Thanks to a concerned and dedicated blog reader, I was alerted to a April 03, 2008 Anchorage Daily News article written by Sarah Longwell, the managing director of the American Beverage Institute in Washington, D.C. The article warned social drinkers of a looming, oppressive bill in front of the legislature aimed at stiffening the risk of getting behind the wheel with a couple of drinks in your gut. If you haven’t read this incredibly well-written piece, please do so by surfing out to http://www.adn.com/opinion/compass/story/364069.html.
In essence, the bill aims to require that the same punishment be levied on someone getting caught driving at just over the current .08 BAC limit as someone caught driving at say .244, or three times the legal limit. Currently judges can exercise some discretion in sentencing based on just how intoxicated someone was, realizing that the risk of injury or damage is far greater at higher levels of intoxication.
As the article points out, also taken into consideration is the fact that the average alcohol-related fatal accident happens at .19, not .08. Although alcohol affects everyone differently (and I hate to generalize) .08 is a low level of impairment.
The “same punishment” in this case means that if someone’s pulled over for a routine traffic stop (let’s say the vehicle has a burned out tail light) and the officer gets a hint of beer in the air, the person could be tested and even without any demonstrated impairment, if the person blows over .08 even by a fraction, the person would have to have ignition interlocks installed (on board breathalyzers) on the car (about $900) and the 
crime would remain on that individual’s record for life.
Ms. Longwell’s article states “This kind of zero tolerance is not anti-drunks, it’s anti-drinks.” I couldn’t agree more. Please read the article. I’ve forwarded it to Support Your Local Brewery, an online beer advocacy site, even though it doesn’t fit within their mission of monitoring for legislation that affects the craft brewing industry, but in a sense, this does.
I’ve been discussing the current hop and malt shortage in the world and the ramifications it will have for craft beer lovers, and I want to expound on the topic a bit more. Without rehashing the entire subject, due to a global shortage of hops and declining malt production, the price of beer is going up. As craft beer lovers, what do we do?
Don’t do anything different. Suck it up and pay the extra $$ and buy the beer you normally drink. Yeah, I know, that’s easy for me to say, but I’m feeling the pinch too. But here’s the point. If we don’t continue to vote for good craft beer with our dollars, craft beer production will decline, and the ripple effect could be profound. Aside from that, what are the alternatives? I have two. One is unthinkable and one is plausible, although I don’t intend to exercise either choice.
I could shop for beer based on price. That will not only severely limit my choices, but will inadvertently support larger, mass-producing breweries that have long term contract power to buy the lion’s share of the scant hops available for our more creative, smaller, local brewing friends.
Price aside, while we’re talking local beer, be sure and pencil in the April 11th Midnight Sun Brewing Company Planet Beer Mars 
Imperial Red IPA release at the brewery on Friday, April 11th. Yup, cost aside, MSBC is churning out big, hoppy, Belgian-oriented beers in this latest series of eclectic beers that celebrate not only the galactic expanse above us, but the small, geocentric effort that an imminently local brewery puts forth to keep things interesting in our cloistered state. Eight more great beers will follow celebrating each of the planets and the outcast Pluto that’s been downgraded to something akin to a galactic boulder. This stuff’s going to show up in bottles in most of the better grog shops, but on tap at select locations as well. Stay tuned for more interstellar news!
There are still a couple of seats available for the Friday, April 04 Celestial Meads mead dinner at the Anchor Pub and Club, (712 W. 4th Ave)so call and RSVP (677-7979) a spot at this top shelf event that will pair Indian and Thai foods with Mike Kiker’s fabulous fermented honey. The combination of spices in the food and the delicacy of the mead should make for some oral-gasams throughout the multi-course event.
The First Taste a McGinley’s Irish Pub on Friday, April 4th from 5-8 pm features brews from the Baron Brewing Company of Seattle, Washington. I visited Baron in conjunction with the Seattle International Bierfest a couple of years ago and appreciated the fact that the brewery uses only authentic German ingredients and brewing processes. Featured beers at the $6.00 tasting at McGinley’s include the brewery’s Pilsner, Schwarzbier and their Liberator Dopplebock. McGinley’s is a great little haunt to dive into when Humpy’s is overflowing or if you like a quieter, more refined crowd. Oh, the bar sponsors a rugby team, so you’re likely to run into some muscular Guinnes drinking guys, but they’re pretty benign and might even share a table with you if the place gets crowded.
If you like Alaskan Brewing Company’s Amber Ale, India Pale Ale and Barley Wine, you’re not alone. Even the Aussies seem to like the stuff. Alaskan’s Amber Ale pulled a bronze medal, the IPA pulled a silver medal and the Barley Wine pulled a gold medal (along with 
“highest in class”) at the 2008 Australian International Beer Awards that took place earlier this year. Congrats to the Juneau Brew Crew! Oh, and just for the record, before I forget, I biffed last week and called Alaskan Heritage Coffee Brown Alaskan Heritage Coffee Stout. What a bonehead, eh? You’ll do a double take when you go to reach for the Alaskan Amber; it’s got a new label and six pack design.
If you want a sweet deal on a swinging beer, get to the Brown Jug liquor store on 88th and Old Seward for some Full Sail Top Sail Imperial Porter. Below market pricing will wrap you mug around this wicked, dark temptress that’s as good for putting in bed (laying down) as it is drinking right now. There’s only a couple of cases of the stuff in stock, but if you like inky blackness, big booze and rich, complex flavors that swirl like the Aurora Borealis, this is your brew. If you’re on a budget, now is the time, but only at 88th and Old Seward.
