Happy Thanksgiving from Lug Wrench

Another year has passed, and today we give thanks for all that we have been blessed with.  Tom and I wanted to wish everyone a Happy Thanksgiving and hope that everyone had the chance to reflect on friends and family that enrich our lives.

 

After a year of personal challenges, this Thanksgiving was more important than most and we were very pleased that things have turned out how they have.  Here's hoping that the coming year will be just as fortunate and enjoyable. 

Cheers to all and hopes that everyone has a great beer and great company during this holiday season.

Slainte!

-JW


"What event is more awfully important to an English colony than the erection of its first brewhouse?"
-Rev. Sydney Smith

Happy Thanksgiving from Lug Wrench

On a day when everyone is giving thanks, Tom and I wanted to wish everyone a Happy Thanksgiving.  The blog posts may have slowed in the last few months because of outside activities, but we are still here and have every intention of carrying on.

Here's hoping that everyone has a great beer and great company during this holiday season!

Slainte!

-JW


"Beer is just the begining."
-Anonymous

Happy Labor Day

Lug Wrench Brewing Company would like to wish all of our readers a happy Labor Day.  Hopefully, you have a chance to celebrate the holiday and the end of summer with a fine homebrew or craft beer.  The start fall somewhat lessens the craziness of summer as the kids go back to school.  It is also my favorite time to brew here in Virginia, as the crisp autumn coolness of the air beckons me to fire up the burner on the back deck.

Cheers,

TW

Happy Memorial Day

Jeff and I wish all of our readers a Happy Memorial Day.  We hope that you will pause for a moment on this day and remember those who have sacrificed themselves so that we, as a country, can enjoy the freedoms we currently experience.  Our Father and both of our Grandfathers are veterans of the armed services and we appreciate their service, as well as those they knew who did not return.

Please join us and raise a glass to those we honor on Memorial Day.

Cheers,

TW

Poll: New Year's Beer-Related Resolution?

Like all our prior blog polls, this post takes a moment to memorialize the results we recieved on the most recent blog poll.  The readers' responses to the question "What Beer-Related New Year's Resolution Is Most Appealing To You?" are presented below.

Total Votes: 23

Bring on the new kettle, march pump, temp control, etc .... it seems everyone is looking to improve their homebreweries this coming year.  I'll have to admit that I fell into this category too.  With any homebrew mail order, I find myself always trying to add one or two items that will improve my process.  Whether its an oxygenation kit, a diffusion stone, or a refractometer, I can never pick up just a few ingredients.  However, as I mentioned in my 2011 wrap-up, my next homebrewery improvement needs to be a second chest freezer so I can keep beer on tap when I'm fermenting a new one.

One of the categories I was hopeing to see get a bigger turn out was for "Take a beer-related trip", as this was a close second for me.  I am sure most beernuts are like me and unconsciously do this anyways (heading to city X?  What breweries/brewpubs/beer bars are there?), but taking a serious trip to beer-meccas like Belgium or Germany have always been on the short list.  I've got to move that up on the priority list for sure. 

Let us know what your thoughts are on the topic.  And if you are reading this, our next blog poll is up and awaiting your participation.

Slainte!

-JW


"If God intended us to drink beer, He would have given us stomachs."
-David Daye

Poll: Ideal Beer for Holiday Feasts?

Like all our prior blog polls, this post takes a moment to memorialize the results we received on the most recent blog poll.  The readers' responses to the question "What Is Your Ideal Beer To Pair With Holiday Feasts?" are presented below.

Total Votes: 21

Cold weather always seems to make the taste buds yearn for something a bit stronger than the rest of the year, and that is certainly apparent here. Belgian ales, which are typically a bit more potent by nature, or Stouts were the clear winners in this poll, with the occasional barelywine coming in third. Cheers to the season for sure!

The popularity (or lack there of) for Spiced Ales was a bit of an outlier from my expectations.  All the "Noel" style beers are mulled or spiced for the most part, but yet they do not seem to nake it to the tables of those who responded.  As long as these offerings are not overspiced, the seasonal beers always seem to pair well with the robust and favorable foods of the holidays, in my opinion.  I would have expected them to be more popular.  Huh.

Let us know what your thoughts are on the topic.  And if you are reading this, our next blog poll is up and awaiting your participation.

Slainte!

-JW


"A wise son brings joy to his father, but the wiser son brings beer."
-Mad Mordigan

Happy Columbus Day!

For those of you here in the US, Lug Wrench Brewing would like to wish you all a Happy Columbus Day.  Here in New England, we've been blessed with outstanding weather on this holiday weekend.  Hopefully you and yours have had the chance to kick back, enjoy some good weather, and quaff a great beer while you do. 

And for those of you outside the US or other locations who don't honor this holiday, we wish you a ... um ... Happy Monday.

Slainte!

-JW


"Riches don't make a man rich, they only make him busier."
-Christopher Columbus

Happy Labor Day

Lug Wrench Brewing Company would like to wish all of our readers a happy Labor Day.  Hopefully, you have a chance to celebrate the holiday and the end of summer with a fine homebrew or craft beer.  Here in Virginia, some of our evenings are turning chilly and I can sense the crisp autumn coolness in the air.  That makes me want to get out on the back deck and brew beer.

Cheers,

TW

Happy Fourth of July

Jeff and I wanted to wish all of our readers a Happy Fourth of July.  We hope you have the opportunity to gather with friends and family and enjoy each other's company and celebrate our wonderful country.  Hopefully, aside from the grilled food and fireworks, you had a chance to enjoy a nice homebrew or craft beer too.


Cheers,

TW

Happy Easter

Happy Easter from Lug Wrench Brewing Company!

Whatever your religious beliefs or thinking, we hope that you and those dear to you have a chance to enjoy Spring and the warming seasons (note that this happens much slower in New England than it does down here in Virginia).  If at all possible, savor a homebrewed beverage as you enjoy time with your loved ones (dinner here featured Mason Dixon Line Mead, as well as some other homebrew).

Cheers,

TW

Poll: Consumption of 'Holiday'-styled Beers

Similar to what has been done for all our prior blog polls, this post takes a moment to memorialize the results we received on our most recent blog poll.  The readers responses to the questions "During the holiday season, what percentage of your consumption is made up of 'Holiday'-styled beer?" are presented below.

Total Votes: 29

So only a few of us seem to get caught up in the holiday spirit for those slightly larger, spiced beers that always come into circulation at the end of the year.  My hat is off to the 7% who substitute holiday beer into the majority of their consumption - that's saying something.  On the other side of the coin, it looks like 30-50% of the voters only pick up the occasional Noel beer, if at all - my guess is these individuals don't like deviating off their normal preferences.

Let us know your thoughts, either as a comment or an email.  And if you are reading this, we've put up our next poll, which awaits your response.

Slainte!

-JW


"No, sir: There is nothing which has yet been contrived by man by which so much happiness is produced as by a good tavern or inn."
-Samuel Johnson