to stop writing reviews but may scale down to only doing some choice events. Its mainly the in between time that has changed. I’m not going out making $400 beer runs anymore (or at east that I’m telling lushie about) but I will make a stop on the way home to pick up a beer for after the kids are in bed.

I’m working on finishing up the basement so I have room to start brewing/bottling plus add storage area for the beers I want to cellar. All of these things are to help progress my appreciation for craft beer and its culture. There are so many different aspects that I need and want to learn.

When June comes around and I get my degree I’ll be curious how I’m doing but it comes back to my theme for this year. A year of focus.

(click me and i’ll get bigger)

I check out our stats religiously to see if there are any spikes in traffic. Once the whole buying a house/moving process started I got a little very lazy on keeping up. I was checking out a few things yesterday when I saw another spike so I had to start investigating and thats when our good friend Adri broke the new to the world – Should I Drink That was listed under the ‘What’s Hot” section of iTunes in the Food category!

I don’t even know what to say about this one. Amazed is probably a good one. SIDT is in the process of re-inventing how to cover beer festivals and live events so to get news of this honor gives me the extra boost to keep on going when I could just say screw it, I’m done, i have more important things to do. If any of my readers are fans of the show I want to thank you for downloading it and supporting us. If it wasn’t for you we would have stopped after 10 shows. We do love all of you, even if you’re from Philly

cheers!

The Beer Wench and I sat down for a chit chat over email about my beer blogging, Should I Drink That, my own personal beer history from the first one I ever drank at age 16 (and still have the bottle) to why I does what I does now n’at. You’ll find out more about me that I haven’t said in interviews before and you can also check out the other fantastic beer bloggers she’s talked to.

Read the interview here!

Raise a pint and leave a comment here or there or everywhere

cheers!

You’re seeing that correctly. In what could be labeled as our worst kept secret ever, we grace the pages of the March 2010 issue of Pittsburgh Magazine. I was flattered when I first learned that Jonathan Wander wanted to talk to me about the show and since it was around Podcamp Pittsburgh time I figured he was a curious fan. That’s when I found out about his intentions to write the article which left me stunned. We’re talkin USA scores with 26 seconds left in regulation of gold medal game Canadian stunned. I’ve done many interviews with beer trade magazines but never with anyone outside that realm and I honestly didn’t know how their readers would take to us.  We do carry an explicit tag but also we’re genuine on there and not some corporate bullshit. People tell me they dig that so that has to put some odds in our favor. This past January Jonathan and I talked over the phone for a solid 2 hours about the show, my life, growing up in Erie and followed it with a photo shoot at Bocktown on a Sunday afternoon. The rest was up to his creative hands.

The article is incredible and I admit, when I first saw it in print at Giant Eagle, I blushed.  Oh hell I was glowing. Only a few select people know how much work I really put into this show behind the scenes and to see it on a stage like Pittsburgh Magazine just blows my mind, even more than when we appeared in national publication DRAFT. In a way it seems like the show was validated. When you hit local there’s something even more meaningful about it. Now if someone back in my hometown of Erie calls, oh lord I’ll never shut up.

The magazine will be seen by over 250,000 readers in 10 counties (Erie included). If you can’t find it at your local Giant Eagle, Borders or Barnes & Noble you can read the online version here

Thankfully with the show I have been able to develop skills that I never thought twice about and it turned into getting my butt employed. Should I Drink That has treated me well and with the plans that I have in mind for this year, should make the experience even more amazing.

Creatively I know where I want this to go and how the whole process should flow. Does it happen that way? Hell no. In fact getting an episode of SIDT together is a huge pain in the ass but one I like to have. When we started it was “lets go to the store and see what we can buy” and now there is a dry erase board that I plan out the next few shows on. Multicolored markers too cause I’m spiffy like that. I think once Studio B is purchased and wired I’ll have a better understanding of what it is I want but until then we’re going with what’s worked.

I want to thank everyone who has supported the show.  When I was starting college I wanted to get into radio and that dream was quickly shot down by my fam. Then again they also said I would never make a living in computers and look how that turned out  Without you, my kickass friends, I would never have moved forward with long lost dream and this thing would have been over with years ago.

Thanks everyone!

cheers!

Upon reading an article in the Post Gazette we found out that Vintage Estate in Boardman, Ohio was ranked as the number 1 beer store in the world. You read that correctly, THE WORLD… in Boardman, Ohio! If you’ve never been to Boardman its basically strip mall heaven. Take Upper Peach in Erie or say 19 in Cranberry and multiply that by 10.

