Update: Apparently, you can stop the BCS
I’ve received some reports that people are not able to vote in the Beer Championship Series. We’ve been able to find no obvious technical reason why people are being blocked. Voting is working for some, not for others. We’re working on getting things straightened out. If you’re not able to vote, please try back later; voting will remain open until 10 p.m. Cheers!
2,600 votes, 11 countries: You can’t stop the BCS!
The Beer Championship Series went bonkers on Monday! We had just about 2,500 votes over five days last week for the first round. Well, beer fans must be serious about who gets to advance to the Sweet 16, because on Monday, we came up just shy of 2,600 votes in one day! Not only that, votes came in from the USA, Ukraine, Sweden, France, Germany, Denmark, Mexico, Australia, Puerto Rico, Switzerland and Thailand. That’s great, but I’ve got just one question: Where’s Canada?! I can’t get one voter from the True North Strong and Free? What’s that all about, eh? World domination aside, let’s get to Monday’s results. Here are your first eight Sweet 16 beers:
Oklahoma Region: COOP DNR – 61 percent vs. Choc Basement Batch – 39 percent
International Region: Modelo Negra- 64 percent vs. Dos Equis 36 percent
USA Region: Sierra Nevada Pale Ale – 54 percent vs. Sam Adams Boston Lager – 46 percent
Europe Region: Guinness- 63 percent vs. Hoegaarden – 37 percent
Oklahoma Region: Marshall Sundown Wheat – 53 percent vs. COOP Native Amber – 47 percent
International Region: Red Stripe – 74 percent vs. Fosters – 26 percent
USA Region: Fat Tire – 74 percent vs. Blue Moon – 26 percent
Europe Region: Chimay Red- 60 percent vs. Stella Artois – 40 percent
You can see the updated bracket here.
And let’s see who will round out the Sweet 16:
Big 12 (Lack of) Power Poll: Week 10
Texas appears home free, Baylor appears like it’ll be home for the holidays and Gary Pinkel appears home bound — as in, heading home after he’s booted out of Columbia. This is your weekly Big 12 (Lack of) Power Poll:
(Note: If you’re looking to vote in the Beer Championship Series, see the post below this one.)
1. Missouri (5-4, 1-4, lost to Baylor 40-32; next, at Kansas State) Losing to Baylor? Bad. Losing to Baylor at home? Very bad. Losing to Baylor after twice blowing an 11-point lead? Really bad. Losing to Baylor and allowing the Bears to drop a 40-spot on you? Can someone tell Gary Pinkel where he can rent a U-Haul?
2. Kansas (5-4, 1-4, lost to Kansas State 17-10; next, vs. Kansas) Yes, these are the same Jayhawks many touted as pre-season north division favorites. If you look in a dictionary under the definition of “Wheels are falling off,” you’d see a picture of the 2009 Jayhawks.
3. Baylor (4-5, 1-4, beat Missouri 40-32; next, vs. Texas) I’m sure the Bears are feeling fine and dandy about beating Missouri, but they’ve still got games against Texas, Texas A&M and Texas Tech, and I don’t see two wins and a bowl berth in that group.
4. Texas A&M (5-4, 2-3, lost to Colorado 35-34; next, at Oklahoma) Texas A&M claims the award for top split-personality team. They roar through Lubbock and destroy Texas Tech, but then fall to the Lower Buffs at home. And now they have an angry OU, a desperate Baylor and a confident Texas on their schedule. They’ve got a shot at six wins, but it’s no sure thing.
5. Colorado (3-6, 2-3, beat Texas A&M 35-34; next, at Iowa State) It was nice for Dan “Short Timer” Hawkins to get a win under his belt.
6. Iowa State (5-5, 2-4, lost to Oklahoma State 34-8; next, vs. Colorado) Paul “I am so proud to be your coach” Rhoads thought he was living large after winning in Lincoln; now two straight conference losses have brought the Cyclones back down to Earth. Have I mentioned before that when Iowa State won in Lincoln, they were the recipients of eight turnovers but only managed nine points? I may even petition the Big 12 to have that game counted as a loss for Nebraska and Iowa State.
7. Oklahoma (5-4, 3-2, lost to Nebraska 10-3; next, vs. Texas A&M) Whoa. Where to even start here? The Sooners were done in by Landry “Too Tall” Jones. As in, those passes were too tall for his receivers, but just right for Nebraska’s defenders. Come on Sooners, even Iowa State managed a touchdown against Nebraska!
8. Nebraska (6-3, 3-2, beat Okahoma 10-3; next, at Kansas) The Huskers really have no place being ranked fifth least lacking in power in the conference, but I couldn’t very well say OU was less lacking in power. Nebraska has scored 37 points in its past four games — they’re no superstars offensively, I’ll say that much.
9. Texas Tech (6-3, 3-2, bye; next, at Oklahoma State) How many times on the Texas Tech-OSU broadcast will they mention that “last time Texas Tech was in Stillwater, it was the Mike Gundy rant?”
