DRAFT Magazine

Greg Jones just wanted to have a little fun. Only problem? Budweiser wasn’t smiling.

Jones, a Maryland resident, launched Baby Beer Bottles Inc., a company that made baby bottles designed to look like Budweiser bottles. Anheuser-Busch InBev NV found out and sued the top right off Jones and his venture.

The entrepreneur understood he was treading on thin ice — the Web site (since taken down) read: “If you are an adult that cannot keep real beer, or a real beer bottle away from your toddler, you should not purchase this gag gift” — but Budweiser still wasn’t pleased. We understand the logic, of course, but the items would still make an excellent gag gift.

We wanted to know what you were drinking during the Academy Awards. So we asked. And you answered.

Tim Beauchamp of Little Winery in the Back gave his honest opinion: “Home brewed porter.”

Simple. We like that. Back on Monday with another enticing question.

Normally we don’t give spirit news so much as a turn of the head, but history was made on March 11 in the world of whiskey. It all began in a distillery long, long ago and far, far away…

In 1938, a seed was planted. Planted in Spanish oak, ex-bodega sherry hogshead, to be more specific. Planted — to be exact — in Gordon and MacPhail’s Mortlach Distillery in Scotland, where it would germinate for 70 long years. Until today. (Drum roll, please.)

The oldest single malt whiskey in the world, Mortlach 70 Year Old, is now available, but only in exclusive quantities: 54 full-sized decanters, 162 smaller decanters, and that’s all she wrote.

The whiskey’s epic presentation is fit for royalty: a teardrop shaped decanter encased in silver trim holds the liquid and a replaceable silver cap helps you dispense the beverage that was literally a lifetime in the making.

Getting thirsty? We hope not. This whiskey, which should get its own “Space Odyssey: 2001” theme music, is sold for a whooping £9999.00… which, according to currency calculators, is roughly $15,059.53 USD. If only we’d starting saving up 70 years ago.

– Mariah Beckman

We’ve scoured the country from Alaska to Hawaii and Portland, Maine to Portland, Ore., to find the bars where you’re guaranteed to sip unmatched suds. Romantic or boisterous, scuzzy or dressed to the nines, the flavor of the places where fine brew is served runs the gamut. Here, the 150 places where craft is king and fun comes in all fashions.

Today: New York (state)

Clark’s Ale House
Syracuse, New York
Come to Clark’s for beer, yes, but also one of the most divine roast beef sandwiches your tongue will ever wrestle with. It might pair with some brews better than others, but any one you select on this dedicated-to-craft list will make this a meal to remember. A cask rotates local hits, while the rest of the 21 taps contain solid selections like Brooklyn Brown and Middle Ages Syracuse Pale Ale. It’s simple, unpretentious awesomeness.
122 W. Jefferson St.

Lazy Boy Saloon
White Plains, New York
Featuring beers from more countries (33) than states (14), the Lazy Boy Saloon (LZB to the locals) goes well beyond the borders of White Plains to cull its brew list. Enjoy a bucket of “Westchester County’s BEST Chicken Wings” and a beer from Smuttynose or Captain Lawrence while listening to live jazz. Plan your trip for a Thursday, when the bar greets you with a fresh cask.
154 Mamaroneck Ave.

Mahar’s Public House
Albany, New York
Mahar’s doesn’t mess around with its beer drinking. Bartenders and regulars enforce its many rules — nay, laws — and they “invite you to go elsewhere” if you can’t abide by them. Departing, however would be a mistake. One of the best places in the country for cask ale also features an immense, 500-label-strong selection of taps and bottles. Sit down, shut up, and enjoy the ride.
1110 Madison Ave.

Yesterday, we detailed the beers served on some of the major airlines. Today, we’re revving the engine again, only this time we’re tackling smaller carriers.

Want to know how you can get Leinenkugel’s Sunset Wheat at 35,000 feet? Well, you’ll just have to click through.

Getting lifted: Best brews at cruising altitude, part two

Spring is just so… nice, isn’t it? The weather’s getting better, the sun’s coming out (unless you live in San Francisco where it’s shockingly, disconcertingly, awesomely always shining), the people are happy.

Which brings us full circle to Full Sail Brewing Co. The brewery is set to release Hop Pursuit, the latest in its Brewmaster Reserve line-up. According to a release, the beer is a “crisp, orange blonde extra pale ale with a medium malt body that’s chased by a ton of hop flavor and zing of bitterness.” Its made with Cascade, Willamette, and Mt. Hood hops that traditionally have a smoother mouthfeel. Just nice, you know? the perfect beverage for spring.

DRAFT Magazine is giving away two tickets to The Brew Your Cask Off Festival at SweetWater Brewery, held on Saturday, March 20th. To enter, simply fill out your information on the entry form, sit back, hope, pray, and wait. We’ll announce the winners on the 17th.

Celebrate cask ale at its finest at SweetWater’s Brew Your Cask Off festival on Saturday, March 20 from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m. 75 special guest brewers, including local celebrities, home brewers, retailers, and charities will create their own one-of-a-kind cask for festival attendees to sample and judge. The night also features SweetWater’s award-winning lineup of lip smackin brews, live music, and guided tours of the brewery. Tickets are available online for $30 in advance, or $35 at the door. Or, you know, you could just win them.

Cinco de Mayo, what do we do with you? For us, it’s one of those holidays where you wake up the morning of, realize you haven’t prepared, and grab your friend’s pickup truck to run to the store and buy all the Corona left in stock. You have a great time — you eat some nachos, you play some softball, you drink some tequila, you cut yourself cutting limes — but it could be so much more, couldn’t it?

Rogue Ales believes so. Rogue’s Chipotle Ale is the perfect drink for the perfect independence day celebration. A four-time silver medalist at the World Beer Championships, brewmaster John Maier’s concoction features a sublime mix of sugar and spice. Get it on draft or in 22oz bottles. Eat it with poultry and pork. Or Corona. Your call.