We’ve always heard about this place but never traveled. I guess we thought it was farther than it really is plus we think “Ohio? that’s another goddamn state!” (see, I’m a geography whiz). Turns out that it’s only 30 minutes from Cranberry TWP where we have SIDT Studio A. That’s right, it’s faster for us to get to Boardman than it is to Monroeville, Murrysville or anything in the South Hills.

We arrive shortly before 7pm at a store front that looks the size of Bocktown. Walking in the clouds parted and angels sang from the heavens. Immediately to our right were shelves of beers that we have never seen in PA; most importantly The Bruery.

That gives you a rough layout of the store. Its wall to wall beer and even more wine in the middle.  There is a tasting table in the back and also a bar in a side room that serves drafts and incredible flatbread. You can purchase a bottle and drink it in store but someone at the bar has to open it for you plus there is a small corking fee. Even with that the prices were considerably cheaper than PA. Keep in mind PA’s bullshit system for selling beer and the incredibly high tax (Johnstown flood was 74 years ago and we still pay on it). Hopslam in Pgh – $4.75/bottle | at Vintage Estate $2.99.

Vintage Estate is beer heaven and you need to visit. They have roughly 748 different beers and I would say 80% are ones we can’t get in PA. Its a short drive and if your significant other is giving you grief there are strip malls galore to keep them occupied. Downside, your beer wont be stronger than 12%abv. You’re not getting DFH 120 Minute here.

Here you go… The Beer List (some were doubles and triples):

• Alesmith Horny Devil
• Alesmith Speedway Stout
• Alesmith Wee Heavy
• Avery Hog Heaven
• Avery Salvation
• Avery The Reverend
• Allagash Curieux
• Birrificio Le Baladin Super Baladin Ale
• Brasserie Dieu Du Ciel ! Rigor Mortis Abt Abbey Style Brown Ale
• Brew Kettle Dark Helmet Imperial Schwarzbier
• Cantillon Classic Gueuze Ale (aged in oak barrels)
• Dark Horse Amber Ale
• Dark Horse Crooked Tree IPA
• Dark Horse Raspberry,
• Dark Horse Scotty Karate Scotch Ale
• Dark Horse Too Cream Stout
• Great Divide Oak Aged Yeti
• Kiuchi Brewery Espresso Stout
• Kiuchi Brewery Japanese Classic Ale
• Kiuchi Brewery Red Rice Ale
• Kiuchi Brewery Sweet Stout
• Kiuchi Brewery XH (matured in sake casks)
• Left Hand Brewing Company Fade to Black
• Mikkeller It’s Alive Wild Ale
• New Holland Charkoota Rye Smoked Doppelbock Lager
• Ommegang Biere de Mars (Batch 2, October 2008)
• Rust Belt Brewing Coke Oven Stout
• Rust Belt Brewing Old Man Hoppers IPA
• Rust Belt Brewing Rusted River Irish Red Ale
• Stone Brewing/Brew Dog Collaboration Bashah
• The Bruery Hottenroth
• The Bruery Orchard White
• The Bruery Saison Rue
• The Bruery Rugbrod
• Troegs Javahead Stout

Any time I’ve given a presentation, recorded a live show or have been in group conversations about craft beer someone always asks me what the most expensive beer was I’ve drank. It’s not what necessarily what I paid, since I get a lot as gifts , but what their current value is at that time of consumption.

Since this is a popular topic once again I thought I’d share this gem of a video showing myself, Drew and sickpuppy drinking it.  Of course you share it with friends, that’s what craft beer is all about.

Shot 2 years ago with an old Kodak digital camera on movie mode, Ladies and gents i present the $385 (currently $497 on Ebay) bottle of Sam Adams Utopias MMII – 24%ABV

That’s right FREE BEER TICKETS!  I’m not kidding. it’s FREE

Go to the Should I Drink That contest page and enter before Sunday night at 11:59pm

I have news coming soon but unfortunately I’m dealing with scheduling drama where I go to school so I’ve been a bit pre-occupied. Tonight I’ll be a typing machine.

Go get yourself entered for hours of free beer drinking!

cheers yo!

Sickpuppy and I will be teaching the first class of the fall edition of Beer School. You may recall I hinted towards this previously well now you can order tickets!

Enjoy and discuss quality craft beers with Tony “The Beerman” Knipling and Should I Drink That. Includes light fare from Café Zao. Beer-related door prizes. Craft beer 6-packs available to go.

The hour-long Craft Beer School is held at the Cabaret at Theater Square, 655 Penn Ave. between 6th and 7th Streets, downtown Pittsburgh Cultural District. Craft Beer School begins at 6:15pm on September 15th; doors open at 5:45pm. Tickets: $25; order all four and save $10

Beers are still TBD but we will be recording the session live for a future broadcast!

Come join us for a night of great craft beers and good times!