10. Kansas State (6-4, 4-2, beat Kansas 17-10; next, vs. Missouri) Can I hand the coach of the year award to a team that’s 6-4, lost to Louisiana-Lafayette and features two of its wins against average Division II teams? You’re damn right I can! Wait, Kansas State scheduled three games against D-II teams this year? Maybe I’ll take that award back.
11. Oklahoma State (7-2, 4-1, beat Iowa State 34-8; next, vs. Texas Tech) Somewhere along the way, Oklahoma State got to be ranked 35th in the country in total defense. Where did that come from? They’re 33rd in the nation in scoring defense and ninth against the rush. The problem? They’re 87th against the pass. And sure enough, here comes Texas Tech to town on Saturday. Tech is second in the country in passing. Guess who’s first? Houston. We know how that went. Is trouble ahead for OSU?
12. Texas (9-0, 5-0, beat UCF 35-3; next, at Baylor) Not much to say here. Texas appears to be hitting its stride on both sides of the ball. All their competition in the conference is dropping off week-by-week. I’m not sure if there could be a less exciting drive to a perfect season.
Round two of Beer Championship Series is on!
Welcome back, beer fans, after our weekend break from the Beer Championship Series. This is our 64-beer, bracket-style playoff to select Oklahoma’s favorite beer. Last week we eliminated half the bracket and now stand at 32 beers. Today and Tuesday, the beers will battle it out for a spot in the Sweet 16. And remember, it’s your vote that decides who will survive and advance.
Here’s how the bracket looks right now.
And now, on to the round of 32:
Beer Championship Series first round is complete
The Thirsty Beagle here, checking in live from the Northwest Oklahoma County Memorial Sports Coliseum. Taking this OSU-OU intermission as an opportunity to provide the updated bracket for the Beer Championship Series. The voters have taken us from 64 beers down to 32. Check in Monday morning for the start of voting in the second round. We’re going to have some serious heavyweight match-ups.
Here’s how the bracket shapes up now.
Are here are Friday’s results:
-Oklahoma Region: Mustang Golden Ale – 64 percent vs. Choc 1919 – 36 percent
-International Region: Taj Mahal Lager – 52 percent vs. Corona – 48 percent
-USA Region: Shiner Bock – 85 percent vs. Coors Light – 15 percent
-Europe Region: St. Pauli Girl- 59 percent vs. Amstel – 41 percent
-Oklahoma Region: COOP Native Amber – 72 percent vs. Belle’s Blond – 28 percent
-USA Region: Anchor Steam – 77 percent vs. Miller Lite – 23 percent
-Europe Region: Newcastle Brown Ale- 81 percent vs. Carlsberg 19 percent
Keep up with the BCS on Twitter
Just wanted to drop a note that if you’re a user of Twitter, you can get updates on the Beer Championship Series by following The Thirsty Beagle at www.twitter.com/thirstybeagle. I’ll send alerts when a match-up is especially close, post results and let you know when new rounds of voting begin.
Cheers!
(Note: If you’re looking to vote in today’s Beer Championship Series match-ups, see the post below this one.)
Closing out round one of the Beer Championship Series
Seven more match-ups today and we’ll wrap up round one of the Beer Championship Series. It’s been a great week of beer voting — nearly 2,500 votes have been tallied from seven different countries. Clearly, this is a sweeping endorsement of The Thirsty Beagle’s version of the BCS! Once the first round is complete, be sure to check back Saturday to see the updated bracket. Then tune in Monday for our final 32 competitors. Here are the beers that survived and advanced on Thursday:
Oklahoma Region: Choc Basement Batch – 72 percent vs. Belle Isle Power House Porter - 28 percent
International Region: Sapporo – 54 percent vs. Coopers Lager – 46 percent
USA Region: Fat Tire – 62 percent vs. Sam Adams Boston Ale – 38 percent
Europe Region: Hoegaarden – 70 percent vs. Becks – 30 percent
Oklahoma Region: Marshall Atlas IPA- 82 percent vs. Bricktown Copperhead Amber Ale – 18 percent
International Region: Fosters- 56 percent vs. Tsing Tao – 44 percent
Europe Region: Stella Artois- 52 percent vs. Weihenstephaner Lager – 48 percent
For your enjoyment, the updated bracket.
And how about Friday’s match-ups:
Do your civic duty. Vote… In the Beer Championship Series
Perhaps you didn’t know that The Thirsty Beagle is an international man of mystery. It’s true. Because of technology, I can tell you that voters in the Beer Championship Series have been in Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Australia and Mexico, in addition to the good ol’ USA. Thanks technology! And thanks to the readers, now we’ve had three great days of voting. We’re going to continue today (Thursday) and Friday so we can close out the first round and bring our original 64 beers down to 32. Here are the beers that advanced on Wednesday:
-Oklahoma Region: COOP Gran Sport Porter- 72 percent vs. Bricktown Land Run Lager – 28 percent
-International Region: Moosehead- 72 percent vs. James Boag – 28 percent
-USA Region: Leinenkugel Summer Shandy – 75 percent vs. Michelob Ultra – 25 percent
-Europe Region: Pilsner Urquell – 56 percent vs. Harp – 44 percent
-Europe Region: Chimay Red – 55 percent vs. Bass – 45 percent
-USA Region: Sierra Nevada Pale Ale – 79 percent vs. Budweiser – 21 percent
-International Region: Dos Equis – 64 percent vs. Kirin - 36 percent
And here are today’s match-ups:
Vote! The Beer Championship Series is rolling!
