KANE'S BEVERAGE NEWS DAILY

Beer Across Texas a Useful Reference

Billed as “a guide to the brews and brewmasters of the Lone Star State,” Beer Across Texas is a useful tool for beer afficiandos living or travelling in Texas.  It’s organized by region (North Texas, East Texas, etc.) then by city.
Each entry tells us a bit – not nearly enough -- about the brewmaster, as well as a listing of the brews produced in each brewery.  Of special value is its comprehensiveness, covering the smallest brewpub to the largest, Anheuser-Busch’s Houston brewery. 

We learn that A-B has Texas connections dating back to 1892, when Adolphus Busch bought the original Lone Star brewery in San Antonio, operating it for 20 years.   (The brewery is now the San Antonio Art Museum, and the A-B eagle can still be seen in the art museum’s courtyard.). 

And we learn Miller’s Fort Worth brewery originally was owned by Canada’s Carling Brewing Co. and had the world’s most advanced brewing system when it was constructed.  Unfortunately, the system didn’t work, and Carling sold the brewery to Miller, which spent $12 million to rehab it.

It’s published by Maverick Publishing Co., San Antonio, which specializes in Texas regional, general interest nonfiction tradebooks.  It’s available in bookstores in Texas, or you can order it from our online bookstore.

Whiskey & Spirits for Dummies

    Our former colleague, Perry Luntz, has written a gem of a book, Whiskey & Spirits for Dummies.

    It's the sort of book we wish we had had 25 years ago, when we began to cover the bev/al beat. For that matter, we're happy to have it today, and we think even the most experienced bev/al marketer will also find it a usual reference.

    One quibble, for an otherwise fine work: In reading the history of alcohol beverages, we stumbled across this phrase: "Some time during the eighth century CE -- these dates are never quite as clear as one might like them to be ,,," CE? A little research revealed that's an abbreviation for "Common Era."

    But which Common Era? The common era of the Jews? The common era of the Mahometans? The common era of the foundation of Rome? The common era of the Nativity of Our Lord? As Luntz said, "these dates are never quite as clear as one might like them to be."

    We think Luntz -- or his politically correct editors -- would have done their readers a favor by dropping the CE. There's no need for it, since "some time during the eighth century" would have conveyed the timeframe very nicely.

    We suspect Americans working in Arab lands where alcohol is prohibited will be amused to learn that distillation was invented by an Arab, cultivated in Europe by monks and first published in a book by Michael Puff von Schrick in 1478.

    Luntz tells how distilled spirits are created, how consumer can enjoy them and then does an analysis of various spirits.

    And if you want to know how to marinate salmon with Scotch whisky, or prepare penne a la vodka, or chicken fajitas or bake an AppleJack pound cake, you'll find the recipe in this book.

    Buy the book. Even better, give it to friends outside the industry for Christmas or other holidays.

To Order This Book, or Others, Visit Our Bookstore

Mr. Boston Official Bartender Guide

This classic has been around for 70 years, but reflecting the just-published new edition features 200 new recipes among the 1,500 in its 298 pages.

Some of the best bartenders in the country are represented, including Dale DeGroff, Tony Abou-Ganim and Gary Regan.  The recipes range from the trendy (Cubeltini, Bahito and Cosmopolitan) and the traditional (Manhattan, Martini, Old- Fashioned).

It's a valuable resource, and over its 70 years has consistently outsold and outlasted other bartending books.  It's available through our online store.