To understand why beer matters, we first need to understand the mind. What is the mind? Is it just the product of synapses firing inside your skull? That’s part of it, but Dan Siegel argues that the full scope of the mind — consciousness, subjectivity, personal narrative, memories and so on — exists beyond the skull. Mind is the outcome of energy and information flow and the emergent property of a complex system.
In this broader definition, interpersonal relationships aren’t just stimuli but integral aspects of this quantum level “mind” — as essential to its existence as those synapses while being powerful enough to construct and change those synapses. Back to the beer. Every time we kick back and have a beer, we loosen up. We get chatty and make random friends or deepen ties with close ones. We find more common ground. We laugh. We share. We connect more. So, because of beer, we are better able to create lasting memories and unconscious connections and, therefore, structurally change our minds and who we are for the better.
Crazy huh? Here are five beers that could change the course of your life. If you’d like to make a connection with our CBB hive mind for next week, drop us a line at [email protected].
Langham Brewery releases classic Bitter in bottles to benefit a national park
Lesley Foulkes, co-founder of Langham Brewery and Andy Gattiker, South Downs Way manager, toast the launch of South Downs Best Bitter
We are venturing over the pond for this one. Langham Brewery has released the first bottles of its classic South Downs Best Bitter to support work in the South Downs National Park, including a campaign to raise funds for critical repairs on the South Downs Way national trail. Five pence from every bottle sold will go to the South Downs National Park Trust’s Mend our Way campaign to fix broken sections of the South Downs Way. Langham became the first corporate partner of the South Downs National Park Trust, which launched last year.
” We are aiming to raise a significant amount over the next couple of years towards projects in the National Park, including vital restoration of sections of the South Downs Way,” said Lesley Foulkes, the brewery’s co-founder. “We have welcomed the opportunity to collaborate with the trust to raise awareness of the fabulous countryside that surrounds us, and to lead the way in raising funds to conserve the much-loved South Downs Way for future generations.”
The steam heated brewery is also creating a South Downs National Park Information Point at the brewery and has signed up to the National Park Authority’s new Cyclists and Walkers Initiative. The launch of South Downs Best Bitter comes hot on the heels of Langham Brewery’s Triple XXX beer taking the silver award in the Cask Champion Standard Mild and Brown Ales category at the SIBA National Independent Beer Awards 2018, adding another win to its already impressive trophy cabinet.
Oskar Blues has special National Chocolate Day release
Oskar Blues Brewery will release a very limited amount of Bourbon Barrel-Aged Mocha Ten FIDY Imperial Stout on July 7, (National Chocolate Day) at the Oskar Blues Boulder, Longmont and Brevard Taproom locations. Bourbon Barrel Aged Ten FIDY was massively doused with unsweetened pure liquid cacao made by its friends at Cholaca, then dosed with Hotbox Roasters’ cold brew from Mexican coffee beans.
BA Mocha Ten FIDY will be available in Oskar Blues Boulder, Longmont and Brevard taprooms only. Numbered wristbands will be handed out at 9:30 a.m. but a line may begin to form much earlier. Wristbands will allow folks to (reasonably) wander without losing their place in line. Each wristband has a number on it, and yes that number does matter. Beer will be sold in order according to the number system so Mocha seekers must be present when their number is called. Each person may purchase up to five cases of BA Mocha Ten FIDY. 19.2-oz cans come in 12-count cases. If there are cans left at 3 p.m. (both MST and EST), a “No Limit” rule kicks in and peeps will be able to purchase to their hearts’ content.
Arkane Aleworks releases Brut Force IPA
Shout out to the Tampa Bay Times for alerting us to this one. Arkane Aleworks has jumped on the champagne-inspired Brut IPA bandwagon with Brut Force IPA.
The first to market locally is Largo’s Arkane Aleworks, which tapped its first batch of Brut Force IPA last month. The beer pours extremely pale because of a liberal usage of pilsner malt and has a quickly-dissipating head. Citrus and melon notes burst from the glass, aided by dialed-up, Champagne-like carbonation.
The combination of pilsner malt and corn that makes up the majority of the beer’s base provides a light grainy quality with a satisfying underlying sweetness that disappears quickly, leaving little more than a few mild fruit notes: mango, papaya, pineapple. These flavors work especially well with the beer’s effervescence.
Pals at Stone Brewing, Societe collaborate on Skedaddler IPA
The Skedaddler IPA is a draft-only, massively hopped West Coast IPA that combines the brewing expertise and varietal-blending technique of two of San Diego’s foremost IPA cult favorites, the hop-bine harnessers at Stone Brewing and the lupulin savants at Societe Brewing. More importantly, it succinctly encapsulates both companies’ shared devotion to delivering their fans the freshest, highest-quality beer possible.
“We consider Stone trailblazers of the craft-beer revolution. Their vision was so in line with ours that, in the early days of Societe, we reached out to them and they were kind enough to provide some useful advice that helped shape our company,” said Societe Cofounder Doug Constantiner. “It was such an honor for Stone to ask us to brew a collaboration beer with them.”
The belief of the team at Societe Brewing is that draft is the ultimate experience when it comes to hop-driven beers. So when Stone Senior Innovation Brewing Manager Jeremy Moynier contacted Constantiner and Societe Cofounder Travis Smith to see what they’d think of brewing a collaboration beer that would be shipped across the country exclusively in kegs, the duo, touched by that level of respect and accommodation, happily jumped onboard. Stone and Societe started down the long, temperature-controlled road to what is Societe / Stone The Skedaddler IPA. Coming in at 7 percent alcohol-by-volume and boasting an eclectic hop bill built with American, Australian, German and New Zealand hops, it is full-bodied yet dry on the finish, with vibrant citrus, stone fruit and tropical flavors on the palate; just what a craft-beer fan would expect from two companies renowned for their IPA prowess.
The Booth Brewing to release LGBTQ Smoothie IPA and Fun Follower Witbier
Eureka, Calif.-based Booth Brewing will be releasing two new beers tomorrow (June 15). In honor of Pride month, The Booth Brewing will release LGBTQ Smoothie IPA, its first Smoothie IPA and Fun Follower Witbier, a unique witbier with a twist. Both beers will be available in 16-oz cans and 5.2-gal, keykegs on June 15 at its beer release party event in its Eureka brewery. The beers will be available at limited locations in Humboldt County starting June 15th and the Bay Area starting June 18.
The booth represented the LGBTQ acroynm by brewing this beer with (L)iberty & (G)lacier hops, (B)lackberries, (T)art Cherries and lastly (Q)uinoa. Boasting a hazy golden hue, this IPA is packed with a fruitful flavors, creamy mouthfeel and well-rounded aromas. With 7.4 percent ABV and 26 IBU, LGBTQ Smoothie IPA is a great beer for the start of summer. All proceeds from this beer will be donated to LGBTQ groups.