Beer fans of Oklahoma: Give yourself a round of applause. Voter turnout for the Beer Championship Series on Tuesday was excellent. Here are the beers that advanced past round one:
-Oklahoma Region: Marshall McNellie’s Pub Ale – 69 percent vs. Mustang Amber Lager – 31 percent
-International Region: Molson Canadian – 74 percent vs. Lhasa Beer – 26 percent
-USA Region: Boulevard Wheat- 63 percent vs. Leinenkugel Original – 37 percent
-Europe Region: Moretti – 62 percent vs. Heineken – 38 percent
-Oklahoma Region: Marshall Sundown Wheat – 77 percent vs. Choc Miner Mishap – 23 percent
-International Region: Red Stripe- 53 percent vs. Tecate – 47 percent
-USA Region: Blue Moon – 76 percent vs. Bud Light Lime – 24 percent
And let’s see the next round of match-ups:
Five Questions With… Marshall Brewing Co.
Today I’m unveiling a new occasional series on The Thirsty Beagle, something I call Five Questions With… . I shoot five insightful questions to movers and shakers in the beer world here in Oklahoma and around the country, then pass the answers along to you. Our first guest is the brewmaster of Tulsa’s Marshall Brewing Co., Eric Marshall.
(Note: If you’re looking for the Beer Championship Series, see the post below this one.)
1. The Thirsty Beagle: First off, you guys are still relatively new in the business; how has it been starting your own brewery?
Eric Marshall: It has definitely been a learning experience! I don’t think a lot of people understand all of the work that is involved just to get it up and running. Since we are regulated by every level possible there is a lot of applications and waiting on those to get processed. There are a lot of reports that are dependent on keeping very detailed records for everything you do. Many people think…oh I do this in my garage all the time, how hard can it be… well it is a completely different monster. Of course, I knew all of this getting into it, because of my prior experience in the industry, but still it is completely different when you are running the show. It has also been a very gratifying experience, we have been fortunate to have overwhelmingly positive support and feedback and that really makes it all worthwhile.
2. TTB: I see your 22 oz. bottles are available at beer stores now. Are you guys selling six packs as well and I just haven’t seen them anywhere?
EM: We have been selling 22 oz. bottles since last December and we should be releasing six packs very soon. We have begun bottling, we are just trying to build up some inventory before we put them out the door. We will be releasing them in waves, Atlas IPA and McNellie’s Pub Ale first and then Sundown Wheat and Old Pavilion Pilsner to follow. Since kegs and 22 oz. bottles have gone so well it has been hard to get the six packs going. We are going to have to do a little expansion very soon, so we have enough tanks full of product to fill demand.
3. TTB:You guys were the first keg tapped at Tulsa’s Oktoberfest, right? Did that mean a lot to you?
EM: Yes, we tapped the first keg at Oktoberfest and it was awesome! I have been going to that festival forever and we tried to get beer out there last year but it just didn’t happen. So, this year we started making contacts early and Oktoberfest was very receptive of having us there and doing the official tapping. Having German roots and having studied so much over there, it was very important to me. Oktoberfest liked the idea for the local aspect of it and it didn’t hurt that I have a few German casks where you actually hammer the spigot into the cask. They loved it and want to do it again!
4. TTB: You spent a lot of time studying the craft in Germany. Do you miss being in the middle of a place steeped with such beer tradition and history?
EM: I really do miss Germany! I had such a wonderful experience there and yeah the beer tradition and history is top notch. But I am glad I came back to Tulsa and started the brewery here. I love Oklahoma even more than I love Germany. If I would have stayed over there I would never have met my wife or been where I am now. However, I wish I were in a position where I could visit Germany a bit more, I still have “family” there and love it. Hopefully my wife and I will be going this summer and then once the brewery gets a bit more steady I will get to take some business trips there every year!
5. TTB: Oklahoma seems to be in the middle of a beer boom, with several breweries getting into the mix. Do you get the sense that Oklahoma’s beer community is really starting to grow right now?
EM: Yes, Oklahoma is in the middle of a beer boom and it is great! Forever, Oklahoma has been viewed as a beer wasteland, but now we are starting to make some waves and get a little respect. It is great for the guys who have been around for a while like, Choc. They have been doing some cool things for a while but no one wanted to listen to them because they were from Oklahoma. Now as more breweries pop up people are taking note. It also doesn’t hurt that they won a gold medal in a popular category at the beer fest, but that also helps us all. It gives Oklahoma a bit more street cred!
