Link and article courtesy Reuters 2008.

Beck's Beer Holder

Of course, you can toss any ol’ brew in the holder, but it’s meant for a Beck’s Oktoberfest, a pilsner brewed in Bremen according to the German Purity Law. The 5.2% ABV-brew pours a copper-caramel color with a tinge of ruby and a full, creamy head. It has a sweet, malty, hearty flavor-all the requisite characteristics of an Oktoberfest-but without the overwhelming, sticky taste some versions of the style tend to take on. The flavor is full-bodied, but the mouthfeel is especially crisp and light-which means our Oktoberfest celebrations will last well into the night.

Find Beck’s Oktoberfest draft at your local haunt or in bottles through October. For more information, visit www.becksbeer.com.

For an up-close look at the new beer in an apropos environment, head on over to the Coney Island Boutique Beerfest, which debuts Friday, Oct. 3 at the Coney Island Sideshow in Brooklyn, N.Y. and features Shmaltz Brewing, as well as a number of local breweries and live music.

Shmaltz fanatics should also mark the beginning of 2009 in their calendars. The brewery plans to unveil its next installment in its carnival-inspired lagers: Human Blockhead, an 8.8%-ABV strong lager.

For more about Shmaltz Brewing or its line of Coney Island Lagers, visit www.shmaltz.com or www.coneyislandlager.com.

Link courtesy Seacoast Online

St. Pauli Girl Finalists

It was just another boring Tuesday at the office when, suddenly, we were perked up by an email from St. Pauli Girl:

“So, your candidate for President probably won’t win this year, your fantasy football team picked Brady as the QB, and you’ve never picked a winning lottery number in your life. So pick something that really matters: the 2009 St. Pauli Girl Spokesmodel!”

True, true and true. We’re sold!

For the first time in its 31-year history, St. Pauli Girl is granting sovereignty to its fans across the nation, allowing them to vote for the 2009 St. Pauli Girl spokesmodel, a blonde bombshell who will represent the beer’s iconic barmaid. Online voting begins just days before Oktoberfest on September 15, and runs through Nov. 10. Click here to cast your ballot.

The four finalists are:

Tara Rice (Valencia, Calif)

Rice, a former Miss Teen California All American, is an actress and model who has appeared in magazines such as Maxim and films including “Austin Powers in Goldmember.”

Brooke Long (Chino Hills, Calif)

A model on the hit show “Deal or No Deal,” Long has appeared in films including “The Comebacks,” “Orange County,” “Gigli” and “Little Nikki,” on TV on “Entourage” and “Jimmy Kimmel Live” and in, FHM, Muscle and Fitness, Teen and ESPN Magazine.

Katrina Van Derham (Slovakia)

An actress and model with an international flair, Van Derham has an extensive portfolio that includes appearances in Vogue, Marie Claire, Muscle and Fitness and FHM as well as on TV in “CSI” and “Monk.”

Jessica Hall (Quartz Hill, Calif.)

An actress and model, fans might recognize Hall as a model on NBC’s “Deal or No Deal.” She has also appeared on TV on “Two and a Half Men,” “Fear Factor” and as a host on MTV, Playboy TV, Fox Sports Net and the TV Guide Channel as well as in the Adam Sandler movie “Click.”

Flip Cup Guys

Every respectable college party has at least one table for beer games. Around it, spectators watch impatiently to see which of two teams has the drinking skills needed for victory.

Now, picture that party on a massive scale.

That’s what Flip Cup Guys founders Mike and Scott envisioned when they created the World’s Largest Flip Cup Tournament (WLFCT). With space for 64 six-player teams, this will be the largest game of flip cup ever played in the U.S.. The tournament will be held Oct. 11, 1 p.m. at the M1-5 Bar in New York City. Registration is a $30 per player. Participants have access to an open beer bar, as well as a chance at creative prizes like Best Team Name. You could even win a cruise to the Bahamas while competing for flip cup glory. The Flip Cup Guys will donate a portion of the tournament proceeds to the winning team’s charity of choice.

The Flip Cup Guys organize tournaments in a number of cities nationwide. They’ve been featured on Maxim Radio and SportsIllustrated.com. For more information, or to register your team, visit www.FlipCupGuys.com.

But before indulging your inner-biermeister, don’t miss what makes this festival the go-to, catchall event for all things Germany. Get a visual lesson of Germanic culture from the 33-float parade along 5th Avenue (between 63rd and 86th streets), featuring hallmarks like Mercedes-Benz, the Brothers Grimm, Old World castles and Elvis Presley (he was of German descent). With more than 20 organizations from Germany participating, the festivities are guaranteed to be authentic and boisterous.

After your history lesson, join the party in Central Park. This Oktoberfest-type brew-ha-ha squeezes 3,000 to 4,000 attendees under

one very large tent and is an opportunistic time to chase down an autograph from German actor and parade Grand Marshall Ralf Moeller, who appeared in “Gladiator,” “Batman & Robin” and “Beerfest.”

So, grab a stein, practice your “Prost!” and get ready for polka. www.germanparadenyc.org.

Jack's Pumpkin Spice Ale

Heading back to the office after a long weekend is always a drag. On the upside, the end of Labor Day means the start of fall beer season, and suds lovers can kick theirs off with with Anheuser-Busch’s annual seasonal, Jack’s Pumpkin Spice Ale. First introduced in 2005, the all-malt ale is brewed with Golden Delicious pumpkins, plus nutmeg, cinnamon, ginger and clove, yielding a copper-color brew that oozes autumn with every sip. Check out this video by brewmaster Florian Kuplent; he describes the beer’s nuances in greater detail.

Watch for Jack’s on shelves now through November. For more
information, visit www.anheuserbusch.com.

Brewers can make any style of ale or lager and use either a hot or cold (or both) brewing process; the only rule is the beer must contain fresh-picked Oregon Centennial hops. Prizes will be awarded for the top three beers at a reception at noon on Saturday, Nov. 1 at the BridgePort Brewpub. On that day, visitors will enjoy a sampling of the brewery’s hop harvest ales, brewery tours, and a presentation on the making of BridgePort’s 2008 harvest ale by brewmaster Karl Ockert.

All entries, consisting of three labeled bottles and completed entry form, must be deposited at the BridgePort Brewpub (1313 NW Marshall St. in Portland) by Sunday, October 26th. Brews will be judged by BridgePort’s brewing department staff.

For more information and to enter, email karl.ockert@bridgeportbrewing.com

Held Saturday, Sept. 6 at 3 p.m.,the annual Widmer Bros. Brewery festival is expected to draw 4,000 beer fans, who will enjoy a variety of brews, traditional German food, yodelers, accordion players, and live music. Samples of Widmer’s newest beer, a yet-to-be-named pale ale scheduled for release in 2009, will be available on a first-come, first-served basis.

Bands include Portland natives Keegan Smith and The Fam, Colin Lake and Wellbottom, and Portland Music Awards “Best Female Artist of the Year” Debra Arlyn. San Francisco’s accordion-fueled rock ‘n’ roll band, Those Darn Accordions, will headline the celebration.

Admission is free, and $10 buys you a sampling stein and two beers ($1 tokens can get you additional brews and food). For more information, visit www.widmer.com.