While there, check out Hue Brewery LTD’s Hue Beer from Viet Nam. I don’t know what to expect in this beer, I just know it’s an exclusive at this store. If you’re a style Nazi, this is classified as an American lager, so it might make for a good comparison among others. It’s 
4.8 percent alcohol and crystal clear, but travel weariness and perhaps some insipidness might get in the way of a true drinking experience. At $2.39 a bottle, there’s little risk so grab one and send me some feedback.
Also in at 88th and Old Seward is King Fisher and Taj Mahal lagers from the United Breweries (UB Group) in India. These are light lagers akin to the American light lagers we’re used to, but with some interesting twists.
Look for recent arrivals around town including Avery Brewing’s Maharaja Imperial IPA and a new batch of Collaboration (a beer jointly brewed by Avery and The Russian River Brewing Company, the limited remnants of Dogfish Head’s Fort (an 18 percent raspberry fruit beer, arguably the strongest fruit beer in the world), Big Sky Brewing Company’s Summer Honey and Deschutes Brewery’s Green Lakes Organic and Inversion IPA.
Humpy’s This Week: Note in the list below that the Alaskan Brewing Company Barley Wine is a 2003 vintage. Like a lint roller, age has picked off coarser, rough edges in the beer (not that they were noticeable in the first place) and made for a smooth sipper. Beer Manager Christoff is also treating us this week with Paulaner Salvator Doppel Bock, just in time for our warmer spring days.
Wheats / Fruits
Moose’s Tooth Wild Country Raspberry Wheat
Ring of Fire Pear—Agave Cyser
$6.75 for 8 oz glass / $11.00 for 12 oz glass
Pyramid Apricot
Pyramid Hefeweisen
Lindemans Framboise ####
Spire Mt. Apple Cider #
Golden Ales / Pilseners / California Common
Homer Dunkel Lager
Midnight Sun Goldstrike Kolsch
Oregon Honey by Portland Brewing
Pale Ales / E.S.B.’s (medium hop bitterness)
Alaskan Pale Ale
Moose’s Tooth Polar Pale Ale
Deschutes Mirror Pond Pale Ale
Sierra Nevada Pale Ale
Elysian E.S.B.
India Pale Ales (med - high hop bitterness)
Alaskan Icy Bay I.P.A.
Humpy’s Sockeye Red by Midnight Sun
Midnight Sun Obliteration II Double IPA ## (8.3%)
Midnight Sun Obliteration III Double IPA ## (7.6%)
Moose’s Tooth Fairweather I.P.A.
Full Sail Slipknot Imperial I.P.A. (7.8%)
Rogue Brutal Bitter
Belgian Ales
Homer Belgian Ale
Blue Moon Belgian White Wheat Ale
Unibroue Blanche de Chambly #
Strong Belgian Ales (Alcohol by Volume over 7.5%
Kodiak Belgian Triple / I.P.A. # (8%)
Midnight Sun Sloth Belgian Imperial Stout 
### (10.2%)
Brasserie Dupont Avec les Bons Voeux #### (9.5%)
Chimay Cing Cents Triple ##### (8%)
Delirium Tremens #### (8.5%)
Dogfish Head Raison D’Etre # (8%)
Deschutes 19th Anv. Belgian Golden # (8.7%)
La Chouffe Belgian Golden Ale #### (8%)
Ommegang Ommegeddon Funkhouse Ale ### (8%)
Christmas / Winter Ales
Midnight Sun Rondy Brew
Deschutes Jubel Ale
Elysian Bifrost
Pyramid Snowcap
Amber Ales / Bocks / Dopple Bocks / Scottish
Alaskan Amber Ale
Midnight Sun Oosik Amber
Kassik’s Brew Stop Caribou Strong Scotch # (8.5%)
Mac Tarnahan’s Scottish Ale
Paulaner Salvator Doppelbock ** (7.9)
Porters / Stouts
Midnight Sun Arctic Rhino Coffee Porter
Silver Gulch Pick Axe Porter
Deschutes Black Butte Porter
Kenai River Swiftwater Stout
Great Divide Oak Aged Yeti Imperial Stout # (9.5%)
Guinness Stout ***
Brown Ales
Alaskan Heritage Coffee Brown Ale
Midnight Sun Kodiak Brown Ale
Barley Wine
Alaskan Big Nugget Barley Wine ### (9%)
Stone Old Gaurdian Barley Wine ## (11.26)
Dr Fermento Beer Calendar
04/04/08 Anchor Pub and Club Celestial Meads Mead, Indian and Thai Dinner 7:00 pm $50.00 Per Person
04/05/08 Café Amsterdam Ring of Fire Meadery Tasting 6:00 pm Pay As You Go
04/11/08 Midnight Sun Brewing Company Planet Beer Mars Belgian Imperial Red IPA Release 6:00 pm Free
04/12/08 Snow Goose Restaurant National Homebrew Competition Judging 10:00 am Free
04/13/08 Snow Goose Restaurant National Homebrew Competition Judging 10:00 am Free
04/18/08 Princess Hotel: Fairbanks Ring of Fire Mead Dinner 6:00 pm TBD
05/01-04/08 Arctic Brewing Supply Goblets of Gold Mead Competition Entries Accepted 10:00 am Free
05/03/08 Chena Pump Campground (Fbx) Zymurgist Borealis Nat. Homebrew Day/Big Beer Celeb. Noon Free
05/16-17/08 Andrew Mellon Auditorium (D.C.) Savor Craft Food and Beer Event Sessions $85.00
05/23/08 Hasingland Hotel (Haines) Brewmaster’s Dinner (Haines Brewer’s Festival) 7:00 pm $??
05/24/08 SE Alaska Fairgrounds Great Alaska Craft Beer and Homebrew Festival) 1:00 – 5:00 pm $??
05/25/08 Pelican (SE Alaska) Pelican Boardwalk Boogie ?? Pay As You Go
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